Something happened with last week’s reflection. It went out blank. Jennifer resent it later in the week, but apparently it still did not get out. So, here are my reflections from last week, along with some thoughts for this week.
I was reading a devotional this week that used Carl Lewis as an illustration. Carl Lewis is the record holder when it comes to the most Individual Gold Medals in Track & Field in a single Olympics. He won four Gold Medals in one Olympics. In the devotional, it was pointed out that Carl Lewis was not a good starter. If you look at recordings of his races, it was very rare for him to be the first off the starting line. Carl Lewis was a stronger finisher. He knew how to finish strong.
Finishing strong must be a message God wants me to learn. It was the theme of the message at Gina’s parent’s church on Sunday (Father’s Day). The title of the message was, “Daddy, Please Finish Well.” It was taken from these words of Paul to Timothy: “I have fought to good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8; NRSV) Paul was approaching the end of his life. He writes to Timothy, “I’m committed to finishing well.”
A little over a week ago, Gina and I celebrated the homegoing of one who finished strong. Gina’s Uncle Bud Yoakum died on Friday and his funeral was Saturday. During the service it was shared that Uncle Bud had introduced a nurse to Jesus in his final days. As he approached the end of his life, he was still thinking of others and concerned about their salvation. He finished strong the race of faith and has received his crown.
Some of you know that Gina’s mother (Sue Yoakum) is in a battle with cancer. She was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer this spring. This weekend I heard her say; “I’m not afraid of dying, but I am afraid I will not see some of those I love after I die.” Think about that for a moment, “I am afraid I will not see some of those I love after I die.” She was referring to some of her children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They are not all like Uncle Bud, committed to finishing strong the race of faith.
I imagine that most of us have ones we love who are not ready to enter eternity with Jesus. That fact should concern us. It should be a part of our prayer life. And we should be looking for opportunities to share Jesus.
One way I’m doing that is praying for the children related to our church who have not made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Each day I pray for three to five children and their parents. For young children, parents are the key to their faith development. So, I’m praying that parents will model for their kids what it means to be a Christ Follower. And I’m praying that children will be open to the pull of Christ at their heart. I know that Jesus is seeking them.
Back to the pastor’s message: He pointed out that in Sevier County, Tennessee, only about 20% of the people are actively involved in the Body of Christ, a Church. I’m not sure that Jefferson County is much better. We don’t have to go overseas to find the mission field. We live every day in our mission field. The question is; are we committed to reaching those persons we know who are traveling through life without Jesus? Does it concern us that they may go into eternity without Jesus?
I think we need some of that fear that Gina’s mother expressed. Maybe it would motivate us to make sharing our faith a priority. I know her words have challenged me to pray more faithfully for undiscipled people and ask the Holy Spirit to give me eyes to see open doors through which I can share Jesus.
This Sunday we will celebrate our nation’s Declaration of Independence. I encourage you not to leave worship out of the July 4th activities. America was birthed by people who were committed to worshipping the Living God. It has been pointed out the majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were committed Christians, active in their local Church. I’m convinced that was what made America strong. And that is still the key to strong America.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Power of Character
A “Perfect Game” in baseball is very rare. There have been only 20 pitchers to pitch a perfect game in the 135 years of professional baseball. On June 2, Armando Galarraga, of the Detroit Tigers, actually was the 21st pitcher to accomplish that feat. But Galarraga was denied his perfect game because of a bad call by the umpire.
For those who do not know what a Perfect Game is, it is a pitcher who faces only 3 batters each inning, 27 for the game. That is 3 up and 3 outs each inning, with no base runners. It is very rare in baseball.
Armando Galarraga pitched such a game but it was taken away from him by a bad call. He had gotten the first 26 batters out. Only one more batter and he would have been memorialized in Baseball’s Hall of Fame. It happened, but the First Base Umpire made a bad call. He called that 27th batter safe at first, when replays showed he was out. After the game Umpire James Joyce acknowledged that he blew the call, but the perfect game had been lost.
Instead of a Perfect Game, Galarraga will be remembered for something else – his character. He looked in disbelief as the Umpire called the runner safe at first and smiled. Steve May, wrote of the moment, “But Galarraga just smiled – albeit a sardonic ‘you’ve go to be kidding me’ smile – and then he went back to the mound and got the last out. Even after the game, he refused to lash out at the umpire’s mistake.” Armando Galarraga demonstrated character that is kind of a rarity these days, especially in the world of sports.
Steve May, in his “Monday Morning Memo” reminded readers that blown calls are a fact of life. “They come at us in different ways: The boss who gives credit to the wrong guy, the teenager who blames everyone else for their own insolence, the church member who finds fault in everything the pastor does. The result is that sometimes you get short-changed. You deserve credit, but credit doesn’t come your way, thanks to someone else’s bad judgment.”
In those moments, how do you respond? Do you have the mind of Christ, that looked at his betrayers and forgave them? I don’t know anything about Galarraga’s faith, but he demonstrated a Christ-like character. What about you and me? When you are hurt by the bad judgment of others, do you lash out? Do you get mad? Or, do you smile and get back to work?
Galarraga did not get the Perfect Game he deserved. But he did show baseball fans how a true sportsman plays the game. What about you and me? Do we show those who are watching us how a Christ-Follower plays the game of life? Do those around us see a Christ-like character in the way we respond in those times we are hurt?
The Apostle Paul commended the Thessalonians for such character. He wrote: “So, when you accepted the message, you followed our example and the example of the Lord. You suffered, but the Holy Spirit made you glad. You became an example for all the Lord's followers in Macedonia and Achaia.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7; CEV)
Remember to lift the Youth Mission Team in your prayers. They are in Tennessee, serving others in Jesus’ name. They will be returning on Saturday.
