Pastor Bill Lawson's Thoughts

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR

May 2008

In 1775, the Continental Congress called for colonists to pray for wisdom in forming a new country. In

1863, President Lincoln asked for prayers to help heal a splintered nation. In 1952, Congress passed

a joint resolution and President Truman signed into law a bill designating one day each year as the

National Day of Prayer. In 1988, President Reagan signed into law a bill which permanently fixed the

first Thursday of May as the National Day of Prayer. So this Thursday, May 1, we celebrate the 57th

annual National Day of Prayer. Can there be any doubt that such an observance is greatly needed?

Let it be a time for us to praise God for who He is and thank Him for all He has done for us. Let it be a

time for us to confess our sins and the sins of our nation, and to cry out to God to heal our land. Let it

be a time for us to pray for our leaders and for those who defend our country. Let it be a time for us to

seek the Lord’s wisdom and guidance. Let it be a time to inspire us to make sincere prayer an integral

part of our daily lives.

This year’s NDP theme is “Prayer! America’s Strength and Shield,” and is taken from Psalm 28:7:

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.” The Honorary

Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, Dr. Ravi Zacharias, offers this “2008 Prayer for

Our Nation,” and I commend it to you for your own personal prayer time:

“Holy Father, in a world where so many are hungry,

You have given us food in abundance;

In a world where so many are hurting,

You offer to bind up our wounds;

In a world where so many are lonely,

You offer friendship to every heart;

In a world longing for peace,

You offer hope.

Yet, we are so stubborn and resistant.

Have mercy upon us, Lord.

Our nation is at a crossroads this year;

We look to you to be our strength and shield.

Please give us the guidance to elect one who will honor you

And to respond to the wisdom from above

So that our hope may be renewed and our blessings be treasured.

In God’s holy name.”

Blessings,

Pastor Bill

April 2008

No doubt all of us are bothered and bored by needless repetition. How about that new kind of TV advertising where they show you a commercial, then another one, then immediately go back and show you the first one all over again? It trivializes our intelligence and overstates the importance of whatever product they are trying to sell. I decide then and there that I am NOT going to buy the product, whatever it is, just because the advertising is so annoying!

On the other hand, some things are worth repeating, perhaps again and again. Take the Gospel story, for instance. Have you gone as far as you can go with it? I find that I have not. The other day, I was reading Matthew 27 again (I have no idea how many times I have read it in my life so far), and it spoke to me powerfully. Reading the details of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion, it was as if I were reading it all for the first time. I think a big part of what moves me is the gripping awareness that Jesus died in my place! Theologians have a long word for that—just as they have a long word for most everything. The word is SUBSTITUTIONARY. That is, Jesus died as our substitute; He died in our place. That tears at my heart every time I think about it. Do you have the same reaction?

And do you have something of the same reaction when you hear about the line of duty deaths of military personnel, police officers, firefighters or other public servants? It occurred to me one day, as I was reading the newspaper, that even though every issue contains numerous death stories, the ones about our public servants who die doing their duty are particularly poignant. I think I know why. Their deaths, too, are substitutionary. Oh yes, it’s true in every case. Every one of them has died in our place. Think about it—whose responsibility is it to defend our land and protect the public interest? The responsibility belongs to all of us. It’s just that certain people step up to get the job done for the rest of us.

So let’s show our gratitude at every opportunity. Would it be too much to thank Jesus every day for what He has done for us? And would it be too much to go out of our way to show our appreciation for those in our society who put their lives on the line so we don’t have to? Let us be intentional about doing so.

With a grateful heart,

Pastor Bill

MARCH 2008

As we look forward to the Easter season, I’m excited to tell you that we’re working on some unique programs to inspire, bless, and bear witness to the glory of Christ. Allow me to talk briefly about two particular events.

On Palm Sunday, March 16, we will be hosting a Passover Seder. No doubt you are at least somewhat familiar with Passover, an annual event celebrated by the Jewish community in commemoration of God’s delivering His people out of Egypt centuries ago. (Seder is a Hebrew word that simply means “service” or “arrangement.”) But the Seder is much more than a Jewish observance. It is a powerful object lesson that beautifully explains the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy through Jesus, the Messiah. Thus it is a service to which all Christians can relate and by which we can be wonderfully blessed. Jews for Jesus, as well as other Messianic Jewish organizations have put together worship materials that make it quite simple for us to conduct the service on our own, and we have their invitation and blessing to do so. So, all are welcome to gather on Palm Sunday in the new fellowship hall for the Seder. The service will begin at 5:00 P.M., and the entire event will last approximately two and a half hours. That sounds like a long stretch, but it includes a full meal and a good bit of interaction among those attending. Parts of the service are geared particularly toward children, so of course families with children are most welcome. In order to prepare adequately, we will be including sign-up slips in the church bulletins, so please watch for those and take time to fill one out.

