From The Preacherman. . .
March 9, 2010
Spring is taking its own sweet time this year, dragging its feet all the way into the middle of
March, leisurely putting winter to bed, while we wait anxiously for azaleas, dogwood trees and new life
to burst forth. Plants can be fooled into blooming in a greenhouse, but nature has its own timetable,
whether we like it or not. The season will unfold on its own schedule, full of beauty and wonder,
without one ounce of help from us.
Since we have no choice in the matter, perhaps we should extol the virtues of waiting, paying
attention and the passing of time. Mostly we live our lives by the clock, chronologically, one minute
after another slipping away into the past. The ancient Greek word for this is chronos, sequential time
measured by standard intervals.
There is another kind of time, however. The Greeks called this kairos, an undetermined period
of time in which something special happens. It is the fullness of time, the moment pregnant with
meaning, just waiting to be born. It is what Jesus meant when he spoke his first words in Mark’s
Gospel: “The time (kairos) is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in
the good news” (1:15).
We live each day in chronos, but we live for kairos, for those moments when the clock seems
to slow down, even stop, and every minute seems like an hour. Sometimes it happens in worship,
when a word or a song touches us deep inside and we see all the way to eternity. Sometimes it
happens when you catch a glimpse of the adult your child is suddenly becoming, and it makes you
gulp deeply for air, dizzy and disoriented.
Sometimes the moment is planned, like communion at the Lord’s Table, or asking your beloved
for her hand in marriage on a gorgeous autumn day in the bright sun and gentle breeze from the
sea. Other moments are surprises, like when we hear from an old friend, long missed, or stumble
across familiar words in a letter from a departed loved one. The moment is suddenly full, as if past,
present and future have no meaning, which they don’t, of course, in heaven.
Maybe that is what these moments are, foretastes of the life to come. I don’t know. I do know
that I keep looking out my window at these azaleas. One day soon, they will suddenly burst forth, the
promise of new life in a moment in time. And I will be thankful.
Peace….Chris
February 24, 2010
When the Church talks about sin, we are proclaiming Good News. That may sound startling, but
the pervasiveness and perversity of sin, named by the doctrine of sin, is actually the best news we
can give the world today.
I did not consider this to be true when I heard preachers rail against sin in the churches of my
youth. Neither did you, more than likely. The truckloads of guilt and shame that were dumped on us
in an attempt to get us to repent, walk the aisle and (re-)commit our lives to Jesus was enough to
make me want to quit church forever. I often joke about the invitation hymn lasting 46 verses in order
to get someone to confess sin or join the church. I joke because it actually happened where I went to
church.
It is dangerous, however, to toss out the crass manipulation of emotions though guilt and shame
without reconsidering the good news of the doctrine of sin. John Alexander puts it this way:
Sin is the best news there is.…Because with sin, there’s a way out….You can’t repent of
confusion or psychological flaws inflicted by your parents—you’re stuck with them. But you can
repent of sin. Sin and repentance are the only grounds for hope and joy.
The Other Side, Jan./Feb. 1993
When we talk about sin, we get to talk about God. We get to put a name on the mess we have
made of our world, our country and our lives. We get to talk about the way out, and perhaps make a
move in that direction. When we talk about sin we get to move towards forgiveness and hope and
away from guilt and shame. We get to talk about Jesus Christ and God’s love for the world.
We don’t talk about sin enough. As a culture we have become convinced that the real problem
is low self-esteem and a lack of self-worth, ailments supposedly remedied by incessant happy talk
about how good everyone is. The gospel is something else entirely. We are created good, in the
image of God, but we sin, missing the mark completely, no matter how hard we try. But God doesn’t
leave us there, stuck in the muck and mire of our best intentions. Grace is offered; forgiveness
proffered; new life for scoffers.
And that is the good news about sin.
Peace….Chris
__________________
February 9, 2010
I know it seems like Christmas was just yesterday, but the season of Lent is upon us. Beginning
with Ash Wednesday on February 17, we will begin a 6-week journey with Jesus to the cross and
Good Friday. Lent is a season of preparation. While some among us will be preparing to enter the
waters of baptism, everyone is encouraged to prepare body and spirit for Easter through intentional
sacrifice, confession of sin and penitential acts of service and devotion. Lent is a season of basic
training for the Christian who seeks to devote his or her life more faithfully to Christ.
Lent is not for the faint of heart. It is definitely counter-cultural. We admire athletes, Olympians
and artists for their dedication and devotion to long hours of practice, patience and suffering for their
craft. Just don’t ask the ordinary American for anything more than a ticket to watch the event,
however. We like to live vicariously through the achievements of others, rather than live the
experience ourselves. And please don’t ask us to give up anything for the sake of something better
down the road. I want what I want when I want it, which is right now, thank you very much.
Lent invites us into a different experience. We are asked to take a long, hard look at our lives,
our families, our church and our world for the sake of naming and confessing our sins, failures,
shortcomings, debts and transgressions against God, neighbor and ourselves. We don’t just say we
are sorry, but actually seek to repent: to turn from the way we are on towards the way of Jesus. This
is simple, but enormously difficult.
