Vol 4 No 5 - Back to 'Normal'

Thank you all for making our Christmas Eve worship such a joyful time of anticipation and celebration.  It was a true joy to see and meet those who are so important to you.  I know that the days around Christmas are so busy and distracting; to take a little more than an hour to worship with the people of God is a wonderful statement of faith.  Both of our services (6:00 & 11:00) had a great mix of people and were a true blessing.

As you prepare for the new calendar year this week, I want to remind you that our church life is returning to its regular routine after the craziness that is Advent.  You will note in this e-mail as well as in the church newsletter which will be in your mailboxes later this week a number of opportunities to be involved in the kingdom of God, and I encourage you to resolve in 2009 to involve yourself in a ministry that you might not have in the past.  Mission opportunities, Bible studies, Sunday school, worship, joining or working with our youth ministry...these are but a few of the ways we can truly live out the calling that God has placed on our lives to work for the Kingdom.

I hope and pray that each of you has a wonderful New Year's celebration and that you truly live out all that God has in store for you in 2009.

See You Soon!

Lamar

P.S.  Please note that our New Year's Eve Come & Go Communion has been canceled for this year.  Erin had some complications from her sinus surgery and will be having another procedure in the morning.  My apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Vol 4 No 4 - Dim Bulbs and Perspective

Some of you may have noticed just before worship on December 14 that the bulb in the projector in the sanctuary died.  It was a very frustrating thing not only because of the inconvenience but also due to the fact that the bulb did not last as long as we might have expected.  Thinking about all this earlier today while I was on the scaffolding replacing the bulb, my thoughts turned to our worship service tomorrow night as we kick off the Christmas season.  Two things that came to me (besides that fact it would have been a heckuva worker's comp claim if I'd slipped):

1) In re: the bulb blowing sooner than expected:  Yes, it is highly annoying when things don't happen on the schedule we expect - but then again, isn't that the story we proclaim at Christmas?  We worship a God who tells us over and over and over again that things do not happen on our schedule, but yet we insist on things happening as we want...and...

2) In re: being 15' off the ground:  Our beautiful house of worship is inspiring from our usual perspective, but as I looked around from high above I saw it from a whole new vantage, and gained an appreciation for it that I never had before.  The arrival of Christ demands that we look at life from a whole new perspective, a perspective we don't always get in our daily routines.

I hope and pray that you and yours will be with us tomorrow night at 6:00 or 11:00 as we celebrate again the arrival of the Christ child, gaining new perspective on this familiar narrative and being reminded that while our schedule can get frustratingly out of kilter, the Divine schedule is exactly perfect.

See You Soon!

Lamar

P.S.  Please note that our New Year's Eve Come & Go Communion has been canceled for this year.  Erin had some complications from her sinus surgery and will be having another procedure that morning.  My apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Vol 4 No 3 - How is it with Your Soul?

Earlier this morning, I had an interesting conversation with one of my colleagues about the question, "How is it with your soul?", and as he and I were talking he made a wonderful observation that cuts to the quick of our Christianity.  My colleague made the observation that far too often we ask the wrong question.  Instead of inquiring as to how it is with our souls, my friend commented that we should be asking instead, "How is it with our walk [with Christ]?".

Today's message is very brief:  How is your walk with Christ?  How are you tending to your relationship to Him?  Is He someone you squeeze in when you can, or someone who you make a priority to be with?

Don't forget in this week before Christmas to help tend your walk with Christ by being with us for:

* - Our Feasting on the Word at the Table communion & prayer celebration TODAY from 12:15-12:40

* - Worshiping with us this Sunday morning as our music ministry presents the Word through their cantata

* - Participating in our collection of knit hats, knit gloves, and white socks for the January Reynosa mission, placing them (unwrapped) at the base of the Chrismon tree in the sanctuary

* - Joining in Sunday school for all ages at 9:00AM on Sunday morning

* - Bringing your friends, family, neighbors, and relatives to one of our Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion celebrations - 6:00PM or 11:00PM.

