I’m headed to the Kingdom … not the Kingdom of God that you would usually expect me to talk about but the Kingdom of a big mouse named Micky. Yes, my wife and I are taking our poor deprived daughter for her first visit to Disney World next week. At age 12 Katie has never been to the Magic Kingdom. I know; how has she survived?
As we get ready for our trip I have found the Mouse knows how to do it. We have received in the mail information especially prepared for the Everhart Family, in it was a DVD to help us plan our trip. Sweet uh? The DVD tells us all about the hotel we have chosen and how we might make all these plans prior to our arrival; no waiting, no standing in lines, no “sorry no room for you”. Wow, all before we get there. They even are offering to set us up on a meal plan. I like meal plans.
They have noticed that we are interested in a meal with the Princesses of Disney and helped us book a time for Katie to eat with her heros (a real princess meeting the fake princesses … a must you know) We will have special seating and time with four of the most powerful princesses in animation.
Do we need help getting around? You know at 49 I might have limited mobility. Do you need to get tickets to Space Mountain, Tower of Terror and other hot rides before you get there? They are ready to help me … uh I mean Katie get to her ride on time.
The mouse can teach us Christians some things. Being prepared for the coming of the people is vital. Having the welcome mat out before they even come is so important. Making the experience something they will never forget because of ease and friendliness makes all the difference in the world.
Hey we are smarter than an old mouse … aren’t we? Let’s make it our aim to make our church the door way to the Kingdom of God and in so doing welcome the people with joy, laughter, and love. We got more to offer than old mouse!
If I don’t write next week it might be because I’ve converted to the love of the Mouse but don’t count on it!
D
I was talking to the McDonough Methodist Academy students today in chapel and shared a verse of scripture from Ephesians 4:29. Go a head and look it up … it will do you good to open your Bible !
Paul is sharing a word about a word. I asked the children to help me and I told them that when I said a certain word they were to catch that word and put it back in my mouth. I yelled “CHRISTMAS!” and said get it. Several waved their hands in the air and others got excited and yelled “CHRISTMAS!” as well. So now more words were in the air. Despite their attempts they could not catch the word or put it back into my mouth. It had already made it around the room.
My point being (and I hope they got it ) was that we must be so careful because our mouths are powerful weapons (for good or bad). Paul says do not let anything mean, bad, ugly, hateful, spiteful, slanderous, bitter and on and on … come out of your mouth. As Christ followers we are to have mouths used for positive exchange … for that which builds up the body, the church, the Kingdom of God.
I told the children that the younger they learn to let their words from their mouths build up instead of tear down the better life will be and God will be so pleased. It is hard for us older “kids” to change and put a guard on our mouth. We live in a time that many people feel they have a right to tear anyone down, say anything they want and they do it with a vengeance. They cross the line of freedom of speech and destroy a life before one can imagine it.
It isn’t about freedom of speech or pointing out anothers faults … it is about love for each other, it is about being Christian and asking ourselves what should I say in this situation, in this discusssion, in this moment; that will build up and not tear down. We are called to live above the norm to live the extra ordinarary life for Jesus Christ.
Now if you excuse me I have to work on my mouth … I hate it when my blogs convict me.
Later
I have been at this preaching business for over 25 years. I have been ordained only 23 of those years but if you count the many times I preached to my stuffed animals as a child who knows how long I’ve been at this task of preaching the Word?
You might think that after so many years I would have all the answers as well as have all the questions, but this is not true. I am a struggler on the way. I struggle with the big issues of faith and with the little issues of daily living. I struggle because I’m far from having all the answers. That is why I keep on preaching and keep on teaching. As I preach and teach I find that God speaks to me. So when ever you say that the sermon spoke to you … sorry I was speaking to myself, preaching to my own needs, because I’m struggling.
The good news for me is that I don’t think I’m struggling alone. I see so many people struggling with the easy and the hard issues of the faith. I see people with smiles on their faces but questions in their eyes. I feel the desire among so many to become the man or woman the God desires us to become but not knowing how to always get there.
So I preach to myself and to each of you with the love of God flowing in my heart.
Sometimes my sermons may seem sweet, sometimes harsh, sometimes my sermons are challenging and other time affirming. But know these are my words coming from my struggle with the scriptures and the great theologians and others. I give all these words to God and ask that I not waste your time with my own stuff but that I help God speak to you through me in the midst of my struggle. Sometimes we will disagree and I hope many times we will agree but … each time I hope we grow and move through the struggle even if just a little bit.
I thank you if you have ever listened to even one of my sermons. I thank you for being daring enough to sit and listen. I pray that my words covered by the power of the Holy Spirit might have helped you in your struggles. I know they have me at times as well as your words back to me.
Thanks for struggling and allowing this short United Methodist pastor to struggle with you.
Last week the poorest nation in the world experienced yet another kick in the teeth, an earthquake. This earthquake was reported to be 7 on the scale! The people of Haiti are facing not just days and months but years of hardship and trouble. Is your heart broken for them?
