Vol 5 No 4 - A Baby Changes Everything

It almost feels kinda pointless to write a meditation/column for this week's e-mail, for this is the week we finally enter into Christmas.  I mean, it is one of those things wherein we know what is going on, don't we?  Christmas eve worship @ 6:00 & 11:00.  The familiar readings.  The familiar songs.  Candlelight and communion.  Familiar holiday traditions.  The joy and the politics of gift-giving and receiving.  Some bittersweet moments for a few, as you remember those who are not around the table this year and or how this Christmas is different from other years.  Deep life-altering radical changes that we get anxious about not knowing how they are going to play out or how to deal with them...

"Wait.  What?," I can hear some of you saying.  "I was with you up until that last point.  What do you mean, deep life-altering radical changes...."  Why, that's one of the joys of Christmas is its predictability.  With a few minor tweaks from year to year depending on circumstance, it pretty much rolls the same for us.

Well, not so fast, my friends.  Yes, Christmas is a joy because of the predictability of hearing the same words again from the scriptures...but, I wonder if we truly think through the implications of the complete UNpredictability of the Christmas celebration.  As the Christ child is symbolically placed in the midst of the nativity scene this year, I hope and pray that tangible representation of Christ's appearance in the world reminds us that things are no longer predictable.  With the arrival of the Christ child, things are different.  The Christ child leads his people in ways they never could have thought, to destinations they never could consider, and all he asks for is their complete trust and devotion.

That, my friends, is something you and I need to think more about as Christmas approaches.  If we are serious about following the Christ child, it will not be predictable.  If we are serious about following the Christ child, it will demand of us the need for complete faith and trust, especially when the answer or destination to a particular situation or circumstance is not inherently obvious.

So, come and worship with us on Christmas Eve (or at a church in your area if you do not live near us).  Come and hear the words from the prophet, the psalmist, the gospel, and the epistle.  Come and hear the message on "Why Christmas is Important (and it may not be what you think)."  Come and taste the tangible reminder of the grace that appeared during that night as we partake of the sacrament of holy communion.  Come and be inspired by the candlelight of the people of God raising the light of Christ.

And be ready for something you never expected.  After all, that is what happened on the first Christmas morning - something completely unexpected.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 3 - Shipping & Delivery Costs

It happened again yesterday - a last minute call from a friend looking to see if I could help them get a certain Christmas gift ordered and delivered by this Friday.  No problem, I said.  Of course, its just a matter of how much of a price you want to pay to have it delivered at the time you desire.  

I thought of this earlier as I have been asked by my family in Pittsburgh to facilitate sending them a turducken for their Christmas celebration.  The most expensive part of this, and the most difficult to coordinate, has been the timing (for its got to get there in time for them to thaw it) and packaging of delivery.  Overnighting a turducken cross-country, in case you haven't noticed, "ain't cheap."  But, the command given was, this is what we want - do what it takes to make it happen.  Personally, I can't wait to see the reaction when the final shipping charges are calculated, for I am sure that it will be a bit higher price than they expect.

In both of these cases, I am reminded of the events that led up to the arrival of the Christ child.  As we read in the prophets, the people of God were desiring a savior, anticipating the arrival of the messiah, and they wanted him now.  As happens so often in life, however, getting what we truly want often involves things we don't anticipate and at costs we cannot anticipate.

Who was expecting, for instance, that the mighty savior and deliverer of the people would come not in full military armor, but in a manger?

Who was expecting that he would be born of an unmarried teenage virgin?

Who was expecting him to come when he did?

Who was expecting that the cost of his arrival would be a complete and utter devotion to following him - a devotion that demands that we set aside the things of this world to solely focus on bringing about his kingdom?

Who was expecting that the cost of discipleship would involved being people who love and forgive - even if those who have done us wrong have no idea or show no signs of remorse?

Are you ready for the cost and timing of Christmas any more than they were?

See you Sunday!

Lamar

P.S. Don't forget our Advent Luncheon @ 12:10 today - our District Superintendent, Roger Lathan, will be our guest speaker.

Vol 5 No 2 - The Early Present

The package arrived late yesterday afternoon, and, I must admit, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  It's a package I've been looking forward to, as I do every year, but I was not expecting it now.  I had been told to expect it anytime, but, seriously, now?

After all, through the contents of this package, God will do some amazing things.  Personally, I can't wait to see how this package will impact so many lives before it's time with us is done, and how many more will be impacted later.  I just wasn't expecting it now.  As I look at it and think about it, I'm still not sure I was ready for it to arrive now - for there are so many other things on my mind that I need to take care of before I can add anything else...and I know that the arrival of this package is going to mean a lot of work on the parts of lots of people to make sure that its intended purpose is fulfilled.

