Vol 2 No 8 - Women of Vision

Since it's inception, the Methodist movement has placed a great emphasis on service to others - not just proclaiming the faith, but living out the faith. Throughout the years of the movement, from a small group of young Anglican priests in London to the worldwide Methodist movement of today (which The United Methodist Church is just one part), there have been individuals and organizations of Methodists who discerned God calling them to specific forms of ministry within the global community. In 1869, one of these groups came into being to combine resources to support a missionary ministry to the people of India. As time went on, this group grew into a full-fledged organization known as the Women's Society for Christian Service, with their mission being to spread the gospel and to provide a time of fellowship, study, and renewal with and for the ladies of the Methodist movement. Almost every congregation within Methodism has a proud history of this dedicated group of women.

This Sunday, January 21, we will be celebrating the ministry of what is now known as the United Methodist Women, and specifically the ministry of the Pharr Chapel United Methodist Women. The ladies, led by Georgie Bigler, have worked for several months in the planning of our worship services this week. Keeping in line with their main objective of missions ministry, Rev. Kathy Fitzhugh, director of the Abbeville Recovery Center, will be our guest preacher this week. I look forward to joining you in worship this week as we hear the Word read and proclaimed by this blessed servant of the Lord and celebrate the ministry of our United Methodist Women.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 7 - Chaos

My deepest apologies for getting this edition of the MWM to you so late. This has been a very hectic week, and one that has reminded me once again of just how wonderful an appointment Pharr Chapel is for any pastor. I want to highlight just two of the things I have been spending my time doing as your pastor.

At the end of each calendar year, each congregation in United Methodist has to engage in what is known as the annual audit, but is actually just a statistical review of the prior year. During the second week of January, each pastor brings the reports for their appointment to the District Office and meets with the District Superintendent to look at last year and plan for the next year. Reviewing our year, I want to share with you that in almost every major statistical category, Pharr Chapel showed significant gains over 2005, and is in position to do more in 2007. We had 13 people join on profession of faith, and saw operating income that was 122% of what was projected, receiving a phenomenal 98.95% of the dollar amount pledged - what a great testimony to your faith! Also, as a result of your faithfulness to God's call, we saw a 71.5% increase in the dollar amount pledged for 2007 over 2006, and a 48% increase in the number of pledges. I can safely say that these kind of numbers place Pharr Chapel very favorably when looking at other congregations of our size and attendance.

There is a team of pastors who help assimilate all the data and verifies that all the numbers add up and are in the right spots - I was honored to be asked to take part of this team on Monday and Tuesday of this week. We are blessed to be part of a district and a conference with such fine congregations and pastors!

The other thing I want to highlight for you is that your Long-Range Planning Committee is meeting for their orientation session tomorrow night @ 6:00PM. As I shared with the church council on Monday night, we have a rich and glorious history to draw from at Pharr Chapel, but if we do not seek to be ready for the future and the ministry challenges that are facing us, we will not only have a history, but we will be history. Your church council has already taken some steps to help move towards this future, approving a budget that for the first time provides funding for our youth program and our mini-Methodist programs, among many other highlights. Please join me in prayer for the future of our congregation, and specifically for the work of the LRPC. You will be hearing much more from these men and women in the next few months.

So many things are going on that I want to share with you, but I know that I have already written too much - so let me conclude by thanking you all for your words of concern about Erin. There seem to be several things compounding the bronchitis that has taken hold, and will be facing a little longer recovery period than originally anticipated. She is slowing returning to work on a limited basis, however she is still feeling very weak. We covet your thoughts and prayers, and know that she will soon be free of this illness.


See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 6 - Running to the Light

We will be celebrating Epiphany Sunday during worship this week. As I looked to prepare for this week's message and the theme of Epiphany, I was struck by just how little we seem to realize what the Epiphany celebration is all about. Traditionally, if we know anything about it at all, we know that this is the Sunday where we remember the wise men coming from the east to pay homage to the Christ child. In addition, we probably know that this is the Sunday we sing the old hymn "We Three Kings". So what's the big deal about Epiphany?

According to Mirriam-Webster, an epiphany is "an appearance or manifestation, especially of a divine being." Searching further, one can find that in the ancient world, the word epiphany had special meaning because it was used to describe the appearance of a ruler. In other words, when we celebrate the epiphany, one of the aspects that we are celebrating is the realization by humanity of the Lordship of Christ. In the Epiphanol event, we came face-to-face with the reality that this child reset the world order. Let us not forget, however, how the magi got to the Christ child. They were led by the star in the sky - that's right, they were led. They didn't get there by charting their own course to the Savior - they were led by a more powerful force.

When you come to worship this week, indeed when you are in the midst of your daily spiritual disciplines, use this Epiphany celebration to remember that we now live as ones with a new order to our lives - an order given to us by the arrival of the Christ child. Use this Epiphany celebration to remember that, just as the magi were led by the star to the Christ child, we too must allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit to the Christ child. When we celebrate Epiphany, we reject the Oprah-ization of faith and spirituality that says you can find your own path. We celebrate, indeed we embrace, that our is a life of following the guiding light set before us by Almighty God.


