Encouragement for 2024 from Brother Chip

There was a prophet in the Old Testament by the name of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was known for leading God's people to rebuild the walls and city of Jerusalem. If you take time to read the story, you find opposition and ridicule all through the process by a couple of men, Tobiah and Sanballat. At every turn, they did their best to thwart the rebuilding of the wall. In Chapter 6 of Nehemiah, we find the wall and gates are almost finished, even with all the attempts by Tobiah and Sanballot to keep it from happening. In chapter 6, Tobiah and Sanballat try one last time to keep Nehemiah and the people from finishing the wall. Tobiah and Sanballat sent Nehemiah a message to meet with them and discuss what was taking place. In reality, they were simply going to do away with Nehemiah and keep the wall from being completed. Six times, they sent the invite for Nehemiah to come meet with them, and six times, he refused; here was his reply 6:3, "…I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down.."

When he sends this reply, the wall is almost done. It would have been easy for him to take a break, to knock off early, to justify some downtime, and simply let those around him finish the wall while he went to a meeting. He had to be tired and worn from all he had done. No one would have blamed him for easing up just a little for a short period, but that was not Nehemiah! Nope, Nehemiah was committed to God and the vision he was given of the restored wall, city, and people. No way was he leaving the wall at that moment when the vision was about to be fulfilled. When God calls a person or people to a project, it is absolutely imperative that they remain on the wall.

Time and time again throughout scripture, we see people called by God to do a work, and then there comes this proverbial moment to decide to stay on the wall or to take a break and come down. As followers of Christ, I believe Jesus' challenge to take up our cross and follow Him daily is the purpose we are called to do. Each day in our lives, we have to decide whether we are going to follow Jesus or ourselves. Am I going to seek fulfillment in Jesus or in the trappings of the world? Am I going to let Jesus mold me into the woman or man He has created me to be or settle on being less than? Am I going to be a follower of His at home, work, public, and private, or am I going to do what I want to do? Are we going to stay on the wall, or are we going to come down?!

I believe we here at FUMC have been given a gift of calling and opportunity. We have been and are called to follow Jesus and make a difference for the Kingdom in our homes and communities. Last February, we began this journey together as FUMC 280. We separated and basically started again as a new congregation. God has given us this fantastic opportunity to start fresh, rebuild, and fulfill the great commission of making disciples for Jesus and see lives transformed. We no longer have to be a body divided, but we have this marvelous moment to come together to make a huge difference in our community for the Kingdom of God. Now, how do we do this? How do we continue to move forward in ministry together in 2024?

First, we do not allow ourselves to be distracted by any pettiness. Examples would be gossiping about one another, demanding our way, or holding on to the hurts of the past. If you want to know if something is calling you off the wall, ask this simple question, "Does this make disciples for God's Kingdom?" That is our North Star and our guiding mission, and all else should pale in comparison to making disciples. One of the most important things we must remember is that many things fall into the temporal category of life, yet our focus should be on the eternal, Jesus. Being like Him and helping others be like Him as disciples is what MUST drive us!

Think with me about our Five Imperatives we have kept before us the last few months. All five are driven by being and making disciples.

Radical Hospitality - (Romans 12:13) Seek out opportunities to show hospitality. Make people feel welcome in the midst of God's people, helping them feel like they belong and are loved by God. Inviting people to experience the love of God by joining us for worship. When people attend our church, making sure they know they are loved and that there is a place for them. When visitors leave worship, they should leave having experienced the Living Christ in some way. They should see, hear, and experience Him through being around His people. They should experience something and someone they will not find in our secular world.

Extravagant Worship - (Psalm 100) Providing a weekly service where people can encounter the living God and experience the joy of fellowshipping with Him. Take time each week as disciples to gather and tell God we love Him! Faithfully worshipping God each week and inviting others to join us is an essential part of being a disciple! Worshipping God is the center of who we are!

Intentional Discipleship - (Matthew 16: 24 - 26) Pick up your cross and follow. Make a conscious choice to grow deeper roots of faith as a follower of Jesus. Individually spend time with Jesus daily through prayer, journaling, studying the scriptures, and other spiritual disciplines. Corporately, consistently worship God together each week, weekly being a part of a Bible Study or Small Group, and serving together those in need around us in the community.

Mission and Service - (James 2:18 - 26) Faith without works is dead. Simply put, be the hands and feet of Christ. Seeing the needs around us in our world and addressing them with love, kindness, compassion, and God's heart. This is the follow-through of being a disciple of Jesus. 

Extravagant Generosity - God gave extravagantly, and we should do the same. (John 3:16) This is giving God our time, talent, gifts, service, and witness, being generous and looking for ways to bless and not curse, operating with open hearts and open hands, and using the blessings that have come from God to help others around us in His name! Giving and blessing become part of our nature because we have the heart of God, whose nature is to give extravagantly! We love and bless because He did so unto us first!

As we enter a new year, I encourage you to continue to practice our Five Imperatives. God has begun a fantastic work here at FUMC 280, and He wants it to continue. I know there will be moments when we tire of being on the wall, but do not come down! Keep praying, keep loving, keep giving, keep reaching out, keep witnessing, and keep being a part of what God has called us to do! Make disciples! Stay on the wall and we will be amazed at what God will do!

Peace and Grace,

Brother Chip

Joseph, A Season of Prosperity and Temptation

We have begun our summer sermon series on the life and faith of Joseph. We looked at Joseph as he entered a season of prosperity and temptation. When we arrive at Genesis 39, Joseph had been sold into slavery, then bought by the high Egyptian official, Potiphar, and is running Potiphar’s house.  Genesis 39 makes it clear that Joseph is in a season of blessing and prosperity fostered by God, 39:2 - “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered...”  Joseph was being blessed and life was incredibly good, but then the temptation comes.
Potiphar’s wife notices Joseph and decides she must have him. Therefore she goes about trying to seduce him to come to bed with her. She even clears out the house one day to make room for the seduction to have success. Joseph, when faced with this moment, refuses the temptation and flees! Joseph is a man who has been blessed by God and Potiphar, and does not want to ruin what God has given him so he literally runs away from the temptation. One of the reasons Joseph is such a great example of faith is how he handles temptation. He finds himself in situation after situation where he is tempted to take the easy route and give in to the easy road of temptation, but he never does! 
We all face temptation, every human being on the planet faces those moments when we have to make a decision about whether to do what they know is right or wrong. We all have these moments. Charles Swindoll does a neat analogy where he breaks down temptation into 3 catagories, Material, Personal, and Sensual. Temptation is something everyone faces, but as followers of Christ we are expected to be prepared to make the right decision. That is where Joseph comes into the picture. He gives us a good example of how to handle temptation.

