Power in the Beard

There must be power in the beard. It is a mystical strength that I am unable to attain. Reference by cute baby face.

What makes a great musician? Is it the skill of the instrument? The beauty of tone in the voice? The depth of lyrics in songwriting? ... Or is it the beard?

Some say that William Fitzsimmons might try and 'rip off' Iron and Wine's classic look of the bearded troubadour, but I tell you they are distinct in their style and musicality. Gotta love both of them.

Only at Christmas Time...

I am one of those people that believe you should only watch Christmas movies or listen to Christmas music after Thanksgiving. So it’s not as if I want to skip Thanksgiving, but before you know it, our culture will be inflating those annoying inflatable Reindeer and Snowmen and placing them on their lawns. Oh by the way, if have one of those inflatable things I should probably apologize for calling them annoying, but let’s be honest; they are! So sorry, no apology from me.

In case you didn’t know it – Christmas will be here on December 25th. Did you plan? Did you save for those presents? Our culture today has made Christmas be something so much more extravagant than ever before. Christmas is now commercialized. You can have Christmas on credit. Pay for gifts with money you don’t have, to give to family and friends who don’t need them, or will never use them. Whose birthday are we celebrating on Christmas anyway? Christmas is not your birthday.

Here at St. Peter’s, we recognize that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. This year, we want Christmas to be different for you. We want for you to experience the true meaning of Christmas. We desire that you take the time to spend with family and friends instead of rushing around the mall. Give gifts that have an eternal impact rather than a temporary feeling. What if you bought one less gift and gave the money to missions? What if you asked for people to donate to missions instead of giving you a gift card, sweater, tie, or candle? Would you really miss those gifts? Would the joy of a life changed or community impacted be enough to give your heart such joy this Christmas season. We live in a world where people do not experience many ‘silent nights’. You can make a difference in someone’s life through your giving this Christmas.

So if you haven’t started shopping yet, then I want for you to read again the previous paragraph before you do. As you are out in the stores with your long list of things to buy, I want you to pause and ask yourself if this gift you are giving has any lasting impact. Would you consider giving to missions instead?

Last year, Christmas was different for me. As my family and friends opened the cards, I was filled with such joy as I could see that they really loved the gift we gave them. My father was a teacher for 38 years, so we gave a gift for a student in the Dominican Republic to attend school. He was really touched. My mother-in-law works in a mammography office so we donated towards chemotherapy treatment for a friend in the Dominican Republic who was suffering with breast cancer. The picture of the woman who is cancer free now sits on the mantle with pictures of the rest of the family. There are many other stories like this I could share. But I have found that not only did we get to help others through giving to missions, but we gave a lasting gift to our family and friends. You can make this Christmas different. Start now.

Michael Vick

There is a new #7 in town. I waited for a while now to respond to the Michael Vick situation, but I figured it was time.

Everyone knows I love the Eagles. Everyone knows I love my dog. But the Michael Vick controversy is about him playing a game and about his crime. It is about our response to it. I love watching people say how he deserves a second chance, but then put conditions upon it.

'Well, as long as it is not for my team... or he can be a landscaper, but he shouldn't be allowed back in the NFL.'

It has forced us as Christians to look at what forgiveness is and how far we are willing to extend it. The issue is that the Philadelphia Eagles have shown more morality and Christlike character than the church has. I don't want my favorite team to take the first step in doing what is right. That is great and all, but it isn't their role. It is mine.

So people can stand on the street corner with pictures of this and that, and slogans like, "Hide your beagle, Vick's and Eagle", but the question we all have to wrestle with is whether or not we would deserve a second chance. I am glad God isn't like us in this respect. I don't understand why God forgives and continues to reveal his faithfulness to us. God has given me more than a second chance, so why would I not be willing to forgive others?

Look- what he did was absolutely terrible. You can't get around that. But I can't call myself a follower of Christ and extend nothing but a cold shoulder to Vick or anyone else. Forgiveness is not easy or simple for us it seems. We cannot let go of our own agendas or frailties in order to look at someone the way God would.

These are just some of my thoughts for now. It is a thought provoking and heart stirring issue. Hard to deal with.

Book Review

Crazy Love - by Francis Chan.

I heard Pastor Chan speak at Catalyst about two years ago and was really impressed. I don't think he was the best speaker at the conference, but he certainly stood out. He was so passionate about helping others in their relationship with Christ that it just poured out of him. It was almost as if he couldn't stand up straight because of the pain of the moment. He was that into it. That same passion comes out in his book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God.