Of course, I speak of the High Seas Adventure VBS 2010 planning kit.  Full of ideas, directions, suggestions...but I had to laugh as Melanie brought it in at the point I was just wrapping up Christmas Eve planning.

Thinking further about it, though, I came to the conclusion that the timing was perfect, as the Christmas Eve message this year is going to examine our preparation for Christmas.

Christ has a habit of showing up when we are least prepared for Him - are you doing anything to improve your preparation?

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 1 - Just Another Event?

Happy New Year!

You know, looking over the Advent flyer that many of you recently received in the mail, I see so much on our plate for this season and I wonder sometimes if it is too much.  Bible studies, luncheons, a cantata, a Night in Bethlehem, UMCOR missions, Christmas Eve worship - so many event not including the other things going on in life, such as work, family, friends...I would completely understand the temptation to think of all these church activities as just more events to have to attend during the Advent (NOT Christmas, but Advent) season.

And any of us who take such an attitude are SORELY MISTAKEN.

It hit me recently as I was visiting with the parent of a child I know - I think part of our problem is that we look at the formational events that God provides through the Christian community of our local congregation as one more thing on the calendar.

What if we considered these activities, no matter what they be, as part of a lifelong development of a relationship with God and the people of God, rather than one more thing to have to check off our to-do list?

I'm really excited about our Night in Bethlehem event this Sunday evening.  Last night, it was truly a joy to work with a crew to prepare the framing, seeing our fellowship hall start to transform into the Bethlehem of Christ's day.  Saturday, it will be a joy to be with those who are coming to decorate and set up for Sunday.  Sunday evening, as we all gather for this time of fellowship and wonder, it will be a joy to realize that through this time, and through all of Advent, what is truly going on is the work of a God who is using the Body of Christ to prepare us for the arrival of a Savior.

When you look at it from that perspective, kinda moves it from a "Oh, another event..." to "Oh! Another Event!  I wonder what God is going to show us this time!"

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 42 - Thanksgiving

It's the day before Thanksgiving.  What else is there to say?  If you aren't aware now of how much you are blessed and the One who provides those blessings, then let's talk.

Otherwise, enjoy the rest of the week and prepare to wait.  (I mean, let's get into Advent!)

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 41 - Veterans Day

Reflecting upon the nation's observance of Veteran's Day, I can't help but be reminded that those who served were a part of something bigger than themselves, something that required dedication, sacrifice, and service above and beyond the trivial and banal, and how much those qualities have impacted our country, and indeed the world.

Looking at an ESPN feature on baseball players who served in World War II and Korea, I was confronted with the fact that many of these men gave the prime of their professional careers for something bigger.  People like Bob Feller, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and countless others who either gave up parts of what was already a great career or didn't even have the chance to start their career because of service to their country.

And I can't help but wonder what that says about how we exercise our Christian faith when so often we make the excuse that we are too busy to be involved with the things of the Kingdom of God.

Imagine if the men and women of the Armed Services had said to their country, "Sorry, but I'm too busy to take on this task.  Find someone else who doesn't have as much going on and at some point when things slow down I'll consider doing something."  I seriously doubt any of us would have really wanted the life that would have resulted had this been their answer.

Yet, we have a cause even greater than the defense of one's country.  We have the gospel of Christ to spread to a world that desperately needs good news.  Far more often than any of us care to admit, however, we make excuses about how we are too busy.  Imagine the consequences that occur every time we do this.

Thank a veteran.  And also thank whoever took the time to introduce you to the saving grace of Christ our Lord.  They did you a far greater service than anyone else.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 40 - Service Opportunities

Heading into this week's worship, wherein we will continue our Truly Giving Thanks: A Season of Gratitude series by looking at upholding our vow to support this congregation with our service, I continue to be struck by just how many different ways there are to serve our congregation through service.  Here's just a few:

Sunday Mornings: Usher, Liturgist, Acolyte, Choir, Nursery, Musician, Sound, Video

Missions:  Bi-Weekly UMCOR mission, VIM teams, Mission Run, Truly Giving Thanks Mission Meal, UMW

Children & Family Ministries: Leading Sunday School, It's a Kid Thing Children's Ministry, Vacation Bible School, Night in Bethlehem, Congregation Meals (Including Advent & Lenten Lunches), Visiting Shut-Ins

Like I said, these are just a few of the areas in which to serve.  I could have gone on to mention working with the various committees and offices of the church as well as helping our our office staff with mailings and bulletins, to name a couple more options.