Nobody really likes Lent; liking it is not the point. The music will be purposefully penitential and
sorrowful. The sermons will be devoted to delving into the Seven Deadly Sins. Breakfast & Bible
Study (starting 2/21 @ 9:00 a.m.) will take on Sin as our subject matter. We aren’t supposed to like it
or have it make us feel better about ourselves. The point is to be ready for the crucifixion and
resurrection of Jesus from the dead. How we feel matters not at all.
Why such a stern emphasis on sin this year? Because where sin abounds, grace abounds all
the more (Romans 5:20). I am convinced that the more we can take seriously the condition of our
existence, the more deeply we can experience the grace and mercy of God.
The challenge has been made and awaits your response.
Peace….Chris
__________________
January 28, 2010
A word of advice: don’t try to close on a house, move and get married all on the same weekend.
It can’t be done. Well, it may be possible for someone to do it, but I could not. I am not sure any of
us have recovered yet, from the move, the closing or the wedding.
About that wedding: Laura and I got married on Sunday night, January 17. We wanted to invite
everybody, but the church wouldn’t hold you all and it was just too cold to sit in Bazemore-Hyder
Stadium with 5,000 of our friends. So, we had a very small service standing at the communion table
at First Christian Church, which seemed like the best place in the whole wide world to do it. Besides, I
am the only one in my family who actually likes being in front of a crowd. The vote for a private
ceremony was decidedly one-sided. I think our chicken, Polebean, was on my side, but I am not
sure. She isn’t talking.
So we all embark on a new life together, not just my large, blended family, but also this church.
You have kind of had me to yourself the last 2 years. It is unusual for a Protestant church to have a
single clergyperson serving as its Senior Minister. Catholics will wonder what the big deal is, but for
us, it has been an interesting experiment. Sometimes the work eased the loneliness, but that is not a
good example to set. It was good when Martha came to live here with me and it is good to grow
again, marrying my best friend and caring for her boys, Addison and Evan, alongside my other girls,
Leah and Dylan.
You have indeed been family for me and my girls and I look forward to my new family becoming a
part of this church. God only knows what he was thinking in September 2007 when I ended up
coming here as your interim minister. Slowly, but surely, we grew to trust each other and to hope that
maybe God has something in store for us after all, after pain and trouble and suffering. Do we dare
hope that in the midst of the toil and struggle of life in this world, goodness and blessing and love can
happen? God makes it so, through faith in Jesus Christ by the power or the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Peace…..Chris
__________________________
December 29, 2009
I don’t care much for New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps they work for a little while, encouraging a walk
in the evening or stiffening resolve to pass on dessert, but in my experience many resolutions are so
ambitious and grand that failure is the only option. In a culture that encourages us to dream big it
seems unexceptional to make any resolution that falls short of climbing Mt. Everest, running a
marathon or writing the next War and Peace. “If you can’t go big, go home,” I heard someone say
recently. Sigh. Pass the cake….
I prefer to go in the opposite direction when attempting changes. Is there anything wrong with making
a small alteration in behavior and practicing that until it becomes a habit? Ten years ago I picked up
The Divine Hours, a fixed-hour prayer book, and began using it as the framework for my life of
prayer. I hoped it would last, but I really didn’t know. I did not try to pray for ten years, I just tried to
pray the next assigned hour. A decade later I look up to find that God has begun to build a real and
lasting house of prayer in my life. I hope that in another ten years I might begin to understand
prayer, but I don’t know. Reinhold Niebuhr was right: anything worth doing takes more than a lifetime
to accomplish.
There were many failures along the way, entire days lost on vacation or to some other thing. But
the small resolve has become a holy habit that shapes my every day. I offer this as encouragement
to all who wish to deepen your faith in 2010. I have asked you to think about reading the Bible
through next year, day by day and week by week. I am curious as to the effect of daily immersion in
the world of Scripture, but also interested in how people might handle adversity and failure in the
process. That’s right: failure is not an option; it’s a given, even in attempting small resolutions. And
thus, humility becomes one of the great gifts of the
endeavor.
A new year is at hand, a blank slate on which our lives will be written. Small changes today can
make a huge difference down the road. Just start somewhere, trust God to work in the process and
enjoy the trip.
Happy New Year…..Chris
____________________
December 14, 2009
The unsung, underappreciated character in the Christmas story is Joseph. The season focuses, of
course, on Jesus, and Mary gets her share of attention. When asked by the angel to participate in
the birth of the Messiah, she questions, then answers, the angel, because God forces no person to
bear any burden of faith without consent. Mary sings the Magnificat and ponders everything in her
heart on the night of the Nativity. Her role is public and profound.
But Joseph’s job is different. His plans are shattered by Mary’s pregnancy, and it takes a midnight
message from God in a dream to get him to stick with her. Surprisingly, he remains silent throughout
both Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke. God speaks to him and his response is to act, often in
the face of danger, with alacrity and purpose. We might think we know what Joseph would have said,
but the story is as quiet on that subject as Joseph himself. We really don’t know.
