Pastoral Message
May 7th
JIM’S PLACE
I am a self-proclaimed, card-carrying beach bum. I became one the first time I ever saw the ocean when I was 18 years old. I haven’t gotten it out of my system, yet. Every year, I need to create an opportunity to see the ocean. I think I may have told you that one of my very favorite moments in life is to sit on a beach at night when a storm is brewing five or ten miles out to sea.
It is easy for me to become mesmerized by the tide. It is rhythmic to me as I watch the ebb and flow. It is soothing to me. It reminds me that there is also a rhythm to life--an order that has been established by God.
The last two weeks have been especially difficult for our church family. We have witnessed the deaths of six of our “family”. Popular wisdom has it that death sometimes comes in “waves”--that was an intriguing word to me in light of my confession above.
That rhythm of life I mentioned earlier includes death. We are born, we live our lives tossed about at times by the storms of life. At other times we float blissfully on calmer waters. It comes and goes for us all. And then comes the end of our voyage.
The deaths we have experienced these last two weeks have been graceful. Each came at the end of a long, fruitful life. In one case, it was the end of a difficult disease that had stolen what we knew of that friend.
While these deaths distress me and cause sadness, there is also a strange sense of soothing. The ebb and flow of life goes on. It always does.
And just as we have been spending so much energy on death, here we are this Sunday preparing to receive a Confirmation Class into the full membership of the church. A group of young people who have spent some twelve weeks learning about the Christian faith. Several of them are to be baptized on Saturday and then the entire class will answer church vows on Sunday.
I see it as the ebb and flow. We lose six precious members of our “family” and we bring into a new, different relationship this class of young people. Their entry brings me a certain peace about the departure of the others. It is a means of grace to me.
The ebb of death will happen to me, too. I have been given the gift of watching these six in their last days. They have taught me certain things about dying. I will remember.
The flow of new life represented in Confirmation also teaches me. I belong to a Kingdom much larger than myself. I spend my own time on the waters of life and then it will end. And my end, as my beginning and my middle, belong to God.
And I am at peace.
JIM
April 30th
Dear Friends,
In the midst of the past few weeks in the life of Columbia, TN and all the shootings and bad news that I have read in the newspaper, I want to let you know that GOD IS GOOD AND STILL VERY ALIVE TODAY! I have been blessed to be a part of His work here within our congregation.
I have some exciting news to tell you! Confirmation has been going well and there are ten very excited 6th graders that are ready to become vital members of our congregation. What better news could I share with you today. As I write I think about the conversations these confirmands have engaged in with the adult leaders. I think about the questions we have tried to help them answer and think about. I think about all of the material that has been placed before them. These young individuals know that this is the beginning of a lifetime of learning and growing with God.
I will admit that each of these ten confirmands need your help. As they stand before you on May 11th declaring that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, I ask that you remember what we as a congregation will respond. We promise to proclaim the good news and live according to Christ example. To surround these confirmands with a community of love and forgiveness, and to pray for them. I would encourage you to begin supporting these young individuals on Saturday, May 10th at 10 am at Craft Memorial as we will baptize six of them as part of the confirmation process as they declare Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
In Christ Love,
Lory
April 16th
Dear Friends,
I have been surrounded by a bunch of sad news lately. People whom I love being diagnosed with cancer. A child having surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor with weeks of radiation and chemo ahead. A second child in one family to die of an inherited disease. Wonderful people dying unexpectedly. Family members struggling with addiction. An inlaw’s brother committing suicide. Not to mention the weather induced havoc that has been strewn across the Southeast. Sometimes I can forget that I claim to be a part of an Easter people!
