Pastor Bill Lawson's Thoughts

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR

November 2009

Our state is experiencing serious financial

difficulties, and casino gambling looks like a

good way to fill our coffers. Besides, not

only does gambling provide a way for our

ordinary people to win big money, it can be

a lot of fun. So why not let the casinos in?

It sounds reasonable until you stop to think,

to remember, to analyze. Many of you

recall the days when the state lottery was

first introduced to Ohio. The big selling

point was, lottery money would meet the

needs of our public schools. Has it? What’s

become of all the promised revenue?

As for all the opportunity and fun casinos

will provide, consider these facts compiled

by the United Methodist Anti-Gambling

Taskforce:

1. Gambling preys on people who are

poor, luring them with the promise of

a life free from financial worries and

burdens;

2. If gambling is within 50 miles, the

chances of people in your community

becoming addicted increase by 50%

(75% if your community is poor);

3. 60% of casino revenues come from

gamblers making less than $25,000

per year;

4. Bankruptcy rates are 100% higher in

counties with casinos than in counties

without casinos;

5. 4.2 million Americans are addicted

gamblers;

6. Significant child neglect has been

reported, with 10-17% of children of

compulsive gamblers being abused;

7. An estimated 40% of white collar

crime has its roots in gambling;

8. In counties with neighboring casinos,

8.6% of property crime and 12.6% of

violent crimes are caused by casinos –

in counties with casinos, the rates are

much higher;

9. Suicides in cities with casinos are 4

times higher than in comparable cities

without gambling.

Yes, the facts and figures are revealing, but

here is yet a bigger reason for us to say no to

casinos. In the days of Isaiah, the people of

Israel were heading for destruction because

they were looking for help everywhere

except the one place they would find it---in

the presence of God. We call ourselves

people of faith. Now is the time to exercise

that faith and put it where it really belongs!

Remembering with you,

the Lord is our refuge and strength,

Pastor Bill

October 2009

Have you ever considered the destructive power of love? Charles Wesley did

when he penned this odd but beautiful line: “Love, like death, hath all

destroyed, rendered all distinctions void; names and sects and parties fall; thou,

O Christ, art all in all” (Christ, from Whom All Blessings Flow, # 550 in The United

Methodist Hymnal). Wesley had in mind the destruction of the traditional

dividing lines mentioned in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave

nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” But we should think

of the idea in more comprehensive terms.

Destruction is a concept that may sound harsh to our sensitive, peace-loving

ears, but destruction is a good thing when the way is paved for something

better. A forest fire is a good example. It would probably be unwise to say to

those left homeless by wildfires in southern California that there is a positive side

to the destruction; but the reality is, the burning of old-growth forest makes room

for new-growth forest. Likewise, the use of blasting agents makes possible the

construction of roads, railroads, tunnels and bridges that we could not otherwise

have.

Is there some destruction that ought to take place in your life? Perhaps you are

offended by such a question, but maybe God has something far better for you

than you have yet to experience because of the hang-ups, holdups and hurdles

blocking the way. Comparing his ministry with that of Jesus, John the Baptist

said: “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who

is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you

with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Baptized with fire? Ouch! The loving,

destructive power of the Holy Spirit, clearing the way for the good things of God.

Is there sin in your life that has been there so long maybe you wouldn’t even call

it sin because it doesn’t seem like such a big deal anymore? Is there a bitterness

in your life that maybe doesn’t taste so bitter anymore because you’ve gotten

used to the flavor? Is there unforgiveness in your life that has been there so long

you’ve forgotten what it really is? Is there a healing that needs to take place in

your soul, a wholeness that your spirit longs for that you’ve all but given up on?

God loves you enough to destroy the junk. Do you love Him enough to let Him?

May God bless you with the destructive power of His love!

Pastor Bill

September 2009

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” We resonate with this plea of the

young boy’s father in Mark 9. Desperate for Jesus to help his son, Jesus told him,

“Everything is possible for him who believes.” But even though we identify

ourselves as believers, we all know what it is to live with a mixture of faith and

doubt.

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” How does that happen? How

do we become overcomers of unbelief? I suppose our hope is that God would

simply infuse our hearts with a great big feeling of faith that would wash away all

doubt. But that’s precisely our problem—getting faith and feelings mixed up.

Faith isn’t a feeling; it’s an activity. It’s something we do; it’s something we

practice—even when our feelings are stretched a little thin. So instead of giving

us stronger feelings, God invites us to do those things that will help our faith grow.

The kind of things that the rest of the world looks upon with suspicion. Observing

Sabbath, for example. How could God expect us to set aside an entire day out

of what for most of us is an already short week? It’s not just about worshipping

and relaxing, it’s about trusting God. The God who made everything can make

six days of work more productive than seven if we will honor Him with Sabbath.

Keeping Sabbath is a practice that grows our faith in God. Then there’s tithing—

offering the Lord 10% of our resources. It seems like a foolish notion, when we

know what kind of money it takes just to provide basic necessities, when many

people live on fixed incomes, when the economy is in the tank, etc., etc. But

tithing isn’t about making sure God has enough money to buy what He needs

(where did all the resource to make all the money come from in the first place?)

Tithing is about God showing us how big He is. It’s about growing our faith. Then

there’s praying—talking to a God who is invisible, talking to Him even when we

don’t feel like it, being expected to praise Him even when we don’t feel like it…

It isn’t about performing some religious duty to make God happy, in fear that He

will punish us if we don’t do it. It’s about connecting with a God who is ready to

show Himself faithful. It’s about growing our faith.

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Is that your prayer? Don’t feel

guilty if you don’t have all the feelings toward God that you think you ought to

have. Don’t worry about what your doubts may do to God’s love for you. The

fact is, they won’t alter God’s love for you one bit. He loves you unconditionally.

Just exercise your faith, put it into practice regularly each day, and let God

show you what He can do!

Growing with you,

Pastor Bill

August 2009

Vacation Bible School time again. I love VBS because it provides the

opportunity to interact on a large scale with child-like attitudes. Jesus speaks

about these attitudes in Mark 10 when He says: “Let the little children come to

me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I

tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little

child will never enter it.” While this simple message is part of a simple Gospel, it is

a profound truth that I, for one, find myself pondering again and again. Just

what does it mean to be “like a little child”? The basic answer deals with

receptivity, for Jesus says we must “RECEIVE the kingdom of God LIKE A LITTLE

CHILD.” Little children seem to have a natural receptivity that we tend to grow

out of as we grow older. In relationship to the Lord, we can’t afford to lose that

natural receptivity.

Back to Vacation Bible School though. A tendency in small children, that can be

a frustration to teachers and staff (and parents at home), is the way they

become absorbed in the moment at hand—absorbed to the point of not

following through with a project or not being able to see “the larger picture” we

are trying to convey. Some of you are thinking, “Of course they don’t see the

larger picture. They’re little children. Cut them some slack.” I do, and actually I

marvel at this total absorption thing—the way they can become totally

absorbed in the music, the teaching, the snacks, crafts, recreation, or whatever

is in front of them. Their attitude can be inspiring and contagious.

Absorbed in the moment at hand—is this what Jesus was talking about when He

said, “…do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself”? No

doubt, many an adult has read that and thought it sounds irresponsible. It’s not

irresponsible, it’s childlike. We cannot undo our past and we cannot live in the

future (we aren’t there yet). But we can make the best of RIGHT NOW. Not that

planning and goal setting should be ignored, but we should greet each new

day with the question, “What is God calling me to do right now?” Then jump in

with both feet. That’s what a little child would do!

From one who is getting older but refuses to grow up,

Pastor Bill

July 2009

Two words that sit very close together in the dictionary are “momentous” and

“momentum.” We often use the word “momentous” to describe an occasion of

great consequence, as in, “This is a momentous occasion!” Graduations and

weddings come to mind. They are momentous occasions. Hopefully, they are

also MOMENTUM occasions; i.e., occasions that provide the impetus to go on to

even greater things. A graduation isn’t just the end of a journey, it’s the

beginning of an adventure. Getting married doesn’t mean you have arrived so

much as it means that you have been launched!

