Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Making the Connection

For the young people entering college this fall there has always been an internet ramp onto the information highway. They’ve grown up on websites and cell phones. Music has always been available via free downloads. They won’t go near a retailer that lacks a website. They’ve often broken up with their significant others via texting, Facebook, or MySpace.*

Most of them would find it difficult to believe that when their grandparents first had telephone service, there was only one handset in the house and they shared the line with their neighbors. They have never tried to see how many people they could cram into a phone booth. If they have any questions or need some information, they know they can “Google it.”

There are not many people who have not embraced at least some of the advances in communication technology. It seems like nearly everyone has a cell phone. There are very few households that do not have cable or satellite TV. Indeed, communications providers often bundle their internet, phone and television services so that customers have an incentive to connect to them all through one vendor.

With so many people adept at using so many ways to connect, you might think that we would have no trouble connecting with anyone—especially when no technology is involved. Unfortunately, it seems that many church members struggle when it comes to connecting with God.

Worship is an encounter with the living God. Whether it is personal or corporate worship, the awareness of the presence of God will result in times of joyous exultation and times of quiet reverence. Inspiring worship services are celebrations of and opportunities for the shared experience of God’s awesome presence.

Connecting with the living God is something worth preparing for. As we help our children – and one another – grow into spiritual champions, what are we doing to help them recognize God’s presence in their lives and respond to God’s blessings with joy and reverence?

God delights in the praises of his people. May our congregations do all we can to ensure that our children delight in praising God.


*Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2015

Friday, August 26, 2011

Raising Spiritual Champions

Most parents want the best for their children. They make sure they get the food, rest and medical attention they need. They arrange for them to have every opportunity to learn the lessons that will help them make the most of their particular gifts, interests and abilities. They rehearse and remind and review them on the habits of common courtesy and civility. They want them to grow up to be healthy, successful, responsible adults.

As a community of faith, we want the best for our children, too; but we know that takes more than just teaching them to be good citizens. We want them to grow into fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ and that takes the energy, attention and commitment of a congregation. Indeed, when we baptize a child, the whole congregation promises to “do all in [our] power to increase their faith, confirm their hope, and perfect them in love.”

Paul reminds his young protégé, Timothy, that, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). We have entered a season of “training for godliness” with a special group of young people. They have entered a period of preparation for confirmation.

Confirmation in the United Methodist tradition is a rite through which young people affirm the faith of the church, renew the vows of baptism, and commit to live lives of discipleship as professing members of The United Methodist Church. Class sessions, personal reflection, mentoring relationships, worship, service, field trips and retreats will be some of the experiences they will have as a part of their confirmation journey. Our hope is that this period of exploration and preparation will help them know their story, confirm their faith and live their commitment. We hope to celebrate the public profession of their faith in worship on Pentecost, Sunday, May 27, 2012.

Please pray for each of them as they enter this process of growing into spiritual champions.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

More than a Few Seconds

When most people are shopping for a car, one of the things they check out is the acceleration. It may not be the most important factor for them; but when they take it out for a test drive, you can be sure—at some point—they will see how the engine responds when they push the gas pedal to the floor. The car industry knows this is important to a lot of people, so they include information about how quickly their model will go from zero to sixty.

The four-door sedan I drive with its four-cylinder engine has a published time of 9.2 seconds. That is a long way from the 3.4 seconds that Chevy reports for their 2011 ZR1 Corvette. Nevertheless, there have been very few times when I have even considered putting my car to the test. In fact, in most situations it would be both wasteful and dangerous to reach sixty miles-per-hour in under ten seconds—even if I was driving the ‘Vette.

A few months ago I was riding with a friend in his new car. The on-board computer could calculate and display the current fuel economy; and he had challenged himself to see how efficiently he could drive. When we pulled out on the road, he very slowly and smoothly accelerated until we began to approach the posted speed limit. As we rode along, he would take his foot off the gas as soon as he spotted a red light ahead. I must admit there were times when I was concerned that we would make it to our appointment; but he was the perfect example of moderation, restraint and control . . . and he got great gas mileage . . . and he got us there with time to spare.