1. Do not be weakened or fooled by your situation. No one is beyond temptation no matter how good life seems to be. Temptation comes to everyone. Joseph knew he was being blessed by God and that all was good, but temptation still came into his life. Joseph understood that temptation would come and he dealt with it wisely. He said no and even literally ran away from it!

2. Don’t give into persuasion or deception.  There is always that inner voice and those around us who will try to justify giving into temptation. The grass is greener on the other side of the fence. No one will know...no one else will get hurt…just once and never again..everyone else is doing it, we are masters at rationalizing giving into temptation and sin. The fact is God knows… It always affects more than you…our sinful nature is never satisfied with a one time sin… and no, not everyone is doing whatever it is!  Do not be fooled; something is always lost when we give into temptation. Joseph does a great job of recognizing all that giving into Potiphar’s wife will cost him internally and outwardly.  He does not give in nor yield to temptation.

For us we have to realize there are a few things we can do to be pro-active before the moments of temptation arrive.
1. Stay out of those situations in which you know there will be temptation to think, speak, or do the wrong thing. When possible, do not place yourself in tempting situations.
2. Make sure you have strong fellowship with other Christians which will help you stay strong in your faith when temptation comes your way. 
3. Maintain a strong relationship daily with Christ. Let your relationship with Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit be the center of your life.

As you may have heard, the story of Joseph does not end in Genesis 39, but it continues as he goes on to live a faithful life for God. We will continue to unpack the story of Joseph’s life and faith. There is so much to learn from Joseph. 

Peace and Grace,
Br. Chip

“The Widow’s Faith” - Mark 12:41- 44 - Matthew Colburn

And He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And He called His disciples and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

• This is the Word of God…amen. Let’s pray together.

• Well, Chip and I both have recently celebrated our one year anniversary of being at FUMC in Alexander City. And part of that anniversary celebration involved both of us traveling down to Panama City Beach to participate in and behold the amazing witness of faith that was professed and confirmed by our four confirmands who, as of this past Sunday, have recently joined this household of faith.

• Now, usually within the first year of ministry, pastors get the opportunity to kick the tires, check the engine, see all the ways and habits and quirks that make the local church so unique. And I’ll tell ya, just being plainly, simply, as honest as I can be, I have never encountered a congregation quite like this one. In many ways good, in some ways, not so good.

• To give you an example: when I came to that confirmation retreat, my talk was on commitment. And when I met with these confirmands, the future of our church, I had to tell them: don’t commit to Christ in the way that many of the adults in our church “commit” to Christ. Because I’ll tell you church, our congregation here has a commitment problem.

• We see it in our giving. We see it when we plan events that require volunteers. We see it when summer arrives and the lake is right next door. We see it when travel ball emerges and competes for our time and attention. The call to Christ is costly, yet we have reduced that commitment to something more palatable.

• When some came to follow Christ, they came with what we might consider valid excuses. “Lord let me follow you.” “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head…” This being Christ’s way of saying, “You may have no earthly dwelling if you follow me, but you will also not have a home, a place of belonging, in the world if you follow me.” “Lord, let me first go bury my father.” “Let the dead bury the dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

• What do we come to Christ with as conditions for our commitment, church? Because I can tell you what I have seen. And I say these things not to cause direct harm. I say these things to you because a good physician must know when to cut, when to set a bone, when to inflict something temporarily painful for the purpose of healing in the whole body.

• What do we come to Christ with as our conditions? “Lord, I’ll give my time, but I’m going to wait until the last minute to show up because there may be something else I want to do that conflicts with serving you.” “Jesus, I’m going to follow you eight months out of the year, but those four summer months are mine. That’s lake time.” “Lord, I know you have instructed us in your good counsel and wisdom to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, but I really don’t have the time to even invest one hour of my Sunday to you. I’m sure you understand!”

• Let me be clear that I am not saying this is a universal truth that applies to every person in this congregation. Because while I’ve seen a general spirit of uncommitment, I’ve also seen in this community of faith people who are so fervently committed to the cause of Christ that spending one minute with them is like basking in heaven’s rays.

• But this is a prevalent phenomenon in this church. Its difficult to plan events because we never know who’s going to show up, we can’t accurately budget because money is given or withheld on a whim, every challenge we face currently comes from a lack of commitment: commitment to Christ, His church, His people.

• So when I came up to our confirmands, to our children, to our youth I told them: do not commit as some of the adults in this church commit. I hope I say this to your shame that it will bring repentance! I told them do not commit as some in this church “commit.” Where we follow Jesus if and when it is convenient.

• No no no, church. If Jesus is who He says He is, then He demands our complete and total obedience. Satan and the powers of this world get six days of the week to develop and encourage you in your habits, your hangups, your sins, your ways. God asks for one day set apart from the rest. One day to gather together to worship His holy name, remember what He has accomplished for our sakes at the cross, and to glorify the name of the risen Savior who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

• And yet…we’ve culturally conditioned ourselves to say, “Alright God, its Sunday. You’ve got an hour then I’m going to go do what I want to do.” We look at people who go to Sunday morning worship, Sunday night small groups, and Wednesday evening Bible studies as super saints. God demands a day, we normalize setting aside an hour, and some of us even say to that, “No no no, an hour is too much.”

• Church, what happened? What happened here? What happened to us? My hope in this is that you receive this word in love. That you know it is out of my affection for you and the condition of your heart that I am telling you these things. That God may call all of us to repentance to flee from the idols of this world and walk in faith, leading quiet, holy lives in faithful commitment to Him.

• How do we address this problem? Well, I don’t want you to simply hear my words about what is good, right, and pleasing in the sight of the Lord. Let us look together at our passage this morning, as the Lord commends this widower in her commitment and love for her God. Let us speak more of the way in which we ought to conduct ourselves, ought to order our lives, and ought to live faithfully among one another.

• Let me first begin, before even touching our passage, by setting it in its context. Jesus has entered Jerusalem for the final time as He prepares to go to the cross, endure the shame, and be raised and exalted in glory all for our sakes. The gospel of redemption, received by grace through faith in Christ, casts its shadow upon our story this morning.

• And as Jesus and His disciples are walking through the city, Jesus is doing a great deal of teaching. He is warning people of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, who are enamored by appearances. Jesus tells them, “Beware the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive greater condemnation.”

