Jesus Is On the Loose!

“The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (Luke 24:34-35)

A few years ago, Bishop Mike Coyner (a Bishop in our United Methodist Church) shared an experience he had while leading a  children’s moment during worship in which he was talking with the children about Easter.  He asked “What did it mean that the tomb was empty?”  And without missing a beat, one of them  replied enthusiastically “It means that Jesus is on the loose!”

Mike takes it from there:  “That child was right.  Easter is not about worshipping a Risen Christ who is captured in our stained-glass windows, or in our wonderful choir cantatas, or in beautiful Easter lilies, or even in dynamic sermons proclaiming ‘Christ is Risen!’  No, Jesus cannot be contained in our celebrations of Easter.  He is on the loose!  He is out ahead of us!  He is already leading the way into new life.  In fact, the message of Easter seems to be, ‘You just missed him.  He was just here, but he is gone already.’  What do we do with such a Jesus?  He won’t stay long in any one place.  He is always moving on to the next place of need.

I heard a story a few years ago about a church that voted to open its doors to a homeless shelter.  This caused quite a controversy in that staid, respectable, religious congregation.  In fact, one woman who opposed the idea confronted her pastor in great anger by yelling, ‘If Jesus knew you were letting those dirty people into our church, he would roll over in his grave!’  She had missed the whole point of Easter:  Jesus isn’t in his grave.  He is on the loose.  And he is leading us to do ministry in hard places, with difficult people, in circumstances that are not easy…..

So, let’s take time to celebrate Easter.  But then let’s hurry on to try to catch up with Jesus, because he’s still on the loose!”
            [--Bishop Mike Coyner, cited in the newsletter of Trinity-on-the-Hill UMC (Augusta, GA) April 20, 2001]

My prayer is that wherever you find yourself this Spring, you would remember that Easter is not a holiday on a calendar, but a spiritual event that should impact and guide all that we do and say as his followers.  Despite the reality of sin, turmoil and evil in our world, Jesus is still “on the loose”, working in the lives of those who will claim him.  Is he “on the loose” in YOUR life?

Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

Disturb Us, Lord

“Thus says the Lord,... Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.  I am about to do a new thing; Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

“Disturb us, Lord,

 When we are too pleased with 

     ourselves,

 When our dreams have come 

     true

 Because we have dreamed too little,

 When we arrived safely

 Because we sailed too close to the shore.

 Disturb us, Lord,

 When with the abundance of things we possess

 We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;

 Having fallen in love with life,

             We have ceased to dream of eternity

 And in our efforts to build a new earth,

 We have allowed our vision

 Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord,

To dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

            Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back

The horizons of our hopes.

And to push us into the future

In strength, courage, hope, and love.”

[--Attributed to Sir Francis Drake, 1577]

This month our church’s Long Range Planning Committee will be unveiling the first draft a new VISION direction for our church for the next 5-6 years. The committee spent all of 2017 working, praying, researching, brainstorming, and discerning God’s guidance in understanding what this Vision might include and entail. And soon, our entire congregation will be invited to attend two “Town Hall” meetings where we’ll all be able to hear where the committee has landed thus far, and to give input, feedback, and suggestions for “next steps.”

Consequently, while we still have a few more church-wide steps to take before our Vision can be adopted and begin to be implemented, it will eventually become a framework/standard that will guide our work and direction as a body of Christ into the foreseeable future as we seek to be “Christians SERVING with love, CARING with compassion, and SHARING Christ with boldness.”

So, as we here at LaGrange First UMC begin to think about where God is leading, my prayer is that we would be open to being “disturbed” a bit out of our comfort zones in order to hear and understand God’s call and Vision for us as a church!  I’ve heard it said before, “if God’s going to be our partner, then we better be prepared to have some big plans!”  May that be true for each of us, both corporately as a church and individually in our personal lives, as well.  Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

Message from our Bishop in Response to Florida School Shooting

In response to last week’s school shootings in Parkland, FL, please join as you feel led to this action step from our Bishop of North Georgia Methodism Sue Haupert-Johnson to address issues of mental illness, gun violence, and the protection of 

our children.

