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

Vol 5 No 29 - Sharing

One of the unavoidable calls we have as Christians is to spread the Good News of Christ's saving grace.  The fact of the matter is that you and I have to be in the business of sharing Christ and inviting others to the Kingdom of God or else we are making the statement that our baptism, our acceptance of the grace of God - indeed, the very existence of our faith - really means very little for it did not call us to tell others about the joy we have discovered.

Harsh?  Maybe.  However, as we continue putting the final touches on the preparation for our Vacation Bible School this week, I cannot get out of my mind the images of parents and children who will be in our midst next week, and wondering what it all means in the long run.

There is no question in my mind that VBS is of the utmost importance; it's one of the reasons I am proud that we have expanded our support for it over the past few years.  Some of the most memorable moments of my Christian formation came during the times I participated in VBS as a child and later on as a volunteer.  We must be about the business of spreading the Gospel to the next generation.

On the other hand, however, there is something about the evangelistic side of VBS that we must guard against, and in all actuality this is not just a VBS issue.  It can be very tempting for the church (on a local as well as institutional level) to look for programs and events to handle reaching others for Christ.  There is a place for these things, but far too often I believe we can delude ourselves into thinking that if we just engage in certain church activities, we've done our part to 'evangelize.'

People ask me a lot, "Preacher, what can we do to grow our church?"  In a world of 30-second attention spans and fad-oriented pre-packaged ministry programs where we just want to be handed something in a 'turn-key' fashion without investing ourselves too much, I hate to be the bearer of an answer we all may not want to hear from time to time, but it is the most accurate.  The answer to the question is simply this:  "Invest yourself in making sure that those whom you come in contact with know the importance of your faith by your example of thought, word, and deed.  Take time to develop relationships with those who are not of the faith, growing to a point where you do share with them the joy of Christ's salvation.  Realize there is no 'get-rich-quick' scheme involved - it takes time and intentionality."

If each one of us were to take seriously this mandate to share the faith and invite others to experience this life of Christ, I think we then start to capture the essence of how to grow a church.

Personally, I thank God for each and every one who participates in our Vacation Bible School ministry.  Those who are putting sweat equity on the line, those who are attending, those who support this congregation with their tithes and offerings - these all play a vital role in this evangelism event.  Let's not dishonor this week by using it as a cop-out to say we've done enough, but as an inspiration to do more.

If you haven't already, make sure you tell someone about our Vacation Bible School program, and offer to get them here if needed.  You never know what conversations may result and what God is ready to do through you.  Attached is a registration form if you need a conversation starter.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 28 - Today's Date

Dates are important.  Birthdays, holidays - whatever the occasion, dates are important markers in our lives.  In our society, there are dates that are part of our national conscience; among others, July 4, December 7, November 22, September 11 are ones that most all who read this e-mail know immediately.

It's also interesting to observe that sometimes the dates that are really important sometimes slip by without our even noticing, or it doesn't register with us at certain times. I was reminded of this on my way into the office this morning as I dropped my car off for service this morning.  Signing the authorization form, I froze when it came to dating my signature.  This wouldn't be that big of a deal, except that I should have had today's date roll right off the end of the pen, for today Erin and I are celebrating nine years of marriage.  (And no, for those of you in the cheap seats, I didn't forget - for not 15 minutes earlier I had wished her a happy anniversary as I left the house).

This all got me thinking, though, about other things that make this date important.  Students of history will know that for our friends in France, today is Bastille Day, marking an important event in the French Revolution.  While maybe not as well-known, on this day in 1933, all political parties but the Nazi party were outlawed in Germany.  Former President Gerald Ford would celebrate his 97th birthday today.  Our Roman Catholic friends are observing the feast of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

Thing is, none of these events make today any more 'important' than any other in the big scheme of things, for today, like every day, is a gift from God, and is noteworthy because of divine grace and mercy that has been shown to us through Christ.  Even if we don't think today is noteworthy, God does, and because of that, it is noteworthy to us, if we are to be as God intends and in the midst of the divine will for our lives.

May it be so in how you live in thought, word, and deed.