• Church, since I’m in the challenging mood this morning, let me ask you: of which sins listed here are you guilty of? Are you obsessed by appearance, as the scribes? Because I’ll tell you: when I began to wear a tie and coat as of two or three weeks ago, I had someone tell me, “I heard a lot of folks say they thought you were so cute in the way you were dressed.” And I’ve also had people tell me, “Y’know, I’ve heard some people talking about how much they hate the length of your hair…”

• For those who speak either way, in the positive or negative of your ministers’ appearances, let me ask you: of those Sundays where I was dressed nicely, can you tell me what Scripture we read together and studied in worship? Or perhaps, you who are obsessed with the length of a person’s hair, can tell me one hymn we sang by the Spirit’s prompting? You can’t? Interesting. So then, re-order your heart, sinner! What does it matter if I come to you in rags and bald, or in a three-piece suit with lengthened hair? For the wild man, John the Baptist, came bringing a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, while the Pharisees and scribes, dressed in the finest robes, led people to eternal damnation like the pied pipers of Satan.

• Or who among you, in the course of your time in worship, have grown so accustomed and attached to your preferred seat in the synagogue, that you have run off strangers and visitors for the sake of your personal preferences? Re-order your heart, o sinner! Confess before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and pray that your arrogance and pride has not run off those poor souls from the doors of the church where God transforms the hearts and minds of the lost.

• The church in the West is obsessed with appearance. Even pastors aren’t immune. The number of times I’ve heard ministers in an arrogant, bragging way speak of “We worship about 500, we worship about 1,000…” Fool! Do you not know that God is the One who adds to the number of your assembly daily? What good is a high membership roll if there is no discipleship? You may as well brag about the Dead Sea; for though your membership roll flows long, it is shallow, empty, and dead in sin.

• So then while many may try to read themselves into the role of the faithful widow, in reality, we are often much more like the Pharisees than we’d care to admit. And these Pharisees are the ones who, as Jesus says, “devour widows’ houses,” that is, they devour the lives, hearts, and souls of the faithful for the purpose of making an idol of themselves or worshiping themselves. And if we don’t take great care to note Jesus’ words, we are in TROUBLE. For “These will receive the greater condemnation.”

• Y’all got your toes stomped on yet? Let me remind you, then, of the hope of the gospel before we continue forward. That every word of rebuke or correction is not simply to cause aimless harm. It is to realign our hearts to the will of God and bring us into repentance, that we may experience true joy and life in His name.

• So, what is the solution, preacher? If then you call us Pharisees, how are we to live? How ought we to conduct our lives for the sake of the gospel? Don’t rebuke us without giving us a solution! Ah, dear friends, I intend to do just that. 

• Let me direct our attention to these first two verses: “And He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money in the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.”

• Now, church, let me, as both exposition of this passage and application of this passage, tell you rumors of what I have heard of some of you that I dearly hope and pray are not true. It has been reported that some among you have chosen not to give to the church because you want to wait and see what happens with the discernment process, disafiliation, and the future of this church before you give to it.

• If this is true, and I hope it isn’t, but if this is true, and you are sitting here today, read this passage along with me closely: we saw in the context what Jesus said: the Pharisees devoured widows’ houses. The Pharisees saw the poor, the orphaned, the widower, as pigs, equal to the Gentiles, without any hope of keeping the law and destined for hell.

• This widow isn’t ignorant of that fact. She knows she will receive little help or grace from the temple, the dwelling place of God among man. She knows how the religious leaders see her. This place, enraptured by religion, hates her. And you know what she does? She comes faithfully to the temple treasury, and gives all that she has.

• Because at the end of the day, the stewards of that treasury will stand before God and give a full account of their exploitation and evil. Yet the widower knows that God calls her to be faithful. She gives, not because she’s expecting a return on her investment or for the church to act as she wants it to act, but because our giving is worship.

• God has blessed us out of the abundance of His grace. And in worship, we return a small portion of that to Him in gratitude with thanksgiving. We don’t just spiritualize the time of the offering so we can pay church bills. Our worshipful time of giving each Sunday is an act of rebellion against the world, and an act of faithfulness towards our God: “Lord, you have blessed me greatly. I know you are with me. And because I trust in you, I am returning a portion of what you have blessed me with to your body on this earth, your church, that it may be used to the glory of your name and the good of your people.”

• Our giving is worship. So I want you to hear me, church, and I say this with love for you: if you cannot give to the mission and work of this church because of current denominational issues, that is your decision. Go in peace. Be well. But you need to go and join a church where you can faithfully give. It is too important for the sake of your eternal soul and the health of this church for you to remain here with a heart that is not enlivened by the joy of Christ that causes you to give or withhold giving on a choice whim. Its not about you!

• Because I’ll tell you, and I’m glad Steve Presley is at Discovery and Chip’s on vacation so they can’t hear me say this: I do not care what number is on our financial reports. I seriously don’t. If you use your money for influence, power and control; to withhold it when things don’t go your way, or change to a designated fund when someone hurts your feelings, go and repent or go find somewhere else to worship.

• Give me a church full of people with this widow’s faith, and I’ll give you a church that can change the world. Because while many rich people came and deposited large sums, it was the widow alone who caught Jesus’ attention. Verses 43-44: “And He called His disciples and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

• Notice here, church, that if you have been distracted by appearances and distracted from the life-changing, life giving Word of God, that you are not alone. For Jesus had to call His disciples to them to show them this wondrous act of faith. Some wonder at what the disciples may have been doing or looking at before Jesus called them to Him, but I would present to you this likely scenario: that the answer comes from whats before our text and what comes after. 

• Jesus warns them of the scribes’ hypocrisy, likely, because they are blinded by the wealth, power, and fame. Jesus, after this text, warns them of the temple’s beauty, as they marvel at its workmanship and precious metals, by telling them, “You like this temple? Truly, there is not one stone upon another that will not be torn down.”

• How precious a word is this to the proud sinner: that the disciples were not unlike us, yet because of the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ they were restored to see the hidden beauty in a widow’s faith. You see, the difference between the disciples and the Pharisees is that, when Jesus told both groups to “Come and see,” the Pharisees rejected Jesus, while the disciples heard and obeyed His call.

• This word is a challenging word that I bring to you this morning. But it is a necessary word. We are entering a time where commitment to the church of Jesus Christ at FUMC is necessary now more than ever. And if you come to this time with worry, or anxiety, or concern, let me, hopefully, give you a window into what gives me hope.

• Every tree that bears good fruit must at times be pruned. And I firmly believe that this discernment process will do exactly that: it will prune the unhealthy, uncommitted, fruitless, dead vines from the true vine who sustains the healthy branches and, through them, produces good fruit.

• I firmly believe that at the end of this process, this church will be forged into whatever it becomes upon the firm foundation of those who are committed in their faith, committed to this church, and committed to supporting it in their gifts, graces, service, and resources, all by God’s help.

• Every Sunday that I am privileged to step up into this pulpit or behind this music stand, my hope and prayer is that those in need of conviction are convicted, and those in need of comfort are comforted. That is my prayer now more than ever. For those of you with hearts guilty of Pharisaism, I present to you two options. Because God has entrusted the care of this church in a small portion to myself, and because I will be held accountable at the judgment to how I worked to guard, protect, shepherd, and lead this church, for the health of the church I present two options: come to the altar, or exit through those doors.

