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