Vol 6 No 21 - A Good Easter

"Are you having a good Easter?"  Yeah, I know.  "Easter's come and gone, hasn't it preacher?  That was Sunday.  And, by the way, I did have a good Easter, thank you for asking."

Well...um...yeah.  About that...

We are having a good Easter.  By definition, there is no such thing as a bad Easter, for Easter is all about hope.  Easter is about hope because it is about resurrection.  Easter is about resurrection because Christ showed that death does not necessarily have the final say.  We are having a good Easter because we are people of the resurrection who know that our HOPE is found in the promise of tomorrow.

We are having a good Easter because the resurrection is not about a day, or a singular event.  The resurrection is about giving life, eternal life, starting now.  We are having a good Easter because through Christ's resurrection we are called to participate in the Kingdom of God NOW; it's not something we make a decision for then bide our time until we quit respirating and THEN enter into God's Kingdom.

We are having such a good Easter we remember that we gather for worship every Sunday morning partly in remembrance that it was on the first day of the week that Christ arose from the grave.

It was great to see so many of you in worship here, and in the church universal for Easter; my hope and prayer is that you continue to make worship at Easter a vital point in your life.  To that end, see you Sunday, here or with the church wherever you may be located.  When we worship together no matter the week or the specific emphasis of that Sunday, we are gathering as Easter people, reminded once again of the miraculous joy of the resurrection.

Grace and Peace,

Lamar

Vol 6 No 20 - No Shortcuts

A dear friend of mine told today of the most memorable Easter sermon he ever heard.  It consisted of five words: "He is Risen.  Alleluia.  Amen."  Then the preacher sat down.

Notice I did not say it was the best, merely the most memorable.

Why was it memorable?  It got to the core of the day's message - He is Risen.

As much as I am anxious to get to our celebration of Easter Sunday, as much as I am ready to proclaim the message, "He is Risen," we have a journey to continue before we get there.  A journey that we began on the first Sunday of Advent, when we first started to anticipate the coming of the Messiah.  A journey that we continued as we welcomed the Christ child into the world.  A journey that led us through the Christmas season and into they joy of Epiphany, when the world acknowledged through the wise men the reality of Christ's authority.  A journey that went through celebrating the transfiguration of Christ, where God identified Christ as his Son, the beloved, with whom he was well pleased.  A journey that brought us through the penitence of Ash Wednesday and the prayerful introspection and reflection of the Lenten season of sacrifice and self-denial.  A journey that we continued as we sang Hosanna! in observance of the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday.

This is journey that will lead us into the Upper Room, where Christ tells us to break the bread and drink the cup in remembrance of him, exhibiting the essential Christian nature of humility and service through his loving hospitality of the disciples that evening.

This is a journey that will bring us to Christ's final hours, where through the excruciating and tortuous actions of his arrest, conviction, and execution the power of evil was defeated once and for all.

This is a journey that will take us to the empty tomb, where we proclaim the simple message: "He is Risen.  Alleluia.  Amen."

And prepare for the next part of the journey.

Grace and Peace,

Lamar

P.S.  While part of the journey has already been completed, it's not too late to bring others along, or yourself if you haven't been riding with us up to this point.  Remember, Easter Sunday makes no sense without Holy Thursday and Good Friday to provide context.

Vol 6 No 19 - Not Too Late!

Going into the last Lenten Luncheon of this season today, I have been reminded of those commercials that say something along the lines of, "It's NEVER too late to start planning now for your retirement.  Call us today!"

I bring you good news!  It is not too late to start planning for Easter.  It is not too late to start being prepared by God's grace for the joy of the resurrection.  Yes, it's true.  Even if you have put it all off until now.  That is one of the great things about the community of faith - we are about helping one another prepare for the greatest high holy days of the Christian year.  The first thing to remember, in fact, when trying to prepare for ANY day, is that you are not alone; we have been given the gift of the church precisely because we cannot do it alone.

From Wednesday activities to the joy of Palm Sunday worship and fellowship to the great feast that is Holy Thursday to the poignant and necessary remembrance on Good Friday, we have ample opportunity to be prepared for the joy of Easter.

Wherever you are, remember that Easter's coming.  Allow yourself to truly appreciate the joy of that great day by joining in the journey.  

