Memorial Day

I am going to say this as gently as possible; please accept it in the spirit that it is offered.

Please do not thank a veteran this weekend. We have our day in November. This weekend is for our friends, our brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in the cause of freedom.

When you thank us, as sincere as it is, it reminds us that we came home, while they did no...t. Somehow, for us, it lessens the solemnity of the day and heightens our survivor guilt.

We appreciate your gratitude. We are embarassed by it, but we appreciate it. But please, please, this weekend, remember it is not about service, it is about sacrifice.

And while willing, we did not make that sacrifice. . .

This Sunday we will continue our series How Firm a Foundation on the spiritual disciplines.  Already we have covered the two Sacraments of the Church: Communion and Baptism.  This Sunday we will focus on prayer and intimacy with God.

 In the past I have shared with you some very concrete ways to pray: 

1.  Memorized prayers.  Prayers like the Lord’s Prayer, St. Patrick's Breastplate, or other memorized prayers have an important place in our prayer life.  Not all prayer needs to be spontaneous.  Remember, Jesus as a Jew would have prayed the Shema daily.  If it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for us!

2. A.C.T.S. of prayer.  ACTS is an acronym that stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.  We come into God’s presence remembering who He is and praising Him for His greatness; we confess that we have failed to be the people God calls us to be; we thank Him for His blessings, and we pray for the world and those who are hurting.

3.  Breath prayers.  These are prayers that can be prayed in one breath.  I often hop on my motorcycle, drive around our community and pray for the families in their homes, the people I see in our community, our police and firefighters, whatever else God leads me to pray for.

4. Contemplative or Centering Prayer is what brings me the most peace in my prayer life.  It is a way of resting in God’s presence without speaking.  I often do this in my church study, the door closed, with some spiritual or instrumental music playing in the background.

This week I will not so much be talking about the nuts and bolts of praying as I will be talking about how Jesus prayed and some of the words of correction he has for the way we pray sometime.  I hope you will join us in one of our five worship services as we think through what it means to be able to listen and speak with God and enjoy that intimacy.

Father, we want to spend some time with you.  Help us to hear your voice, to know your desires for us, and to be the children you want us to be.  What we want, most of all is to be in a deep, loving relationship with you, and to please you in what we say and do.  Thank you for our brother Jesus, who teaches us through word and example how to do just that.  This we ask in his name.  Amen.

Czech Republic

Jeff Jernigan and I are currently in the Czech Republic for our annual pilgrimmage to our sister church in Jihlava and the History Makers and Christian to the Core Conferences in Malenovice.

For ten years McEachern has had a relationship with the congregation of the Methodist Church in Jihlava.  Many of our members have traveled to the Czech Republic to lead lead English Camps, Family Camps, weddings, and develop relationships with these brothers and sisters.  For the past four years I have come here to preach and assist in leading conferences for the International Leadership Institute.  I forget how much I love being here until I return.

We are currently in the village of Malenovice at the foot of Lysa Hora, the tallest mountain in the Beskydy range.  It is early fall here; much earlier than we usually travel to this part of the world.  Last year we were here in late November, just before Thanksgiving.  The year before we were here in early October, but got three feet of snow!  This year the weather has been sunny and warm, but after a front moved through with some rain yesterday we are not experiencing clear, sunny, cool weather.  It is heaven compared to the summer we have had in Atlanta with ninety days of ninety plus temperatures - a new record.

Aside from the beauty of the place, there is also the beauty of the people.  These are some seriously dedicated Christians.  The Czech remains one of the most atheistic countries in the world - 40% of its population identifies themselves as atheist, while only 3% describe themselves as Protestant.  There are few, if any, cultural Christians here - it is simply too difficult and the downside too steep to be lukewarm.

This is the fourth year I've taught here, and the second year helping to lead History Makers.  History Makers is made up of young adult Christians who want to reclaim their country and continent for Jesus.  Our job is to help them gain some skills in order to be effective leaders.  Being with these young adult Christians refreshes my soul.

And then, it's just good to get away and spend some time with God and fellow brothers and sisters.  I have much more time here for Bible reading and meditation.  We have some great impromptu conversations about theology and ecclesiology with these young folks, some of whom are pastors and some seminary students.  Even with the schedule of teaching, the long days (13+ hours) and the time difference, I find myself re-energized and peaceful.