The major thing to remember in all of this is that upholding our vow to support this congregation with our service is not as daunting a task as it may seem at times.  There are a number of areas in which to be involved.  The main question that we must ask ourselves is not, "Is there anywhere I really can be used?"; rather, the question is:

Was I serious when I said I would support this congregation with my service?

If you were, and you have not yet found a place in which to be involved, let me know ASAP and we will rectify this immediately.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 39 - Not Exactly

More than one person has commented upon hearing about this week's sermon title (When Tithing Is Not Important) something along the lines of the following, "Oh, this is the once-a-year money sermon."

As the old tag line goes, "Not exactly."

Whether we want to admit it or not, tithing is like EVERYTHING (and I mean EVERYTHING) else that makes up our lives.  It is at the end of the day a spiritual matter.

And this is what I have been thinking about a lot over the past few days - how many times do we put things in the wrong categories in our lives?  Or, to put it another way, how many times have we said about something in particular, "We need to pray about that?"

Let me submit to you a little exercise to try at least for the next 24 hours (heck, 24 minutes if need be) - whatever is next on your agenda, or whatever is next on your mind, pray about it.  Pray for the wisdom to know what to do to fulfill God's will in that particular situation and pray for God's will to be done in that particular situation.  Doesn't matter what it is - try this.

Then let's talk about whether or not anything in your life is NOT a spiritual matter.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 38 - Well...

Genesis 26:18 - "Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham; for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham and he gave them the names that his father had given them."

During a two-day 'retreat' setting in which I participated this week at our conference center with elders from across Louisiana, I thought a great deal about these words from last week's lesson in our Genesis study.  Quite unexpectedly, I was able to spend a great deal of time with one of my mentors, picking his brain about things past, present, and future.  Through more than a couple of hours of conversation, bits of wisdom and advice came from my friend.  As we talked, I was reminded once again of how much he had to offer me through the experiences of his life and ministry.

Long story short, Isaac was able to draw live-giving water out of wells that had been dug long before.

Long story short, my friend offered me some great insight and wisdom from wells that he had dug long before.

Long story short, there's a lot of wells that have been dug long before you, wells full of life-giving and life-sustaining water.  When was the last time you went and drank from wells dug long before you?

In an age where so many will tell you that the key to a vibrant and fruitful faith (or a vibrant and fruitful church) is found only through the newest and hippest, don't forget there are a lot of wells from which to dig that are full of life.  We need the wells of Genesis 26:18 just as we need the wells of Genesis 26:22.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 37 - Thanksgiving Prayer

Well, we have now moved into another season in the life of our congregation.  As many of you are aware, this Sunday marks the beginning of our Truly Giving Thanks: A Season of Gratitude.  During this time, I want to encourage all of us, whether a part of Pharr Chapel UMC or on the larger distribution list of this message, to join in a period of self-examination about our attitude towards life.  Far too often, we allow ourselves to get caught up in the immediacy of our situations, both good and bad, and fail to take a good, long, hard look at the overall picture of our lives; this season will allow us to commit to hearing again (or anew) about how ours is not about who we are or what we do, but whose we are and why we have been given the gifts, grace, and abilities.

This week's worship will focus on the discipline of prayer, and how being intentional about approaching prayer from a attitude of gratitude leads us into a proper perspective on living our lives (in all aspects) as God has intended.  It can be so easy to pray about those things and situations that immediate capture our attention (illnesses, injuries, tragedies, economic issues, healings, etc.), and those are very valid areas in which to focus prayer, but how many times do we stop to think about the attitude in which we pray affects our relationship with God, with one another, and even with ourselves?

So, as you head into your next period of intentional prayer, take a moment to check and see how you are approaching prayer. Take it further, and see how you are approaching other aspects of your life.  And, no matter what...

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 36 - Need Some Help?

NOTE: This week's guest columnist is Rev. Erin Oliver, pastor of McGowen UMC in Jeanerette, LA.

The guy that takes care of our lawn came today.  He was mowing and weed-eating, doing what needed to be done.  Meanwhile, inside the house, Arph and Yip are barking away because someone is invading their yard.  It doesn't matter if he is trying to help, doing what he is supposed to do...it just matters that someone is in their territory.  

I wonder how often we do the same.  When someone tries to help, when they are simply doing what they are supposed to do...do we yell, or grump at them because they are in our territory.  There are plenty of stories from churches, businesses, families that we have all heard.  When someone offers help, do we feel they are intruding on our territory, or can we be thankful for God easing our load a bit.  If someone wants to help with something that has always been your job, how do you react?