• Repent or leave. For the sake of your eternal soul and for the sake of the health of this church, repent or leave. That those who remain may be presented in those last days in the blamelessness of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, that He may receive all glory, honor, and praise, now and forevermore. Amen.

Reflections on Exodus 32:7-14 ESV

            What we find in the text for our devotional this morning is a community in crisis. Moses has gone up to the mountain to meet with God, he has delayed in returning to the nation of Israel, and so Israel comes to Aaron, Moses’ brother, the vocal leader of the people, and says to him, “Make us gods who shall go before us. As for Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” The people don’t know where their leader is. God is silent in their midst. And so Aaron, as instructed, requires the gold of all those who are in the Israelite camp in order to forge a golden calf. An idol. How quickly the people have forgotten that it was not Moses who sent plague upon plague on Pharoah and his house! How suddenly have the people forgotten that it was not Moses who caused the Red Sea to recede! Was it Moses who gave them bread from heaven, or living water from the stricken rock, or who led them as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night? And yet here they venerate, even worship, their leader Moses. It was not Yahweh who delivered them, but, “Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt.” (Ex. 32:1).

            So is it at all surprising, then, that God says to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you have brought out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves”? For as much as they now worship an idol of a golden calf, they also worship, in some sense, Moses. They see the awesome power of God manifest in and through the faithfulness of Moses to steward and shepherd the people of Yahweh, and attribute that glory and power in “one who is like themselves” (much like the prophet greater than Moses who is promised in Deuteronomy 18), instead of rightfully allowing these mighty acts to bring them into worshipful reverence of Yahweh. Moses then, being a type and shadow of what is to come in Christ, comes before God in His holy habitance, intercedes for the people, reminding Yahweh of His faithfulness to keep His promises to the people of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so brings the people to repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

            While I want to keep this at a “devotional” level, there is a piece of theology that ought to be discussed to more fully understand some logical questions that come from this text. If you wish to skip over this section to get to devotional application, the theological piece will be included in brackets to peruse or to skip over entirely.

[It is important that we speak on the “personification” of God in this text. Was God brought to anger in His wrath, that it was altogether assuaged, even “relented” from, as the text tells us, when Moses came to Him in repentance? This, then, raises another question important for consideration: does God experience emotion? To understand God in such a way leaves logical complications. Emotion, rightly understood, is a reactionary response. We feel anger when something happens to provoke such a response. We feel sad when something takes place which saddens us. That is to say, emotions are caused by something. Therefore, to say that God experiences emotions like anger, sadness, or anything of the sort, is to suggest that God is a reactionary God; if we truly teased out the implications here, a God that is reactionary is a God who is not altogether sovereign, nor omnipotent; for if He can be stirred to anger in response to the disobedience of His people, that would presume He is powerless to stop them, intercede, or simply can only react to their disobedience, instead of using even their disobedience towards an ultimate redemptive good. This is a doctrine known as “divine aseity”: simply meaning, God acts in a way that is entirely independent of any other being. His ways are independent of our ways; they are not directly caused by our ways. His thoughts are independent of our thoughts; they are not directly caused by our thoughts. He is not dependent on any particular thing: for His existence, His acting, His will. Therefore, God is impassible - because emotions are inherently dependent on a cause, God does not experience emotion.

Was God angry? No. Yet our tendency is often to read into wrath the emotion of anger. Such an understanding can be helpful for us, for our human emotional reaction of anger is often a response to tragedy or wrong that is itself outside of what God has willed. In that sense, anger is the emotional microcosm experienced by human beings, made in God’s image, by which we may in part understand God in His wrath against injustice, evil, and sinful disobedience.

But theologically, it can also be harmful. How often have we wilted beneath Satan’s lies telling us God is angry or sad at us because of actions we’ve committed? Because of ways in which we have sinned? God is not defined by emotion, but as spirit, infinite, eternal, unchanging, everlasting, and faithful. He is faithful in keeping His promises to us, often and even in spite of ourselves. A God who is an emotional creature, acting and reacting to everything we say, think, or do, is not a God who can grant us stable assurance of our salvation bound together within His word, and, frankly, is not a God who is worthy of our worship.

This should, then, open the door wide for our understanding of what it means for the Living God to love us. It is not love as we often interpret it: an emotional depth that provokes a repeated pattern of sacrificing action. We can strike the first part of that clause. God’s love is simply sacrificing action. He does not love us as other humans do: where when we act rightly, we are rewarded with a deeper commitment and love, and when we act wrongly the grieved party is filled with sadness, betrayal, even anger at our disobedience that separates us from them. God’s love remains, even in our disobedience. Christ died for us, while we were yet sinners. While we were disobedient. A reactionary, emotional God would do no such thing. So long as we stand in Christ’s righteousness, so long as we believe in His love, so long as we stand together united in His love, so we are saved. And as we are all the more conformed to His image, as we stand to resemble Christ more day after day, so we prove that God’s love never departs from us, never leaves us, and continues to transform us. Neither God’s wrath nor God’s love come from emotion that is reactionary: one is the natural consequence of rejecting God in favor of worshipping self; the other is the natural consequence of loving God and rejecting self.

The “catch” in all of this is, of course, that God became man. So did Jesus experience emotion? In His humanity, yes. In His divinity, no. In His humanity, He shows us how to submit reactionary, emotional response beneath the will of God. He cried as He approached Lazarus’ tomb, because of the hopelessness of Mary and her entourage. Yet He knew it was better for them that He not simply heal Lazarus, but that Lazarus might be raised from the dead; had Lazarus simply been healed, Mary would have had temporary joy. Because Lazarus was raised, she had resurrection hope. One is temporary. The other is eternal. Jesus held sadness and anger together as He approached Lazarus’ tomb, yet neither compromised the divine will and mission of God.

In this age and culture of emotional response, reaction, and self-idolization, this understanding of a God who is separate from these things, yet in His incarnation becomes sympathetic to us in our weakness, is a necessary component to the gospel message.

Now that we’ve concluded this brief theological sermon, back to the devotion at hand]

Let us together consider the devotional implications of our text for today:

1.     What we see in the Israelites’ behavior is nothing new. I call this phenomenon “gospel amnesia.” That is to say, we are so blinded by sin, that we have altogether become a people of “what have you done for me lately?”. They forgot the provision of God. They forgot the faithfulness of God. They forgot the promises they swore before God at Sinai in the command that was given. And the moment the voice of God withdrew from their midst, sin clouded their minds, their hearts, their souls, and in their pride they come to Aaron and say: “we want a god, made by our own hands, to worship. We don’t want to worship a God outside of our control; we want to worship ourselves.”