There is another conference starting today where Jeff and I will also teach while still teaching History Makers.  A group from Poland will arrive and we will help teach Christian to the Core.  These folks are "E-Coaches" who talk with people after they have made a commitment to Christ via the Internet (check out www.lookingforgod.com).

For more information about The International Leadership Institute check out www.iliteam.org.

Please pray for us as we finish up here tomorrow and start the long trip back early Saturday morning.

This weekend we celebrate Labor Day. The first Labor Day was held in New York City on September 5, 1882. In 1894 the US Congress named the first Monday of September as the official date that Labor Day would be recognized in DC and the US territories. The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement. Today the holiday is primarily seen as an end of summer celebration. (Thanks to the Department of Labor website for this helpful historical summary!)

But what does God have to say about Labor?

First, labor is a gift of God and was part of God’s original plan for humanity. Before the fall, work existed! In Genesis we read, “The Lord God took man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (2.15) As we will learn on Sunday, work is not a four letter word.

Labor, however, like everything else, became corrupted after the fall. “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat of the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground;” (Genesis 3.17-19a).

Our work, however, can be used to bring glory to God. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3.17)

I hope you enjoy your day off on Labor Day. More than that I hope you enjoy and give thanks to God for giving your hands work to do. In all we do in offices, classrooms, or in the open fields may we do it as if we are doing it to the Lord.

Lord God, we give you thanks for the work you have given us to do. May we treat our customers, students, co-workers and teachers as if they are you. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Natural Evil

I was sitting in a large ballroom with 400 of my closest friends yesterday when I felt it; I knew exactly what it was. I leaned over to my friend and whispered “earthquake”. Sure enough, a few seconds later we were on the streets of Baltimore waiting for the tremors to end and get the “all clear” to re-enter the Baltimore Hilton.

Tomorrow we fly down to Orlando to lead a retreat. Can you say “Hurricane Irene”?

When natural disasters strike we often wonder where God is in the mix. Does God cause these things to happen? If so, why? Is God helpless to prevent these things from happening? If so, is God really omnipotent? Is this just the way the world is? Or is it a result of some kind of evil? Here are some of the ways others have described it.

1. Natural disasters are God’s punishment on the wicked. Undoubtedly you have heard someone say that AIDS is God’s punishment on the gay community or that Hurricane Katrina was sent by God to clean out New Orleans. But then again, what about infants who contract the HIV virus or innocents who drown in NOLA? Not very satisfying to say God is just, but those folks are just “collateral damage”.
2. Others say God allows these things to happen so that good can come from it. Take a look at the Church’s response to natural disasters throughout history. We step up to the plate and become the visible presence of Christ in the world. That’s good stuff! People come to Christ through our ministrations and we have the opportunity to flex our missional muscles. But do we really serve a Heavenly Father who will cause death and misery to some of his children so that other children can do good deeds? I don’t think that is the God our Bible teaches us about.

Instead, I think these natural disasters are a result of our fallen state. If you read the third chapter of Genesis you will see that in the fall we become estranged not only from God, but also each other, ourselves, and creation. Simply put, before the fall there were no natural disasters. And to add hope to this message, when Christ returns in final glory and puts all things right again, once again there will be no estrangement between us and God’s creation and hence, no natural disasters.

You and I live in the “in between times”. We live between the fall and the final consummation of God’s kingdom. So, let’s not grow weary in doing good. Let others see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven.

Change

Things are certainly changing in the Higgins household. Three years ago we sent our oldest, Bo, off to Reinhardt University in Waleska, GA. For the past two summers he has stayed on campus, taken classes and worked. But, we still had three teens at home with our twins and a young man, Dekarius, who lived with us for a little over a year. We moved Dekarius down to Florida last month where he will live, work, and next year attend a local college. Many of you know that Chris left July 5th for boot camp at lovely Ft. Jackson, SC. He’ll graduate in September and go to Ft. Meade, MD for additional training. Carley leaves for Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville at the end of this week. Next week, Pam and I will be empty nesters!

This will certainly be a new chapter in our lives. I know we’ll miss their presence, energy, clutter, and friends dropping by. Dinner will be more of a challenge to prepare as I move from preparing for an always undetermined number of adults and teens to just the two of us. And I know the dinner table will be a bit lonely for a while. But I also know we are looking forward to some of the changes that are coming.