I look forward to us tending our walk with Christ together through each of these opportunities over the next week.  It is truly an honor to be able to engage in these activities with you.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 2 - Christmas Absurdity

There are some days that I cannot get over the absolute absurdity of Christmas.  Not the absurdity of the commercialization of Christmas (that topic has been beaten to death), but the absurdity of Christmas.

A child born of a true virgin.  A child whose birth was foretold centuries before it happened.  A child whose life the world literally must depend upon.  A child whose birth would cause the ruling powers to decree that all children under the age of two were to be killed.  A child whose birth would change how humanity would keep track of time (literally).

The day this story no longer captures our imagination is the day that we need to re-think our faith and our approach to this time of year.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 1 - Advent Stuff

Advent is a unique time in the life of the church, for it is a time where we prepare our hearts and minds for the arrival of the Christ child.  It may not seem that way to you all, with all the logistical stuff you have to deal with in order to prepare for holiday celebrations.  To add one more thing here or there may seem to push your schedule beyond the breaking point.  However, there are two special events (one today, one Sunday) that I urge you to put to the forefront of your priority list, as they will go a long way towards providing proper perspective for your Advent season.

The first, our Advent Luncheon Series, "Feasting on the Word at the Table", is TODAY from 12:15-12:40 in the small chapel across from the church office.  Instead of the usual craziness of lunch, this is a time that is set aside for you to come and feed on the Word through a devotional word, time of prayer, and celebration of Holy Communion.  It has been structured in such a way as to honor the time commitment for we know that for so many of you the lunch hour is a compressed time of frenzy.

The second is our second annual A Night in Bethlehem celebration, coming THIS SUNDAY from 5:30-7:30PM in our fellowship hall.  Featuring new and updated settings, we will be taken back in time to what the birth town of our Lord's was like when he arrived.  There will be food, crafts, games, and other activites for ALL.  This is not a kids event - this is for all people, from 0-100+.  Dana Blanco and her volunteers have been putting forth a lot of time and effort to make this happen - we look forward to seeing you there on this special evening. 

 

Before you know it, this season can be taken away from you - be proactive by participating in the activities of the Body of Christ to make sure it doesn't happen to you!

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 46 - End of the Year Activities

This week's Mid-Week message is very short - I hope and pray that each of you has a most blessed Thanksgiving holiday wherever you may find yourself.  Each of you knows that you have more to be thankful for than you are possibly aware and Who deserves the thanks for providing all that for which you are thankful.

Three brief congregation-related announcements:

1) Decoration Day - THIS SATURDAY @ 9:30AM.  Our goal is to have the entire place ready for Advent in two hours.  The more of you that show to make the more likely this goal is to be achieved.  Santa's elves can't make it this year - we are counting on you!

2) Don't forget that we start Advent THIS SUNDAY, Sunday, November 30.

3) A Night In Bethlehem - December 7

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 45 - Church is More than Congregation

One of the great privileges I have as an Elder in the United Methodist Church is that the ministries that I get to participate in go far beyond the local church to which I am appointed.  A great deal of the time, we hear about the church 'beyond the walls' of our local congregation, and usually that is in terms of mission, which is very important, to say the least.  However, there are many other ministries that go on to make the connectional system work, and those of us who are ordained Elders have responsibilities that go beyond the local congregation to which we are appointed.  This week, I am spending a good deal of time in ministry beyond our local congregation, and wanted to share with you a little of the 'other part' of pastoral ministry.  Parson the length of this message; it is important, however, for you all to know the things beyond the local church in which your pastor is involved as part of their job, things that are very rewarding in their own way and are a part of our calling to bring about the Kingdom of God.

Today, I am honored to host Rev. Jeremy Jones of the New Roads-Rosedale charge, for a few hours in our area.  Jeremy is a candidate for ordination as an Elder in our conference, and I have been honored to serve as his mentor through the ordination process.  Every person pursuing ordination is assigned an ordained Elder as their mentor to guide them through the process, and as one who was ordained not too long ago, I cannot tell you the invaluability of a candidacy mentor to talk through this rather intense process.  It is really neat in this instance because Jeremy and his wife have been dear friends of mine for over 10 years.

