Annual Conference: 2014

This week, Pastor Mark and Bobby Totten are attending the 148^th North Georgia Annual Conference in Athens, GA. This is the annual meeting of delegates (all appointed clergy and an equal number of lay delegates) from all over United Methodist Churches in North Georgia. The North Georgia Conference has nearly 1,000 churches located from as far south as Pine Mountain near Callaway Gardens all the up to the Georgia line on Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, TN, and everywhere between east and west in the state. It is estimated that 3,000 delegates and guests will be present for this year’s Conference session.

Annual Conference is a special time. During the Conference, reports are given to inform the delegates of the work of United Methodism in North Georgia, the U.S., and across the globe; next year’s budget will be discussed and voted upon; we will celebrate with those newly ordained as well as those who retire; we will remember in worship the clergy, staff, and leaders who have passed away in the last year; and new clergy appointments will be read for pastors and churches. During this year’s Conference, Pastor Mark and his family will be reappointed to Cokes Chapel, and we look forward to another year in ministry to our community and beyond!

During all of these events, we will engage in something John Wesley (Methodism’s founder) called, Christian conferencing – the act of people gathering in the name of Jesus to discuss the business of the church. Let’s be honest, sometimes things can get a little boring, but all-in-all, it is for the purpose of advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ! So whether it’s a report being made from the podium to a conversation over a cup of coffee in the hallway, people will gather, meet, pray, worship, and serve for the sake of Jesus Christ!

Each year, our Bishop, B. Michael Watson, decides upon a theme for the Conference to help guide our Christian conferencing. The theme for the 2014 Annual Conference Session is “Together We Make Disciples.” It is wonderful to be a part of The United Methodist Church family. Like many families we decorate our homes with pictures celebrating many ages and stages of our lives. That is why this year’s logo gives a nod to a framed extended family portrait. Look for many different expressions of our North Georgia Conference family during the 2014 annual conference session.

The logo features just a few of the members of our United Methodist family: an older adult holding a newborn baby, a young camper exploring the natural world, a mission worker involved in the community, a student considering higher education, a young person with an adult mentor and an enthusiastic child.

We in the North Georgia Conference are all ages, diverse in a multitude of ways. We have a range of spiritual gifts. Even with all the ways we differ from one another, we celebrate that we are one United Methodist family. So we work together to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.

The 2014 theme, Together We Make Disciples, is both a statement of ministry emphasis and a reminder that making disciples is a collective work. It begins with the promises we make at baptism and is lived out in the relationships we build as we fulfill those promises and honor our vows. It is the work of individuals and of congregations. It is the work of the whole community of faith deeply committed to the growing of children, youth, and young adults into faithful disciples who are equipped and empowered to share their experiences of God.

Please keep our delegates, and everyone attending this year’s Annual Conference, in your thoughts and prayers. It promises to be a powerful week of business, mission, and ministry, and one where transformation will be the focus! And if you choose to peek in, you can watch all of the sessions online by visiting www.ngumc.org. And who knows, maybe you’ll just see Pastor Mark or Bobby caught on camera!

Ascend

This coming Sunday we will observe Pentecost, which is the annual celebration of GOD sending the Holy Spirit to bring life to the Church. It is a beautiful thing that bringing life to the Church came by the Holy Spirit resting on individuals. This is precisely how GOD chooses to work – He brings His Spirit to people, and as we gather together as individuals to collectively serve, share, and shine, the Church lives!

Jesus began to prepare His disciples for his departure prior to his betrayal, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. They weren’t excited about this, but Jesus told them it was for the best “it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7, NIV) It is the ongoing fulfillment of His promise of the Holy Spirit that brings new life to us as individuals so we can share that with the whole world. Needless to say, this is a big deal and I hope you are making plans to be present as we celebrate Pentecost this year.