I fished out of my file a copy of the letter I wrote for the church newsletter

exactly seven years ago. A couple of excerpts reveal the excitement and

anticipation that we were feeling then: “For many churches, summer is

traditionally a time to shift into a lower gear. Here at Shreve UMC, we have

shifted into a higher gear, especially with all the activity swirling around the new

building project. Dirt is finally moving and the landscape is changing!...Our hope

for all that we will be able to do with our beautiful new facilities is not a weak

wishing for what possibly might be, but rather a solid hope in the call and power

of the sovereign God who has great work laid out for us to do.”

Here we are, formally celebrating on July 19, the completion of the BRIC

campaign to pay off the debt on the building. As the old song says, “We’ve

come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord…” It is by the grace of God that we

are where we are. This is indeed a momentous occasion! May it also be a

MOMENTUM occasion. Not only have we ended a journey, we’ve begun an

adventure. Not only have we arrived, we’ve been launched. God had great

work laid out for us to do in July of 2002, and as we look to the future He has yet

greater work for us to do.

Let us enter His presence, seek His face, and seek His will. As we come before

Him with grateful hearts, let us come before Him with receptive hearts. Let us

pray, “Lord, as you have blessed us, may we bless others. May we be good

stewards of all your gifts to us. As you have chosen us to bear fruit, may we bear

fruit that will last for all eternity. Lead us, Lord. Let us be caught up in the

momentum of living for your honor, glory and praise. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Grace and peace to you,

Pastor Bill

June 2009

Why did they die? Memorial Day is a time to honor those who have given their lives in

time of war, but it’s worth asking, why did they do it? The standard answer seems to be,

they died for our freedom. But then we need to ask, freedom to do what? I hope it’s more

than freedom to have cookouts and parades and launch ourselves into summer. I hope it’s

more than freedom to do whatever is legal.

You may be familiar with the rantings of the “Rev.” Barry Lynn, Executive Director of

Americans United for Separation of Church and State. In one of his most recent forays

into public service, he was advising Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry to veto legislation

authorizing a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the state capitol. Lynn

wrote: “The government cannot endorse one religious belief over another, nor can it

prefer religion over non-religion.” As I understand Lynn, he is not against religion—he’s

against religion being connected in any way to the governing of our country. Practice it in

the privacy of your homes and churches, but don’t inflict it upon the general population.

Apart from misinterpreting the Constitution, people like Barry Lynn have to ignore the

Bible, which says: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”

(Proverbs 14:34). While it is true that we cannot (and should not) allow our government

to establish a religion for us, we cannot dismiss the righteousness of God and expect to

prosper. When Proverbs and other Scriptures speak of righteousness, the reference is to

what is right in the eyes of God—not what we determine on our own to be right.

Why did those brave men and women give their lives in the service of this country? I

would hope that, above all, it was so we could have the opportunity to live lives that

reflect the righteousness of God. By the way, Governor Henry ignored Barry Lynn and

crew and signed the proposed legislation into law. Let us pray that such efforts on the

part of our elected officials will be blessed. And let us stand with them for the

righteousness of God, that the sacrifices of the fallen will not be in vain.

Grace and peace to you!

Pastor Bill

May 2009

If you’ve been watching the reports in the bulletin, you have known for some time that

we have been getting very close to paying off the debt on the new building. For those who don’t

know by now, we are there! Praise God, we now have sufficient funds in the BRIC account to

pay the balance due! (Because of the way the payment schedule is set up, we can’t yet write the

final check without incurring a penalty, but we are ready to finish it off shortly.) The words of

the Doxology come to mind: “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow…” Indeed, we do give

thanks to God, for apart from Him, we can do nothing, and with Him all things are possible.

A sincere thank-you to each of you who have given so much to make this moment

possible. I am finishing my ninth year of ministry here, and I know that it was well before I

arrived that you had begun to meet, to pray and to plan this enormous undertaking. Remember

how daunting the whole thing seemed early on? There were doubts and fears and worries, but

faith pushed those aside and carried on. My desire as a pastor has always been to connect with a

group of people who want to do great things for God—and I have met them here at Shreve.

We wanted to get the word out by every available means that all of you who committed

to the last three-year pledge cycle now have two options. The first option, of course, is that you

can consider your pledge fulfilled and leave it at that. The other option—the one Robin and I

have chosen—is to continue to pay the pledged amount into the church’s capital improvement

fund. The Trustees and the Church Council are asking you to give this option serious thought

because there are plans to make some significant (and much-needed) improvements to the older

part of the building, including new heating/air-conditioning, better lighting, etc. The Finance

Committee is preparing a formal letter, explaining these options to all who have pledged. In

addition, you can expect to hear soon about a time of celebration that is being planned.

My mind goes back to the covenant God made with Abram in Genesis 12, which says in

part: “I will bless you…and you will be a blessing.” It is from this covenant that we derive the

expression “Blessed to Be a Blessing.” God blessed Abram for two reasons, because He loved

him and because He expected Abram to make good use of the blessing. Is this not what God has

done for us? He has blessed us out of His love for us, and He expects us to make good use of our

blessings—to honor Him and to serve others. Let us remember this as we journey with rejoicing

into the days ahead.

Praising God, and thanking Him for you—

Pastor Bill

Bill Lawson, Pastor

April 2009

If Only. I remember Dr. David Seamands saying one time that “If only” can be the deadliest pair

of words in the English language. So often we use “If only” to introduce our belief that a

situation is beyond hope, that there’s no way out, that things can’t get any better. So often we use

“If only” to deny our faith—to say that Jesus really is not the resurrected Lord of life. Two of

Jesus’ close friends, Mary and Martha (see John 11), said, “Lord, if only you had been here, our

brother would not have died.” As if to say, “Since you didn’t answer when we called, all hope is

lost;” “Sure, you are the Lord, but now the situation is out of hand.”

Has an “If only” trapped you in your personal life? “If only I didn’t have this temper, I could be

a good Christian.” “If only I could kick this habit, I could live victoriously.” “If only I had more

money, everything would work out.” “If only I didn’t have to face this terrible illness…” “If

only I had not been abused as a child…” Might there be an “If only” paralyzing your

relationships with other people? “If only I could forget what _____ did to me.” “If only I could

forgive _____.” “If only I had an easier time talking to other people.” “If only I could work

things out with _____.” “If only I had married someone else.”

Our lives are full of “If only’s.” Even pastors fall into this trap. I must admit that there are many

times when I have more than one “If only” floating around in my head at once. “If only I had

done this…if only I hadn’t done that…” On and on we go, perhaps not realizing how much we

deny the power of the Risen Lord. Yes, “If only” can be the deadliest pair of words, but seen

from Jesus’ perspective, they can also be the most life-giving words. Jesus counters the “If

only’s” of Mary and Martha with an “If only” of His own: “If only you will have faith in me, you

will see the glory of God” (John 11:40). We can allow disease and death and disadvantages and

dysfunctional families to trap and paralyze us. And we can allow mistakes, missed opportunities

and other circumstances to rule the rest of our lives—or we can believe in the Jesus who lives

and reigns and wait upon Him to show us the glory of God.

Put this question to Jesus: “Lord, what can you do for me where I am?” Not as a question of

sarcasm, but as an honest question of faith that is reaching out…and maybe struggling. It may be

a faith so battered and beaten up by what you’ve gone through, or are going through, that it’s a

faith that almost isn’t there. That’s OK. Let Jesus meet you where you are, and let Him show you

His glory!

The joy of the risen Lord be yours!

Pastor Bill

March 2009

The season of Lent will soon be upon us, that forty-day period proceeding Easter which is

traditionally a time for Christians to engage in self-denial and self-examination in order to draw

closer to the Lord. But what exactly does that involve? How do we approach that vital task?

Fred Rogers, the “Mr. Rogers” of children’s television fame, used to say that we have a tendency

to make life complicated and shallow, while God is calling us to life that is simple and deep. He

makes a good point, because so often Jesus gives us instructions that are easy to understand but

that require us to walk beyond where we are normally willing to walk.

Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 11:15: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” What is

He talking about? Listening, paying attention. It’s not hard to figure out, but why does Jesus say

it over and over again in the Gospels? Because even though we understand what it is, we tend

not to do it very well. Do you listen when you hear? We could all do better, couldn’t we?

