Decorating for Christmas is both an exciting and exhausting process. Dawn and I have about 20 huge plastic tote buckets that need to be hauled up to the living level so Dawn can begin to sort out where she wants to put it all. It's exciting that Christmas is coming soon, and the house looks all festive at this time of year. Anticipating the parties and dinners and gatherings of family and friends is full of joy. The work that's required to get ready however, is often overwhelming. This can make Christmas a difficult season for some of us, especially if we are going through a tough time personally. The loss of a loved one can really spoil our mood. The first Christmas without a parent or spouse or child can be really hard. For some loneliness gets the best of them. Being young and having no one to share Christmas with can be especially challenging. And in this economy, the loss of a job is not only blow to one's self-esteem, it very often so negatively affects a family's own economy that it can have devastating effects.
That is why when we prepare for Christmas it is best to set aside our thoughts of our current situations and worries and turn to the true and original meaning of Christmas: God loves you! God loves us all so much, that he sent (gave up) his only Son to live among us and show us by his words and deeds how much God cares about us. No matter our circumstances, negative or positive, God is with us, God love us, and God wants the very best for us.
Because of Christmas, we all have hope. Because of Christmas we can face every circumstance as a hopeful situation where God can act in our lives and demonstrate his love and his power on our behalf.
I pray that as you prepare for Christmas this year, you will pause to reflect on God's goodness to you in the past, and use that as evidence that God will continue to act in your life and will help you come to know even more fully, how very much God does love you.
Merry Christmas!
Bruce
Friday, December 5, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thanksgiving for Many Things
Friends and Readers,
As I write this, we are three days from Thanksgiving. I will be driving all day to my brother's home and staying two short days there before driving all day home.
But I have much for which to be grateful. Thanksgiving is a perfect time for each of us to review and consider all the wonderful blessings in life that we do enjoy and which have come to us by God's generous hand.
It is easy to start with family: spouse, children, siblings, parents, grandchildren, the good in-laws that we like, grandparents, nieces, nephews and on and on. We should thank God when we get good ones, and work harder to get along with the lesser ones. And we should strive to be a good _____________ (whatever it is we are) to the rest of our world.
It is easy to thank God for home, and food, employment when we have it, and the many creature comforts that we enjoy: nice cars, big screen TVs, computers, cell phones, TiVo, NetFlix and more. We can even thank God for ovens that work, microwaves, automatic coffeepots, crockpots, and gas grilles.
We can also easily thank God for friends, buddies, the people we love to hang out with, and the caring folks at church who share our faith.
Your list and my list may vary greatly, but that we have lots to be grateful for is a constant for all of us.
I hope you will not only thank God for the many blessings and people in your life, but that you will actually tell the people in your life how grateful you are to God that they are a part of your life, and tell them how much you appreciate and treasure them. It will add a whole new dimension to the concept of Thanksgiving around the table with the people most important to you.
Have a blessed and enjoyable Thanksgiving!
Bruce
As I write this, we are three days from Thanksgiving. I will be driving all day to my brother's home and staying two short days there before driving all day home.
But I have much for which to be grateful. Thanksgiving is a perfect time for each of us to review and consider all the wonderful blessings in life that we do enjoy and which have come to us by God's generous hand.
It is easy to start with family: spouse, children, siblings, parents, grandchildren, the good in-laws that we like, grandparents, nieces, nephews and on and on. We should thank God when we get good ones, and work harder to get along with the lesser ones. And we should strive to be a good _____________ (whatever it is we are) to the rest of our world.
It is easy to thank God for home, and food, employment when we have it, and the many creature comforts that we enjoy: nice cars, big screen TVs, computers, cell phones, TiVo, NetFlix and more. We can even thank God for ovens that work, microwaves, automatic coffeepots, crockpots, and gas grilles.
We can also easily thank God for friends, buddies, the people we love to hang out with, and the caring folks at church who share our faith.
Your list and my list may vary greatly, but that we have lots to be grateful for is a constant for all of us.