The idea of Pentecost is preceded by another significant event in the history of the Church: the Ascension of Jesus. When it was time for Jesus to return to the Father after He walked the earth following His resurrection, He asked for His remaining 11 disciples (Judas Iscariot was already dead) to join Him on the Mount of Olives. It is here that according to Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus gave us the Great Commission: Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28.18-20)

These are important words. Prior to leaving for Heaven and then sending the Holy Spirit, Jesus told the Disciples that they had work to do. Everything that he had taught and modeled in His ministry was to give them the example to share the love of GOD with the whole world! Suffice it to say, these are three very important verses as they teach us:

1. Jesus has all authority in Heaven and on earth: the job of deciding the tough issues isn’t yours and it isn’t mine, but the Lord’s. This provides us freedom to do what he needs us to do.
2. Go and make disciples of all the nations: the hallmark of this is love. Jesus said we will be known as His disciples by how we love others.
3. Jesus is with us…always: when the going gets tough, Jesus is with us. Following Jesus’ commandment to love and share the Good News of salvation, knowing that Jesus is with us in the good days and bad, is critically important!

 So as we consider Jesus’ ascension, there is definite inspiration for us to ascend to a new role as well! Jesus wants us to rise up out of the minute and the mundane to share the big idea of GOD’s love and grace with a world so desperately in need of it! With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can rise from the pain and agony of hopelessness and into a beautiful new existence! We can find the hope to ascend from whatever troubles the world might bring thanks to what Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16.33)

Take Hold Of The Moments That Take Your Breath Away

There was a great hill outside the first house where my family lived when my brother and I were born. We would climb to the top and take turns rolling down that hill. It was too much fun for a couple little boys. As we got older, simply rolling lost some of its flare, so we started throwing each other down so we could roll faster than before. Most of the time it went off without a hitch. But on one Sunday afternoon, when we were making our jaunts down the hill, something went wrong. My brother took my arm and gave me the usual spin then drop move, but my body didn’t cooperate. Instead of landing and rolling, I sailed for a few feet and then landed flat on my back, knocking the air out of my lungs.

That is a terrifying feeling if you’ve ever experienced it. I remember jumping up and struggling to catch my breath. It seemed an eternity before I was able to finally to gasp a couple deep breaths of lung-filling, life giving air. There might be a few other times I’ve had the wind knocked out of me, but I will never forget that day!

I also won’t forget some of the other moments when I’ve found my breath taken away. When my grandfather gave me my very first truck. Viewing my first stunning sunset from the beach. Seeing my beautiful wife walk down the aisle on our wedding day. And gazing into my son’s eyes, the pools of wonder that they were, right after he was born. There have been others and I hope there will be more. These breathtaking moments provide vivid memories I will carry with me the rest of my life. What are some of the breathtaking moments of your life?

Breathtaking moments are important for us. They sear the notion in our minds of just how small we are; how vast the world is; and how much we need to connect with the power that grants life and offers these precious snapshots in time.

That brings me to another breathtaking moment in my life—the moment I realized that God loved me! It was at a concert given by my favorite Christian musician, Steven Curtis Chapman. Toward the conclusion of his show, he told about how God has created us to know Him, to know peace, and bask in the glory of His love. I had heard those words countless times before, but in that moment in time, my breath was taken, and I became a Christian. In the moments that followed, as I took hold of Jesus, it was clear to me like never before that Jesus had always been holding me!

In the book of Romans, Paul wrote, “If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?” (Romans 5.15b, MSG, emphasis mine)

Just thinking about the ridiculous and dangerous circumstances that first taught me what it is like to have my breath taken away makes me laugh. But thanks to that experience, I can know how awesome it is when my breath is truly taken away. Paul says correctly that perhaps the most breathtaking moment in any of our lives comes when we turn away from our wrongdoing and grab with both hands the offer Jesus gives us for life and life eternal. And when we take hold of the hands of God, we realize His hands have always been holding us!

So here’s a little practical advice for you: take hold of the moments that take your breath away. Gawk at the beauty of God’s creation. Stand amazed at the love of those who care for you unconditionally. And place above all others the moment when you first realize that in God’s love you can find the greatest of all these breathtaking moments: your salvation!

A Weekend for Service

In this year’s Good Friday service, I taught from John 13.1-17 and how Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. I focused in on vs.15 when he said that he gave them – and us! – an example to follow. That word, ‘example’, in the biblical language is the same word we use for pattern, as in a pattern for a piece of clothing. It is as though Jesus wants us to wear our love, service, and sacrifice like a garment.