Another responsibility of all persons under appointment is to make themselves available to serve on district and conference committees.  Most of these committees meet maybe 3-4 times a year, thus not requiring too much time away from our appointment.  One of these committees is the district Committee on Ministry, and those of us on this committee are responsible for working with our non-ordained clergy and those pursuing a call to ordination.  Tomorrow, I will be with my colleagues on this committee as we conduct our fall interviews, seeing where people are in their process and helping to provide them guidance about the next steps of the process.  We will see 15-20 people tomorrow, and it is exciting, for God is always raising up the next round of leaders for His church, and the gifts, graces, and abilities that each of these people bring is truly inspiring.

Finally, this past weekend I spend a good deal of time working with our Bishop and other clergy in my role as chair of the Acadiana District trustees.  The district trustees are entrusted with the responsibility for all assets held in the district's name, and among them is some land that we are working on using to provide a home for the newest congregation in our district, Faith Community UMC of Youngsville.  It can be very easy for those of us in a congregation that has been around for 148 years to not realize the excitement and wonder of being a part of a new congregation; I believe it is a testimony to the strength of our connection that we have these kinds of issues to work through and towards.

None of the above would be possible without a strong congregation with strong leadership and staff; thank you for making it possible for me to participate in the ministries of the larger church as well as the primary focus of life within our congregation.

This Sunday we will be marking the end of the Christian year by observing Christ the King Sunday.  I hope and pray as you go about making your final preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday that you will join us in worship this week. 

Don't forget that we start Advent on Sunday, November 30.  Scroll down for much more information about our Advent activities.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 44 - Fellowship and Worship

For quite a while now, I have been eagerly anticipating this upcoming Sunday's events.  There is something truly holy and miraculous that occurs when a group of people gather together in the Lord's name, whether it be two or three working away at some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that makes ministry happen or if we are SRO for worship, lunch or any other activity.  After a month of looking at our sacred vows of membership from a Scriptural and theological perspective, I am excited about participating in a service of reaffirmation, in which we will remember our baptisms, renew our beliefs in the faith as handed down to us throughout the centuries, and recommit ourselves to upholding the vows of membership that we took when joining this congregation.  It is my firm belief that there is nothing in the world with more potential and more power than a group of people committed to bringing about the Kingdom of God here and now.  

Also, we must never allow ourselves to underestimate the power of fellowship.  As you all should be aware by now, we will, immediately after worship, be renewing our tradition of having a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner in the Fellowship Hall.  This meal, which is NOT a covered-dish (all you have to do is show up), will be a time for us to celebrate our commitment to being a part of this community of faith.  There are few things in the life of the church as enjoyable as seeing the generations of the church gathered together for food and conversation.

Finally, thank you to all who have called or written to ask about Erin.  Her surgery (to relieve sinus issues) yesterday went well, and she is recuperating at home.  We are grateful for your care, concern, and understanding.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 43 - The Integrity of Service

This past weekend as I participated in our youth group's Shrimp & Petroleum Festival parking lot fundraiser, I was reminded again in a very tangible way of the importance of us holding up our fourth vow of membership - to support this congregation with our service.  Every year I am amazed at the people we get to meet and re-connect with as we spend a few hours with the past, present, and future of the church.  Whether by standing on the street corner of Federal and Everett waving a sign, directing people to parking spots, bringing food for the workers to eat, being out and about as part of the cleanup or setup crews each day - there were so many ways that I had the privilege to see God's people taking seriously their vow to support this congregation with their service that I was truly inspired.

As I think most all of you area aware by now, I am a firm believer in 'putting your money where your mouth is', and no where more strongly than in our responsibility to live out the life we confess in Jesus Christ.  During the first three parts of this series, I have been in awe of how Scripture addresses this commitments we make to the Kingdom of God, and have been inspired to examine again my own commitment to the body of Christ.  My prayer is that you have as well.

In worship this Sunday, we will be looking at Paul's words to the Romans about the need to actively be involved in the Body of Christ.  I want to encourage you to come with a servant's heart, ready to hear and implement our mandate to be actively and not passively involved in this gift from God, the church of which his Son, Jesus Christ, is the head. 

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 42 - To Vote or Not to Vote...

