I Am Alive!

Okay, I have survived…although I once thought I had died and gone to…as Anna puts it…the bad place! I did not have the flu, but did get an ear infection and a sinus infection, which in combination knocked me on my rear for three days…but I am better now. Not yet 100%, but better. And I will confess that at least a portion of my ailment resulted from the fact that I was not able to attend Forged in the Fire on Saturday. It bummed me out, ‘cause I was looking forward to the workshops, the preaching, the teaching, and the fellowship with people I call brothers and sisters and friends. It did delight me to hear the conference was great, but I squealed with joy like a five year-old girl when I saw that I was able to listen to the main speakers on the conference website. Praise God for our technology. So, having listened to two of the presentations, I commend each of them to your listening. There is good stuff here and we need to invest ourselves in stuff like this if we are going to be successful in reaching a lost world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Oh, we could brag…last Sunday we baptized another young adult who professed Jesus as her Lord and Savior…we could except there are countless others out there waiting for someone to tell them about a crucified and risen Savior who can not only knows their pains and loneliness…His greatest desire is to enter into a relationship with them! Take the time to listen to these:
Dr. Robinson’s address:

Dr. Paul Nixon’s address:

Bishop Palmer’s closing message:

Whatever It Takes!

I have recalled something about living in the country since we’ve come to Beulah. This is neither an indictment of past churches nor an endorsement of Beulah…merely an observation. Come harvest time, it is understood that one does whatever it takes. If it requires working late, you work late. If it requires extra help, you get help. If one must do without until the harvest is complete, you do without. (While this attitude sounds good, it can also translate to a reliance upon self rather than God if not kept in perspective.) I raise this because Jesus spoke to a chiefly agrarian society: fishermen, shepherds, owners and workers of vineyards and olive groves. When he stated “the fields are ripe for harvest” (John 4), those who were listening knew the physical implications of such a statement (even if they failed to see the spiritual implications). Implications that I am not sure we understand today. Regardless of whether it’s because we live in a technical or industrial age or not, it’s time to get to work! The harvest is ready, and redemption is near (Luke 21). Have you done what it takes? Worked late; secured help; done without? We need to adopt that “whatever it takes” mindset when sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, realizing we have a limited amount of time to work the fields and bring in the harvest.

Does It Represent You?

I read the following devotion recently and wanted to share it with you…not because Beulah will soon begin building a new parsonage, but because I think God expects this from us all the time.
In a particular church they experienced such growth it demanded they enlarge their facilities. It represented quite a step of faith. After much planning, praying, and working together, they decided on a new church building. It would be adequate for their expanded ministry. It was an exciting moment as together they began raising funds for this multi-million dollar project. The pastor and board made their projections, along with an appeal to the congregation to share in this need b sacrificial giving. Everyone was challenged to be part of this expansion project. After the service was over a lady came to the pastor personally and handed him a check for $50, asking at the same time if her gift was satisfactory. The pastor immediately responded, “If it represents you.” There was a moment or two of soul-searching and she asked to have the check returned. She left with it. A day or two later she returned to make an appointment to see the pastor. This time she handed the pastor a check for $5000 and again asked the same question, “Is my gift satisfactory?” Again the pastor replied, “If it represents you” As before, the truth seemed to be sinking deep into her mind and after a moment or two she asked for the check. Now the pastor was beginning to get a bit worried. Perhaps he had been too bold and had offended her. He also wondered if she would ever return. About two weeks later there was a phone call at the church office asking for another appointment with the pastor. It was the same woman. As before, she came in with a check in hand and a big smile on her face. This time the check was for $50,000. As she placed it in the pastor’s hand she said, “After earnest, prayerful thought, I have come to the conclusion that this gift does represent me, and I am happy to give it to the church for our building project.

Money and giving are touchy subjects to many people. Why? Giving and living are two things that go hand in hand in the Christian lifestyle. The Bible talks about sacrificial giving as well as cheerful giving. Just one question: Will your giving this week really represent you?

