A Little Fire and Brimstone, If You Please

A Little Fire and Brimstone, If You Please: Malachi 4: 1-2a; Luke 21: 5-19

            Each summer, in my rural home, a few of the more charismatic (and I mean very charismatic) churches would gather in the little valley by the river and hold a tent revival. Even from a couple of miles away up on the hill where we lived, we could hear the shouting, the powerful rhythms of the music, the call and response of the sermons going on for hours into the dark of night. Now, I will admit I grew up more Hammond organ and hymns than tongues and tambourines, but there was something capturing and engaging about the passion and fervor of these services.

            They sang, they spoke, they shouted with joy, and they praised God with every fiber of their being until I’m sure they were plain exhausted. I never joined in because I was afraid of snakes, and not just cause it was near the river, if you get my drift, but I couldn’t help being in awe of how much passion they had for the worship and faith they believed. It inspired my own faith.

            In many ways I believe we have lost our passion for faith in this modern day. Much of the trouble is that we’ve let our faith drift too far out of the immediate work of proclaiming a Gospel of love and hope that takes a person trapped in what is wrong and tempting and turns that person’s heart towards the perfection of Christ. In our Gospel lesson for today, we read a rather terrifying apocalyptic account of Jesus’s teaching. The background sounds more like Mad Max or some kind of low budget, end of the world movie. Jesus predicts destruction, even as the disciples look upon the Temple, which was a truly beautiful building to see. The problem is the beauty on the outside hid the corruption on the inside.

            The religious leaders of Jesus’s day had built a system of full political and religious control over the people. They performed the rituals, followed the rules, and towed a very careful public line. But it was a passionless and faithless religion designed only to bring unjust people power. Jesus took every opportunity to preach against the religious leaders. Jesus called them hypocrites and false prophets. John the Baptist called them a brood of vipers. They thrived on power and control in all aspects of civil and social life but lacked any true passion for the real work of God. Jesus tells the disciples that this Temple would be destroyed.

            The physical building was in fact utterly and completely destroyed by Roman armies some 40 years later. But the Temple of corruption that reigned inside was destroyed by Christ who paved the way for a relationship of redemption and hope instead of a religion of control over the people. Now, there is nothing wrong with following rituals. They bring comfort, and Communion is one of our most holy rituals. But in Gospel work there is transformation: of lives, of communities, of suffering, and of all here on earth. We are meant to do God’s work with a passion and an urgency because who will stand against suffering and pain of people if not Christ’s church? Who will stand against the suffering of the soul and spirit if not Christ’s church?

            The Gospel isn’t a tool of power. The Gospel isn’t a guide to predicting end times. The Gospel we believe and live is our spiritual resource to cope with adversity and hardship here and now in the life we live. Are you anxious? So was Jesus when agonized in the garden before his crucifixion. Are you sad or hurting? Jesus endured pain and even wept in the gospels. Are you suffering from the loss of a loved one? Jesus was broken by his friend Lazarus’s death, for death stings and hurts us all. Yet Jesus’s tears came with the boldness of hope to proclaim, “I am the resurrection and the life!” Jesus isn’t some Savior far removed. He lived here. He knows what we go through and suffer with. That is why he tells us over and over the importance of having the passion to work here and now in this world.

We must live and work with passion in the present, here and now. The religious leaders of Jesus’s day were lost in the past. They were reliving rituals and rules they had no passion for nor believed in beyond the power it gave them over the people. Too many of the faithful get stuck in the past. I have to make a confession on that note. The other day in a meeting for the Region, we were debating how to move forward with something. I was the youngest one in the meeting, and as all the others were talking about change and new ways, I caught myself saying, “But this is how we’ve always done it.” I was the one prepared to hold us back, and I needed the reminder that creativity is not sinful, but losing our passion for God’s miraculous and ever-adapting grace is.

But we must also remember that getting lost in the future prevent us from living Jesus’s call to transform hearts and minds in the present. After Jesus tells of all these horrible things to come right up to the “day of judgement” as Malachi calls it, he tells them the good news—stand firm, and not a hair of your head will perish, and you will win your soul. Jesus didn’t make a very big ask—just stand firm. Live in a way now, so that you don’t get stuck in the past or stuck worrying about the future. Stand firm, and trust the God who saved and will save you.

Faith is lived by our standing firm and working with passion for Christ’s kingdom here on earth. Growing up, my grandfather would occasionally lead the singing at church if they needed a fill-in. One that he always liked to sing and would ask me to play on Sunday afternoons was an old, old hymn, “Let My Life Be a Light.” It says, “Let my life be a light shining out through the night. May I help struggling ones to the fold. Spreading cheer everywhere to the sad and the lone, let my life be a light to some soul.”

The faith we live must be a light that shines in the dark to bring cheer and hope. Jesus had a passion for those who needed him. They came to him, found grace, and were forever changed. As we continue to live in the here and now, as Christ’s representatives, we too must have a passion for saving people: from pain, from suffering, and from places of corruption and wrongdoing. Jesus’s life and death destroyed the corruption of the Temple, taught of redemption and new life, and set a people free from oppression.

That’s why we sing, and pray, and proclaim with a passion for God’s work. Just as those old tent revivals intrigued, challenged, and inspired the faith of many in that community, may we find the depth of faith and passion for God’s work that lets us rest assured that our faith says, “Let my life be a light to some soul.”

Apologies for the technical difficulties today. The service is in two parts, and it skips a little.

Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/504237495089470

Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/495329582538347

All Saints 2022

I Have Heard of Your Faith: Psalm 149: 1-5; Ephesians 1: 11-19

            Paul writes to the Ephesian church, “Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly.” Essentially Paul is telling them, “I’ve heard of your faith.” It’s a powerful testimony. It’s the equivalent of Pope Francis, Rick Warren, Joyce Meyer, David Jeremiah or some other powerhouse figure coming here and saying to our church, “I’ve heard of your faith.”

            We use that theme over and over in the church when we talk about how our lives tell the story of the redeeming love we know and believe. It is known and said when we show grace to others, live in a Christ-like way here on earth, and make a difference in someone’s life once they have met us. We also often say a version of that phrase at funerals in talking about the faith of the departed saint.