I hope you will not only thank God for the many blessings and people in your life, but that you will actually tell the people in your life how grateful you are to God that they are a part of your life, and tell them how much you appreciate and treasure them. It will add a whole new dimension to the concept of Thanksgiving around the table with the people most important to you.
Have a blessed and enjoyable Thanksgiving!
Bruce
Friday, November 7, 2008
A Time to Heal ... Our Nation
The election is over, the results are in and we have a President-elect, Senator Barack Obama.
He may have been your choice, or he may not have been your choice; but he has been elected in a fair and democratic process to become our country's next President.
I invite all of us to spend five minutes in prayer this week for unity in our nation and for God to touch the heart and prick the conscience of the President-elect, all of Congress, and other elected officials, to lead our nation in a moral and just fashion, with compassion and wisdom.
We were once proud to be called "One nation under God" and we can be again – remember what the Lord says in the Bible: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." -- 2 Chronicles 7:14
Please find five minutes sometime this week, during your lunch or this evening for a time of dedicated prayer. Let us pray for a healing of our land and for an opportunity for us to witness to our faith as a unifying force. And may God receive the glory. Thank you and my God bless our nation.
He may have been your choice, or he may not have been your choice; but he has been elected in a fair and democratic process to become our country's next President.
I invite all of us to spend five minutes in prayer this week for unity in our nation and for God to touch the heart and prick the conscience of the President-elect, all of Congress, and other elected officials, to lead our nation in a moral and just fashion, with compassion and wisdom.
We were once proud to be called "One nation under God" and we can be again – remember what the Lord says in the Bible: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." -- 2 Chronicles 7:14
Please find five minutes sometime this week, during your lunch or this evening for a time of dedicated prayer. Let us pray for a healing of our land and for an opportunity for us to witness to our faith as a unifying force. And may God receive the glory. Thank you and my God bless our nation.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Pastor's Report to Charge Conference
I have felt so welcomed and well-received at La Plata UMC. Even before July 1, from the time I met with the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, until the day I started, I was overwhelmed by the openness, generosity, warmth and hospitality of the congregation. I thank them very much and this has contributed to my family and me feeling at home here in La Plata very quickly. I also must thank Rev. Ed Voorhaar for his amazing kindness and care by preparing the congregation so well for this season of transition.
From my perspective, the "honeymoon season" is still on. The members of La Plata UMC continue to be wonderfully supportive, affirming, and kind. We have already shared in a number of innovations and improvements that were offered in a way to upgrade our life together, and almost without exception, all the additions have been well-received.
It has been my first priority to try and get to know the people of the church, particularly those who are regularly active. Trying to learn names, recognize faces, and be able to call people by name even without their name tags has been a challenge. I am very grateful to Lew Buckler and the Hospitality Team for encouraging people to wear their name tags. And I thank the congregation, which for the most part continues to wear name tags. If you’ve given up wearing yours, it would be great if you would keep wearing it. If you’ve lost yours, please let Lew know and he will make you a new one. The name tags are not just for my benefit, though it does help me greatly; they are also invaluable to helping others get to know you, too. I’ve heard a number of folks say things like, "I’ve been a member of this church for several years now, but I didn’t know some of these people’s names. The name tags are a great help."
My second priority has been to try and reveal myself: my heart and my passion for Christ, my life, and my formative experiences. I think it is important for the congregation to begin feeling as though they know me, though obviously it does take years of interaction before you can feel completely confident of who and what I am. It is my intention to be as open and transparent as possible, so that everyone can feel good about our partnership together.
Third, I am learning the systems, habits, practices and organization of the church, so I can better understand how things work. I am grateful to the many who have been patient and helpful as I try to learn the differences between various committees and teams.
