The noon Christmas Eve Service is finished, and the next service is at 7pm. I am always surprised by how many people come to the service at noon. During my planning time in November, I wonder if we should have it. This year we had 55 there, including our oldest member and families with evening plans. The Handbell Choir played and we enjoyed our time together. I expect everything will be wonderful tonight. We have one of our young children leading us in "Silent Night" plus we will have other folks singing solos from the congregation.
We are trying to enjoy some quite moments around the house until the next service. Making sausage balls and last minute gift wrapping seems to be the order of the day.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
A Step Toward Independence
This morning I took my oldest son, the Staff Sgt. (he got a JROTC promotion recently), to get his driver's permit. I had all of the documentation with me and watched as he took the multiple choice test. He got 27 out of 30 right; he passed! Mamma Deacon and I will be taking the passenger seat next to him for a while.
A driver's license is an important thing in American culture. Yesterday, I sat with a 93 year old church member who recently gave up her driver's license because of diminished ability behind the wheel. She grieved the loss of getting around, of seeing friends, of going places on her own rather than depending on others. For my son on the other end of life, it is a step toward independence. It is a step away from depending on parents to get you around (a step away from asking your parents to drop you off two blocks from the party so your friends don't see the "parental drop off").
Now, if only he would get a job to pay for the car insurance that would be a huge step toward independence!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
A New Christmas Tradition
Human beings are creatures of habit. The holiday season experience reveals this. We have certain things we do with certain people at certain times. Getting together with family has always been an important and memorable tradition for me. I remember going to my grandparent's home and seeing all of my cousins. Married life brought a whole new set of traditions as we visit the in-laws as well as my family of origin. Squeezing everyone and everything in over the holidays is never easy, especially when "complications" arise.
This Christmas season will have its share of complications as the traditional Christmas with certain people will not happen. This will be the first Christmas after the death of my brother, Eric, in May. I know this is an adjustment for all who loved him. I guess I could get stuck in that loss of not only of Eric, but the disappointment at not having my Christmas in my traditional way with him.
Yet, Christmas is more than our habits and traditions. Christmas is a celebration of the way God became flesh and dwelt among us. It is an old, old story (of Jesus and his love), for a new day. Maybe its time for a new tradition---not just of a celebration of what was done a certain way, in a certain place, at a certain time--- but of a new tradition of open eyes claiming and searching for the Incarnation here and now, with whom we are with, even in less than ideal circumstances. For Christ comes to us each day in new ways. We are like those Israelites of old, Simeon and Anna, in the Temple. We celebrate the traditions of our past and look to new ways in which God reveals God's self.
Eric will not be at the table this Christmas. I grieve that. But this Christmas I hope to search for new traditions, new connections, new ways of claiming and being family as all of us who grieve live through the gift of God's love anew. May God bless all who grieve and hurt this holiday season.
This Christmas season will have its share of complications as the traditional Christmas with certain people will not happen. This will be the first Christmas after the death of my brother, Eric, in May. I know this is an adjustment for all who loved him. I guess I could get stuck in that loss of not only of Eric, but the disappointment at not having my Christmas in my traditional way with him.
Yet, Christmas is more than our habits and traditions. Christmas is a celebration of the way God became flesh and dwelt among us. It is an old, old story (of Jesus and his love), for a new day. Maybe its time for a new tradition---not just of a celebration of what was done a certain way, in a certain place, at a certain time--- but of a new tradition of open eyes claiming and searching for the Incarnation here and now, with whom we are with, even in less than ideal circumstances. For Christ comes to us each day in new ways. We are like those Israelites of old, Simeon and Anna, in the Temple. We celebrate the traditions of our past and look to new ways in which God reveals God's self.
Eric will not be at the table this Christmas. I grieve that. But this Christmas I hope to search for new traditions, new connections, new ways of claiming and being family as all of us who grieve live through the gift of God's love anew. May God bless all who grieve and hurt this holiday season.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Beyond the doors
Each Sunday, I challenge the church in the dismissal with benediction "to go into the world, living lives worthy of the Gospel, so that others might see the love of God." We leave the comfort of the sanctuary for work, school, home, and life. Sometimes, we leave behind the challenge on a pew in the church; other times, it hits us in the world beyond the doors when we least expect.
I am accustomed to that challenge in the "real" world of sight and sound, flesh and blood. Increasingly, I am finding the challenge in the "virtual" world of the internet. As a football fan, I frequent several football message boards--- which are an anonymous world unto themselves. Occasionally, the topics wander to other things than football. My identity as a pastor is not a secret on these boards (it is not something I revealed from the start, but came out as the discussions revolved around faith issues). I have gotten in many discussions with all kinds of people about the bible, creation, the church, just to name a few. These discussions have been with atheists, fundamentalists, and even self-described pagans as well as "regular" Christian folk. People ask all kinds of questions about faith, sin, and God. I find that many have had a bad experience with the institution of the church, even though they are still searching like the rest of us. Because of their experience, they have abandoned the church; even with that, some want only to find someone in the church who will not judge or cajole them. My hope in these conversations is to always be civil, even if we disagree...to be caring, even if there is no common ground. On some occasions, relationship and respect grow as conversation continues.
I read recently that a United Methodist pastor had been commissioned to start a virtual church first, build a a local community there, then work on the bricks and mortar. When John Wesley said that the world was his parish, I am sure he did not dream of the internet. Perhaps living beyond the doors as Christians has taken on a whole new meaning in the 21st century. Just as Wesley went where people were to spread the Gospel in 18th century England, so too must we be willing to be witnesses for Christ in the infinity of cyberspace. In the easy answers of the internet, the love of God must be shown, especially to people who are searching, doubting, and even hurting.
I am accustomed to that challenge in the "real" world of sight and sound, flesh and blood. Increasingly, I am finding the challenge in the "virtual" world of the internet. As a football fan, I frequent several football message boards--- which are an anonymous world unto themselves. Occasionally, the topics wander to other things than football. My identity as a pastor is not a secret on these boards (it is not something I revealed from the start, but came out as the discussions revolved around faith issues). I have gotten in many discussions with all kinds of people about the bible, creation, the church, just to name a few. These discussions have been with atheists, fundamentalists, and even self-described pagans as well as "regular" Christian folk. People ask all kinds of questions about faith, sin, and God. I find that many have had a bad experience with the institution of the church, even though they are still searching like the rest of us. Because of their experience, they have abandoned the church; even with that, some want only to find someone in the church who will not judge or cajole them. My hope in these conversations is to always be civil, even if we disagree...to be caring, even if there is no common ground. On some occasions, relationship and respect grow as conversation continues.
I read recently that a United Methodist pastor had been commissioned to start a virtual church first, build a a local community there, then work on the bricks and mortar. When John Wesley said that the world was his parish, I am sure he did not dream of the internet. Perhaps living beyond the doors as Christians has taken on a whole new meaning in the 21st century. Just as Wesley went where people were to spread the Gospel in 18th century England, so too must we be willing to be witnesses for Christ in the infinity of cyberspace. In the easy answers of the internet, the love of God must be shown, especially to people who are searching, doubting, and even hurting.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Name That Tune
Music adds so much to life. A church member came to me one Sunday and asked me how many times music was used in the worship service. Think about it, can you imagine worship without music? I think life is the same way. There has always been a song playing in the back of my mind. A couple of years ago, after complaining for the 402nd time about how all of my favorite radio stations start playing Christmas music before Halloween, my wonderful wife gave me XM satellite radio for Christmas. This means that I can drive down the road cranking out whatever kind of music I want. Usually I can find music anything from classical to country to 80s rock to suit my mood. I still call her out of the blue as I drive down the road, thanking her for the gift of the XM satellite radio connection.
I can remember where I was when I first heard a song or a time when the song had a special meaning. Recently, I have gotten to the point where I can listen to Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" without being sad thinking about my brother's struggle with cancer. Now I just remember him fondly when I hear it play. When I hear Journey, I think of my friend Daniel's Z-28; the "Footloose" soundtrack brings back memories of my college friends and time at the beach.
Music is not only a connection to my past but also to my present. I have decided that satellite radio is an excellent tool in my quest to help my oldest son develop his dismissive eye-rolling ability. When I drove him to school this morning, I started singing along with the Talking Heads song "Once in A Lifetime"and doing the arm chop move the guy does in the video. Result: instant offspring eye-roll.