            Of the four saints we have candles for today, I know two of them personally, had met and talked several times with a third, and spent much time with the family and friends of the fourth. This was the radiating theme of each of their lives. We had all heard, knew of, and experienced the beauty of their faith.

            Bill Hammonds was a preacher. I don’t think you can get any closer to this idea of hearing about a person’s faith than them talking about in the pulpit all over the southeastern United States for decades. He was a wise and gentle man, and believe you me I needed that wisdom a lot starting out. I would routinely call or visit him for help. I’ve joked with him and Morris Wood that when it came to my faith, I said, “What would Jesus do?” When it came to pastoring, I asked, “What would Bill or Morris do?”

            Fran Miranda was a member here for many years after I became pastor. She had great big glasses and the most wonderful, warm facial expressions. She was brilliant, spiritual, and full of love to offer. She was 79 or 80 when she volunteered to do the kids program once a month. But the next week, she said it might not be a good idea cause once and 80-year-old gets down in the floor, getting up becomes a problem.

            Nancy Chapman was one of the most full of life people you could meet, and she never met a stranger. Her family talked of her love and her faith all throughout her life. Our own Regional Minister remembered her as the person at her church in Waycross who was excited with every new plan and ministry they could think of, and said, “Let’s try it!”  And there’s Doris McFarling. I need only look to my right or down in front of me to know the indelible mark of love and grace that “Doe” left on her family in her grandchildren. Her love, her kindness, and her unlimited supply of grace for others will live on in their lives for generations.

            In the saints of the church both living here and living out their reward, we see the power of this idea of someone recognizing, “I have heard of your faith.” I fear, though, these days that as churches shrink, members dwindle, and ministries close all over the country, the idea of that phrase will change. People may soon end up saying, “I have heard of your faith,” as if it is a distant memory. Keeping the flame of faith’s hope alive is a hard task. And the decline of the church into a distant memory would leave a void little else could fill.

            The life and work of faith is done by those who live it. The vastness of God’s love is lived and known from those who believe and show it daily. The same Paul who wrote here: “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him,” also wrote what that power was in one of his last works of Romans. Paul wrote, “For God so loved the world,” just very simply and plainly put We must continue to live up to that goal, so that our faith does not become a distant memory, so that others will know of this perfect love of God, and so that those who teach hateful things whether in this world or in our own churches do not win. For within us, we know the power of God’s redeeming love, and how that forgiveness and grace has changed us.

            When doubts and struggles come to us, there are four saints with candles today who gave us wonderful examples. Many of us here also have our own example of loved ones still with us or gone one: a mother who brought smiles to everyone’s faces at her get-togethers; a father whose birthday is still honored 15-20 years after his death; the desire to build on a legacy left to do good work in the world. And, there are so many more. We are guided by our faith in God, but we are shaped by those who taught us, loved us, and showed us how to practice the faith we’ve come to believe.

            At the end of the day, what matters most is that the legacy we leave with the faith we live. When people encounter us, they should feel the loving presence of Christ within us reaching out to love and encourage them along their way here. That’s the same work that these saints did for us. It’s hard when our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and all who took part in shaping and raising us are gone. It’s hard when we eventually realize that we are the adult in the room. But I pray that as people meet us, much like our beloved saints of the church, we will also hear those words, “I have heard of your faith.” And I pray that the next thought is, “I want to know more.”

            Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/485955739979405

Self Care Final Part

Have a Little Fun! Ecclesiastes 8: 15-17; John 16: 20-24

            In 2002, a movie called Signs came out and made quite an impact on viewers around the country. It tells of a family withstanding an alien invasion in their rural small town. As folks get more and more nutty about what they think is happening, wearing tin foil on their head and so forth, the title character has a very memorable line. He says, “Everybody needs to just calm down and eat some fruit or something.” I have since discovered that this phrase makes for wonderful sarcastic humor in a situation but doesn’t necessarily translate to great pastoral advice.

            As we finish up our series on self-care, we look at the idea that we need to have a little fun sometimes in life. I believe that, in this day and age of incredible angst and worry, perhaps those words from a scary movie may well hold weight, “Everybody needs to just calm down and eat some fruit or something.” And it’s very possible, that the Bible supports just that very idea.

            In Ecclesiastes 8, we hear that same idea echoed. The writer says, “So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.” Ecclesiastes is a book filled with tough references and teachings, and, at times, can lead us right up to the brink of nihilism, an old philosophy that says very simplistically that all of life is meaningless. But here, the writer claws back this idea and encourages us to do things that bring happiness.

            Too often these days we suffer from a lack of joy or happiness. A friend of mine talked about a shopping trip with his grandmother where they dodged the same person all over the store for over an hour to avoid them. The reason? She would talk on and on and on how awful things were and would give infinite detail of all the many bad things going on in her life and the world. My friend’s grandmother called her a vampire that sucks the fun right out of life…a “funpire.” Ecclesiastes says that we must find fun in life, and trust that God is wise enough to handle the troubles. We are told that even the wisest in life cannot figure out all that God is doing. Where we cannot understand, faith and trust will build the bridge to joy.

            When was the last time you or I intentionally did something fun, calming, or relaxing? We get so narrowly focused on the problems of life before us, that we forget to stop occasionally and enjoy the fact that we have life in a God who brings us hope and joy. Now there are many who live with depression and other medical issues who may struggle in life. No one can simply choose not to have an illness of the mind or body. But we can choose what we feed ourselves. We do have a choice whether to focus on words and thoughts of all that is holy, hopeful, loving, and joyful in God’s embrace, or whether we embrace the suffering of darkness.

            Look at it this way, if you have a stomach virus, I doubt you will want to eat two rounds of Taco Bell and half a pizza. In the same way, we have to stay away from the negative things that affect our soul and spirit especially in a world filled with the dark sin of so many negative things. As Philippians 4:8 says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters…fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

            The Gospel also echoes this balance and choice between what is painful in this life and what is filled with joy. There is a double promise in the words from Jesus. The first promise is not good—there will be some level of pain and suffering we have to endure in this world. There is no escaping that. But there is a second promise. In Christ’s loving grace we find the hope that brings us joy. Jesus tells the disciples that in his death and resurrection, they (and we too) will find joy, and no one can rob us of that joy.

