Vol 6 No 5 - More than a Day

I hope and pray you were able to be blessed by worship on Christmas Eve and on this past Sunday, whether you were in town or if you were off visiting friends and family somewhere.  Going through Advent can be physically and emotionally draining work due to the logistics of getting everything done; somehow, the music and liturgy of Christmas Eve and the oft-overlooked First Sunday of Christmas serve as a joyful reminder of the saving work that God initiated on Christmas morning so long ago.

Speaking of being reminded of the saving work that is embodied in the new-born King, I am issuing you a pastoral challenge this day.  One of the campaigns launched every year during Advent in some circles is a move to "Keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas!"  I couldn't agree more.  As the people of God, however, I want to push you to go one further, and be sure to order your lives in such a way as to keep Christ not only in CHRISTmas, but also the other 364/5 days a year.

In this, the last Mid-Week Message of 2010, let this be a challenge for you, and for all of us, to spend 2011 keeping Christ in EVERY day of the year, not just the one that has his name in the title.  Then, we might catch another glimpse of what it means to truly be the church.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 4 - It Never Gets Old

Earlier this month, a dear friend of mine made the observation, "I can't imagine having to be a preacher this time of year.  C'mon, man, you and I both know you're going to read the same stories on the same Sundays and wind up at the same place each year.  Tell me, how do you not rip your hair out trying to make this interesting and relevant each year?  How do you not see December coming and go, 'O, geez, NOT AGAIN!'?"

I laughed hard at this question because the guy is a very active layperson, committed to his God and his local congregation, and was, in some respect, just calling to mess with me.  He has got me thinking, though, a lot harder about this over the past couple of weeks, and I think I've gotten the response.

Let me put the question to you - how do you get excited again and again each year about hearing the same stories over and over?

My answer is simply this:  This season is about the continual reminder that, through Christ, God fulfilled his promise.  God fulfilled his promise to send the people a savior.  God fulfilled his promise to deliver one who would be Emmanuel, God with us.  The continual reminder part is important, because unless we keep things at the front of our thinking, we can easily forget.

May we never forget God's grace, peace, and love given to us through the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace.  May we never tire of hearing the same ol' story, for it is the one story we cannot ever afford to forget.

So, come and worship, come and worship, come and worship Christ the new-born king.  

Erin and I look forward to being with you on Friday night @ 6:00 or 11:00 for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Services, and I look forward to celebrating the Christmas season with you during worship on Sunday morning at 10:00.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 3 - Do We HAVE to Pray?

Most of you know that I'm a "get to the point" kind of guy, so I'm not going to beat around the bush here - I need your help with one of the most important tasks we have as a church.

Quite frankly, I need you to pray.

Looking over the past year in the life of our congregation, indeed over the past four and a half years we have shared the journey of life together, we have seen some truly great and glorious things.  God has done some truly awe-inspiring stuff around here, and it has been an honor to participate in these things.

As we go forward in our shared journey together, it is time for us to rededicate ourselves to prayer.

Prayer specifically for me as your pastor, that I might be the kind of teacher, preacher, counselor, administrator, and all the other things that are expected and required in the sacred office to which I have been entrusted.

Prayer specifically for the leadership of this congregation, that the men and women whom you have entrusted as your leaders will make none but wise and faithful decisions.

Prayer specifically for the worshiping life of our congregation, that our attitudes towards our central time together are attitudes of hopeful expectation for what God has in store for us on any given Sunday, trusting that no matter what is said or sung, prayed or read, God is speaking and we listen with ears tuned by the Holy Spirit.

It is my firm belief that God has great things in store for our life together, and I am looking forward to the shared journey with you as we discover what all God is going to do.

To do our part in this journey, let us pray.  Let us always remember that Christ was very specific that our prayer should be for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Let us trust that God's will is much bigger than our imaginations, and let us be faithful to following him wherever we may be led, realizing that where we may be led may be a totally different place than where we want or where we think we should.

Then we have captured the essence of what it means to be the community of faith.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 2 - It Matters

"We are Christian because somehow in Christ - through the sacraments, through prayer, through our suffering, through the words of our neighbors, or through the encounter with strangers - we have, in Christ's name, been touched and even transformed by God." - Luke Timothy Johnson in The Creed: What Christians Believe and Why it Matters

The words from the above quotation have been percolating in my mind over the past couple of weeks as I prepare to work with members of our staff-parish relations committee to evaluate how we as a church have lived out our calling over the past year and as we seek to discern where it is God is leading us in the next year of our lives.

