Christian Accountability

The season of Lent is underway. We are challenging one another to "give up something and take up something for Christ." I've shared with you all what I am giving up and taking up (caffeinated drinks and exercise) and I do that so I will be held accountable. Accountability is what I want to reflect on with you this week.
I don't come naturally to accountability, many of us don't. I am self-motivated, comfortable with initiating new ideas and commitments. I can usually hold myself accountable by giving myself a good talking to when I slip or having a time of confession in private prayer when I make mistakes or don't follow through on commitments. The trick is this. We human beings can become good at staying right where we are. We say things like, "how I pray is fine, how often I worship is fine for me, my relationship with my spouse, children or friends is just as it should be, my physical health is what it is..." and so forth. We are good at consoling ourselves and not always good at challenging ourselves.
Christian accountability invites us to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ, together. If we feel led by the Spirit this Lent to try something new like fasting, or praying more or differently, we are more likely to meet that leading of the Spirit if we mention it to others. Because, you see, at the moment we mention it, we become accountable to it. The call for fellow Christians then is to gently inquire with our Christian friends - how is it with your giving up caffeinated drinks? How is it with exercise? This way, we are held accountable and we grow in grace because of it. You all have been wonderful to ask me those questions.
I heard recently a powerful word about what a true Christian friend does. They are one who "hates the sins we love, and loves the gifts we ignore." Christian accountability is not just about harshness therefore, it's not about judgementalism or critique, it's about true love. It's one that also sees the gifts of God in us.
I pray that you all have such a Christian friend. If you don't, pray for the courage to find one, to mention your Lenten commitment to someone. Ask how your friends are doing with theirs. In so doing, we grow as disciples of Jesus Christ, we walk the journey to the cross with him and find true and eternal life.

Giving Something Up, Taking Something Up, for Christ

This week is the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a centuries-old tradition of spiritual preparation for the Easter celebration. It begins on Ash Wednesday with worship centered around repentance and renewal. It continues for 40 days, not including Sundays, until Easter Sunday.
Many Christians are accustomed to living through this time just as any other and then waking up Easter morning to celebrate. While this is maybe the easier path, it is the less fulfilling and meaningful one. Lent is here to empower us to walk the journey to the cross with Jesus. When we explore the depth and riches of his journey - his teachings, his healings, his words of life, Palm Sunday, the last supper, his death - then we more powerfully experience meaning of Easter. Resurrection, new life, hope for tomorrow and forever - all of these cannot be fully realized by us if we just wake up on Sunday and think about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for that one hour of worship.
I want to encourage you as strongly as I know how, to experience Lent this year and walk it with your brothers and sisters at Woodville UMC.
In addition to all the special worship opportunities, small group studies, and mission opportunities, I want to share with you what I am doing as a Christian disciple this season. For Lent this year, I am giving up caffeinated drinks, a tough one for a young parent whose children don't always sleep through the night! However, I will drink decaf! The purpose of "giving something up" is to leave new space for prayer. So when 2pm comes and I am a little drowsy, I will pray, because afterall, God is my true strength!
Second, I and going to "take something up." I've been very neglectful with exercise. I'm not taking care of the body God gave me as well as I could. I've been talking about the need to exercise for a long time, now I'm going to actually do it.
In addition to worship, study and mission, will you join me in -
Giving Something Up and Taking Something Up for Christ?!

The Journey

I am enjoying the Discipleship University classes which started last week. We have just over 20 enrolled in them. We are reading a new book every 3 or 4 weeks that covers an area of discipleship. This kind of reading deepens our discipleship journey with Christ because it causes us to ask deep questions. We begin to think and discern theologically around essential questions in life. When we start reading the second book, we'll open enrollment again for these classes. Right now, we are reading The Illumined Heart: Exploring the Vibrant Faith of Ancient Christians. Let me share a few reflections from that little book.
In the first chapter, the author, Fredericka Mathewes-Greene talks about our very existence in this wild, unpredictable, exciting, God-created world. Here are some excerpts-"What is this human condition, this timeless question? To take the most global approach, we could say that it is the riddle of why none of us feels truly at home in this world....
It can take different forms in different people. For some, there's a vague, haunting feeling that we're always disappointing others; for others, it's that everyone else is always disappointing us. A lot of us feel like the whole rest of the world is in on a joke we're not getting, and we just smile awkwardly and pretend to go along. Some of us are burdened throughout our lives with guilt for a severe and genuine evil we committed. Others feel peppered daily by twinges over a host of minor offenses, pursued as by a cloud of mosquitos." Can you see your life here? Can you find your walk with God here? I can. At the base of it the author reminds us gently and powerfully "the only really important thing we can do is to live in Christ." Living in Christ means we begin and end each day with prayer, asking God to forgive and transform us by His grace. "God's love is a healing love, and healing is always uncomfortable. It heals in a surgical sense, and the scalpel can hurt."
In and through it all, God desires to see us transformed, day by day conquering sin and moving closer to God. It is a journey that cannot be done alone.
I'm thankful for a church family that seeks to be in authentic relationship with God and one another. God bless each of you this week as you walk with Him.