"I invite the churches of the North Georgia Annual Conference to join the Florida Annual Conference and others in a letter-writing campaign to our legislators to prioritize the safety of our children.  I know this is a difficult and polarizing issue, but I pray we can carry out our Lenten focus of having crucial conversations with hearts at peace regarding mental illness, guns, and the violence of our culture.  Below is a link with Bishop Carter's suggestions for action.  I am praying for all our churches as we grieve and lament this Sunday.  I yearn for the day when our flags are not flying at half-mast after such a tragedy.  ---Bishop Sue

Bishop Carter Invites Local Churches to Remember Victims

Read a statement from Bishop Ken Carter to the Florida Conference

The Power of Surrender

“…Not my will but thine be done” (Luke 22:42)

February 14^th marks the beginning of the spiritual season known as “Lent.”  During the 46 days of this season (40 days of Lent plus 6 Sundays in Lent), one of the spiritual tools that we as Christians are invited and encouraged to use is “surrender”, or (closely related to it) “fasting.”  It is the voluntary giving up of earthly things in order to focus more intentionally on spiritual things/things of God.  Jesus showed us the fullest example of this practice in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed “not my will but yours be done” in reference to his own upcoming suffering and death. 

Yet, both the Bible and Christian history are full of other examples of God’s people willingly surrendering their own wants and desires so that God’s will and plan could be accomplished through them.  One of these was the founder of Methodism John Wesley.  Listen to words of admonition he wrote to his Methodists in 1755:

"In so giving yourselves to the Lord...Let Him appoint you to your work. Christ has many services to be done; some are more easy and honorable, others more difficult and menial. Some are suitable to our inclinations and interests; others are contrary to both. In some we may please Christ and please ourselves, as when he requires us to feed and clothe ourselves. Indeed, there are some spiritual duties that are more pleasing than others; as to rejoice in the Lord, to be blessing and praising of God. These are the sweet works of a Christian. But then there are other works, wherein we cannot please Christ but by denying ourselves, as in bearing and forbearing, reproving men for their sins, withdrawing from their company; witnessing against their wickedness; confessing Christ and His name, when it will cost us shame and reproach; sailing against the wind, swimming against the tide, parting with our liberties and accommodations for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

     (--From Wesley's “Covenant Renewal Service", 1755)

Twenty-five years later, he re-wrote his very popular New Year’s Covenant Service and ended it with a prayer that has come the illustrate the power of surrender for many Christians even today.   

"I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,

Exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things

To thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen."

            (--The “Covenant Prayer” from John Wesley's Covenant Service, 1780)

So, whether it’s giving up watching TV or social media time so you can spend more time reading your Bible, in prayer, or with your spouse and family, OR whether it's giving up money that you’d normally spend on coffee each day and contributing it to our “Change the World” Lenten collection for “Rise Against Hunger,” OR giving up dessert and replacing it with time spent in exercise at the gym, OR something else, my hope is that you will use Jesus’ simple prayer or one of Wesley’s to inspire you to find something unique about yourself that you can surrender to God.  You’ll find power in doing so!  Remember that God loves you and I do, too!

Online Monthly Newsletter is Here!

“...And the gospel must first be published to all nations...”_ 

(Mark 13:10, KJV)

For over 2000 years, Christians have sought to find effective ways to communicate the “good news” of the gospel with those around them.  In the earliest days this took the form of in-person, word of mouth communication to and with individuals and groups.  But even in these early days, there was always a need to communicate to those who were not directly present. That’s why early evangelists like Paul and Peter wrote letters to express their thoughts and feelings to Christians in churches and places far away -- the “Epistles” of our New Testament (books like Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Peter) are all examples of this kind of communication.

Much later, Christians in the Middle Ages used stained glass windows in cathedrals to communicate Bible and church stories, ideas, and theology to multitudes who were illiterate.  With the Renaissance, however, came a resurgence of literacy, along with the invention of the printing press, allowing for the mass publication of papers, books, and tracts to share news of the gospel.  Along with the printing of scripture, churches soon also started printing news of what God was doing in their midst -- printed congregational announcements, if you will.  By the 20^th-century, these “announcement bulletins” morphed into what we today call church “newsletters” to let folks know what was going on in the life of a congregation. And now, nearly twenty years into the 21^st-century, many are experiencing the next stage in this story of gospel and church communication: electronic communication, including online and emailed e-newsletters. 