Hearing of course, is a physical thing. If our ears and the rest of our hearing mechanism is in

good shape, we will hear well. But listening is a different matter. Listening is primarily

volitional; that is, it’s a matter of will, a matter of choice. We have to be intentional about it to

do it well. Every one of us has had the experience of somebody hearing us without listening to

us---and we don’t like it, do we? We can feel the distraction, self-absorption and disrespect on

their part.

So here’s Jesus, saying over and over again, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” We

wonder what it means to really love God. Isn’t a big part of loving Him paying attention to what

He’s trying to say to us? We wonder what it means to really worship God. Isn’t a big part of

worshipping Him listening to Him? We wonder what it means to love as godly people. Aren’t

godly people listening people? Of course!

Many times I have heard Christians say they wish that God would talk to them more. But why

would God talk to us more if we aren’t listening most of the time? Remember that God is big,

but He does most of His talking in a small voice---maybe because He wants to know who cares

enough to really listen. Let me encourage you, in this Lenten season, to work at grabbing some

quality quiet moments each day, when you can talk to God---and when you can be silent before

Him. Let me encourage you, when you are in the Scripture, to slow down just a bit and pay

attention to what He may be saying to you personally. Let me encourage you, when you are in

worship, to be intentional about focusing your thoughts on the Lord and away from yourself, so

you can listen for what is on God’s heart and mind.

Take delight in the Lord as you journey through Lent!

Pastor Bill

February 2009

February: the month with Valentine’s Day, a time to focus on love. Love seems to be an

inexhaustible subject. Countless books, poems, plays, movies and songs have been written about

it. So, in a way it’s kind of amazing that the great “Love Chapter” in the Bible, I Corinthians 13,

is relatively short. In fact, when the Apostle Paul gets right down to defining it, he does so in

four verses. Maybe that’s because love is such a talked-about thing that we all have a reasonably

good handle on it; yet there are a few particulars that are the most often forgotten, sometimes

trampled, particulars of love. Consider the particulars.

-Love is patient. When you are staring at someone who is hard to love, hard to forgive—

someone who “pushes all your buttons”—try to imagine what they would be like if God changed

them and continue to pray that image. That’s the patience of love.

-Love is kind. Kindness is simply love being put to the test in little, everyday encounters.

Kindness is important because we can offer it to others we may never have the opportunity to

love on a grander scale.

-Love does not envy. Can you be happy if someone else is enjoying a blessing that you wish you

had, but don’t? If you love them, you can.

-Love does not boast, it is not proud. We all know what boasting and pride are. Just consider

this: if God stoops to love US, how can any of us be too proud to love absolutely anybody He

puts in our path?

-Love is not rude. Have you noticed that when a person is filled with the love of Christ—no

matter what their upbringing—they radiate courtesy and civility? John Wesley said it best:

“…love supplies all defects. It supplies all the essentials of good breeding, without the help of a

dancing master.”

-Love is not self-seeking. What is the opposite of self-seeking? Others-seeking—seeking to bring

out the best in others.

-Love is not easily angered. Notice it doesn’t say “never gets angry.” Christian anger is only

expressed with good intent, tempered by love, remembering we are all accountable to Christ.

-Love keeps no record of wrongs. Save your sales receipts. Save your tax returns. That ledger,

where you record who does you wrong—burn it!

-Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Though we would most likely not do it

outwardly, we should watch lest we take silent pleasure in someone else’s trouble or downfall.

And “rejoices with the truth” steers us away from that giddy kind of love that excuses sin in

others.

-Love always protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres. To quote (very loosely) John Calvin, this does

not mean turning a blind eye to the bad things people around you do. It means that when love has

no evidence to go on, it believes the best. When the evidence is adverse, it hopes the best. When

hopes are disappointed, it still courageously waits.

Let us mind the particulars of love!

Pastor Bill

December---January 2008-2009

“So, how do YOU get fed?” I first heard this question asked among a group of ministers some

years ago. The idea behind the question was that if you are the pastor of a local church,

preaching every Sunday, you need to get away from that setting and that activity in order to be

spiritually nourished—that you are giving out and giving out Sunday after Sunday and not taking

in. While there is certainly value in getting away now and then, and sitting before other preachers

and teachers is good for all of us, I haven’t found it to be true that I need to be somewhere else in

order to be “fed.” There are two reasons why. First, a whole lot of “feeding”—by way of

spending time with the Lord, spending time in the Word, reading and listening to what others

have to say—needs to come BEFORE preaching or teaching, and all this can happen wherever a

pastor happens to be. But the second reason is this: some of the best spiritual nourishment comes

not from hearing sermons and lessons, but from being with others in the church who love the

Lord.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all

my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from

the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry

it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Don’t you get the idea that Paul was fed by his

fellowship with the Philippians? I know that I am fed by my fellowship with you. The Sunday

before Thanksgiving, I preached about the place of praise in the life of the Christian and

suggested that our most God-honoring praise comes in the times when life is not going the way

we want it to, when we are beset by pain and struggle. Time and again, as I have journeyed with

the people of Shreve United Methodist Church, I have heard the praise of God rising up in the

midst of your personal difficulties, and I have been fed! Last week, at Charge Conference, our

district superintendent began handing out certificates to the other churches who had paid 100%

of their apportionments. After all those certificates had been handed out, she looked at the

Shreve people and told us she couldn’t give us a certificate for paying 100%--because we had

paid 121%! Some of the people from the other churches gasped in astonishment, but it didn’t

surprise me. Yes, I was happy, but not surprised. That’s because I know the hearts of the people

here. You are generous with your time, your talents, your gifts and your resources. I have seen

this over and over again, and I have been fed!

As we celebrate the joy of Christ’s birth in the Christmas season, and as we prepare to enter the

new year together, I just want to say thank you for all the nourishment that I receive by being in

the partnership of the Gospel with you. I have been fed!

Blessings to you through Christ Jesus our Lord,

Pastor Bill

November 2008

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop

fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the

stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my

strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights”—

Habakkuk 3:17-19. What a beautiful declaration of unconditional trust in the Lord!

Though Habakkuk had what to us is a strange-sounding name, and though he lived a long time

ago in a faraway place, we have something very much in common with him. He liked to ask God

the “Why?” questions. “Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?”

(1:3). “Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow

up those more righteous than themselves?” (1:13). Those same kinds of questions plague us

today, along with the “What?” questions. “What is going on in the world around me?” “What

ARE the best choices for our country?” “What is going to become of us?” The questions of

doubt, fear and worry come readily.

Though Habakkuk is a short book, you get the idea that he had many in-depth conversations with

the Lord, not all of which are recorded for us. The text quoted at the beginning of this letter

comes at the end of Habakkuk’s prophecy, and it’s apparent that God had revealed enough to

him that he was willing to forego specific answers to most of his “why” and “what” questions

because he now had enough information to walk confidently on. Imagine if they celebrated

Thanksgiving Day back in Habakkuk’s time, and they, like us, gathered around the dinner table

to share what they were thankful for. One would say, “I’m thankful there were plenty of grapes

on the vines this year.” Another would say, “I’m thankful we harvested an abundant crop of

olives.” Still another would say, “We have been blessed with healthy flocks of sheep and herds

of cattle.”

We do this at Thanksgiving. We thank the Lord for all the good things that He has given us. And

even when we suffer misfortunes here and there, we are usually able to thank Him that THINGS

aren’t as bad as they could be. But the beauty (and example) of Habakkuk is in how he is able to

look beyond things to the One who is our Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Sovereign—and

even our Father. No matter what our present circumstances may be, He is in control, we are in

His hands, and we have His promise to never leave us or forsake us. “O God, You are my God,

and I will ever praise You. O God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You. I will seek You

in the morning and I will learn to walk in Your way; And step by step You’ll lead me and I will

follow You all of my days” ( Step by Step, a song by David Strasser).

Our God reigns! Let us rejoice!

Pastor Bill

October 2008

Who are the saints? According to the New Testament, they are the Christians of every time and

place. This understanding is particularly evident in the letters of the Apostle Paul: “To the saints

in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 1:1); “To all the saints in Christ Jesus at

Philippi…” (Philippians 1:1).