I hope that I can do a bit better than my dogs!  I hope that I can be humble enough to remember that my way is not always the best, that I don't have to do everything on my own and that my territory isn't so important that I can't appreciate when someone is helping to take care of it. 

Blessings,

Erin

Vol 4 No 35 - What Does the Bible Say?

An old friend of mine pops up last night in my IM window with the following question: "What ever happened to the other brother in the 'Prodigal Son' story?"  After all, we know the story of the father who welcomed home the son who had taken his inheritance early, blown it, and yet returned home to be celebrated by his father.  (Luke 15:11-32)

As we talked further, I had to admit to my friend that the scriptures just don't answer that question.  Frustrating on one hand because we treasure knowledge and understanding in an age where 'everything has an explanation', this reminds us that in many situations where we find ourselves frustrated by the scriptures it's simply a matter of us looking for something that is not there.

A similar situation came up last week when I was asked by someone how we as Christians account for the existence of dinosaurs since they are not mentioned at all in the creation stories of the Bible.  Again, it's something that many people have tried to use from time to time to disprove the Bible's reliability, when in reality the Bible never addresses the subject one way or another.

All this begs the question: For what do we look to scripture?  Is it a guide for living the Christian life?  Yes.  Is it a recounting of God's creative and redemptive work in all of creation, from beginning to end?  Yes.  Is it essential to living as God intends?  Yes.  Does it tell you where to go for lunch?  Not necessarily.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 34 - I Know this Already...

I've heard it before.  I know it by heart.  Do we really need to cover this again?  We all know what happened, whose fault it is, and the consequences thereof, so why not move on to something a little more obscure, a little more interesting, a little more challenging?

Admittedly, this was part of my attitude as I approached the first session of our latest Bible study, Introduction to Genesis.  After all, one of the more universally known things about the Bible is the story of Genesis 1-3.  The creation of the world and the distortion of that world by humanity being disobedient to God's command.  Pretty basic stuff, found on the 'baby food' aisle of Christianity.

But then, reading and processing these passages with our Sunday night crew and our Tuesday morning crew reminded me that there is always something more to be gleaned from the scripture, and it is essential for our growth in the faith and in our knowledge of scripture to never take for granted what we think is in there.  Not to give away the story, but I would urge you to take a moment and do the following:

1. From memory, without opening your Bible, write down how the fall of humanity went, with as much detail as possible.

2. Go read Genesis 3.

3. Note any differences?  (and remember, details are important)

Moral of the story:  Christianity is an active, not passive, lifestyle.  Don't rest on what you already know to keep you from discovering more, and growing in the faith as a result of that discovery.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 33 - I Didn't Know...

"I didn't know because no one told me."

Ever heard that one before?  Ever missed out on something because you weren't told?  I thought about this yesterday as I heard from a childhood friend on Facebook and found out that her father, a man I knew and respected, had passed away suddenly in 2005.  Of course, I had no way of knowing because we'd lost touch over the years, but it got me to thinking further about this idea.

This week's message is brief, for I want you to think about this:  

How many people do you know that you have not shared how Christ has made a difference in your life?

How sad would it be for you to find out that someone you know and love has not responded to Christ's offer of grace because, "No one had ever told [me]."

I promise you it's a higher number than you think; and that you have a golden opportunity to share it with them.  Not by preaching to them or 'guilt-tripping' them, but by sharing how Christ has made a difference in your life.  But then again, that leads to one final piece of food-for-thought:

Has professing the Christian faith made a difference in your life?

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 32 - Writer's Block

Writer's block.  A phenomenon that anyone who has spent time in any sort of school environment has hit at one time or another.  That time where you know you have to write something, but have no idea what to say or how to say it in a way that would cause any interest on the part of the reader/hearer (not to mention you.)  It has been my experience that many times writer's block comes along when composing thoughts or words about subjects you know well.

I've been thinking a great deal about writer's block lately, for I wonder if part of what faces the Christian is the idea that we've said all there needs to be said; to quote from the Eucharist, "Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again."  Or, for a lengthier version, the contents of the Apostle's Creed or the Nicene Creed do nicely to sum up what we have to say.

And there's the rub.  In a society where we are bombarded with thousands of messages (large and small) every day, it can be tempting at times to attempt to change our message in a continual quest to be relevant, when the fact of the matter is that the message we give, the message of grace and peace through the Lordship of Jesus Christ, is one that we must be diligent about repeating.