How often do we also do this very thing! Where we walk in gospel amnesia; meaning, we forget the good news of the gospel, and so return to the foolishness of our former ways. Were we to record the faithfulness of God in our lives in a book, memorize it, walk with it daily in our hearts and minds, would we not be far less likely to doubt God’s mercy and goodness because we recall clear examples where those attributes of God have been made crystal clear before us? …Friends, this is the purpose of the Bible. Of Holy Scripture. It is the catalogued witness of the saints to remedy the temptation of gospel amnesia. To show God’s faithfulness not only in our individual lives, but across the span of human history! Do not be as the Israelites are; quick to forget the history of God’s redeeming work among humanity. Keep close to God’s word, and in it you will find a refuge and strength from gospel amnesia.

2.     Do you notice the language of God in the text? In the disobedience of the people, God calls them the people of Moses. “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt…” If we choose sin, we live in the consequences. And we know from Scripture the wages of sin are death. So because these people are choosing death instead of life, choosing an idol who cannot save them versus a God who can save them, Yahweh identifies them as a people empty of life; in their sin, they are no longer the people of the Living God. They have abandoned the covenant that gives life. They have chosen death. So they are no longer God’s people, but Moses’ people.

Yet Moses, being a man of faith, comes before God and prays that God forgive them of their sin. He leads the people to repentance, reminding them of the covenant they swore with God, and the covenant God swore with His people. There is power in such prayer! In standing in the assurance of God’s faithfulness. Though there is a call to repentance, Moses’ interceding prayer focuses much more entirely on God’s faithfulness to save His people. When we let the assurances of God’s promises guide us in prayer, we will find ourselves standing on that same holy ground as Moses; in the presence of the promise keeper who delights in keeping His Word and who will restore us if we will simply humble ourselves.

3.     As a final word of devotion, I believe we see here a clear word of the relation of the church to the world. Have you noticed what took place in this story? The holy man of God went to draw near to the Lord, and when he was gone the entire world fell apart in their own despair and depravity. Friends, if the church were taken altogether away from this world in the blink of an eye, is this not also what we would find in our world today? A communal rejection of God, the construction of idols, and a people who “sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” Yet when Moses comes down from that holy mountain with God’s Word in his heart and God’s will directing his steps, what happens? Revival breaks out. Those who delight in their sin receive judgment. Those who repent are ordained into God’s service. Atonement is made for their sins. And the people are no longer the people of Moses; but once more the people of Yahweh.

Jesus gives a similar word to His disciples as to the purpose and function of the church in the Sermon on the Mount. Just as Moses, the holy man, preserved the people from calamity, the church, a holy people, are meant to preserve the world from calamity and wrath. Jesus says to His disciples that they are the “salt of the earth.” In that context, Jesus is using a metaphor of traders who would take salt acquired from salt water and rub it into various meats to preserve the meat from decay. This salt is unlike our common table salt or salt preservatives; modern salt doesn’t quickly decay. The salt from the sea does.

So what happens when the salt loses its saltiness? Its preserving quality? The meat will decay and rot and perish. Friends, this is Christ’s meaning: the church is the salt of the earth. Just as the salt was applied to the meats so they would not rot and perish, Christ has applied His church to the world so that the world may not rot and perish in its sin. The church is to be about the work of calling the world out of darkness and into the marvelous light of Christ. Just as Moses called the Israelites to repent and walk in the newness of life freely given by the grace of God, so we too are called to proclaim that same message of repentance to the world: that they may come to know Jesus, and God may be glorified now and forevermore.

Let's Talk

We have lost our minds!! That is what I thought when I was perusing through social media the other day. It was crazy! One party posted a picture that seemed to me an odd endeavor. The image was not a photo of a puppy, a flower, or anything soothing. Now I will not say exactly what it was, but there was no way it was not going to solicit a reaction…and then the reactions began to pour into the post…people taking sides, being ugly to each other, getting bitter, and the like…it was crazy!

I could not help but think how unproductive the posting had been. I thought to myself, what if those same folks were in a room together? What would that reality look like? And what if Jesus was in the room with them? How would that actual conversation work its way through? Would people be cussed, chairs thrown, weapons brought to bear? Honestly, I don't know, but one thing I have determined, any type of digital media is a poor substitute for in-person conversations.

Let me make a suggestion for this year. If you are exasperated with someone this year, take the time to sit and talk face to face. Please don't go all scorched earth on a digital medium without actually sitting down, in the real world, and attempting to work it through. If the issue is so important that it fires you up, go talk to the party in person. That is the uncomfortable, adult thing to do and the Biblical Way.

Matthew 18:15 "If your brother or sister sins, go and point it out just the two of you." Yep - that is What HE said. Nuff said.

Peace and Grace,

Brother Chip 

The Lord Loves a Cheerful Giver

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:16-17 ES)

This upcoming month, you will hear much about stewardship. Part of this is practical: the church has bills that we’ve got to pay, and we have to come together to be faithful in meeting our obligations with the power company, lawn care folks, maintenance workers, and the like. Yet another part is necessarily spiritual, as James reminds us here. We have been given much by God. And as we have been given much, we ought to give with worshipful expectation that God will be glorified through the work of His church. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, and while this does speak to the giving of our finances and material goods, there are other gifts we ought to consider when we ponder what it means to be good stewards.

Have you sat down and thought through how you spend your time each day? There are few greater gifts we have been given by the Living God than the gift of life. With each day that we are blessed with we ought to consider our time, steward it wisely, and ask ourselves if we are honoring God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In the frantic “rat race” pace of our current age, we often forget that God has commanded us to rest, and that part of being good stewards of our time and being faithful to God is to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (that is, set apart). Part of being a good steward is to examine how you are using this gift of life to honor God. Am I wasting my time with endeavors that don’t bear the fruit of the Spirit? Am I failing to honor God’s call to worship Him by resting from my labors? How am I worshipping God in my life, and am I being a good steward of this gift of life?

You may say, “Preacher, you do not know what I am going through. I can’t give even a penny without going bankrupt.” “Pastor, you don’t understand. I’m slammed at work, there’s a project looming overhead, and we’re in crunch time to get it done. How do you expect me to rest this week?” To you, I wish to encourage and remind you that your Father who is in heaven knows your needs in this life and the next. Part of our giving is to give worshipfully, trusting that God has given us out of His wondrous providence, and placing our faith in Him that He will continue to meet our needs now and forever. As it comes to stewarding our time, I ask you, did God, in His foreknowledge, giving the command, say, “Remember the Sabbath, and keep it holy...except for Mary Sue. I know you have a lot on your plate. You can make up for it next week”? Did God command “love your enemies, but only when it’s convenient for you”? If He has, then show me chapter and verse and I will happily repent of my error. But in my Bible, the word is clear. We’ve been given time. And as we are to steward it well in our work, we are also to worship Him by our rest.

