Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Thank you and Welcome

I’ve often used this forum to discuss topics of the upcoming Sunday’s message. I’m taking a couple of weeks off from sermons. My silence will be filled with messages from some important people. Fairhope United Methodist Church is changing. The Rev. Joe Bullington will retire on June 21. He’s served Fairhope faithfully for 15 years. We honor Joe and his wife Marilyn for being faithful to God’s call.
On June 28 we welcome the Rev. Mike McKnight to Fairhope. He and his wife Rene’ bring a wonderful set of gifts to this church and this community. Mike assumes the role of Senior Pastor at a very exciting time. As one person put it recently, Fairhope UMC is no long a Sunday/Wednesday church. We’re an everyday church. When we open our doors, and step out of them into the community, we bring God’s Love to a people in need. People at Fairhope are doing just that.
So my posts may be hit or miss for the summer. Nonetheless, I hope we can continue to partner in saying “thank you”, saying “welcome” and being faithful to God’s call to Reach, Equip, and Serve.

Friday, June 05, 2009

Back to the Beginning

Isn’t it interesting how precious we treat things when they are new to us? Think of the last time you bought something new. I mean a big purchase. Do you remember how you treated it delicately? How you protected it? How you spent extra time making sure it stayed “new”? Then things unplanned things happen. It gets a little nick, a ding, a scratch. Time goes by and your attention is turned elsewhere. That new thing becomes not-so-new. One day you look at it and realize that you don’t hold it in such high esteem as you once did.
This Sunday I want to invite you to go with me “Back the Beginning.” We’ll examine the excitement that the first followers of Jesus had. The church was new. The idea of living together in Christian community was new. Individual devotion to Jesus on a large scale was new. Let’s examine what it would take to recapture that “New-ness.” Let’s go Back to the Beginning.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Thank you and Welcome

I’ve often used this forum to discuss topics of the upcoming Sunday’s message. I’m taking a couple of weeks off from sermons. My silence will be filled with messages from some important people. Fairhope United Methodist Church is changing. The Rev. Joe Bullington will retire on June 21. He’s served Fairhope faithfully for 15 years. We honor Joe and his wife Marilyn for being faithful to God’s call.
On June 28 we welcome the Rev. Mike McKnight to Fairhope. He and his wife Rene’ bring a wonderful set of gifts to this church and this community. Mike assumes the role of Senior Pastor at a very exciting time. As one person put it recently, Fairhope UMC is no long a Sunday/Wednesday church. We’re an everyday church. When we open our doors, and step out of them into the community, we bring God’s Love to a people in need. People at Fairhope are doing just that.
So my posts may be hit or miss for the summer. Nonetheless, I hope we can continue to partner in saying “thank you”, saying “welcome” and being faithful to God’s call to Reach, Equip, and Serve.

Friday, June 05, 2009

Back to the Beginning

Isn’t it interesting how precious we treat things when they are new to us? Think of the last time you bought something new. I mean a big purchase. Do you remember how you treated it delicately? How you protected it? How you spent extra time making sure it stayed “new”? Then things unplanned things happen. It gets a little nick, a ding, a scratch. Time goes by and your attention is turned elsewhere. That new thing becomes not-so-new. One day you look at it and realize that you don’t hold it in such high esteem as you once did.
This Sunday I want to invite you to go with me “Back the Beginning.” We’ll examine the excitement that the first followers of Jesus had. The church was new. The idea of living together in Christian community was new. Individual devotion to Jesus on a large scale was new. Let’s examine what it would take to recapture that “New-ness.” Let’s go Back to the Beginning.