What does it mean to be an Easter people? There is not a uniform we wear or an identifying badge. There is not a special hat or code or secret handshake. As someone who lives in a way that holds on to Easter, an Easter person notices that each spring the dogwoods bloom, the hostas sprout, and the monkey grass spreads a little further. An Easter person rejoices when they realize that goodness prevails because someone finds their dog and calls to return him. An Easter person notices the transformation in the life of someone who has found the grace of God. An Easter person is recognizable because though they get sad with the weight of the world, with God’s help they muster the courage to be thankful for that day. We are an Easter people, a community of faith that says and believes together: God’s love will ultimately prevail.
We are now in the fifth week of Easter –Easter is not just one day. It is a season that lasts until Pentecost, which this year falls on May 11. I invite you to live the rest of this season intentionally as an Easter person. Notice the ongoing presence of God’s hope and promise in your daily living. It is there, even in the middle of all that sad news.
We are not alone.
We live in God’s world!
Thanks be to God!
Peace,
Melinda
April 2nd
JIM’S PLACE
Easter remembered. It was, and always is, a special day in the life of the church. It’s also exhausting for those of us responsible for worship. We added a third service for the second year in a row. Good thing, too, because we had upwards of 850 persons in worship. That doesn’t include those of you who attended the terrific sunrise service at Riverwalk Park.
The worship committee, under the leadership of Barbara Winchester, did a great job doing all the things that needed doing during Holy Week. The choirs provided their usual excellent music. Stations of the Cross was new to us this year and, by all accounts, was a meaningful addition to our spiritual journey. The Prayer Vigil was once again, well done. The mid-week services at First Presbyterian were all very good.
Perhaps the most memorable event—or series of events—was at the 11:00 service on Easter. For reasons known only to God, the fire alarm took on a life of its own. Seven times it went off during the service. Like a force of nature, nothing we tried could stop it. We carried on as best we could. At one point, it simply became comical.
I tend to think there was a parable located in that service. We work so hard and try so diligently to make Easter, of all Sundays of the year, come off perfectly—without a hitch.
We know a lot of visitors are with us that day and we want to try and put our best foot forward. I’ll admit to a touch of “OCD” when it comes to Easter.
And yet, those alarms remind us that Easter isn’t perfect and it didn’t happen that day long ago without its own “alarms”. In fact, most of the accounts of Easter we find in the Book are pretty strange, either because of how “unspectacular” they were, or because of how chaotic they seemed to be.
God broke through the commonplace that first Easter. What was supposed to happen—didn’t. The body to be prepared for final burial by Mary wasn’t there. That scared the wits out of her. Would have scared us, too. As we discussed Easter morning, there was a lot of wild running around. And more fear among the disciples.
I suggest we learn from it. Perfection is overrated. The place where we tend to live is somewhere “this side” of perfection. East of Eden. Under the Rainbow. The good news is that is where you can almost always find God—right where we are—in the messiness we call daily living.
Seems to me the “Hallelujahs” of Easter shouldn’t be reserved only for a risen Lord, but also for a risen Lord who knows where we live and doesn’t mind coming to where we are.
PEACE
JIM
March 26th
Dear Friends,
As I reflect over the journey Jesus took to the cross this past week for each of us, I am reminded that every aspect of our life is a journey. Think about the teams that are currently in the Sweet 16. They started this journey months and months ago. Think about our graduating Seniors. The journey to this graduation has been 13 years and has involved lots of people. Some journeys are long and involve lots of people and some are short and involve few people. But all aspects of our life is a journey in some way or another. So the question I have is “Who do you take on your journey with you?”
Jesus’ journey to the cross involved many people and many trials and challenges. All for a great cause, to express His love to His people. A group within our own church began a journey on February 17th that will last a lifetime. There are 10 confirmands that began their Christian journey along with their mentors and the staff. Please join them on their journey with support through your prayers and letters of encouragement.
Confirmands are Dalton Greggs, Jimmie Callebs, Seth Read, Alex McKelvy, J.C. Hahn, Kathryn Hahn, Anamelia Petteway, Shelby Hay, Keye Matthews, and Bryant Vann. Mentors are Montee Sneed, Keith Winchester, Woody Givens, Steve Mayeur, Gloria Watts, Lory Brooks, Pam Hickman, and Mack Holt. Thanks for supporting these individuals as we journey together.