Sunday morning, our Family and Leisure Team, is having a Pancake Breakfast for dads. Bring your father to breakfast before Worship and Sunday School. Breakfast will be served in the Fellowship Hall from 8:00 AM until 10:00 AM.
Some have asked me if I have read Max Lucado’s new book, Fearless? I am reading it and planning a message series related to it for our August Camp Meeting. We will also be having Small Groups that will be studying the book. If you would be interested in hosting a small group or leading one, you can email me. Most of these groups will kick off the first week in August. Some may wait until the second week. Either way, they will run five weeks.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
For those who do not know what a Perfect Game is, it is a pitcher who faces only 3 batters each inning, 27 for the game. That is 3 up and 3 outs each inning, with no base runners. It is very rare in baseball.
Armando Galarraga pitched such a game but it was taken away from him by a bad call. He had gotten the first 26 batters out. Only one more batter and he would have been memorialized in Baseball’s Hall of Fame. It happened, but the First Base Umpire made a bad call. He called that 27th batter safe at first, when replays showed he was out. After the game Umpire James Joyce acknowledged that he blew the call, but the perfect game had been lost.
Instead of a Perfect Game, Galarraga will be remembered for something else – his character. He looked in disbelief as the Umpire called the runner safe at first and smiled. Steve May, wrote of the moment, “But Galarraga just smiled – albeit a sardonic ‘you’ve go to be kidding me’ smile – and then he went back to the mound and got the last out. Even after the game, he refused to lash out at the umpire’s mistake.” Armando Galarraga demonstrated character that is kind of a rarity these days, especially in the world of sports.
Steve May, in his “Monday Morning Memo” reminded readers that blown calls are a fact of life. “They come at us in different ways: The boss who gives credit to the wrong guy, the teenager who blames everyone else for their own insolence, the church member who finds fault in everything the pastor does. The result is that sometimes you get short-changed. You deserve credit, but credit doesn’t come your way, thanks to someone else’s bad judgment.”
In those moments, how do you respond? Do you have the mind of Christ, that looked at his betrayers and forgave them? I don’t know anything about Galarraga’s faith, but he demonstrated a Christ-like character. What about you and me? When you are hurt by the bad judgment of others, do you lash out? Do you get mad? Or, do you smile and get back to work?
Galarraga did not get the Perfect Game he deserved. But he did show baseball fans how a true sportsman plays the game. What about you and me? Do we show those who are watching us how a Christ-Follower plays the game of life? Do those around us see a Christ-like character in the way we respond in those times we are hurt?
The Apostle Paul commended the Thessalonians for such character. He wrote: “So, when you accepted the message, you followed our example and the example of the Lord. You suffered, but the Holy Spirit made you glad. You became an example for all the Lord's followers in Macedonia and Achaia.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7; CEV)
Remember to lift the Youth Mission Team in your prayers. They are in Tennessee, serving others in Jesus’ name. They will be returning on Saturday.
Sunday morning, our Family and Leisure Team, is having a Pancake Breakfast for dads. Bring your father to breakfast before Worship and Sunday School. Breakfast will be served in the Fellowship Hall from 8:00 AM until 10:00 AM.
Some have asked me if I have read Max Lucado’s new book, Fearless? I am reading it and planning a message series related to it for our August Camp Meeting. We will also be having Small Groups that will be studying the book. If you would be interested in hosting a small group or leading one, you can email me. Most of these groups will kick off the first week in August. Some may wait until the second week. Either way, they will run five weeks.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Church Wins Beautification Award
The Gardendale Beautification Committee had their annual awards banquet last Thursday night. Our church received the Church Garden Beautification award for our Prayer Garden. Lem Green and I received the award on behalf of the church.
Did you know we have a Prayer Garden? It is located between the Chapel and the Sanctuary. There are two entrances to the Prayer Garden, one in the hall at the Chapel entrance and the other off the Glass Narthex, just past the Giving Tree.
There is always a danger thanking persons for their work for you risk missing someone. But I want to thank those who serve God through their yard and garden work here at the church. Robbie and Lem Green gave leadership to the re-working of the Prayer Garden. They and their helpers have done a great job. Take a look the next time you are on the campus.
There are several families who work faithfully to keep the yards and flower beds of the church looking good. I regularly see Wallace and Jo Dickinson laboring in the flower shrub beds of the church. They spent hours getting ready for Homecoming. And they were back this week, working in front of the sanctuary. Jackie and Kathy Phelps, who chair our Grounds Committee, also give a lot of time working on the beautification of our grounds.
Wayne Duncan saw a need for someone to keep the Fountain Clean. So he accepted that responsibility and regularly cleans the fountain and the area around it.
Ernie Brown is our yardman. For him, it is a family labor of love. His son Neil got home this week from college and Ernie had him on the lawnmower, cutting the grounds. The other day I saw his dad, Glenn Brown watering the sod that had been laid on the area where the sign had been moved.
All of these and many others help us honor God with their labors on the grounds of this church. I hope you will join me in thanking them.
We do have one area that does not look very beautiful at this time – the north end of our campus. Work has begun on the Erosion problem. We should know more about the depth of this problem sometime Thursday, when they anticipate exposing the foundation to check it for any damage. If there is no damage to the foundation, and the engineering firm does not believe there is any, the cost of the Erosion Project will be in the $120,000 to $140,000 range.
Our Erosion Fund continues to grow. $39,117.00 has now been given. The first payment on the project will be made this week.
Friday night is Graduation for the 4 and 5 year olds in our Child Enrichment Ministry. This week they are working very hard on the program they will present for their parents and friends. If you are at the church you might take a look in the sanctuary to see the set that the Child Enrichment staff has put up. It is another example of a commitment to excellence.
