Third Sunday in Advent--Joy

This third week of Advent celebrates the Joy that Christ brings. What is the difference between joy and happiness?

Second Sunday in Advent--Peace

Something to ponder this week:

If peace were to show up at your door, what would it look like?

First Sunday in Advent--Hope

I'd like to see if we can generate some discussion through our Sundays in Advent. Let's try something new:

Today is the First Sunday in Advent; we celebrate the Hope that comes at Christmas time. What is your deepest hope this Christmas?

Back to Basics, Part 3

We continue with week 3 of our study of the Apostle's Creed. This week we focus on Living with Jesus as Savior.

Countless books have been written about Jesus. No other life or death has affected history and humanity like Jesus' has. But what are we to do with that? The writers of the Apostle's Creed felt it was important to deal with His life, death, and resurrection as a cornerstone of the Creed. Have you notice the Creed deals with Jesus more than anything else?

It reminds me of one of my favorite passages by C.S. Lewis. I offer to you for your reflection:

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

Lewis, C.S. The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics. HarperCollins: San Francisco. 2002.

**You'll fin that paragraph in Lewis' Mere Christianity, Book 2, Chapter 3: The Shocking Alternative.

You can find our messages on our website: www.fairhopeumc.org or on iTunes.

Back to Basics, Part 2

Back to Basics, Week 2

In our second week of a four-week study of the Apostle’s Creed, we move to “I Believe in God the Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth.” There are quite a few powerful terms in that phrase.

God--Who is God? What is God to you? Who are you to God? What are you to God? What if we started to ask some of those basic questions of our relationship? How would we answer?

Father--Father is a loaded term to many of us. Father can have positive or negative connotations. What would it mean if we could call God our Father? What would He mean to you? What would you mean to Him?

Creator--What does it mean to Create? If you’ve created something, what do you leave in it? What does it do to you?

Heaven--What are your thoughts on Heaven? Is a place? A thing? A concept?

Earth--Is that the opposite of Heaven? The compliment of heaven? Both? Neither?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these. Post them here or send a message.

Would you explore these questions with me and more this week? This Sunday morning we’ll try to see what it would mean for us to live out this Creed. I hope to see you then.

Our sermons are available online at www.fairhopeumc.org and on iTunes.

Back to Basics, Part 1

Do you have a creed? Better yet, do you know what your creed is? The Oxford English Dictionary says that a creed are “those articles of belief which are regarded as essential.” What are the essentials of your belief? What are the things at your very core? Can you articulate what is at the very foundations of your belief? Have you ever tried?

It is back to school time here. This is a fun time of year of newness and excitement. I remember when school started each year, we started with the basics of our new subject. What do you need to know to learn and use the things you’ll learn?

This week we kick off a new series called “Back to Basics.” We’ll use this back to school time to examine our creed: what are the articles of belief which are essential to us? So we ask one another: what’s your creed? Why not share it with us and begin the discussion? Then let’s look at creed together this Sunday.

Get out of the Boat, Part 4

This week we conclude our four-week series “Get out of the Boat.” We’ve examined how Peter heard Christ call and got out of the boat onto a raging sea. We’ve looked at Jonah’s realization that running from God was hurting him and those around him. We’ve looked at Samuel’s call from God to lead the people of Israel.

One part we haven’t discussed yet is the group that watched Peter step out onto the water that night. What about the other disciples? What were they thinking? What would they have said? We can only speculate. But let me ask you--what would you say if you saw someone get out of the boat and onto the waters in the middle of the night? Would you applaud him? Tell him he’s crazy? Wait for him to fail? Hope you didn’t hear the call too?

Maybe it is time we examined our own lives and find out where we’d fit into that picture. Christ IS calling each and every one of us to follow him. Will we GET OUT OF THE BOAT?

You can hear our messages on our website www.fairhopeumc.org or on iTunes.

Get out of the Boat, Part 3

What do you do when you heard God call your name? Would you answer? Would you run? Would you pretend you didn’t hear Him and go about life as usual?

In The Gathering service this week, Gabe Holloway, Director of Youth Ministries, is preaching. Together we’re going to examine what it means when God calls your name. This is Gabe’s last Sunday with us. He’s headed to Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He and his wife Lynne have God called their names. They’ve answered the call to this next stage in their ministry together. Please join us in prayer for Gabe, Lynne and Sara at this very exciting time in their lives. You can hear this message, and all of our messages, on our website www.fairhopeumc.org or on iTunes.