This is what Lent is all about.  This is what the church is all about.  This is why we have been called together as the community of faith.  To prepare and to be prepared to recall once again Christ's saving work and participate fully in thought, word, and deed.

Grace and Peace,

Lamar

NOTE: For a full list of the activities referenced above, visit http://bit.ly/gNt5Rg

Vol 6 No 18 - Don't Forget

I looked up, and it was Wednesday again; time to write the Mid-Week Message.  How did I miss it?

There is not a one of us who has not gotten so caught up in life that certain things that mean so much to us seem to pop up out of nowhere because we have allowed ourselves to be completely distracted.

Fact of the matter is this is one of the great joys of the Lenten season.  We, the church, take the Great Three Days that conclude on Easter so seriously that we intentionally work for 40 days to prepare for them.  In many ways, this is at the core of Lent - the faithful ordering their lives in such a way that we cannot be surprised by the arrival of Easter Sunday.

How many times have you looked up at the calendar and said, "How did this get here so fast?  I haven't had time to get ready for it?"

May we be people who so order our lives that we are not surprised by the arrival of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, but eagerly and hopefully await their arrival.

See you Sunday (and Wednesday)!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 17 - Roll Tape

It would be much easier, I'm sure.  It might also be much more painful.  In either case, I think it would lead to a far more honest observation of the Lenten season (or for that matter, living the Christian life, period.)  Which is why I think most all of us would run for the hills if this ever happened to us.

I am, of course, talking about having yourself videoed in your natural environment.

This past week, as part of an exercise I'm doing to work with one of my colleagues on preaching, I videoed the reading of the scripture and the sermon.  An old standby of any preaching 101 class, I have to admit it was very challenging to play back that video several times over the past couple of days preparing for my meeting with my colleague today.  Watching this video, I saw some things I need to change, cringed at some things I wish I had worded differently, got some ideas for different things to do.  But it wasn't all bad - looking back at stuff from 5-10 years ago, I see a lot of which I am quite pleased.  The hardest part of all this was simply pressing play the first time.  It will be interesting to see what kind of feedback my colleague offers.

What if we had our lives videoed and could go back to review that which we have done?  What if we had to take these videos and show them to others in an environment where they could offer commentary and critique?  How would it affect your behavior to know that your every move and every word was being recorded for your own review and that of others?  Or, would it?

What if we had the opportunity to compare the tapes of today to the product from 5-10 years ago?  Would someone, including you, looking at these tapes see progress?

See, this is what Lent is all about.  During this season, we are to engage in self-examination and introspection.  We are to take time to 'look at the tape' and see things upon which to improve.

As Christians, we are to be about looking at one another's video, encouraging each other to good works, engaging in accountability for those areas in which we come up short, and to realize that God is consistently seeking to move us forward, whether we can see it or not.

Here's the thing - this can only happen as it should when we allow ourselves to be engaged fully in the life of the congregation.  It is, in essence, what being a member of the church is all about.

Roll tape.

See you Sunday (and Wednesday)!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 16 - Being a Blessing

So, to follow up with the text from worship last week (Genesis 12:1-4a), have you been a blessing this week?  Through your daily interactions with the world in which you live - home, work, community - have you taken that which God has so graciously given you and been a blessing to others?

Over 120 of you were a blessing to me and to each other this past Sunday as you joined together as the community of faith in worship.  My hope and prayer is that you also experienced God's grace and love through this sacred time we were given by God.

As a word of encouragement, let me say that in addition to leaving this place and striving to be a blessing to others beyond the walls of this church, be sure to also remember your opportunity to be a blessing to your fellow saints in the church.  

• Today at noon, we will gather to break bread and feed on the Gospel lesson over lunch, sharing together this truly sacred time of Lenten observance.

• Later today, we will gather to lift up all those God has placed on our hearts to place on our prayer list, and share in the sacred meal of the Lord's Supper.

• The youth of our church will gather after our prayer & communion service to engage in their Lenten Bible Study while our choir will prepare for our upcoming worship services as well as continue their work on the Good Friday service.

• Tomorrow, you will have the opportunity to join with our friends from Trinity Episcopal as we continue the exploration of our shared faith expressed in our common affirmation of faith, the Nicene Creed.

Be honest - how many of you feel that you either do not have the time or the interest to participate in any of our activities other than Sunday morning worship, and that only if we cannot find something else to use our time?