We recently finished an adult study on the book, and I have seen some positive fruit from it. Each chapter is a challenge and I encourage anyone who reads it to do so with a partner or in a group. A lot of times we are challenged and we simply read it and move on. But if you study this in a group setting, it forces you to wrestle with the issues and to deal with them. You cannot hide. While I don't agree with every single line of the book, (I don't think we ever will), I would still recommend it. Make sure you get it and study it with your group.

Beyond VBS

Just a few more days till VBS. Ahh yes, the beloved time in the summer where kids from throughout the church and neighborhood come to learn about Jesus' love. This year we are doing Crocodile Dock. It is a good theme this year and it should be fun with the kids. But here is me being me again...

What is the next step beyond VBS because in my opinion, I think it has run its course. Now I don't know if this is a blanket statement for all churches, and I still think it is working well for my church. But if we could have a weekend away to think about this subject, I wonder what we would come up with...

What is the next step in children's ministry? What will be the thing that connects generations, particularly a new and upcoming one, into the life of the church? Is that VBS' role? So as I jump into the Bayou I can't stop from thinking... what's next?

Disney

In preparing for a week in Disney with the family I can't stop from thinking about good ole Walt. Don't get me wrong, Mickey is great, but check the following out below...

"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney

Walt Disney died before Disney World in Florida was completed. On opening day in 1971, almost five years after Disney’s death, someone commented to Mike Vance, creative director of Walt Disney Studios, “Isn’t it too bad Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?” “He did see it,” Vance replied simply. “That’s why it’s here.”

Craig Groeschel- It: How Churches and Leaders can get it and keep it. Page 48.

Proverbs 29: 18- Where there is no vision, the people perish.

“Worse than being blind would be able to see but have no vision.” -Helen Keller

Dave Ramsey Study

Life. Money. Hope.

I have been blessed to be able to download this free resource from http://open.lifechurch.tv

It is a 3-week study that looks at the Basics of Biblical Finance, Breaking the Bondage of Debt, and The # 1 Myth about Money. The Sunday School class and Small groups have really responded well to this series. I would recommend to anyone who wants to teach on Stewardship or on God's way of handling money.

Dave's Financial Peace University is a great program as well, but if you are looking for something smaller to introduce your church to Dave Ramsey. This is the way to go! Enjoy.

Trust, Trust, Trust.

Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” And now we are standing here inside your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a well built city, knit together as a single unit. All the people of Israel- The Lord’s people- make their pilgrimage here. They come to give thanks to the name of the Lord as the Law requires. Here stand the thrones where judgment is given, the thrones of the dynasty of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May all who live this city prosper. O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls and prosperity in your palaces. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be with you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Jerusalem.

We have spent the past week in the beauty of the mountains of Los Cocos, so once again, my heart has been led to the Psalms of Ascent. They are a special group of songs that people of the Jewish faith would sing as they would travel regularly to the holy city of Jerusalem. Jesus and his disciples would have sung these songs as part of their travels. We are reminded that they are called the Psalms of Ascent because Jerusalem was built on top of a hill or mountain, so they would literally sing these Psalms as they ascended to the top of the hill.

Listen again to how the writer described the city they were traveling to…
Jerusalem was a well built city, a single unit, so the Jewish people would take a lot pride in their craftsmanship. They built a great city to honor God. It held such importance in the lives of the people that if you were “God’s people”, you would make a pilgrimage their yearly if not more often. Jerusalem is where the thrones of judgment sit and it is the representative place for the line of the greatest king in the history of their people. Jerusalem is the city that decides and rules that which is right in the eyes of God and the people. Jerusalem is a city where one can prosper, and ultimately it is the great representative of peace. If there is peace in Jerusalem, there will be peace in their lives.

What a description, what a picture, what hope they had. So picture now, Jesus and his disciples singing this song as they walked up the hill. If only Jerusalem would be what they wished it to be. If only their expectations came true about their beloved city. If only.

Jerusalem, however, was not always what its people desired or thought it was. Look at how Jesus describes the beloved city in Luke 13:34 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers.

Interesting isn’t it. Just imagine, Jesus singing a song about the glory of Jerusalem from the Psalms, then in the midst of his teaching and ministry in the Gospel of Luke, he corrects Jerusalem’s leaders and brings an indictment against the city itself as those who kill prophets and stone the messengers of God. But before we get to ahead of ourselves thinking that Jesus only came to judge the city, listen to what he says next in verse 35. “How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.”

So what happens now to Jerusalem and us when we don’t let Jesus gather us? “And now look, your house is left to you, empty and desolate.” For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

You see, here is the key issue. Jesus wants to bring us close to himself. Will we let him? Jesus will not force us, but when we resist God’s love and close our hearts, we are left just like Jerusalem, empty and desolate. So it should not surprise us when we try to meet the need in our hearts with things other than Christ, and at the end of the day we still have a space to fill. Nothing will satisfy the desire of our hearts like the love of Christ. It is a very place that God created in us for his own Spirit to reside. But people fill it with all sorts of things. Even things which we would consider to be “good” will not meet that need at the end of the day.