One of the challenges we faced right away was the leave of absence of our former church secretary, Sheila Russell. She and I talked many times on the phone, and she would share with me her hope to get well enough to return. Sadly, she found her health was not improving in the ways that she wanted, and in the end she realized she could not come back to work and perform the job fully, by the end of the prescribed leave period. In early August, we were blessed by the efforts and enthusiasm of Christa Bartlett, a member of our church, who began as our Interim Church Secretary, and as of October 3 her status and title was changed permanently to "Church Secretary". I thank Bright Thompson and others who encouraged her to step forward. It has been a good partnership and Christa has brought many invaluable skills. Her greatest asset however, as with any worker, is her positive attitude and her understanding that everything we do is ministry. She greets people who visit the office and speaks to people on the phone with such compassion, respect and enthusiasm that she serves as a perfect hostess and welcomer. People can’t help but have a positive impression of the church after speaking to or meeting Christa. I am grateful to God for sending Christa to our church, and for calling her to be our church secretary.
Bright Thompson is an equal blessing to me. Bright has been a steady hand in the office. He is a blessing because he has been here a while and has been able to advise me and share with me some of the histories of our church. Bright has been very encouraging of the developments we have made in the office and in our operating procedures. He is still adapting to some of our technologies, but he is a full supporter of our moving forward into the 21st Century. That he also teaches DISCIPLE Bible Study, and leads the Program Council, is a great bonus to me as well.
I am of course grateful to all the other staff members for their invaluable contributions and I am especially grateful that all of them have been willing to stay on to provide stability and a sense of comfort for the people. Too many staff changes can be disconcerting to a congregation. I have appreciated the efforts each has made to help us form good relationships and good communications with each of the staff members.
The church is in a very healthy place right now, and is in an ideal place to weather this transition. In fact, Pastor Ed left the church to me in such good shape, that it is now primed for whatever it is that God has in mind for us next. It is important that I share with you all that I do not have an agenda that I am bringing in. I do not have any grand schemes or plans. I have not been given any marching orders from the conference, and there is nothing that I immediately see that needs fixing other than some of our technology levels. I do believe that God has given us this time of stability and health as a season of preparation. I do believe that God has great plans for our church. It is my expectation that together we will discern the directions that God is leading us, and when God has revealed his plans for us, then the leaders, the staff and the whole of the congregation will also be moved by the Holy Spirit to rise up, get involved and enable us to accomplish the next great challenge God sets before us.
Job 1 for me is to become an integrated part of this fellowship and community. Once there is a comfort and a familiarity, and a bond of trust, then I am sure that God will lead us in the path of discipleship, faithfulness and deeper spiritual growth. I am convinced that God always wants us to be drawn closer and closer to him. That is why I have begun with great joy teaching my Monday night classes. All of us are being called to learn and grow. All of us are being called to serve our neighbors, to work for justice, and improve the lots of people all around us. Sometimes people need financial help. Sometimes people need food. Sometimes people need their homes rebuilt, and sometimes people need a friend, or need a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes people need to reckon themselves to God, and sometimes people need to figure out a theological understanding that will form the foundation for their lives, and by which they can live their lives.
So, I feel blessed to be here. I am grateful to God for inspiring the Cabinet to name me as your pastor. I pray that we can have a long and fruitful partnership, and that we can truly intertwine our lives so that God may use us together mightily to advance his kingdom in Charles County and beyond.
From my perspective, the "honeymoon season" is still on. The members of La Plata UMC continue to be wonderfully supportive, affirming, and kind. We have already shared in a number of innovations and improvements that were offered in a way to upgrade our life together, and almost without exception, all the additions have been well-received.
It has been my first priority to try and get to know the people of the church, particularly those who are regularly active. Trying to learn names, recognize faces, and be able to call people by name even without their name tags has been a challenge. I am very grateful to Lew Buckler and the Hospitality Team for encouraging people to wear their name tags. And I thank the congregation, which for the most part continues to wear name tags. If you’ve given up wearing yours, it would be great if you would keep wearing it. If you’ve lost yours, please let Lew know and he will make you a new one. The name tags are not just for my benefit, though it does help me greatly; they are also invaluable to helping others get to know you, too. I’ve heard a number of folks say things like, "I’ve been a member of this church for several years now, but I didn’t know some of these people’s names. The name tags are a great help."