And that’s pretty much life, isn’t it? Our post-modern culture is one of quickly accelerating change. And change is good, but sometimes painful. It has been said that we are either growing or dying, and growth requires change. Think of all the change in McEachern through the years. We moved from a wooden structure to the brick chapel. In 1990 we built the current sanctuary. We embraced new technology like indoor plumbing, electricity, air conditioning, and video. The “old guard” made room for a new generation over and over again through the years so the congregation could keep moving forward. Each generation struggled to be faithful to the Gospel in the context of the changing culture and that led to what we now know as the church we love. As the old preachers like to say, “We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us”. Thank goodness those who went before us embraced those changes.

The good news in the midst of sometimes bewildering change is that God remains the same. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13.8). With all the changes going on in our house these days that may just become my favorite Bible verse for a while.

Doesn't Anyone Read the Parable of the Good Samaritan Anymore?

This past Sunday Pam and I thought we would take a drive. It was a beautiful day - sunny and warm. The perfect day to put the top down on the Miata and explore the Georgia backroads. So, after three worship services we dashed home, changed clothes, gassed up, and headed out thinking we would make it to Newnan and grab a bite there before heading to parts unknown.

That was the plan anyway.

We got stuck behind someone going slow, r-e-a-l slow. And we couldn't see much, being low to the ground and all. We were stuck for a long time. You know the drill: two lane country highway, few passing zones, and everytime we hit a zone there were cars coming from the other direction.

Finally, we got lucky. I zipped into the left lane, punched it, and then BANG, immediately hit the largest pothole in the state of Georgia. The car limped to the intersection we were approaching. I turned onto the four lane divided highway, pulled over, and got out to inspect the damage.

The front driver's side tire was as flat as they come - a big ugly gash in the sidewall. Oh, you remember we were in the Miata? Yeah, the little cars that don't come with a spare; instead, you get a can of sealant and compressed air. That is all well and good for a puncture, but does nothing for a two inch hole in the sidewall.

Thank goodness for technology. We grabbed the GPS, hit "help" then "where am I?" We were in the middle of nowhere, but it said "Fairburn". Next step, pull out the iPhone, get the Internet, Google "Fairburn Towing". It was a busy day, but they said they could get to us within the hour.

For fifty-five minutes we watched a stream of cars pass by. They stopped at the stoplight and looked at us. Their heads swiveled to look at us as they accelerated through the intersection heading on their way. Dressed in their Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, heading back from lunch after church, they looked at us. And for nearly an hour, not one person stopped.

Now, this was not some six foot four, three hundred ound, scraggly-bearded guy with a broken down pickup truck with a "Kill 'Em All and Let God Sort 'Em Out" bumper sticker. This was little ol' me, and littler ol' Pam in a MIATA broken down on the side of the road. We were about as unintimidating as you can get.

But no one stopped.

Not even to ask if we needed them to call someone.

Not even the folks dressed in their Sunday finest going home after the lunch following worship.

If a Muslim man from the Mideast stopped it would have made this a sermon illustration down the road. But he didn't. No one did.

I'll remember that the next time I see someone on the side of the road. And I'll stop. Even if only to ask if I can call someone for them.

I hope you will as well.

New Year's Eve

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, held "Watch Night" services to end each year and usher in the new. For this service he wrote a special service which includes what we now refer to as "The Wesley Covenant Prayer". What better way to end 2010 and begin a new year, and a new decade, than with this prayer?

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

A Christmas Poem to the Troops

Bob Beskar is a Vietnam War veteran who is an active member of the Ft. Snelling Chapel community and a poet. This was shared with me by CH (COL) Ken Beale, the USAR Command Chaplain and fellow United Methodist pator.

To our troops throughout the world...
I’m writing this poem for you...
For I’ve also spent a Christmas...
Serving my “Uncle” too!

It was some time ago...
But it seems like yesterday...
That’s how it will be for you...
As you watch time slip away!

Enough of me already...
Let’s talk some more of you...
And how at Christmas time...
You feel the way you do!

You’re in a far off land...
And home is far away...
But your duty is your utmost
To the good old USA!

You miss all those back home...
It’s a natural thing to do...
Especially during Christmas...
Because they’re also missing you!

So on this special day...
When you have a moment free...
Think of the child Jesus...
Who was born for you and me!

Remember also this...
The love that’s sent to you...
By the millions of grateful people...
Who are supporting what you do!