We have two opportunities to “wear our love, service, and sacrifice” like a garment this weekend and I hope you will avail yourself to them to help others in our church and community.

On Saturday, we are having our inaugural Spring Fling for the Childcare Center from 9am – 2pm. This promises to be a wonderful time for the families in our Center, as well as raise awareness for those who might be looking for childcare, summer camp, or Georgia Pre-K. We will have food, games, bouncy houses, visits from local police and fire departments to show off their equipment and promote safety, and opportunities to “touch-a-truck” with some really cool construction vehicles. Guests will also be able to meet the Center staff and check out our facilities.

On Sunday, we will complete our recent gift basket project for the Community Welcome House. The Community Welcome House is our local domestic abuse shelter and the residents are often fleeing for their lives with nothing more than the clothes they are wearing. We are providing trinkets and other items to help care for these families in crisis. The baskets will be assembled on Sunday following the 11am worship celebration. Per the email that was sent out on Monday, we still have some needs for the baskets:

-          For Women:

·        Socks

·        5 make-up bags (to hold small stuff)

·        Journals

·        Flashlights

·        batteries (all sizes)

·        Chocolate candy

·        Large tissue boxes

·        Gum/mints

·        Nail files or polish

·        Miscellaneous - scarves, jewelry, etc.

·        Flip flops

·        10 gift cards (Wal-Mart, Target, Dollar Store, etc.)

-          For Children:

·        4 containers/baskets

·        Socks (boys & girls)

·        Flashlights

·        Toys - boys & girls

·        Candy

·        Juice boxes

·        Little blankets

·        Flip flops (boys & girls)

·        NOTE: we do NOT need crayons; we have plenty

Please make plans to be a part of these special events and opportunities to serve this weekend. May we all follow the Apostle Paul’s advice in Colossians 3.12 and clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience in service to others in our church, Childcare Center, community, and beyond!

Why Are You Crying?

I sure hope you find this message well and still basking in the glow of a glorious Easter! This past Sunday we completed our Questions GOD Asks Us message series as we pondered Jesus’ question to Mary Magdalene on Resurrection morning: “Why are you crying?” Mary had gone to the tomb to care for Jesus’ body, but when she arrived at the garden tomb, he was gone. She ran back to tell the disciples, and after Peter and John assessed the scene, she again found herself alone. When she looked in the tomb, two angels asked her why she was crying. Then, turning around, she saw Jesus – mistaking him for a gardener – and heard him ask her why she was crying. You can read the entire account in John 20.1-18.

If you were not able to attend Easter worship at Cokes Chapel this Easter, or would like to watch the message again, you can view it by clicking here. All of the messages from our Questions GOD Asks Us series are available on the website, too.

Crying is a gift from GOD. Like the gift of language, crying is something that is exclusive to humans. We produce three kinds of tears – those that lubricate our eyelids, reflexive tears caused by irritants, and emotional tears. Something that is interesting is that the different kinds of tears have different chemical compositions – the first two are mainly water, but the third kind has proteins and hormones containing the stress hormone, cortisol. Our shedding of emotional tears helps us literally flush stress from us, which is one reason we can feel so much better after a good cry.

Something we have to bear in mind, though, is we are best served by understanding why it is we are crying. Sometimes it is obvious, but there are also times when we break into tears and might not be able to immediately recall why. This is likely because we have suppressed negative thoughts and feelings that we did not want to deal with at the time. Problems eventually arise, because while these feeling might get covered up, they never go away. Pressure builds within us and eventually will burst forth, causing tears to flow as a result of years of trying to manage the emotional baggage caused by grief, anger, and disappointment. So when Jesus was asking Mary why she was crying, he very well might have been asking Mary to get in touch with the feelings deep down that were causing her to weep…feelings of loss, disappointment, loneliness, despair, et cetera.

Jesus revealed himself to Mary by simply calling her name. When he did, she latched on to him to make the connection she longed for with her Lord, and before he told her not to hold on to him, I imagine he gave her a quick pat on the back with his nail-pierced hand. Then he told her to go to the other disciples and pass along the message that his God and their God…his father and their father…was waiting for them. Embedded in those words was forgiveness and acceptance. Moving beyond their betrayal and cowardice from Thursday night and Friday morning, Jesus was telling his disciples that they were still included in God’s plan and their mission had not changed; in fact, it was just beginning!