For those of us within this congregation, the month of November is going to be a time of exercising rights that have been passed on to us by generations who went before us, making sacrifices to help ensure that our generation and succeeding ones will have the best possible circumstances to pursue life.  The awesome thing about these rights that we have been given by those who came before us is the tremendous responsibility upon our shoulders to carry out the exercise of these rights in a proper manner that will help us to help the world realize God's reality.

Of course!  You bet I am talking about the right and responsibility that every American citizen has to participate in any election.  Next Tuesday, you have been given the right by the sacrifice of others to carry out your responsibility to go vote.  It's not nearly as important who you vote for as it is that you simply go vote.  In my opinion, if you don't take the time to exercise the right to vote, that says more about the voter than the candidates.  So, please go vote next Tuesday.  Polls are open in our state from 6:00AM to 8:00PM.  However...

There's another important event in the life our congregation in November that involves us exercising rights and assuming responsibilities that have been passed down to us from generations of the past.  On November 16, Reaffirmation Sunday, we will be gathering during worship to Reaffirm our commitment to Christ and His Church through the four vows of membership - Prayers, Presence, Gifts, and Service.  Through our written commitments to upholding each of these vows, we are building upon that which has preceded us and providing for the work of God to be done in and through this congregation.

Take time to vote - it's important, and there's too much that has been sacrificed to give you that right and responsibility for you to not do so.

Take time to commit to upholding the vows of membership you took upon joining this congregation - it's important, and there's been too much that has been sacrificed to give you that right and responsibility for you to not do so.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 41 - Hitting a Curveball

...[S]pirituality is not a self-generated
achievement but a gift given to us by God.  

This gift sets us free to see life in a new way
and to live life as God intended, 

in union with the purposes of the
Creator and Redeemer of the world.

Dr. Robert Webber -
The Divine Embrace:
Recovering the Passionate Spiritual Life

I have been thinking a lot about each of you over the past couple of weeks since I last wrote you.  Due to a number of unforeseen circumstances that arose last week, I simply did not get this e-mail out (and I deeply apologize for that).  I have been thinking a lot about each of you over the past couple of weeks because its during recent times like I have been through that I am reminded so much that we can have the best-laid plans for our time, and our immediate schedule planned out to the nth degree, when other factors come in to blow all this out of proportion.

"Of course, Lamar, we all know this.  Skip past the pablum and give us something to read here."

The reason you have come to mind is that often times, more than we care to realize, the condition of our relationship with God dictates how we respond to the curveballs that are thrown our way.  This is why it is so important as we continue in our series on our vows of membership (more details below) that we remember why we take vows of membership to support our congregation with our Prayers, Presence, Gifts, and Service.  When we actively participate in the community of faith, and support it wholeheartedly, we cannot help but be renewed, strengthened, and built up as we prepare to live out our lives.  It is real easy to want to draw upon God and the community of God when chips are down and we are at our lowest points; it is when we allow ourselves to be continually renewed and rejuvenated through life in the household of God that we can better face the trials and temptations of life.

None of us knows, as you all are aware, what today or tomorrow will bring.  However, each of us knows, who promises to walk with us through what today or tomorrow will bring.  Each of us knows that a major reason Christ sent the Holy Spirit to form the church is so that we are strengthened in the way that leads to life eternal.  Let us make sure we are committed to supporting his church through our Prayers, Presence, Gifts, and Service.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 40 - The Need for Affirmation

...[S]pirituality is not a self-generated
achievement but a gift given to us by God.  

This gift sets us free to see life in a new way
and to live life as God intended, 

in union with the purposes of the
Creator and Redeemer of the world.