Faith

Several friends have shared the following with me. I like it, so I thought I would pass it on to you.

Faith lives in the same apartment building as Doubt. When Faith was out of town visiting her uncle in the hospital, Doubt fed the cat and watered the asparagus fern. Faith is comfortable with Doubt because she grew up with him. Their mothers are cousins. Faith is not dogmatic about her beliefs like some of her relatives. Her friends fear that Faith is a bit stupid. They whisper that she is naïve and she depends on Doubt to protect her from the meanness of life. In fact, it is the other way around. It is Faith who protects Doubt from Cynicism.

"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament declares his handiwork" Psalm 19.1

Have you seen and heard all that is going on in the night skies these days? It is truly amazing:

1. Venus, Saturn, Mars, and the waning crescent moon are all aligned. The last few nights as I take my evening stroll around the campus I can see these planets in the western sky. I don't know, right off hand, when this will happen again, but it is a rare and awesome sight.

2. After the planets are no longer visible the real show starts: the Perseid meteor shower. Find a place to lay on your back between 10 p.m. and midnight and you can see 50-60 meteors an hour. These meteors are the debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet which comes out of Perseus (hence the name Perseid). We won't see this again in our lifetime.

From the earliest days humanity has gazed up into the sky and seen the creativity of a loving and eternal God. Now, don't get me wrong; we don't think God is in the creation, that would be animism. And we don't worship creation; that would be idolatry. What we see is evidence of a creating God. It is one of the indirect ways that God speaks to us.

As Jesus said when he was physically present on earth, "let those with eyes see, and those with ears hear". God is still talking, let's chat!

Happy Summer Solstice!

I’m writing this on June 21st, the summer solstice, that astronomical phenomenon that signals the start of summer and the longest day of the year. Summer is a time when many of us are traveling, going on vacation, seeing family and friends, and that’s a good thing! I can’t wait to get to the beach and spend time with my extended family. Of course, traveling means that we’re not here with each other, so here are a few ways to stay connected to God and one another this summer.

1. Go Undercover. While you’re traveling this summer spy on another congregation. What are they doing right that we could put into practice here at McEachern? Make notes, take pictures and video with your cell phone, and bring a bulletin back. Remember, it’s not plagiarism, it’s research!

2. Take a Good Book with you. Actually, take the Good Book with you. If you take a laptop or an IPhone you can take an electronic copy with you. Bookmark or print this link http://northgaumc.s3.amazonaws.com/Files/Resources/Bible_Reading.pdf for a Bible reading plan that will get you not only through the summer, but the year as well.

3. Stay in touch with your friends. Your friends at McEachern, that is. Sign up on our website to receive the newsletter and midweek letter electronically. Bookmark our website (www.mceachernumc.org) so you can check on what’s happening back home and listen to the sermons that are preached while you are away.

4. Be here when you’re here. I’ll be honest; sometimes I need a vacation from my vacation! But when you’re in town resist the urge to roll back over and get a few extra winks. You’ll be glad you came to worship!

I hope you have safe and happy travels. May our vacations reconnect us to friends and family and the God who created the universe. Stay in touch!

Annual Conference 2010

Last week 20 pastors and laity from McEachern attended the North Georgia Annual Conference in Athens, GA. Each year 2,500 delegates from 960 churches gather to do the work of the conference. We debate resolutions, hear reports from our extended ministries, commission and ordain men and women for the ministry, remember the clergy and their spouses who have died since our last session, and conduct the work of North Georgia Methodists, including passing the budget and receiving our appointments for the coming year. There are several items of interest that I would like to pass on to you from this year’s gathering.

Over the last two years our denomination has been seeking to raise $25 million to fund a pension program for clergy outside the United States. Many of our retired pastors in the Central Conferences live in abject poverty. It was announced that we have already crossed the $20 million threshold; praise God! This year our conference collected $121,600 for the Central Conference Pension Initiative.

Our mission project at annual conference this year was to assemble food kits for Stop Hunger Now, an international hunger relief organization that coordinates the distribution of food and other life-saving aid around the world. An anonymous donor contributed $50,000 so we could partner with this organization. During conference we assembled 200,230 meals! I hope we will make this project part of our fall missions conference and our spring Great Day of Service.