What I keep coming back to over and over as I prepare to enter into these conversations is the word transformation.  That is to say, can it be said that we, the people of this congregation, truly give testimony that God, through Christ, has transformed our lives?  Does being a part of Christ's church really mean anything to us, or it just, to use a phrase I heard recently, a "social presence?"  Do we live lives that exhibit being touched by God, or do we practice what is referred to as "functional atheism?"

Rather than go into a lengthy article about how this quote is influencing my thinking, allow me to simply say that our expectation should be that Dr. Johnson's words ring true in us, as individuals and as a community.  We must be about being touched and transformed by God.

The scary thing is, when we open ourselves up to this, we give up control of the process and outcome.  And that, simply, is a a question of faith.  Is our faith strong enough to trust God to take us where we need to be, even if that is not what we think we want or maybe doesn't look like we think it should?

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 1 - Getting Ready for Christmas?

"So, getting ready for Christmas?"  For just a few weeks each year, it replaces "How 'bout this weather?" as one of our society's favorite "How do I make interesting small talk?" lines.

I submit to you that far too often, we don't think enough about the deeply theological implications of this question.  Instead, when we ask/are asked this question, it is usually in the context of gift-buying, travel plans, dinner menus, or navigating the quite delicate matters of family/relationship politics.  Realistically speaking, for us to look at this question, either from an asking or answering mode, in these ways is to, intentionally or not, minimize completely what we as the people of the Kingdom of God, should be doing to get ready for Christmas.

When we are asked this question, we who are the church, we have a very solid answer with deep roots that go back centuries; our answer to the question is, "Of course.  I'm joining with the church past, present, and future in observing Advent."

While it may seem to be the simple and obvious answer, take a minute to look at your schedule for today and the rest of the month.  How much of this day/month will be spent engaged in shopping, cooking, family politicking, etc.?  How much of these activities are going to prepare you for deep spiritual and theological reflection on the implications of Christ's arrival in the world and help you anticipate his second coming?

"So, getting ready for Christmas?"  May we lead lives in such a way that the answer is, "Yes."  Make time to attend the Advent Luncheons/Bible Studies on Wednesdays from 12:10-12:50 (starting today).  Make time to be in worship every Sunday morning, gathering as one with the people of God to worship the Divine.  Make time to attend the Night in Bethlehem hands-on family experience this Sunday evening starting at 5:30PM.  Make time to attend the other events on our Advent calendar.

After all, Advent is about far more than different decorations in the sanctuary and different colors on the altar.  Christmas is far too important for us to not prepare for it properly by immersing ourselves in the Advent activities of the church.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 41 - Even Bigger

While last week's observance of the end of worship portion of our Offer Them Christ season was truly a great time of celebration and recommitment in the life of our congregation, this week's service is an even bigger celebration of what God has initiated through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.  For, you see, this Sunday will see us observe not one but two great days of the Christian year.  

First, this Sunday is Christ the King Sunday.  As we have talked about in years past, the Christian year is constructed in such a way that as we journey through the year, we journey through the life of Christ.  On this Sunday, we anticipate the final act of Christ in creation, the total restoration of the world in complete communion with God; we anticipate a world where a new heaven and a new earth will come; we anticipate a world where every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Our worship this week, through the singing, praying, proclamation, response, and every other component of the liturgy, will lift up our hope in the better day to come - the day promised to us by our Lord when he promised to return.

One of the ways in which we point to the hope of the better day is found in the second emphasis of this week's liturgy - the joy of participating in the Service of Confirmation as three of our younger members accept and profess the faith that was expressed on their behalf at their baptism.  It is most fitting that we celebrate this holy time in the lives of our youth on Christ the King Sunday, for we are called to live out, by faith and trust in God through Christ, life in such a way that points not to the contemporariness of today's world but the unbridled joy that comes from seeing God's perfect will being perfected when He comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead.  These three delightful youth will fully participate in our service, and I pray you will come and be a part of the celebration of the absolute, without a doubt most important, decision of their life - to put their whole trust in the Divine grace.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 40 - Not Not Having Time

Yesterday, I had the high honor and privilege of attending a colleague's funeral in Lafayette.  As is the usual custom at times like these in the life of the clergy, many of my brothers and sisters from around the connection gathered to say farewell to a good man (Ira Robinson) and to be with one another in a time of grieving and celebration.

When I got word of Ira's passing on to glory Sunday, I took a moment to think about whether or not my schedule would allow me to attend the service for this servant of the church.  This being a big week in the life of our congregation, preparing for the conclusion of our Offer them Christ season, and finalizing preparations for the Advent season, I could very easily have made the case that I did not have time to attend.  It could be rationalized by saying that I did not know Ira very well, having served with him just briefly on our District CF&A and sharing casual conversation at a couple of clergy gatherings each year.

