One of the Best Birthday Presents Ever

My wife and Grace Hill Media gave me one of the best birthdays I've had in quite awhile. It was a great way to mark 62 years. Grace Hill Media invited pastors from the area to a premiere screening of the movie 42, the story of Jackie Robinson. It will open in theaters on April 12.

It was an incredible movie. It was obviously written and directed by people who want this story of courage and faith to be told. For themovie is filled with compassion, pathos, laughter, intrigue and a sense of a mission. I tis not overbearing or preachy but addresses the issue of racism and breaking the color barrier head on with humility and courage.

I really appreciated the role faith played in the life of Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson. While it was overly played up or presented in a sappy self pious manner, it came off as being something true and genuine aobut both of these men. It was part of the fabric of their bery being.

One of the reasons this movie was so meaningful for me, is the scene with Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson. One of my old friends and a member of my home church was Preacher Roe. Preacher Roe began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals but later became a part of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was part of the team when Jackie became the first black major league player.

In a conversation we had, Preacher Roe described that moment when Pee Wee Reese walked over and put his arm around Jackie as he was being booed and called all sorts of dispicable names. It was exactly as I imagined it in my mind when Preacher was telling the story. He told me that Pee Wee and Jackie became close friends.

The movie challenges us to continue to live their legacy today. Racism isn't over. It's still prevelent. We don't use that same language we used back then. Things have gotten better, a lot better, but even that is not enough. I dream for the day when no one will be thought less of because of the color of their skin, their nationality or their gender. I believe that world IS possible through the love of God in Christ. In the movie, Branch Rickey was talking to another General Manager and said something to the effect that God told us to "Love our neighbors as ourselves" eight different times in the Bible. It's the thing God told us to do the most, so it must be important. It will take that kind of love to get us closer. And it was that kind of love, put into action, which was portrayed in this movie.

He Is Risen Indeed

Today was a fantastic culmination of a great series of Holy Week services. Palm Sunday was a unique presentation of music, scripture, videos and dramatic readings retelling the story of Jesus final week. It began with the entire congregation participating in a Palm Procession. Wit lots of song and laughter we circled the Sanctuary and laid out palms at the foot of the cross. These palm branches will be saved, dried out and burnt. Their ashes will be the ashes we use during next year's Ash Wednesday Service.

After the procession, we moved into the telling of the story. Our choir did a fantastic job singing the hymns and music our Music Director Wendi Bernau chose for the service. The videos, Scripture and vignettes brought the events of the week to life.

Thursday, Maundy Thursday Communion service, was based on an idea I saw somewhere online. We followed the events in Jesus life just before Passover until His death on the cross by looking at the various watches and hours, Beginning with the ninth hour, both bells and a shofar announced the times. We sang, read Scripture and reflected on the events together. Of course, we also celebrated the Sacrament.

Friday was a protestant version of the Stations of the Cross. I have worked on and developed this service ever since I found a pilgrim's guide and brief form of the Stations in the pocket of the seat on our bus while on our first trip to Israel back in 1992. Over the years I have enhanced it with pictures and music. But it wasn't until I visited the Cross of the Plains in Groom, Texas, that it came alive.
Around the 19 story metal cross is an artists lifesized sculptures of the various stations.  I found them extremely inspiring, so much so that I have taken three seperate trips to both photgraph and film the various statues. Currently, the artist is working on the Last Supper.

This Sunday morning was supposed to be dark and storm with thunderstorms rolling through. Instead it was a beautiful day with a cool breeze. A big crowd showed up for our community Sunrise service at Vesper Point on the grounds of Glen Lake Camp and Retreat Center. I was blessed to be asked to preach this year.

Back at FUMC Glen Rose, both our 8:30 and 11:00 worship services were packed. If not a record crowd, then close to a record crowd was in attendance. Again, the choir outdid themselves. During both of these service the Bell Choir also added to beauty of this day.

Between services we held an Easter brunch inviting all of our guests and friends to share in light meal as we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus. I made a cake for the event, however, no one would eat it. They said they couldn't eat art. However, I did send it home with one of the families.

All in all it was a great celebration of the Resurrection. Remember: The Resurrection is real. I know it's real because someone I trusted told me it was real; it has withstood the test of time and I have experienced Resurrection in my life and seen how the power of Resurrection has not inspired others but given them both hope and new life. HE IS RISEN. HE IS RISEN INDEED.

Jesus Loves Me Even When I'm Not Expecting It

Wierd title right? Well, this past week has been incredibly, incredibly joyful and stressfull all rolled into one. Glen Rose, Texas is a small Central Texas town filled with wonderful people and a great United Methodist Church which I'm privileged to Pastor. Most small town churches have a small Confirmation class. This has been true for the last two years but this year it was different. We had 20 young people in Confirmation. The church and the staff were ecstatic, as was I. With parental input, we chose Mother's Day as Confirmation Sunday.