Later in Holy Week, on the day we traditionally refer to as Maundy Thursday, you will have the opportunity to worship in the “Living Last Supper Celebration.” This will feature a reenactment of the Last Supper modeled after Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting and based on Scripture, as well as special music and Holy Communion for all. This service will start at 7:00 P.M. I believe that both the Passover Seder (Old Testament) and the Living Last Supper (New Testament) will bring alive for you the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection as perhaps nothing else has.

As Easter draws near, let us anticipate great things from God!

Standing with you in grace,

Pastor Bill

FEBRUARY 2008

“Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!” (Psalm 147:1). Yesterday was a very long day, but late in the evening, when my head hit the pillow, I thought, “Lord, this has been a very good day because you have shown me once again how blessed I am, and how blessed we are as a church.” During morning worship, we took time to celebrate how far we’ve come with the BRIC campaign, and then we launched into the last phase of paying off the new facilities. If you weren’t there at the end of the dinner to hear the report of what has been pledged to this point, know that the response has been outstanding! Many thanks to all of you who have already made a pledge, and to those of you who are still deciding what your contribution will be. We give God praise for every gift—“Fulfilling the Vision” is on the horizon!

But that was just the morning. In the afternoon, seven of us traveled to Wadsworth for a district training event, with numerous workshops for various church leaders. We went our separate ways for the workshops, then riding back home in the van we began discussing what each of us had learned. For me, what we learned wasn’t as important as what we were reminded of. As each of us began reflecting and sharing the conversations and interactions of the day, we hit upon a common theme: God has blessed us tremendously at Shreve United Methodist Church. During the afternoon, intermingled somehow with the workshop content, were the stories from other churches of aggravations, frustrations and troubles that God has spared us. No, my name is not Pollyanna; yes, I know we have aggravations, frustrations and troubles here. We are not perfect, and we all (myself at the head of the class) have our faults and weaknesses. But when you step outside this church and take note of life in the larger church, it becomes apparent that God has blessed us in great ways.

All of you who have been married for any length of time know that one of the intriguing things about marriage is that while the passing of time can reveal imperfections, it can also reveal wonderful possibilities. Part of the secret of good marriage, then, is looking for and working with those possibilities. Isn’t this true as well in the life of the church? The longer we are around one another, the more we can detect the imperfections. But we should also ever have that eye of love and grace that looks for and embraces the wonderful possibilities within the Body of Christ. The longer I am here, the more I interact with you, the more I see in your lives and mine the wonderful possibilities to know Christ more deeply and serve Him more fully. “How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!” Let us give God the glory for where He has led us from, what He has brought us through, and where He leads us now. The possibilities are wonderful!

Blessings,

Pastor Bill

December 2007

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary…” Thus begins “The Apostles’ Creed,” a traditional statement of our belief. But how many believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary—and does it really matter whether we believe it or not? One pastor said to me recently that although he personally believes that Jesus was born of Mary in her virgin state, “To me, this is not an important fact; I do not consider it a dogmatic point. She may have been a virgin, or she may not have been. It is not important to me because the remainder of Jesus’ life proves His divinity much more than a small detail such as a virgin birth.” What do you think? Is the virgin birth a small detail?

J. Gresham Machen certainly did not think so when he wrote his classic book, The Virgin Birth of Christ. The primary focus in Machen’s argument is the authority of Scripture. Beginning with the Old Testament prophets and continuing with the testimony of the Gospels, the Bible teaches plainly that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. To say it’s not an important fact is to compromise the integrity of Scripture, and that is not a small matter! “Moreover,” Machen writes, “the knowledge of the virgin birth is important because of its bearing upon our view of the solidarity of the race in the guilt and power of sin. If we hold a Pelagian view of sin [Pelagius was a 4^th-century monk who denied that we are born sinners], we shall be little interested in the virgin birth of our Lord; we shall have little difficulty in understanding how a sinless One could be born as other men are born. But if we believe, as the Bible teaches, that all mankind are under an awful curse, then we shall rejoice in knowing that there entered into the sinful race from the outside One upon whom the curse did not rest save as He bore it for those whom He redeemed by His blood…How, except by the virgin birth, could our Saviour have lived a complete human life from the mother’s womb, and yet have been from the very beginning no product of what had gone before, but a supernatural Person come into the world from the outside to redeem the sinful race?”

The virgin birth gives us the full impact of the Incarnation, of God becoming man. If Jesus were conceived naturally, through the union of a human mother and father, then that means that whatever divinity was in His nature came at some later point in His life. At His baptism? At the cross? Who knows? But if Jesus’ birth involved the supernatural act of God entering human flesh at its earliest stage of development, then we know that God did indeed live a complete human life upon this earth. That means, then, that He can identify completely with us in our humanity! That’s the beauty of Christmas!

Let us be careful, then, not to treat casually our cherished beliefs, lest we lose a precious part of the blessing of God’s truth.