What song is playing in your mind right now?
I can remember where I was when I first heard a song or a time when the song had a special meaning. Recently, I have gotten to the point where I can listen to Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" without being sad thinking about my brother's struggle with cancer. Now I just remember him fondly when I hear it play. When I hear Journey, I think of my friend Daniel's Z-28; the "Footloose" soundtrack brings back memories of my college friends and time at the beach.
Music is not only a connection to my past but also to my present. I have decided that satellite radio is an excellent tool in my quest to help my oldest son develop his dismissive eye-rolling ability. When I drove him to school this morning, I started singing along with the Talking Heads song "Once in A Lifetime"and doing the arm chop move the guy does in the video. Result: instant offspring eye-roll.
What song is playing in your mind right now?
Monday, November 26, 2007
A Game to Remember for Many Reasons
In a very cold and loud Montana stadium this past Saturday, the University of Montana Grizzlies and the Wofford College Terriers played a football game. It was played among some of the most hospitable people in this country; they are loyal, fierce Montana Griz fans who love their team but who don't let their intensity in the stadium turn to animosity before or after the game.
The game was one of the best played on Saturday with several lead changes and a heart breaking finish as a young man missed a field goal that would have won the game for his team. But in spite of the hard-fought game, and in spite of what we hear about athletes and college football, there was a lesson at the end of the game. Perhaps it is a lesson for all of us in our world today, as we make our own hurtful if not deadly rivalries out of words and blood. We deride others across the political aisle or on the other side of the world, but perhaps in this Holy Season for so many of us, we can learn a thing or two from two rivals that found time to kneel together at midfield after the game. The picture above was taken following an euphoric victory for one team and a sudden season ending play for the other; Griz and Terrier team members form a circle and offer prayer together. This was a good game for many reasons.
PS- Wofford won 23-22.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Go West
Wofford was selected to go to Montana for the first round of the playoffs (might as well be the fourth ring of hell for lots of reasons). Anyway, as my holiday and church activities have kept me busy, I thought I would submit something I found on the terrier fans message board a couple of days ago. It is part of a speech by Wofford President Bernie Dunlap after Wofford's defeat in the semifinals in 2003. I think it speaks not just of football but of Wofford as well.
Enjoy. I thank bestofbreed for posting this on terrierfans.com
Included below are the remarks from Wofford president Dr. Benjamin Dunlap at today's campus convocation honoring the Terrier football team for its 2003 Southern Conference championship and trip to the Division I-AA semifinals.
"We all know what Vince Lombardi said: “Winning isn’t the most important thing. It’s the only thing.” And you know what? That’s true in a lot of college athletic programs—mostly in ones with low graduation percentages and high incarceration rates for their athletes. If they don’t win, somebody gets fired. And if they do win, somebody gets investigated. At Wofford, winning is not the only thing. It’s just one of a lot things our student-athletes learn from Mike Ayers and his coaching staff.
The first thing they learn is that they’re students first and athletes second. The next thing they learn is that the secrets to success on the playing field are the same ones that will make them successful in life long after they’ve graduated. The third thing they learn is that they’re too small and too slow, with too few scholarships and too tough a schedule to be competitive in the Southern Conference. Oh, yeah, and then they learn that no mountain is too tall to climb, no opponent too big or too quick or too highly touted to be beaten by a team that’s smart, disciplined, and determined to win by playing together as team, not as a collection of prima donnas.
Don’t get me wrong. Wofford has its stars—what it lacks is prima donnas. When you play for the best coach in the United States, you play to learn as well as to win and you play together. When you lose, you know there’s something to be learned in that experience too—about your performance and about yourself. Vince Lombardi, who truly was a great coach, also said, “It’s easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you’re a winner, when you’re number one. What you’ve got to have is faith and discipline when you’re not yet a winner.”
I’ve had the privilege of joining our team in the dressing room after almost every game over the past four years, and some of those games were bitter losses. I’ve heard Mike Ayers in victory and defeat, and some of his most inspiring lessons have been taught when we lost. Coach Lombardi had a comment about that as well: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” That sounds like the heart of a terrier to me. It doesn’t matter how many times a bigger dog knocks a terrier to the ground. As long as it has a breath in its body, that little dog will get back to its feet and go on fighting, just as Wofford did in the closing seconds of our national semi-final play-off game against the University of Delaware. It was not our best game of the season, but those closing moments were among the most gallant in a season studded with victories.
We all know the tagline that has turned up everywhere, from the New York Times to ABC Television: “Wofford is the only football-playing Division I school whose average SAT score is higher than its total enrollment.” Look at our football success and you see what is true of every aspect of our college: we do more with less than anybody. And it’s especially gratifying to read in a nationally syndicated report that you can expect next year’s pre-season I-AA poll to list among its top five teams the “usual national powers”—Delaware, Wofford, and teams like that.
But even in that august company, there’s an important difference. Our players are not hired gladiators or Division I-A transfers. They don’t live in special dorms and major in specially designed pseudo-academic disciplines. They’re students like everyone else in this auditorium today, and they embody all the traits we would like to lay claim to ourselves—they are quick, intelligent, fiercely loyal competitors. They played their hearts out in every game, and, sometimes, they had the ball bounce off the ground right into their hands at a crucial point in the game. The difference between a great season and an unforgettable one is often a matter of a little luck here and there, and we had that too this season. Now we have the glory. We’re champions—all of us, not just the players. We’re all champions because that’s what they’ve given to us. They’ve brought these trophies home and they’ve made us all winners in the minds of people who couldn’t even pronounce our name at the beginning of the season.
Our purpose today is to bask in their achievement—to thank them for everything it cost them from the first day of practice to the last seconds of that game in Delaware. These are our guys, our coaches, our terriers.
Even beyond the gates on Church Street, even among those who graduated from institutions in distant places beset by ice and snow, there is pride in our team’s 2003 season. "
Enjoy. I thank bestofbreed for posting this on terrierfans.com
Included below are the remarks from Wofford president Dr. Benjamin Dunlap at today's campus convocation honoring the Terrier football team for its 2003 Southern Conference championship and trip to the Division I-AA semifinals.
"We all know what Vince Lombardi said: “Winning isn’t the most important thing. It’s the only thing.” And you know what? That’s true in a lot of college athletic programs—mostly in ones with low graduation percentages and high incarceration rates for their athletes. If they don’t win, somebody gets fired. And if they do win, somebody gets investigated. At Wofford, winning is not the only thing. It’s just one of a lot things our student-athletes learn from Mike Ayers and his coaching staff.
The first thing they learn is that they’re students first and athletes second. The next thing they learn is that the secrets to success on the playing field are the same ones that will make them successful in life long after they’ve graduated. The third thing they learn is that they’re too small and too slow, with too few scholarships and too tough a schedule to be competitive in the Southern Conference. Oh, yeah, and then they learn that no mountain is too tall to climb, no opponent too big or too quick or too highly touted to be beaten by a team that’s smart, disciplined, and determined to win by playing together as team, not as a collection of prima donnas.
Don’t get me wrong. Wofford has its stars—what it lacks is prima donnas. When you play for the best coach in the United States, you play to learn as well as to win and you play together. When you lose, you know there’s something to be learned in that experience too—about your performance and about yourself. Vince Lombardi, who truly was a great coach, also said, “It’s easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you’re a winner, when you’re number one. What you’ve got to have is faith and discipline when you’re not yet a winner.”
I’ve had the privilege of joining our team in the dressing room after almost every game over the past four years, and some of those games were bitter losses. I’ve heard Mike Ayers in victory and defeat, and some of his most inspiring lessons have been taught when we lost. Coach Lombardi had a comment about that as well: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” That sounds like the heart of a terrier to me. It doesn’t matter how many times a bigger dog knocks a terrier to the ground. As long as it has a breath in its body, that little dog will get back to its feet and go on fighting, just as Wofford did in the closing seconds of our national semi-final play-off game against the University of Delaware. It was not our best game of the season, but those closing moments were among the most gallant in a season studded with victories.
We all know the tagline that has turned up everywhere, from the New York Times to ABC Television: “Wofford is the only football-playing Division I school whose average SAT score is higher than its total enrollment.” Look at our football success and you see what is true of every aspect of our college: we do more with less than anybody. And it’s especially gratifying to read in a nationally syndicated report that you can expect next year’s pre-season I-AA poll to list among its top five teams the “usual national powers”—Delaware, Wofford, and teams like that.
