Grace in the Season of Lent.

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“For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God-not the results of works, so that no one may boast.”  [Ephesians 2:8-9 N.R.S.V.]

Easter comes late this year. Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent is March 1st. Lent is the season of the church year when we prepare ourselves for Easter. We remember the sacrifice our Lord Jesus made for us and in response we sacrifice something we like or we begin a new spiritual discipline. Overall, it is not usually the time we think that much about grace.

I read an interesting story the other day about a group of scholars who were debating what sets Christianity apart from the other religions of the world. With our age so concerned with multiculturalism and the rise of Islam, it is a debate that is really relevant and timely for today. However this exchange happened over fifty years ago.

The first answer proposed to the question of what is it exactly that makes Christianity different was he Incarnation. God with us was suggested. It was immediately pointed out that other religions, Buddhism for example, taught of a god living with humans. The next suggestion was resurrection. Christianity teaches that is another life beyond this one. However, both Islam and some forms of Judaism, believe in an afterlife as well.

At this point when the debate seemed hopelessly deadlocked, a young scholar name C.S. Lewis stood up and said: “It is grace. Christianity is the only one of the world’s religions that teaches us about God who loves enough to give us the gift of His grace and that is what makes it so different from all the rest.”

That is so true! Other religions teach that God is a stern judge or offer a rigid set of rules that must be obeyed. Or else they teach that salvation can be earned by what the believer does or does not do. In our text quoted above, the writer of Ephesians reminds us that in Christianity salvation is by grace, through faith, and that it is a gift from God.

Perhaps the greatest example of this gift of God’s grace is the Cross of Calvary. For it was there that God’s gift was freely given for “whosoever will” accept it. So maybe Lent is the perfect time of the year to think about and talk about grace.

So this year we prepare once again to remember the Easter event, let us open our hearts and minds to receive grace on top of grace, so that salvation can be ours: remembering that it is not the result of our works, so we have no right to boast. Rather it is the gift of God. God’s grace is offered to you. Receive it. Accept it. Use it. Live it.

Richard

Doers and Not Just Hearers.

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AUTUMN-HARVEST-TIME

“But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” [James 1:22 N.K.J.V.]

The Book of James has always been widely debated. Martin Luther, Leader of the Protestant Reformation, did not like it. He called it “that straw epistle” and believed it should be torn from the Canon. Luther thought this way because he rediscovered Paul’s teaching on salvation by faith alone and believed James taught a form of works righteousness or salvation based on what a person did.

Others defended James and said that it was not written in opposition to Paul’s faith alone teachings but to those who had misinterpreted Paul and were saying that once you were saved, you did not have to do anything. James would state: “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” [James 2:17 N.K.J.V.]

So just what is the relationship between faith and works? John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, summed it up this way: “You do good works not to be saved. Rather you do good works because you are saved.” In response to what God has already done for us in Christ Jesus, we want to do all we can to help others and serve the church.

In other words, God did not save you just so you can have a comfortable pew and hear the gospel message. No, God saved you so you can both hear and do God’s word. Nonbelievers challenge us to live what we say we believe; to “walk the walk, not just talk the talk.” James say it this way: “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

So this brings me to my point, sometimes in the winter we slack off in our attendance, our giving, our spiritual life, and our volunteering. However, now is the time to be at our best. Ask God to reveal your gifts and willing to share those gifts with others. I know of no better way to be a doer of God’s word and not a hearer only.

Richard

New Year’s Resolutions.

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The beginning of a New Year is a time that many of us make “New Year’s Resolutions.” Unfortunately for most of us, these are broken before the last football game is finished. Regardless of what our resolutions are (to go on a diet, to exercise more, to give up some bad habit, or to do something good for someone) we find it is so hard to do these things. So often we get discouraged and quit.