Wesley Center Update

Please pray for our youth as they attend the Mid-Winter Retreat at Lakeview camp this weekend, February 5-7. We have 17 youth and 3 adults attending. This Sunday in worship we will enjoy our Children's Choir as they sing praises to God. Yolanda Griffin directs this choir with assistance from Judy Brown. They do a wonderful job.
In this space, I would like to provide an update on the progress of the Wesley Center building. As of the writing of this column, here's where we are.
The metal structure is of course up, framed, walled with ceiling. I understand that the wood framing inside is complete or close to it. If you take a look inside, you'll see a large open space on the east side. This will be our fellowship area. It will have a basketball goal on the south wall. There is plenty of storage on the bottom floor there for tables and chairs. The elevator machinery began to arrive today (February 2nd). On the bottom floor on the west side of the building, you'll find a large kitchen, parlor area and youth director's office. In addition, there are two bathrooms, men's and women's, each with two showers. This will equip us to be a shelter in case of disaster and will also be a blessing for hosting mission camps.
The second floor is located on the west side of the building and it contains four classrooms, two devoted solely to our youth ministry. They can call this space home. There is also a small restroom upstairs.
As you know there is a porte-cache drive through on the south side of the building that is covered for drop off in the Wesley Center. We were able to add this to the project without going over the approved budget, because of cost savings in other areas.
At present, the elevator is on its way, the electrician is beginning his work inside and other utilities are close to doing their work.
The brick work has begun with a great deal of progress made on the north side of the building (Walt Davis Drive) and preparations being made for the other sides. Brick will go up from the ground to just above the first story windows on every side. There will also be brick columns going higher on every side, which you can begin to see on that north side. Just a reminder that the non-bricked area will be covered with a stucco-like finish that will match the brick coloring.
We don't have an accurate "move-in" time. You can understand the contractors hesitancy to put a target date on that but if you drive by the church frequently, you'll notice that all the laborers are hard at work nearly every day of the week. We are grateful for the work of our building committee and particularly Sidney Allison its chair. Great thanks to Otis Fortenberry also, our General Contractor. Otis and Sidney go to extra lengths to make sure things are done right.
At our recent annual Church Council Leadership Retreat, we announced the formation of the Wesley Center Task Group. This group will study and make recommendations for Wesley Center ministry to the Church Council. We want to be ready to transfer exisiting ministries to that space as soon as it's open, as well as plan new ministries that this space makes possible. This group will also work with the Trustees on policies that will govern the use of the building. The Wesley Center Task Group is Gordon McCluskey, Council chair; Stephanie Smith, lay leader; Reagan Pillack, Building Committee, Dixie Jarrott, staff; Grady McCluskey, Trustees; and me. If you have ideas or questions related to Wesley Center ministry, please contact one of these folks.
Please pray for us as we work on putting together some concrete recommendations for Wesley Center ministry.
God bless you this week.

Dying Well

One of the Christmas gifts I received from Bethany was a book by one of my favorite Christian writers, Henri Nouwen. This particular book is entitled, Our Greatest Gift: Meditations on Dying and Caring. It is a short little book and even this slow reader, completed it quickly. Now you might wonder why a 34 year old young man is reading a book about dying. After all, I feel like I am in the prime of life. I feel healthy, my energy level is high, I have a beautiful young family.
I really wanted to read this book and was enthralled in the reading of it both to help my work as a pastor and to come more to grips with that unknown part of life called death.
Death, I believe, is on a continum of life. It is something dramatic that occurs along that line of life that is a harsh, painful and stark. No matter how we people of faith try to gloss over it being " a passage way" and a "bump" in the road of life, the pain is not eased for loved ones left behind.
With all the advances of medicine, all the knowledge gained, and many mysteries solved in this world, the mortality rate is still holding firm at 100%. We will all die. The mystery of death can be frightening for the person of faith and the person of no faith. It is an unknown.
Let me glean a few points from this little book I read. First, Nouwen says, to "befriend death." Talking about it, discussing it, remembering that you are a child of God. Always know that you can talk with me as your pastor or a trusted Christian friend. Befriending death means to reject fear, to not treat illness as simply a battle to be won or a foe to conquer but period of time where we can demonstrate "grace through powerlessness," like Jesus did in his suffering and dying.
Some will never know the experience of dying. It can come suddenly, or our minds are lost so much so that we may not be aware of our condition. For the young, therefore, reading and thinking about "dying well" is a matter of spiritual preparation that can bring peace.
Nouwen moves in the book to caring for the dying. Many of you are doing that for loved ones and many of us probably will one day. He notes that we are "parents of generations to come." We love the dying as "children of God" and treat them with that dignity. I recommend this book for those who are caring for aging and dying loved ones. It offers spiritual grounding for you in that journey.
Overall, he says, "I stay close to the heart of Jesus, whose life and death are the main source for understanding and living my own life and death."
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, said that "Methodists are people who die well."
I hope this is helpful for you or one you love.