Most of you probably already know that starting with this issue, our church’s “FLAME” newsletter will only be printed and mailed once per month, and that during the interim of each month, we will increasingly do more communication electronically. 

We’re not doing this to leave anyone out – we know that we have a significant number of members who either are not online at all, or who still prefer to receive printed content from the church via snail mail.  So, we’ll still have print copies available and mailed out. However, we also recognize that the majority of people today have the capability of receiving information online and/or via email.  Therefore, we’ll be adding email addresses to our current e-distribution list, as well as encouraging you to sign up to receive the FLAME electronically (to do this, visit our church's website and click on the red "Sign Up for Email Updates" box at the bottom right of the homepage).

This change not only reflects how most of our culture now processes information, but allows us as a church to be better stewards of our resources: it be more efficient from a resources standpoint; more importantly, it will help us “get the word out” more quickly, as well as allow us to provide more information than before. For example, in addition to the current content, we’ll have new monthly church calendars, regular column articles from ministry areas that we’ve not had regular columns from before, and other new items.

And while we won’t be adding weekly e-updates at this time (we don’t want to junk up your email box!), do be on the lookout for occasional emails during the month when there is important information we want to communicate with you about church activities and/or opportunities.

We pray that this new monthly format with occasional emailed updates will help you stay better connected with the work of Christ here at LaGrange First UMC as we go about fulfilling our mission of being “Christians… SERVING in love, CARING with compassion, and SHARING with boldness.”

For questions, comments, or suggestions about this transition, contact our Administrative Assistant Dodie Patterson via email or call her at the church office. In the meantime, we pray that you will enjoy this new way to keep in touch with the work of God through our church!  And remember, God loves you and I do too!

Mary's Dream

"Mary treasured all these words [of the Shepherds] and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)

“I had a strange dream, Joseph. I'm not sure, but I think it was about a birthday for our son. The people had been preparing for it for six weeks by decorating the house and buying new clothes. They'd gone shopping many times and bought elaborate gifts. It was peculiar, though, because the presents weren't for our Son. They were wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with lovely bows and stacked under trees. Yes, Joseph, a tree, right in their house -- with branches decorated and full of glowing balls and sparkling ornaments. And there was a figure on the top of the tree -- an angel I think.

Everyone was laughing and happy and all excited about the gifts, and they gave the gifts to each other, Joseph, not to our Son. I don't think they even knew Him. They never mentioned His name. Doesn't it seem odd for people to go to all that trouble to celebrate someone's birthday if they don't know Him? I had the strangest feeling that if our Son had gone to this celebration, He would have been intruding. Everything was so beautiful, Joseph, and everyone so happy, but it made me want to cry. How sad for Jesus -- not to be wanted at His own birthday party. I'm glad it was only a dream, though. How terrible, Joseph, if it had been real.”

[–By Lloyd D. Lance]

As we prepare for Christmas, please don’t get so caught in all the consumerism, partying, and family get togethers that you forget Jesus as the real “reason for the season”! Instead, make plans to focus on him by worshiping Christ on Christmas Eve at church with your family and friends. 

Because of the way the calendar falls, this year we’ll celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent at our combined 10:30am worship service in the Sanctuary on December 24^th. Then, we’ll celebrate Jesus’ actual birth at our two other services later that day (both in the Sanctuary): 

--5:00pm Candlelight Family and Children’s service, featuring a short children’s drama, carols, and short Christmas message

--11:00pm Candlelight Communion service, featuring traditional readings, carols, and Holy Communion

Finally, don’t forget to celebrate Jesus birth again on Sunday December 31^st (the “first Sunday of Christmas”) with one combined worship service at 10:30am in the Fellowship Hall before we return to our regular three services on January 7^th. And always remember that God loves you and do, too!