This struggle to bring about a change in our life is not something that is new with our generations. The apostle Paul also had to deal with this problem. To the church at Rome he wrote: “For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it. I don’t do the good I want to do: instead I do the evil that I do not wnt to do.” [Romans 7:18-19 T.E.V.]

However Paul learned that, even though he could not change himself, Jesus could change him! The key to being the person God wants you to be is allowing Jesus to have control of your life so he can change you. Therefore, I would like to offer the following New Year Resolutions for us all to help bring about this Jesus centered change not only in our life but in the life of the church as well: In 2017 I resolve to pray more, read and study the Bible Regularly, support my church by my attendance and giving, get involved with Sunday School Class, or other Study Group, invite and bring someone to church with me, volunteer some of my time in service to others, make an intentional effort to put the needs of others above my own.

If we can do these things and can allow Jesus to replace self as the number one priority in our lives, then 2017 will be a tremendous year and our New Year’s Resolutions will not be broken by January second.

Richard

THANKSGIVING

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Well, it is that time of year again! November brings Thanksgiving and the start of the Holiday Season. Before we know it we often get so caught up in our hectic schedules and holiday agendas that we really have time for nothing else.

I truly do not think that is what Thanksgiving should be about. Rather it should be a time to draw apart, a time to “be still” and know God, a time to share blessings with others. These things should be our aims and goals not just for Thanksgiving but also all through the year.

May I suggest a way to share your blessings and show your thankfulness? I would like to call this the “Adopt a Friend” method. This is a way for you to take personal responsibility for, and show interest in someone else. Maybe you know a shut-in who needs a ride to church, an elderly person, or nursing home resident who needs a visit, card, or phone call. A family that is grieving the loss of a loved one, a younger person who has a long term illness and needs to know that the church still cares or a new resident who may come to our church if they are shown a personal interest; in these and other ways your talents and your time can be used to share your blessings with someone else.

I think you will enjoy Thanksgiving and the holiday season a whole lot more if you share with those who need a friend. Try it and see.

Richard

State of the Church – 2016

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2016 has been an interesting year again we have lost many members, and members’ family to death.  So our membership and average attendance continues to decline.  However in spite of this trend, we remain in good shape financially.  We are facing the fact that the cost of maintenance and necessary repairs, some of which should have been done in the past, on our building will continue to raise, and take a large portion of our resources.  So far we have been able to pay these costs with interest earnings; however we may have to spend principle for future needs.

Things we continue to do well; our music department adds so much to our worship; our United Methodist Women remain a vital and strong unit; our Missions Committee again this year donated to each of the thirty-eight Holston Conference Projects under the four categories-International Advance (5), U.S. Advance (11), UMCOR (5), and Conference Advance (17).  We also participated in the Annual Conference Hands-On Mission Project, Charge for Children Offering, and had a good response for the Cleaning Buckets after the flood in West Virginia.  All of this is in addition to our Health and Welfare Assistance Program each Tuesday that makes a real difference to those in need.  Our congregation as a whole also supports the “Angel Tree” program, the Christmas Shoe Drive, Back Pack Buddies in Galax, and Grayson County.  We also contributed to the Tri-Area Pregnancy Resource Center’s “Baby Bottle” campaign.  Each of these programs has an impact on our local community.   We also pay our Conference Tithes and District asking’s each year.

We also reach out to our community by allowing the use of our building by the following groups: Mountain Top School, Alcoholics’ Anonymous, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts.

Perhaps our greatest success continues to be our Kids’ Junction Ministry.  This provides diapers, formula, baby food, school supplies, and clothing for children’s sizes 0 to 8.  These items are not covered by SNAP benefits so they greatly help those families in need.  In preparation for the opening of this school year, our congregation provided fifty-nine back packs filled with needed school supplies.  Way to go!

As the words of a song from my youth said; “The times are a-changing.”  We at First Galax United Methodist Church earnestly seek to know what God’s will for us is in these changing times.  Please join us in this endeavor.