            Luther Bridgers, who was a powerful minister and musician for God, wrote our first hymn for today after losing his family in a house fire. It took so many years for him to find a place of joy and peace again through his faith in God. But eventually he wrote the words that his faith in Jesus “fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.” In the cold, dead silence of suffering, Jesus can revive the warm melodies of love and joy in our hearts to keep us singing as we go along in life as well. Jesus tells the disciples that even as they endure in this life, they will find a closeness to God, and in that relationship, they will find abundant joy.

            So today we consider, that in taking care of ourselves, we need to find a little fun in life. It may be a funny movie, a short outing, listening to our favorite music, or even a vacation. Time, money, and physical ability may all affect how much we can do; however, the words still ring clear—we must find the space for fun and create joy in our lives to sustain and help us when the struggle seems hard, and the burdens are heavy.

            Over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at how we strengthen our physical and spiritual wellbeing through selfcare in a Biblical way. We’ve learned that our souls must find rest in God when they are weary. We have learned the importance of having a community of folks to sustain us and provide a faith family. We’ve looked at how we are physically and spiritually nourished through the Christ who gives everything we need. And we have looked at gratefulness in all times and seasons of life. To be able to live for God in this world, it is vitally important that we take care of ourselves and find our hearts and minds at rest in God’s love.

            Overcoming suffering, pain, and the weariness of this life can only be done through a stronger, deeper relationship with God and a faith that overcomes. As we finish out this series, I want to leave you with the thoughts of Philippians: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” At the end of the day, we must find (and sometimes work very hard to find) the joy in life…maybe even calm down and eat some fruit or something. This joy comes from the knowledge that God loves us, has redeemed us, and will be with us all the days of our lives. I pray you find that happiness and always take care of yourselves as God’s very own beloved. 

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/521712299817921

Self-Care Part 4

Self-Care: Practicing Gratefulness--Gen. 35: 1-7; Luke 17: 11-19

            122 sandwiches in 27 minutes. That was the official tally from our sandwich making night at Centenary Church on Wednesday. Some of those went to a community fridge in one part of town and some went into the community fridge at the back of Centenary. For whoever may need a sandwich or two in these difficult times, I’m sure there was gratefulness for the blessing. Today, we continue our series on self-care this week by considering the importance of practicing gratefulness in our lives and sharing the blessings we are grateful for with others.

            Practicing gratefulness can be difficult in our modern world. In a time where we feel roughed up, over-politicized, over stimulated with news and information, and constantly fed a diet of bleak suffering, it is easy to be far more grouchy than grateful. But we also may be experiencing personal suffering, pain, or struggle which makes seeing the goodness in life very difficult.

            If we look to our Gospel lesson, we see the familiar story of Jesus healing the ten men with leprosy. For most of Sunday School we’ve learned in this lesson the importance of saying thank you to God. But there’s a deeper nuance to this lesson. First, many of us in a dark and angry place should be able to identify well with the men who have leprosy. In Jesus’s day, this was a horrific, painful, and grotesquely disfiguring disease. It eventually gave people a monstrous appearance before they ultimately died. But there was more than just the physical suffering.

            Because of the contagious nature of the disease, people with leprosy were cast out of society as unclean, lived in abject poverty, and were cut off from all society including family. When we jump all the way to the one who came back, we miss just how much these ten men suffered and endured: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Under such circumstances it is hard to see anything to be grateful for.

            Jesus, however, heals all ten when they cry out for mercy. Yet only one actually says, “Thank you.” There is much speculation about why this is. Some say that when they called out for mercy, they were asking for money, and were upset that Jesus sent them away without money despite healing them. It wasn’t the blessing they wanted regardless of what a great blessing it was. Some have said because of their status in Jewish society, it was their expectation to be healed. Others simply say they got so caught up in the blessing they forgot to thank the One who gave the blessing.

            Only one had the faith to come back to Jesus both to praise God and thank Jesus. He was a Samaritan. The others, we presume, were Jewish. Being healed gave them physical well-being back as well as allowing them back into good society. But this man, he would never be accepted back to society, for Samaritans were hated. The healing only gave him physical wellness back. The one who ultimately received the least, came back to give the greatest thanks. That is how we practice gratefulness in our lives.

            Gratefulness is not a quid pro quo game. We don’t say, “I’ll be thankful and grateful if…” We often have to be grateful in spite of the circumstances. In the Genesis scripture, Jacob is told to build an altar. Usually this is done by the person as a symbol of being grateful to God. Here, instead, God instructs it be done. But Jacob is already mindful of the reason: “We are going to Bethel where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. [God] has been there with me wherever I have gone.”

            By no means was life all that easy for Jacob. But in all of the turmoil he had this strong sense of understanding that God never left him nor abandoned him. We hear that idea echoed in the lyrics of our hymns and songs including, “I will praise you in the storm; whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, it is well with my soul; and great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”

            Now, my own personal belief on this Gospel lesson is that the Samaritan came back to give thanks because he sensed the presence of God before him. It wasn’t Jesus’s miracle, good works, or a whole lot of hope that made him well. Jesus said to him, “Your faith has healed you.” I submit that it was not some blind hope for a cure to leprosy, but simply his faith in God. We can be grateful because we know the God who loves us, redeemed us, and calls us God’s very own is the same God who gives hope now and hope eternal. We can be grateful because our God is the God of all time, for as the hymn says, “In life in death, O Lord, abide with me.”

            But gratefulness isn’t something we do sitting at home with a smile. It is the practice of gratefulness which fills our hearts with joy and helps or heals just like Jesus did. I’ve read recently of churches which took up special offerings for community aid. They used the thousands upon thousands of dollars they collected to pay off the medical debts of low-income people in the community. And let’s be honest, what is more Christlike than this? Imagine the hundreds of people in that community testifying how God’s church paid the sickness debt and made me free. Then the church says, there’s more good news, we can help fix your sin debt in addition to your medical debt. Come and find out this Sunday—as they practice gratefulness in a mighty way.