There is one more little nugget from this passage that I want to explore. We see in John 20:15 that Mary mistook Jesus for a gardener. It might very well be that he was doing some gardening work there where his garden tomb was located. Maybe he was smoothing out the soil, pulling some weeds, and planting some seeds…we don’t know exactly. But thinking back to how our Questions GOD Asks Us series began, we saw the first exchange in a garden as the Lord was walking through Eden looking for Adam and Eve after the Fall. It was Adam and Eve’s disobedience that brought sin into the world, marring the landscape of creation with the proverbial weeds of sin. So maybe, just maybe, as Jesus was working in the garden, he was pulling the weeds of sin, smoothing out the soil, and planting the seeds of Easter hope to repair the damage done by Adam and Eve at the Fall. And in the midst of Mary’s personal darkness and grief, he was there for her to let her know that she was not alone and a brand new hope was available to her and all of us!

Thanks to Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead, we all can embrace the hope that Mary received as she encountered the Risen Lord. We can hear the message that says in spite of our previous failures, we are still included in God’s family and given a mission for sharing it with others.

So in this week after Easter, allow the nail-pierced hands of our Lord Jesus to pull the weeds of sin in your life. Allow him to smooth out the broken soil and plant the seeds of hope that come as a result of God’s love and resurrection power. And if necessary, allow his nail-pierced hands to embrace you and let you know you are not alone.

“What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.” (1 Peter 1.3-5, MSG)

Happy Easter!

Do You Understand What I Have Done For You?

Last night we had an incredibly moving Maundy Thursday service. As part of our Questions GOD Asks Us series, we explored the question Jesus asked in John 13.12: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” You can read the entire account by clicking here.

This question takes place just after Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. As the crew gathered for the Passover feast, which would turn out to be Jesus’ Last Supper (and the basis for our service of Holy Communion; also known as the Eucharist), they were jockeying for who would get the seats of honor near their host, Jesus. The Lord witnessed this and proved the love He had for them by performing a task no one else was willing to do: wash their feet.

The task of foot washing was typically reserved for the lowest of servants or slaves. Let’s face it, the shoes worn in those days were the simplest of sandals and the roads were dirty – either extremely dusty when it was dry or muddy when it rained. And since those participating in the Passover feast had to ceremonially bathe before the meal, they were “clean” with the exception of their feet from walking. A servant would, therefore, be available to wash the feet of the participants so they could be deemed clean enough to enjoy the feast.

The book of John indicates that there was no dedicated servant to perform this task. I imagine this is exactly how Jesus wanted it. So He took off his robe, wrapped a towel around His waist, and began the task of washing the disciples’ feet. All of them. The one who participated in the creation of the world was holding these dirty feet in His hands, soaking them, dislodging the muck between the toes, and patting them dry with the towel He was wearing. And according to John, Judas was still in the room, so Jesus even did this for his betrayer. Imagine the power…the emphasis that John states in 13.1: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Good and bad, He loved them. From the tops of their head to the bottoms of their callused feet, He loved them. To the very end, He loved them.

Then Jesus comes to Peter and Peter objects. Jesus’ retort is stern, stating that if He isn’t allowed to wash Peter’s feet, then Peter can have no part of Him. I firmly believe here that Jesus wasn’t just referring to washing away the dirt that Peter had traipsed through on his way to the Passover feast, but for the sin and dirtiness he had in his life. So as Jesus held Peter’s heel in the palm of his soon-to-be-nail-scarred-hand, the hope and promise of a future through forgiveness was surging through the only one who could forgive sin. I cannot help but wonder if Peter was able to feel his foot in Jesus’ hands as he wrote, “…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” (1 Peter 3.21-22)

Once Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He asked them: Do you understand what I have done for you? Jesus, their master and Lord, had humbled himself to the role of a servant, holding their dirty feet in His hands, and given them an example for how he wanted them to live…a model of love, service, and sacrifice. In fact, in the original biblical language, the word Jesus used for example is best translated into the English word, pattern, similar to the pattern used to tailor a piece of clothing. So in essence, Jesus was telling the disciples, and as, too, that He wants us to wear our love, service, and sacrifice as a garment for all to see!