But even in that august company, there’s an important difference. Our players are not hired gladiators or Division I-A transfers. They don’t live in special dorms and major in specially designed pseudo-academic disciplines. They’re students like everyone else in this auditorium today, and they embody all the traits we would like to lay claim to ourselves—they are quick, intelligent, fiercely loyal competitors. They played their hearts out in every game, and, sometimes, they had the ball bounce off the ground right into their hands at a crucial point in the game. The difference between a great season and an unforgettable one is often a matter of a little luck here and there, and we had that too this season. Now we have the glory. We’re champions—all of us, not just the players. We’re all champions because that’s what they’ve given to us. They’ve brought these trophies home and they’ve made us all winners in the minds of people who couldn’t even pronounce our name at the beginning of the season.
Our purpose today is to bask in their achievement—to thank them for everything it cost them from the first day of practice to the last seconds of that game in Delaware. These are our guys, our coaches, our terriers.
Even beyond the gates on Church Street, even among those who graduated from institutions in distant places beset by ice and snow, there is pride in our team’s 2003 season. "
Sunday, November 11, 2007
And in Sports
Yesterday Wofford claimed at least a share of the Southern Conference football title with a victory over Chattanooga and the automatic qualifier position from the Southern Conference for the FCS playoffs. Next Sunday afternoon (the 18th), the 16 playoff teams and schedule will be announced. It would be neat for Wofford to get a home game, but I don't know that will happen. The games start the Friday after Thanksgiving with the Championship game to be held December 14th.
Momma Deacon has agreed to preach for me (once) if Wofford makes the playoffs should I have to travel for a road game. Of course, with gas being $3 a gallon, I don't know how far I will go!
Maybe it will play out well.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Removing a Silent Witness
This past Tuesday, the heritage tree was taken down from the churchyard. These pictures were taken by April, our youth director, moments before the highway crew came. The tree was taken down in about 15 minutes with a track hoe.
I am far from being a tree-hugger, but one of the ways I navigate the world is by trees. I grew up in a small, rural community without many street signs on country roads. I learned where to turn on those roads by the positions and kinds of trees. A couple of years after Hurricane Hugo, Kathy and I tried to take a short cut from Columbia to Hemingway for my class reunion; with all the trees gone after the storm, I got lost. Don't worry, I believe I can find my way to the church now, even without this green landmark!!
I appreciate trees because trees are more than travel markers and monotonous pieces of the landscape. Trees span generations as countless people pass by them busy with their own thoughts and lives. This heritage tree, planted by Sherwood Cannon in the 1980s, has witnessed many a person come through the church doors---people who came from all walks of life, for all kinds of reasons, at different stages of life and faith. The tree has stood as pallbearers and groomsmen sought its shade from the noonday heat. It stood as a silent witness as the community around the church grew from rural community to booming suburb.
I am sure we could calculate the number of Sunday services that have occurred since its planting, but I doubt we could estimate the life it has seen. Now all that remains of this silent witness is several sections of the trunk sitting on a trailer, waiting to be transported to the saw mill. In a few months, a remnant of this tree will come inside the church sanctuary to hang as a cross--- a different kind of silent witness.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
I'll be...right...there.
The telephone call is never expected. It can come early morning, late at night, or in the middle of a busy day. My last words before saying goodbye to the caller are usually, "I'll be right there." These are calls made in an emergency room waiting area from the family or friends of a loved one undergoing life-saving care. It is a crisis time...an anxious time...a time of uncertainty.
"I'll be right there."
Those are the words heard on the other end of the telephone line. They are words that speak of geography and speed... right there...present ASAP. For me, however, it is not just about speed and geography. Frankly, there are times I am thankful for the time alone to drive some distance to the hospital. It is in those moments alone that I can picture the person in the center of this crisis as well as the family around them. It is in those moments that I can pray. As I drive those miles to the hospital it is also a time to focus and see where my own spirit is. Am I anxious? angry? scared? What should I say? What should I not say? What will it mean to be truly present with these children of God, without my own expectations or agendas? What will keep me from seeing and hearing the things I need to see and hear?
"I'll be right there."
I cannot hide from myself and my life; they are part of me and make me who I am. But in those holy moments those things need boundaries that keep my stuff from intruding on the ground that I will walk on with those in crisis. The Apostle Peter often missed what the Lord was saying because of his own fear, because the Lord often worked in a way Peter did not expect. How can I learn from Peter's mistakes? If I do not learn, and if I don't have my own boundaries, I may miss hearing the family and being a vessel of God's care in that tender moment. In order to be fully present, it helps me to get right, before I get there.
"I'll be right there."
Being there is always an honor. Pastors are often there because they claim the ministry of the Incarnational Christ, the One who took human form and dwelt among humans. We remember how Christ was right there with the poor, the hurting, the lost and the dying. In these crisis settings we are reminded and we remind others that God's love and power and healing have not abandoned us in these trying moments. These are moments when words are precious and few, when listening skills are the best used gift. There will be time for prayer; there is always time to be a non-anxious presence in the middle of high anxiety moment. I wish I were better at it than I am; sometimes I realize too late what I should have done or said. But despite my failings, I continue and try to grow in grace and be more fully present next time. For I realize the words I have given to many a distressed telephone caller, Christ has offered to all who work in the name of God...who step alone with awe and humility into waiting rooms and through ICU doors or jails and nursing homes...
I'll be right there.
"I'll be right there."
Those are the words heard on the other end of the telephone line. They are words that speak of geography and speed... right there...present ASAP. For me, however, it is not just about speed and geography. Frankly, there are times I am thankful for the time alone to drive some distance to the hospital. It is in those moments alone that I can picture the person in the center of this crisis as well as the family around them. It is in those moments that I can pray. As I drive those miles to the hospital it is also a time to focus and see where my own spirit is. Am I anxious? angry? scared? What should I say? What should I not say? What will it mean to be truly present with these children of God, without my own expectations or agendas? What will keep me from seeing and hearing the things I need to see and hear?
"I'll be right there."
I cannot hide from myself and my life; they are part of me and make me who I am. But in those holy moments those things need boundaries that keep my stuff from intruding on the ground that I will walk on with those in crisis. The Apostle Peter often missed what the Lord was saying because of his own fear, because the Lord often worked in a way Peter did not expect. How can I learn from Peter's mistakes? If I do not learn, and if I don't have my own boundaries, I may miss hearing the family and being a vessel of God's care in that tender moment. In order to be fully present, it helps me to get right, before I get there.
"I'll be right there."
Being there is always an honor. Pastors are often there because they claim the ministry of the Incarnational Christ, the One who took human form and dwelt among humans. We remember how Christ was right there with the poor, the hurting, the lost and the dying. In these crisis settings we are reminded and we remind others that God's love and power and healing have not abandoned us in these trying moments. These are moments when words are precious and few, when listening skills are the best used gift. There will be time for prayer; there is always time to be a non-anxious presence in the middle of high anxiety moment. I wish I were better at it than I am; sometimes I realize too late what I should have done or said. But despite my failings, I continue and try to grow in grace and be more fully present next time. For I realize the words I have given to many a distressed telephone caller, Christ has offered to all who work in the name of God...who step alone with awe and humility into waiting rooms and through ICU doors or jails and nursing homes...
I'll be right there.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
When Failure Is Not The Final Word
Last night India Hook's Youth Director, April, coordinated the efforts of several volunteers and transformed the Family Life Center into an attractive Coffee House setting. Couches, comfortable chairs, coffee tables and floor lamps were distributed tastefully over the space occupied by a basketball court. All of this was part of an effort to give teenagers a place to gather following the Northwestern-South Pointe football game. There were plenty of adults standing by, refreshments and music were there too. Publicity came from signs around town and flyers at both schools. We were ready for the gathering of teenagers.
Except, no one beyond the fellowship of India Hook came. Other than about eight of our own youth, it was a gathering for the adults who came to help. Perhaps the church is located too far out for weary football fans to gather at 10:30 after a long game. It seemed a great deal of effort went into something that did not bear fruit.