Get out of the Boat, Part 2

Get out of the Boat, Part 2
July 25, 2010

From the time I was very young, I heard the story of Jonah in the Bible. I remember pictures in children’s books of Jonah in a boat, inside the belly of a whale. He had a candle in his hand and he looked around at this situation with great wonder and uncertainty.

I don’t remember learning as a child how Jonah came to be inside the belly of the fish. What was he doing in the water in first place? It is great that God protected him from the ocean, but how did he get there?

Sunday, July 25, we’ll examine how Jonah came to be there. We’ll also talk about the time that Jonah knew that he had to GET OUT OF THE BOAT. I wonder if we might find ourselves (or have found ourselves previously) needing to get out of the same boat Jonah left.

If you want to read it for yourself, read the story of Jonah in the Old Testament. You’ll find it in the book of…Jonah. It is just four short chapters. Then, I encourage you to compare that to Paul’s statements in Philippians 3:7-11. As always, you can listen to the messages on our website: www.fairhopeumc.org/mediapulpit or on iTunes.

Get out of the Boat, Part 1

I love the story of Peter in the New Testament. Peter was a key part of his family’s fishing business. One day, he was cleaning up the boats, just as he had done every other day and he sees a different sight. Someone new has moved to town and this new person, Jesus, is teaching a large group of people. The crowd is so large that Jesus borrows one of Peter’s boats to use a speaking platform.

The encounter that follows changes Peter’s life. He abandons the only life he has known and begins to follow Jesus. But that’s not the most amazing part. The most amazing part is when Jesus tells Peter to GET OUT OF THE BOAT. Jesus tells Peter to step out of a perfectly good boat and walk to Him. What did Peter know or see that he would get out of the boat for? What would it take for us to get out of our boats? This week let’s examine what it would take. Be sure to read it yourself. You’ll find the story in Matthew 14:22-33.

You can hear this message at www.fairhopeumc.org/MeidaPulpit or on iTunes

July 2010

I hope that you are enjoying your summer. It is a time when we tend to focus on spending time with family, enjoying lazy summer days, and hitting the road. I pray safe travels for those of you on the road. I want to encourage you to be faithful in worship this summer when you travel and especially when you're home. If you have out of town company with you, bring them to church!

On July 18 we'll begin a new series: Get Out of the Boat! We'll talk about what it means to be someone who's unafraid to put faith and action together to do the improbable or unlikely!

I look forward to seeing you in worship and out enjoying the summer.

Unseen Power Series--The Spirit Goes Before Us

The Spirit Goes Before Us
Unseen Power Series
June 6, 2010

We continue our series on the Holy Spirit. We’ve established the coming of the Holy Spirit on the consecration of the Church at the first Christian Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. Last week we discussed the nature and person of the Holy Spirit. Now we examine what happens when the Spirit is at work in our lives before we realize it.

This week church is abuzz with preparations for Vacation Bible School. Next week the children will follow the journey of Joseph as told in the Old Testament book of Genesis chapters 37-50. Joseph had dreams from God that told him that he was headed to important things. He had a vision for what was to be. However, the journey wasn’t exactly what he may have anticipated.

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery because of their jealousy of him. He was shipped off to Egypt and worked in the house of a leader there. He was framed for a crime and sent to prison. Though he was later assured of his release, he was forgotten and forsaken in prison, though he was not forsaken by God.

Through an amazing series of events, Joseph sees the fulfillment of God’s vision for his life. The relationship with his brothers is restored and he saves thousands of people from a wide-spread famine.

In the darkest parts of Joseph’s life, he may have never seen God at work in his circumstances. But Joseph would later tell his brothers: “Even though you intended to harm me, God intended it for good…” Genesis 50:20. What did Joseph know that could give him such faith? He knew the Spirit is at work before we ever know it. Let’s explore how the Spirit is at work in our lives this Sunday.

You can find our sermons online at www.fairhopeumc.org and iTunes.

Unseen Power Series

Unseen Power~The Holy Spirit

We are in the middle of a four-part series on the Holy Spirit. We’ve titled the series Unseen Power—and for good reason. The Spirit is the source of Power in our lives. He is the connection for us to one another and to the Father Himself.

On May 30, we will touch upon:

The Holy Spirit as He, not It
The Holy Spirit role in the Trinity
The Holy Spirit’s manifestation of Gifts
Realization of the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives

This will be an overview of the Spirit. In the coming weeks we’ll explore these further. I hope to see you this Sunday. Remember, if you miss any of the messages, they are available on our website: www.fairhopeumc.org and on iTunes.