            Gratefulness is something we share because sharing blessings and sharing in our thankfulness brings joy. I’m grateful when someone shares a mint or caramel candy with me. I’m grateful when I can split a cookie with a certain greeter on a Sunday morning even if I’ve already eaten two and pretend like I didn’t. Even in the struggles and dark edges of life there is so much to be grateful for because God loves us so much and promises us that even if this life becomes rough, there’s hope everlasting to follow.

            122 sandwiches in 27 minutes. 122 opportunities to cultivate gratefulness in someone else who may be struggling. What are we grateful for in life? But more importantly, how do we practice our gratefulness so that we can bless others and bring joy to our souls? When the Samaritan’s faith grew in strength, Jesus healed him and shared in the joy of his gratefulness. When Jacob came to Bethel, he praised God for always being with him and providing that holy presence in the good times and in his distress. Practicing gratefulness is actually quite easy. It simply involves us believing the words, “Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me,” and letting this be known to all who meet us.

            Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/843608250162845

Self Care Pt. 3

Build a Community: Deut. 7: 6-9; Colossians 3: 12-17

            Many years ago, a friend of mine in another state called with a full crisis of conscience about church. She said that she was struggling to go, thought it wasn’t important, and felt like there was nothing to be gained from being there. She said, “I just don’t feel the faith fuzzies anymore.” After 11 years in ministry, I am still trying to decipher what “faith fuzzies” are.

            But after a bit of conversation, there were a few things we discovered together: she loved the camaraderie of the choir, had an older couple who took her as a single woman to lunch after church on Sunday, enjoyed finding a movie buddy from Bible Study. In essence, these people had become her community of friends. In many ways they were like family. She had become bonded and connected to this community of faith and in particular to the people in it. So today we consider: who makes up your community when you need such people in your life?

            A community can bring us support. Our scripture in Colossians begins with the words, “Since God chose you to be the holy people [God] loves…” Together as a group we are a holy people of God who are taught to live in ways that reflect God’s lovingkindness. Those teachings include: be tenderhearted, merciful, humble and kind, gentle and patient, and make allowance for other’s faults. Since we are God’s people this is how we live in a supportive way with one another.

            If someone is sick, we bring food and offer prayer. If someone has pain and death, we visit and shine God’s comforting presence. If there is a personal problem, we listen and care talking of hope and redemption. If someone goofs up, we find forgiveness for faults. A community is meant to build support and trust—a place where we strengthen and make better the people who come into the community.

            Jesus surrounded himself with disciples here on earth. Every bit of his ministry—healing, teaching, and going to the cross—all could have been done on his own. But Jesus intentionally called together a community to travel with him, support him, and provide that companionship not because he needed it, but as an example to us who do need a community around us.

            Living lives of faith cannot be a solitary task for us. In times of struggle we often isolate and turn inward fearing that others will judge us, fail to understand, or make the suffering we endure even worse. And that’s a risk. People don’t always have the love and patience of God. But isolation in times of trial will destroy us. One commentary on Colossians said, “The people of God need a deep and heartfelt sympathy for the situations of others and active consideration (compassion and kindness) for others’ interest and needs.”

            It requires us to see others through God’s eyes—not the immediate trouble they’re in, but how we can support them with tenderness, mercy, grace, and understanding that faults and failures happen, but always looking with an eye towards redemption and reconciliation with one another and back into God’s community of faith.

            But living in community together also brings accountability. Colossians also says, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus.” God does not tell us to leave bad or harmful behavior and thoughts unchecked. But we are always to correct with gentleness and patience. We are told here to teach and counsel one another not throw the mother of all hissy fits.

            The text in Deuteronomy references “covenant.” I believe that’s a word we don’t focus on enough these days. Our shared life of faith isn’t intertwined and woven together because of friendship, just because, or simply through liking one another well enough. We come in faith by a covenant to be a church together. That covenant is a binding promise which brings us in community together. God made a covenant with the Israelite people to be their God and to be with them in all things including delivering them from slavery in Egypt.

            For us there is a new covenant which we talk about in terms of Christ’s work on the cross and offering of grace. That new covenant is a relationship based on redemption and forgiveness. But it’s also a covenant we share with one another—to follow Christ, to love as God loves, and to work for the goodness of God here on earth. And we must be accountable to that covenant we have made both in following Christ and with one another to share the work of faith.

            Living in community together in Christ gives us both support and accountability. In our day and time, we see far too many people deciding they don’t need church, that they can find God just fine by themselves. But the flame in a log separated from the main fire will very shortly go cold and die out. Much as we like to do things alone and our own way, living out our faith has to be done in community together. It’s important for you and your church.

            The truth is we all need each other to live the best and most Christ-like life we can with love and care, but also holding one another accountable for wrongs. It’s also necessary that we, like the Hebrew people and Paul’s churches, accept that support over rugged individualism and receive accountability instead of being constantly offended when others offer help. I need you, and we need one another. I will confess that being a single pastor in this town is a lonely endeavor. I need community from you just as much as you need one another, and just as much as you need wisdom and leadership from me. We truly are bound together as the song says.

            Paul wraps up this portion of his letter with the words, “Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus.” Both in life and in church we must learn how to live with one another in gentleness and love which works throughout our support of one another and holding one another accountable to God and to the assembled body of Christ. Everything we do, as a people of faith, we do as a representative of the God we follow. May that reminder guard our words and actions each and every moment of life.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/498849038772905  

Self Care Pt. 2

2. Physically & Spiritually Nourished: II Kings 4: 38-44; Matt 15: 32-39

            To help finance my retirement, I have decided that one day, many years down the road, I will write a book about my time in Macon. One entire chapter is going to be devoted to food. I can tell of some of the best barbecue, fried chicken, and pimento cheese I’ve ever had, excluding my mother’s. But there will also be a few things that stretched the imagination and my food palate. For instance, there was no way I was eating the vegetables in tomato aspic at S & S. And I was absolutely dumbfounded when I saw pear salad. I could not believe the existence of this concoction of a half a canned pear with blob of Miracle Whip, cheddar cheese, and a cherry on top for good measure. I know the Hebrew people complained about so much manna in the wilderness, but I see their manna and raise them a cheesy, miracle whip splattered half-pear.