I should say that it did not bear the fruit that was intended. Regardless of the number of youth there, as I looked around the room I saw something else happening. April had gotten several adults to volunteer; adults that might not normally cross paths in the ebb and flow of church life. As they waited for the youth to come, these adults talked and laughed and played board games together. They started or nurtured relationships--- they made a connection. They even talked of setting up the Family Life Center in the same comfortable, high quality way for the Church Christmas party in December. When we did have youth present later in the night, the adults played Monopoly, cards, and air hockey with them. Again, relationships were made and nurtured. In these days when so much of what we do is based on numbers, technology, and successfully getting things done, perhaps it is nights like last night at the Family Life Center that remind us why we are here (and what is truly important). Good things happened last night, even if was not what we had in mind. As the old saying goes..."and a good time was had by all."
April and the volunteers cast the Gospel seed, and it took root in unexpected ways. Failure is not the primary word claimed by Christians. Faithful is a word we treasure. God is faithful to us in ways we do not always see or plan. We are faithful to God when we continue to be avenues of care and connection to others through Christ especially when we live in a culture that says stop trying because things don't work out like we want , or they are risky or disappointing.
There are other ways India Hook can uniquely reach the youth of our area in meaningful ways. May we continue to sow the seeds of the Gospel until we find those ways. Perhaps along the way the unintended fruit blessed by God will emerge and the community and the church will be the better for it.
Except, no one beyond the fellowship of India Hook came. Other than about eight of our own youth, it was a gathering for the adults who came to help. Perhaps the church is located too far out for weary football fans to gather at 10:30 after a long game. It seemed a great deal of effort went into something that did not bear fruit.
I should say that it did not bear the fruit that was intended. Regardless of the number of youth there, as I looked around the room I saw something else happening. April had gotten several adults to volunteer; adults that might not normally cross paths in the ebb and flow of church life. As they waited for the youth to come, these adults talked and laughed and played board games together. They started or nurtured relationships--- they made a connection. They even talked of setting up the Family Life Center in the same comfortable, high quality way for the Church Christmas party in December. When we did have youth present later in the night, the adults played Monopoly, cards, and air hockey with them. Again, relationships were made and nurtured. In these days when so much of what we do is based on numbers, technology, and successfully getting things done, perhaps it is nights like last night at the Family Life Center that remind us why we are here (and what is truly important). Good things happened last night, even if was not what we had in mind. As the old saying goes..."and a good time was had by all."
April and the volunteers cast the Gospel seed, and it took root in unexpected ways. Failure is not the primary word claimed by Christians. Faithful is a word we treasure. God is faithful to us in ways we do not always see or plan. We are faithful to God when we continue to be avenues of care and connection to others through Christ especially when we live in a culture that says stop trying because things don't work out like we want , or they are risky or disappointing.
There are other ways India Hook can uniquely reach the youth of our area in meaningful ways. May we continue to sow the seeds of the Gospel until we find those ways. Perhaps along the way the unintended fruit blessed by God will emerge and the community and the church will be the better for it.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Change Is Not Just For "Them"
One of the wonderful challenges of being the pastor of a church is encouraging folks to look beyond themselves--- their habits, their fears, the way they have always done things--- to the leading of God for the future. God's leading of us as individuals might be as simple as growing in faith; for a congregation, it could be serving beyond ourselves to an entirely new community. Most pastors spend time with churches inviting, encouraging, and equipping congregations for change on whatever scale is before them.
In these times of challenge and change, pastors and the laity who lead these churches more often than not talk about how "they" (the other church members in general) need to change. "They" need to open their eyes; "they" need to do things differently; why don't "they" get it? Occasionally there is a "we." "We" adopted and implemented the long range plan; "we" will fully pay our missional apportionments this year. I have served several congregations in my ministry; through continuing prayer and observation I can discern where a church (the we and the they) needs to go in its ministry. Lately, I have made a big deal with the leaders of India Hook that we need to change our operating system. The church governs itself as if they were a church of 25 rather than 200; if we are to meet the growing needs of the area, we ( oops, there is that word again) will need to change.
At some point in each appointment I have served, I usually make some observation not just about the church, but about myself. One thing I have noticed as I have gotten older is that change seems easier when someone else is doing it. Here at India Hook, I am coming to realize (again?) that change quite often does not start or end with "we" or "they." There needs to be an "I" in that formula. I should grow and change in each new ministry setting, so that hopefully I can better equip God's people to serve wherever I am. I need to change my leadership style and in the ways I work with the staff to equip the church. I realize that I can no longer be the Lone Ranger if the church is to be what it is called and needs to be. However, that is a big change for me; I have served churches where the pastor was the main force for administration and getting this done. If this church is to change, I have to change in some important ways. Yet, these are ways I am accustomed to, ways "I have always done it before." This change can be a challenge to my understandings of how I function as a pastor. This sounds very familiar to what "they" often voice, doesn't it?
I had our first "staff meeting" today with our church secretary and our youth director. It was a fruitful time. I am starting to implement (and hopefully will continue) a new way for myself. I can model change, and perhaps that is the best way for "we" and "they" to own the change that God leads. It is also a way that I can continue to grow--and change--in Christ.
In these times of challenge and change, pastors and the laity who lead these churches more often than not talk about how "they" (the other church members in general) need to change. "They" need to open their eyes; "they" need to do things differently; why don't "they" get it? Occasionally there is a "we." "We" adopted and implemented the long range plan; "we" will fully pay our missional apportionments this year. I have served several congregations in my ministry; through continuing prayer and observation I can discern where a church (the we and the they) needs to go in its ministry. Lately, I have made a big deal with the leaders of India Hook that we need to change our operating system. The church governs itself as if they were a church of 25 rather than 200; if we are to meet the growing needs of the area, we ( oops, there is that word again) will need to change.
At some point in each appointment I have served, I usually make some observation not just about the church, but about myself. One thing I have noticed as I have gotten older is that change seems easier when someone else is doing it. Here at India Hook, I am coming to realize (again?) that change quite often does not start or end with "we" or "they." There needs to be an "I" in that formula. I should grow and change in each new ministry setting, so that hopefully I can better equip God's people to serve wherever I am. I need to change my leadership style and in the ways I work with the staff to equip the church. I realize that I can no longer be the Lone Ranger if the church is to be what it is called and needs to be. However, that is a big change for me; I have served churches where the pastor was the main force for administration and getting this done. If this church is to change, I have to change in some important ways. Yet, these are ways I am accustomed to, ways "I have always done it before." This change can be a challenge to my understandings of how I function as a pastor. This sounds very familiar to what "they" often voice, doesn't it?
I had our first "staff meeting" today with our church secretary and our youth director. It was a fruitful time. I am starting to implement (and hopefully will continue) a new way for myself. I can model change, and perhaps that is the best way for "we" and "they" to own the change that God leads. It is also a way that I can continue to grow--and change--in Christ.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Rain and The Rhythm of Life
Early this morning on the 5 Star Doughnut Friday Run, LLCoolJ and I got caught in the rain. Yes, rain. It was cold, wet and wonderful. LLCoolJ danced to the rhythm of the windshield wipers as we made it to the donut place. The obvious thing about a drought is the lack of rain in the rhythm of days. The dry and hot days have dragged on with no relief in sight. The rhythm of days and routines helps us organize our lives. Our home seems to function better when we have a rhythm of school, homework, and flop time.
At church, we have the yearly rhythm of charge conference and the seasons. Weekly worship brings balance to life that is out of balance with misfired rhythm. Lately, India Hook has celebrated a midweek prayer and communion service to bring us renewal in the week in between Sundays.
Here in Rock Hill, it is the last year for the York County Fair at the American legion property downtown. It is the last Fair at that site and the last fair directed by Mr. Pete. He is a member of India Hook and for over 50 years, he has kept the rhythm of the York Fair as the manager. His leadership will be missed.
What are the rhythms of your life?
At church, we have the yearly rhythm of charge conference and the seasons. Weekly worship brings balance to life that is out of balance with misfired rhythm. Lately, India Hook has celebrated a midweek prayer and communion service to bring us renewal in the week in between Sundays.
Here in Rock Hill, it is the last year for the York County Fair at the American legion property downtown. It is the last Fair at that site and the last fair directed by Mr. Pete. He is a member of India Hook and for over 50 years, he has kept the rhythm of the York Fair as the manager. His leadership will be missed.
What are the rhythms of your life?
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Pastor's report for Charge Conference
Here is my annual narrative report for charge conference:
Joseph
My fifth year of ministry at India Hook has been a time of change, as the church continues to implement its long range plan of connecting people to God and one another. In the past few weeks, the administrative council has approved the creation of a new staff position for programming to begin after the first of the year. This is a significant step towards meeting the ministry needs of a growing church and community. I believe this staff person will equip the church with basic logistical help for ministry, but also help members engage in ministry themselves in a whole new way.