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 27 - Routine

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  SERIOUSLY.  WHO IN THE WORLD COULD HAVE SEEN THIS ONE COMING?  THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A ROUTINE DAY.  ROUTINE.  DAYS LIKE TODAY COME AND GO ALL THE TIME.  Who really needs to pay attention to this?  Seen it before and will see it again.

By now, I am sure many, if not all of you, are aware of the epic tennis match that started Tuesday, went on all afternoon yesterday, and will continue Thursday.  Truly historical.  Thing is, I think even had we been there we might have missed most of the record-breaking day.

And why would we have missed this great moment?  It was on court 18, not exactly the center stage.  It was a match between a lower-ranked and a non-ranked seed.  Quite frankly, it didn't deserve much attention at all.  Who really cares if I miss a lowly first round match?

We would have missed this moment for the same reason many of us are ambivalent about the importance of Sunday morning worship.  Quite frankly, we don't expect much to happen.  The danger in this kind of thinking, not expecting much to happen, is that you never know what you are going to miss. 

Quite frankly, this kind of attitude says more about us than the event (be it something trivial as a tennis match or as important as Sunday morning.)  We say that we worship a God who is capable of doing the unexpected in a mighty and powerful way at any time, without warning.  Yet, we get lulled into thinking there is not much special about a routine Sunday.  So what if I stay in bed, or catch some TV, or go fishing?  So what if I decide that it's one of those weekends where I just don't feel like going?

God is the primary actor in worship, not us.  We never know what God may do through a particular Sunday morning service - be in a prayer, a message, a reading, a song, or even just who we might run into that particular day.  We may miss the truly celebratory day of someone joining the church, participating in the baptism of a child or a new convert, someone professing their faith in Christ, or an unexpected celebration of the Eucharist.

Not every worship service occurs on a high holy day.  Not every tennis match is held at center court between the 1 & 2 seeds.  Yet, to ignore the seemingly routine or mundane is to run the risk of something monumental.  Something where you go, 'Dang.  I had the chance to be there and I blew it because I didn't expect much to happen.'

God is up to something.  Don't miss it because you don't expect it.  And, on that note, 

See You Sunday!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 26 - Game Seven

There are some things in life for which you should need no outside motivation.  For my beloved Boston Celtics, and those guys from Los Angeles, tonight provides one of those occasions.  Two words: Game Seven.  Professional athletes can make or break their reputations in situations like these.  Even if these weren't the two most successful franchises in the history of their league, even if they were the champions of the past two seasons (Celtics in 2008, Lakers in 2009), even if their rivalry didn't go back 51 years, the words Game Seven should be enough motivation for them to do their dead level best, leaving nothing on the table.

Thing is, as much as a Game Seven should motivate world-class athletes without another word being said or trick being pulled, you and I have something more to motivate us to bring our 'A' game every day.  You and I have been given the gift of reconciliation with our creator through the grace of Jesus Christ, and not by our own strength, but with the assistance of the Holy Spirit.  Because of this grace, you and I should need no more motivation to spread the Gospel to all the world in thought, word, and deed.  Because of this grace, you and I have all the reason in the world to make sure that we live our lives in such a way as to bring glory to God.

Tuesday evening, the Celtics lost their starting center, Kendrick Perkins, to torn ligaments in his knee.  He will be unavailable for Game Seven.  The Lakers' center, Andrew Bynum, is also fighting knee issues, but he will play tonight.  Doesn't matter.  These are not good enough reasons to say we can't win Game Seven.  No matter who is available or not available, or at what level of strength, you must bring your best and believe that you will win, or else you have no business setting foot on the floor.

Just as injuries happen to athletes, things happen to you and me that we could use as excuses to not do our best in living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We can come up with all the excuses in the world to not tithe, not be in worship every Sunday, not provide aid to those in need, not seek out mission opportunities, not tell others of how Christ has radically transformed our lives, etc.; at the end of the day, those are just excuses.  Because of the grace given to us by God through Christ, you and I have all the motivation in the world to take advantage of every opportunity to worship, tithe, help the poor and needy, seek out mission opportunities, evangelize, testify, etc.  If it takes anything else to motivate you to live out the life you have been given by grace, we seriously need to talk.