            The Bible talks a lot about food and being fed and nourished. Famines and feasts are used literally in the historical aspects as well as figuratively to make a point about God’s nourishing abilities to our soul and spirit. We often hear Jesus described as the Bread of Life. Communion, a simple meal, is at the heart of faith. And both of the scriptures for today talk about hunger and food.

            There’s a very literal description of how Elisha finds a famine in Gilgal. He sends the people out to gather food for a large stew, but it’s poisoned by the wild gourds. Miraculously a little flour cures the poison. Then Elisha miraculously takes a sack of grain and some fresh bread and feeds a multitude to the astonishment of his servant and everyone else.

            Jesus likewise performs a similar miracle. The feeding of the multitude is in every single Gospel in the Bible in some form or another. Here Jesus had been teaching in the wilderness for 3 days, and the people had run out of food. I am sure they were irritable. I would be irritable if I was hungry and sitting through a sermon going on three days. There’s only a smattering of food left, but miraculously Jesus takes only a tiny amount and feeds thousands upon thousands of people.

            Some say the miracle was truly supernatural, and Jesus produced more food over and over. Others say the miracle was Jesus’s inspiration to take very little and encourage the people to share. I fear the point is lost in this theological battle. It’s both. There was literal sharing by the gathering of the food, the sharing of grain and bread, and sharing of the small number of fish and loaves. But there’s something magical and unexplainable about the way God takes so very little and provides and overwhelming abundance.

            The biggest provision was faith. Not only was food scarce, but there was a faith famine as well. The same is often true for us. Just as our souls are tired, they are also malnourished. When was the last time you fed your soul and spirit with things that are holy. How many of you have no idea how to feed your soul at all? I’ll give you an example. About a year ago, I started going to spiritual direction. It’s like therapy, but it helps you discipline yourself to find God and center God’s presence in life’s struggles. Sam, my director, and I meet every 4-6 weeks, and I’m grateful for these sessions which nourish my spiritual and mental wellbeing.

            The people with Elisha and Jesus, even their closest followers, lacked the faith to believe that God would provide in a miraculous way. A lack of faith will starve us of all hope in God. Neither Jesus nor Elisha accepted an answer of too little faith or too few resources. There was more than enough to feed and inspire each person and more than enough to go around for entire cities and thousands of people. “There’s not enough,” is not an acceptable answer to God, whether it’s faith or resources. God always provides.

            To truly hit the point home, both Elisha and Jesus invited the people to participate in the miracle that was about to happen. Elisha sent the people out to forage up enough food for a stew. That’s not the miracle. Elisha simply encouraged enough faith for the people to find nourishment for themselves and the whole community. The miracle was making sure that when everybody came to the table to eat it wasn’t a toxic mix that was served.

            Certainly, God can simply make the miraculous happen, but God is not a genie or fairy god mother. We are expected to have the faith to take part in the miracles which are happening. As Jesus makes food appear out of nowhere, or maybe some hidden away last bits, he makes sure everyone passes it around until all are fed. Everyone had a hand in nourishing one another physically and spiritually.

            That is what the work faith is about—finding ways to feed the hungry and nourish the spiritually starving. We say to folks, and to one another, here’s a meal, go and eat tonight. But we also hear the words, “Take and eat, this is my body broken for you. Take and drink, this is the cup of salvation poured out for you.” If you feel this overwhelming sense of spiritual and physical fatigue, perhaps you’re tiredness comes from being spiritually hungry and in need of the Bread of Life. What is your best spiritual nourishment—conversation, prayer, music, reading, being active in doing God’s work? When was the last time you did such things to nourish yourself?

            Christ invites us to have the faith to believe that even in saving us from the sinfulness of the world, we are also saved from spiritual starvation as the trials and troubles of this world attack us. Christ also invites us to be a part of the miraculous. Whether it’s communion, service, love and care for others, or changing hearts and minds to find love in a broken world, if we take the first step of faith, God can work the miraculous through us.

We come each week to Christ’s table where we remember over and over the saving grace which Christ gives us when we have the faith to believe. But faith is active and calls us to be nourished in our own souls as well as to help feed others the bread of life. I’m grateful that we have this simple meal. It would be a struggle to come to a Communion table with vegetables frozen midair in gelatinous goo or pears topped with Miracle Whip. Instead, at this table, we find the call to be physically and spiritually nourished by God’s own grace, and to share that nourishing hope with the world. It’s a reminder of the words of our hymn, “God is so good to me.” And so God is. And so God will be. 

 Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/530228255607776

Self Care Pt. 1

Selfcare: Rest for Your Soul—Exodus 20: 8-11; Matthew 11: 28-30

            I read a self-care article the other day titled, “Ten Signs Your Soul Is Tired.” Unfortunately, now I’m both tired and worried about why I’m tired. The signs included the following: struggling to believe God’s promises, unable to pray, people-focused, settling instead of thriving, unbelieving, angry, dissatisfied, isolated, insecure, and lacking self-control. And, well, after that list, I think I’ve diagnosed half the world’s problems!

            There are many ways we can say we are tired. It may be from physical exertion and our body is tired. We may have worked through complex problems and our brain is weary. Or…or…it may be that the soul is tired, and no amount of rest, water, and dietary supplements will help us. As a society, neglecting our physical well-being is second only to the neglect and abuse we place upon our soul and spirit. Self-care in a faith-filled way begins not in a diet and exercise, but when we take rest for our souls.

            The scriptures for today are short. Exodus is a very familiar passage telling us to keep the Sabbath holy and adding that the people should do no work on that day. If some of this seems familiar, I can help. This scripture is found right in the middle of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. What does it mean when the scripture says to “observe” the Sabbath and “keep it holy?” It is true that there was an entire work stoppage in the Hebrew community. No one did anything on the Sabbath—no work, cooking, cleaning, limited walking, nothing. They didn’t even sacrifice or do the work of worship in this time.

            The Sabbath was designed as the one day where the people disengaged from all responsibility to other humans and turned complete attention unto Yahweh, or God. It comes from God’s own sabbath during the creation story in Genesis. This idea of a Sabbath, of turning from routine labors to focus on God, is foundational and integral to life and to the people of God.  