Be honest - how many times do we focus on what we can get out of or put into something to measure whether or not we are going to participate?

On this sacred Wednesday morning, let me encourage you to remember the calling first given to Abram to be a blessing.  I know you have a lot going on and may not think you need much more than Sunday mornings; allow me to remind you that by your very presence and your participation you have the opportunity to be a blessing to others.

Journeying through Lent, be intentional about seeking out how to be a blessing to others.  Take what God has given you and share it through your ministry of presence.

For, wherever you are, in our area or far away, the fact is God's people have been called together to be the church, and you, through the very fact you have been given life, have a blessing to provide simply by showing up.

And I pray that as we are together I may be a blessing to you.

See you Sunday (and Wednesday)!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 15 - The Lenten Tongue

By now, I hope and pray you have gotten into the Lenten Spirit.  Through prayer, fasting, and self-examination, this is truly a season to allow God to work deeper within us, showing us how much more the Divine glory can shine through us.  

This morning, our youth had a great breakfast highlighted by a lesson on the power of the tongue.  As we studied this morning, scripture is quite clear about how the actions of our tongue control us far more than we realize.

I encourage you to use this holy season of Lent as an opportunity to examine the state of your tongue.  What is it that you are doing through the words that you say and how you say them?  Are you using them to uplift one another, encouraging one another to good deeds, and strengthening one another's faith?  Are you using your words to be God's light and love in the world?  Can someone, by hearing you speak to them, hear the Good News of Christ?

When you speak, do you speak on your own, or do you seek to speak by the power of the Holy Spirit, spreading God's saving grace?

See you Sunday (and Wednesday)!

Lamar

United Methodists and the Pacific Disaster

Dear Friends,

By now, you all know of the disaster that has hit our friends in the Pacific, Japan in particular.

From our friends at UMCOR:

“In response to the Earthquake on March 10, 2011 that struck Japan, The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) will be working with local communities to rebuild. UMCOR is now better able to help when earthquakes and tsunamis or other disasters hit the area. UMCOR works in shelter and infrastructure reconstruction, water and sanitation, income generation, health and nutrition, education and community development."

For the next few weeks, we will be taking a special offering to support the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).  Note in the memo line of your check or on the outside "UMCOR - Pacific Disaster."  You may also go to UMCOR.org to find more information about this all and of UMCOR's work throughout the world.

Remember that through our support of the church in paying our apportionments, all of UMCOR's overhead is supplied, thus allowing 100% of all donations to this effort to go to directly to assist victims.

Grace and Peace,

Lamar

Vol 6 No 14 - Not Alone

Lent, by it's very nature, is not exciting, nor glamorous, nor entertaining.  Lent is hard work.  Good thing we are not called to do it in isolation.

As you enter into the sanctuary for our 6:00PM service on Ash Wednesday, you will be greeted by a sign that encourages you to enter in silence.  As part of observing this silent time of preparation, reading through the notes found in your worship guide, take a good look around the sanctuary.  Note that as you start this season of self-examination and sacrifice, you are not in this journey alone.  

It can be very easy to find Lent a difficult time.  And it is.  Let's not make it any harder than it needs to be by going at it alone.

Come and worship as a community
on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Come and serve as a community
through our mission opportunities.

Come and fellowship as a community
through our Lenten Luncheons.

Come and study as a community
through our various study groups.

Come and be as a community
through being present
in the life of the church this season.

Through our shared life in the community, I promise you these 40 days won't be as long as you might think. Easter is coming.

See you Sunday (and Wednesday)!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 13 - A Holy Mardi Gras

I want to encourage you all to completely and fully celebrate Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday.

Yes, that's right, I want to encourage you all to completely get into the Mardi Gras spirit.

No, I'm not kidding.  Go ahead and get into the Mardi Gras spirit.

You may be thinking: "Cool.  Preacher's telling us to go out and get completely hammered, engaging in activities that I really hope no one is going to put on YouTube later, spending money that could be better used elsewhere on dresses and beads."

C'mon.  You know me better than that.

What I want to encourage you to do as Mardi Gras comes is to take a look back at the historical context of Mardi Gras.  Take a look back to some of the practices of the day over the past few centuries.  Note that it was referred to as Fat Tuesday due to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritualistic fasting of Lent.

