Vol 3 No 12 - Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day. Every year, a debate rages in my mind - is this holiday more about Hallmark or the diamond cartels? No matter which way I go, I come to the same conclusion. Valentine's Day is a day that I laugh at, and a day that makes me sad. I laugh at Valentine's Day because so many use it as a day to go out of their way to tell someone special how much they love them. $300 dinners, $75 in flowers, etc. The jewelery companies tell you that if you buy this pendant/bracelet/watch/ring it will show how much you care. This stuff that makes me laugh also makes me sad. I hear stories almost every year from distraught people who didn't get anything (or didn't get what they expected) for Valentine's Day and, to make a long story short, it's not good. It makes me sad to think that it is an acceptable standard to set one day aside to tell someone in a very special way how much you love them. I am convinced that if two people are truly in love, and are showing that love to each other in the way that God intends, then Valentine's day is silly and pointless, for EVERY DAY is a day to show someone you love them.

Imagine if God operated the way that the greeting card, floral, and jewelry business wants you to operate towards those you love. Imagine if God only set one day aside each year to tell you how much he loves you. I don't know about you, but i would be very disinterested in a God who only made a big deal about how much he loves me one day a year. Fortunately for you and I, my friends, we get a valentine from God each time we draw breath. Want proof that God loves you? Who's the one that allows you to live? Want proof that God loves you? Think of the hope that you have that no matter what you go through on earth, on a given day/week/month/year, there is joy in the morning. And this is not something we are reminded of just once a year. If we are serious about our faith, we realize that it's not a matter of finding those things that prove God's love toward us. No, it's the realization that there is no possible way to get away from the reality of God's love, even if it is just by something as routine as drawing a breath.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 11 - Not Supposed to Happen

This year's Super Bowl was one of the best football games I have seen in a long time, and not just because the Patriots got beat. The spirited competition, the 12-point underdogs controlling most of the game - it was just a marvelous experience all the way around. In the post-game, a number of pundits and so-called 'experts' have droned on and on about this being one of the biggest upsets of all time. How could a team that finished six games worse in the standings and had inconsistent play from so many areas beat what was supposed to be THE BEST team of all-time? Forget that they are all professionals and that on any given Sunday one team can beat another - THIS JUST WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.

It was amusing for me to see all the chatter about this upset, for us Christians know that today, Ash Wednesday, begins our journey towards another upset that just was not supposed to happen. As we gather TONIGHT @ 6:00 for our Ash Wednesday service, we will mark the start of Lent, the season where we prepare ourselves for the most important days on the calendar, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We are preparing ourselves for what many (but not the Christian) considered the biggest upset in history - a simple man, born of a virgin in a manger in Bethlehem, who was tried, convicted, brutalized, and executed, by the virtue of his death and resurrection, defeated the evil one.

For us, it was no surprise. For us, it was the fulfillment of a promise. For us, it was the culmination of God's creating and saving work.

Don't forget to be a part of the Ash Wednesday celebration this evening, and to take part in all our Lenten activities. We are preparing to celebrate once again what the world considers the biggest upset in history. It's going to a celebration that even the Giants, with their ticker-tape parade yesterday, could not begin to imagine. Don't miss it.

See you Tonight (&Sunday)!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 10 - A Few Things

What a relief it is to be back in town! I had a wonderful time during my two trips over the past couple of weeks, but it is time to get back in the saddle again. This Sunday I am looking forward to being with you all in worship as we continue our look at Basic Christian Living by studying our Lord's Sermon on the Mount. The response I have gotten from you all so far about this series is much appreciated, and I cannot wait to see how God is going to use our time in these passages to make a difference in our lives and the life of the church. After visiting the place where it is believed that Christ preached these words on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, I can tell you that I am even more inspired by our Lord's words.

Visiting the Holy Land was a truly inspirational experience, and to share it with our Bishop and around 160 others from our conference was a blessing. There is no possible way to share it all with you in this small space, but rest assured that in the days, weeks, and months ahead you will hear about it in the appropriate areas. I brought home over 500 pictures and short videos, so there is plenty to talk about and show you.

This past Sunday, I had the wonderful opportunity to preach at one of my home churches, the church that my parents still attend just outside of Pittsburgh. To see and spend time with people without whom I would not be here today was a pure joy. Some I had not seen in almost 15 years, and catching up was just great. Even though I was suffering some major jet lag, I will not soon forget this wonderful weekend (and I didn't even talk about how good it was to be with mom, dad & sister). I was reminded once again the importance of not forgetting where you came from nor who helped get you where you are in life. Don't think for a minute that you have gotten where you are without some help from others.

Finally, I want to mention that next week marks the beginning of Lent with our Ash Wednesday service, which will be at 6:00PM next Wednesday. Our monthly newsletter, which will be mailed tomorrow, will contain a special insert about our Lenten activities - be sure to keep track of these important dates and times.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 9 - Do You Know This Guy?

A few fascinating things in the last 24 hours I am spending in Israel: Yesterday as we were coming from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, an Israeli soldier (with Uzi in hand) boarded our bus and checked our passports. This morning, as we drove into the airport, our bus (with only 10 of us on board) was stopped at security and I was asked to get off the bus and quizzed about the group and had my passport scanned and all the other stuff... The kicker was when we were going through the first perimeter of security in the terminal (yes, I said the first) and I was asked all about the group and the various activities we had done, who we were with, had we all been together the whole time, were we going to to the same place...