            We often take 5 minutes here or spend a couple hours watching a movie. We may occasionally turn off our phone and computer for a bit, but only just a bit! For many of us, though, I believe it’s been a long time since we actually engaged in the practice of Sabbath. A few minutes or an hour or two alone with God is not enough. Even if all of our activities of life revolve around doing God’s work, we are still neglecting our soul’s rest and time in peace and stillness with God. We need rest for our souls, and constant sensory stimulation with every gadget, device, book, and activity under the sun will not provide the rest our souls need.

            Through their history, the Hebrew people have looked to this Sabbath as what separated them from others—during times of strength, vulnerability, captivity, and exile, they remained close to God through this time and attention to dwelling with God in quiet and in Sabbath time. Our modern society tried to legislate it with blue laws limiting liquor sales, business hours of operation, and other things. But you can’t legislate a spiritual discipline.

            Spending time in Sabbath—finding rest for the soul is something we have to seek out and work at doing. It hard to do. Many people say they don’t like to be alone or be still with their own thoughts. They need that constant noise and distraction. But even as we keep busy, the soul will grow more and more tired until sleep, a healthy lifestyle, and even distraction cannot lift us out of life’s weariness.

            Jesus offers the help we need. He said to the people in Matthew’s gospel, “Come unto me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” He gets right to the heart of the point here, in trusting in Christ, you will find rest for your soul. In a very real sense, Jesus was targeting those who were burdened by the many silly rules the religious leaders of his day had created. He wanted the people to unburden themselves from a religious practice which was neither practical to do nor particularly saving or redemptive.

            But there’s more than just the historical part to this. The more we trust in Jesus and follow him, the more our souls and spirits are liberated. Here’s the proof. Let’s say you’re mad and worked up about something, so you call your close friend and tell them you need a few minutes to vent and complain. Usually at the end of that call, there’s a sigh of relief. There’s an old hymn, “Tell It to Jesus,” which says, “Are you weary, are you heavyhearted? Tell it to Jesus.” We have that open invitation—Jesus said, “Come unto me!”  

            If we plan to do the work of God here on earth, our spirits must be ready and engaged. Too often we over tax, over burden, and over stress ourselves. I read something the other day that said, “Sometimes you can get so busy trying to be everyone else’s anchor that you don’t realize you are actually drowning.” It’s much like the old saying that you cannot pour from an empty bottle.

            Why do we continuously take on more and more heavy burdens—worry, doubt, dread, anxiety, and stress? It reminds me of going through the store without a shopping cart (or buggy based on where in the South you live) and piling item after item up in your arms until you cannot carry anything else. Jesus says, “Come unto me all of you who carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” There may still be some doubt, fear, and worry in life, but there is also then a loving Savior who shares the load, hears our cries for help, and offers peace in our sufferings.

            When was the last time you took a few moments and spent time alone with God? When was the last time you were willing to release those burdens and share them with the God who created the universe who has the power to help us? From the dawn of time, God has called us to take time for a Sabbath—not just a 50 minute worship service followed by the rest of the day’s busy work, but a real and true Sabbath. When was the last time we disconnected from the world and all the people and simply spent time in meditation and prayer casting our burdens on Christ? If there is to be any peace in this world, it has to begin with us—in our souls—seeking rest and restoration. In those times life’s burdens overwhelm us and threaten to undo our sanity, remember this word from Jesus, “Come unto me, and I will give you rest.”

Service Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/446500560671921

God's Calling--Final

God’s Calling: Ezekiel—The Tough Conversations: Ezekiel 2; Gal. 1: 11-24

            There are many times of life where we have to engage in difficult conversations. This past Friday I was trying an assault—a case where someone got shot in the head. I had to sit before the hearing with the victim and talk him through what was likely the worst moment of his life. We had to watch the video of him be shot together. We had to review his injury photos together. I’ll never forget the quiet way he asked, “Do I really have to watch the video?” We also had to talk about the fact that a bigger caliber bullet or a few centimeters to the left, and he’d be dead. And we also had to talk about the fact that this happened because this nice, respectful kid from the suburbs was selling drugs. He’s 21.

            I realize that’s probably shocking and a bit more than you bargained for on a Sunday morning. But we’re all at the point in life where difficult conversations have happened or may have to happen in our lives. It may involve a bad diagnosis. It may involve the fact that there’s no longer enough money to pay the rent. It may be a break down in a relationship. Or it may be the very simple yet profoundly complex words, “I’m not okay.”

            If we believe that the God of All is in us and working through us, then we must allow God to have the power and the almighty wisdom to guide our most difficult conversations in life. We’ve covered this scripture in Ezekiel from the point of view of standing for truth. But how do we speak the words and engage in the conversations we never want to have and don’t know how to begin?

            In Ezekiel we see over and over this emphasis on him being called, “Son of man.” There is a clear distinction made between Ezekiel who is in many ways weak in his humanity versus the all-powerful strength of God. Ezekiel is being sent to prophesy in a way that has not be done before to the Hebrew people. Unlike the sadness of Jeremiah, Ezekiel’s words speak of hope in terms of anger, punishment, and destruction. There is little gentleness found in this prophecy. It is extreme, hard, severe, complex, and painful. If you think about it, the only real part of Ezekiel covered in church is the valley of the dry bones. The rest is not talked about, and historically, Rabbis had to be over 30 years of age to have the wisdom and fortitude to read and discuss this book.

            God is sending Ezekiel as a prophet who will be rejected by the people. God is filling Ezekiel with a prophetic word that will not be heard by the people. But God makes absolutely clear the God’s word is spoken through Ezekiel. God figuratively places a scroll in Ezekiel’s mouth, which gives him God’s very words to speak. We must remember that when we have tough conversations, we must speak as we are led by God. When we speak from our own well of abilities, it is inadequate. At all times whether easy or hard, our conversations and speech must be the words of God from the Word of God.