Change and growth do present challenges to the way we do ministry currently and to our present facility use. If we are faithful in God’s leading to grow, we will see a greater number of new people that we will not be able to know to the degree that we have come to befriend those who have come through the doors before. India Hook will need to work through budgeting, cash flow, and Christian Stewardship matters in order to be more effective in answering God’s call. We face the financial challenges of replacing or expanding church property. The
Being the pastor here in these times is a wonderful experience. It is at times difficult to balance the conventional roles and expectations of the sole pastor while leading the church in new ways of caring and functioning. Yet, despite that balancing act, I have many opportunities to grow in my own Christian walk and leadership experience. For example, I am learning to coach the church’s leadership team on a regular basis in order facilitate their growth in Christ and to equip them for their leadership roles.
It is a wonderful experience to pastor India Hook because I pastor a loving and caring people. They help Kathy and I raise a family of three boys; they pastored me in the illness and death of my brother. I am grateful to God to be here.
PeaceJoseph
Monday, October 8, 2007
Reverend Coach
Over the past few years, I have taken an interest in leadership and how it is done (and not done) in government and in the life of the church. As a history major, I read about the leadership styles and characteristics of Robert E. Lee, Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and FDR. Government and industry are good proving grounds for leadership skills, but the church is a most peculiar study. By in large, it is different because most of the people are volunteers who have various levels of commitment as well as skill sets that might not match the ministry needs at hand.
The pastor of any local church is often seen as the chief administrative officer in that setting (I defer to those who are far more knowledgeable, but I think it even says that in the Book of Discipline). The temptation for many pastors (myself included) is to over function in that setting, essentially performing the ministry tasks that laity should do because of pressure (real or perceived) to get the job done. Too many times we deny laity the experience of ministry because we are focused on results rather than empowerment. Our Methodist system and hierarchy tend to fuel this at times with a dependence on measured results that are examined as part of future pastoral appointments.
For years, I pondered other ways to function as a leader in the church---of finding ways to equip and encourage the lay leadership of the local church to fulfill the tasks of ministry. The 20 or 30 lay leaders can certainly get more done than I could alone (not to mention that our biblical mandate is to equip the saints for ministry). I thought about mentoring leaders using the model of the baptismal candidate and a sponsor--- of time apart to empower and equip them for their elected positions. But I was not sure of resources to use for this, or how to do it in a way that honors all parties.
Lately, I am beginning to practice a different way of functioning as the administrative officer of the church. Within the South Carolina Annual Conference and in the church leadership literature in general, we are learning a lot more about coaching. This leadership model encourages pastors to spend time with lay leaders resourcing them for the ministry to which they are called. There is a lot more to it than that, but it looks exciting.
Last night, I met with two leadership triads for an hour each. It was a beginning, but I think this method has potential. It has promise not because we ruminate on upcoming tasks that need to be done, but because it is a time to honor each other and to see people as whole, spiritual persons and not as cogs functioning in a machine. The pastor becomes a coach encouraging and enabling the person in all of life (and the ministry which they are given), rather than a field general ordering the troops to perform certain tasks. My hope is that each month I will have a coaching triad experience with two dozen persons at India Hook. We will see how that works.
Peace,
Joseph
The pastor of any local church is often seen as the chief administrative officer in that setting (I defer to those who are far more knowledgeable, but I think it even says that in the Book of Discipline). The temptation for many pastors (myself included) is to over function in that setting, essentially performing the ministry tasks that laity should do because of pressure (real or perceived) to get the job done. Too many times we deny laity the experience of ministry because we are focused on results rather than empowerment. Our Methodist system and hierarchy tend to fuel this at times with a dependence on measured results that are examined as part of future pastoral appointments.
For years, I pondered other ways to function as a leader in the church---of finding ways to equip and encourage the lay leadership of the local church to fulfill the tasks of ministry. The 20 or 30 lay leaders can certainly get more done than I could alone (not to mention that our biblical mandate is to equip the saints for ministry). I thought about mentoring leaders using the model of the baptismal candidate and a sponsor--- of time apart to empower and equip them for their elected positions. But I was not sure of resources to use for this, or how to do it in a way that honors all parties.
Lately, I am beginning to practice a different way of functioning as the administrative officer of the church. Within the South Carolina Annual Conference and in the church leadership literature in general, we are learning a lot more about coaching. This leadership model encourages pastors to spend time with lay leaders resourcing them for the ministry to which they are called. There is a lot more to it than that, but it looks exciting.
Last night, I met with two leadership triads for an hour each. It was a beginning, but I think this method has potential. It has promise not because we ruminate on upcoming tasks that need to be done, but because it is a time to honor each other and to see people as whole, spiritual persons and not as cogs functioning in a machine. The pastor becomes a coach encouraging and enabling the person in all of life (and the ministry which they are given), rather than a field general ordering the troops to perform certain tasks. My hope is that each month I will have a coaching triad experience with two dozen persons at India Hook. We will see how that works.
Peace,
Joseph
Monday, October 1, 2007
Timeout Wofford
It has been the typical day--- Mamma Deacon has had a full day of work and a night meeting to boot. I have spent the day doing my Monday routine of catching up on the weekend's ministry and the usual administrative tasks. After school, my three sons go seperate ways. Cadet Airman WE goes to the dentist, the linebacker (at least that is the position he is playing this week) heads to football practice, and the Artist (formally known as LPcoolJ to the internet world) is playing the handbells at church.
Man, it's good to see the day near an end and the familiar surroundings of home. As I come through the door, however, I must prepare myself for round two; this includes but is not limited to the next battle against a leaky washing machine, the boy's homework, and the charge conference forms that have to be ready for tomorrow's appointment at the District office. As I getting ready for all of this, the telephone rings. It is one of my Pastor buddies, calling from the other side of the state.
Usually, phone calls like that are information--- maybe about the retired pastor who died in Charleston today or some distress a colleague is having in ministry. But, it was not that kind of phone call. In the midst of my busy life (and I am sure his too), he called me for another reason. We didn't talk about church stuff, charge conference forms, ministerial appointments or leaky washing machines. Thankfully, it was an escape from all of that. He called to talk about Wofford football and the big win against Furman last Saturday. We talked about how Wofford ran the ball (and passed it too--which is a BIG thing for the terriers). We talked about Wofford's place in the national polls and our hopes for the playoffs. It helps that Wofford won over the past two weeks in an incredible fashion. We talked 10 minutes or so, and then we made plans to see each other in Charleston for this weekend's Wofford game at The Citadel.
Oh well, I thought, I guess it's time to get back to the charge conference forms and offer a silent hope that the washing machine will be okay for a couple of days. But the phone rings again. It was another United Methodist Pastor calling to talk about Wofford football. In the midst of my busy life (and I am sure his too), he called me. We didn't talk about church stuff, charge conference, ministerial appointments or leaky washing machines. Thankfully, it was an escape from all of that. He called to talk about Wofford football. We talked 10 minutes or so, and then we made plans to see each other in Charleston for this weekend's Wofford game at The Citadel.
As I hung up the second time I realized something special. In the midst of my busy routine, I found a moment of brief respite. My two friends and I may differ on many things from politics to theology, to the future of our ministry together. But in those brief minutes, we were united. We found a common, unifying moment around a football team. Maybe it's not the end of global warming; but maybe it can be the start of something else between us. Maybe Wofford will go far this year, and we will share other midweek phone calls.
Football teams take a timeout on the field to re-group, to plan the next play and to take a rest. Maybe football teams aren't the only ones who need them with a busy life of leaky washing machines, charge conference forms, and the boy's homework.
Man, it's good to see the day near an end and the familiar surroundings of home. As I come through the door, however, I must prepare myself for round two; this includes but is not limited to the next battle against a leaky washing machine, the boy's homework, and the charge conference forms that have to be ready for tomorrow's appointment at the District office. As I getting ready for all of this, the telephone rings. It is one of my Pastor buddies, calling from the other side of the state.