It got me thinking - what if we as a church were traveling together? Could it be said that we have been together? Could it be said we are going to the same place together? Could it be said that we know one another?

What's the answer and why?


Grace and Peace,
Lamar

Vol 3 No 8 - Holy Ground

Greetings from Tiberias, Israel, on the Sea of Galilee! As many of you are aware, I am here on a tour with a number of people from our conference, visiting the sites that are mentioned in the Bible, the places where it is reported that Christ our Lord lived and ministered.

Attached to this e-mail is a photo (reduced for e-mailability) of a sign that I saw at the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. This is the site where it is said that Christ made his post-resurrection appearance to the disciples and established Peter's authority over the church. I laughed when I saw it and knew immediately that of the over 80 pictures I took today that it would be the one I put in this message. Why? Look at it.

I found it amusing because we were at the church described above and yet someone felt the need to put this sign there. As if we needed a reminder of it's message. But then again, I think that far too often we forget that this message applies to each of us wherever we find ourselves today, for we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. I wonder how our lives would look if we considered the message of this sign to apply where we are now. How would it change our actions and our attitudes if we took seriously this concept wherever we find ourselves? Would it make a difference in how you think of and react to others?

There is so much more that I could write and so many more pictures that I could share with you, but I wanted to take a moment and let you know that I was thinking of you today as we visited the Mount of the Beatitudes, the Church of the Feeding of the 5000, the aforementioned Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, Capernaum, and the Jordan River. We leave here tomorrow morning to travel to Jerusalem - I am going to miss being able to look outside my hotel room and see the Sea of Galilee. It is a truly amazing sight.

Finally, be sure to be in worship this Sunday as my dear friend John Evans is going to be with you all. John, as you are aware from his November visit, is a fine speaker and a true blessing from God.

Grace and Peace,
Lamar

Vol 3 No 7 - From the Crow's Nest

In the early part of January each year, every pastor across United Methodism has to prepare and submit a year-end 'audit' for the previous year. Information included in this process concerns membership, attendance, programs, finances, and other measures of the congregation's life. The second week of January, each pastor has to present themselves and their information to the district office, where the numbers are verified by a team of pastor. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday of this week at our district office in Lafayette as one of the audit team, and I was excited to see not only how much our church has grown the past year in many areas, but also how healthy we are in relation to other churches in our area. In 2007, we saw a 10% increase in average attendance and over 50% increase in our giving and expenditures.

What I am reminded of as a part of this process each year is that we far too often get caught up in the minutiae of everyday life and fail to see what is happening overall in our lives and, as a pastor, in the life of the congregation. It's only after looking back over the past year, and at previous years, that I truly get a sense of what God is doing. It's only after looking back that I can see that attendance grew by 10% last year after having declined a total of 33% over the previous five years. It's only after looking back that I can see that we are projecting to have an increase of almost 140% in our income from two years ago. It's only after looking back that I can see that God is moving mightily in our midst, and, by seeing this, can be more excited about where he is taking us in 2008 and beyond.

On a personal note, last weekend I was in the parsonage of my first church visiting with their current pastor and was flooded with memories of my time there. Looking around, I thought a great deal about what all I did and what I did not do, and about what I would do differently if I were to go back there. I was reminded, by looking back at where I was, just how far I have grown as a person and as a pastor. It was a great moment, for I was reminded of God's gracious work in my life.

As you go into the rest of this Thursday and into this weekend, let me ask you - when was the last time you sat back and look at things from the larger perspective? When was the last time you looked back over a longer horizon and seen how God has worked in your life? When was the last time you went from the day-to-day battles of life to the overall 'big picture'?

Don't fall into the trap of allowing every day to dictate your attitude about life. It can physically and spiritually debilitate you.

See you Sunday!
Lamar

Vol 3 No 6 - Just Ask

Buffalo, New York. New Year's Day. Very cold. Very snowy. A great day for hockey. There was a time in my life when I followed the Pittsburgh Penguins as closely as most of you follow LSU football. However, having been away from the 'burgh for almost 15 years now, and with no ready access to hockey on TV, my interest has waned a little bit. I was so excited when I found out that NBC would be broadcasting the NHL's first outdoor game in the US and that the Penguins would be playing the Buffalo Sabres. To make a long story short, I was very excited to see the Penguins new young star, Sidney Crosby, along with a host of others with which I was not familiar. My best friend from those days has told me that this is a good young team and that I would love to see them play, and I am glad I did. I even went online and listened to the Pittsburgh radio broadcast with the finest announcer in sports history, Mike Lange.

What's this got to do with anything related to me being your pastor? Simple. If my friend had not told me about them being so good, and if he hadn't sparked my interest in watching this game, I would not have come to appreciate the simple beauty of the game, along with the atmosphere of 71,000+ (a record) participating in this game.

I wonder sometimes about those people in our lives who were once in love with God, once in active fellowship in the church, once closely connected to Christ who are just waiting for someone like us to remind them of the great things that come from this Christian life. My friend Mike interested me in the hockey game (and even texted me from the game site) - who's needing you to interest them in the Triune God and the life of the church?

See you Sunday!
Lamar