1 Corinthians 13 - Christmas Version

“Those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen cannot love God whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

“If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shining balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my relatives, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my spouse and in-laws, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crystal snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ in my own household, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child or grandchild. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse or call the relative. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love to our families (and all people) will endure.”

As we prepare for the coming of Christmas, I pray that we will all recall love as the greatest gift we can offer each other, especially as we give it in and among each other as the family of God! Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

Three Ways To Be Thankful

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.” (Psalms 92:1-2)

Back when I was still living at my parents' home, I remember hearing my pastor share a Thanksgiving sermon that was especially meaningful to me -- enough that I wrote down the main points and have kept them all these years!  As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I share with you these same “Three Ways To Be Thankful” in the hope that they will inspire you as they did me.

During Thanksgiving, we are challenged to have…

1) Thankful Minds - learn to become aware of all the blessings given to you by God… your family, friends, health, and for people that helps us be the best we can be.  In the words of a famous hymn, “Count your many blessings, see what God has done.”  In other words, learn to acknowledge the outward blessings of God.

2) Thankful Hearts -- Philippians 4:6 says “Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking Him with a thankful heart.” Learn to be thankful for the inner, spiritual “gifts” of God in our lives… blessings that may not be outwardly apparent, but which one can choose to see as blessings with the right perspective.  This could include things like being “thankful” for being laid off, for an illness that causes us to see our need for (and reliance on) God even more, and even learning to be thankful for the troubles and trials of life that help us grow.  In other words, learn to acknowledge the inward blessings of God.

3) Thankful Hands -- James 1:22 says that we are to “be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.”  “Hands” here represents our actions and deeds.  In other words, we are not called to keep our thankfulness of “mind” and of “heart” to ourselves.  Instead, we’re called to show thankfulness through what we do…  through our loving and caring for others, sharing their joys and sorrows, their good times and bad.

My prayer is that this Thanksgiving holiday, you’ll remember and enjoy God’s blessings in your life.  But more than that, I pray that you’ll also allow those blessings to inspire you to practice your thankfulness in the three ways above.  Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

Prayers for Sutherland Springs, TX

Our prayers go out to the members and friends of Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church in Texas after yet another tragic, senseless shooting that left 26 dead and at least 10 wounded during worship yesterday morning.

While no church or organization can fully prevent an occurrence like this, our church's Safety and Security Committee will be meeting very soon to formulate more proactive response practices  for our church, not only hopefully to lessen the chances of tragic acts such as this occurring, but also to minimize potential injuries if it did.  If you would like more information about how you can be involved in this effort, please contact our church office.

LFUMC’s 2017 “Rise Against Hunger” Event

“When they had plenty to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing will be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves that had been left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:12-13)

On behalf of our Missions Committee, I’m pleased to invite you to participate in our second annual “Rise Against Hunger” packing event (formerly called "Stop Hunger Now”) on Sunday, November 12 from 12:30-2:00pm in the MMC, where we will be packing 20,000 meals for those in need around the world.  

This ministry is a world-wide interfaith initiative (started by a United Methodist minister in 1998, by the way) designed to help people in developed communities like our own combat hunger and starvation in developing communities around the world.

Some of you remember that we sponsored this same event last year, but due to its popularity we moved it from the worship and Sunday School hour to after lunch so that you could invite friends, relatives and neighbors from other churches to help pack.  Plus, your generosity through last year’s Lenten change collections allowed us to significantly increase the number of meals we’ll be packing.

We’ll begin that day with a lite soup and sandwich lunch (donations accepted) in the Small Dining Room in shifts beginning at 12Noon, then move into the Fellowship Hall about 12:30pm for the packing event, which will be a great service opportunity for appropriate for children, youth, college students, and adults. If you know that you’ll be participating, please help us prepare by registering ahead of time HERE.

Remember, Jesus fed over 5000 with the simple offering of one little boy’s lunch.  At our event, we’ll be preparing meals to feed four times that number!  Perhaps this is what Jesus had in mind when he spoke the words of John 14:12-14, “whoever believes in me will do even greater works than these [that I do].”

