Cold Springs UMC

I write this from the Lone Star state of Texas where I have been attending the General Conference of the United Methodist Church.  I have been working with a group from our Annual Conference to advocate that the church be mindful of rural and churches of small membership as it plans for the future.  As I prepare to return back to Cold Springs Church later today, there are a few thoughts I have about this experience.  First, I am reminded of how diverse the church and the world really is.  There are people here from 50 nations around the world.  I have heard people pray not only in English, but also Russian, German, Spanish, and other languages I was uncertain of.  The dress of some of the delegates is different than the way we dress.  Despite the diversity of the backgrounds of the people here, I have felt a real sense of kinship with brothers and sisters around the world.  Secondly, I have been reminded (as Bishop Judith Craig put it to a group of us on Sunday) that the church can disagreee without being disagreeable.  There are persons here at this gathering with all sorts of points of view.  Some have viewpoints different than my own on issues of our times.  However, I have been impressed with the spirit of respect for others I have found at this General Conference.  When the church is able to hear others of differing opinions and still see that as a person that Christ died for, then I believe that we are not far from the kingdom of  God.   Thirdly, I leave the state of Texas hopeful about the church.  I feel a sense of pride in what God is doing around the world now in the lives of people to share the love of Christ Jesus in concrete and creative ways.    Though there is a lot of work to be done for the kingdom of God, I leave this experience hopeful for the future of the church believing  that with the help of the Holy Spirit that the church will rise to challenges of the 21st century before us. 

Today, Pope Benedict XVI will visit with President Bush at the White House.  This is Pope Benedict’s first visit to the United States and only the second time that a papal leader has visited at the White House.  While most reading this are not of the Roman Catholic tradition, this is a significant event for several reasons.  First, the Pope is a religious leader, the head of Roman Catholics around the world (Catholics comprise about two thirds of Christians around the world).  Secondly, the Pope is a government leader since he is the head of Vatican City, one of the smallest nations in the world.  

It is the role of the church in particular and religious leaders in general to counsel, comfort, and advise our government leaders.  Billy Graham (in his book “Just As I Am”) speaks about the times he had done that with U.S. Presidents since Harry Truman.    Sometimes, the role of religious leaders is to confront or admonish  leaders as did the prophet Nathan to King David.  Always, it is the role of religious leaders and members of the church to pray for our government leaders.  A few years ago, Ann and I had the chance to attend the Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC which started in the 1950’s because President Eisenhower requested the prayers of religious leaders in his duties.   While we might not have an “audience” with the Pope or with President Bush,  let us pray for our government leaders.      They will be better leaders with God’s help and our prayers. 

The year 2008 is an election year.  We will go to the polls in November to elect persons to many local, state, and national political races.  We will have a primary election on May 6, and with the closeness of the Democratic party presidential race the candidates and their supporters are making regular stops these days in North Carolina.   I have had an interest in politics for most of my life that may be a result of the fact that during my formative years my father worked in city government and our next door neighbor was the chairman of our county democratic party.  I can remember at 11 years old going with the Cary boys through the neighborhood pulling a wagon with signs for Richardson Preyer for govenor chanting, “Lake is a snake, Moore is a bore, so vote for Preyer in ‘64.” 

As we face a primary election in a few weeks and a general election in the Fall, I encourage you to vote.  Voting for the candidate of your choice is the foundation of a democracy.  Our forebears made immense sacrifices on many battlefields that we might have such a priviledge.  There was a time in American history as recent as the last 100 years when certain segments of our community (e.g. women, people of race) did not even have the priviledge to vote.    I heard some time ago the sad news that more votes were cast for “American Idol” contestants than voted in the 2004 presidential election.  Voting is a way that we have “our say” in matters of government. 

When you go to the polls and vote, I encourage you as followers of Christ Jesus to vote this way:  VOTE PRAYERFULLY.  While I will not tell you what candidates to vote for, I will encourage you as your pastor to listen not only to what the candidates for office say and what others say about them, but seek God’s guidance in how to vote.   Put into practice those words on our coinage which say “In God We Trust” by trusting God enough to seek his counsel on what kind of leadership we need in government.  The persons we elect in 2008 to public office face immense challenges, and we need the wisdom only God can give to discern who are right persons to serve.   You might want to read the Old Testament scriptures (e.g. I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, etc.) on the leaders of Israel and try to discern the qualities of the leaders that honored God.   

Easter is an unusual holy day in that it does not always come the same date every year.   While the holy day of Christmas is always December 25 and a holiday like St. Patricks Day is always March 17, the date of Easter varies.  The phases of the moon and the changing of the seasons determine when Easter is.  Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon that comes after the beginning of Spring.  This year, Easter is about as early as it can get.  The last time that Easter was on March 23 was in 1913.  In 1940, Easter was one day later on March 24.  You have to wait until 2035 for Easter to come close to being this early again.   Easter Day, 2035 will be March 25.  Next year in 2009, Easter will be on April 12.