It could be said that in his public life of proclamation, healing and prayer, Jesus takes after his
mother. She prods him to his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. She sings of God’s coming reign
of justice in Luke 1. She connects with God and people through her words and conversations. All of
these traits show up in Jesus’ life.
But Jesus favors his daddy’s side of the family by quietly and consistently showing up for the tasks at
hand, no matter how mundane they might be. The Gospels merely hint at all the things Jesus said
and did. Indeed, as John says, the world would not contain the books if everything had been
recorded. Jesus’ life and ministry testify to the importance of simply showing up in your appointed
place, for prayer, conversation, listening, building a house, teaching or worship. This he learned
from his earthly daddy, Joseph, whose quiet faith made a world of difference.
People who can speak, pray and lead publicly are important and needed in this world and in the life
of the church. We dare not underestimate their importance. But do not overlook the significance of
the mundane, just showing up, faithfully doing your job, with purpose and hope, especially if that task
in your church, family or vocation draws little public attention. By just showing up we make ourselves
available, as did Joseph, for world-changing events. And in this, we favor Jesus’ other daddy, his
Heavenly Father, who keeps showing up in our lives and our world, until we are ready.
So, this Christmas, thank the people that consistently show up for work. They matter, more than we
might think. Peace….Chris
___________________
November 24, 2009
Christmas, more than any other season, is about music. We sing seasonal songs on other holidays,
of course, but no other time of year is so strongly associated with music, both secular and sacred.
The music can be so ubiquitous, however, that we cease to really hear the words and take in the
meaning.
With that in mind, I decided to make Christmas music the intentional focus of my Advent preaching. I
picked five familiar hymns and will preach on them during the season. The schedule looks like this:
11/29 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
12/6 O Little Town of Bethlehem
12/13 A Celebration of Christmas Music by Choir & Congregation
12/20 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
12/24 Silent Night
12/27 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
There is a compelling story associated with the composing of each song, as well as allusions to
Scripture and theology that we scarcely notice over the din of shoppers at the mall. On December 13
we will fill the sanctuary with many other Christmas songs as we prepare for the celebration of the
coming of the Messiah into the world.
It is also likely that December 13 will be our annual Congregational Meeting. At that meeting you will
get to vote on new elders, deacons and next year’s Official Board. Your Nominating Committee has
been hard at work. Keep them in your prayers.
You will also have the opportunity to discuss and vote on the expansion of our fellowship hall. The
Board recently approved plans to nearly double the existing floor space to increase our ability to
serve this community. Plans can be viewed in the pastor’s study. I hope you will come by to look at
them and ask questions. Your Capital Campaign Committee wants you to know that your generous
gifts and pledges are deeply appreciated and are going to be faithfully used to serve God and
neighbor here in Valdosta.
It is an exciting time to be here at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I hope that these
words build your anticipation for even better days to come as we seek to serve God more faithfully,
love one another more deeply and follow Christ more hopefully.
Peace....Chris
_______________________________________
October 27, 2009
Since at least the 2nd Century A.D. Christians have been honoring their saints and martyrs. The
Martyrdom of Polycarp, probably written near the middle of the second century, attests to this
reality:
The custom of commemorating all the martyrs and saints of the church on a single day goes back at
least to the 3rd Century. All Saints Day eventually came to be celebrated on November 1, which falls
on Sunday this year.
Some people may worry that All Saints Day sounds too much like ancestor worship or idolatry of the
dead. I believe it is a profoundly important opportunity to remember people who made it possible for
us to be here today and without whom neither our church nor our country nor our families would
exist.. In a culture that only values the latest innovation or fad, we desperately need to be reminded
that we did not invent the world, but inherited it from our ancestors. Our solemn duty is to pass on to
the next generation what has been given to us in sacred trust. All Saints Day helps us to remember
where we came from, and who we came from, so that we can know exactly where to
go. During worship this Sunday you will be given the opportunity to
name aloud the saints of God who have fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith.
We will fill the sanctuary with memories, but also with hope, for the gospel promises us that those who
die in Christ live again, both now and forever more. Yes, there will be tears, for “weeping may linger
for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5).
Peace....Chris
____________________________
October 14, 2009
A recent survey found that the most annoying words or phrases in the English language include
whatever, you know, anyway and it is what it is. I would add to that list the ubiquitous use of like as
conversation filler. Like, you know? Another shop-worn phrase posing as profound is thinking
outside the box. These days so much ostensibly creative planning is outside the box that thinking
inside the box seems almost revolutionary in comparison.
Which brings me to the word for the week: stewardship. Stewardship is a healthy, robust, even
Christian, word that can be among the most annoying we use in church. Pastors talk about
preaching during the dreaded season of stewardship campaigns with a mixture of anxiety and
consternation. The economy and personal finances can be at the top of every family’s list of
concerns, but in the church we are expected to downplay such things. Stewardship campaigns are
decidedly about thinking inside the box, or so we think.
The problem with stewardship arises from relating it almost exclusively with money, when it means so
much more. Writing to a troubled church about the nature and purpose of his work, the apostle Paul
says, “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries” (I Corinthians 4:
1). The word steward means a person entrusted with great responsibility and accountability, as in a
household, a business or community of faith. The emphasis falls not on what one must do in order to
please the master, pay the bills or do one’s duty, but instead on how faithfully one manages, enjoys
and uses creatively the gifts one has been given.