Children’s Prayer Warriors, have you turned in your Prayer Notes. Today is the deadline. The Prayer Notes have to be sorted by classes and then given to the teachers to include in each child’s graduation bag.
In my hospital rounds yesterday, the receptionist at Lakeshore thanked our Church for offering the Shred Day. She had her papers already boxed, ready to bring them Saturday. Shred Day is this Saturday, May 22. It is a ministry we offer to the community.
Also on Saturday, our Youth will have a Car Wash. They will be in the front parking lot, ready to clean your cars. And they will accept any donation you offer. Money will help the youth who are going on the Mission Trip in June.
Sunday is Pentecost. It is the day we remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus. This year we are offering something different to celebrate the Birthday of the Church. We are having a Pentecost Party in place of our traditional Sunday night service. It will be at 6:30 in the Gym. There will be Intergenerational worship and a variety of activities for persons of all ages. Come and join the party, as we celebrate the Birthday of the Church.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Did you know we have a Prayer Garden? It is located between the Chapel and the Sanctuary. There are two entrances to the Prayer Garden, one in the hall at the Chapel entrance and the other off the Glass Narthex, just past the Giving Tree.
There is always a danger thanking persons for their work for you risk missing someone. But I want to thank those who serve God through their yard and garden work here at the church. Robbie and Lem Green gave leadership to the re-working of the Prayer Garden. They and their helpers have done a great job. Take a look the next time you are on the campus.
There are several families who work faithfully to keep the yards and flower beds of the church looking good. I regularly see Wallace and Jo Dickinson laboring in the flower shrub beds of the church. They spent hours getting ready for Homecoming. And they were back this week, working in front of the sanctuary. Jackie and Kathy Phelps, who chair our Grounds Committee, also give a lot of time working on the beautification of our grounds.
Wayne Duncan saw a need for someone to keep the Fountain Clean. So he accepted that responsibility and regularly cleans the fountain and the area around it.
Ernie Brown is our yardman. For him, it is a family labor of love. His son Neil got home this week from college and Ernie had him on the lawnmower, cutting the grounds. The other day I saw his dad, Glenn Brown watering the sod that had been laid on the area where the sign had been moved.
All of these and many others help us honor God with their labors on the grounds of this church. I hope you will join me in thanking them.
We do have one area that does not look very beautiful at this time – the north end of our campus. Work has begun on the Erosion problem. We should know more about the depth of this problem sometime Thursday, when they anticipate exposing the foundation to check it for any damage. If there is no damage to the foundation, and the engineering firm does not believe there is any, the cost of the Erosion Project will be in the $120,000 to $140,000 range.
Our Erosion Fund continues to grow. $39,117.00 has now been given. The first payment on the project will be made this week.
Friday night is Graduation for the 4 and 5 year olds in our Child Enrichment Ministry. This week they are working very hard on the program they will present for their parents and friends. If you are at the church you might take a look in the sanctuary to see the set that the Child Enrichment staff has put up. It is another example of a commitment to excellence.
Children’s Prayer Warriors, have you turned in your Prayer Notes. Today is the deadline. The Prayer Notes have to be sorted by classes and then given to the teachers to include in each child’s graduation bag.
In my hospital rounds yesterday, the receptionist at Lakeshore thanked our Church for offering the Shred Day. She had her papers already boxed, ready to bring them Saturday. Shred Day is this Saturday, May 22. It is a ministry we offer to the community.
Also on Saturday, our Youth will have a Car Wash. They will be in the front parking lot, ready to clean your cars. And they will accept any donation you offer. Money will help the youth who are going on the Mission Trip in June.
Sunday is Pentecost. It is the day we remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus. This year we are offering something different to celebrate the Birthday of the Church. We are having a Pentecost Party in place of our traditional Sunday night service. It will be at 6:30 in the Gym. There will be Intergenerational worship and a variety of activities for persons of all ages. Come and join the party, as we celebrate the Birthday of the Church.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Reflections from Bro. Rudy –
May 5, 2010
Recognition for Growth
As I was beginning to write this week’s Reflection, I received a phone called from The Foundation of Evangelism for the United Methodist Church. The late Harry Denman, a Birmingham businessman, was instrumental in the establishment of The Foundation of Evangelism. Its purpose is to advance the ministry of evangelism in the United Methodist Church.
The reason for the phone call was, in looking over the statuses for the last five years, our church stood out because of our growth in worship. They wanted to know what we thought were the reasons for our growth. How would you answer that question?
Here are some of the answers I gave:
• The diversity in styles of worship.
• Cultural relevant message series.
• Very intentional Evangelism System
• Invitations by Lay Persons
I was asked to write an article about this for the Foundation of Evangelism’s web page. That is the second such article I have been asked to write this week. I got an email from our national United Methodist Men asking me to write an article on scouting. They had a representative at the Bishop’s Dinner on Scouting, which we hosted a few weeks ago. They wanted me share, as I did that night, about some of the ways scouting has opened the doors of evangelism for us. I shared some of that in a previous email.
As Brother Lambert and I talked this morning, I was reminded that one of the keys to our growth and the growth of any church is “people inviting people.” God is growing His Church Family here at Gardendale-Mt. Vernon. One of the keys to this growth is servants of Jesus who take seriously the opportunity to invite their friends, neighbors and associates.
I believe prayer is the foundation for anything we do as the Church. God leads His praying people into areas that He wants to move and bless. I believe we have witnessed many examples of this. The most recent was the call to pray for the Children.
Sunday, I shared a conviction that God laid upon my heart to pray for the children connected to the Church Family. Out of that came a call for at least 100 Children’s Prayer Warriors who would pray specifically for the children graduating from our Child Enrichment Ministry. I was blown away with the response. We had the 100 needed commitments in our 9:45 Crossfire service alone. With the other two services we were able not only to give each child one Prayer Warrior, but each child was given two Prayer Warriors. Thank you for that kind of commitment to pray for the children.