Though Easter is early, it is not too early for me.  When I turn on the television or open my newspaper, I hear so much “gloom and doom” about our economy and about whats going on in the world.  But Easter comes bursting forth with hope and new life.   God breaks forth in Easter bringing new life and saying to us who live in a troubled world “I have overcome the world”.   

From what I could see looking at the  future dates of Easter, Easter will not be this early for many, many years.    But you know what?   The good news of Easter is that though we who are in Christ may not be here on earth,  we can and will celebrate Easter in heaven as we live eternally in Christ.   Rejoice in Easter. 

I am in Savannah, Georgia.  Girl scouts know that it is the birthplace of girl scouting, but it also is a special place for those that bear the name of Methodist.  In 1735, John Wesley (founder of Methodism) accepted the invitation of James Oglethorpe to be chaplain for the new colony of Georgia.  John Wesley and his brother, Charles, set sail to Georgia and arrived in the early days of 1736.  Yesterday was March 7, and it would have been the 272nd anniversary of when John Wesley preached his first sermon in Georgia.  Wesley preached his first sermon on the steps of the courthouse.  

If John Wesley stood on the courthouse steps here in Savannah today (within a short walk from where I write), I wonder if the governmental officials would let him preach?  I wonder what he would have to say to the people of Georgia and America today?  Though it has been 272 years since Wesley came to Georgia and things have changed, God and His Word have not changed. 

I just listened to the NBC Evening News and heard financier Warren Buffett share that he believes that the U.S. economy is in a recession.  The rising cost of oil, cost of living, and growing number of foreclosures are a cause of concern.  I am not an economist or a financial guru like Warren Buffett.  I am a pastor.  Apart of what all of it reminds me is that we may not be able to trust the future of our economy or the stock market, but we can always trust in the Lord.  As the scripture says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.”

The February 26 edition of THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER had some startling news.  A survey of 35,000 American adults by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life states that twenty eight percent of persons have left they grew up in or left for no religion at all.   

 It would  be quite easy to point a finger of blame at this twenty eight percent and at the fact that they have left the church or left their faith or to point a finger at society and all the choices that allure for our time or attention.  However, I think that we need to make the hard step of looking at ourselves as the church and do some soul-searching.  What have we as clergy and laity of the church done wrong?   What can we as the church do better?   What can we as the body of Christ do to reach out to those who have left the body of Christ, and what can we do differently in the future so that these trends do not continue?  

New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14.  That was the final score in Super Bowl XLII that was played last evening.  Some sports writers are calling it of the biggest upsets in sports history because the Patriots were undefeated.   With this loss, the Patriots not only are the losers of the Super Bowl football game, but they do not have a perfect record anymore.   The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only team in NFL history to complete their entire season with an undefeated record.

While a perfect record is rare in the NFL and any sport, it is impossible in the life of human beings.  The apostle Paul reminds us of that in Romans 3:23 when he says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”     The New England Patriots are not perfect anymore, and we have never been.   

On Wednesday, February 6, we will gather for worship on Ash Wednesday.  Ashes will be placed on our foreheads as a pastor says, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.  Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  Our foreheards will be dirtied with ashes because are hearts and souls are dirty.  We are sinners. 

However, there is good news.  After the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that  we have sinned and come short of the glory of God, he tells us the good news in the next verse (Romans 3:24) where he says, “Being  justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”     Thanks be to God for the victory that is ours through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.   

There has been much written and said about Britney Spears in the media in recent months.   We have heard about her divorce from Kevin Federline… and her loss of custody of her children and parental visitation rights.  We have heard opinions about her from people as diverse as Dr. Phil McGraw and the hosts of “Inside Edition”.    Everyone seems quick and ready to take the time to point a finger at her, but I wonder if anyone is taking  the time to pray for her?  

We live in a world where people seem so quick to talk about the elected official, the celebrity, the pastor, and other public personalities.    I think that we would serve Britney Spears and these others better if we spent less time talking about them and more time praying for them.  

I write this from the waiting room at CMC-NorthEast.  I have spent a lot of time around the house recently.  As some folks in our congregation commented to me earlier today, ti seems that we have had an unusually large number of seriously ill persons in our church fellowship in recent days.

My language proficiency is somewhat limited.  While I speak English and a bit of Spanish, I don’t know any other language very well.  I am told that the Chinese character that means “crisis” can also mean “opportunity”.  As folks in our church family face serious illness in these days, it is a time of crisis for them but it is a time of opportunity for us to be THE Church of Jesus Christ.  The sickness that seems so prevalent right now in our church family and community is a time when we as followers of Christ can show love, support, and care to those who hunger for it in their time of need.