Blessings,
Rob

Eternal Insights Week 7--Come and See

Why the resurrection? Why was Jesus raised from the dead? Some have proposed that the Gospel message would have been powerful and impactful even if Jesus had not been raised from the dead. He lived a good life, He taught great things, He did many wonderful things. What if, when Jesus died, God opened up the heavens and said, “Well done, good and faithful Servant. Come to your eternal rest, prepared for you since the beginning of time.” What if we saw Jesus in His eternal place in Heaven and we merely waited for Him to return as He promised.

That Easter morning must have been dark and seemingly without hope. The disciples were at a loss. Jesus was gone. Mary and John and Mary from Magdala saw Him die. Along with a rich man named Joseph and Nicodemus, a member of the leading religious council, they buried Jesus. They went back to mourn. They spent the weekend in despair and confusion. How could this happen? Why here? Why now? Why me? There seemed to be no options out of this situation.

I think many of us ask those questions in life. We are sometimes at loss to understand how life could bring us this latest setback. We ask: How could this happen? Why here? Why now? Why me? There seems to be no option out of this situation. This Sunday, let’s explore the reason for the resurrection. Let’s hear a call to come together to see for ourselves.

Parade to Peril

On Palm Sunday we celebrate the King who was to free us from our oppressors. Jesus entered Jerusalem during a large feast time called Passover. The faithful would gather to remember that God had spared their ancestors from destruction in Egypt. God set them free through the sacrifice of the perfect lamb that each family sacrificed and used the blood to seal the doors of their homes.

In Jesus time on earth, the Israelites were under Roman oppression and life was hard. They wanted a leader who would set them free from the government. But Jesus came to do so much more. The problem was that the people really didn’t understand it. So on Sunday they would hail Him as their leader. On Friday they’d crucify Him as a criminal. The Parade had turned to Peril. Let’s explore together the importance of remember the road Jesus traveled that week. Hear more at: http://bit.ly/blsTbS

Eternal Insights Week 5--Nic at Night

In the Gospel of John, there is a leader of the religious establishment that comes to talk to Jesus at night. His name is Nicodemus and he has some questions for the teacher. He wants to know about a few things that Jesus has been teaching. He questions Jesus at some deep levels. Jesus has some very direct and challenging answers for him.
Nic sometimes gets a bad rap for his visit. Why did he come at night? Was he scared or was it some other reason? Why did he question Jesus in the way he did? Does God allow us to ask such questions? Shouldn’t he be punished for such “doubt”? Nic was a “good, religious” guy. Isn’t that good enough to please God? Why was Jesus so big on paying attention to “the wind” and other such “strange” things?
Let’s come together and explore these questions and more together this Sunday morning. Oh and if you want to get a head start, read over John 3:1-17 and see what you find. Maybe you have some of the same questions Nic did.

Eternal Insights Week 4--Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread. We pray it in the Lord’s Prayer. On the surface, it makes perfect sense. Why wouldn’t we take daily bread? Physically, we seek daily nourishment. What about spiritually? Sometimes we try to get a week’s worth of spiritual nourishment in an hour on one day of the week. We wouldn’t dream of trying to do the same thing physically. This week, let’s examine what it would mean to take Jesus seriously: that He is the nourishment that truly matters.

Eternal Insights Week 3--The Cause of the Effect

The Lenten Season we’re taking time to reexamine our standing in the Covenant that God has put forth through history. Looking through passages in the Gospel of John, we’re taking a good look at what it means to be a follower of Christ.

In this week’s passage, Jesus and the disciples are walking along and they see a man who has been blind since birth. The disciples ask Jesus, “Who sinned to make this man this way? Did his sin cause this or was this his parents’ sin that caused it?” (That’s my paraphrase). The disciples want to know what or who caused this. They are looking for someone to blame.

A man, blind since birth, sits before the disciples begging for a little money. The disciples want to know if this man, blind since birth, sinned to cause his blindness. That question makes me scratch my head a little. But what Jesus does in response to the Disciples’ question blows me away.

How would we answer the question? What would we do if we saw the blind man sitting there? What was Jesus answer to the question? Take a look at John 9:1-7. This Sunday let’s look at the passage together and see who really was the blind man. What caused him to be this way? What was the effect of his blindness? May God open our eyes to new Eternal Insights.

Eternal Insights Week 2--The Problem of Pride

In what do you take pride? Is it some accomplishment that you’ve done? Maybe it is that your favorite sports team won the championship or is considered the best. Do you take pride in the way you are able to do something no one else can do? Maybe you take pride in the appearance of the house or the car or the kids.