Yes, I want to encourage you to observe Mardi Gras fully.  Take the day to reflect upon the fact that Lent is coming, and use Mardi Gras as a time to think about all the 'fat' in your life that needs to be cut.

In other words, use Mardi Gras not as a season or day of iniquity, but as a day of preparation for observing a Holy Lent.  After all, if you are not preparing to fully participate in the 40-day season of prayer and fasting, what's the point of celebrating Mardi Gras?  If not used for joyfully anticipating a season self-denial and introspection, then Mardi Gras is simply a waste of time and money.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 12 - Tale a Look Around

Over the past three days, I have been on retreat with all the appointed clergy within the Louisiana Conference of The United Methodist Church.  There were over 340 of us registered for this event, gathered at our conference center in Woodworth.

Being a good Methodist, my associates and I would arrive at the sessions early enough to find seating near the back. [Insert punchline here.]  It was a great place to sit, for we got to greet many of our colleagues who came in after us, and had a nice perspective on all those gathered for these three special days.

Tuesday morning, looking around the room at the many faces that are the United Methodist Clergy of our state, a few thoughts came to mind:

1) How many of these people would I voluntarily hang out with if we did not have the connection of being United Methodist Clergy?

2) How many of these people would I choose to be a pastor of a local congregation or a denominational executive?

3) How much would I be missing if these people were not a part of my life - those that I know extremely well, as well as those with whom I am merely acquainted through small talk in a hallway or an occasional meeting?

See, this is one of the most joyful things about the church - through Divine wisdom, God assembles the most unlikely to do Kingdom work.  People who seemingly do not have much in common, people who seeming have personality conflicts that would in other circumstances lead to deep division, people from all sorts of places, people of all demographic categories - through God's grace the Kingdom's work is done.

Walking into the office this morning, I reflected upon the fact that the same hold true for our local congregation.  When we gather as a church for worship, or fellowship, or mission, or for any other purpose, we are associating with some of the most unlikely people to do the most unlikely of work.

As you come to worship this Sunday, take a look around.  Take a look around and realize that this is God's grace in the flesh.  Take a look around, and give thanks to God for the richness that has been added to our lives by the common calling of uncommon people - the calling to participate in the Kingdom of God.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 11 - How Do You Know?

Dr. Robert Mulholland drew a half-circle on a sheet of paper and asked the graduate theological students gathered in his office for their weekly bible study what it was that was on the sheet of paper.  The automatic responses were two: a crooked line or a half-circle.  In typical professorial style, he leaned back in his chair and said, "How do you know?"

It's one of those moments that will be seared into my consciousness until I draw my last breath.

"How do you know?"  Of course, the standard response was, "I know a curved line when I see one."

He asked again, "How do you know?"  A little more give-and-take ensued, but this was going nowhere fast.

He finally said, "How do you know it's not a straight line?  I'm here to tell you it's a straight line."  More give-and-take ensured among the know-it-all graduate theological students.

Dr. Mulholland then said, "You know it's a crooked like because you have seen a straight line.  If you did not know what a straight line looked like, then you would have no clue this is a curved line."

We were studying some of Paul's writings that morning, and the point the good doctor was making was that when we are confronted with what is the proper way of Christian life (thoughts, words, and deeds) then we can allow ourselves to measure where it is we are on our Christian journey.

I get asked often, "How do I know whether or not I am living the Christian life?"  Let me ask a follow-up question, "Do you know how to differentiate between a straight line and a curved line?"

The beauty of participating in the life of the Kingdom of God through regular weekly worship is that we are consistently given a standard by which to measure our lives.  Through the regular study of the holy scriptures and participating in bible study and/or small groups, we are shown that standard.  Through the fellowship of believers, we come to share in the wisdom of God as revealed through our fellow believers.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 10 - The Game

I cannot express how much I am looking forward to this Sunday.  The ritual that comes on the first Sunday of February every year is truly an expression of how sacrifice can lead to success on the biggest stage possible.  Thinking back to how the events of this day didn't just suddenly appear out of nowhere, but are the results of years of preparation.  Looking at how people who usually have nothing in common will gather around to eat and fellowship together as their attention is focused on the actors in this huge drama.

The event celebrated on the first Sunday in February has been known to galvanize communities in ways that no one can seem to explain, but have led to some truly world-changing events.  Unfortunately, long-time friends and families have also been ripped apart (temporarily or permanently) based on their allegiances to various parties who will clash in this event.