A person with musical ability who practices hard and performs well is being a good steward. A
business person who invests in research and development, focusing not simply on the bottom line of
profits, is being a good steward. The Christian who disciplines her finances, time and creative energy
to share regularly with others is being a good steward.
We have been entrusted with the most profound gift of all: the mysteries of God. You can keep it all
for yourself, but that would belie the nature of the gift itself.. Being a church member, therefore,
places important demands on you. The church forces you to think, pray and act faithfully with the
time, energy and resources you have been given by almighty God. I know that this is thinking inside
the box, but it is what it is. You know?
Peace….Chris
_______________________
September 21, 2009
How do we read the Bible? During the month of August we met in the fellowship hall and struggled
with that question for an hour or so each Sunday. I learned a lot about biblical interpretation in this
church. Here are some of the things I learned:
*We take the Bible seriously, recognizing its authority in our lives in matters of faith and
practice, but we do not limit interpretation to literal explanations of the text. (Frankly, that
surprised me a little, but I am glad for it.)
*Life happens. Things both in and beyond our control change how we read the Bible.
Mistakes, sins, losses, gains, successes and suffering impinge upon our reading of the text.
(This is ALWAYS true, but not everyone can admit it.)
*The prism through which we read the Bible is the extravagant hospitality of God extended to us
in the Lord’s Supper. We choose to start here and work from the perspective of weekly
communion in which everyone is welcome. (This did not surprise me; the passion for this
viewpoint did, however.)
*Grace is spoken here. A lot. That is an interpretive decision. You could start somewhere
else, like Judgment, but you don’t.
*We don’t major on minor things. This, too, is a good Disciples trait summarized in the saying,
“In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity.”
*We struggle with a couple of things: the tyranny of the now and the over-indulgence of the
personal. Our culture celebrates the individual in THIS moment. Nothing else matters. Thus,
we find it difficult to take a step back from trying to determine what the Bible means for me right
now and ask instead what the Bible meant for the people who wrote it and first received it. No
other step is harder for us as 21st Century Americans.
It takes work to try to recover what something meant before we decide what a text means. To ignore
this, however, is not merely a mistake; it is arrogant and lacks the humility necessary to interpret the
Bible faithfully.
So, that is some of what I learned. How about you? The Bible, at its best, is an invitation to be in
conversation with God and others about the most important things in the world. In the next year we
will undertake studies on sin (during Lent) and heaven and hell (during VBS). Let the conversation
continue.
Peace….Chris
___________________________________
September 9, 2009
Many people are surprised to discover in their Bibles a category of prayers called imprecatory
psalms. These are psalms that contain curses or prayers for the punishment of the psalmist's
enemies. To imprecate means to invoke evil upon, or curse. Psalms 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 109,
137 and 139 all contain prayers for God's judgment on the psalmist's enemies. Examples of
imprecatory statements include:
•Psalm 55:15 - Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave.
•Psalm 58:6 - O God, break the teeth in their mouths.
•Psalm 69:28 - May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
•Psalm 109:9 - May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
•Psalm 137:9 - How blessed will be the one who seizes your infants and dashes them
against the rocks. (from Theopedia.com)
Strong stuff, eh? These are the kinds of statements that turn people away from the Bible because
they seem to give permission for unspeakable acts of violence. While we must admit that, indeed,
some people have taken these words as permission for mayhem, I do not think that was their intent.
These psalms were sung in community worship as an act of faith in God and hope for God’s justice.
They are brutally honest about anger, hurt, pain, suffering and fury about life gone wrong and people
doing evil. They are a lot more honest and faithful than our nice, polite, passive prayer, which is our
failure, not theirs. The ancient Israelites could sure vent their anger in a curse or two. And that is the
point, I think.
What if we prayed this way and let God be God? Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for
God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. (Romans 12:19) The
psalms give us a resource to use when we are wronged by some power or force beyond our control:
vent your anger and call upon God to be God. We are relieved of worrying about seeking
vengeance and can live in peace with God, neighbor and ourselves.
Which is why I was glad when my friend Laura Ware LaBoutillier sent me this wonderful curse after my
house was robbed. I invoked it in the sermon on Sunday and I think it bears repeating. It is a Curse
against Book Stealers posted at the Monastery of San Pedro in Barcelona, Spain:
"For him that stealeth a Book from this Library, let it change into a serpent in his hand and
rend him. Let him be struck with Palsy, and all his Members blasted. Let him languish in Pain
crying aloud for Mercy and let there be no surcease to his Agony till he sink in Dissolution. Let
Bookworms gnaw his Entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, and when at last he goeth to
his final Punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever and aye. "
Yep, that will do it. I can follow Jesus and be forgiving, hopeful and seek reconciliation, even with
enemies, as Jesus called upon his disciples to do. And God can punish the bad guys. I feel better
already.