Those who made a commitment to pray for a child should have gotten the child’s name on Monday. I thank Mary Smith and Amy Sizemore for getting that information out that afternoon. If you made a commitment to pray, remember you are to pray for your child each day through graduation on May 21. Of course, you can certainly continue after that time. Also, you are to write a Prayer Note which will be given to the child at graduation. There is a box in the Reception Area of the Office where you can place your Prayer Notes. We need them by Wednesday, May 19th. You can bring them Sunday or any other time you are by the office.
We have had a little hold up on the Erosion Project. The city wanted some additional information from the engineers. That should be in their hands before this week is out and work should begin as soon as we get the go ahead from the city. Our Erosion fund continues to grow. We now have $30,617.00. If there is no damage to the foundation, we are getting close to being able to fund this without having to borrow any money. That, however, would still mean depleting two emergency funds that are there for other purposes. If you have not made a gift, prayerfully consider making one. One shared that he was making a gift, but could do more later. If we have to take out a loan, those gifts that come in after the project begins will go to reduce the debt as quickly as possible.
ATTENTION GOLFERS – There are two opportunities coming up for you to play golf and support some important ministries. The Fourth Annual Camp Sumatanga Golf Tournament is Monday, May 24. Shotgun start at 12:30, with lunch provided before hand. It is held at Grayson Valley Country Club. The cost is $100 per person. You can get two mulligans for an additional $20.00. We’ve had a team or two participate each year in this tournament. I will be happy to again draw names for our teams. I will need your $100 and your HDC or Average Score by tomorrow, May 13. Our deadline to register is this Friday.
The Second Annual Joyce Sanford Memorial Benefit Golf Tournament will be Saturday, May 22, at Green Briar, in Morris. This Tournament is sponsored by the Church Revived and funds go to families in need. This is a 2 person scramble. Cost is $25 per person and includes breakfast and lunch. Deadline to register is also Friday, May 14th. You can contact The Church Revived to register or come by the church office for a registration form.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
May 5, 2010
Recognition for Growth
As I was beginning to write this week’s Reflection, I received a phone called from The Foundation of Evangelism for the United Methodist Church. The late Harry Denman, a Birmingham businessman, was instrumental in the establishment of The Foundation of Evangelism. Its purpose is to advance the ministry of evangelism in the United Methodist Church.
The reason for the phone call was, in looking over the statuses for the last five years, our church stood out because of our growth in worship. They wanted to know what we thought were the reasons for our growth. How would you answer that question?
Here are some of the answers I gave:
• The diversity in styles of worship.
• Cultural relevant message series.
• Very intentional Evangelism System
• Invitations by Lay Persons
I was asked to write an article about this for the Foundation of Evangelism’s web page. That is the second such article I have been asked to write this week. I got an email from our national United Methodist Men asking me to write an article on scouting. They had a representative at the Bishop’s Dinner on Scouting, which we hosted a few weeks ago. They wanted me share, as I did that night, about some of the ways scouting has opened the doors of evangelism for us. I shared some of that in a previous email.
As Brother Lambert and I talked this morning, I was reminded that one of the keys to our growth and the growth of any church is “people inviting people.” God is growing His Church Family here at Gardendale-Mt. Vernon. One of the keys to this growth is servants of Jesus who take seriously the opportunity to invite their friends, neighbors and associates.
I believe prayer is the foundation for anything we do as the Church. God leads His praying people into areas that He wants to move and bless. I believe we have witnessed many examples of this. The most recent was the call to pray for the Children.
Sunday, I shared a conviction that God laid upon my heart to pray for the children connected to the Church Family. Out of that came a call for at least 100 Children’s Prayer Warriors who would pray specifically for the children graduating from our Child Enrichment Ministry. I was blown away with the response. We had the 100 needed commitments in our 9:45 Crossfire service alone. With the other two services we were able not only to give each child one Prayer Warrior, but each child was given two Prayer Warriors. Thank you for that kind of commitment to pray for the children.
Those who made a commitment to pray for a child should have gotten the child’s name on Monday. I thank Mary Smith and Amy Sizemore for getting that information out that afternoon. If you made a commitment to pray, remember you are to pray for your child each day through graduation on May 21. Of course, you can certainly continue after that time. Also, you are to write a Prayer Note which will be given to the child at graduation. There is a box in the Reception Area of the Office where you can place your Prayer Notes. We need them by Wednesday, May 19th. You can bring them Sunday or any other time you are by the office.
We have had a little hold up on the Erosion Project. The city wanted some additional information from the engineers. That should be in their hands before this week is out and work should begin as soon as we get the go ahead from the city. Our Erosion fund continues to grow. We now have $30,617.00. If there is no damage to the foundation, we are getting close to being able to fund this without having to borrow any money. That, however, would still mean depleting two emergency funds that are there for other purposes. If you have not made a gift, prayerfully consider making one. One shared that he was making a gift, but could do more later. If we have to take out a loan, those gifts that come in after the project begins will go to reduce the debt as quickly as possible.
ATTENTION GOLFERS – There are two opportunities coming up for you to play golf and support some important ministries. The Fourth Annual Camp Sumatanga Golf Tournament is Monday, May 24. Shotgun start at 12:30, with lunch provided before hand. It is held at Grayson Valley Country Club. The cost is $100 per person. You can get two mulligans for an additional $20.00. We’ve had a team or two participate each year in this tournament. I will be happy to again draw names for our teams. I will need your $100 and your HDC or Average Score by tomorrow, May 13. Our deadline to register is this Friday.
