Truly A Souper Bowl!

This coming Sunday is a sort of national holiday, if you will: Super Bowl Sunday. It is a day when even the most casual of sports fans will pay attention to the “Big Game” if for no other reason than to watch the commercial breaks. No matter how you feel about it, Super Bowl Sunday is one of those major sporting and television events that seems to capture the nation’s attention, and in some other cases, the world’s! Get a load of some of these numbers:

It is estimated that more than 100 million people will watch this year’s Big Game (more than 111 Million watched last year, so these estimates are conservative).

CBS is charging $4 million for a Super Bowl commercial slot.

A ticket for the cheapest seats to the Big Game starts – STARTS – at $2,067.

If you’re going to the game, chances are you’ll need a hotel room, running from $100 to $15,000 per night this weekend.

If you are the adventuresome sort, Vegas is expecting $90 million in LEGAL betting on the game, and this does not even count the less reputable (read “illegal”) betting that will take place everywhere. Please note: I am absolutely, unequivocally, categorically saying that I am NOT condoning gambling…just quoting a stat that I read. I am not a gambler and do not recommend it for anyone. Okay, disclaimer: check.

Even if you aren’t going to the Big Game, be expected to shell out some “dough” if you plan on watching from home or a party:

Major pizza chains charge more for pizzas on Super Bowl Sunday than at almost any other time of year. Did you know that Pizza Hut alone, in preparation for 2011’s festivities, prepped 1,100 tons of dough and 90,000 gallons of tomato sauce?

Last February, Americans downed an estimated 1.25 billion chicken wings and more than 15,000 tons of chips – for a grand total cost of $55 million on food and $237 million on soft drinks. With the estimate that 100 million people will watch this Super Bowl, crunch the numbers (along with all those chips) and you get a $3 tab per TV viewer.

All told, the National Retail Federation projects that people will spend $68.76 to enjoy the Big Game. To be sure, $68-plus sounds more like a meal at a nice restaurant, but this is the Super Bowl! It's not just the food that drives up the per-person amount; that estimate includes what fans spend on apparel, merchandise, and even electronics (the costs run up in a hurry when you're buying a new big-screen TV just for the game or commercials).

Suffice it to say, the Super Bowl is a big game, but even bigger business! These numbers are astounding and it is clear (to me at least) that if the Falcons had made the Super Bowl, we might very well be contributing more emphatically to these totals. Alas, the Falcons are home and we will enjoy the game like the other 19,353 “cities” in the US (according to the Census, there are 19,355 incorporated “places” in this country and I subtracted Baltimore and San Francisco, whose NFL teams will meet on the gridiron this Sunday afternoon).

In all of these 19,355 “incorporated places,” there are people who are not able to enjoy the game like others because of their need. This caught the attention of the Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina in 1990, so they had an idea that gave birth to a movement that has provided assistance to people in need, known as, The Souper Bowl of Caring. For more than two decades, The Souper Bowl of Caring has helped draw attention to those who are not able to contribute to the $55 million on food, or $237 million on sodas, by providing some relief through local support and outreach charities and ministries.

This coming Sunday, we will have soup pots in our worship facilities so you can make a donation in our own Souper Bowl of Caring. All of the money contributed will be sent directly to the One Roof community outreach center to help provide relief to those in need in our community. We also are collecting non-perishable food items to help restock the shelves of the One Roof food pantry, which are bare after so much demand during the holidays. Your contribution, regardless of size, can go a long way to help meet the real needs of neighbors in our community.

So this week, while you are getting ready for the Big Game, think about the difference that you can help make in the life of an individual or family. While you are out shopping for chips, dips, and sodas, pick up some canned goods, pasta, peanut butter, etc., that you can leave in one of the bins at the church. If you don’t want to bring food items, you can make a contribution to the One Roof ministry by making a check to the church and marking “One Roof” in the memo blank. And remember, even the smallest of contributions, when added together with others’, can make a dynamic and lasting impact, not just for those in need, but even for the Lord Himself. For as Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25.40)

So let’s get ready, not just for an afternoon of (hopefully) exciting football, but for the opportunity to help someone in need. You have the opportunity to make a difference, and I pray you will during our 2013 Souper Bowl of Caring!