Peace…..Chris
___________________________________
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E-mail: pastor@fccvaldosta.org Phone: 229-244-1742 Fax: 229-244-1748
March 9, 2010
Spring is taking its own sweet time this year, dragging its feet all the way into the middle of
March, leisurely putting winter to bed, while we wait anxiously for azaleas, dogwood trees and new life
to burst forth. Plants can be fooled into blooming in a greenhouse, but nature has its own timetable,
whether we like it or not. The season will unfold on its own schedule, full of beauty and wonder,
without one ounce of help from us.
Since we have no choice in the matter, perhaps we should extol the virtues of waiting, paying
attention and the passing of time. Mostly we live our lives by the clock, chronologically, one minute
after another slipping away into the past. The ancient Greek word for this is chronos, sequential time
measured by standard intervals.
There is another kind of time, however. The Greeks called this kairos, an undetermined period
of time in which something special happens. It is the fullness of time, the moment pregnant with
meaning, just waiting to be born. It is what Jesus meant when he spoke his first words in Mark’s
Gospel: “The time (kairos) is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in
the good news” (1:15).
We live each day in chronos, but we live for kairos, for those moments when the clock seems
to slow down, even stop, and every minute seems like an hour. Sometimes it happens in worship,
when a word or a song touches us deep inside and we see all the way to eternity. Sometimes it
happens when you catch a glimpse of the adult your child is suddenly becoming, and it makes you
gulp deeply for air, dizzy and disoriented.
Sometimes the moment is planned, like communion at the Lord’s Table, or asking your beloved
for her hand in marriage on a gorgeous autumn day in the bright sun and gentle breeze from the
sea. Other moments are surprises, like when we hear from an old friend, long missed, or stumble
across familiar words in a letter from a departed loved one. The moment is suddenly full, as if past,
present and future have no meaning, which they don’t, of course, in heaven.
Maybe that is what these moments are, foretastes of the life to come. I don’t know. I do know
that I keep looking out my window at these azaleas. One day soon, they will suddenly burst forth, the
promise of new life in a moment in time. And I will be thankful.
Peace….Chris
February 24, 2010
When the Church talks about sin, we are proclaiming Good News. That may sound startling, but
the pervasiveness and perversity of sin, named by the doctrine of sin, is actually the best news we
can give the world today.
I did not consider this to be true when I heard preachers rail against sin in the churches of my
youth. Neither did you, more than likely. The truckloads of guilt and shame that were dumped on us
in an attempt to get us to repent, walk the aisle and (re-)commit our lives to Jesus was enough to
make me want to quit church forever. I often joke about the invitation hymn lasting 46 verses in order
to get someone to confess sin or join the church. I joke because it actually happened where I went to
church.
It is dangerous, however, to toss out the crass manipulation of emotions though guilt and shame
without reconsidering the good news of the doctrine of sin. John Alexander puts it this way:
Sin is the best news there is.…Because with sin, there’s a way out….You can’t repent of
confusion or psychological flaws inflicted by your parents—you’re stuck with them. But you can
repent of sin. Sin and repentance are the only grounds for hope and joy.
The Other Side, Jan./Feb. 1993
When we talk about sin, we get to talk about God. We get to put a name on the mess we have
made of our world, our country and our lives. We get to talk about the way out, and perhaps make a
move in that direction. When we talk about sin we get to move towards forgiveness and hope and
away from guilt and shame. We get to talk about Jesus Christ and God’s love for the world.
We don’t talk about sin enough. As a culture we have become convinced that the real problem
is low self-esteem and a lack of self-worth, ailments supposedly remedied by incessant happy talk
about how good everyone is. The gospel is something else entirely. We are created good, in the
image of God, but we sin, missing the mark completely, no matter how hard we try. But God doesn’t
leave us there, stuck in the muck and mire of our best intentions. Grace is offered; forgiveness
proffered; new life for scoffers.
And that is the good news about sin.
Peace….Chris
__________________
February 9, 2010
I know it seems like Christmas was just yesterday, but the season of Lent is upon us. Beginning
with Ash Wednesday on February 17, we will begin a 6-week journey with Jesus to the cross and
Good Friday. Lent is a season of preparation. While some among us will be preparing to enter the
waters of baptism, everyone is encouraged to prepare body and spirit for Easter through intentional
sacrifice, confession of sin and penitential acts of service and devotion. Lent is a season of basic
training for the Christian who seeks to devote his or her life more faithfully to Christ.
Lent is not for the faint of heart. It is definitely counter-cultural. We admire athletes, Olympians
and artists for their dedication and devotion to long hours of practice, patience and suffering for their
craft. Just don’t ask the ordinary American for anything more than a ticket to watch the event,
however. We like to live vicariously through the achievements of others, rather than live the
experience ourselves. And please don’t ask us to give up anything for the sake of something better
down the road. I want what I want when I want it, which is right now, thank you very much.
Lent invites us into a different experience. We are asked to take a long, hard look at our lives,
our families, our church and our world for the sake of naming and confessing our sins, failures,
shortcomings, debts and transgressions against God, neighbor and ourselves. We don’t just say we
are sorry, but actually seek to repent: to turn from the way we are on towards the way of Jesus. This
is simple, but enormously difficult.