Thinking through it further, however, I realized the question is not, "Do I have time to go?"  No, the statement is, "I have nothing better to do than to go."  There are always going to be a pile of things to be done on my desk and in my calendar.  There are always going to be pressing matters that demand immediate attention.

However, what could be more important than taking the time to gather with my connectional family to celebrate the life of, and give thanks to God for, the life of a man who served the church for over 50 years?  Why would I not take the opportunity to (hopefully) hear once again the Good News?  Why would I not take the time to be reminded that through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ our Lord that death is not the final chapter of life for the Christian?

So, in the time that you are spending with this e-mail, let me encourage you to take a moment to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the life of someone who has influenced your faith journey.  Take a moment to say a prayer of thanksgiving that, solely because of God's grace in Jesus Christ, death has no victory, no sting.  And, take a moment to resolve that next time the opportunity presents itself, make time to attend someone's funeral.  Not because of what that person did, but as a testimony to God's grace as shown through the life of the deceased.

For, after all, funerals, like everything else in life, are not about us or those around us, but about GOD.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 39 - Time to Get to Work

Time after time as last night wore on, we were given images of people gathering at events around the country to watch and wait for the results of what was sure to be, as is ANY national election, an historic occasion.  Some were jubilant as the results they worked so passionately for over a long time finally came to fruition.  Some were inconsolable as it became obvious that their beloved candidate was not going to realize (or would lose an already-attained) lifetime goal of a certain office.  Still others were, and still are, waiting for final counts or re-counts to be completed, which will have potentially far-reaching effects personally and for the nation as a whole.

Around 10:00 last night, as Erin and I watched the coverage of the national elections, my mind wondered to the next two months of our congregation's life, and to the Christian scene as a whole.  To wit:

1) We will be pledging in writing our commitments to uphold our membership vows, asking how committed are we to praying for, being present within, providing a specific percentage of our income (as we work towards or even surpass the 10% biblical tithe) to enable, and serve to fulfill, the ministries of our congregation;

2) We will be serving the needy of our community with a Thanksgiving Dinner;

3) We will be honored to celebrate as some of our young people make a public confession of their faith on Confirmation Sunday;

4) We will engage in the activities of the Advent season.

Considering these, and all the other things that God does in and through our lives, I wondered last night:

Do we as eagerly and with as much emotional investment seek to participate in and await the results of what God is attempting to do in and through us, the people of God called to ministry through the waters of baptism?

Americans have no higher responsibility than to actively participate in the machinations of the political process by being informed of the candidates and the issues before them, and voting as they best see fit.

However, as Christians, you and I have a much higher calling and responsibility - to actively participate in the work of the Kingdom of God, eagerly anticipating the privilege to see the results of how God works in and through Christ and His Church.

As more than one politician said last night, "It's time to get to work!"  And so it is for us, the Church.  Can't wait to see you as we continue the great work God has initiated through Jesus Christ and continues through us to this day.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 38 - A Worthy Argument

One of my favorite attributes of the Lord our God is the ability to get into a good, long, drawn-out wrestling match with the Divine.  I love the fact that we worship a God who is so intensely personal and relational that they want us to push, prod, question, argue, and otherwise unload all of the baggage that we carry from our life experiences.  I love the fact that the Lord God we worship does not treat us as a bunch of automatons, where everything that happens is a direct result of his order and we have no say or control over whether or not we follow the Divine will.  I love the fact that instead of this, God invites us to accept the Divine offer of love and grace, reconciliation and redemption, the reality that there is nothing that we go through that God will not hold our hand all the way to the finish.

I was reminded of this yesterday as our district committee on ministry (DCOM) met in Lafayette to visit with those who are in the process of seeking certification, licensing, or other credentials for ministry within The United Methodist Church.  As a committee, we are given the privilege to walk with men and women who have experienced the call to pastoral or specialized ministry as they journey through the process of discerning God's will for their lives.  Many of these servants of God hold down full-time employment while serving a church on what is classified as a part-time basis and pursuing continuing education 3-4 times a year.

While most of us who are a part of our churches will never wrestle with a call to some sort of specialized ministry (pastoral or lay), there's not a one of us who can avoid the call to ministry, for it was through the waters of baptism that God placed the call to minister to the world.

So, take this as a word of encouragement to wrestle with a deeply personal and loving God over what kind of ministry God is calling you to fulfill.  Let us, as a congregation, wrestle with how to carry out the call to minister to Morgan City and beyond.  Let us, as people called by God to go and make disciples of all nations, care enough to engage in these questions.  For, as more than one person has said who starts this process, "I know I am called to ministry, but don't know what that looks like."  May we all be so bold as to step out in faith, seeking to respond to God's call to be in ministry, working with each other through prayer and service to discern our future through the work of the Holy Spirit, sent by the grace of Christ, to the glory of God.