Several exciting things happened on Friday, the final day of the conference. First, McEachern was one of seven congregations recognized as a Church of Excellence in Outreach. Thank you for your tireless efforts locally and globally that brought this recognition. Secondly, Chris Higgins was presented to the conference as the incoming President of the North Georgia Conference Youth. Chris served as vice-president last year and was elected by his peers the weekend before conference. Finally, all of our appointed pastors were appointed to serve another year at McEachern. Cindy Blocksidge and Donna Goff were appointed to their tenth year; Hur and Lucy Morales and I were appointed to our fourth year, and Charlie Marus was appointed for his second year. We are all grateful to be returning to such an exciting congregation.

Security

Many of you are aware of the upgrade in our security system a year or two ago. I know there was a period of adjustment, but we all changed our regular way of operating and things got into a period of "new normalcy". We discovered how useful our system is last night when a guitar was stolen from a hallway while its owner was on our walking track.

Immediately upon notification our facilities director, John Spain, returned to the campus and ran through the recordings from our security cameras. We were able to spot the young men enter the building and leave by a different door ten minutes later with the guitar. We were also able to identify the car they left in. One of our recreation workers was able to identify one of the suspects. After being questioned by our staff the young man contacted the person who had the guitar and it was returned to the church campus to be delivered to its rightful owner.

There are several lessons I learned from this incident:

1. We have superb employees who are willing to go out of their way to serve our members and guests, including leaving home late at night to return to the campus.

2. We also have employees who are willing to put themselves on the line, including their physical safety, to find justice.

3. We cannot assume that people will act correctly in our buildings just because it is a church. As a matter of fact, many criminals target churches because we seem to them to be a soft target.

4. The system works. Our security system secures areas that need to be secured at certain times, and we are able to identify and record people who do not have the best interest of the kingdom of God at heart.

I'm glad this story has a satisfactory ending. But be warned: just because we are in a church does not mean that we are safe from the evil of this world. Please be diligent about keeping a eye out for suspicious activity and report it to a staff member immediately.

Strange Day

This morning I got up and shrugged on one of the uniforms I wore in Iraq. I pulled on the boots I wore first in the Egyptian desert days after 9-11 and then wore regularly at Ft Hood and in Iraq -they're my favorites. I went downstairs to pour a cup of coffee into a travel cup. I pulled one out, and then for some reason, put it back. While I was replacing it my eye fell on another travel cup: one I thought was lost forever. It was the travel cup I had carried for 18 months and misplaced in Tallil, Al-Diwaniah, Al-Asad and numerous other places. But it had my name on it so it was always returned to me. Only to be lost, I thought, in the US.

After a day of keeping the world safe for democracy I met up with a friend for dinner. She suggested Chow Baby, to which I agreed, never having been there before. It's one of those restaurants where you select rice or pasta, veggies, and meat, and they fry it up for you on a big griddle. "Whoa", I thought, "It's Mongolian BBQ night!" That was my favorite night at the chow hall in Balad where I would pile my plate high with spaghetti, shrimp, crushed red pepper, and garlic/butter sauce which would be fried on a big griddle. I loved Mongolian BBQ night.

Then I came home and realized, suddenly, that it was January 20th.

Three years ago I was walking from the chow hall when I received the radio call, "Mustang 2-0, Mustang 2-0, Fallen Angel, I repeat, Fallen Angel". Mustang 2-0 was my call sign. Fallen Angel meant we had a missing helicopter. It was the first word I would hear that we had lost 12 Soldiers on what would become the deadliest day we, as a country, would experience in Iraq. That radio call would begin a whirlwind of grief counseling, planning for a memorial service, and the realization that we would not all be going home.

Here's to the crew and passengers of EASY 40. You were our friends, our comrades, true heroes and patriots. You represent to me all who paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom from the founding of our country.

And here's to the spouses, children, grandchildren, and friends you left behind. As long as we live you will never be forgotten.

God Speed.

There's Good in the World

Many of you are aware that my 17 year-old son was attacked, beaten, and robbed this past week. It was a random act of violence on a busy street in broad daylight, perpetrated by a troubled young man. Chris was taken to the emergency room, where I met him, and we were soon joined by Pam. The CT scan showed no major damage, so with pain meds in hand we took him home.

This is the place where I could go two ways with this post. The easy thing, I suppose, would be to talk about evil, violence, and what kind of world we live in where this could happen to as kind and helpful a person as Chris.

But what has really struck me about this event has been the good in people, not the evil.