Another thing to note about this ritual that affects everyone's life (whether they pay attention to it or not) is that you never know who will participate.  Until you show up at the party, you never know exactly with whom you will be celebrating this spectacular event.  The food and drink may be the same every time, but even then you might have a different take on it depending on the attitude you bring.

Many people who really have no idea what is happening or why will wax eloquent (or not-so-eloquent) about the keys to the contest.  While there may be some obvious clues as to why the outcome occurred the way it did, realistically most people have no clue about the things that are unseen that have led to this thing turning out as it does.

Finally, when it is all said and done, the winner will have the glory that comes with being victorious on the biggest stage.

Please accept this message as your personal invitation to join in the celebration of this big event on Sunday.  For those of you in Morgan City, as is the case every year, we will be hosting this event at Pharr Chapel (complete with food and drink - you don't need to bring a thing).  If you are in another area, I am sure there is a church in your area that will also be holding festivities to mark this special occasion.

I am speaking, of course, of the celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion.  

(What, you thought I was talking about the Super Bowl?)

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 9 - Limited Perspective

Watching the fallout from the playoff games in the National Football League this past weekend has been quite disturbing to observe.  (No, this isn't another column about the Steelers - there's not much more to be said as their play spoke for itself.)

It was during the Green Bay-Chicago game where the Bears' starting quarterback, Jay Cutler, was injured late in the first half when a Packer defender got him in the knee.  Anyone watching the game could tell immediately that he was hurt in a pretty significant way.  As the Bears, who were not playing well at all, went into the locker room for halftime, Mr. Cutler's demeanor made it obvious to all that something was clearly not right.  Long story short, Mr. Cutler came out to 'give it a go' in the third quarter, but the decision was made to bring in his backup to finish the game.

What has been so disturbing is the firestorm of criticism that was launched Mr. Cutler's way during and after the game by his colleague within the National Football League.  Evidently, Mr. Cutler did not show the right amount of heart in many people's opinion by not continuing to play even on what was later identified as a torn MCL.  Further, Mr. Cutler evidently didn't sufficiently be as involved as he should have been in 'rallying the troops' behind his replacements; rather, it appeared to many that Mr. Cutler was simply disinterested at that point and retreated into a shell on the bench.

Now, the only people who really knew what was going on there was Mr. Cutler, his coaches, and other Bears personnel.  While things may have appeared to have been as interpreted by the Twitter and blog crowd, no one offering commentary on the situation really knew what was happening.  When told of the criticism from his fellow athletes, it was reported that Mr. Cutler had tears in his eyes.

I was drawn to write about this story because many parallels could be drawn to the life of the Christian community.  Like Mr. Cutler, there are many among us who are injured.  Like Mr. Cutler, many times when we are injured, we get hammered for our reactions, even though the simple fact is that, like Mr. Cutler, we are simply doing the best we can to deal with a horrific situation.

Traveling to and from Woodworth on Monday and Tuesday, I heard a lot of chatter on ESPN Radio and NFL Radio about this situation, and at one point a host asked one of the talking head guests, "What needs to happen to make this situation better in Chicago for all involved?"

You and I both know the answer because we have been given it through Christ.  The answer is grace.  We are called to be a gracious people because we have been given grace.  Rather than shooting our wounded, let us be people who bend over backward to extend grace.  Is there a need for accountability?  Of course.  Certain situations need to be addressed with corrective behavior, and that is a biblical concept.

The fact still remains that in all of our interactions with one another what we see is not necessarily all there is going on in each other's lives.  When you see something or someone that is obviously out of sorts, rather than take shots at them, resolve to find out more, to extend grace - for more often than not, I believe you will find in these situations someone have a difficult time who needs some understanding.

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 8 - More than a Meeting

One of the hallmarks of our Methodist tradition is our emphasis on connectionalism - the idea that no congregation is an island; indeed, we are all connected to each other and the larger church.  We share our ministry; what happens in one congregation happens to all.  We lift up one another's celebrations, and hold each other's hands through times of trial.  We find the roots of our shared ministry through God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures and order ourselves through the authority of the Book of Discipline, the provisions of which are administered by those ordained as elders in the church under the direction of the bishop.