(Oh, and if you drive by or drop in our facilities tomorrow afternoon, take a moment to pray for those who are present, for we are hosting the committee as they work with pastors on this end of the district.)

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 37 - Yes, You are a Theologian

"I'm no theologian...," I heard the man say yesterday.  For the sake of good taste, I cannot give you any more detail about him, but as I heard this I wanted to scream, "Oh, but you are!  We all are!"

"..., but, here's what I think this scripture is saying to us today."  For the sake of proper decorum within the setting I found myself, I resisted the urge to scream, "You just proved you are!"

The fact of the matter is, every one of us has thoughts about God.  Believer, non-believer, apathetic - whatever label you may choose to give yourself, we all are theologians.

Yes, some in this world may be what you might call 'professional theologians,' but that's no reason to minimize our God-given ability to ponder the Divine and the implications of God's presence in this world.

If you would like to know what your theology is, examine the thoughts, words, and deeds of your everyday life.  For our true thoughts about God are reflected in how we interact with this world which was the result of God's hand.  Do we "Love the Lord [our] God with everything we have, and love our neighbor as ourselves?"  Do we desire for the Lord to "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us?"

The question is not, "Are you a theologian?"  The question is, "What is your theology?"

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 36 - Do You Know what You Believe?

Most Americans Believe in God but Don't Know Religious Tenets  

The headline of a story on USAToday.com that summarizes the latest U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey of over 3400 random adults in the population.  The one fact brought out in the article that stood out for me was:

Doctrines don't grab us. Only 55% of Catholic respondents knew the core teaching that the bread and wine in the Mass become the body and blood of Christ, and are not merely symbols. Just 19% of Protestants knew the basic tenet that salvation is through faith alone, not actions as well.

Want to know why it is so important for us to have our children engage in the Sunday School, youth group, and confirmation processes?  Want to know why it is important for all of us to take advantage of opportunities to learn more about what we believe through events like our This We Believe study starting this Sunday night?

Quite simply this:  We don't know as much as we think we do about what we believe.

"People say, 'I have a personal connection with God and that's really all I need to know.' Who am I to argue?" says Pew's Alan Cooperman, a co-author of the report.  But religion, as a force in history and a motivator in present times, "has consequences in the world," he adds, so an intellectual baseline, whatever your faith or lack of faith, can "shape your role as a citizen in the public square."

Mr. Cooperman has hit the nail on the head.  Our engagement with religious and spiritual matters has implications for us far beyond a 'personal relationship' with Christ.  

By the way, books are still available for our This We Believe study, and it's not too late to have your middle-school-or- higher aged child enrolled in our confirmation class (we start Sunday morning @ 9:00AM in my office).

See You Soon!

Lamar

USAToday article: 

http://preview.tinyurl.com/2ew5aek

Vol 5 No 35 - Something to Say

A friend of mine shared with me a few years ago that one day, later in the week, a colleague of our called him with the lament of, "I've looked at the texts for this week and there's just nothing to preach.  I don't know what to do."

I've thought of this a great deal since my friend shared it with me, but I think I have erred because I left it in the context of a pastor's struggle with what to preach for a given Sunday.  Thinking through this more lately, looking at our congregation (and the larger church), I have been reminded my friend's advice to our colleague is not just a word to the preacher, but to all Christians.

For, you see, my friend's reply was, paraphrased, "The text speaks for itself.  Just because YOU may not have something to say doesn't mean the text is silent."

Where I think we all could learn from this is from the simple reminder that the life we live is first and foremost about proclaiming GOD in all our thoughts, words, and deeds.

As you go into the rest of this week, or, for that matter, the rest of your life, be vigilant in pursuing a life that tells not YOUR story, but GOD's.  (Oh, wait, I almost forgot: By confession Christ as our Lord and Savior, accepting the Divine gift of salvation and redemption, we have, to use Paul's words, died to ourselves.  Something, I think, along the lines of, "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me.")

Yes.  That's it.  Let us covenant together to live in such a way that it is no longer we who live, but Christ within us.  Then, we will never have nothing to say, for what we declare is Christ's victory over sin and death.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 34 - The Lingering Stink

I tried, but it didn't work.  Yesterday morning as I was preparing breakfast for our youth, I thought I had learned from last month's breakfast, and opened all the doors of the educational building to try and dissipate the lingering odors of pancakes and bacon throughout the building.  I hadn't done it last time since I was a little gun-shy about opening all the doors a little after 5AM while it was still dark outside.