A woman driving by saw what happened and stopped. She checked on Chris, called 911, and interviewed the boy who had been with the attacker just before he crossed the road to attack Chris. She stayed until Chris was taken off in the ambulance. I don't know if she knows the story of the Good Samaritan, but she is a Good Samaritan. There were other drivers who also stopped to see if they could be of assistance.

Shortly after I got to the hospital Rev. Jason Jordan and Andy Smith came into the room. Jason is our Pastor to Students and Andy our Middle High Youth Director. What a blessing they were as we hugged and they prayed for Chris.

And what a blessing our community of faith has been. Members of our youth group and college group have beaten a path to our door. There has been a steady stream of calls, emails, and text messages telling us of prayers being lifted on our behalf.

Crises define us. We rise to the challenge or we fall short; they bring out the best or the worst in us. Many of the folks in our lives have shown us that they are people of courage, care, and love in this crisis. And for that, we thank you.

Jesus Talks about His Birthday

A friend sent me this today. It pretty much sums up where I'm coming from, and I certainly could not frame it better. My friend said it sounds like what I've been preaching lately, and that is high praise indeed!

Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,

JESUS

Advent

This past Sunday I greeted the three services I led with "Happy New Year!" I've done that for three years here now at McEachern so some people caught on to what I was saying. This Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent; Advent is the beginning of the Christian Year, so this past Sunday was the first Sunday, so I greeted everyone accordingly!



But you know, even for us who know this tidbit, sometimes we don't "get" Advent. And our culture doesn't help, does it? It's hard to stick with Advent in the midst of a culture that thinks Christmas starts with Thanksgiving (okay, Halloween if you're a retailer) and ends with the stroke of midnight on December 24th. For the Christian, Christmas doesn't even start until Christmas Day, then goes on for 12 days (remember the song?) until Epiphany.



Too often our congregations get enculturated into the prevailing culture of celebrating instead of preparing, which Advent is all about. I mean, think about it. If we really followed Advent, we would only be singing Advent hymns, focusing on John the Baptist, and the only real decorations would be the Advent wreath!



I encouraged our folks to think of Advent as an alarm clock. Once a year this alarm goes off, wakes us from our stupor, and reminds us that Jesus came, and will be returning, and we had better be ready! That is why so many of our scripture lessons are apocalyptic - Advent is about both remembering that Jesus came, and that he will come again in power and in glory. We keep one eye towards the past and one eye toward the future - kind of a cross-eyed season, huh?



So, what am I doing to prepare this year? Well I am reading James Moore's study "What Do You Want for Christmas?" for my daily devotional time. I have made it a habit through the years to do something different in my devotional life during Advent. There are plenty of guides and books out there, especially at cokesbury.com. I am also rereading the Gospel of Matthew. Both Matthew and Luke give the stories of Jesus' nativity, so I thought that would make some good reading this time of the year. We have also published an Advent devotional guide at McEachern that I am reading.



I think of Advent and Lent as "sister seasons". In both cases we are preparing for something and paying more attention than usual to spiritual matters. Maybe this year if we spend a little more time preparing we will have the Christmas we have always wanted.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Yes, I stole the title from The Clash. . .

It has been nearly a year since I have posted on this blog. I'll admit that I have been (gasp!) spending time with another medium - the social networking site. I'm trying to decide the best way to stay in tough with you; should I continue this forum, or delete this blog and focus on other ways of staying in touch?

It's your decision too; should I stay or should I go?

Advent

This past Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent and the first Sunday in the Christian Year.

Advent comes from the Latin "adventus" meaning "Coming". In this season we celebrate Christ's first coming to us in the Nativity, and anticipate his coming in final victory when he brings the Kingdom of God to its fullness in the end of this age. As such, it is a season of tension, a season of "already" but "not yet".

The season is made up of the four Sundays prior to Christmas. The central character is John the Baptist, and the liturgical color is purple. During these Sundays we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. I like to think of it as a sister season to Lent. In Lent we prepare ourselves for the joy and celebration of the Resurrection, in Advent we prepare ourselves for the joy and celebration of Christmas. Both seasons are seasons of preparation, not celebration.

Loving God, we give you thanks for these days of preparation. Cleanse our minds and hearts. Help us to prepare in the desert of our lives a highway for the Savior. Enable us to remain faithful disciples as we live in the "in-between" times of your first advent and your coming in final victory. This we ask in the name of Christ. Amen.