My second priority has been to try and reveal myself: my heart and my passion for Christ, my life, and my formative experiences. I think it is important for the congregation to begin feeling as though they know me, though obviously it does take years of interaction before you can feel completely confident of who and what I am. It is my intention to be as open and transparent as possible, so that everyone can feel good about our partnership together.
Third, I am learning the systems, habits, practices and organization of the church, so I can better understand how things work. I am grateful to the many who have been patient and helpful as I try to learn the differences between various committees and teams.
One of the challenges we faced right away was the leave of absence of our former church secretary, Sheila Russell. She and I talked many times on the phone, and she would share with me her hope to get well enough to return. Sadly, she found her health was not improving in the ways that she wanted, and in the end she realized she could not come back to work and perform the job fully, by the end of the prescribed leave period. In early August, we were blessed by the efforts and enthusiasm of Christa Bartlett, a member of our church, who began as our Interim Church Secretary, and as of October 3 her status and title was changed permanently to "Church Secretary". I thank Bright Thompson and others who encouraged her to step forward. It has been a good partnership and Christa has brought many invaluable skills. Her greatest asset however, as with any worker, is her positive attitude and her understanding that everything we do is ministry. She greets people who visit the office and speaks to people on the phone with such compassion, respect and enthusiasm that she serves as a perfect hostess and welcomer. People can’t help but have a positive impression of the church after speaking to or meeting Christa. I am grateful to God for sending Christa to our church, and for calling her to be our church secretary.
Bright Thompson is an equal blessing to me. Bright has been a steady hand in the office. He is a blessing because he has been here a while and has been able to advise me and share with me some of the histories of our church. Bright has been very encouraging of the developments we have made in the office and in our operating procedures. He is still adapting to some of our technologies, but he is a full supporter of our moving forward into the 21st Century. That he also teaches DISCIPLE Bible Study, and leads the Program Council, is a great bonus to me as well.
I am of course grateful to all the other staff members for their invaluable contributions and I am especially grateful that all of them have been willing to stay on to provide stability and a sense of comfort for the people. Too many staff changes can be disconcerting to a congregation. I have appreciated the efforts each has made to help us form good relationships and good communications with each of the staff members.
The church is in a very healthy place right now, and is in an ideal place to weather this transition. In fact, Pastor Ed left the church to me in such good shape, that it is now primed for whatever it is that God has in mind for us next. It is important that I share with you all that I do not have an agenda that I am bringing in. I do not have any grand schemes or plans. I have not been given any marching orders from the conference, and there is nothing that I immediately see that needs fixing other than some of our technology levels. I do believe that God has given us this time of stability and health as a season of preparation. I do believe that God has great plans for our church. It is my expectation that together we will discern the directions that God is leading us, and when God has revealed his plans for us, then the leaders, the staff and the whole of the congregation will also be moved by the Holy Spirit to rise up, get involved and enable us to accomplish the next great challenge God sets before us.
Job 1 for me is to become an integrated part of this fellowship and community. Once there is a comfort and a familiarity, and a bond of trust, then I am sure that God will lead us in the path of discipleship, faithfulness and deeper spiritual growth. I am convinced that God always wants us to be drawn closer and closer to him. That is why I have begun with great joy teaching my Monday night classes. All of us are being called to learn and grow. All of us are being called to serve our neighbors, to work for justice, and improve the lots of people all around us. Sometimes people need financial help. Sometimes people need food. Sometimes people need their homes rebuilt, and sometimes people need a friend, or need a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes people need to reckon themselves to God, and sometimes people need to figure out a theological understanding that will form the foundation for their lives, and by which they can live their lives.