However, the smell still lingered throughout the building all day yesterday.  Even with my best efforts to try and hit the overpowering odors.


Reflecting upon it later, I had to laugh, for it was a simple reminder that there are certain things that we cannot shake, no matter our best efforts.  And the great news is that the one thing we cannot shake, no matter our best efforts at times, is God's extravagant grace offered to us through Christ our Lord.


See You Soon!
Lamar

Vol 5 No 34 - Called to Fight

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  - St. Paul.

It's very simple, my friends:  Are you fighting the good fight?  Are you finishing the race?  Are you keeping the faith? If so, how?  If not, why not?

A couple (plus one) of hints as you answer these questions: 

1) It's the work of the Holy Spirit; 

2) It requires effort on our part - this race is not a spectator event; 

3) It can only be done as God intended it through the community of faith, the church - it's not to be done by ourselves.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 33 - Where Are You?

The body does not lie.  Ethically and theologically, we are not where we put our good intentions; we are where we put our bodies. - Thomas G. Long, Accompany Them with Singing: The Christian Funeral

In what I believe was a bit of divine intervention, I came across the above quote while reading Dr. Long's work this afternoon.  I say it was divine intervention because I dived into this book after spending most of the morning and early afternoon finalizing the preaching and worship schedule for the rest of the year.

What do the two have to do with each other?  Absolutely everything.  To be a Christian means to take seriously the need to worship together regularly, rejecting the individualistic self-centeredness of America's national religion - Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.  To be a Christian means that we make a priority in our lives our shared journey as people of the resurrection.  To be a Christian means that we do not merely say with our mouths that being a part of the church is important to us; we put our money where our mouth is by being present.

This fall, we will celebrate the sacrament of Baptism, where through water and the Spirit Christ leaves his indelible mark on those whom he knew before they were formed in the womb.  We will celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion, where we will join the church - past, present, and future - in the sacred privilege of dining together at our Lord's invitation.  We will celebrate the joy of people joining the Kingdom of God by professing their faith.  We will celebrate the reaffirmation of our membership vows and commit to another year of upholding the ministry of this congregation.  We will be witnesses to the work of God through the grace of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit in ways we cannot possibly imagine.

And we will be all the richer for these things.  

As we go into this fall, let us covenant together once again to not miss out on any of it.  We can say with our mouths that our intentions are good, and even delude ourselves into believing that, but the fact of the matter remains that where we are present says more than anything else.

God has not called us to be a community of worship by accident or just to give us something to do.  Let's be sure to not miss what is in store for us because we have been deluded into believing otherwise.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 32 - Quell

Who could ever imagine the word QUELL could bring such joy to someone?  I certainly never did.

Then again, isn't it the unexpected that often brings unbridled joy?  I believe this is one of the truly celebratory things about Christianity - the joys found in most unexpected places.  Out of a formless void came the beauty of all creation.  Out of a corrupt adulterer came the joyful words of the Psalms, penned by the one who was declared a man "after God's own heart."  Out of a crib came a savior.  Out of a tomb this same savior rose from the dead.  I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Where today could we look for joy in the most unexpected places?  Where in life is joy waiting to be discovered?

Sometimes, laughter and joy are just the product of the ridiculous, like my encounter with the word QUELL.  My joy came from playing it in a Scrabble-like game on the iPhone for 105 points.  Gotta love the Triple Letter and Triple Word tiles!  Stupid?  Sure.  However, it got me thinking.  If something like this simple little game can make me laugh for a whole day, imagine how much more joy comes from knowing Christ's saving love and accepting it as our destiny?

Let us be people who look for joy in everything.  You never know where it may be waiting for you.  No matter the joys we find in the things of life, however, I promise they pale in comparison to the majesty of the resurrection!

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 31 - Thumbs Up? Thumbs Down?

Thumbs up?  Thumbs down?  One of the great gifts of Pandora (www.pandora.com) is the gift of personalization - tell it an artist or a song I like and it will use it's algorithms to personalize a 'radio' station for me based solely on my preferences.  I'm still not sure quite what to make of this whole thing, but it has gotten me thinking about how we oftentimes approach the matters of the faith.

In some study and reflection today, as I was looking through the scriptures, I wonder what it would be like to have a Bible where I could give certain passages a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.  Wouldn't it be interesting to have a Bible custom-tailored to my preferences, allowing me to hear what I wanted to hear, and, while not knowing what I would read next, know that chances were very good that it would be something that resonated with me?  Wouldn't it be cool to reject a passage of scripture and be relatively certain that I would never have to read it or anything similar to it again?