If you watch the game tonight, you will probably hear the cliché, "There's no tomorrow for these two teams.  Nothing to hold back for another day."

For the Christian that we proclaim to be, we already know that's true for EVERY DAY, for we do not know the day or the hour when Christ will come again.  As James tells us, tomorrow's not guaranteed.  If we aren't in the business of bringing to Christ all that we can each and every day, each and every moment, for what are we waiting?  After all, there's no guarantee you're going to get tomorrow to correct what you didn't do today.

The Celtics and the Lakers have all the motivation in the world to bring everything they have: Game Seven.

You and I have been given all the motivation in the world to bring everything we have: Good Friday & Easter Sunday.

'Nuff said.

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 25 - To What Are You Coming?

This is a week of starts around our congregation - the start of a new conference year, the start of our newest staff member, and the start of our summer worship series (Favorite Music of Pharr Chapel).

As most of you are aware, the Louisiana Annual Conference held it's annual session this week at Centenary College in Shreveport.  It was a joy to be with friends, colleagues, and laity from around our great state as we celebrate the mission and ministry of United Methodists.  We were reminded once again of the wonder of our connection, and how we go forth working hand in hand to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Like any organization, there are issues to deal with and areas of disagreement; at the end of the day I come back hopeful of our future.  Pharr Chapel was well-represented by your lay delegate, Burt Adams, and as part of our district youth contingent Kristin and Angie Champine.  Within the next few weeks, Burt will be speaking during morning worship to bring us the highlights of the week.

In last week's Mid-Week Message, I talked about the interviewing process for our secretary position.  I am pleased to announce that we had a great response to our position, and that Kristen Schaefer will be starting tomorrow (Friday) as the latest member of our staff.  Kristen comes to us with over 19 years experience in administrative and accounting areas, and I am confident that she will be a great addition to our church family.  She is moving here from the New Orleans area and will be getting married sometime later this year to Sam Autrey.  As you come through our offices over the next few weeks, take a moment to stop in and welcome Kristen.

Finally, don't forget that we start our Favorite Music of Pharr Chapel summer worship series this week.  We are going to start with something you might not expect as we look at Charles Wesley's great hymn, "O Come, All Ye Faithful."  You might be surprised to find out this classic which is considered strictly an Advent/Christmas Hymn has just as much relevance to us now (if not more) than if we limit it just to one season of the year.  Keep in mind this question as you come to worship this Sunday - To who or what are you coming when you gather with the body of Christ?

See You Soon!

Lamar

Vol 5 No 24 - Calling

Earlier today, while looking at resumes as the process for choosing our new church secretary moves forward, I couldn't help but ponder the following question: Why do you want this position?  Of course, this is a question that each interviewee has been asked in one form or another, and the answers have ranged from well-thought-out, professional responses to "I need a job."  And, of course, the non-verbal answers each of these gave said more to me about their answers than if I had just heard their words.

The pondering of this question to which I am referring, though, is not about a staff position.  I wonder how we would answer the question, "Why do you want this position?" if someone were to inquire about our desire to accept a place in the kingdom of God as one saved through the grace of Christ, reconciled to God by his body and blood.

Why do you want to be a Christian?  Why are you a Christian?  Would you be able to answer the question?  Would your answer be an engaging one that might be an encouragement to others to share in your passion for this position?  Would your answer be one of disengaged, unemotional detachment?

Next week, it will be my holy honor to lay hands upon Rev. Jeremy Jones as Bishop Hutchinson, acting on behalf of the church, ordains him to the office of Elder.  As part of the ordination service, the Bishop will remind Jeremy, the other candidates, and all gathered for worship Monday evening that:

All baptized Christians are called to share in Christ's ministry of love and service in the world, to the glory of God and for the redemption of the human family and the whole of creation.

Yes, I think that's it.  This idea of our calling as baptized Christians as presented here, needs to be an integral part of our answering the question, "Why do you want to be a Christian?"

So, the question stands as presented, "Why do you want to be a Christian?"

See You Soon!

Lamar