            But we must also remember in hard conversations that success is measured differently. God clearly told Ezekiel that his success as a prophet was not measured by how the people listened and responded. It was measured by Ezekiel’s own willing obedience to speak the words which God gave him. Tough conversations cannot be avoided, but they can be guided by the scroll of words God places in our own mouths as well as understanding that it is our willingness to engage in such conversations in a civil, faithful way which marks our success.

            We come then to the wisdom Paul gives us in Galatians. The church there was in disarray because they were told by others that the gospel preached by Paul was too far away from the home faith of Judaism. Paul launches on this defense speech that basically boils down to the idea that whatever Paul said whether they agree or not was said as he felt led by God. Paul tells them that he was not brainwashed by Paul or James or other disciples in Jerusalem. In all that he said and did, Paul followed the guidance and inspiration of Christ.

            Now, the lesson for us is that when we have to say things that are difficult or have a tough conversation, we must be careful whose advice we are listening to. There are some who mean well, but do not advise us in ways which draw us closer to God. And there are some who enjoy the chaos their bad advice brings. Paul says that he did not get brainwashed by Peter and James, but he is also telling the Galatians not to listen to the evil teachings of those coming around to stir them up.

            God’s word in us and spoken through us is meant to be transforming, freeing, loving, and empowering to others. No prophet spoke a word of destruction and doom without telling the people of a way back—a way they could be made whole in themselves and in their relationship to God once more. It’s like the old saying that the truth shall set you free. Now, telling the truth doesn’t always spare you of the consequences for what you did wrong. We still must live with such things. But the truth unburdens us from the anger, the disappointment, the guilt, and the sadness that we live with when we don’t have the tough conversations we need to have.

            This past week my team and I spoke the words we prayed for this victim to hear. It was horrible for him, and it was unpleasant for us. I have no idea if what he heard and saw in court will make a difference in his life or not. But the desire of someone to listen does not absolve us from the call to speak the truth with grace and compassion to others.

            Ezekiel was sent on a mission to speak words of unbearable suffering with a final word of hope. He was told that his prophet work would be a complete fail and that the people would not listen to him. But God says to him, “Speak anyway.” The three things we must remember in our difficult points of life, and when the words we speak are hard to say are these: first, remember that success is measured by obedience in us and not the response in the listener; second, be careful of the advice that is received and followed that it focuses on Christ; and finally, in all that we say and do, we must listen to God and speak the words which God gives us. May God’s words be planted in our hearts and be spoken from our mouths each and every day.

            Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/405869311703203

God's Calling, Part 2

God’s Calling: Jeremiah and Words—Jeremiah 1: 1-10; II Cor. 2: 1-8

            I believe we are all familiar with the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” Some versions exist as early as 1830, but the exact saying was first recorded in 1862 in The Christian Recorder, a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Even there it is called an “old” adage. And in a literal way it’s true, words will not physically break your body like someone throwing a big old rock at you. But if we are being totally and completely honest, words can hurt us in very deep and profound ways. Words have a very incredible power over our soul and spirit.

            We live in a time where people are not very careful with their words, and we feel at liberty to say whatever we want under the guise of truth or speaking our minds. As I said to a friend years ago, if you give everyone a piece of your mind, eventually you’ll nothing left. It has become common place to hear words that hurt and wound to the core but have no real value.

            Snowflake, Nazi, racial slurs like the principal in Fosyth County used, homophobic slurs and phrases, political hate speech from either and both sides of the spectrum, abrupt and angry responses because we’re all living right on the edge of our last nerve…all of this has become the routine of our lives, and none of it has served us for the better. Our words and our phrases—what we say—can be a powerful tool in God’s kingdom or can be vicious weapon when we are unchecked.

            Part of the problem is that society believes it’s being prophetic or wise when it says hateful things to one another. But we need only look to Jeremiah, who prophesied for over 40 years to see the difference. He spoke to the Jewish people throughout a long period of time that saw them go from a place of glory to a place of disaster. Jeremiah, unlike many prophetic voices, was fluent in both priestly work and prophetic work. He understood the established order and the call for change better than anyone in Jewish society.

            He spoke words of doom and suffering—harsh and bitter words for the people to hear. But there was a purpose. He was calling the people back from a place of sin and destruction to a place of repentance, grace, and proper worship of God and relationships to one another. He talks in the scripture of being too young, too inadequate and inexperienced. But the same God who called him reminds him here that God’s own holy words are placed in Jeremiah’s mouth. God tells Jeremiah, “I knew you before I formed you…I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations,” in verse 5.

            There is the difference between the prophetic word of Jeremiah and the angry words of modern society—that difference is a purpose for the abrupt words. When we speak only to antagonize, tear down, bully, and make our point, we are not speaking the words God has put into our mouth. Any harsh word we speak on God’s behalf should be followed immediately with words that allow for grace, forgiveness, and mercy. For as I John says, if we do not know love and show love, then we certainly do not know God, for God is love. We tend to focus on the misery and doom of Jeremiah’s message, but the whole of his message was not suffering—it was a call to return and be found in God’s love and guidance. Those are the words of power which Jeremiah spoke to the people.

            We see the same pattern in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. The church at Corinth had a lot of problems, and I do mean a lot. They were filled with immorality—unholy conduct, sexual behaviors, unholy worship, pagan practices, identity politics because of the church’s diversity, and hatefulness used to fight for position and power within the church structure. Sarcastically, it’s always nice to know some traditions never seem to leave us.

            Paul was angry at this church, and he could have easily vented his rage to them. In fact, he alludes to the fact that he doesn’t come in person because of how ugly it would be. Instead, he sends a strongly worded letter. And here he tells them he reproves them out of love, not his anger or spite. The ancients knew that frankness could easily be abused because, as one commentary says, “People have a finite reservoir of goodwill.” And that goodwill runs out quickly when they are verbally bashed and abused.

            From this short passage we see how Paul is following Christ. He was wronged. There was someone (or a group) in that church who divided it, who viciously hurt Paul and all of the church at Corinth. Paul could have truly and justifiably lost his temper and let that church have it. But that is not Christ-like. If you want to be like Christ, you have to lay down your right to justifiable rage and revenge and take up the cross of mercy and forgiveness. Our words are only meant to break others insofar as we continue to use our words and abilities to build them back up for their good and for the good of Christ in them.

