Vol 3 No 5 - The True Christmas Season

Another Christmas is upon us - what a joy! After four weeks of waiting, watching, hoping, and anticipating, we are FINALLY able to celebrate the Christmas season over these 12 days from Christmas Day to Epiphany. This morning, I was chatting with someone who told me that Christmas had already come and gone in their house - the decorations were all away and things were 'back to normal'. I completely understand the sentiment - just before I wrote this message, I was in an IM session with Erin talking about possibly taking the tree down tonight.

Christmas is a major inconvenience in many ways for us - our work and school schedules are disrupted, money comes tighter and tighter, and a whole host of other things that we are not used to come into play. Another friend I talked to this morning is at the point he can't wait for his in-laws to leave so that he can get his house back. A third talks about how much work is piling up while he takes vacation that must be burned before Dec. 31.

This Sunday, we will note that it is the First Sunday of Christmas being observed. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of trying to 'return to normal', don't forget that Christmas is, for us, not just a one-day event. In fact, it is not just a 12-day celebration within the church. No - Christmas must be for us a way of life; a way of life because God has taken it upon himself to come and show us the way. Christmas must be a way of life for us - a way that is led by the Master and followed by his church, his body (in other words, us).

We will begin this journey by spending the next few months in Christ's most expansive description of the Christian life - the Sermon on the Mount as found in Matthew 5-7. I will be preaching a series with the theme "Basic Christian Living".

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 4 - Peace...

While in the recovery room today after my myelogram (imagine me having to lay pretty still for 6 hours - when you stop laughing, feel free to continue reading), I was catching up on some e-mails and RSS feeds on my phone when I came across a guest editorial in today's Wall Street Journal by Steve Salerno titled, "The Happiness Myth." As happens a great deal of the time when I am reading things things in contemporary publications, this article seemed to resonate with what is going on in my life and what I see happening in your lives and the life of the church. The particular item from this column is where he quotes his father's advice, "Life isn't built around 'fun.' It's built around peace of mind."

As you head down the home stretch, with not much time left in this Advent season, and calendar year, take a moment to ask yourself if you have 'peace of mind.' Peace of mind related to who you are. Peace of mind related to what you do. Peace of mind related to your relationships with friends and family. Peace of mind with God. Peace of mind knowing that what you are doing, and the identity you have, are not related to the things of this world, but can be directly traced to the incarnation of God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit in a life that spanned from the manger to the cross to the second coming.

I look forward to seeing each of you and your friends, relatives, and neighbors, on Christmas Eve @ 6:00 or 11:00.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 3 - The Light's Always On

Over lunch early yesterday afternoon with one of my colleagues, a dear friend of mine (J) who I am working with on his ordination process, the subject of what is it that we as pastors hope for in our churches came up for discussion. Just before or during the middle of this (I don't remember which), a mutual friend of ours called him to shoot the breeze. This friend and I have not talked in about six years (no animosity or anything - just life intervening) but when I found out it was him on the phone I got on and did 5-10 minutes of catching up. What was great about it was that even though he and I had not talked in a long time, we picked up without missing a beat. In the middle of a routine Tuesday over a late lunch in a sandwich shop in Lafayette, an old friend re-entered my life, even if for a few brief minutes.

Later on in the conversation, after J and I had gotten off the phone with our friend, we went back to the subject mentioned first in this column and I shared with J that one of the things that I hope for in the churches that I serve is that they are places where relationships are developed and formed to the depth that even after a six-year (or longer) break in conversation things pick up like there was no break. As we talked further, we got into what goes into seeing that kind of vision come to fruition. The bottom line we came up with was that it must become our very nature to invest ourselves in one another to the depths that do not come when we breeze in and out of the sanctuary on Sunday mornings, barely talking to anyone (and certainly not those people whom we do not know). It must become our very nature to seek out these relationships. After all, if we as the body of Christ are not willing to invest in one another, why should we expect anyone to invest in us? If we, as the body of Christ, are not willing to take a chance to invest in those whom we don't know who come into our fellowship, why should we expect them to feel as though we

Whether or not it will be another six years before the mutual friend of ours and I talk again, I do not know. I hope not, but if it works out that way, I know that the bonds that we formed during the time we were a part of the same Christian community are stronger than the separation of a few years.

Could the same be said if you left Pharr Chapel and didn't come back for six years? I'm not talking about people you grew up with or worked with, but those people whom you got to know solely through your connection to this community of faith.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 2 - Perspectivization

A few months ago, one of the recipients of this message, a fellow United Methodist pastor, said to me something along the lines of: "I read your e-mail each week and love it. I do have a question, however: What is your purpose in sending out the e-mail?" It was a great question, and one that I have thought about each week in the course of preparing this message.

My answer to him was: "1. To remind them that I am thinking of them in the midst of their crazy week. 2. To give them some food for thought on a Christian/spiritual level. 3. To keep the church and its activities in their mind." Whenever I write to you, I do my best to hit on all three of these ideas at some point, either in the article (hopefully) or elsewhere in the e-mail.

There is a popular philosophy among some preachers to look at the preaching & writing aspects of pastoral ministry as speaking to them, with the people of the church being allowed to listen in on the conversation. This week is one of those times for me, for I hit the proverbial 'wall' about 4:00 this afternoon, looking at what all I have allowed to crawl onto my plate between now and Christmas. Instead of a lot of thought-provoking and soul-searching (hopefully) writing, I want to simply ask of you who are journeying with me towards the manger the following questions:

1. What are you doing today to get ready for Christmas?

2. How is that helping prepare you encounter the Christ child?

3. How has the activity that you are engaged in with respect to #1 helped nourish your soul?

4. How much of what you are engaged in with respect to #1 do you allow to dominate your life?

5. How much of the answer to #4 is really important to help you answer #2?

Just a few questions to help with your 'perspectivization'.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 1 - Participation = Preparation

There is a GREAT video on YouTube that is a clip of a press conference NBA star Allen Iverson had a couple of years ago in Philadelphia. The subject of the press conference was a rift between Iverson and his coach, Larry Brown, after Iverson missed practice. Many of you may remember it, for Iverson says the word 'practice' about 20 times in 2.5 minutes. Watching this clip again (and, I must admit, it is one of my favorite YouTube videos), the very last thing that Iverson says in this clip (which is not the total interview) is, "How the [heck] can I make my teammates better by practicing?" Good question. GREAT question. One I think that we all should have to answer - how can I make others on my team important by practicing?

Going into the Advent season, I have had several people mention to me that it seems there is a lot on the church calendar for December and wondering how it is all going to come off. There's also been some mention of people not being able to make it to EVERYTHING on the calendar due to other important matters. My hope and prayer is that you will make an effort to be a part of as many activities as you are willing to make time for, since it is when we are the body of Christ come together that we are strengthened and encouraged in our quest to fulfill the Master's will in all things. Through things like the Hanging of the Green service, the Advent lunches, Bible studies, Sunday School, Salsa sales, and food drives, we catch a glimpse of the kingdom of God that we miss when we limit our participation in the activities of the body of Christ to simply showing up on Sunday morning for an hour.

Advent is a season of preparation. Four weeks where we focus our strength and energy on nothing other (in theory) than preparing to observe and celebrate once again the arrival of our Savior. Further, this season is not just about preparing ourselves as individuals to participate in the joyous celebration of Christmas, but to walk with one another in this time. As Paul reminds us in several places, we are the body of Christ, and when we miss the opportunity to be together, we are not being all that we can be, nor all that we should be.

To answer Allen Iverson's question, "How the [heck] can I make my teammates better by practicing?", let me conclude by saying that when you, each of you, are present in the activities of the community of faith, you bring to the rest of us another glimpse of God's saving work through the very life you present for His service. By doing that, you make all of us, your teammates, better. After all, what is participation in the body of Christ but, to quote Fanny Crosby, a 'foretaste of glory divine'?