As the fruit of God’s love grows in your life, it is important to remember that God’s love grows best in a well-tended garden; and that requires discipline. You have to be attentive to the attitudes, affections and activities that would prevent you from reflecting the light of God’s love into the lives of the people around you. You have to weed those things out, and commit yourself to adopting the kind of practices that move you toward your goal.

The pursuit of greater consistency in your personal life might be the most important step you can take toward becoming a more loving person. Self-control is not an end in itself; rather, its goal is to serve other people better by reflecting more of the light of God’s love into their lives. That is something that is demonstrated most effectively over a lifetime—not just a few seconds.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

More than a Plate of Pork

In a world where there seem to be fewer and fewer things you can depend on, people recognize and appreciate faithfulness. We saw that clearly last Sunday as we served lunch to nearly five hundred people. Our congregation worked together to keep a promise that few would expect us to recall.

On May 13 Logan Shelton, a junior at South Effingham High School, was a passenger in a car that was involved in a terrible accident at the intersection of Pooler Parkway and Benton Boulevard. Logan was airlifted to Memorial Hospital where he remained in a coma for several weeks. There were days when the doctors offered little hope. Still Logan has continued to make slow progress over the summer and has been moved to Atlanta where he can receive the specialized rehabilitation treatment he needs now.

Caring for Logan has put a heavy burden on his family. His parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have all pitched in to make sure that Logan gets the attention and care he requires. Carrying such a load is more than only a few people can bear.

A few members of our congregation remember what it is like when you think you have to carry that burden on your own. And they also remember how people came around them and helped lift the load, if for only a little while. And they remember making a promise to help out however they could when they had the opportunity.

Paul says it very clearly and concisely: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). And not only do you “fulfill the law of Christ,” but you also reflect the character of Christ. Remember this: “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’” (Matthew 11:28).

Thanks to everyone who worked to help us raise over $6000.00 to help the Shelton family with their day-to-day expenses as they care for their son, Logan. And thanks not only for the cooking and serving and cleaning up; but also for the remarkable witness of your faithfulness. People notice when members of the community of faith their keep promises—and it extends God’s reputation.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Gently Does It

You face a lot of challenges when you begin to learn to drive. Of course, there are all the rules of the road and the myriad of signs that you have to learn to decipher; but the biggest challenge is learning to safely start and stop this three- to four-thousand-pound hunk of metal.

Learning to accelerate is much easier with an automatic transmission than it is with a straight-drive; but getting the feel for the gas pedal is essential to being an effective driver. While it might be tempting to just stomp on the pedal, you learn pretty quickly that’s not good for your tires, the engine, or your passengers. Besides that, it wastes lots of fuel (which, at over $3/gallon, means it wastes lots of money).

The best drivers learn how to press gently on the accelerator to take the vehicle smoothly to the desired speed, and then how much to ease off to maintain the proper speed based on the current conditions. Cruise control may be fine for an open highway, but skillful drivers will always do a better job than a computer of keeping the automobile at the appropriate speed by keeping their foot firmly planted on the accelerator.

Once you take your foot off the accelerator, vehicles do tend to slow and eventually come to a stop. However, most of the time you don’t have the luxury of waiting for “eventually.” You have to stop at the red light. You have to stop in the garage. You have to stop before you run over the shoppers pushing their cart through the parking lot. You have to learn to use the brake.

Getting a feel for the brake can be as challenging, if not more so, than getting a feel for the gas. Push too hard, and you jerk yourself and your passengers around. Don’t push hard enough, and, well, the consequences can be anywhere from embarrassing to catastrophic. You have to learn apply the brake with a gentle firmness that slows your momentum and allows you to stop when and where you want.

Gentleness is one of the characteristics of God’s love for us—and one of the ways God calls us to love others. You might think that gentleness suggests weakness, but true gentleness requires deep strength, humility, and grace. Jesus gave a model for the kind of gentleness he expects of us when he washed his disciples’ feet (John 13).

May that gentleness grow in your life and in your community of faith; so that you will go where God calls you to go, and pause where God calls you to stay.