In Christ,
Lory
March 19th
“Mom, I don’t think that was the parade.” This was my youngest son’s comment as he sat down next to me on the pew after processing into the sanctuary holding the palm branches with the other kids and the adult choir last Sunday. I whispered, “Why?” So he added, “There was no donkey.” This disappointment came on the heels of a conversation we had on Palm Sunday eve. “Why won’t Jesus be in our parade at church tomorrow?” I realized that I failed to mention that there would be no donkey either.
I know that we all think that we long for the freshness that comes with experiencing Holy Week in a new way. But really not knowing what is going to happen is a bit unsettling and even frightening. To have to tell the story of what happens to Jesus this week to someone who has never heard it before is a little awful. I have come to accept the events set in motion but to offer them to someone new to the story is daunting. I find myself wanting to skip to the ending to let them know how it’s going to end and then backtracking to fill in the rest. How can we raise the palm branch when we know what is to come with the crucifixion? It’s because we really do know the whole story.
It’s important to us to hear the whole story. We talk about how we don’t like the bias of the media or the one-sidedness of the candidates or the unfair presentation to the grand jury. We say things like “there are two sides to every story” or “I want to hear the whole story before I decide.” We need to hear the whole story this week too.
I am thankful that I can come together with other people, who also want to know the whole story. We can experience the drama of Maundy Thursday and the tragedy of Good Friday in the safety of the knowledge that the triumph of Easter is coming. It is a rich full story when strung completely together.
This is your personal invitation to come hear the story on Thursday and Friday…and of course Sunday!
Peace,
Melinda
March 12th
Dear Friends,
Do you ever think about your legacy? What are you leaving behind? With
uncertain financial issues always surfacing in life, it would be nice to
leave your loved ones a financial gift. Maybe you are a woodworker or
sew-in-sew and can leave something tangible. And, yes, there are the
memories. You have those to leave behind.
What
about words? Have you thought about leaving your words behind? We often
hear people reflect on the "oughts" and "shoulds" and other instructions
for life that someone gave them. That's all well and good if the
memories hold up. What about words of blessing? What if you left behind
memorable, hefty words of blessing? Words of blessing, that is, in the
form of a letter.
If you left a legacy of words in the form of a letter, then all the
memory would need is the location of the letter. All too often it is
difficult to remember the exact words someone speaks to us. We need it
tangibly in a letter. Letterwriting is a lost art. But it can be
rediscovered. If the letterwriting is chock-full of blessing then you
stand to leave a legacy beyond the standard of being a good spouse,
parent, child, or friend.
To me letterwriting chock-full of blessing is like providing good
soil for which a healthy, vibrant garden will grow. Words of blessing in
a letter are like time-release nutrients that will impact growth for a
lifetime and beyond. A nutrient-rich soil brings about a sturdy plant,
with colorful blooms, sweet fruit, and seed for the next season.
Who has left you a legacy? Can you hold it in your hands or is it a
fleeting memory? Who honored you with life-giving words of blessing for
your life? I dare say that we all fall short of getting our words of
blessing to stick and we've lost the art of letterwriting.
The United Methodist Men are attempting to rediscover this
art. They are hosting a program called Letters from Dad. Now, I'm not a
father, but I have a father and I richly benefit from his words of
blessing. I think all us have the potential to bless others richly with
our written words. I can write my wife, my nieces -Anna Claire and
Kathryn, my God-children -the Cameron girls, and the Stoddard children.
The program ought to be called Letters of Blessing because you don't
have to be married or have children. It all got started with a father
and his family in Texas. However, this is what I want to leave behind
-memorable, hefty words of blessing in letters.
Please support the United Methodist Men in their effort to host this program. The side effects are great, too. Men get together for enjoyment and food, but most of all for seeking the Lord. The first event is a grand Kickoff BBQ. It will be Sunday, March 30th at 5:30 pm. All men are invited. I hope that you will support this effort!
