Prayer before Worship

Prayers

Bob Auxier – his daughter Erin came home this week. She is in a body cast but continuing to improve.

Mary Jones

Joyce Austin

John Snyder

Joe Shoop

Lane Spigener

Les Trail

Anthony Busic

Jerry Viemeister

Jo Anne Burnette

I hope you had a pleasant and relaxing Thanksgiving. Sandwiched between the commercial frenzy of Halloween and Christmas, Thanksgiving almost passes unnoticed by the commercial world. Yet for me there is something significant about Thanksgiving in addition to the opportunity to gorge yourself on food.

Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to stop our hectic schedule for a moment and look at our relationship with God from a different perspective. It’s a simple time to sit back and say, “Thank you.”

Life has not been perfect. In fact for most of us its been difficult but I would be willing to bet that for all of us, God has been in the midst of our struggles providing just enough comfort and encouragement to get us through.

As I was preparing my column this week I spent some time in Matthew chapter 6

“So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are.

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. You have so little faith. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Parts of Matthew 6:25-34

This is more than a simplistic “do not worry” speech. Instead we are reminded:

 Replace worry with faith. Go back to the basics of working on your relationship with God.

Faith will eventually lead to trust in a God who will lovingly guide you during difficult times.

Be content with looking for God’s help today. Tomorrow will bring its own worries.

Maybe this is the way God gets us through.

Thanksgiving reminds us in the midst of our struggles that we are not alone. God is there guiding you along.

Why am I saying this now?

As we plunge into Advent I pray that Thanksgiving has given you just enough fortitude to be prepared for what is to come. Advent brings a whole new set of opportunities and yes, worries.

But God is here to not only calm you and me down but also to enable us to calm our church and community down.

Yes, we are still in the midst of a financial crisis but God is there and we will not only survive but we will be a witness for God in the midst of the crisis.

Yes, there have been disappointments personally, professionally and even spiritually but God is in the midst of it all providing comfort and strength to see you through.

Maybe that is what it means to replace worry with faith.

I will be praying for you today that God gives you faith in the midst of worries.

In other words, God’s message is: You are not alone. Replace your worries with faith in the God who called you and prepared you and will continually see you through.

I feel calmer already.

I pray you feel God’s calming and peaceful presence this morning as you worship.

Thanksgiving and Thorns

This story is not written by me but I fell in love with it and want to share it with you. Happy Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving and Thorns

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease.

During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come. What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder.

Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?

"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The shop clerk's approach startled her.

"I uh, I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving "Special?" asked the shop clerk. "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys ‘gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong." Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Then the door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi, Barbara, let me get your order." She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

"Want this in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed.

"Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again." She said as she gently tapped her chest.

"Uh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with, uh, she just left with no flowers!"

"Right, said the clerk, "I cut off the flowers. That's the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling much like you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I lost my husband," continued the clerk, "and for the first time in my life, spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for good things in life and never to ask Him why those good things happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.

"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement: twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?"

"No. I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem.

He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us."

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"

"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too, fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

Praise Him for your roses; thank him for your thorns.

God comforts us in our trials so that we can comfort others in their trials with the same comfort that we received from God (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Prayer for Pastors and Leaders, November 21

Prayers

Joyce Austin

Mary Jones

Les Trail

Anthony Busic

John Martin

Jerry Viemeister

Today, we will finish the last of the charge conferences, our annual church meetings. Like you, I too breathe a sigh of relief after they are over. Yet, each year I learn something valuable.

This year, I saw a lot more reason to be optimistic about our future.

Despite the continuing financial crisis, I saw our churches making a difference within the crisis. Most eagerly agreed and accepted the challenge of being the church for those who no longer see the church as important.

I saw the churches more comfortable with the idea of working together to achieve a common goal.

I attribute most of that change to you as their leader.

How big is your dream? How good is your team?

This turned out to be a theme that was easily embraced. Of course we all know it’s easier to talk about than to do but I saw in these charge conferences a willingness to dream bigger and work on team building.

So, this morning, I simply say Thank you.

In every meeting, I came away excited about your church and our district. I’m excited that we are working together to find ways to be in ministry.

I could not honestly say that last year or the year before but I can say it with confidence and pride today.

Thank you.

As you step into the pulpit, please know that I am praying for you with pride in my heart. Not sinful pride but pride in knowing that you are here to fulfill God’s purpose. You were uniquely equipped and prepared for this task by God. It’s exciting to watch you carry out your God given task.