Christmas and New Year’s blessings,

Pastor Bill

November 2007

What do healthy people have in common? We’ve heard the conventional wisdom about proper nutrition, regular exercise and adequate sleep, but here’s a new one: GIVING THANKS. Research from the University of California-Davis (cited in Time, 10-22-07) says, “Here’s another reason to look on the bright side: Folks who are generally grateful and optimistic are healthier than those who aren’t…The power of being positive seems to work in a couple of ways, researchers say. Grateful people are more likely to take good care of themselves, meaning they exercise, go to the doctor regularly and eat well. And optimism is also linked to a healthier immune system. Next time you’re stuck in traffic, make a mental list of things for which you’re grateful. You just might get an instant feel-good boost.”

This shouldn’t surprise us. The same God who designed us to need food, exercise and rest also designed us to be instruments of thanksgiving and praise. In Psalm 50:23 God says: “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,…” And Hebrews 12:28 says: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,…” And now it seems we have scientific evidence that the praise that flows from our hearts to bless God brings blessing upon us as well, even in the form of better physical health.

We often remind each other that we have much for which to be thankful. God has indeed given us many wonderful gifts, one of the biggest being His body, the Church, the fellowship we have one with another. No doubt you heard somewhere along the line that October was Pastor Appreciation Month. This was an idea started by Focus on the Family several years back, and hey, when it leads to things such as our annual Staff Appreciation Dinner, I say, “Why not?” If we can find a good excuse to get together and eat a good meal, let’s go for it! But it was in the course of receiving appreciation in the month of October that I reflected on how grateful I am for you—for the gift of God that you are. As the months (and the years) have rolled by for me in this church, I continue to see so many people who have the heart to do big things for God. I see people who volunteer long hours and expend a lot of energy to serve the Lord. I see people who recognize that God has given them gifts and talents, and they do their best to use those gifts and talents for the glory of God. So here’s a word addressed to all of you out there: THANK YOU!

Thanking God for you always,

Pastor Bill

OCTOBER 2007

Did you know that God is calling you to be an evangelist? Most of you who just read that sentence are saying, “I doubt that very much. One thing I am not called to be is an evangelist.” That’s probably because of certain stereotypes that come to mind when you think of evangelism. You may be thinking of TV preachers, or the people who knock on the doors of strangers to explain the plan of salvation, or those who stand on street corners handing out Gospel tracts. And you may be saying, “That’s not me. I’m not wired for that at all. Evangelism is not my thing.” If that’s what you’re saying, the problem isn’t that you are not called to be an evangelist; the problem is that you don’t know what evangelism is supposed to be.

The word evangelist is derived from two Greek words that, when combined, simply mean messenger of good news. Now I know that you like to share good news. Everybody does. When you receive an unexpected “A” on a paper in school, you’ve got to tell somebody. When you receive a nice raise in salary, you’ve got to tell somebody. When there’s a new baby in the family, you’ve got to tell somebody. You know how it goes. Usually, when we have good news, it’s hard to keep quiet about it. That’s how it was with the crippled beggar in Acts 3. Upon being healed, verse 8 says: “He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.” Upon being healed, he was transformed into an evangelist (though I’m sure he had never even heard the term). God had done something good for him, and he wanted other people to know about it. That’s evangelism!

Think about the difference Jesus has made in your life. Other people need to know. Think about the good things the Lord has done for you. Other people need to know. You don’t need to preach to them. You don’t need to harass them or argue with them—you just need to tell them. Evangelism can be done on the most ordinary day, in the most casual conversation.

Peter preached a great sermon to a great crowd that day at the temple, in Acts 3. But that was only after our brand-new evangelist had made known what God had done for him. The crowd gathered because they had already heard some good news. Please, never underestimate the power and potential of the good news you have to share.

God bless you as you do the work of evangelism!

Pastor Bill

September 2007

I was roaming through my United Methodist Hymnal and came across a line that caught my eye. Brian Wren’s hymn entitled “There’s a Spirit in the Air” (No. 192) has this recurring invitation: “Live tomorrow’s life today!” It struck me how much this sounds like a line from many of the advertisements we hear these days—advertisements that flatter us and sweet-talk us and invite us to over-commit ourselves. “Buy this new living room set today—no payments until March 2009.” They should add: “First, you’d better figure out if you’ll be any better able to pay for it in March 2009 than you are at present.” How about, “You can own the home of your dreams right now”? Well, maybe you are dreaming about it, but don’t let them be the judge of whether you can own it right now. You will have to make that decision on your own. When it comes from the modern marketplace, “Live tomorrow’s life today!” can suck us into trouble. But when we consider the same line in the context of God’s Word, it is full of blessing and promise.