So what is an “All Saints’ Day” service? It’s a time to celebrate the eternal life we have in Jesus

Christ! “All Saints’ Day had its beginnings at least as far back as the third or fourth centuries,

AD, when the Christian church set aside an occasion to honor its martyrs” ( The Pastor’s

Guidebook: A Manual for Special Occasions, Marion Aldridge, Broadman Press, 1989). Most

people today, however, are more aware of the counterpart to All Saints’ Day, known as

Halloween, which is a shortened form of Allhallows (All Saints) Eve.

How did it come to be that we have a day known as All Saints’ Day and a day called Halloween

so mixed up and so close together on the calendar? Back in 835, Pope Gregory IV had set the

observance of All Saints’ Day to occur on November 1. In another part of the world, the Druids,

the pagan priests of the British Isles, observed October 31 as the festival of Samhain, the “lord of

the dead.” Their religious practices made use of skeletons, black cats, bonfires, jack-o’-lanterns

and many of the just plain weird and creepy things that we associate with Halloween. When the

early missionaries came to the British Isles, they brought their Christian celebrations with them,

but were not successful in eliminating all the pagan practices, such as the festival dedicated to

Samhain. So now, you had this Christian celebration immediately preceded by this pagan

festival, which morphed into Halloween.

Sadly, today, everybody seems to know about Halloween, while not so many have even heard of

All Saints’ Day, or its original purpose. I say, why not reclaim some old territory for the Lord?

As one writer on the Jeremiah Project web site says, “As an alternative to the celebration of evil

and death, Christians should rather do what Christians are supposed to do every day and that is

shine the light of Jesus Christ.” In keeping with this thought, we are planning an All Saints’

service for Sunday, October 26, 7:00 P.M., here at our church. Our Music Director, Arn Preston,

has been working with Ron and Linda Sprunger of Ashland Seminary, Technical Director,

Jeremy Burnison, our choir and others, to put together a service that promises to be a wonderful

time of celebrating the eternal life that we have in Jesus Christ. You won’t want to miss this!

Stay tuned for details…

Pastor Bill

Bill Lawson, Pastor

September 2008

You don’t have to go back too many years to see the radical changes that have come to

television news. Remember when, if you wanted to see the news, you had to be satisfied with

6:00 P.M. or 11:00 P.M.? Of course, they would interrupt “regularly-scheduled programming” if

something big was happening. Now, you can get the news 24/7, from around the world via

satellite, and, thanks to video surveillance, night vision, hidden cameras, and other technological

wonders, you can even get in on the action that was previously unavailable. Those changes are

good, I suppose, giving us greater access to what’s happening in our world in a timely manner.

But not all the changes are good. Have you noticed the marked loss of civility? In

particular, the way they set up those point-counterpoint situations and encourage people to try to

talk over one another? You see it constantly. There’s some kind of story out there (maybe not

much of a story really, but when you have to provide “news” 24/7, you have to come up with

something), so they invite at least two guests to give their opinions. You need at least two guests

if you want to start an argument. Then, instead of hearing anything substantive, they go after

each other—in sound bites, because they have to leave plenty of room for commercial messages.

I don’t get much out of that kind of exchange, partly because it’s hard to pay attention to more

than one person talking at a time, but mostly because I find it so annoying. Did your mom and

dad teach you that it’s rude to interrupt? Mine did. In fact, if we kept interrupting, we were

invited to keep our mouths shut. They wanted to make sure we grew up civilized.

Yet, there are times when it’s a good and necessary thing to interrupt. Once, early in our

marriage, when Robin and I were eating dinner, and I was waxing eloquent about something

important, she broke in with, “Bill, could you please get the fire extinguisher? The oven is on

fire.” (My back was to the oven, and she was facing it.) An occasion such as that merits

interruption, don’t you think? Sometimes, what the other person has to say is much more

important than what we have to say, so we should be prepared to receive interruptions

graciously.

Has the Lord interrupted you lately? The tricky thing about hearing from the Lord is that

He so often speaks in that “still, small voice.” It’s actually pretty easy to talk over Him. I don’t

know about you, but I’m thinking that any time God wants to talk, what He has to say is WAY

more important than what I have to say. So let’s practice receiving His interruptions graciously.

Better yet, let’s take advantage of every opportunity to listen—so He doesn’t have to interrupt.

Grace and peace to you,

Pastor Bill

August 2008

I have long wondered about the movement to eliminate competition from the childhood experience. You know, the people who say children should not receive grades, because the ones with lower grades should not have their feelings hurt; and in any sporting event, nobody should get a trophy unless everyone gets a trophy because we’re all equal, etc. No doubt, these ideas come from well-intentioned people, but the fact remains that we do face competition from our earliest days upon the earth. Storyteller Garrison Keillor recalls the childhood pain of being chosen last for the baseball teams: “The captains are down to their last grudging choices: a slow kid for catcher, someone to stick out in right field where nobody hits it. They choose the last ones two at a time—‘you and you’— because it makes no difference. And the remaining kids—the scrubs, the excess—they deal for us as handicaps. ‘If I take him, then you gotta take him,’ they say. Sometimes I go as high as sixth, usually lower. But just once I’d like Darrel to pick me first and say, ‘Him! I want him! The skinny kid with the glasses and the black shoes. You, c’mon!’ But I’ve never been chosen with much enthusiasm.” Who among us has not felt the pain of not being chosen for the sport we want to play, the job we want to have, the position we want to hold? And maybe, if we are chosen, we are not chosen with much enthusiasm. That’s life! But listen to God’s Word in Ephesians 1:3-6: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.” Who is the object of God’s desire and choosing? You are! Along with all the others He chose first, He chose you first. In fact, did you see that He chose you before He even created the world? Amazing! And along with all the others He chose, He chose you with the greatest enthusiasm! How could you ever turn your back on a God like that? Why would you ever want to avoid a God like that? Let us enter His presence with receptive hearts, and let our praise abound to the Lord, for He is worthy of all praise! Chosen with you, Pastor Bill

July 2008

“How was your trip?” Have you ever gone someplace for a few days and returned to hear that

question, but found it difficult to answer in a sentence or two? That’s how it was traveling to

Greensburg, Kansas with the work team from our church. We were only gone a week, but our

stories could easily fill a book. For any who don’t know, Greensburg is (was) a town about the

size of Shreve that suffered a direct hit from an EF-5 tornado on May 4, 2007. That’s the

strongest a tornado can be, based on the Enhanced Fujita scale. Sustained winds were in

excess of 200 miles per hour, and the devastation was horrific. When you see the place, you

can understand how miraculous it was that so few were killed. An amazing amount of cleanup

and rebuilding has already been done, but an amazing amount still remains.

You might expect that, after staying in Greensburg a while, you would begin to hear stories of

despair and bitterness. Perhaps those stories are there, but I didn’t hear any. What I did hear

were many stories of God’s love, faithfulness, protection and provision. That made me come

away from Greensburg feeling a bit smaller. It’s kind of like hanging out with the Christians in

Cuba. To be with people who have been deprived of so much, yet who revel in the glory and

goodness of God, is truly a humbling experience. They seem to be walking higher, deeper, closer

with the Lord. You come away saying, “Lord, I want more of what they have!”

Of course, it’s not all a rosy picture. The stress of daily life is enormous for the people of

Greensburg, and new storms bring back the pain and fear. Many live with a sense of

vulnerability that they didn’t have before. But they hear God calling them away from a bondage

to fear. One Greensburg resident, Roger Yost, quotes these words: “Fear is a tormenting spirit.

It can be a very discouraging factor in our lives if we allow it to take us down that road. The

right kind of fear is a healthy fear of God and it brings godly wisdom and humility. This other

fear brings about crippling, suffering, and death.”

During our time in Greensburg, it was our privilege to conduct a Vacation Bible School for the

children there. One afternoon, we dealt with the text that finds the disciples terrified in a fierce

storm on the Sea of Galilee. When they cry out to Jesus for help, He calms the storm then

asks, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” That lesson seemed to be especially

reassuring to the children of Greensburg, but every one of us should recall His words as we face

the storms in our own lives. John Wesley was fond of saying, “Best of all, God is with us!”