It is easy to forget about the needs of others as we sit here worrying about our own economy and hoping to get our 401K back up to its past glory. It is easy to close our eyes and ears to the media coverage of the needs of these homeless men and women and children when we have to find our own job or trying to sell our home without to much of a loss due to the economy. It is easy for our heart to focus on ourselves and our needs in a tough day.
But my friends, these are our brothers and sisters we are hearing about, seeing torn asunder, these are OUR children left without family or food or home or clothing. These people of Haiti are not the enemy but the broken and the poor in need of a loving heart. Is your heart broken yet?
My heart breaks not only for the lose of the people of Haiti but for the loss of many who were there to bring hope and love to them. I think of the president of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) who died while in a meeting to stop poverty in Haiti. I think of Courtney Hayes, a grandchild of my members Zack and Laura Hinton there to help as a medical personal who is still missing in the rubble of the Hotel Montana. You see it isn’t something far away and happening to others; it is happening to all we love and care about. Is your heart broken yet?
I invite you to a season of praying for the heart of the people of Haiti. I invite you to cry tears of love for our sisters and brothers and seek God’s face on their behalf. I invite you to send a donation to UMCOR (100% of your gift will go to the people of Haiti and to the rebuilding of their lives). These people that the UMCOR president and Courtney care so much about are who we will be helping.
Is your heart broken? Mine is and I hope you will join me in reaching out in love to our brothers and sisters with love.
OK here we go!
Yes, another adventure in life. I am now going to try and do video blogging at the suggestion of my good friend and IT guru Jamie. Why you ask? Because we are trying to do anything that will allow us to celebrate and share the unconditional love of Jesus Christ with all who can hear; with all who are curious, with all who might stumble upon this medium as they are surfing the web.
It is our hope to catch people’s attention. Yes, to catch their attention and invite them to our church but more so to catch it and invite them to consider Jesus Christ as friend, as, helper, as Lord, and as Savior. Whatever it takes to get that up and running I am willing to do it.
I know I’m not much to look at (I’ve seen myself on our TV broadcast) but it isn’t about me, it is about Jesus and what I can do to help other people see Him and know just how powerful His love is toward them.
Hey, this is why we started going on TV, started an Internet Church by way of USTREAM, started Children’ Church and why we started the 942 Connector meeting in The Rodgers Center Gym at 9:42 each Sunday … to attract people to Christ. It has its fun moments and it has it frustrating moments. But again it is not about us … it is about Jesus and getting the word out there the He loves you unconditionally.
I hope you will pray for me as I attempt this weekly video blogging and keeping up this blog and all the new techno stuff I’m trying to learn. I hope you will pray for the new adventures our church is stepping into. I hope to see you on the adventure with me!
Grace and peace today to each of you.
Dana
May the God of hope - give you a sense of His presence always
May the God of peace – give you a calm assurance
May the God of joy – give you heart a skip and a jump of laughter
May the God of love – give you His greatest gift — Jesus to complete your life.
Merry Christmas to all and to all my love!
Dana
We are doing a lot of preparations as Christmas 2009 approaches. We are decorating the tree, putting up the lights, sending out the Christmas cards or emails and of course shopping for the right present for that special someone. Christmas takes loads of prep work and it seems to get to be more and more each year.
Behold I have Good News of Great Joy! Christmas is not about us. Wow, did you get that? Christmas is not about us, but about Jesus Christ. Christmas is about God giving to planet earth the greatest gift we could possibly receive. Jesus comes to us like one of us and lives among us and for the love of each one of us dies in our place to cover all our sin; past, present and future. All you and I have to do is to accept the gift in our hearts and enjoy the season — the life.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t give presents to each other or we shouldn’t send greetings to people we love … no that is an act similar to God act but in a smaller way. What I am saying is there is prep work to do.
For the coming of Christ into our lives we got to make room. We make room by giving up some stuff that has no place in our lives. We put out the old and the broken and the worn out and all that would keep us away from God and sweep our hearts clean for the filling of Christ child. Yes, Jesus wants to live in our hearts and lives. We can accept the gift but if there no where to put it the gift gets crowded out and forgotten with all the other stuff pushed into our lives. Jesus needs space … all the space and He will then help us arrange what is important for living in our lives. Jesus will take over the next prep job.
Christmas is not about us … radical uh? It is about Jesus for us. I hope when you see me you will say, “are you prepping preacher?” I will pray for you to prep too!
Happy Advent … don’t rush to Christmas just yet; prepare the way!
Have you stopped to think how blessed you are? I mean after all if you are reading this blog you are in the minority of folks around our world who have a computer and media advantages to log on and read. If you are sitting in and office at home or at work reading this on the computer you are blessed because you have a job more than likely and thus a pay check when a growing percentage of our country and the world has neither. Hey, if you can read you are blessed as over a majority of our world and even in this country of the free and brave can’t read, spell, or do simple math.
How do you handle all those blessings. Do you take them for granted like the air we breath? Do we forget them and not even think about them? Or God forbid have we grown to expect them?
We are told to give praise and thanksgiving to the One and only God. To lift up holy hands and hearts and with gladness praise God the creator and giver of all things for God’s gracious showering of blessings. Not just the big blessings but the minuet blessings so small that many would not even count them as a blessing. How do you handle these blessings?