The full text of stanza 2 of the above-mentioned hymn reads: “Lose your shyness, find your tongue; tell the world what God has done. God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow’s life today!” God in Christ has come to stay…we don’t have to wait for tomorrow to live with Jesus. In the last verse of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus proclaims, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Stanza 4 reads: “Still the Spirit leads the fight, seeing wrong and setting right: God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow’s life today!” Still the Spirit leads the fight, seeing wrong and setting right…our battles are God’s battles, and victory isn’t just for when we get to Heaven, it’s for today! Let us say with David, as he faced Goliath: “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give all of you into our hands” (I Samuel 17:47). And we say with Paul in I Corinthians 15:57: “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (not will give, but does give). Stanza 6 of our hymn reads: “May the Spirit fill our praise, guide our thoughts and change our ways: God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow’s life today!” There are many people who think that we don’t overcome the challenges of life until we die. We don’t have to wait to be overcomers. Listen to what happens now in the lives of those who trust in Jesus: “…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (I John 5:4-5).

In one sense, we can only live today. Yet, in a very real way, connecting with Jesus connects us with tomorrow—with the life of tomorrow and the victory of tomorrow. So go ahead and “Live tomorrow’s life today!”

Blessings, Pastor Bill

August 2007

Each year, every United Methodist Church looks at its various ministries and leadership positions and works to find the multitude of people necessary to take on these responsibilities. This is in keeping with how the Apostle Paul describes for the Corinthians life in the Church: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord”—I Corinthians 12:4-5. In other words, the Lord has called each of us to serve Him in our own way. What is the Lord laying on your heart to do? I’m including with this letter a brief survey that covers key areas of ministry in our church and inviting you to let me know how you might “plug in.” Please take a few minutes to fill it out and return it to me in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks! Pastor Bill.

MINISTRIES THAT I PERSONALLY CONNECT WITH (choose as many as apply):

WORSHIP: Choir__ Bell Choir__ Instrumentals__ Vocals__ Greeter__ Usher__ Lay Leader__

Communion set-up__ Technical (sound, lights, etc.)__ Other_____________________

MISSIONS: Local work teams__ Long-distance work teams__ Caring for the needy__

Sewing projects__ Preparing meals for those recovering from surgery, etc.__

Missions planning and oversight__ Other_____________________________

OUTREACH: Visitation to newcomers__ to shut-ins__ to those in the hospital__

Personal evangelism__ Evangelism events planning__ Other_________________

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY: Sunday school__ Nursery__ Jr. Church__ Explorers__

Vacation Bible School__ Kid’s Choir__Other____________________

CARE OF BUILDINGS/ PROPERTY/ EQUIPMENT: Planning and oversight__

Hands-on work (please specify)___________________________

FINANCES__

STAFF-PARISH RELATIONS (liaison between staff and congregation)__

CHURCH COUNCIL (governing board of the church)__

OTHER MINISTRY NOT NAMED ABOVE________________________________

NAME____________PHONE_

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

July 2007

There is plenty to complain about in Cuba: food rationing; the lack of basic necessities such as soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper (not to mention toilet seats!); inadequate water pressure; poor transportation; extreme shortages of medical supplies (Michael Moore, which Cuba were you visiting when you made your documentary?); endless waiting in line; and severely restricted freedoms. This list is not exhaustive, by the way.

So it was that I felt the pain of conviction when our Cuban friend, Willie Santiago, said to us Americans gathered on his front porch, “Please don’t ever complain. You have so much to be thankful for.” I felt the conviction because it was apparent to me that this “deprived” Cuban had a greater sense of my life of blessing than I had. But having recently reread the book of Proverbs, I was able to receive his words with grace. Verses such as 12:1 and 17:10 came to mind: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid,” and, “A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.” I don’t know if I can speak for you, but I certainly deserve a word of discipline and rebuke when it comes to complaining. One day recently somebody asked me how I was doing, and I immediately thought of a whole list of things I would like to complain about. Just as quickly, I realized that not one of the things I wanted to complain about was truly significant. In Cuba, they have plenty of significant things to complain about. But they don’t. At least not the way we would. The Christians there are too busy praising God and living their lives as fully as they can.

Somebody might say, “Well, they don’t complain in Cuba because they aren’t allowed to. And anyway, what good would it do them?” True, they aren’t free to complain the way we are. Part of the beauty of our system is that it provides us with the luxury of complaint. We have the right to complain, just as we have many other personal rights. But isn’t it our great crime that so often we confuse rights with obligations? Just because we have a right to do something doesn’t mean we should feel obliged to do it. Just because we have the right to complain doesn’t mean have to complain. Should we complain sometimes? Of course! When we are looking at true injustice, true victimization or obvious sin, by all means, let us complain. But let’s consider closely the sense of dissatisfaction that arises so easily within us, and let us strive to weed out the pettiness, peevishness and whining that have no place in the life of a follower of Christ.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”—Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV).

Let us rejoice in our blessings!