Nobody really likes Lent; liking it is not the point. The music will be purposefully penitential and
sorrowful. The sermons will be devoted to delving into the Seven Deadly Sins. Breakfast & Bible
Study (starting 2/21 @ 9:00 a.m.) will take on Sin as our subject matter. We aren’t supposed to like it
or have it make us feel better about ourselves. The point is to be ready for the crucifixion and
resurrection of Jesus from the dead. How we feel matters not at all.
Why such a stern emphasis on sin this year? Because where sin abounds, grace abounds all
the more (Romans 5:20). I am convinced that the more we can take seriously the condition of our
existence, the more deeply we can experience the grace and mercy of God.
The challenge has been made and awaits your response.
Peace….Chris
__________________
January 28, 2010
A word of advice: don’t try to close on a house, move and get married all on the same weekend.
It can’t be done. Well, it may be possible for someone to do it, but I could not. I am not sure any of
us have recovered yet, from the move, the closing or the wedding.
About that wedding: Laura and I got married on Sunday night, January 17. We wanted to invite
everybody, but the church wouldn’t hold you all and it was just too cold to sit in Bazemore-Hyder
Stadium with 5,000 of our friends. So, we had a very small service standing at the communion table
at First Christian Church, which seemed like the best place in the whole wide world to do it. Besides, I
am the only one in my family who actually likes being in front of a crowd. The vote for a private
ceremony was decidedly one-sided. I think our chicken, Polebean, was on my side, but I am not
sure. She isn’t talking.
So we all embark on a new life together, not just my large, blended family, but also this church.
You have kind of had me to yourself the last 2 years. It is unusual for a Protestant church to have a
single clergyperson serving as its Senior Minister. Catholics will wonder what the big deal is, but for
us, it has been an interesting experiment. Sometimes the work eased the loneliness, but that is not a
good example to set. It was good when Martha came to live here with me and it is good to grow
again, marrying my best friend and caring for her boys, Addison and Evan, alongside my other girls,
Leah and Dylan.
You have indeed been family for me and my girls and I look forward to my new family becoming a
part of this church. God only knows what he was thinking in September 2007 when I ended up
coming here as your interim minister. Slowly, but surely, we grew to trust each other and to hope that
maybe God has something in store for us after all, after pain and trouble and suffering. Do we dare
hope that in the midst of the toil and struggle of life in this world, goodness and blessing and love can
happen? God makes it so, through faith in Jesus Christ by the power or the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Peace…..Chris
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December 29, 2009
I don’t care much for New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps they work for a little while, encouraging a walk
in the evening or stiffening resolve to pass on dessert, but in my experience many resolutions are so
ambitious and grand that failure is the only option. In a culture that encourages us to dream big it
seems unexceptional to make any resolution that falls short of climbing Mt. Everest, running a
marathon or writing the next War and Peace. “If you can’t go big, go home,” I heard someone say
recently. Sigh. Pass the cake….
I prefer to go in the opposite direction when attempting changes. Is there anything wrong with making
a small alteration in behavior and practicing that until it becomes a habit? Ten years ago I picked up
The Divine Hours, a fixed-hour prayer book, and began using it as the framework for my life of
prayer. I hoped it would last, but I really didn’t know. I did not try to pray for ten years, I just tried to
pray the next assigned hour. A decade later I look up to find that God has begun to build a real and
lasting house of prayer in my life. I hope that in another ten years I might begin to understand
prayer, but I don’t know. Reinhold Niebuhr was right: anything worth doing takes more than a lifetime
to accomplish.
There were many failures along the way, entire days lost on vacation or to some other thing. But
the small resolve has become a holy habit that shapes my every day. I offer this as encouragement
to all who wish to deepen your faith in 2010. I have asked you to think about reading the Bible
through next year, day by day and week by week. I am curious as to the effect of daily immersion in
the world of Scripture, but also interested in how people might handle adversity and failure in the
process. That’s right: failure is not an option; it’s a given, even in attempting small resolutions. And
thus, humility becomes one of the great gifts of the
endeavor.
A new year is at hand, a blank slate on which our lives will be written. Small changes today can
make a huge difference down the road. Just start somewhere, trust God to work in the process and
enjoy the trip.
Happy New Year…..Chris
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December 14, 2009
The unsung, underappreciated character in the Christmas story is Joseph. The season focuses, of
course, on Jesus, and Mary gets her share of attention. When asked by the angel to participate in
the birth of the Messiah, she questions, then answers, the angel, because God forces no person to
bear any burden of faith without consent. Mary sings the Magnificat and ponders everything in her
heart on the night of the Nativity. Her role is public and profound.
But Joseph’s job is different. His plans are shattered by Mary’s pregnancy, and it takes a midnight
message from God in a dream to get him to stick with her. Surprisingly, he remains silent throughout
both Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke. God speaks to him and his response is to act, often in
the face of danger, with alacrity and purpose. We might think we know what Joseph would have said,
but the story is as quiet on that subject as Joseph himself. We really don’t know.
It could be said that in his public life of proclamation, healing and prayer, Jesus takes after his
mother. She prods him to his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. She sings of God’s coming reign
of justice in Luke 1. She connects with God and people through her words and conversations. All of
these traits show up in Jesus’ life.