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 50 - Thanks-GIVING

Thanksgiving - one of those secular holidays that speaks to the Christian community far more than we probably realize. As you all make your preparations for Thursday's festivities (or, if you are reading this when you get back, reflect upon Thursday's festivities), take a moment or two to think about the word 'Thanksgiving'. It's around this time of year I get a number of 'forwards' from people with the usual pablum about the meaning of Thanksgiving or the history of Thanksgiving or the ACLU threatening to blow Thanksgiving off the face of the earth - and as I read (if I haven't already seen it every year since 1995) these my mind starts to wander towards what it is that makes us so thankful. Is it the traditions? Is it the family? What is it that makes us so wrapped up in Thanksgiving?

I also think about what it is that is the number one response that people give during 'man on the street' interviews about what they are thankful for: their families. Shortly behind this answer is something to do with our nation and freedom, along with having food on the table, roof overhead, etc. This is where I think we as a church (small c) miss a great opportunity to get the message of our faith to others.

As we sit down with our friends, families, loved ones, or others this Thanksgiving, let us be sure to not miss the number one thing that we as Christians, by definition since we identify ourselves as Christians, are thankful for: a God who loves us so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, so that all who believe in him may not perish but have eternal life, AND that he came not to condemn the world but that all might be saved through him. Without this reality, none of the rest of the stuff we profess thanks for wouldn't be possible, much less happen.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 49 - Pastoral Hopes & Prayers

I don't know about you, but it is amazing how the holiday season seems to sneak up on us each year. Yesterday afternoon I spent getting our Advent calendar pretty much finalized, and, even though it is a little stressful to think of the craziness that is going on this year, I couldn't help but start to get excited. To think that in a couple of weeks, our sanctuary will be decorated with all the trappings of Advent is giving me all sorts of emotions - excitement, joy, anticipation, and even a little anxiety. Friday of this week, Melanie will be mailing to you our Advent calendar. As you read this calendar, and add the events of the church to your calendar, I invite you to seriously pray about where your focus is this holiday season. What is it that you are looking forward to the most during this time - gifts, family, time off, traditions, or even 'dear God, my hope for this holiday season is to just get through it'?

My hope and prayer for each of you as you begin to enter the holiday season is that what you anticipate the most, and what you look forward to the most, cannot be found on the shelves of a store, at an online website, or in a catalog. My hope and prayer for each of you as you begin to enter the holiday season is that what you anticipate the most, and what you look forward to the most, is not the people of your lives or the parties & dinners that you will attend with them.

My hope and prayer for each of you as you begin to enter the holiday season is that what you anticipate the most, and what you look forward to the most, is found in the beauty, richness, and depth of the anticipation of the arrival of our Savior, Christ the Lord. For anything else to be the focus of the holiday season would be nothing less than a tragedy.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 48 - Grace Personified

Erin and I just got home from our annual Pharr Phest celebration - it was great to see the kids and adults have a time of fun and fellowship in a safe environment. The highlight of the evening for me came near the end, when one of our young people asked us about the origins of Halloween and we were talking about how Halloween is derived from All Hallow's Eve - the day before All Saints Day, traditionally observed on November 1. Each year All Saints Day is a very special and emotional day for me, as I think long and hard about those people who have come before me, those people who I have been blessed to have as a part of my life, influencing who I have become, and All Saints Day usually finds me full of joy and sadness (grateful for these people but missing them very much).

As we approach All Saints Day (and I am aware that most of you will get this message on November 1), I want to encourage you all to take a moment as you read this message to stop and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all those who have helped influence who we are and have gone on to the next phase of their eternal journey. I do miss many friends and loved ones, especially those whom I never met (such as my maternal grandmother and the six children we have lost due to miscarriage and other pregnancy issues), but am comforted by the reality that I have done nothing to deserve anyone, and that these people's influence on who I am is nothing more than a reflection of God's grace at work in my life. As I mention at almost every funeral I officiate, there is nothing that I can say or do to take away the pain and sorrow that we feel upon the loss of a loved one, and I am not about to try; our challenge when we face the loss of a loved one is to be constantly mindful that the only reason we have people we love and care about in our lives is solely because of God's grace.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 47 - A Statment of Faith & Community

What a great Sunday we were a part of this past week! I cannot tell you how much I am proud of our congregation for responding to God's grace, mercy, and love by investing in the future of this congregation - making the statement that we have much to do and that we are behind that work being done. Our charge conference showed the true strength of this congregation by engaging in the issues of the church - we even had people who were not voting members of the charge conference show up and offer input on the issues we will be facing in the next few years. As your pastor, I cannot express the emotions that I felt as we truly came together to form consensus on where it is that we feel God is leading us. A church that has people interested enough in it's future to show up, ask questions, debate (in a Christian manner) various points of view, and find common ground - this is one of the marks that the people of the congregation are ready to engage in the work of God in and through us.

Even though charge conference was the highlight of Sunday (since what can be better than the people of the church taking ownership of what is upcoming in the church's life), we also had another event that I want to report very preliminary results on - our Consecration Sunday. Thank you for your graciousness and hospitality towards Rev. Danny Gleason - it was a joy to have him with us and to see you interact with him. To have over 110 in worship, with most staying for the wonderful meal afterwards, was a delight. Oh, and to be a part of a congregation where there was, just in the first day alone, a 23% increase in the amount pledged (making it a 103% increase in 2 years!) and to see that of those pledging on the first day that 66% of the people turning in their pledge cards increased their pledge from 2007 -- what a statement about your faith and trust in God. I remain truly humbled at how you are responding to God, taking seriously the idea of growing towards the tithe.

Thank you again for the honor of being your pastor - I can't imagine being in a better place right now to see what God will do in this ministry,

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 46 - The Truth About Tithing

On Monday night of this week, members of your Church Council & Finance Committee were invited to a supper featuring our guest speaker for this Sunday, Rev. Danny Gleason of St. Francisville UMC. Your leadership was reminded of something that we all must remember as we go into this Sunday's worship - namely that when it comes to the business of tithe (returning 10% of your income to God), our Lord God gives us a direct challenge. Rev. Gleason reminded us that we are told by God to test him; test him with the tithe - if we get serious about the discipline of the tithe, we will receive blessings beyond anything we can imagine. Mind you, this is not necessarily material blessings, but blessings that can come only from God.

One other thing that Rev. Gleason told us of is that he has never met a former tither. Once you get into the habit of tithing, it becomes second nature. The hardest thing about the tithe is getting started. Making that initial step of faith is one of the most terrifying and most satisfying things that you will ever do in your Christian journey. Terrifying because it means taking a significant portion of your income out of your account, and satisfying because it is a tangible way to put our faith in action. After all, why would God call us to do something that would cause us harm?

The final thing that Rev. Gleason reminded us of, and the final thing that I want to share with you this week, is a reminder that Christ didn't discuss the tithe. Rather, Christ told people to give it all to the poor and to follow him. Does that mean for you to dump everything you own in order to be a Christian? If what you have is what is foremost in your life and gets in the way of your relationship with God and the community of faith, yes. It also means that we must be in the position to be willing to give it all up if that is what it means for the will of God to be done in our lives. How does the tithe work into this? By engaging in the discipline of the tithe, we are reminded on a weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly basis that in order to return the 10% to God we must realize that what's at stake is not what we do with that 10%, but what we do with the 100% from which that 10% comes.

Please know that I am in prayer for you and for our congregation as we go into this wonderful Sunday of worship and fellowship (don't forget about the catered meal from Harbor Seafood that we will have immediately after worship).