Usually, phone calls like that are information--- maybe about the retired pastor who died in Charleston today or some distress a colleague is having in ministry. But, it was not that kind of phone call. In the midst of my busy life (and I am sure his too), he called me for another reason. We didn't talk about church stuff, charge conference forms, ministerial appointments or leaky washing machines. Thankfully, it was an escape from all of that. He called to talk about Wofford football and the big win against Furman last Saturday. We talked about how Wofford ran the ball (and passed it too--which is a BIG thing for the terriers). We talked about Wofford's place in the national polls and our hopes for the playoffs. It helps that Wofford won over the past two weeks in an incredible fashion. We talked 10 minutes or so, and then we made plans to see each other in Charleston for this weekend's Wofford game at The Citadel.
Oh well, I thought, I guess it's time to get back to the charge conference forms and offer a silent hope that the washing machine will be okay for a couple of days. But the phone rings again. It was another United Methodist Pastor calling to talk about Wofford football. In the midst of my busy life (and I am sure his too), he called me. We didn't talk about church stuff, charge conference, ministerial appointments or leaky washing machines. Thankfully, it was an escape from all of that. He called to talk about Wofford football. We talked 10 minutes or so, and then we made plans to see each other in Charleston for this weekend's Wofford game at The Citadel.
As I hung up the second time I realized something special. In the midst of my busy routine, I found a moment of brief respite. My two friends and I may differ on many things from politics to theology, to the future of our ministry together. But in those brief minutes, we were united. We found a common, unifying moment around a football team. Maybe it's not the end of global warming; but maybe it can be the start of something else between us. Maybe Wofford will go far this year, and we will share other midweek phone calls.
Football teams take a timeout on the field to re-group, to plan the next play and to take a rest. Maybe football teams aren't the only ones who need them with a busy life of leaky washing machines, charge conference forms, and the boy's homework.
Friday, September 28, 2007
5 Star Doorknob Friday
Some years ago when we lived in Charleston and when my 3 sons were small and their stomachs smaller, we would celebrate what I called "5 star Doorknob Friday." To the boys, it was "5 star Doughnut Friday"; they were correct, of course, for it was the school day when we dropped by Krispy-Kreme Doughnuts on the way to school. There was a certain criteria for this: getting up and going to school with no hassles from Monday through Thursday. My oldest two went with me as I took them to elementary school. On the way there, I would kid them about the "chocolate covered doorknobs" and the cream filled doorknobs they used when they took the lock out. The boys corrected me time and again, but the silliness continued. It became an "event," a time to be with Dad and for me to be with the boys.
Fast forward to 2007 in Rock Hill, SC. After a year or two off, the 5 star doorknob Friday tradition is back. We took the time away for two reasons---no Krispy Kreme Doughnut place in Rock Hill (Krispy Kreme vs. Dunkin' Donuts is a great debate for many people) and the doughnut place was not on the way to the school as in Charleston. My youngest son (who missed most of the fun at the Charleston Krispy Kreme since he was in pre-school at the time) is now in 5th grade; he and I carry on the 5 star doorknob tradition each Friday now. The other two boys could go, but they opt for more sleep time and dad bringing home the sugary treats home for when they get up (oh, I pity the teachers on Fridays!). The youngest and I sit in the Dunkin Donuts at 630am on Fridays talking about his new safety patrol assignment or Harry Potter or whatever else is on his mind. We laugh and plan and imagine and sing songs together--- this morning, we alternated between James Brown's "Living in America" with Weird Al's "Living with a Hernia."
I guess it could be bagels or Waffle House or anything really. But the important thing is the time together. I can remember time with my dad fishing on the lakes of Santee Cooper and going to Furman football games. Catching a fish was nice, winning the game was good, too. But the time together with my dad was even better. I guess when the youngest moves to middle school next year we will look for other traditions and occasions to be together... to laugh and talk or be silly...to be fully present with one another...and find moments of special memory for the life ahead.
Peace,
Joseph
Fast forward to 2007 in Rock Hill, SC. After a year or two off, the 5 star doorknob Friday tradition is back. We took the time away for two reasons---no Krispy Kreme Doughnut place in Rock Hill (Krispy Kreme vs. Dunkin' Donuts is a great debate for many people) and the doughnut place was not on the way to the school as in Charleston. My youngest son (who missed most of the fun at the Charleston Krispy Kreme since he was in pre-school at the time) is now in 5th grade; he and I carry on the 5 star doorknob tradition each Friday now. The other two boys could go, but they opt for more sleep time and dad bringing home the sugary treats home for when they get up (oh, I pity the teachers on Fridays!). The youngest and I sit in the Dunkin Donuts at 630am on Fridays talking about his new safety patrol assignment or Harry Potter or whatever else is on his mind. We laugh and plan and imagine and sing songs together--- this morning, we alternated between James Brown's "Living in America" with Weird Al's "Living with a Hernia."
I guess it could be bagels or Waffle House or anything really. But the important thing is the time together. I can remember time with my dad fishing on the lakes of Santee Cooper and going to Furman football games. Catching a fish was nice, winning the game was good, too. But the time together with my dad was even better. I guess when the youngest moves to middle school next year we will look for other traditions and occasions to be together... to laugh and talk or be silly...to be fully present with one another...and find moments of special memory for the life ahead.
Peace,
Joseph
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
We Would See Jesus
Sunday night through this morning, I spent time selecting scriptures and doing some preliminary work on the sermons I will deliver from the first Sunday of December through the end of May. I went to Spartanburg and stayed at a hotel there. I took what seems like every commentary I own plus enough legal pads to make a paper trail between Rock Hill and Spartanburg. What usually happens is that I sequester myself in the room, and work as long as I want until I need a break.This time, I bought food to eat lunch in the room and used the hotel's free breakfast and dinner at other times. I didn't need to leave the quiet of the room for much. That worked well. But by Tuesday morning, I needed a change of scenery. I decided I would go to the hotel lobby and work there for an hour or so. I grabbed a couple of commentaries, legal pads and a bible and walked to the hotel lobby.
That time of day the hotel lobby was being cleaned, but as a father of three boys, I am accustomed to working with some distractions. As it turned out, I was working on the Emmaus passage for next March or April. I poured over the commentaries and pondered and reflected on a theme or two for that passage. All of a sudden one of the ladies cleaning the lobby area, starting singing. She had not seen me or what I was doing, and she sang the chorus of several Gospel hymns, and then, a verse from "We Would See Jesus." It was beautiful singing, fit for any church choir. I listened as she proclaimed the Word in her own way.
I pondered what she sang and what I was studying: the road to Emmaus, the disciples forlorn and searching and "We would See Jesus"--- hmmmmmmm. Sometimes the Spirit comes to us in the breaking of the bread, the sharing of the Word, and the singing of the chorus. In that holy ground moment in a hotel in Spartanburg, it was nice to remember that life comes to the Word as certainly as the Word comes to life.
Peace,
Joseph
Saturday, September 22, 2007
A Week to Remember, part 2
The fullback (who played left guard this week) and I just got back from watching Wofford defeat Appalachian State, 42-31. Appalachian is ranked number 1 in the country for FCS football this week and this was a great win for the terriers as they begin Southern Conference play.
This week I am going on a sermon retreat for a couple of days starting tomorrow afternoon. I'll be back Wednesday.
Peace and first down Wofford,
Joseph
Friday, September 21, 2007
A Week to Remember
A few years ago, Malcolm Gladwell wrote a great book (pictured right). I have been thinking about that book in light of this week at India Hook. This week the trustees met on Tuesday, the special charge conference was Wednesday, and the staff parish relations committee met on Thursday ( it was a busy week!).On Tuesday and Wednesday, the groups dealt with the property issues that I wrote about earlier. Last night, the SPRC made the first tentative steps in hiring a program director for the church. It is the only the beginning of a process that will take a couple of months, but it was an exciting start.
Gladwell writes of the moments and events that mark the change in a system or process. With this week's decisions, India Hook is nearing the tipping point (if we aren't already there) toward being a church that responds to the growing community around the church. I think what I saw in these meetings is people responding not to letting fear of change, expense or conflict stop them from doing what is needed. That response is not always present in churches these days. Of course, there may be points ahead where we are tempted to settle or turn back. My hope is that these actions will lead us toward a bright future for the ministry of Christ Jesus through the people of India Hook UMC.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Transforming Heritage
At a called charge conference tonight, the leaders of India Hook UMC approved a plan to convey a small section of property plus some rights of way for the new highway widening project. This project is needed in order to make access to the new India Hook Elementary School as safe as possible. The state offered the church $11,000 for this transaction. Although the money will help fund a new toddler playground and nursery renovations at the church, we will lose several trees in the process, including one of our "heritage trees" next to the sanctuary.