So, I feel blessed to be here. I am grateful to God for inspiring the Cabinet to name me as your pastor. I pray that we can have a long and fruitful partnership, and that we can truly intertwine our lives so that God may use us together mightily to advance his kingdom in Charles County and beyond.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Volunteering
I am currently away in Mississippi on a work trip, with seven others from La Plata UMC. Believe it or not, we are repairing or rebuilding houses for people who are still out of their homes or living in conditions none of us would want. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) estimates there could be 10 years worth of work for volunteer teams to come down and do. And not surprisingly, more hurricanes have come already, and will come in future years destroying homes and damaging roofs, from Texas to Florida and up the Atlantic seaboard.
Volunteers make a huge difference in these people's lives and almost as important, volunteers witness to their kindness and caring spurred by the presence of Christ in their hearts. We are witnessing to our faith, and Christ is touching these people with our arms and our hands, our smiles and our eyes.
If you've ever volunteered to use your skills, no matter what skills you have, to help and bless others, then I thank you. If you've never stepped out of your routine or out of your comfort zones to go on a short-term mission trip, or stepped out of your neighborhood to help someone in another part of the county, then I recommend you make the effort just once. When you see the appreciation in their eyes, in their smiles, and in their laughter; and when you feel the profound joy in your heart from the knowledge that you have made a tangible difference (an improvement) in someone's life, you will want to continue blessing others for the rest of your life. I hope that you will perhaps join us next year when we go down again. And in the meantime, I hope you will practice helping others right near where you live.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Faith & the Economy
So often we have been led to believe that there is no correlation between our spiritual lives and our material/economic lives. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As Christians seeking to please God, and caring for our families and our futures, we have to rely upon God more during this economic downturn, than when things are going along swimmingly.
All of us are concerned about our futures, but we must realize that our future is not in the hands of Wall Street, or in the hands of The Fed, or Capital Hill. Our lives, and our futures are in God's hands because we put them there. Should you sell, should you buy? These are questions of a panicked investor. Having faith allows our blood pressure to calm even in the face of a storm: economic storms and other life crises. Does this mean your 401(k) is safe? No, there's no magic to being a faithful Christian. We all have seen our retirement plans diminish, and our investments hurt. But our long term health and financial well being is not in our hands. It is in God's hands. We are all suffering right now. We are all uncertain about the future right now, except that we know this: "We belong to God and God is always with us."
I'm not giving investment advice, I am giving spiritual encouragement. Don't fret over the future you cannot see, that no one can see; but place your faith in God who not only sees the future, but because of his love for you, holds you in his hands. God will provide for us regardless of the balance in our accounts on paper.
All of us are concerned about our futures, but we must realize that our future is not in the hands of Wall Street, or in the hands of The Fed, or Capital Hill. Our lives, and our futures are in God's hands because we put them there. Should you sell, should you buy? These are questions of a panicked investor. Having faith allows our blood pressure to calm even in the face of a storm: economic storms and other life crises. Does this mean your 401(k) is safe? No, there's no magic to being a faithful Christian. We all have seen our retirement plans diminish, and our investments hurt. But our long term health and financial well being is not in our hands. It is in God's hands. We are all suffering right now. We are all uncertain about the future right now, except that we know this: "We belong to God and God is always with us."
I'm not giving investment advice, I am giving spiritual encouragement. Don't fret over the future you cannot see, that no one can see; but place your faith in God who not only sees the future, but because of his love for you, holds you in his hands. God will provide for us regardless of the balance in our accounts on paper.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Welcome & Intro to Blogging
Dear Friends,
This Blog is a chance to expand our communications ministry at La Plata UMC. This web site can serve as a way for you to ask questions, follow up after sermons, inquire about classes, or just share your own witness of what God is doing in your life.
"Blog" is short of Web Log, which is like an online journal. It also allows several conversations to be going on at the same time. Feel free to write me or visit this spot, anytime you'd like to begin a string of conversation on a topic of interest to you.
This will help us form a sense of community for those who are especially familiar with the online environment.
I pray that God will bless you as we engage in Christian conversation in this new medium.
Yours in Christ,
Bruce
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