Pastor Bill

JUNE 2007

As I write this letter, Memorial Day is fast approaching and Father’s Day is not far beyond. These are two days that make me think of heroes. We like to refer to all the fallen dead whom we honor on Memorial Day as heroes, and “heroes” is a label that we routinely place on our dads. Why do we do that? Is it because we get carried away with sentimentalism? No, there’s truth behind the title.

Let’s consider what it is that makes a hero. Using Webster as a reference, I find three primary definitions: 1. “in mythology and legend, a man of great strength and courage, favored by the gods and in part descended from them, often regarded as a half-god and worshiped after his death…” 2. “any person admired for his qualities or achievements and regarded as an ideal or model.” 3. “any man admired for his courage, nobility, or exploits, especially in war…” The problem with the first definition is that we can’t really identify with it. The men of myth and legend are few and far between. Actually, nobody really fits that first definition, do they? The problem with the second definition is that we are much too careless with it. Too many people in our culture amass great fortunes or achieve great fame while being lousy role models, and we wind up calling them heroes anyway. When we do that, we do injustice to the real heroes—most of whom are quite ordinary people.

And what is it that makes heroes of these ordinary people? The common denominator, I think, is the giving of self for the benefit of others. We see these news reports of the person who rushes into a burning building or jumps into floodwaters, risking life and limb to save another human being. The TV reporter catches up with them and asks, “So, how does it feel to be a hero?” Often, they struggle with the question because they hadn’t contemplated being a hero. It’s just that they were willing, when the opportunity was thrust upon them, to forget about self-preservation. Remember that line from America the Beautiful, “…who more than self their country loved…”? Most of the fallen dead we honor on Memorial Day didn’t do anything extraordinary, but they did do something great in giving their lives for liberty—and that’s why we rightly call them heroes. Many of the dads we honor on Father’s Day aren’t extraordinary in any objective sense of the word, but those who faithfully give of themselves for the sake of their families rightly deserve to be called heroes.

Come to think of it, when Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me,” He was inviting us not only to discipleship, but also to heroism.

God bless all you heroes out there!

Pastor Bill

MAY 2007

Yes, indeed, “Heaven help us” is the thought that came to mind as I finally made my way over to the National Day of Prayer website. I had been checking out the main events preprinted on my May calendar and landed first on Sunday, May 13, which most people know as Mother’s Day. But for some years now, the second Sunday of May has also been listed on the official church calendar as Mother’s Day/ Festival of the Christian Home—some kind of two-for-one deal. The heading in The United Methodist Book of Worship contains this brief explanation for the Festival of the Christian Home: “Observed the second Sunday of May, this day celebrates the gift of Christian homes and affirms the Christian family in its wholeness.” Sounds good to me; I can plug into that.

Wondering just how the fine family of the Church celebrates this fine festival, I went to the internet for some research, innocently typing in “Festival of the Christian Home.” The entry at the top of the list was perplexing: “Clergy For Fairness: Festival of the Christian Home.” There I found the rantings of representatives of major religious groups opposed to the “Marriage Protection Amendment.” (You may recall this as the proposed constitutional amendment containing this key line: “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman…” The proposal failed.) Also available on this site is a set of appalling sermons with memorable lines such as this from The Rev.(?) Dennis Alexander: “Families, like people, fish, flowers, and snowflakes are wonderfully and frightfully different. Where the family is concerned, there is no one form that has divine approval!” You can guess where he was heading with that tripe. Clearly, the assault on the family is coming from within the Church every bit as much as it is coming from without. We’re in trouble! Together, we need to cry out to God for His mercy and help.

More than ever, we need events such as the National Day of Prayer. The first call to national prayer came in 1775 when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming the nation. In 1952, President Truman signed a joint resolution by Congress declaring an annual national day of prayer. Then, in 1988, the Truman law was amended and signed by President Regan, permanently establishing the first Thursday of May as the National Day of Prayer. So it’s on the calendar to stay, but it’s up to us to decide what to do with it. May this event be not an isolated observance, but the springboard for an intentional, united seeking of the face of God by the people of God!

Thanking God for all of you who make time to pray,

Pastor Bill

April 2007

We marvel at the resurrection of Christ, and we celebrate that resurrection, but what does it really mean for us? Perhaps we would sum it up with a verse such as I Corinthians 6:14: “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also…” In other words, the same power that brought Jesus out of the grave will bring us out of the grave and on to life eternal. “So it will be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown is dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power…” (I Corinthians 15:42-43).

But there’s much more. Resurrection power isn’t just waiting to meet up with us at some point in the future when we drop dead. It’s meant for the here and now. Have you ever thought about the way Colossians 3:1 is worded? “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above…” Not WILL be raised—it’s HAVE been raised! In some sense, when we receive Christ, we HAVE been raised. How this works in day-to-day living was brought home to me by something Billy Graham wrote:

“Suppose I gave everything I had to charity. You probably would say I was a very good person—a fine Christian. But Paul said that unless I acted out of love, ‘I am nothing’ (I Cor. 13:2). George Sweeting has said, ‘Life minus love equals nothing!’

