Peace on Earth

In 1970 a Canadian group, The Original Caste, released the song “One Tin Soldier”. This song was in part a protest to the Vietnam War. If any one remembers the movie Billy Jack then they will also recognize the song as it was in the movie. I am going to date myself a little as I recall vague [strong emphasis on “vague”] memories of the Sonny and Cher Show. Cher did a remake of this song with a cartoon, for their Christmas special, that helped make a strong point. Leading into “One Tin Soldier”, Cher started by singing “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg84L84uop8



Soon we will be reading the story of Christmas found in the Gospel of Luke. One point made in Scripture is “peace on earth and goodwill to all men”. In prophecy Jesus is referred to as the “Prince of Peace”. Peace is a big part of what Advent is all about. The popular Christmas hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem” makes mention of a peaceful city in blissful slumber awaiting the birth of the Messiah. It was anything but peaceful. Romans wanted taxes while the Zealots wanted the Romans out of the region. Peace would be defined by those who were able to conquer the other. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, especially the week prior to his crucifixion, civil unrest dominated the air. Almost everyone knew what would bring about the greatest peace for them and they were willing to kill for it. All in the name of God judgment was meted out.


Today there is great confusion as to the function of the church. Christians are often not quite sure what it is and what it is supposed to do. As far as the New Testament is concerned, a church is a worshipping community. Put in other words, the church is a fellowship of believers, those like them, meeting with Jesus and recognizing his presence in their midst. We do everything to improve our personal relationship with Jesus Christ but what about with others? Are we like those in the video or those who wanted to crucify Jesus by assessing others in the name of God? Are we as the body of Christ reaching out to a community, a friend, co-worker, family member, or even an enemy to bring the message of peace?


In the church stress and tension can undermine the way of peace. Shouldn’t peace be one of the words to describe those who constitute the body of Christ? The world we live in today is far from peaceful. Choices are before us on our journey in life. We may find temporary means in which to discover peace but find the feeling is only temporary. During this advent season ask yourself: What can you do to promote peace? Wherever you go, invite people to worship with you. Connecting your actions with following Jesus may stir curiosity in people who want what you have. Your con¬gregation will find ways to manifest for the community the real hope of Christmas that through Christ, people will find peace and hope. If we make Christ the focus of our lives we have the opportunity to experience an inner peace. In doing so the message we carry to others is influenced by the one in who our hope is placed. To find peace, people need to feel heard and to know they are not alone in their suffering. Combine the conversation with God’s grace, maybe sharing Scripture. Let the hope and peace of Christ assure you that no matter the situation, peace can prevail. (Rethink Church Resources) I leave you with this prayer:

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Does this make my butt look big?

The holiday’s are here! Families, if able, will gather together for a big Thanksgiving Day feast. In my mind I am picturing the festive outfits which will be adorned as part of the celebration. There are some who have put forth a great effort to find the perfect outfit. Isn’t funny the emphasis our culture places on “how to dress” regardless of the situation? I can’t think of one person who will wake up in the morning and say “I don’t care what I look like”. Do you realize Amazon.com places books on “how to dress” in at least 10 different categories?



Recently I had a humbling experience on how to dress. One of the categories from Amazon.com is “how to dress according to body type”. On my way to Greenville to attend a high school football game with Meghan I decided that blue jeans would be preferable to the warm-up pants I had on. The Columbiana Mall has a Sears store and I knew Sears carries my favorite brand of jeans (Levi’s). It did not take long to locate the department where the jeans were located. I was looking for a specific style. If anyone has shopped for jeans as of late the different styles can leave one searching for hours to find the perfect style. I went into the store looking for a specific style. Straight leg jeans are ok but I wanted boot cut jeans. After an hour of scouring the racks some boot cut jeans were discovered. They looked a little different but nothing out of the norm. Found my size but decided to try the jeans on. Putting them on, my first thought was “I don’t remember Levi’s being cut this slim”. It took a few minutes but I squeezed into this pair of jeans. Of course the standard question comes to mind as I wondered if these made my butt look too big {chuckling}. In a crunch the jeans would work but something was not right. Upon further inspection I noticed these were skinny jeans. Staring at myself in the changing room mirror while wearing these jeans it was evident that the world, much less those who know me, was not ready to see me wearing skinny jeans. Can’t honestly say I was ready to see myself in those jeans. Needless to say normal boot cut jeans were finally purchased in another store in the mall.