Go to any bookstore (heck, even Wal-Mart) and you will encounter all sorts of theme-oriented Bibles.  You can get a Bible that will be driven to whatever kind of viewpoint you want to hear.  Could you imagine the Pandora Bible?

Honestly, I wonder if we don't already have the Pandora Bible.  Do we - in thought, word, and deed - live our lives according to that which we encounter in the text, or do we like to delude ourselves into thinking we live according to the text, but in all reality live according to those parts of the text that resonate with us and reject for which we really don't care?

Let me encourage you, dear friends - God's not going to call us to a life that is not ultimately in the best interest of all, including us.  So, rather than look for a Pandora Bible, let us accept with faith the truths contained in the Word, and commit to living them out fully as the community of faith in such a way that we give glory to God.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 30 - Discipleship

Discipleship.  An important concept in Christianity, one whose root, disciple, occurs over 200 times in the gospels and the New Testament (all within the gospels and Acts.)  I think most of us are very familiar with the term disciple in the context of being a follower of Christ, as in the 12 disciples.  I wonder, though, how many of us think of the term discipleship in relation to our own faith journey.

As this week marks the beginning of the new school year, there is no more appropriate time in the secular calendar for the church to talk about discipleship, for in it's original Greek context the word translated into "to learn."  More specifically, one "who learns."

I bring this to your attention for we cannot accept mediocrity in our faith journey.  Like so many, I pray that we will be a community where people come to know the saving grace of Christ our Lord.  Reading through the scriptures, we see that converts were never encouraged to 'just believe' and not undertake more serious growth and development in their walk with God.

Let me be clear: I subscribe completely and wholeheartedly to the concept that we are saved by faith alone.  However, I want to be quick to add this: Looking at the calendar and seeing students heading back to school for another year of learning, let us be inspired to not be satisfied with just knowing the basics, but moving each other to a deeper relationship with Christ by intentionally seeking a life of discipleship.  Let it be our focus to seek a deeper relationship with God through involvement in our shared lives of worship, study, prayer, and fellowship.

Developing a relationship with God is very similar to developing a relationship with one another - it boils down to how committed are we to making this relationship work?  How committed are we to move beyond the superficial and into discovering the depths of God's love for all He created?

As this new academic year approaches, let me encourage you to seek out ways of intentional discipleship.  From our Sunday School classes, to our Pastor's Bible Studies (offered Sunday evenings and Tuesday mornings), our Wednesday evening Communion & Prayer service, to our bi-weekly UMCOR missions, to the UMW meeting once a month, and other things that come along from time to time, there are plenty of ways to take on the role of 'disciple', learning more about the God who loves you so much you were not only created in the divine image, saved through the grace of Christ, but were also given the gift of the community of faith to help explore and deepen your faith.  

Children (of all ages) who are in school know that the best example of learning comes not from a classroom, but from the adults in their lives.  I urge you to have the youth in your households deeply involved in the youth ministry of our congregation; they learn a lifetime of discipleship early and it will stick with them throughout their lives (even if it isn't always obvious).

If you do not see in these areas a place where you feel led, do not just sit out.  Come talk to me so we can discern how to help your discipleship journey.  It's too important to let this slide.  Immaturity is not a Christian virtue.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 29 - Sharing

One of the unavoidable calls we have as Christians is to spread the Good News of Christ's saving grace.  The fact of the matter is that you and I have to be in the business of sharing Christ and inviting others to the Kingdom of God or else we are making the statement that our baptism, our acceptance of the grace of God - indeed, the very existence of our faith - really means very little for it did not call us to tell others about the joy we have discovered.

Harsh?  Maybe.  However, as we continue putting the final touches on the preparation for our Vacation Bible School this week, I cannot get out of my mind the images of parents and children who will be in our midst next week, and wondering what it all means in the long run.

There is no question in my mind that VBS is of the utmost importance; it's one of the reasons I am proud that we have expanded our support for it over the past few years.  Some of the most memorable moments of my Christian formation came during the times I participated in VBS as a child and later on as a volunteer.  We must be about the business of spreading the Gospel to the next generation.

On the other hand, however, there is something about the evangelistic side of VBS that we must guard against, and in all actuality this is not just a VBS issue.  It can be very tempting for the church (on a local as well as institutional level) to look for programs and events to handle reaching others for Christ.  There is a place for these things, but far too often I believe we can delude ourselves into thinking that if we just engage in certain church activities, we've done our part to 'evangelize.'