But Jesus favors his daddy’s side of the family by quietly and consistently showing up for the tasks at
hand, no matter how mundane they might be. The Gospels merely hint at all the things Jesus said
and did. Indeed, as John says, the world would not contain the books if everything had been
recorded. Jesus’ life and ministry testify to the importance of simply showing up in your appointed
place, for prayer, conversation, listening, building a house, teaching or worship. This he learned
from his earthly daddy, Joseph, whose quiet faith made a world of difference.
People who can speak, pray and lead publicly are important and needed in this world and in the life
of the church. We dare not underestimate their importance. But do not overlook the significance of
the mundane, just showing up, faithfully doing your job, with purpose and hope, especially if that task
in your church, family or vocation draws little public attention. By just showing up we make ourselves
available, as did Joseph, for world-changing events. And in this, we favor Jesus’ other daddy, his
Heavenly Father, who keeps showing up in our lives and our world, until we are ready.
So, this Christmas, thank the people that consistently show up for work. They matter, more than we
might think. Peace….Chris
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November 24, 2009
Christmas, more than any other season, is about music. We sing seasonal songs on other holidays,
of course, but no other time of year is so strongly associated with music, both secular and sacred.
The music can be so ubiquitous, however, that we cease to really hear the words and take in the
meaning.
With that in mind, I decided to make Christmas music the intentional focus of my Advent preaching. I
picked five familiar hymns and will preach on them during the season. The schedule looks like this:
11/29 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
12/6 O Little Town of Bethlehem
12/13 A Celebration of Christmas Music by Choir & Congregation
12/20 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
12/24 Silent Night
12/27 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
There is a compelling story associated with the composing of each song, as well as allusions to
Scripture and theology that we scarcely notice over the din of shoppers at the mall. On December 13
we will fill the sanctuary with many other Christmas songs as we prepare for the celebration of the
coming of the Messiah into the world.
It is also likely that December 13 will be our annual Congregational Meeting. At that meeting you will
get to vote on new elders, deacons and next year’s Official Board. Your Nominating Committee has
been hard at work. Keep them in your prayers.
You will also have the opportunity to discuss and vote on the expansion of our fellowship hall. The
Board recently approved plans to nearly double the existing floor space to increase our ability to
serve this community. Plans can be viewed in the pastor’s study. I hope you will come by to look at
them and ask questions. Your Capital Campaign Committee wants you to know that your generous
gifts and pledges are deeply appreciated and are going to be faithfully used to serve God and
neighbor here in Valdosta.
It is an exciting time to be here at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I hope that these
words build your anticipation for even better days to come as we seek to serve God more faithfully,
love one another more deeply and follow Christ more hopefully.
Peace....Chris
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October 27, 2009
Since at least the 2nd Century A.D. Christians have been honoring their saints and martyrs. The
Martyrdom of Polycarp, probably written near the middle of the second century, attests to this
reality:
Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, more precious than the most exquisite jewels,
and more pure than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, so that when being gathered
together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to
celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished
their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps.
The custom of commemorating all the martyrs and saints of the church on a single day goes back at
least to the 3rd Century. All Saints Day eventually came to be celebrated on November 1, which falls
on Sunday this year.
Some people may worry that All Saints Day sounds too much like ancestor worship or idolatry of the
dead. I believe it is a profoundly important opportunity to remember people who made it possible for
us to be here today and without whom neither our church nor our country nor our families would
exist.. In a culture that only values the latest innovation or fad, we desperately need to be reminded
that we did not invent the world, but inherited it from our ancestors. Our solemn duty is to pass on to
the next generation what has been given to us in sacred trust. All Saints Day helps us to remember
where we came from, and who we came from, so that we can know exactly where to
go. During worship this Sunday you will be given the opportunity to
name aloud the saints of God who have fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith.
We will fill the sanctuary with memories, but also with hope, for the gospel promises us that those who
die in Christ live again, both now and forever more. Yes, there will be tears, for “weeping may linger
for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5).
Peace....Chris
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October 14, 2009
A recent survey found that the most annoying words or phrases in the English language include
whatever, you know, anyway and it is what it is. I would add to that list the ubiquitous use of like as
conversation filler. Like, you know? Another shop-worn phrase posing as profound is thinking
outside the box. These days so much ostensibly creative planning is outside the box that thinking
inside the box seems almost revolutionary in comparison.
Which brings me to the word for the week: stewardship. Stewardship is a healthy, robust, even
Christian, word that can be among the most annoying we use in church. Pastors talk about
preaching during the dreaded season of stewardship campaigns with a mixture of anxiety and
consternation. The economy and personal finances can be at the top of every family’s list of
concerns, but in the church we are expected to downplay such things. Stewardship campaigns are
decidedly about thinking inside the box, or so we think.
The problem with stewardship arises from relating it almost exclusively with money, when it means so
much more. Writing to a troubled church about the nature and purpose of his work, the apostle Paul
says, “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries” (I Corinthians 4:
1). The word steward means a person entrusted with great responsibility and accountability, as in a
household, a business or community of faith. The emphasis falls not on what one must do in order to
please the master, pay the bills or do one’s duty, but instead on how faithfully one manages, enjoys
and uses creatively the gifts one has been given.