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 45 - Now and Then

You have read in our church newsletter and in this weekly e-mail about our upcoming charge conference on October 21 @ 3:00PM. Churches across United Methodism hold these annual church business meetings during this time of the year. I had the chance to attend another charge conference last night and was reminded once again about the different perspectives people have on their congregation. It is a very neat thing to look at the ministries various congregations have and how various things are important to different people. The charge conference is an opportunity for the community to gather and talk about what all has happened in the life of the church over the past year and to look forward to the future.

Pharr Chapel's charge conference has the potential to be an historic one, for we will be formally presented with the Long-Range Planning Committee's report (which we have all had the opportunity to review by now and has been unanimously endorsed by the Church Council). Through the hearing of and adopting of this report we will not only be committing ourselves to a course of action over the next couple of years, we will also be making the statement that we firmly believe in the future of our congregation, and our belief that God has great things he will do in our midst.

My hope and prayer as your pastor leading up to October 21 as we observe Consecration Sunday and Charge Conference is simply that we, as individuals and as a congregation, believe that the God who has brought us through so much in our lives and the the life of the community sees a great deal of potential for us to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. Further, that we not only believe this but put this belief into action through our thoughts, words, and deeds.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 44 - A Matter of PERspective

Since I have had the opportunity to be your pastor we have seen a number of changes in the life of our congregation, and it has been a time of growth and challenge for all of us as we seek to discern what God's will is for us as a congregation and as the individuals who make up the congregation. A question I have been asked often since I arrived in Morgan City is: "How do I know whether or not I am being faithful to what God is calling me to do?" The follow-up usually involves: "We hear so much about God wanting us to be totally devoted to the Divine will being done in our lives but how do we really know?" Unfortunately, in many areas of our lives it is hard to discern what this means for us, and we are left to simply do the best we can with what we have.

However, one thing that God has been working on in me that I want to share with you is that as I read God's word more and more and pray about this issue is that while so many things are left unanswered in this pursuit, there are two things that God has revealed to me to help measure my trust and faith. They happen to be two of the hardest things for us to accept as the reality of living the Christian life: Tithing and Sabbath-keeping. These are also two of the things that we choose to regularly and deliberately ignore, using excuses to justify our non-obedience to God's commands. The question that keeps coming to me as I deliberate on these matters more is not, "Is God REALLY serious about these issues?", but instead is, "Why are we so arrogant as to think that we cannot do these simple things?"

As I mentioned to you during last year's stewardship campaign, I firmly believe in the discipline of the tithe and will be happy to show you my contribution statements to the church to prove that I am not asking you to do anything I am not doing.

Last week, though, during my time away visiting family and preparing for my sister's wedding, I was confronted with the reality that I have not done enough to observe a true sabbath, taking one day a week to observe the sabbath and keep it holy by setting aside the daily routines of life. Like so many, I have been of the mindset that I have too much to do to 'take a day off.' I have paid a high price physically, spiritually, and emotionally for this attitude, and came to an important realization: Is observing the Sabbath 'taking a day off', or is it taking a day to focus on what is truly important, the God without whom I have nothing and am nothing. Could it be that by trusting God enough to observe the Sabbath I can take advantage of the opportunity not only to put my focus where it belongs and to put the stuff that is not really important in the big scheme of things, the stuff that I am using now as a crutch to not observe the sabbath, in proper perspective?

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 43 - "Bible" Study

One of the most mysterious and maddening things about being part of any congregation in the Christian community is that there are so many different approaches to life and learning that it is hard to provide things that will meet everyone's needs (both felt and actual). What one person or one group of people respond to is totally different than what resonates with another.

Sitting through the first sessions of the Eat This Book group discussions I have been reminded that far too many of us do not realize all the ways in which 'Bible Study' occurs. A perfect example of this came in two separate conversations I have had over the past 24 hours concerning those who have and who have not chosen to participate in these groups. The gist of the conversation came down to me hearing that there is sentiment among some that when 'a real Bible study' or a Bible study where we just 'go through the book' is offered, then some others will check it out. It was slightly amusing because of reaction I have gotten from some of the participants in the current groups that they did not realize just how much the Bible is used as a basis for the study we are in, and how it is indeed the cornerstone for what we are studying, even though it is not a 'straight Bible study' where we just 'sit down with the text.'

I must tell you after ruminating long and hard about this that I have been sorely tempted to offer a 'straight' Bible study wherein I would purchase for the participants a Bible with no notes, no study guides, no maps, no nothing, and get down to a straight 'reading of the text' and the group chewing on it for an hour or so. But then it hit me - what happens when I come to those parts in Paul's writings where women are told to go home and wait for your husbands to explain it all to you? Do we then excuse the women from the study? After all, it's right there in the text, correct? What about the parts in the Old Testament where people get stoned for stuff that we wink at today? These are things to think about that help us realize that even the most 'straight' of Bible studies rely on extra-Biblical materials to help us get a better hold on what is happening in the text.

However, it might be good for those of us who do not have a bent towards what we would see as 'Bible study' to have a more traditional Bible study. So, beginning on Thursday, October 11 @ 5:30PM, we will have "TBS" (Thursday Bible Study) that will be a more 'direct' study of specific portions of the Bible. The first section of the study will last 8 weeks and cover the 'Prison Letters' (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, & Philemon). Designed more for those who are not already in one of the other study groups and those of you who desire 'straight' studies, all of you are encouraged and welcomed to be a part of this journey through some of Paul's more unique writings.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 42 - transFORMation

Hurricane Humberto made an historic landfall earlier this morning in Texas. Given what all we have seen over the past few years, it's hard to imagine that a simple little Category 1 hurricane could be considered historical, but Humberto did the job by going from a 35 mph Tropical Depression to a 85 mph Hurricane in less than 15 hours.

This week's MWM is a little later than usual because of various schedule changes that have happened in my life this week that have led to schedules being changed quicker that I would expect. It is very easy for us to make plans and to assume that things will go according to how they have in the past. When presented with a change in conditions or thought or perspective, it can be hard to shift to looking at things in new ways. Last night when I went to bed, I assumed that Humberto would be a 'simple' tropical depression with a lot of rain and not much else. I was very surprised to see that it had developed into a hurricane when I awoke this morning.

Similar things can happen in the life of a church. Just when we assume that things are going to go in the same ways they have in the past, new variables, new people, and new resources come along to change the discussion. I had the honor and privilege to meet with your church council this week at our regular business session. Among other things, we discussed the report (attached to this e-mail) of the Long-Range Planning Committee that will be presented to the charge conference. It is a truly scary thing to dream big and to look at a future that is not the same as our past, but it is also foolhardy to think that we worship a God who would allow us to get in a rut of doing the same things over and over. The devotional I presented to start the council meeting was about Christ's words concerning those who take a treasure that is given to them, bury it in the ground, and then bragged that nothing happened to the treasure. Christ's message to us through this parable is that we cannot allow ourselves to be in a position to receive the treasures God bestows upon us but then be afraid to use them to further the Kingdom of God.

Just like Tropical Depression Humberto's transformation in a short time to Hurricane Humberto, do not discount the possibility that this congregation (or yourself) can be transformed into something powerful in a short amount of time. God is ready to do some major things in the life of our congregation - the question we all must ask ourselves is: are we ready for God to do powerful things in the life of our congregation?

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 41 - Role With It

Tonight begins another fascinating season in the life of our congregation, for tonight your Committee on Lay Leadership will be meeting to begin the process of nominating people to serve as officers and committee members for our congregation in 2008. This is the only committee that the pastor chairs with full voting rights, and is one of the most strategically influential in any congregation. The men and women who make up this committee are given heavy responsibility to ensure, through prayer, discernment, and conversation, that God's will is done through the process.