The Second Annual Joyce Sanford Memorial Benefit Golf Tournament will be Saturday, May 22, at Green Briar, in Morris. This Tournament is sponsored by the Church Revived and funds go to families in need. This is a 2 person scramble. Cost is $25 per person and includes breakfast and lunch. Deadline to register is also Friday, May 14th. You can contact The Church Revived to register or come by the church office for a registration form.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Reflections from Bro. Rudy –
April 28, 2010
Who’s Church?
This morning, in Chapel with our Children, I told them about Homecoming this Sunday. When I mentioned that Gardendale- Mt. Vernon was celebrating their 150th birthday, some of their eyes got real big. 150 years is a long time, especially for a child. I went on to share that this Church Family began before Gardendale was even a town.
Then I asked them a question that I was asked by a child many years ago, “Who’s Church is it?” Immediately, several of the children shouted out, “God’s!” Sometimes we adults forget that. We make the church about “us” or even more, “me.” We “church members” think the church is here to meet our needs. We forget that the Church belongs to God and was established by God to accomplish God’s purpose.
Our Baptismal/Confirmation Covenant, found in our “Book of Worship” and Hymnal, states; “The church is of God, and will be preserved to the end of time for the conduct of worship and the due administration of God’s Word and Sacraments, the maintenance of Christian fellowship and discipline, the edification of believers, and the conversion of the world. All, of every age and station, stand in need of the means of grace which it alone supplies.”
A couple of weeks ago I was in San Antonio for the Large Church Initiative. In one of the Keynote addresses, Reggie McNeal made this statement, “The Church does not have a mission. God’s mission has a church.” Think about that for a moment. God called the church into being to accomplish God’s mission. And what is God’s mission? Jesus stated that in what we call “The Great Commission,” “make disciples of all people.” We exist to join the Holy Spirit in seeking to offer salvation to the lost and to grow believers to become faithful disciples.
Reggie then illustrated it this way: We are the bride of Christ. In conversion we are married to Christ. Therefore, what captures Christ’s heart better capture our heart. It’s just like when a husband and wife marry. What captures the wife’s heart better capture the husband’s heart and what captures the husband’s heart better capture the wife’s heart. Being married to Christ, what captures His heart should capture our heart.
When John Shugart arrived in this part of Alabama, his heart had been captured by Christ’s heart for the people in North Jefferson County. God had a mission to accomplish here and John Shugart gave himself to that mission. I believe God still has a mission here and God continues to call us to join Him in accomplishing His mission.
As we celebrate these 150 years, we give thanks for the many disciples who have sought to accomplish God’s mission in North Jefferson County and beyond. And we also recommit ourselves to God’s mission. I hope you will be with us for this great celebration.
Don’t forget, there is only one worship service this Sunday at 10:00 AM. There will be seating in both the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall. Those in the Fellowship Hall will have a live video feed from the Sanctuary. Children’s Worship will also be at 10:00 AM, in the Youth Room.
After the service, I hope you will stay for Lunch and Fellowship. Bring dishes to share. The church is providing the meat, bread and drinks. During the meal time, a video about our history will be shown in both the Gym and Fellowship Hall. This will be a collection of pictures and testimonies about the growth and ministry of the Gardendale and Mt. Vernon churches and their coming together to form Gardendale-Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church.
If you are a member of this Church Family you will be receiving a letter about the Funding of the Erosion Work. As soon as the weather permits, we should see work begin on the erosion at the northeast corner of the Sanctuary building. The Administrative Board approved the receiving of a Special Offering for this work. The cost will be somewhere between $120,000 and $180,000. Prayerfully consider making a generous special offering to the “Erosion Work.”
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
April 28, 2010
Who’s Church?
This morning, in Chapel with our Children, I told them about Homecoming this Sunday. When I mentioned that Gardendale- Mt. Vernon was celebrating their 150th birthday, some of their eyes got real big. 150 years is a long time, especially for a child. I went on to share that this Church Family began before Gardendale was even a town.
Then I asked them a question that I was asked by a child many years ago, “Who’s Church is it?” Immediately, several of the children shouted out, “God’s!” Sometimes we adults forget that. We make the church about “us” or even more, “me.” We “church members” think the church is here to meet our needs. We forget that the Church belongs to God and was established by God to accomplish God’s purpose.
Our Baptismal/Confirmation Covenant, found in our “Book of Worship” and Hymnal, states; “The church is of God, and will be preserved to the end of time for the conduct of worship and the due administration of God’s Word and Sacraments, the maintenance of Christian fellowship and discipline, the edification of believers, and the conversion of the world. All, of every age and station, stand in need of the means of grace which it alone supplies.”
A couple of weeks ago I was in San Antonio for the Large Church Initiative. In one of the Keynote addresses, Reggie McNeal made this statement, “The Church does not have a mission. God’s mission has a church.” Think about that for a moment. God called the church into being to accomplish God’s mission. And what is God’s mission? Jesus stated that in what we call “The Great Commission,” “make disciples of all people.” We exist to join the Holy Spirit in seeking to offer salvation to the lost and to grow believers to become faithful disciples.
Reggie then illustrated it this way: We are the bride of Christ. In conversion we are married to Christ. Therefore, what captures Christ’s heart better capture our heart. It’s just like when a husband and wife marry. What captures the wife’s heart better capture the husband’s heart and what captures the husband’s heart better capture the wife’s heart. Being married to Christ, what captures His heart should capture our heart.
When John Shugart arrived in this part of Alabama, his heart had been captured by Christ’s heart for the people in North Jefferson County. God had a mission to accomplish here and John Shugart gave himself to that mission. I believe God still has a mission here and God continues to call us to join Him in accomplishing His mission.