Jerusalem is not a bad place, but when the focus is moved from God to the city, there will never be peace. Are we ultimately going to put our trust in a city, nation, or system, or will we put our trust in the Lord? Will we allow for him to bring us to himself?

Towards the end of Jesus’ ministry he sang this song again. Here is how Luke describes the scene this time. Luke 19: 41-44 – But as they came closer to Jerusalem and Jesus saw the city ahead, he began to cry. I wonder if Jesus weeps over our lives. I wonder if we have built ourselves up to such glory that we don’t even need the Savior anymore. We don’t need to listen to God’s voice so we kill the prophets, we stone God’s messengers, and we push away anyone that would want to speak truth into our lives. So our savior rides in, cries, and tells us like it is. Jesus said in the very next verse, “I wish that even today you would find the way of peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from you. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you. They will crush you to the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you have rejected the opportunity God offered you.

Jesus sang this song and then entered the city in a Triumphal Entry. The people were so excited that they threw their coats at his feet and waved palm branches in the air. They thought Jesus came back to restore their city, they thought that Jesus came to restore their nation, they thought wrong. Jesus came to restore their hearts. Jesus came to restore their lives. But many then and still today, “reject the opportunity God is offering.” Today, for us, let it not be so. God is offering each one of us an opportunity to recognize the peace that he gives. He is offering us a life that is lived close to Jesus where he can bring us to himself. God is offering salvation to us today. God is offering his grace which is free to all. We must trust him. We must not resist. We must not reject him.

There is a song that says, “Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him, how I have proved him over and over. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus; O for grace to trust you more." Trust Him today.

New Artist on the Rise

If you haven't heard of him yet, then you must listen to William Fitzsimmons. He is truly one of the greatest new folk artists on the rise. Learn more about him at http://www.williamfitzsimmons.com/

New Album- Sparrow and the Crow: My Review

William branches out a bit musically by adding new instruments and flavors to his songs. A thematic album with an overwhelming sense of authenticity and openness leads the listener down a path of self-reflection. There is a nice mix of songs, but William stays true to the singer/songwriter genre by giving us at least one good ole fashioned acoustic song. You can picture him all alone simply with his guitar doing his thing. I would love to see this album performed live. His skill is evident on the recording, but it is live that you really see William at his best on the guitar. In my humble opinion, and I know it is humble... he is simply the BEST acoustic player I have ever seen. All he needs now is to get rid of the floppy winter hat and move to a skull cap approach and he would be Seacrest and TRL ready.

Favorite Song off the Album: Tough Decision, but recently I always go first to "If you would come back home." Fantastic.

Take a listen and Enjoy!

Sermon Series-

When God Speaks

Sermon Series: St. Peter's UMC

April 19-May 17

Are you listening?

Thoughts on the Church

Brand new to Blogging.... First entry ever. (I know, I am about a decade behind).

I am currently reading a book entitled, 'Who Stole My Church: What to do when the church you love tries to enter the 21st Century.'

It has been very interesting so far, and I can't comment too much because I haven't finished it yet, but let me make a comment or two just on the title...

This is where we find ourselves today isn't it... at least in some mainline denominations.
We are so concerned about the church that we forget to be the church. Why does the church exist? Who does it exist for?

What happens in unhealthy systems is that the system loses its vision. There is no longer a problem to solve or a need to meet. So the system begins to run simply out of the basis and context of the past operating systems. 'We do things this way and for this reason', but it seems that no one can accurately explain why. Emotional attachments are made with the people in the system and they begin to fall in love with the way things were, or the way they still want things to be now. They want church to be for them today what it was for them yesterday. But the problem is... what about the church of tomorrow. And here then lies part of the issue to address: Church isn't working for the younger generation anymore. They don't want what they had as a child. They don't want what their parents or grandparents have. They want their own way to express and define Christian Community.

So we as a church already in the 21st Century, try to move there. We are about 20-30 years behind the curve. Healthy organizations have some form of updating or change every quarter to year, while we only have a change when there is a new pastor.

But look at the title again: Who stole? my? church?
Stole: People feel that the church is being taken out from under them, and you know what... they are right. If you have failed to do anything to meet the need in a community or to be who God has called the church to be, then I am all for church stealing. If someone won't take the necessary steps to do what has to be done, then someone will.
My: Is it yours... really? Come on.

These are just a few thoughts. The book is really interesting though and I encourage you to read it, because your mainline parishioners are either reading it themselves, or they are saying it.

Take care,