A person with musical ability who practices hard and performs well is being a good steward. A
business person who invests in research and development, focusing not simply on the bottom line of
profits, is being a good steward. The Christian who disciplines her finances, time and creative energy
to share regularly with others is being a good steward.
We have been entrusted with the most profound gift of all: the mysteries of God. You can keep it all
for yourself, but that would belie the nature of the gift itself.. Being a church member, therefore,
places important demands on you. The church forces you to think, pray and act faithfully with the
time, energy and resources you have been given by almighty God. I know that this is thinking inside
the box, but it is what it is. You know?
Peace….Chris
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September 21, 2009
How do we read the Bible? During the month of August we met in the fellowship hall and struggled
with that question for an hour or so each Sunday. I learned a lot about biblical interpretation in this
church. Here are some of the things I learned:
*We take the Bible seriously, recognizing its authority in our lives in matters of faith and
practice, but we do not limit interpretation to literal explanations of the text. (Frankly, that
surprised me a little, but I am glad for it.)
*Life happens. Things both in and beyond our control change how we read the Bible.
Mistakes, sins, losses, gains, successes and suffering impinge upon our reading of the text.
(This is ALWAYS true, but not everyone can admit it.)
*The prism through which we read the Bible is the extravagant hospitality of God extended to us
in the Lord’s Supper. We choose to start here and work from the perspective of weekly
communion in which everyone is welcome. (This did not surprise me; the passion for this
viewpoint did, however.)
*Grace is spoken here. A lot. That is an interpretive decision. You could start somewhere
else, like Judgment, but you don’t.
*We don’t major on minor things. This, too, is a good Disciples trait summarized in the saying,
“In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity.”
*We struggle with a couple of things: the tyranny of the now and the over-indulgence of the
personal. Our culture celebrates the individual in THIS moment. Nothing else matters. Thus,
we find it difficult to take a step back from trying to determine what the Bible means for me right
now and ask instead what the Bible meant for the people who wrote it and first received it. No
other step is harder for us as 21st Century Americans.
It takes work to try to recover what something meant before we decide what a text means. To ignore
this, however, is not merely a mistake; it is arrogant and lacks the humility necessary to interpret the
Bible faithfully.
So, that is some of what I learned. How about you? The Bible, at its best, is an invitation to be in
conversation with God and others about the most important things in the world. In the next year we
will undertake studies on sin (during Lent) and heaven and hell (during VBS). Let the conversation
continue.
Peace….Chris
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September 9, 2009
Many people are surprised to discover in their Bibles a category of prayers called imprecatory
psalms. These are psalms that contain curses or prayers for the punishment of the psalmist's
enemies. To imprecate means to invoke evil upon, or curse. Psalms 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 109,
137 and 139 all contain prayers for God's judgment on the psalmist's enemies. Examples of
imprecatory statements include:
•Psalm 55:15 - Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave.
•Psalm 58:6 - O God, break the teeth in their mouths.
•Psalm 69:28 - May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
•Psalm 109:9 - May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
•Psalm 137:9 - How blessed will be the one who seizes your infants and dashes them
against the rocks. (from Theopedia.com)
Strong stuff, eh? These are the kinds of statements that turn people away from the Bible because
they seem to give permission for unspeakable acts of violence. While we must admit that, indeed,
some people have taken these words as permission for mayhem, I do not think that was their intent.
These psalms were sung in community worship as an act of faith in God and hope for God’s justice.
They are brutally honest about anger, hurt, pain, suffering and fury about life gone wrong and people
doing evil. They are a lot more honest and faithful than our nice, polite, passive prayer, which is our
failure, not theirs. The ancient Israelites could sure vent their anger in a curse or two. And that is the
point, I think.
What if we prayed this way and let God be God? Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for
God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. (Romans 12:19) The
psalms give us a resource to use when we are wronged by some power or force beyond our control:
vent your anger and call upon God to be God. We are relieved of worrying about seeking
vengeance and can live in peace with God, neighbor and ourselves.
Which is why I was glad when my friend Laura Ware LaBoutillier sent me this wonderful curse after my
house was robbed. I invoked it in the sermon on Sunday and I think it bears repeating. It is a Curse
against Book Stealers posted at the Monastery of San Pedro in Barcelona, Spain:
"For him that stealeth a Book from this Library, let it change into a serpent in his hand and
rend him. Let him be struck with Palsy, and all his Members blasted. Let him languish in Pain
crying aloud for Mercy and let there be no surcease to his Agony till he sink in Dissolution. Let
Bookworms gnaw his Entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, and when at last he goeth to
his final Punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever and aye. "
Yep, that will do it. I can follow Jesus and be forgiving, hopeful and seek reconciliation, even with
enemies, as Jesus called upon his disciples to do. And God can punish the bad guys. I feel better
already.
Peace…..Chris
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E-mail: pastor@fccvaldosta.org Phone: 229-244-1742 Fax: 229-244-1748
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