All in all I wasted valuable time while looking for clothes I felt would make me look my best. We were late getting to the game. In the Sermon on the Mount part of what Jesus teaches is we should not worry about what to wear. When worry invades our hearts and minds time is wasted as a solution to the problem is sought. Our focus becomes inward as we see only part of the picture instead of the whole picture. Through out Scripture God has never abandoned humanity. Humanity has abandoned God thinking it knows best. If only I had been satisfied with what I was wearing more time would have been spent with Meghan and Jackson. They are by far and away more precious than a pair of jeans that make me feel good about myself.


What is your deepest hope this Christmas? How can we share the hope we find in Christ with others? Advent is a time of preparation to receive God’s gift of love revealed in Jesus. Rather than worry about how our butts look or what outfit makes us look best maybe we might place our trust in God to take care of our needs and desires. Another way might be by avoiding internal solutions to our worries grounded in our finite understanding but seeking God’s kingdom first. Doesn’t God know us better than we know ourselves? Placing trust in God enables us to see the big picture. The needs of others, including our community, are made known. Now we are able to be dressed in clothes, which make us look our very best. No longer is time being wasted while looking for the perfect outfit. Through us, the church, the message hope of in Jesus Christ can be revealed to a world wanting to be adorned in the finest clothes.

There's Gotta Be More

Where has the time gone? What happened to Halloween? I am not really sure I am ready for Thanksgiving Day to be here. The holiday rush unofficially kicks off on Black Friday (Day after Thanksgiving). On this day, some folks will camp out in front of the store, long before it opens, which they feel holds the key to happiness on Christmas Day. Others will continue a meticulous search until the ultimate happiness is located. Then there are those, like me, who coast through the holiday rush until they wake up in a panic realizing there is much work needed to be done. Ultimately, in each case, we are trying to be prepared for a single moment in time which is gone in the blink of an eye. Is it any wonder we walk around in a daze, looking confused, struggling to locate the happiness we so desire?
What brings about happiness for you during this time of the year? For me, I have always enjoyed watching Christmas movies. Nothing beats the classics. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Claymation), A Charlie Brown Christmas, and A Christmas Carol (1938) are a few I enjoy. My absolute favorite is A Christmas Story based on a novel by Jean Shepherd. Hours upon hours are spent viewing many movies. Let’s not forget about “TBS presents” a “24-hours of A Christmas Story”. Unless all the movies are seen, the Christmas experience seems unfulfilled. Happiness is defined by the time wasted watching programs that bring about a temporary satisfaction. As soon as the holidays are over I am left with confused thoughts, asking “Is this all there is?”

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we tend to expend energy in hopes of achieving happiness. During this process confusion at times creates a lack of direction. If we lose direction, then possibly we loose purpose. Without purpose, we see no hope for the future, much less the present. Everyday matters create a high level of distress. Solutions elude out grasp.
Advent starts the Sunday after Thanksgiving Day. In the next four weeks we will spend time preparing for the receiving of God’s gift in Jesus Christ. We are getting ready for the celebration of Christmas. Advent points towards God’s promise to dwell among us. In the midst of our hope and despair, all is not lost since God is walking with us. We see purpose for our lives. In that purpose, hope abounds leading us to happiness. A permanent happiness that fulfills every molecule of our being is found in Jesus Christ. As we experience a transformation in our lives, we are able to see the needs of others. We then take the hope found in Advent to the community through our outreach: a happiness that never ends.

I wonder who God voted for?

Election Day has come and gone. This alone should cause us to get down on our knees and thank God from whom all blessings flow! Inevitably God always seems to be a big part of campaign speeches and supporters of various candidates. So this begs the question, did the candidate endorsed by God win the election? In the United States we like to equate God with our political beliefs, which generally include party affiliation.



The Sunday after Election Day 2004 I prayed for the newly elected leaders to seek God’s will, not their own. One of the church members stood up, walked out, and did not attend church services for several months. She was upset because she felt the prayer, names of candidates were never mentioned, was stating George W. Bush was God’s candidate. I tried to explain that we should be praying for our elected officials to seek God’s direction in all decisions. Quickly I was informed that not one person should ever pray for President Bush since “he is evil”.


Rarely do I listen to the Focus on the Family radio show hosted by James Dobson. The show has, in my opinion, strayed from James Dobson’s strengths as a psychologist while focusing on political choices. One particular day, prior to the 2008 elections, I left the radio show on as two Republican candidates seeking office in Colorado were being interviewed. Inferences were drawn concerning the political stances of their opponents. In essence, a vote for the Republican Party is a vote for the candidates endorsed by God.