Pride is not necessarily a bad thing. We should strive to achieve the things to which we are called. It is fun to pull for our favorite teams. Of course, we should be good stewards and take care of the gifts we’ve been given—be they material things or children to raise or some other gift.

However, when pride begins to take over, we get out of balance. Pride can replace a healthy understanding of who we are and who we are called to be. It can even lead us to forget the things that are important and rely too much on the objects of our pride. In week two of our series on “Eternal Insights” let’s examine Jesus’ idea of our pride and the slavery that can come when we get out of balance in our relationship with Him, ourselves and others. (See John 8:31-36.)

God's Gift of Love

Promises. How do you react when someone makes a promise to you? With anticipation? With suspicion? What about when someone breaks a promise? Have you ever had someone break a promise to you and hurt you?

God made a promise to His people in the Old Testament. They made a promise back to Him. They said that they would follow Him always and never stray.

Well, the people broke their promises. For thousands of years, the people turned away. Oh, sometimes they followed God. But they would often turn their backs on Him again and again. How did God react to the failure to keep a promise? Would you join me this week in a look at how God reacts to promises?

Lenten Questions and Promptings

Many of us have different expectations or understandings of the Season of Lent. Lent can be a very meaningful time of Spiritual Growth. Lent is a time of preparation for the initiation of people into the Christian life in baptism. It is also a time for the church to journey together toward Easter and the reaffirmation of the baptismal covenant. Lent is not about being miserable, sad, and funereal in anticipation of Good Friday. The Sundays of Lent are not part of the forty days of Lent and so remain "little Easters," as are all Sundays. Fasting and giving up something can be part of Lenten disciplines, but so can taking on some things. Have you considered some ways to connect worship and daily growth in spiritual, relational, emotional, and bodily fitness?

My Preparation for Easter
Lent is a time to prepare for Easter. It is a necessary prelude. The death and resurrection of Christ are true whether or not I prepare for Easter. However, without my heart and life being ready, I may not experience the depth and power of Christ's death and resurrection. So with my brothers and sisters, I commit myself to disciplines for conversion from sin and death to love and life in Jesus Christ. With the aid of the list below, I make the following commitments to discipline and growth for the next six weeks:
(Check the ones you desire or feel prompted to do; circle the ones you then decide to do.)

Inward and Personal Disciplines
___ Spend time in solitude each day.
___ Share in the Lenten Series on Sunday evenings.
___ Read a book for inner growth.
___ Read twice through the Gospel of Luke.
___ Begin to keep a journal of prayer concerns, questions, reading.
___ Faithfully read and reflect upon the church’s Lenten Devotional Guide.
___ Focus on thanksgiving, rather than on asking, in prayer.
___ Give myself a gift of three hours to do something I always say I don't have time to do.
___ Find a way to go to bed earlier or sleep in so I get enough rest.
___ Make a list of people with whom I need to be reconciled. Pray for them and let Jesus guide me in my thinking and feeling toward them.
___ Take control of my life by ______________.
___ Go to all of the Holy Week services as an act of love and waiting with Jesus.
___ Take one hour to inventory my priorities and plan how I will reorder them.
___ Give up a grudge or a rehearsal of a past event.
___ Forgive someone who has hurt me.
___ Turn off the TV, computer, etc. for ________ hours a week that I would otherwise spend with it on.
___ Other promptings:

Outward and Social Disciplines
___ Take on some loving task:
___ Plan to visit a "shut-in" neighbor or church member weekly.
___ Agree to serve in an area of the church that God has been prompting me to do so.
___ Write a letter of affirmation once a week to a person who has touched my life.
___ Listen and respond to Christ's call to a ministry of service:
___ Go to coffee or dinner with someone I want to know better.
___ Begin to recycle waste from my home and workplace.
___ Give blood and recall the cross.
___ Call the local food pantry or homeless project and ask how I can help.
___ Say "NO" to something that is a waste of money and time.
___ Pray to God to help me resist racial prejudice and to give me courage in opposing it.
___ Decide to become a member of the church and speak to a pastor and participate in the Membership Exploration.
___ Rebuke the spirit of criticism and my own tongue out of control.
___ Find a way to live out the baptismal promise to "resist evil, injustice, and oppression" in the power and liberty God gives us by:
___ Other outward and social promptings:
As a way of being accountable, I will share my plan with at least one other faithful Disciple of Jesus and share with that person my experience of Lent during Holy Week.
(signed) __________________________ (date) _____________