Vol 5 No 12 - Little Stuff

Did you notice it this past Sunday?  I know some of you did.  Others may not.  Trust me, it was intentional, and it will happen again this week, and for the rest of the season.  And, yes, it happened to make a statement, so the more we talk about it, the more the message may get out.  It's a little thing, to be sure, but it's amazing sometimes how much value we put on the little things.  Oftentimes, when the littlest things are changed in our lives, it can have a huge impact on our outlook as it relates to other things.

This was done not only to draw our attention to the simplicity of Lent, but to remind us that sometimes we can focus on those things that, in all reality, are not that big a deal when looked at from a broader perspective.  For, even though this change may have been made for this season, in no way was our worship compromised.  In fact, even with this change the symbolism was not, nor will be lost, in our worship setting.

All this to point to the fact that far too often in the Lenten observance as we look to eliminate those things in our lives that keep us from fully exploring the divine will, we try to make and embrace BIG changes.  Often, as we see in this little example of the candelabras in the sanctuary, we allow little things to truly make a BIG difference.

What is something 'little' in your life that is making a BIG difference in your relationship with Christ?

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 11 - The Stench of Mardi Gras (Not What You Think!)

Mardi Gras just stinks around our house.  Every year, just by stepping on the back porch, I can tell that tomorrow marks the beginning of Lent.  The smell permeates my hair, my clothes, and even seeps in the house occasionally.  To make things even more invasive, it doesn't matter whether or not I handle my usual observance of this day on the porch of the house, the church, or elsewhere; the fact is that the mess of Mardi Gras reminds me more and more of the need for Lent.  Every one of us who has participated in the events of Mardi Gras in south Louisiana know that today is messy, has a unique smell, and, usually, requires a shower before bed to get the mess out of your system.

However, the mess I am talking about involves the annual ritual of the burning of the palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebration in preparing the ashes for Ash Wednesday.  Lent is unique in the season of the Christian year in that through this time - starting with the reminder on Ash Wednesday that it is from ashes we come and to ashes we return, through the season of reflection and introspection, into the crowds of Christ's final entry into Jerusalem, up to the Upper Room for the Last Supper, to Golgotha for the victorious moment of Christ's triumph over evil - the journey through all these events leads us to examine just how estranged we allow ourselves to be from God and how much we are in desperate need of divine grace.

Like many of you, I love the joy of Easter Sunday.  However, if you really want to have even a hint of what Easter Sunday is all about, don't miss Lent.  Don't miss Ash Wednesday.  Don't miss the worship and study opportunities of Lent.

So, to that end, join us in worship tomorrow morning at 6:30AM or 6:00PM for a traditional observance of Ash Wednesday, including the sacrament of Holy Communion and the Imposition of Ashes.  Our Easter Sunday worship starts tomorrow.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 10 - Special Days

At a meeting I attended yesterday, the speaker who was to give the devotional stood at the podium and said something along the lines of with two such notable days on the calendar, he didn't know which subject to address: Super Bowl Sunday or Valentine's Day.  I had to laugh, for I was thinking he was going to say: Transfiguration Sunday or Ash Wednesday.  After all, these are the two more notable days upcoming on the calendar.

But then I started thinking more about it and came to the conclusion that, yes, it would be appropriate for these two days to be recognized on the proper level, for our Christianity must influence not only how we celebrate the high holy days of the congregation's life, but also how we celebrate all the secular holidays of which we take part.  The question we all face in this matter is: do we factor in our Christianity even a little bit when it comes to the idea of celebrating the secular holidays?

When celebrating Super Bowl Sunday, do we consider the ways in which God would have us respond (and, no, I don't think God is 'on one team's side' over another)?

When celebrating Valentine's Day, do we consider all the ways we should love those dearest to us, and not just in a romantic way - for the Bible addresses love in many different contexts?

When celebrating Mardi Gras, do we consider the theological implications of how and why we celebrate this day?

I could go on and on - but I think you get the point.  No matter what special day we are observing, it is our duty as Christians to observe it in a way that is fitting to honor the grace first shown us through Christ our Lord.

The next day we should all celebrate in this fashion?  TODAY.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 9 - Loyalty

Can you imagine what it must be like for Archie Manning this week?  (For the 2 or 3 people left in the world who don't know why this name is important this week, go to any sports website and search for Archie Manning).

The conflicting emotions of seeing the team you gave basically your entire career to, not to mention a great deal of your retirement, finally in the big game, and not being able to pull for them because they happen to be competing against your boy.

In the long run, it's pretty trivial, all the stuff about any football game.  But let's take a moment to sympathize with Archie and look at a bigger picture question:  When push comes to shove, where do our loyalties lie?

In a much more important realm than picking sides of a football game, we have a similar conflict - where is our heart?

Christ our Lord demands complete obedience.  Do we give it to him?

See you Sunday!

Lamar