Do you have this kind of love—a love that puts others ahead of yourself? Without Jesus Christ in your heart, without the Holy Spirit in your life, you can’t produce this love. This is the kind of love Jesus had for us, when He willingly left the glory of Heaven and went to the cross for our salvation.

Only God can give us a selfless love for others, as the Holy Spirit changes us from within. This is one reason we must receive Christ, for apart from His Spirit we can never be freed from the chains of selfishness, jealousy, and indifference. Will others see Christ’s love in your life today?”

You see, we can’t live the way we were meant to live without the Living Christ living within us. We can’t love the way we were meant to love without the Living Christ living within us. We can’t manufacture that kind of love; it’s too deep and wide for us to produce on our own. So praise God for the resurrection of Jesus and the blessing it spells for us even now!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Pastor Bill

December 2006

Do you sometimes think that the Christmas season takes up too much of the year? Certainly, on the commercial level the holiday seems to occupy more than its fair share. The Christmas catalogs begin arriving when the weather is still warm, and they don’t let up until the last possible moment, when the merchants assure us it’s not too late to get that order in. Oh, the trees that have been sacrificed in the paper mills! And the bell ringers are out before we even get a chance to celebrate Thanksgiving. At one time I served as Kettle Chairman for our local Salvation Army unit, and one night the bell mysteriously disappeared from its lockup in the grocery store hosting one of our kettles. We never found that bell, but it got around to us that several store employees were annoyed with the constant dinga-dinga-dinga…, day after day.

Yes, in one way Christmas seems to get dragged out, but in another way we’ve compressed the best parts too tightly together. Take the Nativity scene for example. In the traditional setup, we find the Wise Men paying tribute to Jesus in the manger, along with the shepherds, animals and others. Looking to Scripture, however, we see that the Wise Men actually came some time after the Nativity. “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:11). I guess it’s just more convenient to package it all together. Consider too Christmas Day itself. We build up to it, then it’s all over so quickly. Who’s still celebrating the day after Christmas? Traditional church calendars extend the celebration of Christmas through two Sundays after Christmas, in the season officially known as Christmastide. But what has become of Christmastide? Most people have never even heard of it.

Except for those who make their living off the Christmas season, I think everyone would agree that there’s too much buying and selling, too much hassle and hustle, too much excess and a weariness that comes with overdoing it. But can’t we all agree that there are also those good parts of Christmas that unfortunately fade and are too soon forgotten? There’s that thing called “Christmas spirit” that brings a softening of the heart toward those around us; that makes us more lighthearted and hopeful; that gives us a receptivity and a fresh hunger to worship the Lord; that causes us to overflow with an unusual sense of generosity; that puts a song in our heart and a spring in our step. If that’s what Christmas should really be about, I say let’s spread Christmas all over the year!

Blessings to you as we celebrate Christmas and prepare to enter the new year!

Pastor Bill

November 2006

I’m so glad our ancestors grabbed the fourth Thursday in November to celebrate Thanksgiving. Back when I was a kid (translation: an old guy is writing this), we had plenty of free space on the calendar that wasn’t taken up with the likes of “Pizza Appreciation Month,” “Climate Change Understanding Week,” or “Rutabaga Awareness Day.” Does anybody actually eat rutabagas?

Joking aside, we HAVE set aside some important slices of time to bring awareness and generate support or action for meaningful causes such as breast cancer, fire safety, and even car care. We all know that if you take care of your car it will take care of you. So “National Car Care Month” is no joke.

Back to Thanksgiving. This harvest festival, during which we give thanks to the Lord for all His blessings, was first celebrated in North America in 1619 in Charles City, Virginia. Thanksgiving Day is always characterized by feasting and often characterized by worship. Can we agree that it should ALWAYS be characterized by worship? Is there any enterprise more important than giving thanks and praise to God? “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever” (I Chronicles 16:34). “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted” (Isaiah 12:4). “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:57). “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7).

I rejoice that Thanksgiving is a day, and more. It’s a season. It needs to be at least a season—the Lord is worth it! It needs to be a season that sets the tone for the living of each day and for the prayers of each day. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7). There’s an encouragement and a promise for you!

During this Thanksgiving season, bless the Lord and let Him bless you!