As we celebrate these 150 years, we give thanks for the many disciples who have sought to accomplish God’s mission in North Jefferson County and beyond. And we also recommit ourselves to God’s mission. I hope you will be with us for this great celebration.
Don’t forget, there is only one worship service this Sunday at 10:00 AM. There will be seating in both the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall. Those in the Fellowship Hall will have a live video feed from the Sanctuary. Children’s Worship will also be at 10:00 AM, in the Youth Room.
After the service, I hope you will stay for Lunch and Fellowship. Bring dishes to share. The church is providing the meat, bread and drinks. During the meal time, a video about our history will be shown in both the Gym and Fellowship Hall. This will be a collection of pictures and testimonies about the growth and ministry of the Gardendale and Mt. Vernon churches and their coming together to form Gardendale-Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church.
If you are a member of this Church Family you will be receiving a letter about the Funding of the Erosion Work. As soon as the weather permits, we should see work begin on the erosion at the northeast corner of the Sanctuary building. The Administrative Board approved the receiving of a Special Offering for this work. The cost will be somewhere between $120,000 and $180,000. Prayerfully consider making a generous special offering to the “Erosion Work.”
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
An Open Door - Are We Using It?
As Paul closes his first letter to the Corinthians he makes this statement, “…a wide door for effective work has opened to me…” (1 Corinthians 16:9a; NRSV) We are not sure where that “wide door” was, but Paul saw an opportunity for ministry being opened to him.
That is the way I felt after our Bishop’s Dinner on Scouting. We had the privilege of hosting the dinner, as a little more than 100 persons from United Methodist Churches across North Alabama came, at the Bishop’s invitation, to explore the relationship between the local church and scouting. It was pointed out that “Churches of the North Alabama Conference are the principal partner for Scouting in Alabama.” (Rich Kilgore, A Scouting Director)
In his address, Bishop Willimon challenged local churches to consider scouting as an opportunity to fulfill the Conference Priority, “Empowering a New Generation.” Scouting opens the door to connect with the “next generation.” It is our biblical mandate to pass on the faith to the next generation. The Psalmist put it this way: “And he [God] told our ancestors to teach their children, so that each new generation would know his Law and tell it to the next.” (Psalm 78:5b-6; CEV)
I’m not sure that we have really seen Scouting as an opportunity to help us connect the next generation to Jesus Christ. Think about it: has scouting been seen as a ministry of our church or a group that simply meets in our facilities. There is a difference. Sure, we have held Scout Sunday the last two years but is that the same as claiming scouting as a ministry to connect the next generation to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and grow disciples in their relationship with Jesus Christ?
At the dinner, one of the Associates at Vestivia Hills UMC shared these facts about their scouting ministry. They have three hundred families involved in their scouting ministries. The Cub Scout Pack has grown to the point that they have two packs in their church. He said the transformation came when Scouting became a ministry of the church not simply an organization that used their facilities. Of the three hundred families, only about a hundred are church families. The other two hundred are part of the ripe harvest field of the church. We need to learn from them to be more intentional in connecting with the harvest field. Every week we have families come onto this campus that are not connected to Christ and/or His Church. Our children and youth ministries especially need to be more intentional in using this opportunity. We talked about this opportunity in our staff time on Monday. Kelly Wiegert and Paul Turner will be sharing some ideas about this connection with the Children’s and Youth Ministry Teams.
I was asked to share a story about the Scouting connection to our church. That was an opportunity to tell about a conversation I had at the Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday. I had seen a new person in our 11:00 service that morning. That afternoon, at the Easter Egg Hunt, she was there with her children. As we talked, she said that it was scouting that brought her to the church. While bringing her children to scouts, she picked up some of our information brochures. She also read our bulletin boards and announcements around the church and came to the conclusion this was a church that had something for her family. She had been to the 9:45 service and Palm Sunday she attended the 11:00 service. She said her family had found a church home. It all happened because of scouting.
On Scout Sunday, February 14th, we had many first time guests. Later, one of the leaders of the Cub Scout Pack said that we had five unchurched families in worship at 9:45 with the Cub Scouts. Those are five families who probably would never have come to a worship service here if it had not been for Scouting. A door was opened because of Scouting.
Bishop Willimon shared that his work on the God and Country Award played a role in his hearing God’s call to ministry. At their annual Blue-Gold Banquet, I spoke to our Cub Scouts about the God and Country Award. There is such an award for each level of Scouting. The last Scouts in our church to seek that award in our church were Bruce and Lynda Gagle’s children. I was blessed being their counselor. I volunteered to work with any scout who wanted to work on the God and Country Award.
Talking about “Open Doors,” the Saturday night Easter Celebration provided an “Open Door.” Because of the 245 persons who were at the Saturday night service, we did not have the traffic problem on Easter morning that we have had in the years before. We had some new people at that service and some people who saw it as an opportunity to come back.
I believe we also have another door opening to us. For a couple of years some have been talking about beginning a Hispanic Worship Experience or Bible Study. The Council on Ministries is putting together a Task Force to begin more “intentional” work on this possibility. We have learned of some grants to help with the establishment of Hispanic ministries with the church. We are now looking for persons who would like to serve on this Task Force. You can contact me or Jennifer Lindholm. If you are interested. We hope to have a meeting in a couple of weeks.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
That is the way I felt after our Bishop’s Dinner on Scouting. We had the privilege of hosting the dinner, as a little more than 100 persons from United Methodist Churches across North Alabama came, at the Bishop’s invitation, to explore the relationship between the local church and scouting. It was pointed out that “Churches of the North Alabama Conference are the principal partner for Scouting in Alabama.” (Rich Kilgore, A Scouting Director)
In his address, Bishop Willimon challenged local churches to consider scouting as an opportunity to fulfill the Conference Priority, “Empowering a New Generation.” Scouting opens the door to connect with the “next generation.” It is our biblical mandate to pass on the faith to the next generation. The Psalmist put it this way: “And he [God] told our ancestors to teach their children, so that each new generation would know his Law and tell it to the next.” (Psalm 78:5b-6; CEV)
I’m not sure that we have really seen Scouting as an opportunity to help us connect the next generation to Jesus Christ. Think about it: has scouting been seen as a ministry of our church or a group that simply meets in our facilities. There is a difference. Sure, we have held Scout Sunday the last two years but is that the same as claiming scouting as a ministry to connect the next generation to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and grow disciples in their relationship with Jesus Christ?