We are never at a loss for something to say, for ours is not to come up with something to say, but simply to share what Christ has already said.  Don't let anyone try to fool you into thinking otherwise. 

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 31 - Worship Expectations

That God will say or do something that I could not have imagined, and praying that I will be totally open to God's presence in whatever form it comes.

That's the answer that comes to my mind in response to a question asked by one of my colleagues last week: "What do you expect to happen when you go to worship?"

As I think further on this, however, I wind up moving this answer to things beyond the corporate worship of the body of Christ on any given day, and look at life in general.  What would my life look like if I thought this way when dealing with: family, friends, co-workers, neighbors...or pretty much any and all situations in which I find myself?  What would your life look like if you allowed yourself to anticipate God saying or doing something in the most unlikely or mundane things?

So often, it seems that we allow ourselves to be in the mindset that in any given situation, God is going to do this or that.  I want to encourage you this morning to anticipate that God will be revealed to you in any and all situations, and to pray that you will allow yourself to be moved by the Holy Spirit into a place where you will see the God who is being revealed to you, in whatever way God may choose.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 30 - Toxicity

Toxic.  When I think of or hear this term used, my mind goes back to a black sticker with a bright green frowny-face on it that I used to see as a child.  If memory serves me correct, these very bright, very vivid stickers were reminder labels for the local poison control hotline.  The idea was to have them on anything toxic that you might get into around the house so that if you got into trouble someone could call immediately and find out what to do.

I've been thinking a great deal about these labels lately as I observe life on many levels.  There seems to be so much anger and anxiety going around society due to a number of factors (economics, politics, a general fear of an unknown future), and I wonder sometimes how much we as the people of God realize how much we can make a difference in the lives of those with whom we live, work, play, and worship.  I don't many of us who would willingly admit to wanting to be around negative people and negative situations; yet I wonder also how much we (willingly or unwillingly) contribute to negativity in the people and circumstances in our lives.

It would be really neat if every toxic person or situation had a neat poison control label, and if we could steer away from those environments.  However, we who take on the identity of Christian have a responsibility to bring grace to any and all we encounter.  We don't have the option of living a pollyannish existence - but we do have a choice of whether or not to bring grace and peace.

So, next time someone sends you a "the world's going to hell" e-mail, or next time someone comes up to you and tries to bait you into becoming a "nattering nabob of negativity", or you spend anytime watching someone in the political arena take shots at someone opposed to their idea, or someone is in your face, or there's a situation that you really don't like - take a five-count (or longer, if need be), smile, and remember that you are called to a higher standard.  Not to deny that there are serious situations that require serious conversations, but let's remember whose we are and what we claim to live.

Make no mistake about it - we live in an imperfect world.  Toxicity is a part of life.  But we can choose to contribute further to toxic environments (at home, work, school, society, among one another, etc.) or we can choose to be of a higher calling.

Think of the little skull and crossbones that is the universal symbol of poison - and ask yourself if you want to be identified by that image or by the image of the cross.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 29 - Forgiveness Demands

It was a little past 8PM last night when, in the first half of the Steelers-Cardinals pre-season game last night, an anxious nation received word that one of the great unknown mysteries of the summer of 2009 had been resolved.  Yes, that's right, former NFL quarterback Michael Vick was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Most of you know Mr. Vick's criminal background, and how he has spent two years in jail for his crime.  What strikes me this morning is the amount of hatred and venom being sent his way by fans in Philadelphia.  What Mr. Vick did was reprehensible, and as a dog owner it, quite frankly, nauseates me to even think of these actions.  However, the fact of the matter is that Mr. Vick has repaid his debt to society and is now a free man.

The question that comes to my mind has very little to do with Michael Vick and everything to do with you and me.  That question revolved around grace.  See, what I have been thinking of all morning as I have seen various reports of people responding to Mr. Vick is not a question of forgetting what he has done, but when, if ever, does someone deserve a second chance.  The question is:

What if Christ held a grudge against us for the sins we commit against him the way that we hold grudges against others who have done us wrong?

It's easy to sit here and condemn those people we have seen screw up, especially those who have caused us or those we love and care about great pain.  Yet, among Christ's final words were: "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Forgiveness isn't easy.  To have faith in Christ, however, DEMANDS forgiveness.  Otherwise, we have missed the whole point. 

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 28 - Backups are Essential

The automated backup system.  A must-have in today's world.  So must-have, that it is foolish to risk not having your computer, your phone, and anything else not on some sort of automated backup system, especially where your most important data is concerned.  There is security that comes from knowing that no matter what may happen to your primary devices, there is something there to protect you from the consequences of losing your primary device.