Dr. Robert Webber -
The Divine Embrace: Recovering the Passionate Spiritual Life

As many of you are aware, this Sunday marks the beginning of a new season of life in our congregation, a season where we will spend the next several weeks exploring our faith as it relates to the vows of membership we take when we join a United Methodist congregation.  In preparing for this season, and our worship during it, I came across the above from Dr. Robert Webber while reading his book and saw this entire season crystalized within these words.  In an age where the spiritual leaders of our society (Oprah, Dr. Phil, etc.) lead us to believe that spirituality and truth are found within ourselves, and that we must determine the truth by which we will pattern our lives, Dr. Webber reminds us that spirituality, like life itself, is a gift from God.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I heard one person tell me yesterday as I was talking about all this.  "You and I both know this is all about the money and a different way to approach what is ultimately about money."  No need to be sneaky or coy about this - indeed, part of our Reaffirmation Sunday service will indeed include us making written commitments about how we will uphold our vows, and this will include us making our financial commitments for 2009.  However, to think for a minute that any of this is simply about money would be a huge mistake, for anything that we do within the life of the church, from reading this e-mail, to serving on committees, to participating in worship, to fulfilling a financial commitment, is first and foremost a product of our spirituality.  To go even further, anything we do in life, period, is a result of our spirituality.  The question we must answer is, "From where does our spirituality come?"

Does it come from within, as a result of our own efforts, understanding, and desire?  Or does it come from beyond, as a gracious gift from God as a tremendously extravagant gift, a gift that is to be lived from the perspective of a grateful recipient?

As we pursue our conversation about prayers, presence, gifts, and service, let us be perfectly clear: yes, indeed, the concentration on and renewal of our vows is related to our congregation and its immediate future.  But let us be equally clear that our commitment to our vows is, whether we want to admit it or not, a reflection of how we view our faith.  As your pastor, I challenge you to take advantage of this season to fully re-examine your perspective on the origins of your faith; I am looking forward to doing the same myself.  What a great opportunity to grow together!

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 39 - Take it to the Bank

Normally, at the start of a new quarter or at some other time of transition during the calendar year, it is cliche for someone to start an article by asking, "Where did the time go?"  Alas, even though I have had the same feelings this week as preparations start for the final quarter of 2008 @ Pharr Chapel, I will spare you the cliche today.  Even though it's hard to believe that we are going to be celebrating our annual charge conference in less than three weeks, celebrating our Reaffirmation Sunday (check the monthly newsletter for more information) in less than two months, and our Advent calendar is already taking shape, there is something else that I want to mention this morning as none of us can avoid the headlines.

It seems that almost all of us, no matter our political or economic view on life, are wondering what all is going to happen with our nation's economy.  Like many of you, I am concerned about decisions being made on Wall Street, Main Street, and in Washington, DC.  I am concerned that those who are responsible for oversight in our political and economic society will make the right decisions, without regard to political fallout either way.  However, I am most concerned about some of the attitudes being expressed by people all across the fruited plan who look to politicians for the answer to all of our problems; in other words, people who look to politicians for salvation.

Yes, I am concerned about the implications (short and long term) of our current situation and the 'solutions' that are being bandied about by the political and chattering classes.  What I am most concerned about, though, is what your perspective and mine is in the long run.  It is a basic Christian belief that no matter what else, at some point the things of this earth, and the kingdoms of this earth, will all pass away when Christ comes again to bring about the fulfillment of the new heaven and new earth.  This is where we as Christians must put our ultimate hope and must look for our ultimate salvation.  

Economic highs and lows will come and go - that is a part of life and no one can prevent that from happening.  Emotional highs and lows will come and go - that is a part of life and no one can prevent that from happening.  All sorts of highs and lows will come and go in our life - and no one can prevent that from happening.

Yes, we should do all that we can to prepare for these highs and lows.  We must not, however, allow these highs and lows to allow us to lose perspective on the ultimate hope of all who follow the risen Christ.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 38 - Stronger than a Hurricane

Earlier this week, I was working with a local graphics design firm to make some temporary signage for our building since brother Gustav destroyed the sign out front.  Reflecting upon this process since I placed an order with them yesterday, and anticipating a discussion with our trustees at some point in the future about our next fixed sign, I have been thinking about what is the proper sign to let people know we are the church.  While, yes, it is important for us to have a sign out front with our name, worship time, etc., in our front yard, I wonder if that sometimes is all that we rely on to let people know we are the church.