At the dinner, one of the Associates at Vestivia Hills UMC shared these facts about their scouting ministry. They have three hundred families involved in their scouting ministries. The Cub Scout Pack has grown to the point that they have two packs in their church. He said the transformation came when Scouting became a ministry of the church not simply an organization that used their facilities. Of the three hundred families, only about a hundred are church families. The other two hundred are part of the ripe harvest field of the church. We need to learn from them to be more intentional in connecting with the harvest field. Every week we have families come onto this campus that are not connected to Christ and/or His Church. Our children and youth ministries especially need to be more intentional in using this opportunity. We talked about this opportunity in our staff time on Monday. Kelly Wiegert and Paul Turner will be sharing some ideas about this connection with the Children’s and Youth Ministry Teams.
I was asked to share a story about the Scouting connection to our church. That was an opportunity to tell about a conversation I had at the Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday. I had seen a new person in our 11:00 service that morning. That afternoon, at the Easter Egg Hunt, she was there with her children. As we talked, she said that it was scouting that brought her to the church. While bringing her children to scouts, she picked up some of our information brochures. She also read our bulletin boards and announcements around the church and came to the conclusion this was a church that had something for her family. She had been to the 9:45 service and Palm Sunday she attended the 11:00 service. She said her family had found a church home. It all happened because of scouting.
On Scout Sunday, February 14th, we had many first time guests. Later, one of the leaders of the Cub Scout Pack said that we had five unchurched families in worship at 9:45 with the Cub Scouts. Those are five families who probably would never have come to a worship service here if it had not been for Scouting. A door was opened because of Scouting.
Bishop Willimon shared that his work on the God and Country Award played a role in his hearing God’s call to ministry. At their annual Blue-Gold Banquet, I spoke to our Cub Scouts about the God and Country Award. There is such an award for each level of Scouting. The last Scouts in our church to seek that award in our church were Bruce and Lynda Gagle’s children. I was blessed being their counselor. I volunteered to work with any scout who wanted to work on the God and Country Award.
Talking about “Open Doors,” the Saturday night Easter Celebration provided an “Open Door.” Because of the 245 persons who were at the Saturday night service, we did not have the traffic problem on Easter morning that we have had in the years before. We had some new people at that service and some people who saw it as an opportunity to come back.
I believe we also have another door opening to us. For a couple of years some have been talking about beginning a Hispanic Worship Experience or Bible Study. The Council on Ministries is putting together a Task Force to begin more “intentional” work on this possibility. We have learned of some grants to help with the establishment of Hispanic ministries with the church. We are now looking for persons who would like to serve on this Task Force. You can contact me or Jennifer Lindholm. If you are interested. We hope to have a meeting in a couple of weeks.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
It's All About the Cross
Bishop Willimon, in one of His Weekly Messages, wrote about Paul’s focus on the cross. He began his reflection on Paul’s preaching this way:
Imagine being asked to stand before a grand gathering of the good and the wise and being asked to make a speech about goodness, beauty, the meaning of life, the point of history, the nature of Almighty God or some such high subject and having no material at your disposal but an account of a humiliating, bloody, execution at a garbage dump outside a rebellious city in the Middle East. It is your task to argue that this story is the key to everything in life and to all that we know about God. This was precisely the position of Paul in Corinth. Before the populace of this cosmopolitan, sophisticated city of the Empire, Paul had to proclaim that this whipped, bloody, scorned and derided Jew from Nazareth who was “God with Us.”
In that setting Paul said he focused on the cross: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2; NRSV) Paul knew that such preaching “about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18; NRSV)
This may explain why this week, which we call Holy Week, no longer receives the emphasis it once did. The cross has become “foolishness” to some. Even in segments of the institutional church the cross is seen as foolishness. It was not long ago that a Bishop said that she did not need someone hanging on a cross to save her. Like the Greeks of Paul’s day, the cross is foolishness to her.
Here is how Paul addressed such foolishness:
“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where it the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and the Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:20-24; NRSV)
Later in his message, Bishop Willimon wrote:
A crucified Messiah? It is an oxymoron, a violation of Israel’s high expectations for a messianic liberator. In order to bring such a scandal to speech, Paul eschewed “lofty words or wisdom,” the stock-in-trade of the classical orator. Rather than avoiding the scandal of the cross or attempting to sugar coat its absurdity in order to make it more palatable, he limited his subject matter so that he knew, “nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” His manner of presentation, his delivery was “weakness,” “fear and trembling,” a rather peculiar demeanor for a public speaker. Why? So that nothing might move his hearers, nothing might convince them but “the power of God.”
For God the Father to allow God the Son to be crucified, dead and buried is for God to be pushed out beyond the limits of human expectation or human help. The cross is the ultimate dead end of any attempt at human self-fulfillment, human betterment or progress. Hanging from the cross, in humiliation and utter defeat, there is nothing to be done to vindicate the work of Jesus or to make the story come out right except “the power of God.”