As I have become more and more reliant on my phone and my computer over the past few years, I have redoubled my backup efforts.  So, last week when my phone crashed, I didn't give it a second thought, for I knew I had backed it up weekly for almost 2 years.  Long story short - the backup file was corrupted, and I lost some valuable data with little hope of getting it back.

Moral of the story:  Yeah, it's just some data that in the big scheme of things isn't that big a deal.  However, it did get me to thinking about in what do I really put my trust.  It may have become cliché in many people's mind, but its at the core of who we are - NOTHING will provide the reliability or security of life in Christ.  

Money, fame, power, family, friends, backups for electronics - all of that will eventually wash away.  Christ's love, however, is eternal.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 27 - Hope

Mirriam-Webster defines hope as follows: "to cherish a desire with anticipation" and "to desire with expectation of obtainment."

I have been thinking a great deal about the word 'hope' over the past month, for I have experienced the sheer joy of a hopeful people (100+ kids making these facilities literally shake during Vacation Bible School) and the crushingly toxic environment of being around people who have not one positive thing they celebrate, not one moment of sheer joy or pleasure, for they appear to be focused purely on what is wrong, absolutely and without a doubt anticipating what will go wrong next.

Contrasting the two, I cannot help but remind myself, and, by way of this message, you, that of all the emotions of life that we have been given by God, hope has got to be central to our mindset.  I say this not in a pollyannish way, encouraging you to stick your head in the sand and ignore the realities of life.  No, I give it to you as a reminder that you will find highs and lows of life (pretty much every day), and without the hope of a better tomorrow (which we have been given through the promise of Christ's return in glory), we can literally have the life sucked out of us.

"...[N]or anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord."  Hold on to this - for I promise you that one day, a new heaven and a new earth are coming, and if you have your life grounded in the things of this world (both good and bad), at some point you will be left with nothing, for this world will be gone.

Our kids at VBS are learning about and experiencing the hope of life in Christ.  However, VBS will finish tomorrow night.  Let us all resolve to give them continual reminders of the hope of a better day by the way we conduct ourselves in thought, word, and deed.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 26 - Conviction

"For I am convinced," Paul writes in the eight chapter of Romans, beginning a thunderous defense of what he believes.  "For I am convinced that neither death, nor live, nor angles, nor rulers, nor things present, not 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 through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Over the past few days, I have thought a great deal about this passage of scripture, for I used it as the text for my homily at Mr. Ed Dilsaver's funeral yesterday.  Those of you who had the honor of knowing Ed know that he was a man of great convictions.  Reading, studying, and praying about these words, I saw once again the sheer beauty of Paul's defense of his beliefs a passion that I fear we might allow to slip more than we realize.

Paul's conviction of nothing being able to separate us from the love of God through Christ our Lord is not only a great statement of faith, but a proper frame by which to look at our lives.

If someone were to ask you to complete the sentence, "For I am convinced...", what would you say?  How does what you are convinced of affect your day-to-day life?  Does what you are convinced of have its root in the saving power of the grace of God through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit?

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 25 - What's Your Story?

Whenever I travel for leisure, as I did this past week to visit with our families, I take along 2 or 3 books for pleasure reading on airplanes or during downtime wherever we are staying.  My favorite genre is biographies, and as I was reading the stories of Satchel Paige and Bob Cousy this week, my mind kept going back to you.  These two athletic stars of the last century were giants of their times, but to my generation and beyond, they are mere names in history books.  I can grab any historical register for their respective sport and get their career accomplishments; to delve into who they are as men is quite a different story.

My mind kept going back to you because I wonder oftentimes what is the story that we are developing with the life we lead.  If an historian were to come along 50 years from now and catalog your life, what would emerge?

As men and women of the Christian faith, ours is a story that is part of a much bigger story.  Ours is a story that continues the story of God's creative and redemptive work in creation.  Through his grace and love, creation came into being, and all things will be reconciled to God when Christ comes again in glory.

Whether or not some historian or author comes along 50 years from now to catalog your life story or not, make no mistake about it - you are writing your story.  The imperative for us is to remember that our story needs to point not to what we do, but to what Christ does within and through us.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 24 - Observing Freedom

During this holiday week as we observe the 233th anniversay of the USA's declaration of independence, take a moment to be thankful for the freedom you have to worship God in whatever way you see fit. 

We have such an honor and privilege to live in such a free place - what better way to celebrate that freedom and honor the men & women who provide that freedom than to join in worship this Sunday?