So, on November 12^th, dress casually for Sunday School and worship, enjoy lunch at 12Noon, and then join your fellow church members as we “rise against hunger” in the name of Jesus!  And don’t forget that God loves you and I do, too!

[P.S., to find out more about this initiative, visit their website HERE]

Why I Tithe

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse… and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.” (Malachi 3:10)

“With my tithe I seal a bargain, with my tithe I pay a debt.

With my tithe I serve a purpose that my God will not forget.

With my tithe I fish for sinners, with my tithe I find the lost.

With my tithe I gird the winners, with my tithe I share the cost.

With my tithe I love my neighbor, with my tithe I pass a test.

With my tithe I clothe God’s image in a form one-tenth divine.

With my tithe I build a temple, with my tithe I feed its fire.

With my tithe I still a yearning of my soul’s innate desire.

With my tithe I heal the stricken, with my tithe they rise again.

With my tithe I walk with giants, in the wake of Godly women and men.

With my tithe I walk in honor where the great and strong have trod.

With my tithe I store my treasures in the treasure house of God!”

                              [--Written by Peter E. Long]

My wife Trish and I have tithed faithful to God through our church for nearly 28 years, and God has never yet let us down, even in tight financial times -- it’s the first check we write when we get paid (or, these days, the first online payment we set up).  The “tithe” (the first 10% of our gross income) is a tool shared in the Bible that helps us be faithful to God, enabling Him to be faithful back to us. 

So, are you honoring God in how you use your financial resources, starting with a tithe back to Him?  Even if you’re not able to tithe immediately, are you willing to take a step forward and move towards it now so that you can eventually tithe in the near future? 

I pray that as we on October 29th share in “Commitment Sunday” for our “TREASURE” stewardship journey, you will prayerfully consider tithing (or moving towards a tithe) as an important step of faith in your spiritual life.  It’s never too late to start!  You’ll be blessed by it as is anyone who does it!  Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

TREASURE: Investing in God through our Living and Giving

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

• What do you most want to be investing your life in?

• What are you actually investing it in?

Our honest answer to these questions may surprise us.  Often we think that our treasure (our time, talents, energy, and money) follows our hearts and passions.  But in the scripture above, Jesus suggested just the opposite – that whatever and wherever we invest our treasure, our hearts will follow after that.

It’s no wonder, then, that many of us feel a sense of tension about our lives and our finances.  We want to give our lives to our church, our family, our God. Instead, our hearts follow our debts, our bills, our jobs, and often we don’t even realize it. We are left feeling stretched, conflicted, and empty.  

What we often fail to consider is how much our view and use of treasure affects our heart. It’s true that “treasure” involves more than money.  But money IS a big part of the problem in many of our lives.  Whether we’re in plenty or in want, money has a direct connection to our stress level, our anxiety, and the health of our relationships.

It’s no wonder, then, that Jesus talked about the relationship between our treasure and our hearts. And because he cared so much about our hearts, he therefore talked about what we do with our treasure.

Each Sunday October 8-29 in a new series called “TREASURE,” we’ll explore Jesus’ teachings about treasure found in the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 6.  We’ll consider how financial challenges in our personal lives affect our relationships both with people and with God. We’ll see how giving helps to determine the way we feel and act. Most importantly, we’ll discover how we can experience the power found in making God our ultimate treasure through our living and giving.

Then at all three worship services on October 29 (“Celebration/Commitment Sunday”), we’ll have the chance to begin to make personal investments of our treasure in God through our church in the coming year through the sharing of either a physical or online commitment.

At the end of these four weeks, it’s my prayer that we’ll all have a better awareness not only of what we invest our lives in, but also of how we can do a better job making God our ultimate treasure through our living and giving.  Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!

Praying for Victims in Las Vegas

Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

In the wake of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, what can or should be said?  Words have escaped me most of today.  Like most of you, I am still in shock over how and why this happened.  While there will certainly be things we can commit ourselves to do and be about in the days and weeks ahead, in the meantime I simply want to offer two scripture passages that speak to me -- I pray they will for you, as well:

Psalm 130:1-8

I cry out to you from the depths, Lord -- my Lord, listen to my voice!