God be with you,

Pastor Bill

June 2008

I was doing a little research on Father’s Day and was surprised to learn that it’s celebrated

throughout the world, but not necessarily on the same day as we celebrate it. In Iran it’s March 14, and in

Thailand it’s December 5—with various countries’ observances everywhere in between. In Germany they have

what strikes me as a rather odd tradition, called Herrentag. This “Father’s Day” observance involves groups of

men getting together and setting out on hiking/drinking tours. They load up little wagons with beer or wine

and traditional regional foods (such as blood sausage—yum!) and hike together through meadows and

forests, stopping now and then to drink and eat. As far as I know, that’s all they do, so perhaps when they

have consumed all the alcohol and food, they use the little wagons to haul back the guys who are no longer

able to walk. Anyway, I wonder what led to such a custom in the first place. Maybe the men weren’t receiving

proper honor from anyone else, so they decided to go off and “honor” themselves.

Thank you, Lord, for a day set aside in this country where we sincerely put forth some effort to honor our

dads. Being a dad is a high calling, a great responsibility, and a tough challenge to do right. I think I can

speak for the majority of fathers out there when I say we continually wonder if we are doing it right, but we

certainly have a heart to do so. And I have no doubt that when a father asks the Lord to help him do his job

well, that prayer falls on sympathetic ears. After all, God has endured countless disappointments in His efforts

to be a Father to us. To our shame, we have many ways of making His job much tougher than it ought to be.

I’m reminded of a saying that I first heard many years ago: “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone

special to be a daddy,” meaning, of course, that pouring yourself into the relationship involves infinitely more

than bringing the child into the world. And that’s exactly what God wants to do with us—pour Himself into

the relationship. That’s why Jesus invites us to call our heavenly Father “Abba,” which translates as “Daddy.”

God is not satisfied with being our Creator, our Maker. Bringing us into the world is just the beginning of His

plan. He wants a close, personal relationship with each of us, but that won’t happen unless we want it to. He

gives us the power to decide whether or not He will be Daddy to us. What do you say to His offer?

“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those

under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son

into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you

are a son, God has made you also an heir”—Galatians 4:4-7.

Thank you, Lord! And please bless ALL the daddies out there!

Blessings,

Pastor Bill

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

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 past? What of your hopes, your dreams, your expectations of great deeds yet to come? Are you looking in both directions? Habakkuk was. He loved to hear the stories of what God HAD DONE, but with faith in what God CAN DO, he prayed for RENEWAL. There is something dangerous, deadly and faithless about assuming that God has already done His best work in our lives and in our church. That’s why we need always to be praying with an open mind and heart; why we need always to be willing to repent and seek God’s face; why we need always to be expecting another wave of God’s wonderful work.

With this in mind, I commend to you our Dayspring revival with Wes Putnam this July 16-19. Four short days that will be here before we know it and then be gone before we know it—but precious opportunity for renewal, and a time that can truly count for eternity! I encourage you to mark this event on your calendar and plan to participate as fully as you can. Above all, I ask you to join me in prayer for the days ahead. To pray with integrity, we have to begin with ourselves. What I mean is, I have to begin with myself, and you have to begin with yourself. Let’s invite the Lord to search our hearts, then give Him free rein to make whatever changes He deems necessary. Next, let us pray for our families and for our brothers and sisters within the church family. God has great things in store for them! Then pray for Wes and everyone who is working on the Dayspring. Ask God to protect them, prepare them, use them and bless them. Finally, let us pray for people close to us who don’t know Jesus. Here is a suggestion to keep it simple and direct: Pick three people, write their names down on a prayer card, and remember them daily before the Lord. Your prayers don’t have to be long and complicated—just be faithful, and ask the Lord to share His heart of love with you as you pray.

Praying with you, praying for you,

Pastor Bill

April 2006

Triway fans have every reason to celebrate another great season of boys basketball, in spite of the loss to Dayton Dunbar in the state final. The 58-56 win over St. Francis DeSales the day before was not only a moment to rejoice, it was just plain fun to watch! Because it was such a close game all the way through, everyone stayed on the edge of their seats. In conversation with Pastor Tim about Friday’s game, he brought up the subject of “blowouts”—games where there really is no competition and one team leaves the other in the dust. Since pastors are in the habit of looking for spiritual implications in any given event, we wondered aloud if blowouts have a place in the Bible. (No doubt you’ve wondered about this yourself…no doubt.)

In recent days, we’ve seen quite a renewed interest in the study of the end times. Ever-popular are books covering the Rapture, the Second Coming of Jesus, the Judgment, the final destiny of mankind, etc. (By the way, if you are a student of end times ideas and you want to impress your friends, tell them that you study eschatology.) Now, back to the subject of blowouts. There are two big ones near the end of the Book of Revelation that you need to know about, blowouts that bring total defeat to Satan and all his forces. The first is in Revelation 19, verses 19-21: “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider [Jesus] on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet…The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse…” As you read through this passage, you will notice that even though the beast, his followers and their armies assemble for a battle, there is no battle—it’s a BLOWOUT! In the following chapter we see the end of Satan and his hosts. Again, we see the bad guys preparing for what they think will be a real battle: “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations…to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.” Again, however, we see a blowout: “But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil…was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur” (Revelation 20:7-10).

As you go through the daily struggles of life on this earth, and as you hear the constant news of greed, abuse and destruction, you may be tempted to think that you are witnessing a spiritual battle that is too close to call. And you may wonder how it will all turn out for you. Wonder no more! The power of God that was more than sufficient to raise Jesus from the grave, that is more than sufficient to bring an end to Satan and his schemes, is more than sufficient to see you through. “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…” (Ephesians 3:20).

The peace of Christ be yours in this Easter Victory season!

Pastor Bill

September 2005

Hunger is something most of us don’t give much thought. Clean drinking water is something we take for granted. But these are serious issues for hundreds of millions of people in the world today. We hear the statistics; we are numbed by the statistics; and somehow we remain largely unmoved by facts such as these: 840 million people in the world are undernourished…6 million children under the age of five die each year as a result of hunger…More than 33 million Americans cannot afford enough food to meet their basic needs…Amount the U.S. spends annually on foreign aid--$10 billion. Amount people in the U.S. annually spend on diet and weight loss products--$33 billion (source: Church World Service fact sheet). Rev. James Forbes has said, “If I don’t stop just talking about helping the poor and start doing something to help the poor, I’m going to be embarrassed to meet God.” He has a point!

None of us can help all the poor and hungry, but all of us can help some of the poor and hungry. Would you like to help? I know one good way you can—walk in the CROP WALK. Each year in the United States some 2,000 communities sponsor CROP Walks. CROP, a ministry of Church World Service, raises money to support grassroots, hunger-fighting efforts in more than eighty countries. (Church World Service was founded in 1946, when six Protestant denominations joined their resources to respond to the humanitarian crisis in post-war Europe. Today they are the relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations—comprising 50 million U.S. Christians—with partnerships in more than 80 countries.)

This year’s Wooster-area CROP Walk will again be held in Shreve, with the starting and finishing points right here at our church. The date is Sunday, September 25, and the starting time is 2:00 P.M. The route is being re-worked this year, so veteran walkers can enjoy some new scenery. The plan is also to have a two-part route, with a long and short leg to suit the needs of more walkers. The way the walk works is this: walkers ask sponsors (family, friends, whoever) to sponsor them so much for total distance walked, or a lump sum for the entire walk. Just stop in the church office to get a form, or contact me, and I will make sure you get one. One nice feature of the CROP Walks is that if you so desire, you can designate your pledges to any number of other approved international hunger-fighting agencies, including, but not limited to: American Friends Service Committee, Baptist World Aid/ Baptist World Alliance, Heifer International, Project HOPE, Lutheran World Relief, Mennonite Central Committee, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Outreach International, Southern Baptist International Mission Board, and World Relief/ National Association of Evangelicals.