            Look at Paul’s words, “I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.” He goes on to say about the pain and controversy, “It is time to forgive and comfort him [the offender]. So now I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.” Paul, here, is living the Christ-like path he preaches.

            You cannot hold grudges and follow Christ. You cannot speak hate speech or hateful words and follow Christ. You cannot speak harshly and without a path to mercy and grace and follow Christ. Creating sin in yourself as a response to a sin done to you is neither healthy nor holy. Jeremiah and Paul both provide the example—a prophetic word which hits hard is designed to restore, to heal, and bring the community or person back to a good relationship with God.

            There is a variant on the old adage about sticks and stones. It goes like this: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will last forever.” The Word of God calls us to mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness. The words of the Gospel speak from our lives, our attitudes, and the way we live for Christ in this world. As we consider the power of our words, may the Gospel speak through us those very words of Christ, beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/3252804984935117

God's Calling, Part 1

Abraham: A Journey to Greatness—Gen. 12: 1-9; Philippians 1: 20-26

            I will freely admit that some mornings getting out of bed is hard. I say, 5 more minutes, one more time on the snooze button, or think I can maybe dress a little faster to make up the time. But the truth is many of us rarely jump out of bed preparing for greatness. Instead, we drag ourselves out of bed and hope we can meditate, drink enough coffee, or get on enough makeup to look somewhat human. I doubt we could be like Abraham, or Abram as he was called in the scripture today.

            When we encounter him today, he is called by God to a journey. God says that Abram is to leave the only country he has ever known and journey to this unknown place where God will make his descendants into a great nation. God called him to a tremendous journey. In 1983 Malachi Martin wrote in the New York Times that from his home in Ur, Abram traveled 700 miles to the boarders of Iraq, 700 miles into Syria, 800 miles to Egypt, then back into present day Israel. In light of Abraham going 2,200 miles on foot, I realize I should probably stop complaining about a 10-minute delay at the 16/75 intersection. It could be worse!

            But there’s a very clear pattern to that relationship to God which comes with saying yes and taking the journey God has prepared for you and I. Abraham lived it. Paul lived it, and now that same pattern of God’s grace and power works for us. Here is the pattern: journeys bring blessings, blessings require promise, and promise is found in trust—journey, blessing, promise, and trust.

            In some way, we are all on a journey. For some of us here, it’s a journey to mental and physical wellbeing. For others it’s a journey into a new understanding of faith that is centered on God’s love instead of painful old human traditions. For some, it’s finding a new place after retirement, moving to a new place, or learning how to fit in to a new faith community and where our part is. Each of us has some journey intimate and personal to us and our lives. Abram was called to journey to a promised land far away. Paul was called to journey around the fullness of the known world in order to tell of the grace of Christ to all, which Paul speaks of saying that the Philippians would take great pride in what Christ is doing through him. Each of us lives on a new and different journey in life.

            Along the way of that journey, we find that as we walk with God, God will bless us. One commentary said that the creation story makes it clear that blessing is woven into God’s purpose for the entire world all throughout history and even after sin entered into the world. We hear that word a lot…the blessing before the meal, giving something your blessing, or even what a blessing it is that football season is starting back up. I hear that phrase many times this time of year, and no, this Kentucky boy is not going to give my blessing to the phrase, “Go Dawgs.” Nope. Nada. Not going to happen.

            For our journey, God’s blessing means favor and protection, and for us it is something that brings well-being. And just as God blesses us on our journey, we are to bless, or bring favor and wellbeing, to others. God’s favor and protection saw Abram through the thousands of miles of journey and into the promised land. God’s blessing saw Paul preach, travel, heal, and bless others across countless cities, nations, and peoples. Blessings are part and parcel of God’s companionship on our journey here on earth.

            Blessings, however, are dependent upon God’s promises and our trust in those promises. When God called Abram, God also made a promise in verses 2 and 3: “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” God made a lot of promises to Abram: to be with him, to bless him, to help him bless others, and many descendants later on the scripture.

            Paul also seems to trust in the promises which God makes. Paul fully believed his life would bring honor to Christ, and he is unconcerned what happens to him. He was certain that any time he had on this earth would allow him to do more fruitful work here for Christ. Paul’s words are proof that we never get too old, never too far on the journey, never too tired and worn out to offer others the blessing found in the promise of a loving, redeeming, and inspiring God.

            God took Abram, just some guy from Ur and made him the father of many nations, the very patriarch of the Hebrew faith. God took Paul, a pharisee devoted to the persecution and annihilation of followers of Christ and made him the greatest missionary of the Christian faith the ancient world had ever known. That journey, that blessing, that fulfilled promise came about because of their trust. It is our trust in God which keeps us on the right journey, ready to grow, ready to thrive, and ready to be a blessing to others.

            Paul reminds us as part of that journey that there is an ending point. He writes to the Philippian church that he longs to go and be with Christ, for to die is a gain to him. Now in long-standing places of faith, this welcome home at the end of the journey, or Heaven, is an established and well-known belief. To the rational thinkers in our modern day, reason-based and evidence-based people we often meet, that belief gets a bit more difficult because it takes such a leap of faith.

            I believe, though, that at the end of our journey, God gives us a “welcome home.” These past two weeks, I spent my time in a difficult trial with victims who were mentally disabled and extremely vulnerable. Their lives were hard, filled with victimization, instability, poverty, and outright suffering. It’s ugly. It’s awful. For the people like those victims I worked with this week, for the ones who are vulnerable, for those who live rough, painful, and difficult life, I have to believe there is a welcome home in the end.

            Just like Abraham reached the promised land, there has to be a promised land waiting at the end of the long journey. Just like Paul believe that on earth he would be fruitful, but in death he received the ultimate blessing and realized promise of God, there has to be a blessed welcome home. In life, there are many who will suffer horribly, whose journey is long and hard, and for whom blessings are few and far between. In the face of those circumstances, I have to believe there is a welcome home from a God who loves us all. And I pray that as we journey, we will follow in the way of Christ and be a blessing to others, for that is what makes our own journeys great.

Service Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1319766195225742