That power of God is what we celebrate on Easter. It is the power of the resurrection that turned the cross into a cherished sign of victory. God took what seemed foolish to the world and through the touch of His Power, made it the Key Event in human history. Everything changed because of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The next two nights we have special opportunities of Worship to help us celebrate the “foolishness” of the cross. During our Maundy Thursday Service (6:30 PM) we will celebrate the meal that Christ gave to us as a means of remembering the cross. My message that evening, “Give Thanks – Christ Died!” will look at how Holy Communion is a regular reminder of the tremendous love of Christ in going to the cross.
Our Good Friday Service (6:30 PM) will also focus on the cross. Through scripture and song will we remember the depth of the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. This is sometimes called a Service of Darkness, for we leave in darkness remembering the utter despair that was felt when Jesus was placed in the tomb. It seemed that the powers of darkness had won.
But we know the tomb is not the end of the story of Jesus. The power of God transformed the cross by raising Jesus from the dead. We will have four opportunities to celebrate the resurrection this weekend: Saturday night Easter Celebration at 6:30 PM and Sunday morning Easter Celebrations at 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00.
I appreciate the commitment of the Crossfire band to give leadership to the Saturday night Celebration as well as the 9:45 service on Sunday. The “Pairs and Spares” Sunday school class is coming to the Saturday service and then many of them will be back on Sunday morning serving as Parking Ushers. Others are coming to worship on Saturday night and coming back to serve as Ushers, Greeters and Nursery Servants. And others have found guests were receptive to an invitation to come worship with them on Saturday night.
I was talking to a person this week, inviting him to worship this weekend. He had seen the announcement about the Saturday night service and said that he was thinking about coming on Saturday night. Who have you invited to worship with you this weekend?
There has been a change of time for the Community Sunrise Service. We received word this week it will be at 6:30 AM, not 6:00 AM. This is a wonderful way to begin Easter Day, joining other believers at Oakwood Memorial Gardens to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
Imagine being asked to stand before a grand gathering of the good and the wise and being asked to make a speech about goodness, beauty, the meaning of life, the point of history, the nature of Almighty God or some such high subject and having no material at your disposal but an account of a humiliating, bloody, execution at a garbage dump outside a rebellious city in the Middle East. It is your task to argue that this story is the key to everything in life and to all that we know about God. This was precisely the position of Paul in Corinth. Before the populace of this cosmopolitan, sophisticated city of the Empire, Paul had to proclaim that this whipped, bloody, scorned and derided Jew from Nazareth who was “God with Us.”
In that setting Paul said he focused on the cross: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2; NRSV) Paul knew that such preaching “about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18; NRSV)
This may explain why this week, which we call Holy Week, no longer receives the emphasis it once did. The cross has become “foolishness” to some. Even in segments of the institutional church the cross is seen as foolishness. It was not long ago that a Bishop said that she did not need someone hanging on a cross to save her. Like the Greeks of Paul’s day, the cross is foolishness to her.
Here is how Paul addressed such foolishness:
“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where it the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and the Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:20-24; NRSV)
Later in his message, Bishop Willimon wrote:
A crucified Messiah? It is an oxymoron, a violation of Israel’s high expectations for a messianic liberator. In order to bring such a scandal to speech, Paul eschewed “lofty words or wisdom,” the stock-in-trade of the classical orator. Rather than avoiding the scandal of the cross or attempting to sugar coat its absurdity in order to make it more palatable, he limited his subject matter so that he knew, “nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” His manner of presentation, his delivery was “weakness,” “fear and trembling,” a rather peculiar demeanor for a public speaker. Why? So that nothing might move his hearers, nothing might convince them but “the power of God.”
For God the Father to allow God the Son to be crucified, dead and buried is for God to be pushed out beyond the limits of human expectation or human help. The cross is the ultimate dead end of any attempt at human self-fulfillment, human betterment or progress. Hanging from the cross, in humiliation and utter defeat, there is nothing to be done to vindicate the work of Jesus or to make the story come out right except “the power of God.”
That power of God is what we celebrate on Easter. It is the power of the resurrection that turned the cross into a cherished sign of victory. God took what seemed foolish to the world and through the touch of His Power, made it the Key Event in human history. Everything changed because of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The next two nights we have special opportunities of Worship to help us celebrate the “foolishness” of the cross. During our Maundy Thursday Service (6:30 PM) we will celebrate the meal that Christ gave to us as a means of remembering the cross. My message that evening, “Give Thanks – Christ Died!” will look at how Holy Communion is a regular reminder of the tremendous love of Christ in going to the cross.
Our Good Friday Service (6:30 PM) will also focus on the cross. Through scripture and song will we remember the depth of the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. This is sometimes called a Service of Darkness, for we leave in darkness remembering the utter despair that was felt when Jesus was placed in the tomb. It seemed that the powers of darkness had won.
But we know the tomb is not the end of the story of Jesus. The power of God transformed the cross by raising Jesus from the dead. We will have four opportunities to celebrate the resurrection this weekend: Saturday night Easter Celebration at 6:30 PM and Sunday morning Easter Celebrations at 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00.
I appreciate the commitment of the Crossfire band to give leadership to the Saturday night Celebration as well as the 9:45 service on Sunday. The “Pairs and Spares” Sunday school class is coming to the Saturday service and then many of them will be back on Sunday morning serving as Parking Ushers. Others are coming to worship on Saturday night and coming back to serve as Ushers, Greeters and Nursery Servants. And others have found guests were receptive to an invitation to come worship with them on Saturday night.
I was talking to a person this week, inviting him to worship this weekend. He had seen the announcement about the Saturday night service and said that he was thinking about coming on Saturday night. Who have you invited to worship with you this weekend?
There has been a change of time for the Community Sunrise Service. We received word this week it will be at 6:30 AM, not 6:00 AM. This is a wonderful way to begin Easter Day, joining other believers at Oakwood Memorial Gardens to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.
As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.
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