People ask me a lot, "Preacher, what can we do to grow our church?"  In a world of 30-second attention spans and fad-oriented pre-packaged ministry programs where we just want to be handed something in a 'turn-key' fashion without investing ourselves too much, I hate to be the bearer of an answer we all may not want to hear from time to time, but it is the most accurate.  The answer to the question is simply this:  "Invest yourself in making sure that those whom you come in contact with know the importance of your faith by your example of thought, word, and deed.  Take time to develop relationships with those who are not of the faith, growing to a point where you do share with them the joy of Christ's salvation.  Realize there is no 'get-rich-quick' scheme involved - it takes time and intentionality."

If each one of us were to take seriously this mandate to share the faith and invite others to experience this life of Christ, I think we then start to capture the essence of how to grow a church.

Personally, I thank God for each and every one who participates in our Vacation Bible School ministry.  Those who are putting sweat equity on the line, those who are attending, those who support this congregation with their tithes and offerings - these all play a vital role in this evangelism event.  Let's not dishonor this week by using it as a cop-out to say we've done enough, but as an inspiration to do more.

If you haven't already, make sure you tell someone about our Vacation Bible School program, and offer to get them here if needed.  You never know what conversations may result and what God is ready to do through you.  Attached is a registration form if you need a conversation starter.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 28 - Today's Date

Dates are important.  Birthdays, holidays - whatever the occasion, dates are important markers in our lives.  In our society, there are dates that are part of our national conscience; among others, July 4, December 7, November 22, September 11 are ones that most all who read this e-mail know immediately.

It's also interesting to observe that sometimes the dates that are really important sometimes slip by without our even noticing, or it doesn't register with us at certain times. I was reminded of this on my way into the office this morning as I dropped my car off for service this morning.  Signing the authorization form, I froze when it came to dating my signature.  This wouldn't be that big of a deal, except that I should have had today's date roll right off the end of the pen, for today Erin and I are celebrating nine years of marriage.  (And no, for those of you in the cheap seats, I didn't forget - for not 15 minutes earlier I had wished her a happy anniversary as I left the house).

This all got me thinking, though, about other things that make this date important.  Students of history will know that for our friends in France, today is Bastille Day, marking an important event in the French Revolution.  While maybe not as well-known, on this day in 1933, all political parties but the Nazi party were outlawed in Germany.  Former President Gerald Ford would celebrate his 97th birthday today.  Our Roman Catholic friends are observing the feast of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

Thing is, none of these events make today any more 'important' than any other in the big scheme of things, for today, like every day, is a gift from God, and is noteworthy because of divine grace and mercy that has been shown to us through Christ.  Even if we don't think today is noteworthy, God does, and because of that, it is noteworthy to us, if we are to be as God intends and in the midst of the divine will for our lives.

May it be so in how you live in thought, word, and deed.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 27 - Routine

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  SERIOUSLY.  WHO IN THE WORLD COULD HAVE SEEN THIS ONE COMING?  THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A ROUTINE DAY.  ROUTINE.  DAYS LIKE TODAY COME AND GO ALL THE TIME.  Who really needs to pay attention to this?  Seen it before and will see it again.

By now, I am sure many, if not all of you, are aware of the epic tennis match that started Tuesday, went on all afternoon yesterday, and will continue Thursday.  Truly historical.  Thing is, I think even had we been there we might have missed most of the record-breaking day.

And why would we have missed this great moment?  It was on court 18, not exactly the center stage.  It was a match between a lower-ranked and a non-ranked seed.  Quite frankly, it didn't deserve much attention at all.  Who really cares if I miss a lowly first round match?

We would have missed this moment for the same reason many of us are ambivalent about the importance of Sunday morning worship.  Quite frankly, we don't expect much to happen.  The danger in this kind of thinking, not expecting much to happen, is that you never know what you are going to miss. 

Quite frankly, this kind of attitude says more about us than the event (be it something trivial as a tennis match or as important as Sunday morning.)  We say that we worship a God who is capable of doing the unexpected in a mighty and powerful way at any time, without warning.  Yet, we get lulled into thinking there is not much special about a routine Sunday.  So what if I stay in bed, or catch some TV, or go fishing?  So what if I decide that it's one of those weekends where I just don't feel like going?

God is the primary actor in worship, not us.  We never know what God may do through a particular Sunday morning service - be in a prayer, a message, a reading, a song, or even just who we might run into that particular day.  We may miss the truly celebratory day of someone joining the church, participating in the baptism of a child or a new convert, someone professing their faith in Christ, or an unexpected celebration of the Eucharist.

Not every worship service occurs on a high holy day.  Not every tennis match is held at center court between the 1 & 2 seeds.  Yet, to ignore the seemingly routine or mundane is to run the risk of something monumental.  Something where you go, 'Dang.  I had the chance to be there and I blew it because I didn't expect much to happen.'