Let your ears pay close attention to my request for mercy! If you kept track of sins, Lord-- my Lord, who would stand a chance? But forgiveness is with you--that's why you are honored. I hope, Lord. My whole being hopes, and I wait for God's promise. My whole being waits for my Lord—more than the night watch waits for morning; yes, more than the night watch waits for morning! Israel, wait for the Lord! Because faithful love is with the Lord; because great redemption is with our God! He is the one who will redeem Israel from all its sin

Isaiah 43:1-5a (The LFUMC staff shared and prayed this earlier today as part of our weekly staff meeting) 

​But now, says the Lord—the one who created you, Jacob, the one who formed you, Israel:

when through the rivers, they won't sweep over you.

Don't fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; 
When you walk through the fire, you won't be scorched and flame won't burn you.
I am the Lord your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior.
I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.
Because you are precious in my eyes, you are honored, and I love you.
I give people in your place, and nations in exchange for your life.

Don't fear, I am with you. 

Here’s a few additional faith-responses and resources that you are invited to prayerfully read and consider:

--Responding to the Las Vegas Shooting, A Message from the Bishop of the Desert Southwest Conference of the UMC 

--After Mass Shooting Churchgoers Offer Help 

--Ways United Methodists Can Take a Stand Against Gun Violence 

World Communion Sunday - One In Spirit

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,... that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)

"I'm Methodist." "I'm Baptist." "I'm Catholic."  "I'm non-denominational.” “I’m just plain Christian!” With all our different labels and so many varieties of Christianity, no wonder non-Christians get confused when we try to share our faith in Jesus with them! 

Yet, consider the fact that our differences in belief and practice need NOT keep us apart in heart and spirit. Reflect, for example, on the words of John Wesley (founder of Methodist Christianity), spoken in one of his sermons over 250 years ago:

“Although we do not think or worship alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt we may.  Every wise person... will allow others the same liberty of thinking which they desire others to... allow them. One should only ask... 'is thy heart right with God? Dost thou believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?  Is he revealed in thy soul?  Is thy faith... filled with the energy of love?  Do you show your love by your works?... 'If thine heart is as my heart,' if thou lovest God and all humankind, I ask no more -- 'give me thine hand.'"                                                                                             (--From Wesley’s sermon Catholic Spirit)

Remember, when we get to heaven, God won’t ask what denomination or Christian tradition we belonged to. But He WILL ask (and know) what’s in our hearts!  With that in mind, I hope you’ll join me on October 1^st for World Communion Sunday worship!

As we’ve done in the past, we’ll have one combined, blended worship service at 10:30am in the Sanctuary with our sisters and brothers in Christ from the Korean United Methodist Church of LaGrange. Their Pastor (Rev. Daniel Kim) will help lead us in worship, and the Korean church choir will join both our BRIDGE praise band and choir in leading our singing. I hope you’ll join me as we celebrate our oneness with Christ in heart and spirit across cultures and the globe, starting right here in our own backyard with our Korean friends!  And remember, God loves you and I do, too!

Parable of the Lobster

“God is our refuge and strength.... Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change....” (Psalm 46:1-2)

As our church experiences several significant changes this Fall through transitioned worship and a new outreach to young adults, I thought it would be helpful for us all to remember the blessings and challenges of CHANGE – of being willing to stretch and become more than we already are.  Highlighting this, the following modern day parable comes from Rev. Carolyn Wittwer of the New York Annual Conference by way of Rev. Doug Smith, former Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Morristown, Tennessee:

“Long ago, when the world was very new... there was a certain lobster who determined that the Creator had made a mistake.  So he set up an appointment to discuss the matter.  “With all due respect,” said the lobster, “I wish to complain about the way you designed my shell.  You see, I just get used to one outer casing, when I’ve got to shed it for another; very inconvenient and rather a waste of time.”  To which the Creator replied, “I see.  But do you realize that it is the giving up of one shell that allows you to grow into another?”