We call this special tree a heritage tree because it was planted by "Miss Sherwood" shortly after this sanctuary was built in the early 1980s. Sherwood is in her 90s now and has been on the roll of India Hook since the early 1910s. She kept the church going during the difficult years of the Depression and World War II by visiting members on horseback. When she planted that tree, she hoped that it would shade the building on sunny Sunday mornings for several decades to come. Miss Sherwood and her tree have been connection to the church's past even as India Hook looked to the future.
Now that 50 foot water oak planted by Sherwood will come down. That heritage tree has seen its last spring day. But that is not the end of the story. The people of India Hook UMC have decided to work with the highway department to take the heritage tree down gently, and transport it to a saw mill and then to a woodworker. With the wood from Miss Sherwood's heritage tree, a 10ft by 5ft cross will be built. The church plans on hanging the cross from the rafters in the window above the pulpit. In a beautiful sanctuary, this suspended cross will become central to that worship space.
As I consider this ongoing journey of the heritage oak that will become a cross, the deep and descriptive word "redemption" comes to mind. There are plenty of times that we see a relationship, a job, or a way of life as a loss or at an end. We see and focus on the failure, the finality of that which stares us in the face. Surely, the disciples saw that as Christ hung on His Cross. But God had something else in mind; death, loss, failure were not the final words of Christ's ministry. God had a new beginning in mind for humanity through the Resurrection of Christ.
Maybe in the transforming heritage of Miss Sherwood's tree there is a reminder of what God can still do with our broken relationships, our desperate lives, and this hurting world. May India Hook live out Sherwood's hope and God's vision as we remind the community around us that redemption continues one moment and one life at a time.
Peace,
Joseph
We call this special tree a heritage tree because it was planted by "Miss Sherwood" shortly after this sanctuary was built in the early 1980s. Sherwood is in her 90s now and has been on the roll of India Hook since the early 1910s. She kept the church going during the difficult years of the Depression and World War II by visiting members on horseback. When she planted that tree, she hoped that it would shade the building on sunny Sunday mornings for several decades to come. Miss Sherwood and her tree have been connection to the church's past even as India Hook looked to the future.
Now that 50 foot water oak planted by Sherwood will come down. That heritage tree has seen its last spring day. But that is not the end of the story. The people of India Hook UMC have decided to work with the highway department to take the heritage tree down gently, and transport it to a saw mill and then to a woodworker. With the wood from Miss Sherwood's heritage tree, a 10ft by 5ft cross will be built. The church plans on hanging the cross from the rafters in the window above the pulpit. In a beautiful sanctuary, this suspended cross will become central to that worship space.
As I consider this ongoing journey of the heritage oak that will become a cross, the deep and descriptive word "redemption" comes to mind. There are plenty of times that we see a relationship, a job, or a way of life as a loss or at an end. We see and focus on the failure, the finality of that which stares us in the face. Surely, the disciples saw that as Christ hung on His Cross. But God had something else in mind; death, loss, failure were not the final words of Christ's ministry. God had a new beginning in mind for humanity through the Resurrection of Christ.
Maybe in the transforming heritage of Miss Sherwood's tree there is a reminder of what God can still do with our broken relationships, our desperate lives, and this hurting world. May India Hook live out Sherwood's hope and God's vision as we remind the community around us that redemption continues one moment and one life at a time.
Peace,
Joseph
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Sometimes a cupcake acts like a cupcake and the seasons do still change
After an evening of listening to the radio feed of the Wofford game via the internet last night, I still have my religion. I listened as Wofford lost to the Wolfpack, 38-17. Wofford made some silly mistakes with ball control and penalties, but NC State was indeed a little much for the puppies. Oh well, we back to the world of I-AA or FCS (as it is now called). The check for $250,000 that Wofford got for playing will help the program.
This morning I went to lead the Lakeside service down at Ebenezer Park on Lake Wylie. There was a definite chill in the air; I decided to go back and get a light jacket. It's hard to preach with your teeth chattering! It was a good thing I got it, because there was a wind coming off the lake and the temperature was probably in the mid 50s.
The Lakeside services are winding down for the summer and next week is our last week there. Leading worship at the lake is a challenge. We meet under a picnic shelter with anywhere from 50 to 70 in attendance, plus some vultures, gulls, ducks and geese. I have not decided whether I will count the vultures and ducks on my charge conference forms concerning worship attendance. Probably not, because who wants to admit that the vultures circle whenever you preach? At the lakeside service, we have folks from India Hook there as well as people from the nearby campground and residents from around that side of Lake Wylie. It is a recreation spot with people putting in boats, fishing and enjoying the early morning beauty of sunlight and water from their RVs.
At the Lakeside Service, we also claim that Picnic shelter at that time as a Re-Creation place. in those moments, God's grace is displayed in the beauty of creation and we witness the care of the One who reaches out to us. We experience the love of the One who is making all things new. Our last Lakeside Service for 2007 meets at the main Picnic shelter at Ebenezer Park off Mount Gallant Road next Sunday morning at 8:30am. Bring a jacket, just in case!
This morning I went to lead the Lakeside service down at Ebenezer Park on Lake Wylie. There was a definite chill in the air; I decided to go back and get a light jacket. It's hard to preach with your teeth chattering! It was a good thing I got it, because there was a wind coming off the lake and the temperature was probably in the mid 50s.
The Lakeside services are winding down for the summer and next week is our last week there. Leading worship at the lake is a challenge. We meet under a picnic shelter with anywhere from 50 to 70 in attendance, plus some vultures, gulls, ducks and geese. I have not decided whether I will count the vultures and ducks on my charge conference forms concerning worship attendance. Probably not, because who wants to admit that the vultures circle whenever you preach? At the lakeside service, we have folks from India Hook there as well as people from the nearby campground and residents from around that side of Lake Wylie. It is a recreation spot with people putting in boats, fishing and enjoying the early morning beauty of sunlight and water from their RVs.
At the Lakeside Service, we also claim that Picnic shelter at that time as a Re-Creation place. in those moments, God's grace is displayed in the beauty of creation and we witness the care of the One who reaches out to us. We experience the love of the One who is making all things new. Our last Lakeside Service for 2007 meets at the main Picnic shelter at Ebenezer Park off Mount Gallant Road next Sunday morning at 8:30am. Bring a jacket, just in case!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
School Daze
Tonight and this past Monday night, I attended the Open House nights at the schools of two of my sons. My oldest son, Cadet Airman WE (as his friends call him) attends Northwestern High School while my middle son, the Fullback (at least that is the position he is playing this week) attends Sullivan Middle School.
Monday night, I went to Northwestern High. Every time I go to that campus it is like going to a college. Northwestern has twice as many students as Wofford has now and four to five times as many as Hemingway High School where I graduated. Regardless, the night's visit brought back memories/nightmares of my own high school experience. There was something disconcerting about sitting there in that geometry class listening to the teacher speak about the tests, the work, the theorems. I remembered my own struggles in math. I was the kind of student that wanted to know why that pie thingie equals 3.14. Says who?
Chemistry class was next. As I walked through the door, there was the smell of the lab/classroom (you remember... gas and something strong). That funny smell brought back memories of balancing equations and listening to my teacher talking about the chemical formula for Crisco (no, I cannot remember the chemical name for lard). I was awaken from my flashback when the Airman's teacher gave me a formula study sheet that my son had missed picking up that day. It looked like Cyrillic to me. Did I know that stuff at some point in my life? Was the memory of those formulas purged from my mind when I stepped on a child's Lego in a darkened room on the night of February 24, 1998? I went to Sullivan tonight; the middle school was a marginally better experience. The school is still huge and my son is learning in 8th grade what I learned in 10th. My days of homework assistance are almost over. It will be tougher to bluff my way through it.
Of course, my discomfort was short-lived as I discovered that both of my sons do very well in school (even in chemistry class). All three of my sons are thriving in a superior learning environment...I guess they got something from their Mom!
Monday night, I went to Northwestern High. Every time I go to that campus it is like going to a college. Northwestern has twice as many students as Wofford has now and four to five times as many as Hemingway High School where I graduated. Regardless, the night's visit brought back memories/nightmares of my own high school experience. There was something disconcerting about sitting there in that geometry class listening to the teacher speak about the tests, the work, the theorems. I remembered my own struggles in math. I was the kind of student that wanted to know why that pie thingie equals 3.14. Says who?
