Stop Spinning Around and Around

   It is silly, but these are all the craze with children and kids in their early teens. They are called fidget spinners. I don't know where they originated, but I do know they are being made by the tens of thousands overseas and shipped to homes. They are even found on the counters of local convenience stores - I got this one just a mile from here on the corner of Moody and Hwy 96.
   Made out of plastic or metal, they feature a ball-bearing in the center that spins and spins after you've loaded it with energy with a good push. What little advertising is associated with them suggests they are good for keeping a person focused, or relieving stress. I doubt the FDA would support either claim. This one will spin for nearly two minutes before finally coming to a stop.
   How long can you go before finally running out of energy? The terrible truth is we regularly test our limits. We work too long, play too much, sleep too little, and wonder why we finally come to a complete (crashing) stop. The wisdom of the Bible makes this much clear: we are not made to work and go forever. We are made to rest in between. We are made to stop, from time to time, and reset. We are made to live in the rhythm of being on and off, of work and rest; it is the rhythm of Sabbath and the devotional life.
   It is hard, I know. Taking the time every morning (or evening) to sit in front of the word of God involves overcoming a wealth of obstacles, not to mention the force of inertia that tell us to keep going once we've started the day. But, we are not made like toys. We are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). We are made to work and rest, go and stop, spin and sit still. Grace and peace, Scott

A Simple, Holy, Beauty

   Some of the flowers in the yard of our neighbors, Bonnie and Herb, have bloomed this week, sending a bright and yellow explosion of color as far as the eye can see them. They are beautiful in their simplicity. For this boy raised in the South, they also seem a little early. None of us can blame them, though, as this has been quite an extra-ordinary winter?
   Flowers in full bloom are, in their own way, singing a song of praise to the One who planted them and caused them to grow. The Scriptures, on a couple of occasions, make it clear that God has an agenda about God's own praise and glory and if humans are not going to live into the agenda God can cause the natural world around us to pitch in. Consider these:

• In Luke 19, when some of the Pharisees from the crowd wanted Jesus to reprimand his followers about singing Jesus praise and said, “Teacher, scold your disciples! Tell them to stop!” he answered, “I tell you, if they were silent, the stones would shout.”
• Psalm 19 says, "Heaven is declaring God’s glory; the sky is proclaiming his handiwork. One day gushes the news to the next, and one night informs another what needs to be known. Of course, there’s no speech, no words - their voices can’t be heard - but their sound extends throughout the world; their words reach the ends of the earth.

If God has placed within nature the very substance needed to sing praise, how much more should we, considering that we are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26)?
   I think the purpose of the Season of Lent is to clear our minds and focus our hearts in order that we might return to a life of living out the praise of God. I love this prayer in my devotional book for this week that asks "that some beauty of holiness may appear in us." May the God who brings forth beauty in the simplest ways, also bring forth a simple, holy beauty from our lives, as well.
   Grace and peace, Scott

Where did it all start?

   Where did it all start? The bible offers a couple of different stories that each describe where it all started. Genesis 1 proclaims the world got its start when a word was spoken in the midst of chaos: the word brought order and goodness. Genesis 2 offers a complimentary version, one that describes a partnership between God and man and then one between man and woman, and describes the start of the world as happening in a garden.
   In worship on Sunday, we heard from our church's own history that our congregation got it's start in a pastor who had a vision and another congregation in the Sandy Run area that gave him permission. It was 121 years ago this week that the permission and vision of those two miles up the road were combined with the passion and perseverance of families here in Bonaire to form one church with a purpose.
   My own story starts in a chemistry class on the campus of Georgia Southern College back in 1966, when a young co-ed searched for a friendly face to partner with in lab in order to improve her chances of passing the class. Her eyes landed on a young guy from Screven County and here I am today. I must say, like my mom, I love math and physics a lot more than chemistry.
   What about your story, where did it start?
   Who was there at the beginning?
   Who had a vision for what needed to happen?
   Who were the permission-givers?
   What partnerships were formed that made the difference?
   Let us be thankful to God for the mighty acts of God that have brought us to this place. Let us not stop with thanksgiving for the past, though. Let us be counted as those who are helping to write new history. Let us be among those with vision and commitment and a sense of purpose. Paul, writing to the church in Corinth (2 Cor 5:17), said, "So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!" I believe God is calling us to help people "get started" all over again. I think that looks like one-one discipleship, or teaching children in Sunday School, or praying with people every other Friday in our food pantry and clothing closet, or growing in our giving, or starting a morning devotional routine.
   Grace and Peace, Scott

Where Can A Christian Boast or Glory?

   College Football Preseason rankings are coming out and fans everywhere are boasting of their team's place. Politicians are now taking the stage in debates - in front of the few people willing to watch this early - boasting of what they have done and making promises about what they will do.
   What is a Christian to boast of? Our faith? The size of our churches? The reach of our missions around the world? Surely none of these. Instead, consider the words of Francis:

   "I did not come to be served but to serve (see Matthew 10:28), says the Lord. Those who are placed over others should glory in such an office only as much as they would were they assigned the task of washing the feet of the brothers. And the more they are upset about their office being taken from them than they would be over the loss of the office of washing feet, so much the more do they store up treasures to the peril of their souls (see John 12:6).
   Be conscious, O man (and woman), of the wondrous state in which the Lord God has placed you, for he created you and formed you to the image of his beloved Son according to the body, and to his likeness according to the spirit (see Genesis 1:26). And yet, all the creatures under heaven, each according to its nature, serve, know, and obey their Creator better than you. Even the demons did not crucify him, but you together with them have crucified him and crucify him even now by delighting in vices and sins.
   In what then can you glory (or boast)? For if you were so subtle and wise that you had all knowledge (see 1 Corinthians 13:2) and knew how to interpret all tongues (see 1 Corinthians 12:28) and minutely investigate the course of the heavenly bodies, in all these things you could not glory, for one demon knew more about the things of earth than all men together, even if there may have been someone who received from the Lord a special knowledge of the highest wisdom. Likewise, even if you were more handsome and richer than everyone else and even if you performed wonders such as driving out demons, all these things would be an obstacle to you and none of them would belong to you nor could you glory in any of these things. But in this we can glory: in our infirmities (see 2 Corinthians 12:5) and bearing daily the holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (see Luke 14:27)."