As you pastor, it is a neat time to look around the people who make up the congregation and to starting thinking about what the leadership of the congregation might look like. Any congregation our size has many different personalities and philosophies to consider; we indeed are blessed to have such a wonderful group of people from which to select. My hope and prayer is that you will join me in praying for this committee as they go about this awesome task, and that you will prayerfully consider serving if asked by the committee.

I met with the District Superintendent last Friday to present my plan for ministry for 2008. As Roger and I talked, I emphasized to him how much Erin and I have been blessed to be here. Preparing for this Committee on Lay Leadership meeting tonight has once again reminded me of how true that statement is - for I am overwhelmed when I think about all the possibilities that God has laid before us through you.

In several of his writings in the New Testament, Paul writes at length about the Body of Christ and how no one part of the Body of Christ can get along as it should without the others. He writes about each one in the Body of Christ has a unique role to play and brings their own set of gifts to the table to be used within the context of the community to bring about the glory of God here on earth. His thoughts are just as true today as when they were written. May you come to realize and accept that your role is just as important as anyone else's and that your service is vital to us fulfilling God's will for this congregation

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 40 - S & P Edition

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL! I'M SO HAPPY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS WEEKEND AND I AM EAGERLY ANTICIPATING SEEING YOU SUNDAY MORNING.

Huh? What? Has he finally lost it? Did he ever have it? What in the world is the pastor writing me on this Thursday morning about congratulations on the upcoming weekend?

In case you missed it, this Labor Day weekend is the Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in Morgan City. It will be a wild and crazy weekend just down the street here in Lawrence Park. Thousands of people will come from all around to enjoy the festivities. The place will be crawling with people, including our parking lot.

So why am I congratulating you? Because I am supremely confident that you will take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of our congregation's activities. We will be working the parking lots of the church facilities Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, helping our youth raise money for their activities. We will also be gathering for worship as usual @ 10:00AM, and this is where the note of congratulations comes in. For many, the temptation will be to miss morning worship and the observance of the Lord's Supper due to the crowds and congestion, even though we will not be opening our parking lots to public parking until 10:45AM. Many will use the excuse that there are too many people and too much confusion to make it worth going to worship this Sunday.

But you, dear reader, I am confident, will resist this temptation. And why will you resist this temptation? Because you know that the sacrifice by a man carrying a cross a couple of thousand years ago makes the little inconveniences of festival traffic and congestion pale in comparison. :) You also know that in our society, many friends, families, and loved ones have paid the ultimate price to defend our right to freedom of religion to insult them and their sacrifices by not taking advantage of the very right for which they fought.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 39 - Intimate Issues

Intimacy. It's one of those words that provokes different images in different people. I would venture to say that most often, we look at it in individualistic terms, as in our intimacy with someone else. This could be a physical intimacy, it could be an emotional intimacy, it could be an intellectual intimacy...the list can go on for a little while. It's a loaded term to be sure, but one that I think that we should spend more time thinking and praying about. Intimacy issues dominate so many areas of our lives, and yet it's one of the areas that we display our dysfunction the most. False images and ideas of intimacy corrupt our relationships with ourselves, our families, significant others, our church, and our God, causing us more grief and pain than we could ever imagine.

The Lord our God is extremely concerned about our intimacy, and cares so much about it that in the holy scriptures he lays out guidelines for the boundaries of intimacy in our lives. The most common vision that comes to many people's mind when you use the term intimacy is in a physical sense, and this is an area in which God addresses us very bluntly (and far too often, people who claim God bluntly violate this). We are reminded that physical intimacy is to be shared only with one other, and that intimacy is to be shared only within the bounds of marriage, AND that we are not even to harbor thoughts of being intimate with anyone other than our spouse (Christ was very specific about this.)

However, to leave the discussion of intimacy from a Christian perspective only in the physical realm is to shortchange ourselves and our God. I love Mirriam-Webster's definition of intimate (adj): "1. Belonging to or characterizing one's deepest nature." The folks at m-w.com have got a much better grasp on intimacy that we in the church do, I am afraid to say. Whether we like it or not, the lives we live are a showing of our deepest nature. The lengthy discussions that Paul has about the necessity of the community of faith known as the body of Christ leave us with the reality that when we have but a superficial relationship with those whom we gather for worship, fellowship, and mission as the church we have missed the point of why God calls us together. When we fail to truly know one another, and fail to allow others to truly know us, we have put ourselves in position to miss out on what all we have been given by the Divine in one another.

However, I think that to put the discussion of intimacy from a Christian perspective only in the physical realm or the realm of fellow Christians gathering together in the church is also to shortchange ourselves and our God. During this season of life where I am your pastor, my routine has developed to where I spend a great deal of Tuesday each week reading, studying, praying, writing - allowing others to feed and nourish my soul. This week, I spent some time listening to the podcast of a well-known United Methodist Bishop who made the statement (when talking about how much God wants to work in our lives), "Many of you sitting here are living off of spiritual capital you accrued when you were 12." My man hit it dead on - we get to the point where we allow ourselves to think that we do not have to do much more with God than go through the motions, since, after all, we attended Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, religion classes, or whatever formal training we were given/forced to endure as a child. Don't believe me? Take a good look at the Sunday School & Bible Study attendance numbers. Take a look at where our minds wander during worship, if they even entered worship with our bodies.

When will we get it through our thick heads that one of the main points of this whole 'God thing' that we are a part of is that God desires for us to be in an intimate relationship with him, where he, to use the definition above, characterizes our deepest nature? When will we stop playing all the games about our relationship with God and finally allow our deepest nature to be that which God has put into us? When will we realize that this is not just a discussion about you as an individual but also about the congregation as the body of Christ?

I will make a promise to you; an iron-clad, 100% guarantee. When you allow God to get you to that point where your most intimate relationship is with Him, it will put all of the other intimacy discussions in perspective. As Paul reminds us in his beautiful way, when it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me. Until we get to that point, or when we get content enough where we are in our journey with Christ that we feel we don't need to invest anymore of ourselves, quite bluntly my friends, we are just going through the motions. Then we will knock off the false intimacy that we engage in, be it of a physical, emotional, or other form. We will knock off and quit making excuses for ourselves and others who engage in acts of intimacy that are not engaged in according to the guidelines God gave us and by which we profess to live (wink, wink).

Easy? No. Then again, if it was easy, why would Christ have sent the Holy Spirit to be with us? If it were easy, why would God have sent Christ to show us that yes, indeed, even a human being can do this. If it were easy, we wouldn't be called to live by faith. (See Hebrews 11:1).

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 38 - Upon Further Review...

Your mid-week message is coming out late this week because I spent yesterday looking at what will be going on around here in the fall with respect to my Sunday School class and the pastor's bible studies. Sitting down to plan these things, I did not expect it to take very long - as many of you are aware, very rarely do I do anything spontaneously. However, as I started looking over the various materials, I could not shake the feeling that what I initially had in mind was not what needed to happen. Thinking and praying about this a little more, I wound up going on completely different directions with respect to the Sunday School curriculum and the bible study curriculum; reflecting on these again this morning it is obvious that I am much more at peace with these decisions than if I had gone with my initial instincts.

You will hear more about the particulars of these studies further down in this e-mail. The reason I mention them here is that once again, sometimes what we think will happen, and what we think will make sense, does, after some thought and reflection, turns out to be exactly the opposite of what should happen. The dominating thought going through my mind as this is written is along the lines of wondering what our lives, our congregation, and our world would look like if we always went with our first instincts, and did not engage in thought and reflection before making decisions. If honesty is important to us, each of us will admit that many of the best decisions we have made in life were indeed those that we wound up doing a little different than we first imagined.