Once Jesus finished washing the disciples’ feet, He dressed himself again with his robe and went back to his duties as host of the Passover feast. Even though he acknowledged that they would not fully understand what He had done until later (John 13.7), He had given them an example…a pattern…for how they were to carry themselves from that point forward. Consider these words from Colossians 3.12-14:

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. (The Message)

Friends, it has been an honor exploring these questions that GOD asks us through this series. On Sunday we will conclude the series with the final question from John 20.15, “Why are you crying?” You will not want to miss the conclusion to this series as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter Sunday! I hope to see you at 7am for the Sunrise service; breakfast at 7:30am; traditional worship at 9am; Sunday School at 10am with the Cokes Kids Resurrection Party & Egg Hunt; and the contemporary service at 11am. It will be a jam-packed day, but one that you will not want to miss.

Oh, and if you’re wondering what you should wear? Remember the garments that Jesus suggested: love, exemplified in compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, and discipline.

May GOD fill you with His resurrection power so we may all follow the example—the pattern—of Jesus Christ!

Do You Want To Get Well?

We are almost to Easter and that means we are almost to the end of our Questions GOD Asks Us message series. This past Sunday we explored John 5.1-14 and Jesus’ question, “Do you want to get well?” If you happened to miss the message, you can watch it by clicking here.

The context for this question occurred at the Pool of Bethesda, which was just outside of Jerusalem, and was believed to have healing powers. People would wait at the edge of the pool for the waters to get stirred and once they were, the first person was believed to be healed. A man who had been paralyzed for 38-years sat alongside the pool and was confronted by Jesus who asked the question, “Do you want to get well?”

Initially, we would expect a resolute “yes” answer to that question, but the man’s response takes more of the form of an excuse. He blames others for not helping him get into the water. Where we ourselves might expect a resolute “yes” answer if we were asked the same question, we often fall into a similar pattern of passing off responsibility to someone else. Jesus’ response to the paralytic, therefore, is really fascinating to me: “Take up your mat and walk.” So put yourself on his mat…if Jesus were to come to you in the midst of your spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional paralysis, what would He challenge you to do? How would you respond?

Jesus’ command must have elicited a crisis of belief for this man; for 38 years he was unable to walk, and all of a sudden, he is being told to walk. Fortunately the scripture tells us that he did indeed get up and walk, but even attempting to stand must have been a challenge. His life – and I think it is safe to assume his identity, too – had been tied up in his paralysis. To get up and walk forced him to embrace a new identity and a new reality. This can be a challenge for anyone whose “infirmities” become an identity. I believe Jesus knew that, and for that reason, wanted to set him free. So as I think about Jesus’ question, I think we could also understand it as asking, “Do you want to be free?” Free from paralysis? Free from other’s expectations? Free from other’s judgment? Do you want to be free? If so, what would that look like in your life?

This takes on an even more critical understanding in the times when we pray for healing, but it does not come according to our expectations. GOD wants us to be whole, but in reality, we won’t achieve full healing and wholeness on this side of heaven. We just won’t. So taking a new approach to understanding GOD’s presence in our lives is critical…GOD wants us to experience freedom in Him in spite of our infirmities…in spite of our difficulties! GOD wants us to know the power behind in gracious presence, even when it feels like everything is against us. Paul wrote about this as he relayed GOD’s answer to his for removing the “thorn” in his flesh: “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12.9-10)

We might be inclined to think that our weaknesses inhibit GOD’s power, but the opposite is true…we can come to better understand GOD’s powerful and amazing grace when we turn our weaknesses, ailments, and infirmities to Him, and allow our excuses to become expressions of faith. It is amazing the freedom we can gain when we allow GOD’s presence and power to fill and transform us, and yes, even in our weaknesses.

What is GOD calling you to do? How have you been challenged to stand up and take that first step of faith? If Jesus were to ask you if you want to be well, what else would that entail? And how could you possibly experience freedom in the Lord if the power He manifests in you does not come in a particular kind of expected healing, but in the freedom to stand up, step out, and serve Him despite whatever it is you might otherwise think is holding you back.

So, do you want to get well? Do you?