Pastor Bill

OCTOBER 2006

Jesus said to His disciples: “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). In the following verse, He said to them: “You are the light of the world.” He was calling us to be, for the Kingdom of God, an influence on the people and culture around us. One of the most important ways we can be salt and light is by exercising our right to vote. Allow me to share an excerpt from a Focus on the Family pamphlet entitled “Why Christians Should Vote.” “Americans are blessed to have a ‘government of the people, by the people, and for the people.’ But democracy has one key requirement: our participation. The most basic democratic participation is voting, yet it can also have the most profound impact. When you vote, you help determine who will lead our nation, make our laws and protect our liberties. More than a right, voting is a privilege that millions of people in other parts of the world can only dream about. Still, many Americans choose not to vote. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as many as 35 percent of eligible Americans are not registered to vote—that’s 45 to 65 million people! Less than half of the voting-age population actually votes in any given election. What’s worse, Christians often vote at an alarmingly low rate. For example, in 2002, the last non-presidential election year, only 43 percent of evangelical Christians actually bothered to vote. When people of faith fail to vote, is it any wonder that policies are enacted that are contrary to believers’ core values?”

Billy Graham has said, “If America is to survive, we must elect more God-centered men and women to public office—individuals who will seek Divine guidance in the affairs of state.” And this from Dr. James Dobson: “We live in a representative form of government where we are its leaders. It means that every citizen has a responsibility to participate in the decisions that are made, and that includes people of faith using their influence for what is moral and just.” It would not be going too far to say that our right and responsibility to vote is, in fact, a ministry to which God has called us. When we vote, we are directly and indirectly impacting people’s lives. By the people we select and the ballot measures we support, we are making a practical difference—for good or bad—in the lives of unborn children (abortion policy); impressionable youth (pornography laws and education policy); husbands and wives (marriage & divorce laws); and hurting souls (religious freedom laws)—to name a few.

It’s important that we vote, but it’s even more important that we cast an informed vote. Please take the time to learn about the candidates and the issues. There are probably quite a number of informative websites, but two that I have found to be especially helpful are ivotevalues.com (to check out the candidates) and ohioprosperityproject.net (to check out the issues). The Ohio Secretary of State’s website also has a lot of good general voting information.

May God continue to bless others through you!

Pastor Bill

September 2006

What is worship? Lots of people have lots of different ideas on the subject. Tom Kraeuter, in his book Worship Is…What?! writes: “…people frequently formulate their ideas about worship more from their experience, both their own and others, than from a truly scriptural perspective. Often past recollections mold and shape our thoughts about worship. The things we experienced in church as children, or the style of worship in the church where we first came into a saving relationship with Jesus will too frequently hold more sway in our lives than what the Bible has to say.”

I believe that a good Biblical perspective on worship is summed up in the classic words of the Westminster Confession: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” That statement speaks to every realm of worship: to individual worship, to what we call corporate worship (gathering with other believers for church services), and even to the worship that should be part of the living of daily life (see Romans 12:1). Key to true worship is a focus ON God and a connection WITH God. Kraeuter further observes: “There are two great passions in the universe: God’s passion to be glorified and man’s passion to be satisfied. However, these two do not need to conflict. They can come to simultaneous fulfillment through worship, because God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him alone.”

Where am I going with all this? True worship is not defined by styles, methods, techniques, places or times. It is defined by our relationship with the Living God. Psalm 63:3 says: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” And Psalm 103:17 says: “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him…” It’s a glorious snowball effect—I worship Him because of His great love/ He loves me all the more because I worship Him/ I worship Him all the more because He loves me all the more… It’s when we get caught in this avalanche of the majesty of God that we experience worship as it was meant to be! True worship, then, transcends every style, method, technique, place and time we offer to God—and yet can be found in every style, method, technique, place and time we offer to God. Likewise, if my heart is not truly set on the Lord, no style, method, technique, place or time will enable me to worship Him. I’ll just be going through the motions. To the woman at the well Jesus said: “God is Spirit, and His worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth. Worship that is from the heart; worship that is genuine—that’s what God is expecting. That should be our aim.

May God bless you and may you bless God as you worship!

Pastor Bill

August 2006

Sometimes people share stories, emails, poems, etc. that I find particularly moving and meaningful, so I file these treasures away for future reference. One little piece that somebody copied for me several years ago is simply entitled “What If…” I don’t know who the original author is, but I hope it makes you think the way it made me think.

“What if…God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we did not follow

Him today?

What if…We never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God sent

the rain?

What if…God didn’t walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day?

What if…God took away the Bible tomorrow because we would not read it today?

What if…God took away His message because we failed to listen to His messenger?

What if…the door of the church were closed because we did not open the door of

our heart?

What if…God stopped loving and caring for us because we failed to love and care

for others?

What if…God would not hear us today because we would not listen to Him yesterday?

What if…God answered our prayers the way we answer His call for service?”

(POINTS TO PONDER!)

I am writing this letter on the heels of our Dayspring Revival with Wes Putnam. I trust that you found great blessing and spiritual renewal as I did! I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who prayed and worked and gave of yourselves to make this a wonderful event. Some of you were out front, and some of you were behind the scenes, but you are all precious servants of God. To God be the glory!

Have a blessed August!

Pastor Bill

July 2006

The birth of our nation and the birth of Methodism in America go hand in hand.