If you voted, whom did God tell you to vote for? Did you ask? Isaiah 9 reminds us of God’s political choice. For the follower of Jesus the Christ (notice I did not use the term “Christian”), we should remember how the quality of God’s reign has been ushered in through the authority given to Jesus. In this passage is a vision of a world government that is peaceful, that will never end, and that seeks God’s will, not the will of human logic. God isn’t interested in any particular candidate. Maybe, if we start seeking discernment from God, it will not matter who is elected but that God is being invited into our decision-making. Perhaps then we see the beginnings of a peaceful government, grounded in God’s redeeming grace, which has no end.

A Year Round Craving

The moon caught my attention while driving home from the church one night last week. There was this beautiful harvest moon hanging low in the sky illuminating the path which lay in front of me. A perfect setting for this time of year as Halloween is only several days from now. The days are growing shorter which means the holiday season is upon us. Holidays seem to have a unique way of shaping our thoughts. Halloween, for some, marks the beginning of the holidays. Anticipation grows with the special programming that celebrates the holiday season. One of my favorite shows is “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” which is why I am craving a Dolly Madison snack cake at this moment. I remember watching this show as a young boy when a commercial break would advertise a product from one of the show’s sponsors. Dolly Madison was a sponsor of the show. These snack cakes inevitably looked yummy. Ever since then I have always craved Dolly Madison snack cakes at Halloween.



Another holiday is the day after Halloween. It also invites specific thoughts due to the nature of why it is celebrated. The name of this holiday is All-Saints Day. On this day we celebrate the lives of those who have been instrumental in building the Kingdom of God. Special emphasis is given to those who have passed away since the last All-Saints Day yet included on this day are all of the saints. Fond memories or specific days often come to mind as we remember the person. At times I find myself smiling or even laughing as I get lost in my memories. The void in my life created by death also makes me cry at times. All-Saints Day is a day we remember those people who have shaped our lives. Who is that saint for you? How does this holiday shape your thoughts?


My calling into ministry would never have been possible if not for specific people in my life. Family and friends have played a crucial role in my spiritual development but one person would have a profound effect upon my calling into ministry. Kevin Treu is, in my opinion, a builder for the Kingdom of God. Let me stop for a second and say that Kevin is still alive (I know he will be relieved with this good news). The saints of the church are not just the past but they are the present and future as well. Kevin Treu taught and still teaches the Friends in Faith Sunday school class at Covenant UMC. By profession Kevin is a professor at Furman University. Through his ability to teach my life would be forever changed. One thing I noticed was the joy and passion he had for teaching Scripture. The Bible came alive for me. Kevin did not lecture which could create a passive environment for us but kept us active through open discussions. I found in me a growing desire to study Scripture deeper all the time not just once a year. This desire led me to hear my calling into ministry more clearly.


Imagine no more death or tears or pain. What would that be like? The saints of the church build the Kingdom of God as they help shape our spiritual journey by using their gifts and talents. Each saint has a gift and through that gift the body of Christ grows. The saints do not serve for their own personal glory but glorify the One who will make all things new. God spoke through Isaiah “O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me…return to me, for I have redeemed you”. Those who serve Christ provide a way for the promise of redemption by God to be experienced in a world of uncertainty. No, I am not a saint but I sure hope to be like them. One day I hope I am counted among them. In the mean time lets you and me stand side by side to provide a firm foundation for the good news so others may experience the Christ who makes all things new. Thank you Saints of the past, present, and future.

Who's on first?

A couple of years ago I was sitting around the house with my son pulling up different videos of comedians on YouTube. Since Jackson is into baseball I thought he would enjoy “Who’s on first” by Abbott and Costello. This particular skit has to be one of the funniest if not the funniest routines I have ever watched. I thought Jackson just might split a seam as he was laughing so hard. After the clip was over he wanted to watch it again.



Costello wants to know the names of the players on the field. If he knows the names of the players then he can greet them personally should he run into the players on the streets. Abbott, the manager, starts the conversation out by saying “Who’s on first, What’s on second, and I Don’t Know is on third base”. Of course the names do not improve as the left fielder is “Why”, the pitcher is “Tomorrow”, and the catcher is “Today”. After some confusion Costello lays out a scenario, which happens to be correct, and fails to understand what he has just said. Somewhere along the course of this confusing conversation the listener may be thinking that Abbott ought to write everything down for Costello. An even better way could be using first and last names. Costello might make the connection that these are the names of the players and not evasive answers from Abbott. To quote the line from Cool Hand Luke, “What we got here is a failure to communicate”. Ever feel this way in the church?