Treating Symptoms or Diseases?

Well, yesterday I completed my clergy sexual ethics training for the quadrennium (sigh). I realize its value and I believe it is necessary in our day and age (sigh again), but I am saddened when I think of the resources and time that the Church spends which is not directly related to carrying out the Great Commission. I know we live in litigious times, and I also realize that some clergy are sexual predators, but I also believe that should we (the Church) ever decide to become the people that God calls us to be, many of the struggles we and the world faces would cease to exist. I’ve said this before: if you want to end pornography, abortions, even murder…then we need to introduce people, even clergy persons, to Jesus Christ. He is the answer to their issues; he is the one who convicts; he is the one who heals. We can treat symptoms and people will likely feel better…for a while, but if we want people to experience healing, we’ve got to treat the disease! Oh well, enough preaching…I just wanted you to know I’m back wrestling with charge conference forms, bulletins, and looking forward to Forged in the Fire! I pray you will consider attending with me.

Wow!

It just seems to get better and better! This past weekend was another Spirit-filled time for me. Saturday was a long day, but we had a camp meeting and were able to accomplish 90+% of the work for next year’s Junior High Alive camp at Beulah Holiness Camp in Eldorado. Then Sunday we had communion and two more people joined the church. That’s a big deal, but it’s even bigger when you realize that these two adults bring with them five children! Then, just when I think nothing can top this…our district had the instillation of our new District Superintendent, Cindy Jones. Now the service was good…the music was good with a large variety…but the preaching was great! Bishop Palmer once again challenged the congregation gathered to “make the main thing the main thing!” I expect you will be able to hear his sermon on the conference website in a few days. We got home last night about 8:00p and I must confess that I was exhausted. But I’ll also tell you that I would not wanted to have missed a minute of this past weekend. I can only wonder how the Spirit’s gonna top this…of course Forged in the Fire-Phase 2 is coming soon!

You're Invited!

Someone saw either on the website or in our bulletin about Back to Church Sunday and I was asked just what it is (yeah!). In short it is a special opportunity for you to be the church…a Sunday for each of us to make an all out effort to invite someone you know who doesn’t regularly attend a service (but probably has been in a church before) to attend worship with you at your church. Now, I have resisted the urge to give you statistics about how people will generally respond, so that I might say it really says something about the state of the church that we must have a ‘special’ day to do what we are supposed to be doing each and every Sunday! Jesus Christ has called us to be his witnesses (Acts 1:8), but if less than 2% of us will invite someone to worship with us in a given year (sorry, putting a sign in your yard saying, "You're Invited!" doesnt count), does it surprise you that the church is facing a crisis? But let’s forget the organized church (denominations like the United Methodist Church), what about the general decline of Christianity in America? If 98% of all church-going people won’t invite someone to attend services at their church (isn’t that safe?), I do not for a minute believe any are sharing their testimony/witness with others in the workplace, or at school, or in the community! Back to Church Sunday is not a gimmick or program…it’s the chance for us to actually live out what we profess to believe…and we should celebrate it every Sunday!

The Word for Us!

Praise God for Bishop Gregory V Palmer...for sending him to the Illinois Great Rivers Conference and for his prophetic words offered to the churches of the IGRC. I just listened to his sermon preached at the installation of the Mississippi River District Conference Superintendent Gary Wilson. Church, you need to hear this! Every person in our conference…every person in every denomination needs to hear this! I could rehash it for you (and some of his points I would love to share with you), but it will impact you much better if you hear it yourselves. Take the time to listen, it is worth every moment. Here's the link to his sermon titled "Body Building."
You can find several other sermons of Bishop Palmer at the conference website (www.igrc.org) and you can hear him in person this Sunday, October 4th, at Mt. Vernon First UMC as he brings the message to our district as our new Conference Superintendent is installed. Hope you will be there...I will!