The Celebration 2012 Ministry Plan Revisited

The average supermarket carries 38,718 items.

That is a lot of fruits and veggies, milk and eggs, shavers and shampoo. That many items means many options to choose from, many decisions to make on each aisle.

There are many, many choices to make everywhere we turn, including church. That is why our Leadership Team identifies a few important priorities for our Celebration family every year.

In November, when I shared our 2012  Ministry Plan with you, I used bags of groceries as object lessons to illustrate our priorities for the upcoming year. Since we all need reminders, here is a recap of our priorities for the new year. They are each represented by a different grocery item.

Bread – Get Into God’s Word

Of the 38,718 items stocked in a supermarket, the top seller is soda pop.

Americans love junk food of every kind, including TV shows, video games, and web sites. Diversion is good, but devotion is better.

Stephen Covey says, “The key is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” This year, we are calling one another to put first things first. Get into the Word and get the Word into you. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Do so privately and with your church community.

Small groups, Sunday sermons, Sunday school, and youth group meetings are designed to teach folks the Bible and apply it to life. So are our mid-week “Thinking Biblically Forums”. Join us this month as we think biblically about sexual issues.

Party Favors – Invite & Include People

Hospitality is an important habit at Celebration. We go out of our way to make folks feel at home. We want our guests to feel the love and warmth of God’s family opening its arms to friends, family, and funky people.

Scripture says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). Let’s create a culture of inviters and includers. Open arms are a powerful witness.

Coffee – Create a Mentoring Community

One of our great strengths is that we are an intergenerational church. Retirees, teenagers, graduate students, moms, dads, and college students all call Celebration home. When people of diverse ages and stages play Catan or enjoy a cup of coffee together, mentoring just happens.

In January, we will launch two ministries with mentoring components. MOPS (“Mothers of Pre-Schoolers”) fosters friendship among moms AND utilizes “mentoring moms” as well. Whiz Kids creates a mentoring community through an after school tutoring program for neighborhood kids.

You don’t have to be all-knowing, just wise, loving, and available. Mentoring can be organic or organized, formal or informal, but it need not be intimidating. It can be as simple as coffee and convo.

Diapers - Sign-up & Show-up

If you want to feel connected, act committed. Engage. Jump in. Help out.

Aren’t you sick of spectator church? Don’t you want to be more than a consumer with a spirit of entitlement? Service is the new spirituality and Celebration is a place to roll-up your sleeves and serve. You can literally change diapers in our nursery ministry or as a MOPS nursery volunteer. Or you can do so metaphorically by doing what needs to be done whether you feel like it or not.

Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).

When the clip board comes by, will you sign-up and show-up?

So those are our ministry priorities for 2012. A balanced diet of God’s Word, inviting and including, mentoring, and service will make Celebration healthy and fruitful for God.

“Effective leadership is putting first things first.  Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.”

Stephen Covey

Joseph’s Journey: “Time to Go Home”

The Hero Returns

How do you know when it’s time to go home?

Whether it’s a party or a trip, there comes a time when you need to gather your belongings and head home. But how do you know when that time has arrived? Perhaps it’s when the clock or calendar says so. It could be time when folks get tired and cranky, when you run out of money…or when God tells you so.

In Joseph’s Journey, timing is a big issue. When we met him he was happy where he was, but God interrupted his life. As was his rule for life, he obeyed and experience amazing things from God. Then, when he thought it might be time to go home, God said. “No”. Instead he and his family had to run for their lives to a foreign land, Egypt. In Matthew 2:19-23, it’s been a year or two and God speaks to Joseph yet again, saying, “It’s time to go home now.” Was this good news or another interruption for Joseph? Since he is a man of few words (ok, no words) we don’t know. But we do know this: he obeyed once again.

In the hero’s journey, there comes a time when heroes must return to the place from whence they came…home. When they do, following their exploits and adventures, failures and conquests, they often find there are dragons to slay back home too. But now they are transformed somehow and they bring with them the elixir for healing of their homeland. Think of Frodo and Sam returning to the Shire.

How long has it been since you left home? What is it like when you go back? Are you gone for good or for a season? How have you changed since childhood.. Do folks back home recognize how you’ve changed? Tell about your journey home to God.

My message is called, “How to Know When It’s Time to Go Home”. I would love to hear your thoughts on returning home. They say, “You can’t go home again”. What do you think?

Steve

Joseph’s Journey: “Your Family is in Danger”

A family movie without the family

Life gets busy this time of year, so here’s a post related to last Sunday’s sermon. Maybe this isn’t so bad, since I rarely get to talk about what I talked about after I’ve said it.