Chemistry class was next. As I walked through the door, there was the smell of the lab/classroom (you remember... gas and something strong). That funny smell brought back memories of balancing equations and listening to my teacher talking about the chemical formula for Crisco (no, I cannot remember the chemical name for lard). I was awaken from my flashback when the Airman's teacher gave me a formula study sheet that my son had missed picking up that day. It looked like Cyrillic to me. Did I know that stuff at some point in my life? Was the memory of those formulas purged from my mind when I stepped on a child's Lego in a darkened room on the night of February 24, 1998? I went to Sullivan tonight; the middle school was a marginally better experience. The school is still huge and my son is learning in 8th grade what I learned in 10th. My days of homework assistance are almost over. It will be tougher to bluff my way through it.
Of course, my discomfort was short-lived as I discovered that both of my sons do very well in school (even in chemistry class). All three of my sons are thriving in a superior learning environment...I guess they got something from their Mom!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Old Time Religion
This afternoon I visited a couple from India Hook who are in their 80s. Bit and Mary Jane have seen depression, war, and prosperity. In all of that they have been guided by a solid work ethic and their faith in God. Their home is paid for (it probably was when it was built following World War II) and up until recently, they grew some of the best tomatoes in York County. Health issues have caught up with both of them, but their bedrock faith has not diminished.
One of the things Bit talked about today was the "old time religion" of his mother. One of the guiding aspects of that "religion" was the Sabbath rest. "No fishing, baseball, cards, or cooking on Sunday, " Bit said. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, was something she believed and instilled in her children.
Bit and Mary Jane have seen not only the technological changes around them, but the changes in how we live and worship as a people. The Sabbath does not have the same level of celebration as it did long ago. We are so busy with business ( and ironically, recreation) that we don't let God have time to re-create us or take time to be still before God. Perhaps we should not totally abstain from all activity for that might lead too many of us into an arrogant legalism. But we do need a Sabbath. A time to be still, a time to recognize that the world does not turn by the sweat of our brow or the strength of our investment portfolio. We could all use time to be with family and to enjoy creation around us.
Some things shouldn't change: a religion that recognizes a healthy sabbath leads the way. Summer with a couple of Bit's fresh tomatoes would not be too far behind in my unchanging world.
One of the things Bit talked about today was the "old time religion" of his mother. One of the guiding aspects of that "religion" was the Sabbath rest. "No fishing, baseball, cards, or cooking on Sunday, " Bit said. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, was something she believed and instilled in her children.
Bit and Mary Jane have seen not only the technological changes around them, but the changes in how we live and worship as a people. The Sabbath does not have the same level of celebration as it did long ago. We are so busy with business ( and ironically, recreation) that we don't let God have time to re-create us or take time to be still before God. Perhaps we should not totally abstain from all activity for that might lead too many of us into an arrogant legalism. But we do need a Sabbath. A time to be still, a time to recognize that the world does not turn by the sweat of our brow or the strength of our investment portfolio. We could all use time to be with family and to enjoy creation around us.
Some things shouldn't change: a religion that recognizes a healthy sabbath leads the way. Summer with a couple of Bit's fresh tomatoes would not be too far behind in my unchanging world.
Cupcake the terrier
In 2003, our family decided to get a dog to help us with our transition to Rock Hill. While scanning the online newspapers, I found a Boston Terrier puppy for sale near Spartanburg. Wofford College, where I went to college, is in Spartanburg. The mascot for Wofford is the terrier--- more about that choice of mascot another time.
We wanted an indoor dog, and a Boston terrier seemed a good fit. On the way over to Spartanburg from Rock Hill to get the puppy, my sons and I are "informed" that momma wants a girl dog, since momma is the only female in the house. Okay, that's great; I guess there are penalties to leaving the seat up after all. On the way back home, we are discussing names for this new pet. For some reason, Cupcake is chosen. I think Momma had some input on that too.
Cupcake is not your typical house dog. She is hyper and loves to chase the ball and jump all over you--- not a cupcake, lying around taking it easy.
So here we are in the James home, with Cupcake the terrier. As I scour football message boards and plan on my treks to Wofford games, Cupcake is right here beside me. The Wofford Terriers play in the Southern Conference, not the ACC or Southeastern Conference of Clemson or USC, but a tough league nonetheless. However, when schools like USC or North Carolina State schedule teams like Wofford, they are called "cupcake" games, because they are supposed to be easy wins for the big schools. Sometimes these schools choke on a cupcake (see App. State and Michigan). It is rare, but it does happen.
This weekend Wofford travels to Raleigh to play NC State. I hope they find the cupcake Wofford Terriers just as lively and difficult to handle as I find my cupcake terrier!
We wanted an indoor dog, and a Boston terrier seemed a good fit. On the way over to Spartanburg from Rock Hill to get the puppy, my sons and I are "informed" that momma wants a girl dog, since momma is the only female in the house. Okay, that's great; I guess there are penalties to leaving the seat up after all. On the way back home, we are discussing names for this new pet. For some reason, Cupcake is chosen. I think Momma had some input on that too.
Cupcake is not your typical house dog. She is hyper and loves to chase the ball and jump all over you--- not a cupcake, lying around taking it easy.
So here we are in the James home, with Cupcake the terrier. As I scour football message boards and plan on my treks to Wofford games, Cupcake is right here beside me. The Wofford Terriers play in the Southern Conference, not the ACC or Southeastern Conference of Clemson or USC, but a tough league nonetheless. However, when schools like USC or North Carolina State schedule teams like Wofford, they are called "cupcake" games, because they are supposed to be easy wins for the big schools. Sometimes these schools choke on a cupcake (see App. State and Michigan). It is rare, but it does happen.
This weekend Wofford travels to Raleigh to play NC State. I hope they find the cupcake Wofford Terriers just as lively and difficult to handle as I find my cupcake terrier!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Why the name sacramental dude?
I thought for at least 10 minutes for a name for this blog. How do you come up with something like that? Do you base it on a hobby or career, literature or something random? The sacraments, Holy Communion and Baptism within the United Methodist Church, are an important part of what I do as an elder in the church. I enjoy administering the sacraments, within my ministry.
But there are other things that are to me sacramental-- time with friends and family, even time spent watching the motion of clouds. Another word or phrase for sacrament is a "holy moment", or a moment or motion God can use to reach us. I guess there are many sacraments in life-- we just have to claim them.
I search for sacramental moments with my three growing sons. I realize that before I know it, they will be grown and gone and these days of sacramental opportunity will be gone---or at least transformed into other chances to claim God's work in their lives as they become fathers themselves.
Peace,
Joseph
But there are other things that are to me sacramental-- time with friends and family, even time spent watching the motion of clouds. Another word or phrase for sacrament is a "holy moment", or a moment or motion God can use to reach us. I guess there are many sacraments in life-- we just have to claim them.
I search for sacramental moments with my three growing sons. I realize that before I know it, they will be grown and gone and these days of sacramental opportunity will be gone---or at least transformed into other chances to claim God's work in their lives as they become fathers themselves.
Peace,
Joseph
Testing One, Two, Four
Well, let's start this thing. I see lots of my friends and even my wife doing this blogging thing, so why not me?
In the cosmic scheme of things, I probably don't have that much to offer. But I do get up in front of folks on a weekly basis and talk, so self expression has never been a problem. We will see.
Perhaps we'll talk preacher stuff, family happenings, observations or even Wofford football.
Yes, I am one of the 200 people in the state of South Carolina that go to Wofford football games. That is only slightly exaggerated but being a Terrier fan in a sea of Gamecocks and Tigers in this state is like being a palm tree in the arctic--- kind of lonely.
Here's hoping this is the start of something!
In the cosmic scheme of things, I probably don't have that much to offer. But I do get up in front of folks on a weekly basis and talk, so self expression has never been a problem. We will see.
Perhaps we'll talk preacher stuff, family happenings, observations or even Wofford football.
Yes, I am one of the 200 people in the state of South Carolina that go to Wofford football games. That is only slightly exaggerated but being a Terrier fan in a sea of Gamecocks and Tigers in this state is like being a palm tree in the arctic--- kind of lonely.
Here's hoping this is the start of something!
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