Richard

Charge Conference

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We have a date of October 25th for our 2016 Charge Conference.  This is the yearly meeting of the church where church officers are elected and the pastor’s salary is set for the next year.  Our new District Superintendent, the Rev. Kimberly M. Goddard, will be continuing the tradition of having Cluster Charge Conferences where several different churches come together.  This is a good way to hear what other churches are doing as well as having a time of fellowship with other United Methodist believers.

However getting ready for Charge Conferences takes a lot of work; all Committee Chairs need to schedule a Committee meeting in September.  To plan your ministry for next year as well as submit your budget request for the Finance Committee.  If we do not hear from any committee their budget will remain the same as this year.

Also the instrument for you to volunteer to serve, or to nominate someone to serve, will be available soon.  Please prayerfully consider where God wants you to be in ministry next year.  If you are currently serving and do not wish to do so next year, fill out the form, and return it to the pastor.  If I do not hear from you, you will be elected again for the next year.

As we have fewer and fewer active members, please do consider how you can serve.

Richard

They Call It Ordinary Time

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I have always thought it strange that the longest season of the Church Year, lasting from Pentecost until Advent, is called Ordinary Time.  It does come after Eastertide, Pentecost and Trinity Sunday which are all busy and exciting times and the following months do not have those special celebrations, but still to call it ordinary is to suggest that it’s just not that important.  And that is wrong.

God continues to work just as diligently and powerfully as God works in what is considered the busier times of the Liturgical Year.  Also, for many, this is vacation season and we often act as if we think God is on vacation.  However, God is always there, only a prayer away, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all the time.  Therefore we must not consider Ordinary Time as a time to take a break from serving Christ and his church.

We have the challenge not to slow down.  The Apostle Paul writes:  “More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.  For his sake I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” [Philippians 3:8 N.R.S.V.]  Does not sound like ordinary work to me.

Also we have been called by Jesus to be his witnesses.  What could be more extraordinary?  So while our Church celebrations have quieted a bit, by no means is it a license for God’s people to quiet down.  Now is the time to really step it up a notch and stroke the fire of the Holy Spirit for an ever increasingly broken world.  May we allow the work of God to be present in our lives this summer and beyond?  If Spring is time for new growth, then Summer is the time of discipleship and there is nothing ordinary about that!

Richard

“Bless”

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“Now the Lord said to Abram. ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.” [Genesis 12:1-2 N.R.S.V.]

The Holston Annual Conference met this year under the one word theme of Bless. Usually when we think of this word we think of the adjective form which is blessed. As when someone asks how we are and we reply: “I’m blessed.” Or we say we are having a blessed day. This year’s theme however is the verb form; to give a blessing to others.

Abram in the scripture quoted above has often been referred to as being blessed to be a blessing. Sadly, it seems that scripture tells us that his descendants forgot the second part of that statement and simply claimed God’s blessing for themselves and failed to bless others.

The emphasis this conference year is for all followers of Jesus Christ not to make that same mistake. I challenge each and every one to prayerfully consider how you can be used by God to bless someone else. Maybe it is by volunteering your time to help some service ministry. Kids Junction can certainly use help. Maybe it is by visiting our shut-ins and Nursing Home residents. Maybe it is by cooking a meal for those who need it. Maybe it is baking a loaf of bread to welcome new people when they move into your neighborhood. Maybe it is by serving your church in more or different ways.

And if you absolutely, positively cannot do anything else, you can pray. Develop a prayer list and pray each day for those on your list. Let them know you are praying for them. Not only will you bless them, you just might be blessed as well.

Richard

Trusting Our Problems To God

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“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you, he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” [Psalm 55:22 N.R.S.V.]