With preparations fully in swing for this joyful event, three short days before, a tragedy struck which rocked the foundations of our our church and most of the famlies in the community. My mind, heart and soul as well as those of every family in the community were torn between celebration and grief. We went from the heights of glorifying God to the depths of cursing God for letting such a tragedy occur and trying to figure out why something like this could happen.

To top it all off, with the uncertainty of timelines for funerals and mourning, due to the investigation into the event, it left everything unsettled and tentative. I was scheduled for a week of Continuing Ed at the Homiletics Festival in Atlanta, GA. All that was on hold.

When plans were finally set and arrangements with hotels reconfigured, my wife and I made a mad dash for Atlanta arriving in time for the last two days. Physically, mentally and spiritually exhausted I arrived to soak up as much of God's presence through worship and study as possible. I needed a refill. I wasn't disappointed.

Friday morning worship. I realized how tired and irritable I still was. Sitting in the last pew, I also observed how noisy we clergy are. It was really starting to bug me. More than a couple of people came in and stood behind me discussing where to sit or plans for lunch or whatever. I was still so fatigued and a little ADD that I couldn't focus. And it was making me mad.

I was still in this irritable funk when Karoline Lewis began her sermon. She was talking about the joy of Jesus entering into every abandonment, every hopelessness, every pain, something I needed to hear. But still the noise bothered my soul. I couldn't let go of the irritation. She went on to say that the Resurrection is where Joy truly breaks into the present, now and in what is to come. It allows us to hold together every hard thing it means to be human.

She then began to describe her son's desire to grow up and be taller than she is. She described both the joy and the pain of the actuality of the day it happened. No mother wants to see their baby grow up and yet it is the one wish mothers have for all their babies. It is a time of joy and grief.

Once again, the noisiness of us clergy intruded on my thoughts as a young child in our midst began to make noise and I could hear Mom trying to hush him or her. And then suddenly in this poignant story by Rev. Lewis all those around me realized that this young child was humming "Jesus Loves Me."

I couldn't help but think that somehow God was speaking to me. The irony of my irritation being interrupted by a love song from God was rather overwhelming. In the midst of my funk God was dealing with my junk and I wasn't even aware of it. The words of Rev. Lewis' sermon were being brought to life right before my eyes as the joy of Jesus entered into every abandonment, every hopelessness, every pain I was feeling.

All I can say is Thank You.

Stewardship Thoughts

An article and blog I recently read gave me pause to think. The title of the article was "Preaching On Money" it went on to talk about how difficult it is to preach on money and how most preachers avoid doing so or approach it very timidly and reluctantly. The auther gave some sound advice on how to Help People Find Balance, Create an Atmosphere of Grace, Address Real Life Issues and Draw People to Invest in a Higher Calling.

While I found the article helpful and full of grace filled thoughts, never did the author use the word Stewardship. Never did the author come out and connect Stewardship and Discipleship. Personally, I think it is wrong to "Preach On Money." However, having said that, I do believe we are called to preach about Stewardship. That may sound like straining at gnats but "money" and "giving" is only one small aspect of the Stewardship of Life and Discipleship. I don't believe we can even talk about money without putting it into the context of the whole Stewardship of Life package. Too many people hear the word Stewardship and immediately and mistakenly equate it to exclusively mean money. But they are wrong.

Stewardship is a soul issue. Stewardship is a Discipleship issue. You can't be a faithful Disciple unless you are a good Steward. And you won't be a good Steward if you aren't seeking to be a faithful Disciple.

Stewardship begins with a change in mindset. You see most of us think this life and all we have in it is ours to do with as we please. We look upon all this stuff in our lives and think of it as "Mine." We forget that life and all it entails is a gift from God. God has placed this small part of God's creation (our life and all it entails) into our hands and asked us to be good stewards, good caretakers of God's stuff. We have to get out of this "Mine-set," if you will, so we can grow in our Discipleship; so we can grow more and more like Christ.


So, how's your "Mine-set?" Do your realize it's really not yours? You're really not yours. You belong to God and are called to live a life that glorifies God by being a good steward of the life and the gifts God has given you. How's your "Mine-set?"

A Day of Silence and Gloom

Saturday. There is no special worship service on the Saturday of Holy Week. But it is known as Holy Saturday or The Day of Silence and Gloom. It was on Saturday that the world exeprienced the darkest day of all.

The disciples couldn’t have been any more fearful, distressed or depressed. All their hopes and dreams had been broken and then shattered with each successive hammer blow on the nails. And when they heard Jesus’ last words, “It is finished,” their hearts and spirits concurred as they spiraled down into to the darkness of depression; the kind of depression that only comes following the loss of someone you deeply love or the knowledge that everything you hold dear is gone or wrong.

Not only are there feelings of depression and anxiety there are also feeling of abandonment coupled with profound loneliness, even in a group. In their group there was a feeling of dread. Gloom covered their hearts and their eyes. So, deep and thick was the gloom and despair; so thick and overbearing that it silenced them. So they hid in the silence of their grief; hiding from the Romans as well as the Temple guards; hiding from each other; hiding from themselves.