Let’s make a difference—together!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Bill

August 2005

If you do much traveling around this great land of ours, you have probably noticed that you can find Methodist churches in some of the most out-of-the-way places. That’s because those out-of-the-way places used to be IN-the-way-places. That is, the Methodist Church in America was born shortly after America was born, and our church followed the people wherever they went. After the middle of the nineteenth century, there was a common saying, “There are more Methodist Churches in America than Post Offices.” One of the great leaders of the expansion back then was Bishop C.C. McCabe, a one-time chaplain with the 122^nd Ohio Infantry, who at one point was captured and spent time in a Confederate prison. Prior to becoming a bishop, he had served for sixteen years as Secretary of the Methodist Extension Society. In this same era, Robert G. Ingersoll, the famous agnostic, proclaimed on one occasion (obviously without checking his facts), “The churches are dying out all over the land; they are struck with death.” McCabe happened to read the quote while traveling by train, and at the next stop, he wired Ingersoll, “Dear Robert: ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ name.’ We are building more than one Methodist church for every day in the year and propose to make it two a day. C.C. McCabe.” This reply inspired Alfred J. Hough to write a song, of which the first stanza reads: “The infidels, a motley band, in council met, and said: the churches die all through the land, the last will soon be dead. When suddenly a message came, it filled them with dismay: ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ name!’ We’re building two a day.”

It’s not only our calling, it’s in our blood to build churches where they are needed. The challenge was re-issued at Annual Conference this year. We voted to approve a program entitled “New Generation Builders.” A major part of the resolution passed at Annual Conference is that each church would work at enlisting a minimum of 15 people to be New Generation Builders. The thought is that some churches can recruit more than that, while others cannot recruit that many. The New Generation Builders would agree to receive three calls a year, with receipts of each call going toward new church starts, redevelopment grants and land acquisitions or new buildings, respectively. The request for each call is $30, making a total of $90 per year commitment for each New Generation Builder. New Generation Builders will each receive a lapel pin recognizing them as such.

Bishop Hopkins has already issued the first call—to start two new churches in the East Ohio Conference. These churches will be City Hope in Canton and Iglesia Metodista de la Fe, an Hispanic church in Cleveland. Both churches will be engaged in vital ministries. You can read more about these churches by picking up a copy of the “Reaching New Generations with the Gospel” newsletter on the big table in our church narthex. If this is a project that God is laying on your heart, check out the invitation and response form contained in this newsletter.

Let God bless you!

Pastor Bill

(Information on C.C. McCabe from Kenneth Kinghorn’s The Heritage of American Methodism, Abingdon, 1999.)

July 2005

Ah, July is upon us with its cookouts, swim parties, lemonade and ice cream. And don’t forget the fireworks! Fireworks, like balloons, are one of life’s simple pleasures that everyone seems to enjoy. Some of my neighbors enjoy them so much that they just can’t wait for the official Fourth of July extravaganzas. One would not even need a calendar to know that Independence Day is a few days away, as kindly neighbors launch gentle reminders into the nighttime air.

Independence Day is a cherished day for us—one might even say a SACRED day, for though it is not a religious holiday as such, it is a celebration of a concept that we hold as sacred: Independence. “Live free or die” and “Give me liberty or give me death” are sentiments that strike a cord deep in our souls. So much so that it is natural for us to look at DEPENDENCE as something to be avoided. Who wants to be dependent if they don’t have to be? That’s why nursing homes are doing a great business with the addition of “independent living” facilities. Most Americans could say “Amen” to Paul’s words in I Thessalonians 4:11-12: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” But it would be a mistake to take these verses out of the greater context of Scripture and say they are the last word on dependence/ independence.

Ancient Israel fell into trouble many times because they tried to operate independent of God. The prophecy against them in Hosea 10:13-14 reads: “Because you have depended on your own strength and your many warriors, the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated…” The condemnation of Jeremiah 17:5 is more severe: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” There is a sense, then, in which independence is folly. Our life, our health and our strength is in the Lord, and we should joyfully and eagerly depend upon Him.

We all value our independence (I as much as anybody), but let’s remember that God our Maker has not designed us to stand alone. We need Him, and we need each other. That’s why He calls each of us to be an active part of His family, the Church. So as we celebrate our independence, let us also celebrate the relationships we have with our Lord and with one another. Likewise, let us do all we can to “encourage one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

Thanking God for you,

Pastor Bill

June 2005

June is here, so it’s Annual Conference time again. Annual conferences are a vital component of The United Methodist Church, but they probably don’t seem like such a big deal to the average church member. That’s because most of your interaction with the annual conference is on an indirect basis. There is also some confusion as to just what an annual conference is. That’s quite understandable, because an annual conference is actually two different things! As the name implies, it is an annual gathering of United Methodists. United Methodists from where? From all over the annual conference. I’m really not talking in circles here. Annual conference is the name we give to a region of the church presided over by a bishop, and all the pastors and delegates from all the local churches in an annual conference meet annually with their bishop officiating over the session. So annual conference is both a region and a meeting. Each session of annual conference lasts the better part of a week and is a time of worship, planning, debate and decision-making. The decisions made there affect the outreach and ministry of every local United Methodist church. Some may wonder why such a group is making decisions that affect our church. It’s because The United Methodist Church is what is called a connectional church. That means that each United Methodist church is tied, administratively and in mission, to every other United Methodist church. Our annual conference is called the East Ohio Annual Conference and encompasses an area approximately half the size of the state. Take out your map and draw a line from just north of Marietta to just east of Toledo—everything east of that is our annual conference. We meet every June in Hoover Auditorium, Lakeside, Ohio, but the administrative offices are located in North Canton. John L. Hopkins is our resident bishop.

If you’ve made it this far in the letter without dozing off, it probably means you have an interest in all this organizational stuff. So you may be interested in hearing about what’s happening with our districts as well. Each annual conference is divided into districts, and for many years now our annual conference has comprised twelve districts, each named after the city in which the district office has been located: Akron, Cambridge, Canton, Cleveland, Mansfield, Mt. Vernon, Norwalk, Painesville, St. Clairsville, Steubenville, Wooster, and Youngstown. As of this annual conference, the district lines will be re-configured to form ten districts, with new names that reflect more of a geographical identity: Canal, Cuyahoga, Firelands, Mid-Ohio, Mahoning Valley, Ohio Valley, Southern Hills, Three Rivers, Tuscarawas, and Western Reserve. We are now in the Wooster District; after conference we will be in the Canal District. James Roberson will be our new district superintendent. As of this writing, it still has not been determined where our district office will be located, though they’re aiming for someplace in the Doylestown area.

Please pray for all of us meeting at this year’s session of annual conference, June 20-23. And please pray for our annual conference as we go through this challenging time of transition.

Many thanks!

Pastor Bill

May 2005

Study your calendar and you will see that May is a month of both celebration and remembrance. In the Church, we celebrate the “Birthday of the Church” on Pentecost Sunday, May 15. Mother’s Day and Memorial Day are no doubt the most popular May events in the general population, but then we also have Holocaust Remembrance Day (May 5) and Armed Forces Day (May 21—Originally, each branch of the armed forces set aside a day to honor the founding of their particular service. On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of this single-day celebration, the result of the unification of the armed forces under the Department of Defense). If you’re really into keeping track of dates, Mother’s Day in Mexico will be celebrated on Tuesday, May 10.

There are several other dates that do not appear on most calendars, but I think they should. They focus on our dedicated public servants in the law enforcement community. May 15 is Peace Officers Memorial Day and the beginning of National Police Week. May 13 will mark the seventeenth annual candlelight vigil in Washington D.C. to honor police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Another important component of law enforcement is recognized during National Correctional Officers Week, which begins May 1.

Yes, I know we now have many national “Honor This-That-and-the-Other-Thing” days clogging up our calendar, but if anybody deserves recognition and remembrance, the men and women of law enforcement certainly do. It is a kind of work that takes an inestimable toll on body, mind, and spirit. The risks are great, the frustrations are great, and the pay is not! Most people have no actual contact with law enforcement on a regular basis, but many who do are ever ready with their ridicule and abuse. We take their service for granted, yet we would be in deep trouble without them.

So, I have a couple of suggestions. When you see a law enforcement officer making a traffic stop, or responding to a call, or just out on patrol, take a moment to say a prayer for them and their family. And if you have the opportunity, offer them your thanks. If they ask what for, say, “For all that you do.” Believe me, they won’t forget your words!

Grace and peace to you in the month of May!

Pastor Bill

April 2005

Permit me to write to you concerning a subject about which I know very little: BAKING. I’m sorry to disappoint those of you out there who would likely call me first with any technical questions you may have about your baking projects, but it’s true—you would be better off to seek advice elsewhere. I do know a couple of important things about baking though. One is that bakers generally follow recipes; and with many recipes, if you leave out a step or reorder the steps, you can turn your baked goods into baked disaster. As it is with baking, so it is with daily living and walking with Christ.