This month as we talk about stewardship, much of that conversation will naturally shine a light on our financial giving, and the effectiveness of our church’s stewardship in using those offerings to the glory of God through various forms of ministry. Yet let us also ponder how to be good stewards of all that God has blessed us with. That He may receive all glory, honor, and praise, now and forevermore.

Amen.
Brother Matthew

A Time to be Thankful

I will be honest; I do not generally see myself as an ungrateful person. Yet with Thanksgiving approaching, I am reminded I need to be more conscious of those people and circumstances for which I am very thankful! The truth is I am not ungrateful, but I rarely take time to count my blessings. You know how it is to go from one day to the next taking care of whatever is right before you, right? We go from one event to another, one to-do item to the next, one ballgame to another, etc, etc… We get so busy. We are not ungrateful, just terribly busy.

So let me suggest we take a moment this Thanksgiving to pause and be grateful for all our many blessings. Just think for a moment, what are you thankful for in this season? A great family, good job, excellentmarriage, healthy children, food on the table, all the bills being paid...what would you put on the list?

As I sit here, a few things come to mind for me. A good family, job, house, health, and the like. I have tons to be thankful for in my life. I suppose one difference in myself and many I see in the world around me is who I thank for wonderful gifts. Whenever I count my blessings, I cannot help but give praise to God! It is amazing how that one step makes a huge difference in my soul. Not just to be grateful, but to acknowledge who is the giver of all the wonderful blessings in my life.

As we come to the Holiday season, I encourage you to take time to be thankful, but also be sure to thank the one from whom all blessings flow!

(Psalm 26: 6 - 9)

Peace and Grace,

Brother Chip

Woe Is Me

“Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” These words are spoken by Isaiah as he experiences the pure holiness of God and is called as God’s prophet. It is an awesome and humbling encounter convicting Isaiah with a sense of guilt and unworthiness and causing him to feel reluctant and hesitant. This captures, in a true sense, what many have felt as they answered God’s call to be witnesses and teachers. I believe some observable attributes have always characterized the lives of the saints in our history. Following are some thoughts:

1. The authentic call of God is evidenced by unconditional love and compassion for all people in all places and all times. “For God so loved the world… God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17).”

2. Saints have a hesitancy to judge others usually brought on through a deep and contrite awareness of their own sin. “How can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye (Matthew 7:4)?

3. Saints are truth-telling, neighbor-loving, humble-walking witnesses who engage others in prayerful, inclusive, loving dialogue and understand, clearly, that our passion to defend our own personal beliefs often blinds us to God’s call to love.

As I pray this morning and reflect on the above, I feel my heart moved and I understand, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” And, for me,…. It’s back on the Potter’s wheel over and over again…….. “How is it with your soul?”

Brother Mike

Brother Mike begins Holy Week with a word on Practicing the Presence.

Brother Barry begins our week with a word on Generosity.

Brother Mike on Scripture and Meditation

Brother Mike ends the week with reminders about Adoration & Worship.

Adoration & Worship - Brother Mike Densmore

Worship & Adoration

"O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing God's power & God's love." (oops, you caught me singing)… 

I love the church, always have and pray, I always will. From the time I was a little boy, the church has been a happy place, a place for fellowship and singing, a place for searching and learning new things. I've been blessed to be a part of over twenty different churches over the years, ranging in membership from 14 to >6000. The interesting thing about all of them, all different and, yet, in some amazing way, they were all alike. All came together in worship & adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ. All found ways to "Lift their hearts to God."

From Shady Grove in Clay County, I still remember the all-day singings on-the-ground, the Gospel singings, and the Baptisms on Easter Sunday. I remember when the confirmands would walk to their baptisms singing only the verses of "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand" and, after their baptisms, the whole church (all 20 of them) would explode with the chorus, "I am bound for the promised land, I am bound for the promised land. O, who will come and go with me? I am bound for the promised land."

1. Here, in Alex City, I can remember great cantatas, gospel groups, marvelous Vacation Bible Schools, drama presentations, and singing on the Russell "Good-Will Hour." We sang everything from classical to bluegrass and, through it all, we "Lifted our hearts to God" and entered into "communion" with God and warm fellowship with each other.

2. North & south of the Mason-Dixon, east & west of the Mississippi, I've witnessed the faithful as they "practiced the presence of God" and expressed their hope with joy and thanksgiving.

3. Today, I worship at ACFUMC, where we have three distinctly different styles of worship services, and almost everyone thinks their particular service is the best. The truth is that God is pleased with all true worship when people "come together, seek His face, humble themselves, pray, and lift their hearts to God." The shawl I am wearing was knit for me by one of our saints at ACFUMC, and I wear it during special times of prayer and, at times in my office, when I am seeking direction and clarity concerning an appropriate word for our worship services on Sundays.

We can all share experiences of worship in many ways, in different places, at different times. This Lenten season, I invite you to look for ways to experience an encounter with God. I assure you God is already looking for an encounter with you.        

1st Peter 2:9 says that "We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God so that we might declare the praises of God who called us out of the darkness into his wonderful light." I have not met many people who did not want to bask in the light of God's love, to remain faithful and true to God's call upon our lives, and to do good and seek that which is best for others. But, sometimes our lamps tend to run out of oil, our matches get wet, the darkness begins to creep in and, with it, the distractions of the world. 

Well, do not be afraid. We are in good company. The Saints who have gone before us struggled with the same issues. How do we abide in the light of God's grace when grace is a gift of God and not something we can claim by merit? How can we "lift our hearts to God" and stand in the way of God's grace as God continually works to reclaim us, restore us, and renew us?

The answer is through "Adoration & Worship." Throughout the centuries, the church has turned to the scriptures, studied the teachings of Jesus, and adopted certain practices (or disciplines) through which we claim God's offer of grace and stand faithfully in the light of God's grace as we grow deeper in love with Him and with the people in the world. These practices form our approach to "Adoration & Worship" as we seek to give thanksgiving to God for the blessings of our lives and worship God in spirit and in truth. In our worship and devotional life, we are seeking an encounter with the Living Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Adoration & worship are our means to those encounters.  

Let's talk about these a little:

1. Adoration comes from a Greek word that means "a reverence and respect directed only to the Holy Trinity and The Eucharist." Adoration occurs in those times when we are, spiritually, at-one with the Holy Spirit in such an embrace that praise & thanksgiving are pulled forth from us into the very presence of God.

2. To worship has a double meaning. It means to "Bow Down in humility before the holiness of God" and, it also means to "Lift up our hearts to God" as we allow God to recreate our hearts in the fashion of God's own.