In this time of cleanup and recovery in the Louisiana-Texas Gulf Coast area, there are several ways in which we can provide immediate help to those in need.  The first is TOMORROW MORNING (Thursday, September 18) as we meet outside my office at 7:45 AM for our bi-weekly UMCOR mission.  As you can imagine, things are hopping right now at our Sager-Brown relief depot, and they can use all the help we can provide.  I just spoke with their executive director, and she tells me that there are plenty of health kits and flood buckets that need to be put together.  Also, tomorrow, they will be preparing shipments to the Republic of Georgia and to our friends in Texas, as well as the needs in our area.  PLEASE make every effort to meet us tomorrow morning for this important relief mission.  We will have the option of coming home around lunch, or staying for the day if you can.  Let me know if you need more details.

Additionally, I am sad to say that several of our churches in the Acadiana and Lake Charles districts have suffered major damage and will be needing assistance to get back on their feet.  To that end, I will be discussing with our church council and our finance committee next week ways in which we can assist financially these our brothers and sisters in the connection.  In addition to the assistance that I hope and pray the leadership of our church has the vision and faith to provide, if you are interested in making a personal contribution to these efforts, please let me know.

Finally, as the initial assessments and cleanup are wrapped up in the coming days and weeks, I have been assured by our conference staff and leaders that we will be made aware of how we can be involved in hands-on work in the affected areas.  As this information comes along, I will be sure to pass it on to you.

While we may face the task of replacing our congregation's signage out front, and face some temporary signage as soon as it comes from the printer, I think it is obvious to see from these ministry opportunities above that, through the faith shown through our actions, the true sign of being the body of Christ cannot ever be destroyed or blown away by a hurricane, for the sign of the church is found in the people and their lifestyles.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

P.S.  One of our sister churches in Berwick, Mason United Methodist Church, has sustained some damage to their steeple and are in need of a lift so they can get up there to do repair work.  If you know of someone who would be willing to donate the use of a lift for this purpose, please let me know ASAP.  

Vol 3 No 37 - Cleaning Up

Something I have noticed since Hurricane Gustav visited us last week is just how much a distraction from the routine can throw everything off-balance not only in our personal lives, but in the lives of our friends, families, places of employment, and our community at large.  I have been fascinated to see how quickly the people of this area went about cleaning up their debris, helping one another with basic needs, and doing their best to get back to normal as soon as possible.

The thing is, do things truly ever return to the way they were?  As part of visiting with a number of you, and others around town, I heard again stories of Andrew, Betsy, and other hurricanes that have visited our area.  And, inevitably, along with the stories of previous hurricanes are stories of how something changed during or in the aftermath of a particular storm, and although it eventually became part of the new routine, it was a lasting change.

Change is hard.  Change is not something we do very well.  Change is something we resist with everything we have on many occasions.  However, the reality is that after much initial grumbling and unease in transition, we adapt, adjust, and move on with life in new ways (more often than we think, to be honest).  The great thing about the Christian faith, being a disciple of Christ and a member of the community of faith, is that while there is no more violent or radical change that we will face than the change from a life focused on self to a life focused on Christ and his will, there is nothing that will seem more normal when we get through the initial adjustment period and have allowed God to clean up the resulting debris from the transformation of our lives.

Just something to think about as we continue to clean up and move forward.  My prayer is that for each of us, we realize that the most massive cleanup effort is not done by the work of humanity, but by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 36 - Post-Gustav Update

Well, friends, I know that it has been a long week for so many of us.  I hope and pray that as you and yours return to our area and go about cleaning up the debris from our recent visitor that you are doing well.  A little tired, a little worn, but grateful that even in the midst of our messes that it wasn't worse.

The main point of today's message is to let you know that we are resuming our normal Sunday activities this week - Sunday School @ 9:00 and Morning Worship @ 10:00.  This Sunday we will be celebrating the sacrament of holy communion, and I can think of no better way for us to come back together again in worship than to gather around the table of the one who brought us together originally.

For those of you who may not be aware, the church facilities weathered the storm just fine.  A few little pieces of siding were displaced, as was our church sign, and the huge oak tree in the back lot is no longer with us, but other than that, nothing major to write home about.  Speaking of home, my home, your parsonage, fared very well during the storm - losing only the aluminum covering over the patio and a bush out front.  Erin and I want to thank you all again for providing us such a nice place to live.