Take something as ordinary and routine as conversation. Ideally, good conversation involves two or more parties listening and speaking to one another. But how many “conversations” have you been a part of when no real listening actually took place? Sometimes what we call conversation is nothing more than people talking AT each other. You may have heard James 1:19 before: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry,…” There are several ways to look at this verse, and one is to look at it as a recipe. The FIRST ingredient to be added to the mix is LISTENING—and a large measure should then be liberally sprinkled throughout. How many fights, arguments, hurt feelings and misunderstandings could be avoided if we just got the recipe right? The gift of listening is one of the most precious gifts we can offer to one another.

Now consider how we use the most basic rule we have for our Christian faith and practice: the BIBLE. The greatest help humanity has ever found is to be discovered within the pages of the Bible, yet some of the most horrible abuses ever perpetrated upon humanity have been launched by Bible-reading people (Hitler comes to mind). How can this be? Messing with the recipe! When we leave out some of the ingredients, or add some not called for by the recipe, or reorder what should be there, we can make the Bible say anything we want and justify any evil purpose. With just a little fiddling here and there, the goods turn into disaster. Paul’s admonition to Timothy applies to all of us: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). Correct handling of the word of truth means paying attention to what should be in the recipe, leaving out what should not be in the recipe, and working to understand how the whole mix goes together.

Following the recipe is all about putting the right things in the right order in the right measure. It’s not hard to understand. Jesus said all of God’s law hangs on two commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbor as yourself.” Here we have the ingredients (love and love), the order (God, others, self), and the measure (all and as).

Grace and peace to you,

Pastor Bill

September 2004

I want to use this month’s letter to tell you about some upcoming events that are close to my heart. The first is a study on “The Purpose Driven Life” that will begin on Wednesday, September 8. “Purpose Driven Life” is an expression that is familiar to many of you by now. Pastor Rick Warren’s book by that title has helped a great number of people gain a whole new perspective on God’s plan for their lives. My goal for the study is two-fold: to use the concepts in Warren’s book as a launching pad for discussion and to truly make this a Bible study. If you have read the book already, you have noticed that Pastor Rick quotes a ton of Scripture; but because of the more devotional nature of the book, there is not a lot of real digging into the texts. We will take a chapter each week and do some valuable digging. We will meet 7:00-8:00 P.M. each Wednesday in the “Sanctuary” class in the new fellowship hall. You will need your own copy of “The Purpose Driven Life”, which is readily available at Christian bookstores, Walmart, etc., at a decent price. If you have any trouble obtaining a copy, please let me know, and I’ll track one down for you. I believe this study will be a great blessing to you!

The next event is the “CROP” walk, which will take place in Shreve on September 26, beginning at 2:00 P.M. Each year in the United States, some 2,000 communities sponsor CROP walks, raising money to support grassroots, hunger-fighting efforts in more than eighty countries. CROP is a ministry of Church World Service. There are several regional CROP walks near us, the closest being the Wooster-area, which, as you might guess, is usually held in Wooster. This year the Wooster-area walk is being held in Shreve, with our church hosting. The way a CROP walk works is pretty simple. When you sign up to walk, you receive a sponsorship form which you use to solicit funds from individual donors. There is no minimum amount you have to raise in order to participate. Twenty-five per cent of everything we collect will go to People-to-People, headquartered in Wooster and serving the needs in our immediate area. The walk will give you some good exercise but is not terribly strenuous. It will take in about two kilometers within the village limits. You can contact yours truly to obtain a sponsorship form. Another opportunity for you to be blessed—and certainly to bless others!

Finally, keep your eyes open for more information about an event called “Lay Witness Mission.” Our Evangelism Committee is making plans now to host a Lay Witness Mission Team this coming March. Those of you who have participated in a Lay Witness Mission know you can expect great things from God. I do not doubt this will be an experience to cherish for eternity. (I am not exaggerating.)

Many blessings on you as you journey through September.

Pastor Bill

August 2004

In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 6, we find the people of Jesus’ hometown caught in a sad kind of amazement: “Jesus left there and went to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed” (vv.1-2). “Derailed” or “sidetracked” might be a better word than “amazed,” for we see them lost in a cloud of questions. “’Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given Him, that He even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at Him” (vv. 2-3). You are left with the impression that had He been a mysterious stranger from another town, they could have accepted His ministry.

There is more than enough amazement to go around. Those who heard Him teaching in the synagogue were amazed. He was amazed at their lack of faith (v.6). And the reader is amazed to find that Jesus’ wisdom and miracles were apparent to these people who could not bring themselves to believe in Him. It’s not as if He were presuming to be wise or pretending to do miracles. They could hear and see for themselves—to a point. Then the questions set in. It seems they were willing to go only so far as they could see. “We don’t see how a guy who worked as a carpenter can be imbued with the wisdom of Heaven. We don’t see how a guy with an ordinary mother and ordinary sisters can do miracles. We don’t see…” What they could see took them only so far, questions set in, and faith was cut off.

This happens to us, doesn’t it? What we can’t see leaves us wondering: “I don’t see why this should be happening to me.” “I don’t see why God can’t just fix my problem.” Then questions set in, and faith is cut off. When this happens, we have missed the point of what God is trying to do in our lives. He is trying to get us to step from the realm of sight into the realm of faith. He is trying to get us to walk by faith. Something in our brain tells us, “You have questions, so you must stop believing.” Our response should be, “I have questions: time to shift into faith mode.” “Preacher, don’t you realize that it’s harder to live by faith than by sight?” Of course I do. I have to walk by faith too, and frankly, there are times when I find it to be extremely challenging. But listen…

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). When questions come, don’t let them be a roadblock to faith. Let them be a doorway to faith.

Grace and peace to you,

Pastor Bill

July 2004

As I write this letter, Robin and I are preparing to go “off to Conference.” Most United Methodists know that Conference is a yearly event attended by their pastors and delegates from their local churches. Beyond that, however, there seems to be only a vague notion of why we have these annual conferences. In fact, whenever we inject words such as “conference” and “district” into our churchly conversations, I find that the average church member is left somewhat mystified as to what we are talking about. That’s O.K., because it is a little complicated, until you take the time to study it through. Give me a few moments, and I will try to de-mystify it for you.

The really big conference in our church is GENERAL Conference. General Conference is the term we use to describe the every-four-years gathering of delegates from the entire United Methodist Church. General Conference meets in a different major city each time, and its primary purpose is legislative. That is, General Conference delegates make decisions affecting our “Book of Discipline.” Our church is then divided into regions called JURISDICTIONAL Conferences. There are five of these in the United States; they also meet every four years, and their main purpose is to elect and appoint bishops. We happen to be in the North Central Jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction is then divided into Annual Conferences. Annual Conferences are the main structural units of the United Methodist Church, and it’s at this level that we roll up our sleeves and do most of the work of the greater church. In case you haven’t figured out by now, Annual Conference is the place we pastors and delegates are talking about when we say we’re going “off to Conference.” Our annual conference is the East Ohio Annual Conference, with headquarters in North Canton. Each annual conference is presided over by a bishop. Each annual conference is further divided into Districts. Right now, there are twelve districts in the East Ohio Conference, although by this time next year we will probably be reorganized into ten districts. We are currently in the Wooster District. Each district is divided into CHARGES. A charge is a unit of one or more local churches to which a pastor is appointed. Two churches with one pastor is called a two-point charge, three churches a three-point charge, and so on. The yearly conference which every charge has, presided over by the District Superintendent, is called…you guessed it—CHARGE CONFERENCE.

There you have it---five levels: General Conference, Jurisdictional Conference, Annual Conference, District and Charge Conference. If you would like to know more, I’ll be happy to supply you with all the information you want.

God bless you mightily in this month of July!