See you Soon!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 23 - Intentional Example

As this summer now officially gets started this week, I cannot get the image of children and youth out of my mind.  Specifically, the images of children and youth spending summers getting to know Christ and experiencing Christ's love through the ministries of the church.

This past Monday, and again next Monday, we are moving deeper into our Vacation Bible School planning, and I have seldom been as overjoyed as I was Monday evening meeting with our first group of volunteers.  To see people voluntarily giving of their time on a Monday evening when EVERYONE had other things to do was a joy.  Thinking of them giving a week of evenings, much less the preparation time that goes into them, so that children can experience Christ's love is just mind-blowing.

The one thing that I failed to mention Monday, but I will mention this Monday, and as often as I can, is that teaching our children and youth about Christ is not something we can squeeze into pre-planned, pre-packaged blocks of time, places, and spaces.  Far from it.  Actually, we teach our children and youth more about the importance of our faith in Christ, and our true commitment, far beyond the walls of the church or its institutions.  The words we say, the decisions we make...they watch us far more than we realize.

VBS is important, and I firmly believe there is not a one of you reading this that is not called to participate in the ministry of VBS at some level in your congregation.

However, the decisions you and I make right now, TODAY, are telling the children and youth of our lives far more about whether or not our faith, and the commitments we make based on our faith, really mean much at all.

As for me, I know that I am far from perfect on this.  This I do know, however - if I don't keep reminding myself of this, then I'll never get it.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 22 - What Do You Hear?

During hot summer afternoons such as this one, I am often reminded of childhood days where my mother would tell me something along the lines of 'Boredom is a character defect.'  She tells me to this day that this was one of my grandmother's favorite sayings, and it's been running around my head today as I worked on the preaching calendar for July and August.  In thinking and praying about the various lectionary passages, I came across a number of quite familiar parables and Biblical events that each of us should know very well, and I thought about how 'boring' it might be for you and for me to revisit some of these same, oft-told, oft-studied scriptures.  Then my grandmother comes calling - 'Boredom is a character defect.'

I wonder if maybe, just maybe, my grandmother's words address a far-too-familiar situation for us Christians.  Are we still inspired by the reality of a God who offers us unconditional grace?  Are we still inspired by the reality that 'In the beginning God...'?  Are we still inspired by the reality of John 3:16-17 (go look it up if you don't remember it)?  Are we still inspired by the reality of the Last Supper, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday?  Are we still inspired by 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do'?  Are we still inspired by the awesome reality of Pentecost Sunday?  Are we still inspired by the hope of Christ coming again?

Or, does it really matter to us?  

My hope and prayer for each of us is that we never get in a position to consider any of the Scriptures 'boring' or not in need of discussion and proclamation.  God forbid!  For, if we ever allow ourselves to be in such a place that we do not believe that God's word has something to say to us, the problem is not with the Scripture or with the God who gave us the Scripture.  If we ever allow ourselves to be in such a place that we find the Scriptures to be boring, then the defect rests in us.

Moral of the story: I'm more excited now than I was even this morning to hear what God is going to say to us through the text over the next couple of months.  Consider yourself invited to join with me in this time of listening (again or for the first time) what the Almighty has in store for us.  Heck, bring someone with you.  You never know what will happen.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 21 - Family Reunion

Is there any more unique thing in life than a family reunion?  The opportunity to see people you haven't seen in years, connect with people close to you that you don't see very often, meeting new members of the family and greeting others you didn't know were a part of the family, remembering and celebrating the life of those who have passed since the last time we gathered, conferring about and making decisions concerning family matters, spending time over common meals, recalling favorite memories of the past and the long-ago relatives without whom none of this would be possible...and the list could go on...

Sunday - Wednesday of this past week, I, along with your lay delegate Dana Blanco, attended Louisiana United Methodism's annual family reunion (also known as annual conference).  This year's session, held at the Ponchartrain Center in Kenner, was all of the above and more.  To see and hear what all God is doing in the life of the United Methodists of Louisiana is beyond description.  Just let me say that it is truly a joy to be a part of such a strong connection.

One thing that hit me this morning as I reflected on this family reunion was the tendency at times to take it for granted.  For the first time, I recognized that I may not have gotten as much out of, or more importantly, may not have put as much into, this holy time that I was given as a gift from God.  Of course at times like these there are some decisions that I did not agree were correct.  Of course there were some people who I allow to bring out less-than-the-best in me.  Of course I saw some old friends that I didn't spend as much time with as I should have because I figured that if I didn't catch them this year, I'd catch them next.