And so, the church gathers for worship, where everything is rooted in the scriptures, liturgy, and traditions of the Saints who have gone before us. We are truly, "one with Christ, one with each other, and one in service to God's world." We proclaim the Living Word of God in a relevant way with Biblical, historical, and theological integrity for the people of God. We hear as the message is proclaimed, and we discern God's Word for us today in a way that brings a sense of unity into the diverseness of the world. In our finest hour, we experience an encounter with the Risen Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Songs are sung; the Word is proclaimed; prayers are shared; offerings are made of our resources and our lives, and the sacraments of Baptism & Communion are celebrated, as God hosts us into God's sanctuaries of healing, hope, restoration, and new life.

We come into the fellowship of God's worship. We listen as the Holy Spirit opens to us the Word of truth. We sing the songs of praise & thanksgiving. We pray for God to heal our sick, guide our lives, and strengthen us in the land of our living. We hope that mercy and grace will bring peace to our world as we repent of our sins and claim the promises of God. We "Lift our hearts to God" as we take the bread, drink the cup, and allow our hearts to be renewed in the presence of the Holy.

God is calling you, and God is calling me into a life of "Adoration & Worship," into a life of intentionally "practicing the presence of God" that leads us out of the darkness and into the light of his grace. It is in worship we remember, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, & Christ will come again," and we rise with the assurance that where Christ is, we shall be one day. We rise from true worship to go forth into the world to share the love of God with all we meet, "seeking justice, loving mercy, and living humbly."… One day at a time.   

The call of God upon our hearts is to "lift our hearts to God" in worship as we "love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength." And "love others as we love ourselves." O gracious God, teach us to worship in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  

"Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail; thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end, our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend…"

Worship is practicing the presence of God!  Worship is loving God & loving you, Bro Mike

Note: In the message above, several phrases are in quotations. This is to acknowledge they are either from the scriptures or saints who have gone before us and are not original to me. MLD  

Brother Barry wraps up our focus this week on Self-Denial and Fasting.

Love and Lent

Former preacher, Virgil Anderson, said he was farming atop a little hill with his dad in the 1930’s. On one side of the hill he was singing, Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown? When he heard his dad singing on the other side, No, No, No Not One. 

Lent doesn’t always feel positive. Why? Well, sin. Embracing regret, sacrifice, humility, discipline, and repentance are about transformation, not affirmation. Lent calls to mind the 40 days of fasting and temptations of the wilderness for Jesus. Or, Moses and Elijah fasting for 40 days, or maybe the 40 hours between Jesus’ sacrificial death and His resurrection. This is a season when Christians embrace their utter need to be attending to spiritual disciplines as a means to receiving grace and willingly being “in the potter’s hand.” But does love come to mind? 

Love, in terms of sentiment or feelings of deep connection, is familiar to us. It is a wonderful thing but insufficient in itself. Lent love is based on sacrificial commitment; it fosters deep felt sentiment. In sacred Scriptures, love plunges the depth of committed relationships and is captured in ancient covenant ideas (see Sandra Richter, Epic of Eden). Think of blood packs in the movies. In our Lent case, a superior party, God, promises, in covenant fashion (Cross), His presence, provision, and protection to His rebellious former children through Jesus. The unthinkable, our Holy God condescending in covenant form to forgive sins and establish covenant relationships with us. One that reconciles us to our Father in one event, the cross and resurrection. Why? Love. My response is to accept or reject this covenant offering. In doing so my promise is to, by His power and leadership, willingly be conformed to His will and purposes. Astonishing! Even more than marrying my beautiful wife. A stronger party making all the sacrifices and concessions to the lesser. Love compels such things, and so love must be the response. So when you give up something this year, think of it as embracing the greater gift.

This year we will focus on celebrating spiritual disciplines during Lent via video lessons. I hope you join in and reciprocate love and sacrifice to foster your covenant love relationship.

Barry

GIVING THANKS IN TURBULENT TIMES

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Be thankful? Tough ask! Virtually everybody has an opinion about life during Covid-19. The disruptions to our lives, let alone the risk assessment everyone is subconsciously calculating, makes for animated conversations around the coffee pot. In my spot, the idea of “doing no harm” and leading responsibly with great people in our church has been in itself “quite the ride.” Thankfully, I could say, it has taught me a few things. I have learned to be more patient with others and myself. It has affirmed that fear has two sides. Fear keeps us appropriately cautious from jumping without looking first, but it also can paralyze us from living fully. We need balance. I laughed out loud the other night watching a rerun of the silly movie WHAT ABOUT BOB. Bob, a lovable multi-phobic personality, played by Bill Murray, cannot be alone in his daily fear, so inappropriately, he attaches himself to his narcissistic therapist. It is “big funny” because we all have a little bit of Bob or little bit of Dr. Leo Marvin in our world. We probably need to be a little more real about life, like Leo’s son, Siggy.

Being thankful in all circumstances isn’t just because I learn things. It is because of who I learn from and why? We belong to God our Father who made this world, and He desires we be His mature kids. We want to fully understand the significance of this truth. The scripture says that as disciples we learn from Christ, the master teacher/Messiah, who we are in this world and the right things to do. We, who are/are being saved from sin, are God’s redeemed sons and daughters who are learning characteristics like obedience, trust, patience, compassion, confidence, common sense, and wisdom. So, being thankful that God is supernaturally “with us” in Jesus is understandable and developed within us. His presence bolsters our confidence. He ultimately reigns over all things and is now our companion and teacher. We trust He will help us all make sense of things, as we live in His good purposes, both hearing and doing His will amidst a fallen world. 

So yes, during this time of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for His provision and also thankful that we are born from above, in Christ, and these are times to trust and grow.

Barry

The Bridge

Years ago, on the first Walk to Emmaus at Camp Sumatanga in North Alabama, I had gone to sit and pray on a small bridge across the small creek that flows next to Hutto Auditorium. I was about to go into the conference room and give the talk on discipleship to the men there that weekend. I can remember working hard on the talk. I had researched, studied, practiced under critique, and fine-tuned the subject of discipleship to a point with which I thought God would be well pleased. 

No sooner had I begun to pray than a young girl, maybe ten to twelve years old, came along and plopped right down on the bridge with me. Immediately, she disrupted my time of prayer and preparation, “Hi, my name is Shannon, what’s yours?” Hoping she would leave, I told her and she immediately followed up with another question, “What are you doing here?” I began to explain to her that I was about to go give a very important talk about discipleship to a group of men on a retreat. She was not the least impressed and asked, “Where does the water in this creek come from?” I was beginning to get frustrated and was trying to decide how I could get her to leave so I could continue my praying and preparation. However, I took the time and explained to her that about a half a mile upstream in the creek, past the pool camp and above a beaver pond, there was a spring coming out of the side of the mountain that provided the water for the creek. Immediately, she wanted to know if we could go and see the spring. I explained to her again that I did not have time. I was trying to get ready to give this talk on discipleship and needed time to prepare. Her immediate response was, “Why? What’s so hard about that?”