I am not pointing fingers for sure because if I did I would be pointing right back at me. I say we all stop what we are doing and say a prayer of thanks. I say we all stop worrying about the turkey and rather Aunt Susan will bring her dog or not to the family gathering and if we will have enough seats and how will we deal with those twins this year? I say we spend the day thanking God for every good and perfect gift. I say we don’t box it into a single day but make it a daily 24/7 habit to give up praise for our blessings.
I say we also learn to give away our blessings? What, how can we give away our very life you ask? By following Christ and living our lives as a blessing to others and sharing the true love of God with each person we meet, especially those hardest to stomach!. Blessings were never meant to be kept safe and secure but given away so that others may know the love of a God who blesses God’s children 24/7.
How will you handle the blessings? I’d like to know. I hope you will share with me.
Hey … you are a blessing to me that you even read this stuff! God fill your day and days with more blessings than you can handle!
It is a blessing to have a great many judges in our congregation; men and women who daily have to render a verdict over anothers life, because of their actions or the actions of another. The judges I know are extremely wise and full of grace and love. They take very seriously the task placed upon them by the people of our community. One even described her position as one who cares for those who can’t always care for themselves. I’m proud of these judges and honor them! I’m glad I’m not a judge, I don’t believe I have the strength to render the tough and the gracious verdicts. I’m glad it rest in the hands and hearts of these men and women.
I’m glad ithat in spiritual things I’m not a judge either! Jesus tells us in the Bible that we are not to judge anyone; judgement belongs to God and God alone. Yet, so many times I see my self holding that gavel and bringing down judgement on another. “He looks strange” “She is dressed wrong” “Their children need discipline” “He’s no better than me” and on and on I go.
When I look into the mirror or even the mirror of my soul I know that I have no right to judge any man or woman, any boy or girl. I am surrounded by sin, I play in sin, I breath sin — in fact there are moments I seek sin out. Yes, I sin daily and stand in need of the mercy and grace of the only judge of life. There are many times I simply do the wrong thing or say the wrong word or even give the wrong look, unintentionally but still it is there. I have fallen short of the man I know God wants me to be.
Jesus promises us that if we tell him about our failures and short comings, about our journey into sin He will advocate with the Father God — the judge, and there will be mercy and grace for us. The Judge drops the gavel and says “innocent; go and sin no more”
If God can do that for me I know I “walk” because of His love. And when I “walk” I can not stand in judgement of my fellow man or woman EVER! Mine is only to encourage and point them to the Judge of mercy and grace. I am so tired of a religious faith that condemns instead of loves, that judges instead of showing the same grace shown.
I want to open my arms wide to those who are burdened and worn and like Jesus I want to say “come and let me show you true mercy and grace … true love … a true judgement.” I have a lot to work on. What about you? Is this a struggle in your life?
The verdict in Christ is always “ innocent”. Let’s leave the judging to those elected and to the One proclaimed by Christ.
When your down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.
You just call out my name,
And you know whereever I am
I’ll come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again.
Winter, spring , summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You’ve got a freind.
If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
And soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I’ll come running to see you again.
Winter, Spring, summer or fall
All you got to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They’ll hurt you and desert you.
Well they’ll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don’t you let them.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I’ll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don’t you know that,
Winter Spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you’ve got to do is call.
Lord, I’ll be there, yes I will.
You’ve got a friend.
You’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.
You’ve got a friend.
Boy does this bring back the memories. I remember singing this around the camp fire at Camp Leesburg and in my youth group at Brandon First UMC many years ago. I remember the good feeling it gave me as I looked into the faces of Greg Coker, Scott Stevens, Karen McGovern, Gaye Bua, Denise Williams and so many more. Through the years those faces have changed and it has been Todd Hilton, Greg Meadows, Susan Lee, and others during the college and seminary years. I see many faces now as the circle grows to include the faces of Max, Bill, Scott, Mark, John, Allison, Jamie, Gary, Angela, Malinda, and so many more.
How often I forget these faces in the midst of life and struggle and heartache. I get so busy being the preacher, being the husband and father that I find I can’t see any faces and wondering if I have any friends at all. I think it could be a genetic thing with me but I don’t know.
The good news for me … I always have a friend with me, and His name is Jesus Christ. I know, I know many of you are thinking how corny … just what you would expect from a preacher right? Right. But nevertheless it has been in those darkest moments when I have sheltered myself from all earthly friends that Jesus can’t be kept out. He loves me so much He is always there. The writer of Romans puts it this way, “Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus; NOTHING!
I can’t imagine how much gruff Christ takes from me in my failing and my sinful living but still He loves me. There is nothing I can do to stop His love from raining down on me and in me. This God is a pretty awesome God. God’s main concern is my salvation and my completeness in Him. So God will never leave me or forsake me.
When I feel low and throw my pity party, God will not leave me be in my mood. God comes and sits with me till He can bring me up and out.
I wonder have you experienced a God, a Savior like that? He is so ready to meet you in your lowness and brokenness and not to judge you but love you to be the man or woman He knows you can be. You have a friend – - – always in Jesus Christ; oh and in me too!!
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