Communication in the church comes across as a comedy routine. One person is asking questions, another is answering the questions, but the connection between the two parties doesn’t exist. When communications break down frustrations eventually start to surface. In the skit by Abbott and Costello I can sense the frustrations of Costello as he feels the answers are saying a whole lot of nothing. Unfortunately, when breakdowns in the church occur, it is not laughter that ensues but frustration then anger then members leaving to go elsewhere. What may have been seen as a promising witness from the church, instead will eventually see the body of Christ cease to exist.


What can we, Church of the Palms, do to avoid communication breakdowns? If and when breakdowns do occur, how can we deal with them in a most positive manner that is reflective of a Christ-like attitude? Robert Bolton lays out some keys to effective communication in his book People Skills. 1) Be genuine. Educate ones elf on issues in order to see the whole picture. This leads to formulating opinions or thoughts yet we share our feelings responsibly. 2) Non-possessive love. We may not like a person yet we love that person anyway. When we love a person unconditionally the anxiety we experience in disagreements seems to go away. Loving without terms or conditions does not mean we develop favorites but is an expression of respect for another person. Unconditional love is the love most likely to be reciprocated by others. 3) Empathy. Put ourselves in someone else’s shoes to gain a better understanding of what that person is thinking or experiencing. Rather than dismissing another person’s thoughts we actually communicate we care about them.


Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Attitude is everything. While I do not have the answers to solving all the issues we will face in our church I do know together we will overcome those difficult times. As long as we continue to seek God nothing will be too great that cannot be overcome. I look forward to a long and prosperous ministry as we stand side by side witnessing to the Good News of Jesus Christ.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_gSWTQKE-0

The Least of These

Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
Matthew 25:45 Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

A friend was visiting San Francisco and would have an experience he never imagined. Let me first tell you a little about the city by the bay. Just the mention of San Francisco may cause you to picture some of the places or things it is known for. Ghirardelli’s Chocolate Factory, Haight Ashbury (where the hippie movement started and also known for The Grateful Dead), Alcatraz Prison, and Fisherman’s Warf are a few of the places which come to mind. The Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most famous structures, and the two-level bridge, which collapsed during the 1989 earthquake, are a couple of the things that catch the attention of visitors. Enhancing the experience of these tourist destinations is the unusual weather pattern. No matter what time of the year it is cold. The wind blowing off the bay puts a chill in the air that if not prepared you might be uncomfortable. Nor is this a gentle breeze but one that can make you work to walk against it.




During my friend’s visit to San Francisco, he would come upon another attraction of the city no one likes to talk about. He and some co-workers decided to eat at a restaurant located at Fisherman’s Warf. After they arrived at their destination my friend said he had not expected to see what he did. The area was very crowded on a late July day with strong winds coming off the bay. As he and his co-workers examined their culinary options my friend’s attention would be captured by another person. Amid the hustle and bustle of the people traffic a man was sitting down with his legs crossed. Eye contact was made. Etched in the mind of my friend were eyes filled with despair, hopelessness, and a person shivering from the cold wind. Not one person stopped to help much less offer him a jacket or sweatshirt. This image stayed with my friend as he and his co-workers sat in a warm diner and satisfied their tummies. It is hard to eat when someone else is starving. After they ate my friend approached this man, prayed for him, and then took him to get something to eat.



Often we think of mission work as building structures or going door-to-door handing out pamphlets. Two of the many things encompassed by mission work are taking care of an immediate need and witness for the good news. Actions can provide the necessary platform for a verbal witness for Jesus Christ. During a devotional for a youth baseball team this scenario was presented for discussions. It would be some of the parents who provided unique answers. One parent responded by saying, “Give a man fish and he will eat for the day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime”. Another adult reinforced this idea by stressing the most important thing is to witness for Christ. In essence, both adults felt if this man got to know Jesus then he would be inspired to clean up, get a job, and provide for himself. What about physical needs? Yes, during the earthly ministry of Jesus were many teachings about God. Spiritual nourishment was in abundance but Jesus also met the physical needs of others. Mission work involves both spiritual and physical needs. I feel as though the two cannot be separated.



Sometimes mission work is thought of as teams going out into the world. While this is true we should not forget mission opportunities can be individual as well. Think about the story of the woman at the well in the Gospel of John. Jesus was by himself. He did not go back to gather a team then teach about God, no he taught about God right on the spot. The moment we pass through the doors of the church as we exit thus going out into the world remember that maybe a mission opportunity will present itself. If we open ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will be made aware, as a congregation and as individuals, of the needs of the community. Mission work is about taking care of the physical and spiritual needs of others. Then maybe, people like the man in San Francisco, will get a foretaste of the Kingdom of God when all of creation is redeemed.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4wojcSO9Ww