See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 5 - Light-Up Night

Thank you all for making the Fourth Sunday of Advent & Christmas Eve such memorable worship services! Even with the foul weather we had Sunday morning, our spirits were high as we came to worship on the Sunday of Love, and it was a joy to see all of you. Christmas Eve, with the radiance of the light emanating from your faces (as well as your candles), was a time that I am still inspired by just remembering the occasion.

The challenge for us in the weeks after Christmas Eve is to not let the light be put out or dimmed in our lives. As we go through this week of transition from the holidays to a new calendar year, let us remember to constantly be allowing Christ's light to shine through us in all that we say, do, think, and are.


See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 4 - Christmas Eve Opportunity

One of the most explicit expectations that Christ has for those of us who follow him is to spread the Gospel. Unfortunately, we were given this task to do in a world that is hostile to the light of Christ penetrating the darkness of a world apart from God. However, there are a few times in life that a majority of people are receptive to being invited to worship. December 24 is one of those days. We are going to be celebrating two distinct Christian holy days this Sunday - the Forth Sunday of Advent at our 8:30AM & 11:00AM services, and Christmas Eve at 6:00PM & 11:00 PM. I am especially excited about the 11:00PM Christmas Eve service, as Rev. Erin Oliver will join me in officiating this service.

As you go into this weekend, getting all the last-minute things together, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to bring your friends and family (especially those who would otherwise be resistant) to come hear again the Good News of Christ.


See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 3 - What a Fellowship!

One of the most overlooked things about Scripture in today's culture is that the Good Book was not written to each of us as individuals, but to the people of God as a community. We also overlook that Christ's life was lived not for each of us, but for all the world. It is very easy to fall into the trap of "It's all about Jesus and me" and the most important thing in life is my personal relationship with Christ. Yes, it is true that no one gets to the Father except through the Son. However, as a part of taking on the Christian life, we must be cognizant of the fact that we are not lone rangers. The Christian life cannot be lived as it is intended apart from the community of saints. One of the main tasks that I see the church needing to take more seriously is the idea of being in community with one another. This weekend, we have several opportunities to be in community with one another, and I hope you will take advantage of all of these.

The first is this Saturday, when Erin and I will be hosting our annual Open House at the Parsonage from 4:00-8:00PM. We look forward to this every year - the opportunity to welcome you into our home and to visit with people from all the churches we serve. This is truly a community event for us, as the Pharr Chapel, Franklin, and Jeanerette people are all invited. We understand there are so many holiday parties to be at, and so many things pushing for your time, and with that in mind want to remind you again this is a come-and-go event - we will be happy to see you for five minutes or fifty. (In addition, y'all come get the spread - I don't need all those sweets left over).

Secondly, we will be having what is usually (and will be again next year) Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner after 11:00 worship this Sunday. We will be providing roast - bring the rest! This is a great time of fellowship and fun for us to be as one over the table.

In addition, we will be delivering food baskets for the elderly and those in need on Sunday afternoon. There are few times we are presented as a church to become community as when engaged in the work of the Lord. I know you will want to be a part of this special time together.

12 days until Christmas. How exciting!


See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 2 No 2 - The Resistable Force

July 18-31, 2007.

It is kinda funny, isn't it, that the man who has for the past few weeks been preaching and writing about the need to not hurry the arrival of Christmas, to be intentional about soaking up the richness of the season of Advent, to throw dates over six months away into this week's message. However, I firmly believe the two are related.

I have been given the honor of leading our conference's Volunteers in Mission Summer 2007 trip to Cambodia. Many of you will remember meeting my friend Esther who was with us in early October. Through the people of the United Methodist Church, many great things are being done in this country that, only a couple of decades ago, was thought to have no future. We will be working with our missionaries on the ground there in several light construction projects and in holding a Vacation Bible School in one of the local ministry settings. My hope and prayer is that you will prayerfully consider going. There are several of you who I have already visited with about this mission, and I firmly believe that God is calling the people of Pharr Chapel to be involved in this ministry. The main concerns people express to me are about vacation time, family matters, and cost. Let me be the first to tell you that, believe it or not, if you are called to go on this trip, God will provide a solution to all your concerns. Please let me know if you are even remotely interested so that we can start planning now.

What's this have to do with Advent? Well, the first time I went to Cambodia, I was full of some of the same concerns as you all. However, God took all those away. Look more closely at the story of Mary and Joseph. They, too, had concerns about this call that God had put on their lives. They chose to put their trust in the Lord, even though it did not necessarily make sense to them at the time.

What is it that God is calling you to that you keep resisting for one reason or another? When are you going to stop resisting and allow God's will to be done within you?


See you Sunday!
Lamar