Christian Marriage

I read a sad fact the other day. While many of us know that the marriage success rate in the United States of America has hovered around a depressing 50%, did you know that among Christians the percentage is the same? Half of all marriages end in divorce and those of us who claim the name of Christ do not have a better “success” at it. Truly a sad fact. I don’t know the reasons for that. I suspect that many of the Christians polled are not active Christians worshipping regularly in a church, studying the Bible, serving their neighbor. With these life practices, our lives and our relationships are nurtured for the glory of God.
Many of you reading this column have experienced the tragedy and hurt of a broken marriage; I grieve for you and pray for others whose marriages are “on the ropes.” The difficult thing is that many are suffering in the shadows. Almost no one outside the home knows what is happening inside.
In this very brief space, I would like to offer some guidance for our marriages, both healthy and happy ones, and ones on the rocks. Marriages of every kind need nurturing. Even if good marriages are neglected, they will be damaged. For all married folks, read these words coming humbly from me and for unmarried folks, try to apply it to relationships in your life. I am adapting some of these pointers from Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in California. Warren is a pastor I admire in many ways and also disagree with in other ways but his pointers are helpful and I’ll note where I borrow from his writings.
Like the saying goes, “the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence; the grass is greener where you water it.” We must make sure our marriage is growing and developing, or we’ll be susceptible to moral failure. If you want a happy marriage, you’re going to have to work at it.
1. Surround yourself with reminders of your family. Warren keeps a drawer filled with reminders of his family. I keep pictures of my family in my office so that I can both remember them, celebrate them and let their need for me hold me accountable to be present when I am needed as a husband and father.
2. Keep lines of communication open. Keep the lines of communication open. Talk through issues in a way that works for you and your spouse. Some need to talk everything out, others need to “walk away” for a bit after an argument. The main thing is to return to a disagreement if it’s significant to at least one of you, and work it out. It’s very important also to understand what your spouses’ frustrations and dilemmas are, and understand their hopes and dreams.
3. Date your mate. You and your spouse need a regular date night. Put it on the calendar. Don’t let anything get in its way. It doesn’t have to be expensive. If the weather is nice where you live, have a picnic somewhere. There may be someone in your church willing to babysit your kids as a ministry to your family (Warren). Regardless of how you make it happen, you need to do it. For Christmas 2009, Bethany identified dozens and dozens of free things we could do together all over our area. They were both family fun and couple fun. It doesn’t have to be expensive but your marriage is what you had before children and your marriage is what you have after children are raised and on their own.
4. Pray. The most important one. Many folks are in marriages where one spouse is an active church involved Christian and the other is not. Ultimately we are responsible for our own relationship with Christ and with the faith exposure of the children God entrusts to us. If you are a nominal Christian, you could do nothing more important right now than to begin worshipping regularly, and letting study, service and personal generosity grow from there. If you are an active Christian, pray and stay committed.
Please receive these as words from a pastor who cares for each and every one of you. I pray for your church family and I treasure the knowledge that you are praying for me.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to the Woodville UMC family! I pray that your new year is off to a good start. I feel blessed to enjoy this time with you and I'm looking forward to some special opportunities this Winter and Spring to spend in study as well as worship with you.
At this time we are always making new years resolutions. Mine have to do with exercise, time for nurturing my journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ, renewed dedication to being an attentive and loving husband and father, and spending increased time in prayer for them and you. What are you resolving to do this year?
It's true that most of our resolutions revolve around stuff we will do - diets, exercise, finances, calendars and the like. What would it be like if we would ask this question - "who does God want me to be this year? and how do I start becoming that person this year?" We are afterall human beings not human doings. Being and becoming have to do with prayer, relationships, integrity at work and at home and an openness to God growing us by grace into something new.
The scriptures are full of words from the Lord about the new. In Isaiah the Lord says, "do not consider the former things of old, for I am about to do a new thing." Jesus talks a great deal about old and new. In I Corinthians, Paul says that "in Christ you are a new creation." Jesus also challenges us by saying that "you cannot put new wine into old wineskins," in other words we can't expect to completely hold the new if we are unwilling to let our old selves change.
I would repeat here something I shared in the sermon last Sunday. The author, George Bernard Shaw at the end of his life was asked who in history would he choose to be if given the chance. His response - "I would choose to be the George Bernard Shaw I was created to be but never became."
God's invitation to you and me this and any year is to allow His grace to grow us into becoming the people God created us to be. Do your resolutions respond to this question?
After we ask the question about being and becoming, I trust that the doing will flow naturally out of it.
Please take a look at this newsletter for new year opportunities for Bible study, discipleship growth, and service. This Sunday we will gather to renew our faith together in worship through the Wesleyan Covenant Renewal service and also bless our church leaders in this new year.