Thank you for loving God and continuing to deepen your personal faith.

Thank you for modeling Christ within your church in the best way you possibly can.

Thank you for loving and serving your people.

Thank you for being the leader in urging your church to be out in the community.

Thank you for preaching and teaching God’s Word, backed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for having the courage to dream big dreams and build good teams.

I pray for you today with pride in my heart because I know you are going to make a difference today and you will follow those words up with your actions, tomorrow, next week, next year.

Please know that I am praying for you by name along with your church or ministry.

God will be with you.

Riding a Dead Horse?

I ran across this article within a book called Toy Box Leadership: Lessons from the Toys you Loved as a Child, written by Michael Waddell.

“The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from one generation to the next, says that when you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. However, in modern times, because of an unwillingness to let things go, we often try other strategies, including the following:

·         Buying a stronger whip.

·         Changing riders.

·         Threatening the horse with termination.

·         Appointing a committee to study the horse.

·         Arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses.

·         Lowering the standard so that dead horses can be included.

·         Appointing an intervention team to reanimate the dead horse.

·         Creating a training session to increase the rider’s load share.

·         Reclassifying the dead horse as living impaired.

·         Changing the form so that it reads, “This horse is not dead.”

·         Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.

·         Harnessing several dead horses together for increased speed.

·         Donating the dead horse to a recognized charity, thereby deducting its full original cost.

·         Providing additional funding to increase the horse’s performance.

·         Conducting a time management study to see if the lighter rides would improve productivity.

·         Purchasing an after-market product to make dead horses run faster.

·         Declaring that a dead horse has lower overhead and therefore performs better.

·         Forming a quality focus group to find profitable uses for dead horses.

·         Rewriting the expected performance requirements for horses.

·         Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

Okay, I laughed so hard while typing this, tears were clouding my vision. But within humor there is often a grain of truth.  Did any of these answers sound vaguely familiar? Could there be a few dead horses in your life? Your family? Your church? Our district?

Oops! Now we’ve gone from preaching meddling.

Challenge: Are we willing to name our dead horses and look for real solutions to our problems?

Paul writes in Romans: “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13)

This is what stands out to me in this passage:

·         Don’t pretend – really love others.

·         Hate what is wrong – love what is good.

·         Love each other with genuine affection.

·         Take delight in honoring each other.

·         Avoid laziness by working hard and serving enthusiastically.

·         Rejoice in confident hope.

·         Be patient in trouble and keep praying.

·         When people are in need, be ready to help.

·         Be eager to practice hospitality.

Do we have the courage to dismount from our dead horses and concentrate on the real challenges that face us? It’s not easy but serving God was never meant to be easy. God never said, “Get up on that dead horse and ride.” Jesus said: “Take up your cross and follow me.”

Prayer for our Church Leaders: A Pile of Comfort

Prayer needs within our district clergy:

Joyce Austin – Her husband, Jerry died suddenly, Saturday.

Anthony Busic – In hospital

June Carpenter – Continued recovery of her father.

Mary Jones

John Martin – In the hospital – internal bleeding

John Snyder

Les Trail

Jerry Viemeister – Surgery at Duke

Once again, there has been tragedy within our district. Yesterday a dear spouse suddenly died. Joyce Austin is Lay Minister of Mt. Tabor/Smyrna, our newest two churches who joined us just last year from the Charlottesville District. Her husband, Jerry died of a likely heart attack.

Once again people have surrounded her from her family, to the churches: both the two she serves and the one she is still a member.  In the midst of her grief, many have surrounded her to bring comfort.

The church, it seems to me, is never stronger than when tragedy strikes. Churches respond with prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food that seems to blanket the tragedy with a pile of comfort.

Paul writes of comfort in 2 Corinthians: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

Comfort is the key word. We receive comfort in the midst of tragedy and we give comfort in the midst of tragedy, all in the name of Jesus Christ. This is when the church is quite simply the church.

So, why do we wait for tragedy?

Why don’t we respond to everything with prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food and just blanket it all with a pile of comfort?

Yesterday, I was asked to speak at the monthly Emmaus gathering for the Central Virginia area.

I was reminded of how I first became involved with the Emmaus community. I was pastoring a three church charge in Amelia and struggling within my spirit as pastor and as a Christian. Friends and church members urged me to go on a “Walk to Emmaus” for years. Then someone sponsored my wife. She came back glowing over the experience and sponsored me for the next walk.