That did it. It was time. I was ready for her to leave. However, that small voice that sometimes speaks to us and moves us to do what we do not want to do spoke to me and nudged me to ask Shannon if she knew what a disciple was. She never blinked or hesitated. She simply said, “Yes.” With more than a hint of skepticism, I said, “Well, why don’t you tell me what a disciple is?” She looked up at me and said, “Sure, a disciple is someone who talks like Jesus talked, walks like Jesus walked, and loves like Jesus loved.” 

Needless to say, my pen was busy instantly; scratching out my well planned conclusion and, only a few minutes later, the men on that retreat heard of an encounter at the bridge and learned that a disciple was someone who talks like Jesus talked, walks like Jesus walked, and loves like Jesus loved.

Thank you, Shannon, for those precious moments at the bridge. It has now been over thirty years since that day and I still use your definition of a disciple. 

Brother Mike Densmore

Don't Shoot the Hog

I learned a lesson over fifty (50) years ago that I think about from time to time and have a chuckle. I was deer hunting with a group of men and boys on a really cold morning. The frost was heavy, and ice was everywhere. The Hunt Master for the day was the landowner, an ole country man by the name of Leo, who had decided our first drive would be across a thirty-acre swamp thick with briars and shallow water. Since this group often called me "Swamp Cat," Leo asked me to go through the swamp with him. Then, the lecture began. He explained he had hogs living in the swamp, and we needed to be careful to only shoot "deer with horns on their head" and not his hogs. Several times, we listened as Leo gave specific instructions how to ensure we were hunting deer and not hogs. After several versions of instructions, the hunt began; everyone went to stands on the other side of the swamp, and Leo and I began to work through the swamp. His final instruction to me was, "Whatever you do, don't shoot my hogs."

As we began moving through the swamp, it was miserable and cold. Saw-briars and vines were thick, and it was hard to see more than fifteen to twenty feet anywhere you looked. Leo and I stayed in communication by whooping at each other several times each minute. We were about half-way through the swamp when it happened; I heard something big jump out of the brush and quickly heard Leo's old single barrel shotgun. Then, stone silence. I stood still and silent for a couple of minutes before calling out, "Leo, did you get him?" I got a very curt response, "Shut up, boy." I started to make my way toward Leo when I heard the shotgun roar a second time. I paused again and asked, "Leo, did you get him?" The answer came back more frustrated than before, "Shut up, boy."

It took me a few minutes to make my way to Leo, and as I broke through the swamp to him, he was kneeling in the water. Looking up at me, he said clearly, "Don't you ever say a word about this; I just shot my _____ hog." After a few minutes to gather himself and one more warning to me about silence, we made our way through the swamp. Everyone had seen several hogs come out of the swamp, and one young boy had seen "a big buck with a big rack too late for a shot." Leo didn't miss the opportunity, "That must have been the one I shot at. All I saw was the rack through the brush." Believe it or not, the "Swamp Cat" learned some lessons that day:

1. When you are the landowner of the hogs, they are your hogs.

2. Sometimes what other people don't know doesn't hurt them or you either.

3. Protecting another's dignity and respect without harming someone else feels good.

4. Leo was grateful. When he processed that ole boar, we got a whole ham and five pounds of bacon.

5. There is grace in silence. Leo (now gone) and I never mentioned that hunt again. 

With a chuckle, Mike  

Am I Charismatic?

You may be thinking, I’m not a “holy roller.” Well, let’s explore that notion for a moment. For many followers of Christ, Charismatic denotes normalizing the manifestation of Spirit gifts (listed in I Corinthians 12) in public worship, such as healing, tongues, or modern day miracles (this is not typically the practice of Methodists). The greek word Charisma is interpreted as “gracious gifts from God” (Barry’s way of saying it) and suggests those endued with the power of the Holy Spirit are manifestly gifted by God to edify or “make strong” the whole body of believers and to share the Gospel with the world.

However, if I ask instead, are those who “belong to Christ” filled and led by the Holy Spirit? This question is rather rhetorical and strikes more precisely to the heart of the nature of our salvation. The reality created in Jesus Christ by resurrection is a new existence for all believing, obedient children of God. This reality is characterized by the law of the Spirit or being indwelled by the Holy Spirit. It is a non-negotiable truth. It is the very means of regeneration and being set free from the law of sin and death. The Holy Spirit provides me life in Christ. This is the very implication of resurrection faith and is undeniable if I am “in Christ.” 

My new reality creates a fresh behavior pattern for me. I am now led, not by obligation of written religious laws or pleasing my appetites for human expression, but by the instructive guidance of the Spirit who writes upon the tablet of my heart the will of God. I am now true Israel, an awakened person, led by the Spirit, with the power to live a Christ-pleasing life, and confidently tackle the challenges of a hostile world of temptations, troubles, and hardships. These instructions for living are obviously synonymous with Holy Scriptures’ testimony of righteousness, or we have a huge disconnect. So, if someone ever asks if you are a “holy roller,” just say: “why yes I am, by the mercy of God.”

Reflections on Romans 8-12

Barry

The Human Answer (Part Two of Three)

What does Romans offer us? How shall we be free of the bondage of the mud? We try to fix ourselves or just seek to be “one” with the mud. But human potential, “works-based” ideals are doomed to self-righteousness, hypocrisy, manipulations, self-delusion, and failure. The best moral religions and philosophies deal in human strength or virtuous activities (arete, see Aristotle). They might shame us about right and wrong but do not lead us to the God who is the source of “right and good (dykai-osun-a or righteousness).” These moralisms and “super-therapies of wholeness” often involve denial or good behavior mixed with wrong reasons. They are just too bent and weak to work. Colin Williams, commenting on this “bent,” reminds us that it is not that we cannot do good things but that these good capacities are twisted from their true course and are wrongly purposed. Actions that are often judged good by objective social and moral standards are, in fact, religiously corrupt when they issue from a life separated from God. John Wesley actually saw these “good deeds” as evil that keep us from God (Sermons I, pg. 38), “they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done.” Sobering indeed! So take the example of Jacob, he claims God’s promised blessing by deceiving his father. It was God’s good gained not in God’s way. It was God’s will for him to be the chosen descendant and by definition was “good,” yet his means involved sinful deception. It destroyed his relationship with his brother. This story is repeated. Thus, we need rescuing. Enter the gospel. A new life in Christ which doesn’t proceed from right behavior, but results in righteous or “holy fruit.” A gift from God.

Barry