God is up to something.  Don't miss it because you don't expect it.  And, on that note, 

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 26 - Game Seven

There are some things in life for which you should need no outside motivation.  For my beloved Boston Celtics, and those guys from Los Angeles, tonight provides one of those occasions.  Two words: Game Seven.  Professional athletes can make or break their reputations in situations like these.  Even if these weren't the two most successful franchises in the history of their league, even if they were the champions of the past two seasons (Celtics in 2008, Lakers in 2009), even if their rivalry didn't go back 51 years, the words Game Seven should be enough motivation for them to do their dead level best, leaving nothing on the table.

Thing is, as much as a Game Seven should motivate world-class athletes without another word being said or trick being pulled, you and I have something more to motivate us to bring our 'A' game every day.  You and I have been given the gift of reconciliation with our creator through the grace of Jesus Christ, and not by our own strength, but with the assistance of the Holy Spirit.  Because of this grace, you and I should need no more motivation to spread the Gospel to all the world in thought, word, and deed.  Because of this grace, you and I have all the reason in the world to make sure that we live our lives in such a way as to bring glory to God.

Tuesday evening, the Celtics lost their starting center, Kendrick Perkins, to torn ligaments in his knee.  He will be unavailable for Game Seven.  The Lakers' center, Andrew Bynum, is also fighting knee issues, but he will play tonight.  Doesn't matter.  These are not good enough reasons to say we can't win Game Seven.  No matter who is available or not available, or at what level of strength, you must bring your best and believe that you will win, or else you have no business setting foot on the floor.

Just as injuries happen to athletes, things happen to you and me that we could use as excuses to not do our best in living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We can come up with all the excuses in the world to not tithe, not be in worship every Sunday, not provide aid to those in need, not seek out mission opportunities, not tell others of how Christ has radically transformed our lives, etc.; at the end of the day, those are just excuses.  Because of the grace given to us by God through Christ, you and I have all the motivation in the world to take advantage of every opportunity to worship, tithe, help the poor and needy, seek out mission opportunities, evangelize, testify, etc.  If it takes anything else to motivate you to live out the life you have been given by grace, we seriously need to talk.

If you watch the game tonight, you will probably hear the cliché, "There's no tomorrow for these two teams.  Nothing to hold back for another day."

For the Christian that we proclaim to be, we already know that's true for EVERY DAY, for we do not know the day or the hour when Christ will come again.  As James tells us, tomorrow's not guaranteed.  If we aren't in the business of bringing to Christ all that we can each and every day, each and every moment, for what are we waiting?  After all, there's no guarantee you're going to get tomorrow to correct what you didn't do today.

The Celtics and the Lakers have all the motivation in the world to bring everything they have: Game Seven.

You and I have been given all the motivation in the world to bring everything we have: Good Friday & Easter Sunday.

'Nuff said.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 25 - To What Are You Coming?

This is a week of starts around our congregation - the start of a new conference year, the start of our newest staff member, and the start of our summer worship series (Favorite Music of Pharr Chapel).

As most of you are aware, the Louisiana Annual Conference held it's annual session this week at Centenary College in Shreveport.  It was a joy to be with friends, colleagues, and laity from around our great state as we celebrate the mission and ministry of United Methodists.  We were reminded once again of the wonder of our connection, and how we go forth working hand in hand to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Like any organization, there are issues to deal with and areas of disagreement; at the end of the day I come back hopeful of our future.  Pharr Chapel was well-represented by your lay delegate, Burt Adams, and as part of our district youth contingent Kristin and Angie Champine.  Within the next few weeks, Burt will be speaking during morning worship to bring us the highlights of the week.

In last week's Mid-Week Message, I talked about the interviewing process for our secretary position.  I am pleased to announce that we had a great response to our position, and that Kristen Schaefer will be starting tomorrow (Friday) as the latest member of our staff.  Kristen comes to us with over 19 years experience in administrative and accounting areas, and I am confident that she will be a great addition to our church family.  She is moving here from the New Orleans area and will be getting married sometime later this year to Sam Autrey.  As you come through our offices over the next few weeks, take a moment to stop in and welcome Kristen.

Finally, don't forget that we start our Favorite Music of Pharr Chapel summer worship series this week.  We are going to start with something you might not expect as we look at Charles Wesley's great hymn, "O Come, All Ye Faithful."  You might be surprised to find out this classic which is considered strictly an Advent/Christmas Hymn has just as much relevance to us now (if not more) than if we limit it just to one season of the year.  Keep in mind this question as you come to worship this Sunday - To who or what are you coming when you gather with the body of Christ?

See You Soon!

Lamar