The experience for me was a weekend filled with a powerful combination of prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food. Everything I struggled with was blanketed underneath a pile of comfort. The “Walk to Emmaus” offered me a powerful reminder of God’s grace.

Years later, pastoring another church, I would be surrounded by several men who as part of their ministry felt led by God to bathe their pastor in prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food which all became a blanket of comfort for me.

Over the years, I learned as a pastor that churches thrive when I can model what I received and teach others to do the same: prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness, a mountain of food which along with other gestures adds up to a pile of comfort.

It seems so simple yet we struggle to recreate what works best in a purposeful way.

Today, as you step into the pulpit, think about the people sitting out there who have provided comfort for you and others.

          Prayer

          Personal Visits

          Acts of Kindness

          A Mountain of Food

          Add it all up and you get – a pile of comfort and a wonderful ministry.

Here is the line from the passage above that I find inspiring: “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.”

God comforts us so that we can comfort others.

I am praying for you this morning.

First as church leader, may you be receiving prayer, personal visits, acts of kindness and a mountain of food all adding up to a pile of comfort.

Second that you receive Holy inspiration as you teach others do the same.

I pray for you this morning to receive a pile of comfort in the midst of your struggles and may you eagerly lead your church to provide a pile of comfort to each other and to the community.

Now, that is something to pray about. Amen.

10 Misconceptions about Church Vitality and Growth

Ten Misconceptions about Church Vitality and Growth
By Eugene A. Blair - Published in Leading Ideas - 11/10

The Lewis Center’s reporting on American Congregations 2008 (a report about congregational vitality and growth based on the Faith Communities Today Project at Hartford Seminary) brought to mind ten myths that prevent congregations from moving forward. In each case, the research findings reveal a different truth and suggest a new question to reshape your congregational agenda in ways that will position your church for growth. Each myth is followed by the research findings and then a provocative question for you to consider.

Myth Ten: Let's just keep doing the same worship we've done since 1960, and people will surely come. The truth is there is a relationship between adding a new service and/or contemporary worship and growth. However, the quality of the worship seems to matter the most to newcomers and the unchurched.

When was the last time you changed, revamped, upgraded, or evaluated your worship or added a new worship service?

Myth Nine: We've always done it that way before so let’s keep doing it that way. The truth is congregations, whether liberal or conservative, with a clear identity and purpose tend to grow in attendance and spiritual vitality.

Do you have a mission and purpose statement with goals attached?

Myth Eight: Pastor, if you would just get more youth in here, everything will be all right. The truth is that a strong youth ministry, while important, is not in and of itself strongly associated with attendance growth. There is, however, a strong association between youth ministry and spiritual vitality in any congregation.

No matter how many youth you have, what is your plan for youth ministry?

Myth Seven: We're a friendly church, and visitors should know we want them to come back. The truth is it is important to respond systematically to visitors and newcomers using a variety of different methods. The number of different methods used to connect with visitors and newcomers is associated with attendance growth.

What is your plan to connect with newcomers once they arrive on your parking lot until they come home later that day?

Myth Six: It's the pastor's job to get new members. The truth is the more lay members are involved in reaching new people, the greater the attendance growth. Spiritual vitality goes up the more members see themselves as personal evangelists and act like it.

What is your plan to train members to reach out to others?

Myth Five: Our members know we care, so we do not have to call on them or reach out if they are absent. The truth is contacting those who have stopped coming is directly related to attendance growth and spiritual vitality. This is especially true for churches with over 300 in worship.

What is your plan for training lay people to nurture and care for members?

Myth Four: Where two or three are gathered together, there will be conflict and fights, so live with it. The truth is that clear organizational direction and purpose coupled with strong interpersonal relationships will decrease the likelihood of conflict. When purpose and relationships are present, conflict is more easily resolved.

Have you had an open conversation about conflict and how your church will resolve it?

Myth Three: It’s all about money; we just need more money and all our problems will go away. The truth is there is a clear relationship between spiritual vitality and financial health. Before you can increase financial health, you have to elevate the spiritual climate.

What is your plan to increase the spiritual health of the congregation in the next twelve months?

Myth Two: The world is our parish, so we are going to save everyone for Jesus. The truth is attendance growth and spiritual vitality are directly related to being clear and specific about whom you want to reach and why.

Who are our neighbors, what are their needs, and how can we help them?

Myth One: Church growth is a matter of having the ideal pastor. The truth is a team of spirit-led, accountable, and committed lay people always trumps whoever the pastor is at any time.