- Francis of Assisi, also known as Saint Francis, was an early church leader who wrote short words of instruction to those who would follow him as he followed Jesus. This brief section of the longer Admonitions was written around 1200 CE.

What To Think When Time Passes Too Quickly

  I have known for months now that my watch was missing. I don't remember where I put it or the last time I had worn it. Of course, this is less of a hassle considering almost everyone now carries around a time-keeping device in their pocket or purse, also known as a cellular phone.
   We were riding back across the state of Georgia on Sunday afternoon, returning from the wedding weekend of my cousin Wade. We were in some South Georgia metropolis - Odum, Surrency, Graham, or Chauncey - when I went rummaging through the contents of the console between the two front seats of Julie's GMC Acadia. There, beneath some CDs, sunglasses case, and enough pens and pencils to rewrite the IRS tax laws, my fingers happened upon a metallic object. What was lost, had been found. Glory, hallelujah.
   I marveled at my watch upon returning it to its rightful place upon my wrist. After a few moments, I took note of something I had missed in the hoopla of finding this timepiece now reappeared; the hands were only a minute off. It was then I was struck by the duration of my watch's absence! I had misplaced it before the clocks had fallen back in November, because it was again showing the correct time after they had sprung forward this past March.
   Back in 1818, Washington Irving wrote a short-story about a similar occurrence of being out of sight and out of mind for a period of time. It is the tale of Rip Van Winkle. Asleep for twenty years, he returns to find the scale of tumultuous change that occurred over the twenty years that the story encompasses. Rip discovers that life has passed on without his presence. Could you imagine? There are worse things than being left behind, though. Waiting on time to pass slowly or dreading as it flies by too quickly can be equally tough.
   The opening verses of Genesis are literally marked by the passage of one day after another. Time is woven into the story of Creation. We are told in Ecclesiastes 3 that "for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." And, some of the last words of Jesus to his disciples before he ascends back into heaven in Acts 1 are for them to wait a few days for the Holy Spirit to come, but know that the exact timing of events in the future is a mystery kept by God. We live with time, but we also wonder about time.
   My world seems driven by time right now. How much time is needed to pack? When will this meeting happen, or these answers come? I cannot believe we only have so many days left before saying good-bye. Yet, however distant answers seem or uncertain the future might be, I know the timing will work out right in the end. Psalm 31 says, "I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hand."  I believe this promise is offered to packing preachers and all who call on the name of the Lord. May God's grace and peace be on us all, Amen.

What We Do For Children

What Is Happening

  The tragedy and scandal at the Penn State University football program continues to make headlines as the findings of various investigations are released and now as punishments and consequences are meted out. At the center of this tragedy are the actions of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and the inactions of head coach Joe Paterno, along with the school's president and others in key leadership positions. The scale of this story is enormous. That it happened at one of the most highly respected universities in the country is shocking. That the all-time winningest coach at the top level of college football would be involved is even more so.
  The ramifications of what is being uncovered are far-reaching. My initial reaction from nearly a year ago was that this will reshape not just college athletics or the world of sports, but nonprofits and all organizations that serve in and around children. I continue to pray for the families of the victims and the entire community that is grieving.
  This tragedy, like the shooting deaths in Aurora, Colorado last week, is unsettling. I think it gives us reason to clearly define what it is we believe.

What We Believe

  The Bible tells us that every person is created in the image of God and therefore has great and immeasurable value in the eyes of God, the Creator of the universe (Genesis 1:27-31). Jesus goes on to define a right relationship with God as one that is like a father and child (Matthew 6:9). He goes on to say that entrance into heaven hinges on changing to have childlike characteristics (Matthew 18:3). Finally, Jesus speaks a word of woe to anyone who would cause one of these "little ones" to stumble. The church is a collected group of people who are seeking to live by the Kingdom values taught by Jesus and found in the Scriptures, but also who are teaching and confirming such grace-filled living in the others who are welcomed on the journey (Ephesians 1:18-23). Embodying the love and radical grace of Jesus is what it means for the church to be the 'Body of Christ' in the world.

What We Do (in response to our beliefs)

  A number of years ago, our church council adopted a Safe Sanctuaries policy, similar to the one required of every United Methodist Church in South Georgia, to be intentional about protecting children, our church, and our volunteers. It sets some minimums for both recruitment of volunteers (time involved at church, background checks, etc.) and establishes policies about how children are supervised (at least two approved persons present, no groups in rooms without windows or open doors, etc.). We continue to live into what this means for our church.

  In addition to our volunteers, the Conference required a day-long session of Sexual Ethics training for clergy serving United Methodist churches every three years. Scott is scheduled to attend his third round of this in September of this year.

  Starting this year, we have adopted the principles of ORANGE ministry with children and families. ORANGE is about the church's commitment to partner with families to shine the light of Jesus into the lives of the next generations. Families are first in the line of influencers of children, so we want to help them train up children in the best possible way. This means we are encouraging more participation by adults in children's ministry events instead of less. We love families of every size (family is 1+)!

  Beyond just policies and practices, we pray. We pray for those who have been hurt by the world and for those not yet reached by God's love. We pray for every child in our care and prepare for all of those who will arrive someday. We pray that as we teach and model the love of God we know we are also greatly loved.