Pastor Bill

June 2004

I begin this letter with a few words about our new youth pastor and his family. Tim and Helena Ritchey have just moved to Shreve from Jonestown, Pennsylvania (a few miles east of Harrisburg). Their children include Kenny, Timmy, Maria, Katee and Shari. We rejoice that they are here with us and I rejoice as I have seen how quickly you and they are getting to know one another. I was there the evening they moved in, and it was wonderful to be among so many of God’s people who turned out to help them get settled. It brought back warm memories of your gracious reception of us when we moved in almost four years ago. You know how to make people feel welcome!

Pastor Tim is a graduate of Philadelphia Biblical University, with a Bachelor of Science in Bible. In addition, he has completed extensive course work at Bethel Seminary, Dresher, PA. He is trained as a Teen Director and Camp Director with YMCA, and is a certified YMCA Camp Director. He is trained in and has extensive experience with the Son-Life curriculum, and teaches individuals how to become leaders with purpose. He worked as Program Director with the YMCA for three years, and has fifteen years experience in both part-time and full-time youth ministry. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, with training as a carpenter and heavy equipment operator. His self-stated objective in ministry: “God has burdened me to win, build and equip teens to serve Him with a passion!” As I am getting to know Tim, I find that statement is indeed true to his heart. Please pray for Pastor Tim and his family as they get adjusted to life in Shreve, and introduce yourself to them as soon as you get a chance.

I write this letter two days after our older son, Jonathan, entered into the covenant of marriage with our new daughter-in-law Amy. We are greatly blessed to see them starting life together! Going through this whole experience has been a vivid reminder that the God who calls us to make covenants with one another is the God who invites us to enter into covenant with none other than Himself. And the reason He expects us to take seriously our covenants with one another is that He takes seriously His covenants with us. In fact, you will find, as you read Scripture, that the idea of covenant helps describe the kind of God we serve. His love is not fleeting and His grace is not occasional because He is a covenant-keeping God. His forgiveness is sure and certain and His promise of eternal life is solid because He is a covenant-keeping God. WE are safe and secure in covenant with Him! Praise the Lord!

Grace and peace to you!

Pastor Bill

May 2004

Having just returned from our mission trip to Cuba, my heart is full of that experience. It became obvious to me, after only a short while there, that none of us would be able to relate all at once what we had seen, heard and felt during the course of our stay. It will take many conversations and testimonies and much film to give you a complete picture; but with this letter, I want to give you a "slice."

One of the first things you realize traveling in Cuba is that many of the stereotypes have to go out the window. For example, the physical appearance of the people. It would be impossible to say that somebody looks like a Cuban, because Cubans come in all colors, shapes and sizes. A crowd of Cubans will be as diverse in appearance as a crowd of Americans. Of course, the inaccurate stereotypes that were of most interest to me were the ones relating to missions work in that country. Many of us have come to think of mission trips primarily as opportunities to evangelize or build buildings or provide medical care. Obviously, there are many unsaved people in Cuba, and there are those occasions for outsiders to present the Gospel; but the Cuban Christians themselves love the Lord with an intensity and devotion that, frankly, made me feel ashamed of myself. They live for Jesus every day and speak of Jesus as often as they can, in as many ways as they can. And they are willing to take tremendous personal risks to serve the Lord. As to building buildings, yes, they could certainly use more and better buildings. It is heart- rending to see some of the places they use to live and worship. One church we attended holds services under a mango tree! That's all they have. But there are more than enough skilled builders and craftsmen in Cuba. The main obstacles they face are lack of permission from the government to expand or upgrade facilities and lack of money to buy building materials when they do have permission. While they are most appreciative of our donations and our willingness to lend a helping hand, they could survive in this regard without us. Concerning medical care, here too they are blessed with some well- trained national personnel. What they lack is the equipment and supplies to get the job done. That's why each group that goes down packs in a load of medical necessities.

So if neither evangelization nor builders nor medical personnel is the priority for us, what is? Well, imagine yourself living in a land where the powers that be work overtime to make you feel foolish and marginalized for serving God; where you do the best you can with what you have, but you wonder if it's good enough; where you live with the daily stress of maybe crossing a line that will lead to you or you loved ones being punished; where you are in most ways cut off from the outside world. What would you need most from other Christians? You would need the prayer, encouragement, personal contact and personal relationships that would strengthen you and spur you on to fight the good fight and run the good race. That's what our Cuban brothers and sisters want most from us. Please do two things: remember the Cuban Church in your prayers, and be open to God using you to bless them in some way.

Grace and peace--Pastor Bill

April 2004

The announcement wasn’t exactly on the front page, but it was in the “A” section of last Monday’s Daily Record. “Lesbian minister’s congregation celebrates her victory.” The story was also carried by one major TV network last Sunday evening. It is the story of United Methodist minister Karen Dammann, who was acquitted, in a church trial, of the charge of violating church doctrine by living in a lesbian relationship. It is probably not news to anyone that the political pressure has been on for some time to normalize the practice of homosexuality not only within the culture, but even within the Church. The thing about political pressure is it can make us begin to wonder whether what we believe about what is right and wrong is really right and wrong. If enough people disagree with you long enough and loudly enough, you may start to question the validity of your stand. Exodus 23:2 gives us a clear caution in this regard: “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.” In the midst of the political pressure within the Church is the call for us to be more loving and peaceful with one another. Of course, I’m all for the practice of love and peace—both are major Christian principles—but so are faithfulness and righteousness! Try Psalm 85:10 on for size: “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” It appears to be a package deal.

Here’s what we should do. We should love Karen Dammann. We should also expel her from the ministry. We should look for loving, creative ways to reach out to the homosexual community. We should also remain steadfast in our passion for upholding the truth. In spite of all the rhetoric to the contrary, tolerance does not set people free—truth does (John 8:32). We should pray for one another with sincere compassion; especially for all who struggle with who they are and who God wants them to be. With the pressure on, we should pray fervently for our country and the Church. We should pray for the General Conference of the United Methodist church, meeting April 27, through May 7, in Pittsburgh. The General Conference, which meets every four years, is THE legislative body of our denomination. They are the ones who write the Book of Discipline, so if any group needs godly wisdom, this one does.

May God grant you a loving—steadfast--heart!

Pastor Bill

MARCH 2004

By the time you read this letter, the movie, “The Passion of the Christ” will have been playing to general audiences for several days. Selected audiences have already seen the film at special showings, and people everywhere are talking about it. There is an endless stream of newspaper, magazine and TV coverage. The critics have been offering their criticism, and the counter-critics have been offering theirs. The Christian bookstores even have a line of “Passion” jewelry and accessories available for purchase! To say that the movie has caused a stir would certainly be an understatement.

Just what it is that is drawing people en masse to want to see “The Passion”? Partly, the fact that it is a full-blown, first-rate production by a man who is still a major box office attraction and partly, the insatiable curiosity to understand the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. This continues to be a worldwide phenomenon. Perhaps the biggest draw, though, is how realistic the movie promises to be. Any thinking person who has read the Bible knows that just about every treatment of Jesus’ last days, whether coming from Hollywood or the world of fine art, has been either sanitized or distorted. Sanitized mostly. Who has succeeded so far in capturing on screen or canvas the true suffering of the Messiah? Most artists either cannot or will not because the truth is far too graphic.

Because it is so graphic, I’m afraid there will be those who will go to the theatre simply to satisfy their craving for morbid entertainment. Many others, however, will go out of a sense that—and I don’t know whether these are feelings of guilt, sympathy or justice, of some combination of the three—Jesus suffered horribly; and we don’t understand how much…but we need to. Certainly, we need to understand the suffering of Christ better than we do, and I hope “The Passion” helps us to do so. But I don’t think we will ever be able to fully comprehend what Jesus went through for us. Yes, we can measure the agonizing hours He hung on the cross; we can measure the number of times He was beaten; we can measure the amount of blood He lost; we can count the sharp thorns in the crown. We can begin to imagine what it felt like to be pierced by nails and the spear, and to hear the scorn of the crowd.

But Jesus experienced a dimension of suffering that transcends our ability to fathom, no matter how imaginative or empathetic we may be. Who can measure the toll upon the body, and spirit that came to the One of whom it is written:”…the Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all”? Therein lies His greatest suffering—and greater than anyone else can or will ever know.

He did it for you. He did it for me. We cannot understand, but we can receive. Praise be to God!

Pastor Bill

Pastor Bill Lawson's Thoughts

Pastor Bill Lawson's Thoughts

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