Finally, I want to thank all of you that were diligent in keep in touch during the evacuation - cell phone calls, text messages, and e-mails did a lot to pass the time.  It also helped to disseminate the news from back home and to keep people in touch.  Once again, this proved that the body of Christ does not need a facility to truly be the community of faith.

See You Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 35 - Saving the World

What a joy it was to be with you all this past Sunday for Cokesbury and Covered-Dish Sunday.  The singing and worship was truly inspirational, and the time of fellowship and communion over the meal afterwards left me truly filled, both physically and spiritually.

Coming off the heels of this great Sunday is another extraordinary ministry opportunity in the life of our congregation, the festivities surrounding our Shrimp & Petroleum Festival parking lot fundraiser.  From Friday night thru Sunday, the youth and other volunteers within the congregation will be working to raise support for our youth ministries, and I cannot wait to see you out there as we help the next generation, fellowship with each other, and be a Christian witness to those partaking of the festival activities.  Don't forget that parking passes ($15 for Friday, $25 for Saturday, $25 for Sunday) are available by contacting the church office or our youth director, Angie, at champine@bellsouth.net.

It's not too often that a church will get the opportunity to live out the Christian faith among so many people gathered in one place at one time.  I want to encourage you, as you are able, to not only participate in the church's activities this weekend, but also to take time to take in the festival activities.  Just by acting in a responsible, Christian manner as you enjoy these things provides a powerful testimony to so many who need to come across more examples of Christian living.

Finally, don't forget that, due to parking and traffic logistics, our Sunday morning worship FOR THIS SUNDAY ONLY will be at 9:00AM.  Sunday school will not be meeting this week.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 34 - Community "Life"

A Sunday of by-request singing out of the old Cokesbury books, with a covered-dish luncheon to follow.  A weekend of welcoming residents and visitors alike to our town's annual festival while also interacting with and assisting our youth as they seek to do the will of God.  A mission to some of the poorest areas in our country.  Pictoral directory photos sessions.  Bi-weekly trips to UMCOR to assist those who provide hands-on disaster relief around the world.  Weekly communion services.  Sunday school for all ages.  Our music ministry gathering each week to improve themselves as they seek to lead us in worship.  A prayer gathering each Wednesday morning to lift up by name the needs of which we are aware.

I don't know about you, but to me the upcoming weeks in the life of our congregation are shaping up to be some very great opportunities to help us continue to grow as a community of faith in our quest to live out the life to which God has called us.  Each of these opportunities for fellowship, worship, and mission cut to the core of who we say we are as the body of Christ.  Futher, it is we we seize the opportunity to participate in these things that we get to see even more of God's grace and mercy.  There is nothing that the forces of evil hate more than the body of Christ strengthening itself by engaging in the life of the church.  There is nothing that the forces of evil enjoy more than the people of the body of Christ being distracted from the community of faith, for when we do not gather together, we are not reveling in and drawing strength from the Spirit that binds us to one another.

Looking over the list above, I can tell you that while it may not be possible to participate in all of them, I can tell you that if/when you can/do take part in these activities, it is a joy like none other - for there is nothing that is more joyful than being an active part of the salvific work of Christ in the world today.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 3 No 33 - Re-Discovery

How many times in life do we have that wonderful experience of rediscovering a long-lost friend or a long-lost treasured item that we had let slip from our mind?  Preparing for my Sunday School class I have experienced these emotions walking through the pages of Hebrews.  A lesser-known of the New Testament writings, Hebrews is filled with many timeless truths that, upon further consideration, have a deep impact on our walk with Christ.  Until I read and studied this material in-depth, about the only thing I could specifically recall from Hebrews was one of my favorite verses in all of scripture, "Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen." (11:1)

I wonder how often we allow our lives to be lessened by our failure to interact with more of the Scriptures on a regular basis.  I ask myself, and ask you now, how much of the Good News do we miss out upon because we either don't read scripture on a regular basis OR read only those parts that we enjoy and/or with which we are familiar?