Maybe the one thing that can be said for our society is that people have more stress, problems, cares and burdens than ever before. Anxiety and depression, often stress related, remain at the top of the medical problems today. Many people are caring for elderly parents as well as children and/or grandchildren at the same time. Often it seems that life itself is one great burden. It takes all of our energy and strength simply to get by.
Many are facing financial futures which do not seem as secure and promising as they once did. Many people in my age group have a real concern about outliving our money.
Violence and drugs are a real threat to our youth. They are faced with issues and choices their parents never had to deal with. Peer pressure is very strong. Many young people are driven to succeed in school, in athletics, and just in life in general to the point that all joy is gone and life is just one big hassle.
The Bible, however, offers us a world of Hope. When things get more than we can handle by ourselves, God is there! The Psalmists encourages us to “cast your burdens on the Lord.” Jesus reminds us to take his yoke upon us for he says: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11:20 N.R.S.V.] That verse is becoming one of my favorite verses simply because it reminds me that while there is no promise that we will not have burdens, or a yoke to bear, we do not have to do it alone. Jesus is there in harness with us. God will carry our burden, if only we will allow God to do that.
Yet how hard that is for us to do! It seems that we try any and everything else before we turn to God. I know that often I lay my problems on the altar when I kneel to pray, only to pick them right back up when I get to my feet. I should not do that! Let us covenant together to trust God more. I know I need to and I suspect that you do as well.
If together we trust God with our burdens and cares, and allow God to work in God’s time not our time, maybe the stress, cares, problems and burdens of modern life will not seem so overwhelming. I think it is definitely worth a try!

Richard

General Conference

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“GENERAL CONFERENCE” 

Every four years the United Methodist Church meets for General Conference.  This year the Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon May 10th-20th.  General Conference is composed of an equal number of Lay and Clergy Delegates with the number based on the membership of the Annual Conferences and the Central Conferences for those churches outside the United States.  For this General Conference Holston has 12 delegates; six lay and six clergy.

General Conference is the only group that speaks for the United Methodist Church and the only group that has the power to change the Book of Discipline.  The Discipline sets the rules that govern the UMC.  Some of the issues facing the General Conference this year are listed below.

  • One is a proposed new Hymnal. With the advances in printing technology it is suggested that each congregation that wishes to buy a new hymnal design their own. There will be a core group of hymns, perhaps 250-350, that will be common to all.  Additional hymns can be added based on the congregation’s preference.  For instance one may choose Praise and Worship Songs, Afro-American Spirituals, Camp Meeting Hymns, or Blue Grass Gospel to be added to the core group.  No congregation will be forced to buy a new hymnal and those who project hymns on screens, the words on any new additions to the Hymnal will be available for purchase.
  • Another suggested change is, that since the growth of the UMC outside the USA has been dynamic and here we continue to lose members at an alarming rate, make the United States Annual Conferences be Central Conferences. This would put us on equal footing with our brothers and sisters around the world. This action necessitates changing parts of the Discipline, for instance how Trustees are registered with the Circuit Court in America and not in the rest of the world, to make it universally applicant.
  • Also, there will be a change suggested in how long it takes a person to be ordained a Full Elder. Now the candidate has to serve under appointment for three years after his or her graduation from Seminary. The proposed change would make ordination possible upon graduation.
  • However, the big issue facing this General Conference is homosexuality. There are more than 90 petitions regarding this issue to be considered. Currently the Discipline states:  “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.  Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in the United Methodist Church.” [2012 Book of Discipline, paragraph 304.3]  Also:  “Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches.” [paragraph 347.6]  These petitions range from making the language against homosexuality even stronger, all the way to doing away with all restrictions entirely, and every position in-between.  There is much passion, anger and fear on both sides of this issue.  Both sides are made up of good, loving Christians who interpret this issue differently.  My fear is that regardless of what General Conference decides, the United Methodist Church may split.

At this time let us all be in prayer that the voice of reason may be heard and cooler heads may prevail; and that all the delegates will seek to know and do God’s will in this matter.  My personal prayer is that no one’s feeling will be hurt beyond repair and if there is a division in the church it will be done with loving kindness, grace and love for one another.  PRAY MUCH!

– Richard