Have a Great Rest of the Week,
Pastor Mark 

On Flies, Honey, and Vinegar

Yesterday was an interesting day in our family, and one that has left an impact on me. Ethan, who is on the Academic Bowl Team for his school, was preparing for his first meet. It is not unusual for him to experience nerves before such things – perfectly normal, right? – and he experienced some upset tummy issues preceding the event. I was certain it was just nerves, as were the teachers who were there to support and encourage the kids in their competition. As the event went on – and our school did very well, placing second in the meet – Ethan obviously was not feeling well. He had to make repeated visits to the restroom, but every time, was accompanied by one of his faithful teachers. After the event was over, poor Ethan only got sicker, proving that his affliction was not nerves, but a bona fide stomach and intestinal virus. When I asked how he was able to compete, and contribute significantly to his team, he indicated that he did not want to let his team or teachers down. I was stunned and so incredibly proud!

I allowed the events of Tuesday evening to ruminate in my spirit. When I woke up on Wednesday, I was still impressed by Ethan’s resolve and the inspiring events of the previous day. This led me to write a letter to the principal informing her of not just how faithful the teachers had been, but how compassionate as well. I also wanted the principal to know that the encouragement Ethan received from his teachers enabled him to power through the competition when in all honesty he would have far preferred to go home and crawl into bed. I realized there was a cycle of encouragement that I needed to participate in and I wanted to make sure that the administration knew just how important it was, not on a Tuesday afternoon, but in what could be a significant life event in my son’s life.

Almost as soon as I sent the complimentary email to the principal, I got a very kind reply. She indicated that she was pleased that I took the time to write a note and wanted to make sure that the teachers saw it as well. Then something struck me: we are far more willing to share our displeasure with something or someone than our appreciation. I think it is true and I know it is sad. There have been times in the past when I would have good service at a store or a restaurant that I would share that with management, and almost every time I hear that they typically only hear complaints, not compliments. And honestly, as a leader in the church, I have found this to be true as well – as human beings, we seem to be more adept at sharing our complaints than our compliments. Sure, squeaky wheels get the grease, but maybe, just maybe, wheels wouldn’t get quite so squeaky if we let people know how grateful we are and how much we appreciate them for doing things for us, even when it is their job!

In 1 Thessalonians 5.11, the Apostle Paul wrote, “So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it” (The Message). I love this verse. It speaks to this phenomenon, I do believe. The more we make an effort to encourage someone, the more likely we are to go the extra mile and make a difference for someone else in the midst of their daily coming and going in life (see Matthew 5.41). It reminds me of the old idiom, that it’s easier to attract flies with honey than vinegar.

I hope you will allow this concept to do more than just go in one eye and out the other as you read this article. I hope you will think about how quick you are to compliment or complain about someone or something. Know that an encouraging word from you for someone else – even when they are doing what they should be doing – can and will make a difference. May the wisdom of Proverbs 12.25 stick with you and inspire you to do something to brighten someone’s day: “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” You never know…you might just realize how much even you yourself needed to shine a little light for someone!

Have a great rest of the week!

Pastor Mark 

S.H.I.N.E.

I hope you are having a blessed start to your New Year! It has been great on so many levels and I have been -- and will continue to be -- praying that GOD will add His blessings to you and all your endeavors for 2013. 

In last week's blog, I wrote about how the light of the Christmas star is STILL shining! On that first Christmas, it was the light of the star that led the Magi (or Wise Men) to Jesus, indicating that GOD had indeed come for all. Since the light of Christ still shines, people are being beckoned to The Lord for Jesus. Christ has invited us each and everyone into the beautiful and blessed task of bringing people to Him and has shared His light with us so we may use our lives to point people to Him. 

Jesus, being the light of the world, has called and challenged us to shine brightly for Him. In Matthew 5.14a & 16, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world...In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." In this past Sunday's contemporary service, I offered some ideas and advice as to how you can make sure that your light shines for The Lord. I created an acrostic using the word, shine, that I want to share.

The 'S' stands for your skills: GOD wants you to use your skills and talents to point people to Him. Since GOD has created us uniquely and wonderfully, we all have a myriad of skills, that when used for the Lord's glory, allow your light to shine for Him. If you're a butler, a baker, or a candlestick maker, use your skills to shine for GOD!