During this next week, may you find yourself putting a little more thought and reflection into the decisions you face. You never know how God may use that time to show you a better way.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 37 - A Forgotten Commandment

The Lord our God commanded us to take a Sabbath and keep it holy. For six days, God went about creating the universe and then took a day of rest. He also commanded us to do the same - take set time away from our normal activities and spend some Holy time focused solely on him.

Rather than write a column today for you to think over and ponder, I want to invite you to take a mini-Sabbath. For the next 2 minutes (time it if you have to), just sit back and meditate on God's goodness and mercy, and close in a brief prayer of thanksgiving for God's work in creating the heavens and the earth.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 36 - Don't Forget the Lyrics!

Summertime television has been historically known as weak at best and unwatchable at worst. For many years, there was no original programming on any network and the only thing that you could look forward to was every four years having the Summer Olympics. The past decade has seen a vast reversal of this trend, and it seems almost every network has some good summertime programming. One of these shows that has wound up becoming an automatic on my TiVo is FOX's "Don't Forget the Lyrics." Everyday people are invited to come on and sing along with the studio band, singing various songs from different categories, with the lyrics on the big screen - karaoke-style. Then at some point during the song, the words on the big screen are replaced by blanks, and the contestant has to continue singing the right words from memory. I cannot explain why I am finding this show so hilarious - but I find myself laughing out loud pretty much every time.

Last night when I got home from VBS, we started watching the most recent episode, and I was incredulous at how easy some of these songs were - when the two selections for each round would come up, and the contestant had to pick one, I was thinking, 'man, he can't go wrong with either of these, for EVERYONE knows these songs.' In the immortal words of Lee Corso of ESPN, 'not so fast, my friend'. This ol' boy last night chose Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop' as his next song. Now, you need to understand that Fleetwood Mac is one of my favorite groups, and I have all their stuff on my iPod. 'Don't Stop' is one of their signature songs. The contestant just blanked out when it came time for him to complete the line - and, much to my surprise, I forgot them as well. This is a song that I have listened to on a regular basis for well over 10 years, and I didn't know it nearly as well as I thought, which got me thinking...

I wonder if part of what the church faces from time to time is the reality of going on auto-pilot and assuming we know everything we need to know? Kinda like someone who listens to the same artist for a number of years, only to discover that they didn't know the artists songs nearly as well as they thought. Your Long-Range Planning Committee will be recommending that we spend the better part of the fall and spring returning to the basics of what it means to be a church - and the more I think about it, I think they are very wise. It can become very easy for a church to just assume that we know the basics of being a church - but if we don't spend time revisiting those every so often, they can often get away from us. When we allow ourselves to lose sight of the basics of the faith and allow our conversations and actions to drift from the essentials to the superfluous, we can wind up like so many churches do (including this one) at some point - talking a great deal about very little that has to do with fulfilling the great commission.

I invite you to join me as we consider the implications of forgetting basic lyrics to a song we think we know well - the life of a Christian community that has Christ at the center, empowered by the Holy Spirit, living for nothing more and nothing less than the will of God to be done in all things.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 35 - Prejudicial Matters

One of my firm beliefs about life is that each and every day, indeed at least each and every year, we should find ourselves in position to be confronted by, and transformed through, the thoughtful deliberation of ideas and concepts that challenge our thinking on even the most basic of things that we take for granted. I rarely write about the same topic for two consecutive Mid-Week Messages in order to stay out of a rut, but I must say that I am being thoroughly renewed and refreshed by the group study of Psalm 96 that we have been engaged in for the past couple of weeks. There were several things I had in mind when I started the group, primarily, as I have mentioned earlier, to give us a biblical perspective on all things worship. A secondary motive was to make sure that every one in the congregation had the opportunity to be a part of the discussion as I reflect on the new worship schedule we have had this summer and the possibility of making it a permanent change. One of the biggest mistakes we make in the church is that we all want to have our opinions followed but we seldom want to be a part of a discussion, open to differing points of view. So, by making sure that we had a common starting point for the discussion (2, actually; Psalm 96 and the author's commentary), and that there were two opportunities each week (one in the morning and one in the evening) to be a part of the discussion, we would have almost completely eliminated the excuse that someone's voice would not be heard. We would also be following the idea that instead of one-on-one discussions/confrontations, we would be in the midst of Christian conferencing with our brothers and sisters.

What makes these conversations especially difficult is that each of us has our own deeply-held convictions about what is the right way and the wrong way to do things. It also is easy to move into the idea that if it is what we want, then it must be what is best for the church. I have LOVED the first two weeks of conversations that we have had, for we have seen a wide variety of viewpoints, some agreement, some disagreement, and some arguing. The reason I have loved these discussions is that we are confronted with the reality that we all have different ideas of what needs to be done, and we all think we have good reasons for feeling this way. All of you receiving this e-mail are at the point in life where you know that the basic human condition is to resist all change, and then to resist change that is not our idea. Where the biggest growth has occurred in these discussions, it seems to me, is the realization that even those of us who are the most open-minded are faced with the fact that we bring our own biases and prejudices to the table.

Why bring all this up right now? I've been your pastor for a little over a year now, and God has done many great things in the time I have been allowed to be with you. This congregation has the potential to do many great things for the kingdom of God, now and in the future. However, we must put ourselves, as individuals and as a congregation, in the position to realize that our biases and prejudices can be good (in that the more viewpoints we have in the discussion, the better), but can also put us in the dangerous position of things having to be our way or the highway. As people of the Christian faith from the Wesleyan tradition, we must be vigilant in upholding our doctrine and disciplines, but acknowledge that far too often, we allow this zeal to transcend things that have nothing to do with whether or not people will spend eternity with the Father or not (like times and styles of worship).

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 34 - Precious Memories

Looking through the headlines delivered to my newsreader program this morning, one stuck out to me: "Thanks for the Memories...Whatever They Were." From wired.com, this article goes on to talk about a report in the latest Journal of Psychiatric Research that talks about a group of scientists from Harvard & McGill Universities who have done very limited trials involving a drug that might help you be able to forget the bad and unpleasant memories of life. I have enjoyed reading some of the things that Wired puts out, because they are not only a technology magazine, but also dabble in technological ethics. The writer of the piece, Tony Long, notes that, "The pain and sorrow of life, and how you deal with their effects, is part of what fuels your humanity. It's part of what lets you continue growing throughout that life, part of what gives you wisdom in your old age."

In one of our study sessions on worship this week, we had a lively discussion about where all we learn about God, and the fact that as Wesleyans we believe that God is revealed to us in Scripture, but we use tradition, reason, and experience to reflect upon and interpret the Scriptures, as well as experience and live out the Christian faith. Every one of you reading this message has gone through the highest highs and lowest lows of life in your own way, and every one of you, if you are honest with yourselves, will admit that those experiences help make you who you are today. As those of the Methodist tradition, we do not subscribe to the idea that everything that happens is a direct result of God's action (that is, God doesn't sit around and decide that your life shall become a living hell; rather, the things that happen in life are a result of living in a post-Genesis 3 world, a world not as God intended it), but we do believe that the way that we respond to the many dangers, toils, and snares of life are a reflection of our faith.

This is one of the most perplexing questions that people have for those of us in pastoral ministry, 'Why?' And what really is hard is that the truthful, honest, answer - and the one that any pastor should give you is, quite bluntly, "I don't know." What I do know, however, is this: Without all the memories of my life, good, bad, and indifferent, I would not be who I am today. If, God forbid, a cruel disease comes along that saps my memory, that is one thing, but I would hate to voluntarily get rid of any of my memories - for I would not be who I am, or who I am to become.

The challenging thing for us is not to eschew the painful memories of the past, but to celebrate that we have a God who redeems us from the past to prepare us for a glorious future that will be fulfilled only when the Son of God returns again.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 33 - Why Are We Here?