I led off with a montage from the Christmas comedy, “Home Alone.” If you remember the original movie, you might recall that young Kevin McCallister’s family leaves for vacation in Paris and pack everything…but him. Without parents to protect him, poor little Kevin has his hands full trying to fend off the relentless (but inept) robbers trying to break in. It’s a movie clip — definitely worth 90 seconds of your life. (Find it at  www.youtube.com/watch?v=90FR8m-zEH4 ).

Question: What kinds of dangers threaten our families today?

I asked the adults to make a list of answers to this question and write them on one flip chart, while the kids in the audience wrote their answers to the same question on different flip chart. The one difference between how the kids answered the question and how the adults answered it? The kids first answer was “divorce” while the adults did not include divorce on their list at all. How do you interpret that? For my part, as I shared later, my heart goes out to everyone in a divorce. It seems to me that there are no real winners when a family breaks up. Mom, Dad, kids…everyone suffers some losses. But conversations I have with teenagers and college students tell me that young people dread the prospects of their parents breaking up and hurt in ways we can’t fathom when it does happen. On the other hand, adults, who had a vote in the matter, who had some power, something to say about what was going on, see divorce as a necessary way out sometimes. That is, for us, it is a solution, while for kids it is the problem. I welcome your insight on this.

Question #2: What myths, lies, and half-truths about Christmas does Joseph’s Journey expose?

1. “All was calm, all was bright”. Actually, very little was peaceful for Joseph and family. In Matthew 2, he is told there is a bounty on his baby boy’s head and that he must take his family and run for their lives. We should stop believing the myth that Christmas should be serene for us either. Life is hard on this earth twelve months a year, including December.
2. “There is not much I can do about the dark times I live in”. Actually, there is one thing you can do that Joseph did over and over again: obey God. Whether he heard from God in a dream, by an angel, or just in His Law, Joseph consistently obeyed what God told him to do. Do that.
3. “If I can just protect my family, we will be fine.” While safety is a primary concern we should have for our families, it is not the only one. We should not only protect our children, we should prepare them to enter this dark world as healers and change agents. It would take 30 years, but Joseph’s step-son would do that very thing

I could say more, but why get verbose? I would rather hear your thoughts on “Your Family is in Danger” or “Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths about Christmas.” If you care to hear my talk, you can find it at http://www.thepartychurchcom/sermons-online.

Much love to you and your family,

Steve

Joseph’s Journey: A Rule for Life

Joseph was a man of few words. Scripture does not record a single word he spoke. Frankly, since he seemed to react more than act, you might think he was a passive man. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Think about it. Joseph didn’t talk for a living — as a lawyer, teacher, preacher, or merchant would. He did not work with words, but with wood. Carpentry is hard work, physical work, so his hands were a working man’s hands, complete with calluses, cuts, and slivers. He was not a banker, so he did not make bank. This explains why he could not afford to buy a year-old lamb for the temple sacrifice. He brought a pair doves, a common man’s sacrifice. He would not have been viewed as a learned or well-read man. He was a simple man who worked for a living and who’s fame has nothing to do with degrees or diplomas, but God’s interruption of his life.

And  he did know the Law of God. He knew what it said and what it instructed him to do. Knowing and doing the will of God was Joseph’s way, his “rule for life”. Consider this: God spoke to him earlier by the angel of the LORD. Now, in the temple, he is following the Law of the LORD. Next, he will receive revelations from Simeon and Anna, people of the LORD. However the Lord speaks to Joseph, he is a man of ready obedience. Anything but passive.

This Sunday, we will talk about the concept of “a rule for life”. By this, we mean the measuring stick practices that keep your behavior in line with your beliefs. A rule of life is a principle or practice you adopt freely because it helps you get where you want to go.Whether related to diet, exercise, relationships, ethics, money management, or any of life’s departments, a personal rule for life can be an effective tool for living.Think of a rule of life as a plumb line, a level, or a metronome — instruments to help you stay centered, balanced, and in consistent tempo.

1. Do you have a favorite rule for life? How do feel when you live by it versus when you abandon it?
2. How did you arrive at your rules? Were they taught you by someone or did you discover them mostly on your own?
3. What place, if any, does the Bible play in forming your rules for life?

This Sunday’s text is Luke 2:22-40 in part 2 of Joseph’s Journey, called, “Crafting a Rule for Life”.

Joseph’s Journey: Life Interrupted

"This poor guy’s plans for marital bliss got blown out of the water by a bride-to-be making preposterous claims"

Friends,

I’d like your input on my upcoming sermon. Our Advent theme this year is “Joseph’s Journey”. I will guide you on a tour of the Christmas story from the vantage point of Mary’s groom-to-be, Joseph. This poor guy’s plans for marital bliss got blown out of the water by a bride-to-be making preposterous claims. His plans got interrupted, leaving him confused, afraid, and forced to make decisions he never thought he would have to make. Think about how The Message describes his state of mind:

“Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.”

