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