In many cases, when the time of year rolls around where the committee on lay leadership starts to meet to nominate the church officers and committee chairs for the next year, people will come to the pastor or those in the discussion and start making cases for and against certain people and certain situations. This situation really kicks into high gear when a pastor is in their first year of appointment to the congregation and doesn't have a handle yet on the various political factions within the church (yes, unfortunately, they do exist in the church). My standard response in those situation is that it is naive and rather foolhardy for me as the new pastor to question the wisdom of previous years' charge conferences, since they knew more about what was going on here than I do. In the past 7 months, I have seen my trust in the charge conference validated by the discussions that we are having in the Long-Range Planning Committee. The insight and discernment these men and women have for our congregation leaves me astounded pretty much every time we meet - for each meeting is a learning session for me and just when I think I have something figured out, a new piece of information comes through that totally changes the discussion and/or makes me examine my thoughts and actions, along with the reasons for these thoughts and actions.

We met this past Tuesday evening, and one of our committee members looked at me and point-blank asked me, "OK, what's your goal here? What is it that you want to see happen around here?" This person won't know it until they read this e-mail, but I have wrestled with this question pretty much constantly ever since. My answer to this question was that my hope, my goal, my wish, and my prayer for this congregation is that we get serious, individually and as a community, about having the Triune God as our number one priority in life. To expound further, whether or not we spend another dime building or remodeling our current buildings, whether or not we have 20 people or 220 people in worship, whether we have 4 ministries or 40, one service or five, I firmly believe that all the Lord requires of us as the people of God is to have the fulfillment of the Divine will as our number one priority in life. This is not to say that every member has to be at the church facilities every time the doors are open, but that in all that we do, we can truly say that it is not our will, but God's, being done.

Friends, this is why God put us here. This is why God sent Christ to redeem all of creation, reconciling a fallen world to its Creator. We were given the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us because God cares so much for us that we were not about to be left to our own devices to live this life of faith. There is no denying that God is doing many great and mighty things through this congregation not because of us, but in spite of us, and our challenge is to be more intentional (communally and individually) in pursuing the divine will. When we put God first, and ourselves way back in the pecking order, even greater things will happen.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 32 - Destiny

I think it rather serendipitous that the fourth day of July falls on a Wednesday this year, since I send out this weekly pastoral messages on Wednesday and in the churches located in the United States, this is one day where we get to see the true tension between the message of the gospel and the message of our society, especially as it relates to where our ultimate allegiance lies. Of course, far better for this day to fall on Wednesday rather than Sunday, when it can truly get ugly if we do not watch out.

Why is it so hard to look at the fourth of July holiday as a Christian? Well, for one thing, it is referred to as Independence Day. Looking back at history, this is not a bad thing, for King George III had definitely been a bit unreasonable when it came to his demands for the colonies of North America. Political independence is fine, and needs to be celebrated. After all, it is far easier to worship our Lord when we don't have to worry about our lives being jeopardized just for proclaiming the gospel, right? Along those lines, it is easier to follow our Lord when we live in a society where we have the freedom to worship as we choose, right?

When I was talking about this yesterday with one of my colleagues, he related to me that this past Sunday, he asked his congregation to write down what was the best thing about living in this country. As he looked over the cards, he shared with me that the most common answer was "The right to control my own destiny." As we talked further, we came to the conclusion that this is very scary for us in the church - for the question then becomes, "OK - what destiny are you choosing?"

This is the question I think we need to face today, and every day that we think about how wonderful it is to live in this country (even with all its faults in the past, present, and future). What destiny are we choosing? I think the truest way to answer this is to look at what motivates our direction in life. Are we more concerned about having the political freedom to choose our own destiny or about having the absolute freedom from sin given to us (by God through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit) to live in a way that says, to paraphrase Paul, that we live no longer according to the standards of this world but instead are transformed by the renewing of our minds?

Do you want to truly honor the traditional ideals under which this country was founded? Let's get serious about not focusing on celebrating the political freedom to worship as we choose, but get around to living the transformed life that comes from freedom in Christ. Let's get serious about realizing that we are called to live a life where our ultimate goal is nothing more and nothing less than God's will being done in our lives. Let's get serious about realizing that if we do not allow ourselves to live lives that are centered first and foremost on the Triune God, then what good is all this political freedom that is being celebrated today?

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 31 - The Final Word?

Given that over the next two days (Thursday and Friday) we will be celebrating the lives of two beloved ones who have gone to their eternal reward with the Lord, I have been thinking a great deal about life and how we are to live, and what is it about certain people who touch us in special ways due to how they lived their lives. There is nothing in the ministry of the church that is more of an honor than being with one another in times of grief, loss, and sorrow. To see the people of the community of faith rise up in such supportive ways as we support families and friends who gather near and far is something that I never take for granted as your pastor. This is one of the ways that we help define who we are and how we live - in our response to brothers and sisters in Christ who are going through the pain of losing a loved one.

One of the things that gets me thinking at times like these is to hear the stories of the friends and families who gather to celebrate these lives. Hearing again, or for the first time, family stories, inside jokes, and all the other wonderful things that are shared between loved ones is so richly rewarding. That is why I want to ask you as you read this to consider a question that I hope you have thought of before: When your friends and families gather to celebrate your life, what will your story be? I want to challenge you to do everything you can to make sure that your life's story is a life of faith, a life lived solely for the glory of God.

I know you may read this and think that you know this already and this may seem like a 'yeah, I know that' message, and I want to encourage you if this is your reaction to pause for a moment and realize that we cannot take this life we have been given for granted. We cannot allow ourselves to just assume that we live a life of faith because of what we do - we must be vigilant about making sure that we live a life of faith because of who we are: new creations in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 30 - Congregational Prayer

Further down in this message, you will see a new section added to the weekly e-mail. You will be given two or three areas within the life of the congregation to lift up on a regular bases in this section called Prayer Emphases. So often, it is easy for us to start taking this community that God has given us for granted. We can allow ourselves to become detached (physically, spiritually, or emotionally) from our true home in the family of God. It is my hope and prayer that by getting now twice-weekly prayer reminders (once in the bulletin and now in this e-mail) you will be encouraged to pray not only for those individuals and situations that we mention, but also for the Pharr Chapel family.

God is doing amazing things in the life of this congregation. As I mentioned during worship last week, looking back over my first year as your pastor it is absolutely humbling and awe-inspiring to see where divine grace has brought us in this short time we have had together. I do not believe in prayer as a tool to manipulate God or as an ATM machine to get what we want, but as a discipline given to us by God to allow us to see more fully God's will for us. Through this emphasis on praying specifically for the ministries of the congregation, it is my hope and prayer that we will come to realize more of what God's intention is for us in these areas.

As we go along in this exercise, please e-mail me with suggestions for ministries to be lifted up that I may have missed. I will do my best to hit all the areas of our congregation, but know that with all that God is doing in our midst it may be hard for me to keep track of everything.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 29 - Hard Words

By now, you all should be aware of the Favorite Scriptures of Pharr Chapel sermon series that I will be starting this Sunday. This week's requested scripture is Ezekiel 36:26, and in order to put it in it's proper context, the passage we will be looking at is Ezekiel 36:22-32. It is my experience that whenever you study the prophets of the Old Testament, you can't help but be touched by the fact that these guys were put in a seemingly impossible position. Here they were, in many cases minding their own business, when God reaches down and says that you will be the messenger for the Divine, and you will get to deliver a message that they are going to be driven out of their land, endure crushing hardships, be mocked and ridiculed by the world. Oh, and anything good that comes of it comes not because of your actions or attitude, but because of what God says and does. Let me ask you, how fast would you sign up for this job?