“But I like myself just the way I am,” the lobster said.  “Your mind’s made up?” the Creator said.  “Indeed!” the lobster stated firmly. “Very well,” smiled the Creator.  “From now on, your shell will not change... and you may go about your business just as you are right now.”  “That’s very kind of you,” said the lobster, and left.

At first, the lobster was very content with wearing the same old shell.  But as time passed, he found that his once light and comfortable shell was becoming quite heavy and tight.  After a while, in fact, the shell became so cumbersome that the lobster couldn’t feel anything at all outside himself.  As a result, he was constantly bumping into others. Finally, it got to the point where he could hardly breathe.  So with great effort, he went back to see the Creator.

“With all due respect,” the lobster sighed, “contrary to what you promised, my shell has not remained the same.  It keeps shrinking!”  “Not at all,” smiled the Creator.  “Your shell may have gotten a little thicker with age, but it has remained the same size.  What’s happened is that you have changed inside, beneath your shell.”

The Creator continued: “You see, everything changes... continuously.  No one remains the same.  That’s the way I’ve designed things.  And the wisest choice is to shed your old shell as you grow.”  “I see,” said the lobster, “but you must admit it is occasionally inconvenient and a bit uncomfortable.”

“Yes,” said the Creator, “but remember, all growth carries with it both the possibility of discomfort... and the potential for great joy as you discover new parts of yourself.  After all, you can’t have one without the other.” “That’s very sensible,” said the lobster. 

“If you’d like,” offered the Creator, “I’ll tell you something more.” “Please do!” encouraged the lobster.  “When you let go of your shell and choose to grow,” said the Creator, “you build new strength within yourself and in that strength you’ll find new capacity to love yourself... to love those around you... and to love life itself.  That is my plan for each of you.”

How is God calling you to stretch and change in your life?  in your faith?  What new thing(s) is He challenging you with lately?  In what ways are you and/or our church being called to be more than you/we have been?  Whatever transformation challenge you are facing, my hope and prayer is that even though change is often difficult and uncomfortable, you and we will all welcome it as a tool from God to help us become who He wants us to be.  Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

Ways You Can Help Following Hurricane Harvey

In the wake of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey, here are several ways that you and fellow United Methodists can respond now:

1. Continue to pray for those whose lives have been impacted by this storm.  Pray also for first responders, early Response Teams, disaster coordinators, and many volunteers in the Texas, Louisiana, Rio Texas, and Central Texas Annual Conferences who are working tirelessly to provide initial help.

2. Make a flood bucket or relief kit for United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).  Our church currently has been 50 flood buckets and a supplies donated by LaGrange Home Depot that you can pick up either in the Fellowship Hall, Sanctuary or Chapel after worship that you can take, fill it up with items on the list, and return to the church by September 10^th.  The buckets will then be combined with buckets from other UM Churches and sent to an UMCOR distribution center in Louisiana and distributed to flood victims in Texas and Louisiana.  Alternately, you can make your own UMCOR bucket or relief kit at using the instructions at the FOLLOWING LINK.

3.  Purchase a Cupcake (or a whole bunch!) from our Children's Ministry.  Our children's ministry is being the "hands of Christ" by decorating and selling cupcakes to benefit the children of the First UMC of LaGrange, TX, many of whom have lost everything.   Our children are also donating a prized possession (toy, stuffed animal, etc) to a child there so they will have something to love on, but the main thing our congregation can do to help is purchase cupcakes.  They'll be available for sale in the Fellowship Hall Wednesday, September 6th or email our children's ministry HERE.

4.  In addition to UMCOR Relief Kits, please consider donating larger-ticket items for muck-out, including:

--Box fans (To dry out houses following flooding.)

--25’ heavy duty 14 gauge extension cords (To move the fans around inside a home)

--2 gallon garden sprayers (To fight mildew and mold)

--Flat billed shovels (Remove mud, wet carpet, pads, sheet rock insulation, etc.)

--Rakes with 3” tines (Remove tree limbs, leaves and muck from inside homes and yards)

--Wheel barrows (2 wheels, so they will not turn over going to the street)

If you want to donate any of the items above, please email our church’s Missions committee for instructions of how & where to take them.