February 27th
Dear Friend:
I want to congratulate our church for our Children’s Sunday held during our regular worship services yesterday. How wonderful it was to see our children engaged in our worship services! You, as a congregation, were very supportive and delighted to see and hear the children as they sang, read and led us in our worship. Allow me to thank Lory Brooks and her Children’s Committee and Anne Moore and the ladies in the children’s choirs for all their hard work.
All of that reminded me that it is never too late to “plug in” to one of our programs offered to those who attend our church. We have many avenues to serve Christ and nourish our growth as Christians. Please consider one of the following areas for you or a member of your family:
· Children’s Choirs
· Youth Choirs
· Adult Choirs
· Sunday School for all ages
· Wednesday Night at the Movies
· Youth Bible Study
· UMYF
· Quilting Class
· Sew-n-Sews
· The People’s Table
· Volunteers in Mission (VIM)
· United Methodist Women (UMW)
· United Methodist Men (UMM)
· Letters from Dad (watch for details coming soon)
· L.I.F.E., Christians Helping Christians, Golden Circle of Friends
· Young at Heart
· Mexico Mission Trip
This is not an exhaustive list. We are a busy church going about the work of Christ and learning of God through study, action and prayer. Please consider your time in our worship services as the tip of the iceberg. Please find a place to “plug in” to our ministries. Nourish your spiritual life. Further the cause of Christ. Your life will be richer and your church will blossom.
In Christ,
Tommy
February 6th
JIM’S PLACE
Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season for the Christian Church. The season of Lent (the word itself comes from the Latin word for “spring”) begins with a service called “Ash Wednesday” and culminates with the “Tenebrae” service that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. It lasts for 40 days—the same amount of time that Jesus spent in the wilderness with Satan where he struggled with temptation.
The purpose of the season was, and is, to allow disciples a time for reflection and confession prior to the joy of resurrection. Lent has popularly been celebrated by the “giving up” of something as a sign of repentance and devotion to God. The spiritual discipline of “fasting” is widely practiced. The Mardi Gras tradition of “Fat Tuesday” was to utilize all the flour and sugar left in the cupboard which would be used to make pancakes. The household would eat to their fill the day before the fast was to begin.
Roman Catholics continue to this day to reserve Fridays as a fast day in which they refrain from eating any meat other than fish.
Disciples from every Christian tradition practice this denial or sacrifice of something during Lent. Some give up bad practices, others give up certain food items, etc. The purpose of the fast is to direct one’s attention to God. For instance, if you were a person who enjoyed having three cokes a day, you might give up the cokes during the forty days of Lent. And during the day, especially at those times when you normally drank a coke, your mind would be turned to God instead.
I know of some families that practice the more ancient fast of not eating until sundown during Lent. I know some who give up lunch and contribute the cost of those lunches to a mission they feel passionate about.
There aren’t too many limits on how one might practice this spiritual discipline.
Throughout the history of the church, the season of Lent has been a time when persons wishing to be baptized into the faith and confirmed in the faith were trained. Confirmands and Initiates were sequestered for a time and taught the basics of the faith. They were typically baptized on Easter Sunday—which for hundreds of years during the middle ages was the only day of the year reserved for baptisms.
We will begin our own confirmation training this week, which will last for ten weeks culminating with Confirmation on Pentecost Sunday.
There will be a number of services of worship we will offer to encourage your Lenten journey. After Ash Wednesday, each Sunday will be dedicated to Lenten themes. Holy Week will feature noonday services, a Seder meal, Maundy Thursday, and Tenebrae. It is our hope that you will make it a point to be involved in all of these services.
No matter how you spend these 40 days, be sure to do so prayerfully and reflectively. The purpose is to prepare ourselves for the glory of resurrection. You can’t really properly do that without first facing the ugliness of crucifixion.
PEACE
JIM