Speaking of difficult messages to deliver to the world, the youth of Klein UMC did a FANTASTIC job during their presentation last night. A musical drama, their message spoke to all of us who are a part of the church. It helped put in perspective the lives of youth in today's world, and reminded us of all the challenges that they face every day - challenges that people in school even 15 years ago never dreamed of. These youth reminded us, much as our youth do on a regular basis, that our kids face so much pressure, from so many avenues, that what we can do most for them is to pray for them, and to be there for them. Instead of spending so much time worrying about what is wrong with the world and the perceived wrongs of the next generation, we should be people who step out with a hand to help them through the difficulties they face. Rather than give them pithy sayings or 'back in the day' stories, we need to be actively involved in their world, and get to know them on their terms. The young man who delivered the closing monologue and prayer spoke to so many - I want to thank those of you from Pharr Chapel who showed up to support the 60+ kids and 14 adults who accompanied them. I can safely say that each of us who were honored to be there will not soon forget the enthusiasm and energy, but most importantly the message, that was conveyed to us on this special occasion.

The prophets of the Old Testament & the young prophets of today's church - both delivering messages that not everyone wants to hear. The prophets of the Old Testament & the young prophets of today's church - both having the courage to step up and speak hard truths that we don't necessarily want to think about. The prophets of the Old Testament & the young prophets of today's church - both realizing that what it takes to deliver a hard message is nothing more and nothing less than supreme confidence that God is with them.

What keeps you from delivering the hard truths (in love, of course) of life to the church and the world? Join us Sunday to explore this more.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 28 - Connectionalism

I have been out of the office most of this week attending the 2007 session of the Louisiana Conference of The United Methodist Church. Over three-and-a-half days in Baton Rouge, almost 1000 clergy and laity from around the state gathered to hear reports about the ministries of the people called Methodist in Louisiana. Most important to me was not the business sessions, but the time spent in Christian conferencing and worship. The memorial service on Sunday night was truly memorable - it was nice to see Bishop Dan Solomon back in Louisiana again as he was the preacher for this service. As usual, Bishop Hutchinson brought his "A" game on Monday night during the ordination service; his was a notable message about having our hands up instead of out in relation to God. Another benefit of gathering with the larger church is the chance to catch up with old friends, colleagues, and parishoners, as well as meet new friends and colleagues. I want to commend your delegate, Dana Blanco, for her enthusiasm and attentiveness in attending her first conference. Look for Dana to give us all a brief report before worship on Sunday morning.

Speaking of connectionalism, we will be fortunate at Pharr Chapel this week to experience this uniquely Methodist tradition not once, but twice. As was announced in our newsletter and in worship last week, we will be observing Missions Day this Sunday. Rev. Larry Norman, Director of the Volunteers in Mission program for our conference, will be our guest preacher. I look forward to worshiping with Rev. Norman as he brings us the message. Prior to worship, Larry will be visiting with my Sunday School class. All of you are invited to join us at 9:00 AM to hear more about ways we can fulfill that which we say is important to us, fulfilling the great commission. Larry has been a friend of Pharr Chapel for many years and I cannot wait to join you in welcoming him to our family.

The other opportunity we have to celebrate our connectional nature as United Methodists will come on Tuesday night. We have the privilege and honor of hosting the youth choir from Klein United Methodist Church in Spring, Texas. Around 60 youth and 14 adults will be spending the week at First United Methodist Church in Franklin, LA, putting on their Vacation Bible School program in the mornings. To help raise funds for their ministry, their youth choir performs at area churches during the evening. Please make every effort to join us on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to host these servants of God as they perform a wonderful dramatic interpretation of Scripture for us. Also be sure to invite friends and family from other churches and the community.

Look at these two events as not only special times on our church's calendar, but also an opportunity to realize once again that for those of us who are in the Christian faith, church goes far beyond the borders and rolls of the local congregation and into the entire world. What a great time to testify to the fact that we are a part of something much bigger than ourselves.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 27 - Confirmation

On Sunday morning, Pharr Chapel will be celebrating one of the most vital moments of a congregation's life during the year. This Sunday, we will be witnesses to three young people who will be professing their faith in the saving grace of Jesus Christ on Confirmation Sunday. It has been mine and Erin's privilege and honor to be with these three outstanding future leaders of God's church over the past four months. Through our Sunday afternoon discussions and a Saturday trip to Confirmation Day with the Bishop, we have enjoyed seeing them discover more about the triune God, the church, and themselves as we have journeyed through the Bible, church history, and their own faith story through their families.

I remember my own Confirmation Sunday. April 24, 1988. The sights, the sounds, the smells - I can remember it all. As the pastor put his hands upon me and prayed for me, it became very obvious the presence of the Holy Spirit in that time. Although I did not know it at the time, it was a major milestone in my life and did play a very important role in my future as a pastor. The people of the church helped make me realize it was a big day - for it was a packed house and the people (many of whom I still have the honor of being in touch with) who supported me and my classmates played a far bigger role than I realized at the time in not only telling me about the love of Christ, but modeling it to us.

My challenge for you as the people of Pharr Chapel United Methodist Church is to make sure that we do everything we can to help make this Sunday, June 3, 2007, a very memorable day for the three young people who will be making this historic decision to profess their faith in Jesus Christ. Make every effort to be in attendance this Sunday as we not only participate with them in this part of their faith journey but also are reminded of the time when we acknowledged Christ as Lord in our lives.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 26 - The Spirit of...

Pentecost Sunday. One of those days in the Christian year that we know just enough about to be dangerous. I have a hunch that if you asked your average 'church person' about Pentecost, you would be able to find out that Pentecost was the time in which Christ sent the Holy Spirit down upon the church and that a bunch of people who spoke in many different tongues could hear one another in their native language. However, I wonder if we leave our understanding of Pentecost at this level how much we are missing for what this means to us today. I wonder if we as a people have allowed Pentecost to become a celebration of a historical event rather than understanding that the gift of the Holy Spirit that Christ gave to the church is still relevant for us today.

So, rather than sitting here and speculating about this whole Pentecost thing, I am going to ask you as you prepare to come to worship this week to ponder who the Holy Spirit is and what role the Holy Spirit plays in your faith, your life, and your involvement in our congregation. As you ponder this, I want to frame your thoughts in one way - start by assuming that the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. During worship this Sunday, you will be asked again about this. During worship the past couple of weeks, we have begun to look at what it is that God is calling us to be as a congregation, and, through the eyes of our interpretation of Scripture, seen that who we are now is not necessarily who we have been or will become. I firmly believe that the celebration of Pentecost Sunday will help us to see that God is not only a God of the past but also actively at work here and now. You look at where God has brought our congregation just in the past twelve months and you see that the Holy Spirit's activity in the church is not limited to the second chapter of Acts.

You are getting this e-mail a day later than normal because I am at a conference in Fayetteville, AR, of young UM clergy from the eight states of our jurisdiction. Admittedly, I was a little skeptical about coming here because I firmly believe that one of the great weaknesses of our denomination is that we have fractured and split ourselves into too many special-interest groups - racial, gender, clergy/laity, large/small church, worship styles - and I have a great fear that by having a gathering of young clergy to discuss the issues of the church and to make proposals and recommendations could wind up as yet another group wanting to have their agenda drive the church. While I do sense some of that amongst some here, I know that God has led me here to be a part of a discussion. A discussion not of the church, but of what it is that God is wanting to do with the church. This is a discussion that we must not lose sight of, and a discussion in which we must engage.

The question is not, "What can we do to get more people to Pharr Chapel?". The question we face is, "Who is it that God is calling us to be?". Going into this celebration of Pentecost Sunday, we are faced not with the question of what systems and programs to come up with in order to get what we want, but the reality that the Holy Spirit is a gift given to us by God to lead us to God's will for our lives.