There are so many things in life that once were so special to us and now we could barely, if at all, recall them right now - why is it that we so easily allow them to just drift away as we move through life?  Getting re-acquainted with the once-familiar is such a joyful experience; my hope and prayer for each of you this day is that you will take the initiative to become re-acquainted once again (or, in some cases, for the first time) with the joy of some of the lesser-known of the Scriptures.

See You Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 32 - Back to Basics

For a number of children in our community, tomorrow and Friday mark the first day of school, and it causes me to think back to the anticipation and terror that greeted a new academic year.  Catching up with people I hadn't seen all summer was great; meeting new people who had moved into town was ok; getting back into routine was, well, getting back into routine.

One thing that I will always keep in mind when I remember the start of a new year is the experience of walking into a new teacher's classroom.  Of course, I walked into the room with preconceived notions and prejudices about the teacher in question based on the word on the street (it wasn't until seventh grade that I realized that teachers passed word among themselves about incoming students and that our reputations preceded us as well).  Dealing with a new teacher, however, became a moot point after about a week most years because by then the familiarity of the expectations that the teacher had for us were established.

It's with this in mind that I am looking forward to our next three weeks in worship, for I will be preaching a series of sermons based off of John Wesley's expectations for those who joined the Methodist societies that he and his brother Charles were establishing within theChurch of England.  Wesley's three simple rules were:

    1) Do No Harm
    2) Do Good
    3) Tend to Your Relationship with God (paraphrase)

As our children and our society start getting back into the routine of a new academic year, I hope and pray that you will join us for this series of worship, being reminded once again of the expectations that are placed upon those of us who choose to follow Christ.

See You Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 31 - Endurance

On March 5, 1738, a young Church of England preacher by the name of John Wesley was in the throes of deep despair about his faith in Christ, to the point that he was giving serious consideration to leaving the preaching ministry.  Peter Bohler, a Moravian missionary, counseled the young Rev. Mr. Wesley to, "Preach faith till you have it, and then, because you have it, you will preach faith."

These words have been weighing on me over the past month or so as I have been in conversation with several of you, and I have come to conclude that for so many of us, one of the greatest challenges of the Christian life is when faith becomes, for a season of life, a discipline (a ritual, if you will) in which we engage with the mindset of "just getting through."  One of the greatest things that I love about the traditions and rituals of the church (in prayer, in worship, in the patterns of daily life) is that our love of Christ, and our devotion to Christ, does not rely solely upon OUR feelings, OUR emotions, OUR desires; indeed, through the church, the Holy Spirit has given to us a means of grace by which we can 'get through' the dry times of our spiritual and emotional journeys.  As we heard this past Sunday from Paul's letter to the Romans, "...[I] am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

To paraphrase the advice that the Rev. Mr. Wesley received over 270 years ago, advice that is an eternal truth, part of our task as people of the Christian faith is to live faith until we have it, and the, because we have it, we will live it.

Summer is winding down, and I know a number of us are mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally drained right now due to a number of things.  My prayer for all of us is that we will remember that we are not lone rangers - God, through the love of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, has, is, and will continue to sustain us far beyond anything we can imagine.  Praise be to God!

See You Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 30 - Connectional Serendipity

I never cease to be amazed at the truly connectional nature of our denomination.  While Erin and I were on vacation in Nassau this past week, we made arrangements with our resort to attend services at a local Methodist church on Sunday.  We were both looking forward to being in worship together and in a place where we could just "slip in" unnoticed and with no responsibility.

Imagine our surprise, then, when we arrived and the interim pastor of this congregation is a retired Louisiana colleague of ours and a former associate pastor where I worshiped as a child.  It was good to catch up with Dr. Gerald Richardson while enjoying the worship and hospitality of Ebenezer Methodist Church in Nassau.  God blessed us immensely through our time with them and by participating as members of the congregation in the sacrament of Holy Baptism of a beautiful little girl.  These truly kind souls made us feel totally at home during our time with them.

We thoroughly enjoyed enjoyed our time with our fellow members of the Methodist tradition and were reminded once again that you never know what is going to happen on any given Sunday when you choose to attend worship.  This was also a good reminder of how blessed you can be while at worship away from home (even on vacation!).

See You Sunday!
Lamar