5. Give money. You can donate through any North Georgia Conference United Methodist Church (including LFUMC) by clearly marking your donation “Hurricane Relief.”  Alternately, you can also give online directly at UMCOR’s website 

6.  Donate only those items requested.  Please wait for an invitation to volunteer.  The communities in the path of this storm are still in the emergency phase, and in this phase local emergency responders and community officials control the response and will let the public know what they need and when they need it.  Unsolicited items and volunteers only complicate and slow down relief to those affected. Proper response will take time to play out, and will require our time and attention long after the fact.  So, please wait for instructions and an invitation before doing more than what’s requested.

Thank you for your prayers, finances, and help providing relief to the victims of Harvey!  God bless you!

Pastor Brian

Let Peace Begin With Me - EMBRACE LOVE

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21)

“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)

This past week has been filled with news stories of violence and hatred from both around the world (in Spain) and right here in our own country (Charlottesville, VA).

Some of you were at worship on August 13 when – with Pastor Blake standing at my side -- I read and reinforced the message of our North Georgia United Methodist Bishop, Sue Haupert-Johnson:

            “We in North Georgia need to, with one

             voice, speak  from our pulpits and

              condemn white supremacy, racism,

             the Alt-Right, and any of our church

             and governmental leaders who even

             appear to support these dangerous

             and sinful attitudes. You simply cannot

              be a white supremacist and a follower

              of Jesus. We need to pray and take action.”

                                          [--Bishop Sue’s August 12, 2017 
                                              email message to N.GA UM clergy]

Neither Blake nor I could have said it better ourselves!  As followers of Christ, there is simply no room in either our words or our behaviors for bigotry, racism, or prejudice -- anything to the contrary clearly demonstrates a lack of understanding of the true ways and teachings of Jesus found in the Bible.  In his care for and ministry with Samaritans, “ladies of the night,” lepers, and even Gentiles, Jesus reached beyond the established racial and social customs of the day and sought to love everyone – and as his followers, we are called to do the same.

And yet, the love and peace of Christ is sometimes elusive because we find that – at times – there are tempting forces within ourselves vying to be heard.  The biblical story of Pilate asking the crowd to choose between releasing either Barabbas or Jesus metaphorically also asks them to choose between the way of violence and hate (represented by Barabbas), and the way of love and compassion (represented by Jesus).  Read this story in Matthew 27:15-23, Mark 15:6-15, Luke 23:18-25, and John 18:39-40.  In many ways, this choice haunts us today, and challenges each of us to ask ourselves, “What part am I playing in enabling peace and love to win out over prejudice, violence, and hate?”

The plot of the 1986 movie The Mission highlights this choice between choosing the way of love or choosing the way of violence, and how – just as with Jesus – too often we choose the latter.  The very last scene of the movie shows a 18^th-century religious leader in Paraguay who had ordered the removal of missionaries by force questioning those who carried it out why the brutality and slaughter that ensued was necessary.  One of them replies, “You had no alternative, your Eminence. We work in the world, and the world is thus.”  The religious leader replies, “No, Señor Hontes. Thus have we made the world….  Thus have I  made it.”

So, before we go around complaining about what someone else is not doing to bring peace and understanding, we need to first look deep inside ourselves and ask what we are doing to help foster them, and to make sure our actions are not the inadvertent cause of strife, prejudice and hatred.  The words of a famous hymn (that we actually sang at the end of the 9am Chapel service on August 13) say it well:

“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me;

 Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.

 With God our creator, children all are we.

 Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.

 Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now.

 With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow:

 To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.

 Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

            [--Words by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson (1955),  
                   cited from the United Methodist Hymnal #431]

May this be our prayer as we struggle in our world to choose the ways of Jesus (the “prince of peace”).  Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!

NOTE:  Our own United Methodist Church tradition is currently promoting a national campaign to encourage a unified stand against racism, challenging people to learn how we all can be a force for good. A compilation of articles and denominational statements is available at the FOLLOWING LINK.

            Resources from across the connection are also available, including liturgies, discussion guides, videos to use in worship and on social media, and tips for talking to kids. Explore some of these the FOLLOWING LINK.