Spending the past two and a half days in the office of our District Superintendent, I have been consistently reminded of the joy of this connection - seeing how the Kingdom of God is at work through so many of our local congregations.  As part of the district audit team that helps review and compile the data from the past year in each of these places, visiting with each of the pastors, I thought often of how much it means to be able to share our ministry with so many others.  From the highs we celebrated with a few, to the tears that were shed with a few, to the encouragement shared with all, it reminded me once again of the communal nature of our faith.  Where's the comfort of knowing we have a great cloud of witnesses who share our faith and tradition if we live as though each church is an island unto itself and not swept up into the larger work of the Holy Spirit that has breathed life into our movement for well over two centuries?

We cannot escape the fact that in and through Christ - his life, death, and resurrection - we are all connected to one another.  Our emphasis on connection finds its modern founding through the ministry of John and Charles Wesley, but make no mistake about it - the roots of our connection are found in the earliest days of Christianity.  Spend some time in the Acts of the Apostles and in Paul's writings where he is encouraging a particular congregation to help support a sister congregation in need, and it becomes quite apparent early on that we have a shared responsibility for our well-being.

Praise be to God we are not in this alone!

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 7 - Commitment

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner note in their recent bestseller SuperFreakonomics: 

"The people who become excellent at a given thing aren’t necessarily the same ones who seemed to be “gifted” at a young age. This suggests that when it comes to choosing a life path, people should do what they love—yes, your nana told you this too—because if you don’t love what you’re doing, you are unlikely to work hard enough to get very good at it.

It is my observation that probably the biggest issue that has faced the church from the very beginning is not external but internal.  The issue is that of commitment: Are the self-proclaimed followers of Jesus committed to living out the Christian life as faithfully and with as much excellence as possible?  Are the people of the church really ready to be consumed by God's love and the responsibilities that come in living out the life of faith?

Honestly, I don't know a one of us who does not fall short of this ideal at some point (or two, or three...).  The question we must ask ourselves is: How much do I want to be a true follower of Christ and how much am I willing to sacrifice to live as God instructs?  The fact of the matter is that faithfulness to God through Christ demands that we go "all in" in every aspect of life.

I think so often we struggle with the high calling we have been given and modeled by Christ because we aren't sure if we really love this lifestyle.  This is where Levitt and Dubner's quote resonated with me so deeply: Their words serve as a reminder that if we are really going to be working through this life committed to Christ's will being done, we should do so because of our tremendous love for the Savior.  For, no matter how much we may say we want to live as Christ calls us, until we fall madly in love with the Christian lifestyle, we are setting ourselves up to not reach the true potential Christ is put in each of us.

In other words: What is the path we have chosen for our lives?  A life of self-centered chasing our tail and every whim narcissism or a life of true devotion to God in Christ found only when we allow ourselves to fall madly in love with him?

See you Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 6 No 6 - Sunday's Coming

"Sunday's coming.  Never forget, no matter what else goes on in the week, Sunday's coming."

One of my dear friends and mentors would constantly remind me and my friends of this as we prepared to go out into ministry.  His point was to always make sure that worship preparation and sermon work never strayed far from our thoughts.  Over the past 10 years, I have thought often of his words and how much the words "Sunday's coming" put into focus and perspective all the ministry of the congregation.

Listening to those words again this past weekend as my friends and I gathered to celebrate the New Year, I came to appreciate them in a new way.  Rather than look at them from the viewpoint of "Sunday's coming" and you had better have your work done, I saw it from the perspective of, "Sunday's coming!  I can't wait!  Sunday's coming, and no matter what else has happened (or not happened) during the week, Sunday's coming, and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for God's people this week!"

That's the beauty of being connected in worship, my friends.  Through gathering, praying, singing, proclamation, offering, affirmation, and all the other parts of worship, we connect with our God who reminds us during these times that, "It's ok.  I am God - have been and always will be - and there's nothing during your week that has more power than me.  So, cast yourselves upon me, and allow me to carry you through all of life.  You are loved not for what you do, but for whose you are - mine.  I created everything out of nothing, and love you so much I sent my Son to heal our broken relationship and will send him again to make all things new on the final day.  Let not your hearts be troubled, and let not them be afraid."

Sunday's coming!  Thanks be to God!

See You Soon!

Lamar