I can imagine him praying Psalm 34:6,“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” He must have cried and cried to God to show him the way and to tell him if Mary was telling the truth. Then,  Matthew tells us, “While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream.” The Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles. What mercy.

My sermon is called, “Life Interrupted” and I want you to help me put it together in a coherent and helpful way. What do you say, shall we prepare a sermon in community? Give me some replies to the following questions:

• Convo Question: Share with me how you feel when plans change unexpectedly.
• Bible Question: How do different versions of the Bible translate the story? Go to http://www.Biblegateway.com, read Matthew 1:18-25, and share your insights on key phrases in various forms.
• Diaper Question: Some things, like diaper-changing, just need to be done, like it or not. Interruptions are like that. Are you able to suck it up and do what needs to be done?
• Invitation Question: People you know carry heavy loads which Jesus and His Word can lighten. Can you think of someone to invite to Celebration this Christmas season?

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, comments, insights or questions. Your input can make my sermon better.

See you Sunday!

Steve

Thanksgiving is Something You Do

If you haven’t seen or read, “The Help”, I recommend you do. It is a powerful story that made me laugh and cry, wince and rejoice. I especially liked one scene where Eugenia “Skeeter” Feline flashes back to a conversation with her beloved nannie, Constantine.

Constantine: What you do doin’ hidin’ out here, girl?

Skeeter: I just couldn’t tell mama I didn’t get asked to the dance.

Constantine: It’s alright. Some things you just got to keep to ourselves, right?

Skeeter: All the boys say I’m ugly. Mama was third runner up in Miss South Carolina and I just…

Constantine: Oh, you quit feelin’ sorry for yourself. Now, that’s ugly. Ugly is somethin’ that grows up inside you. It’s mean and hurtin’, like them boys. Now, you’re not one of them, is you? 

I am blessed by God to be naturally happy and gregarious. Still, for all the blessings I enjoy, I can feel sorry for myself with the best of them. Despite all the riches I possess, I can still find myself hiding in the darkness of self-pity. But am I alone in this?

There is something in the human animal that makes it easy to be see what’s wrong with the world and dwell there. But for some reason, seeing the goodness and faithfulness of God is another matter. As Ringo Starr sang, “It don’t come easy.”

I love the story of Ruth and Naomi. I especially love the opening scenes, because the author tells the story so economically yet so vividly that one cannot resist being pulled in. Without a problem you don’t have a story and the widow Naomi has a host of problems. But she also had a daughter in law who walked home beside her. Why is it so easy to spew to a friend about how abandoned we feel while forgetting that we have that friend to spew to?

And what if Naomi had stayed in her dark night forever? What if there was no movement, no surprises, no transformation? What if no one had gotten out of bed and went into the barley fields or if no bachelor farmer had shown kindness and given her groceries? The story ends with redemption and praise, but it took eyes to see the hand of God moving on behalf of the bitter, the outcast, and the lonely.

I call you this Thanksgiving season to mine your story for the riches of God’s redemption. Reflect on your life, ups and downs, and try to recall who was there for you when life was hardest…and thank them. Often, perhaps 10 steps behind you, is a little overlooked someone who is evidence that God had not forgotten you.

Gratitude resides in you, but it must be mined if it will see the light of day.

Author William Arthur Ward said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” Having fought in in World War II and survived, Ward had a lot to be grateful for. Whatever you have fought through and survived is cause for thanksgiving for you.

From the Burn Unit at University Hospital

From explosion to hospital in 17 minutes.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

We have suffered great losses this summer. First, Rachel was taken from us by stomach cancer, a loss beyond measure. Now David Beal fights for his life in the Burn Unit of University Hospital. Perhaps compared to that level of heartache you may feel your burdens are minor. But they are not. You can drown in 8 feet of water as easily as in 80 feet.

Meanwhile, this is a summer of joy on other fronts. Weddings are taking place. New babies fill the church. Our children’s and youth departments are bursting with life and our new building addition is rising rapidly, with a November 1st target date. Sunday after Sunday is marked by life-giving, life-changing community. Tomorrow, we will baptize a dozen young people.

James wrote, “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 4:13-14).

We have no magical powers to heal the sick. Our elders pray, but their prayers do not eliminate pain. All is not right with the world. But, if you look around, some things are right. We need eyes to see.

As your pastor, I urge you to see what is good and beautiful and right. The joy the Lord gives you is your strength and from that gratitude (not guilt) you can give to others. We will keep opportunities to help hurting families in front of you. Do what you can to step-up, follow-through, and make a difference out of a profound sense of joy and gratitude for what is going right.