What is your plan to raise-up and train a team for the future of your ministry?

Share these truths with your church’s leadership team, ask these key questions, and pray about what God is calling you to do next.

Eugene A. Blair is district superintendent of the Flint District in the Detroit Conference, United Methodist Church.

All Saints and Connection

Cori Snyder died on October 30. She was the wife of Rev. John Snyder, pastor of Anderson United Methodist Church in Gretna, Virginia.

During Cori Snyder’s funeral, I was reminded of just how important we are to each other. Right in front of me were three rows of pastors from our district to show support for their fellow pastor, John Snyder.

Throughout the congregation were other pastors and leaders throughout the Virginia conference. The church where the worship service was held was from another denomination. They offered the use of their building because the pastor was a friend of Johns through the ministerial alliance in Gretna.

This week, I saw example after example of how people surrounded Cori’s family with love and help from the mountain of food donated to the family, to babysitting the younger children by members of his church.

John will also be given time to grieve thanks to our connection. John Siegle, a retired pastor on our district led services at his church, Anderson UMC last Sunday. I will be there this Sunday and others will be there over the next few Sundays to give John all the time he needs.

For me, this was an example of how we support each other in crisis. One pastor told me later, it was comforting to see our connection in action. He could feel the strength of our support for each other.

We are connected as leaders in the United Methodist Church certainly but we are connected as Christians as well. On All Saints Sunday we are reminded that the connections are deeply rooted as we are reminded of the foundation laid for us by the Saints who have gone before us.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)

This passage became more relevant to me this morning because of the events of this week. Our connection as children of God is a huge comfort and strength in times of crisis because God promised that someday we will be like Christ. We will see Christ as he really is. And armed with this eager expectation we will work to keep ourselves pure just as Christ is pure.

Today you will be a part of a connection that is so much bigger than yourself or even your church. You will remind others of our link to those who have gone before us but we will all be reminded that ultimately what connects us is Jesus Christ.

This is what gives us the ability to grieve and yet celebrate; to cry and yet laugh. We grieve for today but celebrate with eager hope for tomorrow. We cry over the loss but laugh in the comfort of knowing something better awaits us.

Today, I can pray with confidence because I feel the connection of our chuch and our leaders, I feel the connection of our church and all of the Saints and I feel the connection to God through the example of Jesus Christ and the continuing presence of The Holy Spirit.

When you go to church this morning, look around you and imagine this scene being repeated throughout the world. What an awesome connection we have.

So, as pastors and leaders we can enter our church with confidence knowing that we are not alone. You are part of a Holy Connection that links us as pastors and leaders within the United Methodist Church and as Christians within the family of God.

Catching Up

Please continue to keep the family of Rev. John Snyder and his children, Haley, Bennett and James in your prayers. His wife, Cori, died unexpected at her home on October 30. Services are today at 11:00 AM at First Baptst Church in Gretna.

Charge Conferences are now more than half way through so most of our pastors can breathe a little easier today. What stood out for me at each of the conferences has been the cooperation among the churches as they shared a meal and worshipped together. The joint projects have all been exciting. The theme, "How big is your dream? How good is your team?" has received a lot of attention and excellent answers. I am honored and thrilled to witness the exciting ministry that is going on at each church.

Did you know? The roof for Jackson Street UMC has now been replaced. A special thank you to everyone throughout the district who pitched in to make this possible. I know the members of Jackson Street would want me to tell you all, "Thank you."

District Conference -- December 5 at 3:00 PM at Amelon UMC. You do not want to miss this years edition of District Conference. We will be celebrting a special Wesley Covenant service and Holy Communion will be a part of the service. In addition there will be a series of one minute testimonies from leaders throughout the district. One unique feature of our District Conference is the opportunity for our various missions and ministries to set up a display area. Just send our office an email if you would like to participate.

District Youth Celebration - November 21 - Big things are expected. If you don't know about it. Check below in this newsletter or send an email to Shawn Kiger at shawn@lanememorialumc.org.

District Office will be closed for Thanksgiving Nov. 24 through the 28.

Lynchburg District hosts the Virginia Conference Cabinet - Our Bishop and the entire cabinet including all of our District Superintendents will be guests for our December Cabinet meeting on December 11 and 12. On December 11 the Cabinet will meet at Randolph college. On December 12 many of the cabinet members have volunteered to be guest pastors at churches throughout the Lynchburg District. The list of who will be at what church will be published in this newsletter soon.