Admit it, we all take those that we are closest to for granted far often than we would like to think.

Whether we like to claim it or not, the church IS our family (Christ even went as far as to tell us that we had better not allow our blood family to keep us away from His purposes).  My hope and prayer is that NONE of us will EVER take the privilege we have been given to participate in the church for granted.  When we take it for granted, we will inevitably miss out on things that God has for us.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 20 - A Special Service

This week's mid-week message is a little bit different than normal, for I want to spend this week's note inviting you to a special worship service to be held next Monday night @ 7:00PM.  Worship on that evening will consist of the church receiving a special gift, a gift with lasting implications on all of us within the Christian movement, and it is important that as many of you as can be present as we receive this gift.  

What is this gift?  It is the gift of ordination.  As is stated in our Book of Discipline:

Ordination is a gift from God to the church.  In ordination, the church affirms and continues the apostolic ministry through persons empowered by the Holy Spirit.

This is an annual event in the life of our United Methodist Church, where those who have been called to the ordained ministry, have completed the educational and practical requirements, and been subject to rigorous examination by their peers are set apart for a life of service in this facet of ministry.  The Service of Ordination and Commissioning is the highlight of every annual conference session, and with annual conference being closer than usual this year, I encourage each and every one of you to make time to go celebrate this most joyful time in the life of the church.  Since our service will be held in the Ponchartrain Center, there should be plenty of seating for all.

I promise (and I don't normally make this kind of promise) that if you make the effort to journey to Kenner for this celebration, you will come away blessed beyond imagination.  Our resident bishop, William Hutchinson, will be presiding, and always brings a message that will inspire and enlighten us all. 

See you Sunday!

Lamar

P.S.  Interested in helping out for VBS?  See note at the bottom of this message.

Vol 4 No 19 - Heritage

On May 24, a young (35) pastor went to a small group meeting for prayer and study, and, well, let me quote his journal entry for the day:

In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's Preface to the Epistle to the Romans.  About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed.  I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and save me from the law of sin and death.

Little could anyone imagine the absolute change upon the world this one incident held in a London meeting room would have on the world.  I doubt anyone could truly grasp the magnitude that John Wesley's conversion would have not only in the life of the world then, but the impact that it has had even in your own life, for out of this experience John & his brother Charles would be led to form the Methodist movement.

This Sunday, May 24, 2009, we will be observing Heritage Sunday in the life of our congregation.  Rev. Lynn Malone will be our guest preacher for the day, and Lynn will be preaching to us about the importance of building upon the foundation laid for us long ago.

As Rev. Wesley learned 271 years ago, one never knows what God will do when the faithful gather.  This being a holiday weekend, it may be tempting to 'take a pass' on worship; we would be wise to take advantage of every opportunity we can to be in worship and fellowship with the body of Christ.  After all, note that Wesley went 'very unwillingly', and went on to have God do some truly transformational work that has impacted you over 270 years later.

What's God ready to do with your unwillingness?

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 4 No 18 - Responsible Parenting

While looking over my cell phone bill the other day, I ran across a notice a notice that offered an optional plan called "Smart Limits for Wireless" available to parents who would like to control a number of things on the plans in their account, including:

1. Number of text and instant messages

2. Dollar amount of downloadable purchases
(ringtones, games & more)

3. Amount of Web browsing usage allowed per billing cycle

4. Times of day the phone can be used for messaging, browsing and outbound calling

5. Who the phone can call or text (incoming and outgoing) by blocking or allowing certain numbers

6. The access of content inappropriate for children

As I go through this list, I can see a number of relieved and satisfied parents who take advantage of this to be responsible parents, and I see a number of frustrated children who know that mom & dad 'just don't get it.'  But I also see a parallel to the relationship between God and the people of God.

Even the most well-meaning of Christians at time chafe under the expectations that have been laid out for those of the Christian faith.  Due to the life that we have been called to pursue, we cannot always do what we want when we want.  Through our submission of our will to God's, we too have limits under which we operate - many at times that get in the way of our desires.  We have the responsibility to, in all things, seek God with all that we have, and offer to him all that we are.

Much like children who chafe under restrictions that are placed on them by parents, the people of God have a long history of rebelling against God's guidance and direction.  However, thank God that there are guidelines for our lives - that we are not just out there to do what we want.  Like responsible parents, God places limits on the desires of our flesh not to oppress us, not to be 'unfair', not because God 'doesn't get it', but because God's love for us is also a protective love that seeks to have what's best in store for us, even when we cannot see those things for ourselves.

See you Sunday!

Lamar