Be sure to join us in worship on this Pentecost Sunday as we remember what God did on that glorious day and anticipate what God will do through the Holy Spirit now and in the future. (Also, don't forget that each of you has a gift purchased especially for you waiting as we gather for worship Sunday morning.)

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 25 - Where Were We?

To be bluntly honest, there are some Sundays that I wake up and do not want to get out of bed, much less go to church. It's not that I do not like my job or being with you all - there are just some Sundays that I would rather lay in bed and watch TV, or read a book, or one of a hundred other things that can occupy one's time on Sunday morning. (Can any of you relate????) However, at these moments I have to take a good, hard look at things and remember that Sunday morning, like every morning, is not about what I want, but it is about what God is calling me to do with the day that has been so graciously given to me. More often than not, it is on those days that I find God's presence in a way that I had not expected.

Then there are Sundays that I anticipate many weeks or months ahead of time. Sundays like Christ the King Sunday, Trinity Sunday, the Sunday between Christmas and Epiphany - those are days I get very excited about the idea of being in worship (which is absolutely ridiculous when you thing about it, for we should always be excited about the opportunity to gather with the saints for worship). This Sunday is one of those times when I cannot wait, for we will be observing Heritage Sunday this week. As I mentioned in the newsletter, we will be looking at the church's true heritage. Remember, we cannot properly move on to the future unless we also remember from where we came.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 24 - Mother's Day Reflections

Normally, your Mid-Week Message is composed on Wednesday mornings, but while sitting here watching television with Erin this evening, I saw the most ridiculous commercial that got us talking about worship this Sunday. One of the seemingly endless jewelry store ads shown during this week every year, it reminded viewers that "You only have one day to celebrate mom - so make it special." How utterly stupid and absolutely contrary to not only good sense and manners, but also to the Christian faith that we profess to live under. This mindset, however, is one of the reasons why this Sunday, Mother's Day, is one of the most dangerous for pastors and also one of the most misunderstood days in the life of the church.

I will never forget the first Mother's Day that I had in my first post-seminary appointment. We were in the midst of the Easter season, and I preached from the lectionary texts for the day. It was about two o'clock that afternoon when my phone rang, and the matriarch of the congregation was on the phone asking me why I did not preach about mothers on Mother's Day. Who did I think I was? After all, "People go to church on Mother's Day with mom expecting a sermon on motherhood, moms, and how great it all is." Her tone indicated that there was no way I could give an answer that would satisfy her, but she did get me thinking.

How should we communicate to people that the church is to be a place of worship - worship of God, not anyone else (even mom)?

How should we communicate that if you have to wait until Mother's Day to let mom know how much she means to you then you don't have much of a relationship with mom to begin with?

How should we communicate that when the church makes a big deal about the oldest mother and the youngest mother that chances are very good that there are women sitting in the pews who are inwardly weeping (if they show up at all on this day) because they know that they will never be a mother, never have a chance at the award for oldest, youngest, or most prolific mother?

How do we communicate that while Mother's Day is the day on which the most phone calls are made that there are women in our midst who will not get that phone call from a beloved child this year because they had to endure every mother's nightmare of outliving their child?

How do we communicate that there are many mothers and children who have no relationship at all and all that this day does is bring pain and sorrow for pain that in some cases goes back decades?

How do we communicate this message to those for whom for whom Mother's Day is hard because they will not be able to call mom this year since mom has passed away?

This Sunday, as is the case every Sunday, we will gather to worship God. We will gather to give thanks for everything that God has done, is doing, and will do. Mother's Day will be recognized - but in the context of a God who is much bigger than anything we can imagine. Let us remember that Sunday, like every day, is not about any one or anything but the triune God.

Planning to make a big deal about mom on Mother's Day? Why wait. Call mom now. Write mom now. Send flowers now. Don't wait to be prompted by Madison Avenue. Planning to hide from the world on Mother's Day because of the pain of the day? Know that I am in prayer for you now.

Either way, join us for worship this Sunday as we explore again the God who not only provides the great things in life, but also is big enough to get us through the most difficult times in life.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 23 - Who's Agenda?

Yesterday was one of those great days that pastors get to have every so often in their careers. As you may remember, last fall at charge conference you formed a long-range planning committee and charged them with the task of coming up with a plan of action for our congregation to undertake within the next few years. During the formation of this group, you agreed to the condition that no area was off-limits - the entire body that is Pharr Chapel (organization, facilities, real estate, finances, worship) was to be looked over and this committee is to discern what it is that God is Pharr Chapel to look like. Over the past four months, we have been doing a detailed review of all aspects of our congregation's life, quantifying, as best as you can in situations like this, what are Pharr Chapel's strengths and weaknesses.

Last night, at our meeting, we started a discussion about what to do with this data. As we talked, it started to become a little clearer about what areas God is calling us to address and enhance (and this is not just about looking at weaknesses, but also about playing to our strengths). During all the white-boarding that went on, I was grabbed by something one of the members said: "The important thing is that we be intentional about being the best Pharr Chapel United Methodist Church that we can given what God has given us." This was a truly holy moment for me, in that it not only was practical, wise advice for a church on the move, but also very well-grounded biblically and theologically. One of the hardest things for any of us to do, whether it be in our personal lives, our family lives, our professional lives, or the life of the church, is to realize that what is important is not what I want, but what is best for the larger purpose. When we as a congregation start focusing on what it is God is calling us to be, rather than on what is it that we want to do or what it is that the church down the street is doing, THEN we are starting to put ourselves in a position to truly see where it is God wants to take us. After all, isn't the point of life not for us to go do things, but to allow God to lead us down the paths He has chosen for us?

We will be celebrating Youth Sunday this week. A quick word to the wise: If you want to catch a glimpse of where it is God is leading the church (the universal church), come be a part of this very special Sunday in which our youth lead us in worship. Note that I said lead us in worship, for this is not a place for us to come watch the youth worship. This is a place for us to allow ourselves to be led by the next generation to worship the God who spans ALL generations.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 22a - Here We Go Again

Hello, All.

Hard to believe I am writing you again on a Monday, but once again we were hit by a thief (or several thieves). Same MO. Smash the window of my office, rip some things apart, and start heading for the electronics of the building. There is blood evidence this time, which the Morgan City PD has collected.

There is nothing else much to tell, since about the only thing I see missing is another DVD player.

As I mentioned in the sermon yesterday, we worship a big-picture God. We, as the people of God, must not allow the things of this earth, such as the criminal element of society, rob us of our faith or our Christian attitude. Yes, it is very upsetting to have these things happen, but in the big picture of things these are but minor blips on the radar. Remember, even if they had cleaned us out completely, taking EVERYTHING in the building, we would STILL be the church. We would STILL be Easter people, raising our voices to proclaim the good news that absolutely NOTHING will discourage us or keep us from doing the work of God. Even if they take everything in the building, we still will gather for worship on Sunday, gathering as one to encounter God through Christ by the power of the Spirit. We will still engage in ministry to the community and to the world, along with each other.

All this being said, please know that I have spent the past week getting bids on an alarm system for the church, and by this time tomorrow night I will have signed a contract for the installation of a system to be done ASAP. Nothing will ever guarantee that this will not happen again, but we do take seriously our obligation to be good stewards of what God has given us, and this is a step in the right direction.

There are a lot of emotions that come forward at a time like this, but I urge you to remember that we are NOT going to be people who allow these sort of things to get the better of us. After all, we are a forward-looking people, not a backward-looking people.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Grace and Peace,
Lamar

P.S. Earlier today, I told several of you that one of the stolen items last night was my white stole. Tonight, it was found, blood-stained, in the back parking lot of the church facility. More about this later.