Night was falling. The growing darkness all around matched the darkness of their hearts as they watched the stone rolled into place sealing the tomb. Shoulders slumped in defeat. Tear stained faces filled with grief covered heads hung low. They welcomed the night. It hid them from His accusers and those who had crucified Him. It hid them from each other.

They slid away into the darkness, silent and mute, too shocked, too grief filled to speak. The silence was almost deafening. Ironically, they each made their way back to the Upper Room. Where else could they go?

They sought each other's company but then remained silent and alone in their compnaionship. They could hear their own ragged breath, subdued sighs and moans of grief as loud as thunder across ocean waves. It was so loud in their own ears it occasionally made them jump in fear.

Jesus, the one they had hoped and believed was the Messiah, was dead and sealed in a tomb. It was a Day of Silence and Gloom.

National Tell A Lie Day

I love weird Holidays. Yesterday was Don't Go To Work Unless It's Fun Day (I went to work) and National Work Place Napping Day (I didn't) or Sauturday which is National Carmel Corn Day (I may or may not have some). But really, National Tell A Lie Day, that's what today is. We'll probably never find out who started this holiday. Those who say they did probably didn't and the anyone who says they didn't could be lying.

My observation is that, generally speaking, we are a very tolerant and forgiving people. We are tolerant of people's little foibles and eccentricities. We are even tolerant of little white lies. I'm sorry he can't come to the phone right now or she has someone in her office when we don't want to talk to a salesperson. Fisherman are known for the ever growing size of their latest catch. Grandparents are noted for grandizing their grandchildren's exploits. Most of us just consider this to simply be a part of life. But is it? Is it necessary? And what are the consequences?

I don't think the little lies are necessary. I think they are habits we fall into. Habits can be changed. Especially when we become aware that something we are doing is detrimental. Instead of saying, "He or she's not here," simply say, "I'm sorry they're not available at the moment, but please leave a messgae." No need to lie.

The recent outburst of Alec Baldwin (which was probably justified) over the two papparzzi who signed up for his new fiance's yoga class just so they could get a photo of the ring is an example. It's only a small "white" lie, so what's the big deal. The big deal is that we are the ones who have arbitraily categorized and prioritized what is and isn't a "white" lie. We've chosen what is acceptable. The problem is, every time we draw the line, someone else moves it and consequently the line just keeps moving.

Lying breaks trust. While we are tolerant and even forgiving of little "white" lies, they still chip away at the trust we have in others and the trust others have in us. If you've ever seen the movie The Shawshank Redemption, you know what can be done over a long period of time with a small rock hammer. Andy Duquenes didn't dig his way to freedom over night. But chip by little chip he continued to dig until that day that he was able to escape. Lying slowly chips away at the trust we have in and for each other. When you chip long enough, the wall you are chipping away at, suddenly collapses and you find yourself under the lies and mistakes of the past.

People generally begin crying out, "Why me?" when that happens. They forget all the other lies and wrongs that undermined their wall.

The point is, our descent into this current level of hell is not a giant leap, we descend one small step at a time. Sometimes the steps are nearly impercieveable but with each step down it gets harder and harder to turn around and head back up. Once you've lost the moral ground it's hard to gain it back. The gravity of your lies or what you have done holds you down like chains and weights. Trying to turn back and undo something is sort of like running up a down escalator that keeps speeding up. With each step you have to run faster just to maintain the current level.

So, please don't celebrate "Tell A Lie Day." Avoid it. You'll be much happier without this little holiday. And that's the truth.

Resurrection Restoration Car Show

Saturday, March 31st, our church, First United Methodist Church of Glen Rose, Texas held its First Annual Car Show. Someone asked me Why? Why are we hosting a Car Show?

That’s easy, I like cars. But that’s not the real answer. We wanted to do something unusual for the community as a nonthreatening outreach to those who may never darken the doors of our church or any church.

One of the most intimidating things for some people, is entering the Sanctuary of a Church for the very first time. Will they accept me? Will I make a mistake? Will I sit in the wrong place or a host of other fears.

We held our awards ceremony in the Sanctuary. They came in where it was cool, where we had a PA System and where a slideshow of the days events was being played. all in all it was a very inviting experience.

The other reason is that car show officianados and churches have very much in common. Those who restore and rebuild classic cars and everyone who drives a restored or rebuilt car has something in common with the church. We are all in the Restoration and Resurrection business.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NRSV) the Apostle Paul wrote: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

We have one thing that is very basic which we share. When restorers look at cars and when the chuch looks at people, we both see what they can be and not what they are now. We see them as they were originally created. A thing of beauty.

We do resurrection and restoration work. In the church we preach and help people live a life that reflects the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. And we help Restore broken lives and broken relationships. Car officianados raise the dead and restore life to old classics which, to most, are rusted and broken beyond repair.

We are all in the Resurrection Restoration business. What better way to celebrate that than on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, which is the beginning of Holy Week and leads up to Easter.