“American Methodism began in the 1760’s as a tiny seed that sprouted in the fertile soil of an

emerging nation. When America’s War of Independence ended in 1783, the Methodists were

among the smallest and least impressive of the American religious movements. Other

denominations in this country had enjoyed religious prominence for almost one and a half

centuries. It is no exaggeration to say that the clergy of America’s established churches

regarded Methodism as an upstart company of religious zealots showing no promise of becoming

a significant spiritual force in the new nation…Nonetheless, to the surprise of many, within a

few decades the Methodist Episcopal Church listed more members than the Congregational,

Episcopal, and Presbyterian Churches combined. By 1850, American Methodism claimed onethird

of all church members in the United States. Furthermore, Methodism’s religious and social

impact on nineteenth-century America was greater than that of any other religious movement.”

(Kenneth Kinghorn, The Heritage of American Methodism, Abingdon Press, 1999.)

What was happening in and through the Methodist Church? In a word, REVIVAL. The early

Methodists sought the Lord in earnest, and the Holy Spirit was poured out in great power. In

fields and factories, camp meetings and churches people were coming to Christ by the

thousands. It was a time for the lost to be found and the Christian to be renewed. In his

description of an 1803 camp meeting held in South Carolina, circuit rider Jesse Lee writes:

“Many sinners were on the ground crying for mercy, and many believers crying for perfect love.”

Hearing this reminded me of the modern-day motto, put forth by the Willow Creek Church:

“Reaching Seekers—Building Believers.” This is at the heart of what we should be about.

You might say that we people called Methodists have revival in our genes, imprinted on

our DNA. So let us take advantage of every opportunity to pray for and work for revival in our

day. July 16-19 presents us with such an opportunity. Our series of meetings with evangelist

Wes Putnam and the revival team is a time that can be greatly used of God to reach those who

don’t know Jesus and to breathe new life into the hearts of God’s people. I say CAN be because

I am convinced that God does His wonderful work in our lives only to the extent that we are

ready to receive what He has for us. Are you praying? Are you expecting? Are you ready for

the fresh wind of God’s Spirit?

May this month bring a time of great blessing to you and those you love!

Pastor Bill

June 2006

If you ask most people what the biggest days of the Christian year are, they will probably say Christmas and Easter. Not so many will say Pentecost. That’s a shame because Pentecost really is the birthday of the Church. Pentecost is a funny-sounding word that comes from the Greek word meaning fiftieth; and Pentecost is the Greek equivalent for the Old Testament Feast of Weeks, which comes fifty days after Passover. What does this have to do with us? Well, remember that Jesus was crucified and resurrected during the Passover season, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples some fifty days later, during the Pentecost celebration. That’s why we associate Pentecost not with the ancient Jewish feast, but with the birthday of the Church. The resurrection of Jesus gave the disciples the change of ATTITUDE they needed to serve God (going from the despair and separation of the Cross to the exhilaration and confidence of walking with the living Lord); but it was Pentecost that gave them the POWER they needed to serve God, when the Holy Spirit was poured into their lives. Every year our church calendar lists Pentecost Sunday, which is always the Sunday as close as possible to fifty days after Easter—June 4^th this year.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is a most precious gift of God to us, because the Holy Spirit is the gift of God Himself to us! Search the pages of the New Testament and you will find that the Holy Spirit blesses us in a multitude of ways. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes it possible for us to experience our new birth in Christ (John 3:6); the Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of God’s Word (John 14:26); the Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to witness for Christ (Acts1:8); the Holy Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts (Romans 5:5); the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us with inexpressible “groans” (Romans 8:26); the Holy Spirit gives us special abilities called spiritual gifts, to use in the Church’s work and ministry (I Corinthians 12:7); the Holy Spirit plants and nourishes within us the “fruit” of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Do all you can to make the Holy Spirit welcome in your life. And let us pray together that, just as the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early Church so long ago, God may pour out His Holy Spirit upon us anew and afresh. We need that cleansing of God, that love of God, that power of God in our lives! And as we pray, let us remember the revival we have scheduled this July 16-19. (Actually, we cannot schedule revival. All we can do is schedule the meetings. Revival can only come from God, by way of the wonderful Holy Spirit!)

Seeking God with you,

Pastor Bill

May 2006

Habakkuk is a strange, choppy name. But the name of this Old Testament prophet, sandwiched between Nahum and Zephaniah, has a significant and beautiful meaning. Habakkuk means “embracer” or “wrestler.” The name is quite fitting, for when you read what he wrote, you find him to be one who embraced God without reservation and one who wrestled with God in prayer. His prayer in chapter 3, verse 2 deserves our consideration: “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known…”

Let me assume that you too have heard of the Lord’s fame and that when you contemplate His deeds, you stand in awe. But let me ask, do you think of God’s great deeds only with a wistful look back into the pa

Pastor Bill Lawson's Thoughts

Pastor Bill Lawson's Thoughts

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