The 'H' in our shine acrostic stands for your heartaches: the things that cause us pain have the ability to deepen our compassion reserves. When we feel compassion for certain people, issues, etc., we are asked to shine by bringing the presence of GOD's light and love into someone else's darkness. Maybe your heartaches are for orphans, poverty, illnesses, addiction, or so on and so forth...if you allow the depths of your compassion reserves to motivate you to serve GOD by illuminating someone else's darkness, then you are shining for GOD!

The 'I' stands for your interests: this is an area where your hobbies can really come in handy! If you have a particular interest in something, you undoubtedly have a group of friends that share in that with you. Maybe you are an avid football fan -- invite some friends to watch a game and have a devotion during halftime. Maybe you are an exercise enthusiast -- invite someone to workout with you and share with them your salvation story as you exercise. These are just two examples, but I think you get the idea. 

The 'N' in our acrostic stands for new beginnings: our lives are full of these opportunities; in fact, we just celebrated one in the New Year. Whether it's in a new job, a new school year, or a new relationship, new opportunities provide us the chance to meet new people, do new things, and discover new horizons -- use those to shine for GOD!

Lastly, the 'E' stands for experiences: the idea is to use your past mistakes and discoveries, victories and defeats, to give you the insight to make the most of your new opportunities. We all have a history that is being written and GOD wants us to weave these together within the purpose He has placed in our lives and use these to shine! Our experiences also allow us to take advantage of past mistakes and lessons to maximize our eternal potential. The beauty in this is that even if we might have the most despicable past, we can discover our newness in Jesus and shine for Him despite what we've been through...self-inflicted or otherwise. Like the old saying goes, every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.

This New Year we are called to continue to point people to GOD through The Lord Jesus Christ. In nature we see that lights (particularly at night) draw creatures forth, regardless if it is a campfire or a light bulb. There is no doubt that there is darkness all over our world; just as GOD sent Jesus to illuminate our spiritual darkness, we are called to bear witness to the light of Jesus and share with others just how brightly Jesus shines in spite of your past and your present, and in hopes of a blessed future! So regardless of who you are, where you have been, or what you have done, know that the love of GOD enables and empowers you to SHINE when you give your skills, heartaches, interests, new beginnings, and experiences to Him!

Happy New Year and SHINE On!

Pastor Mark

The Light of the Christmas Star is STILL Shining!

On Monday, I began the sad and arduous process of taking down the Christmas decorations in our home. Because of some specific family traditions, we have had our decorations up since the day before Thanksgiving, so the festive merriment has been a huge part of our lives for the better part of the past six weeks. That being the case, taking them down is a little sad. On the other hand, there is something cathartic about reclaiming our home in its more everyday fashion, and it helps me begin to look forward to next November when our home will once again be the festive wonderland that we adore.

The process of decorating and de-decorating is an important one as we welcome the Christmas spirit into our collective consciousness. As the song, The Christmas Waltz states, it truly seems to be the time when the world falls in love. But as the New Year arrives and our schedules and routines normalize, it is astonishing how quickly we leave Christmas in the old year and worry about things like groundhogs, valentine gifts, and getting our income tax documents prepared. It seems like eons ago we were lighting candles, singing Silent Night, and filling Christmas wish lists. I know it reeks of cliché, but we really do need to learn how to let the spirit of Christmas order our everyday lives!

Part of our church’s Advent and Christmas emphasis was looking at various aspects of GOD’s miraculous love and how it has the ability to change our lives in the here-and-now. One particular aspect of this was how we talked about the Christmas star announcing the birth of Jesus as it pierced the darkness and proclaimed the perpetual light of GOD in our hearts and in our world. The fact that we are called to be light-bearers for the world means that the light that forever pierced the darkness on that first Christmas morning has the ability to pierce the darkness we experience today! That light has not been extinguished, and based on the scripture, it cannot be extinguished! Friends, this is the essence of eternal hope, for the Light of the World has come.

I was doing some reflection about the light of the Christmas star into the New Year while I began de-decorating our house on Monday. This scripture passage from Isaiah was at the heart of that reflection: “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your GOD will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end” (Isaiah 60.19-20, emphasis mine). The power of this passage reminds us that it is GOD whose light shines perpetually! It overcomes the darkness we experience in our personal life and in our collective life in this world. So again: the light of the Christmas star that pierced the darkness of the world when Jesus was born still has darkness-piercing power when we welcome the LORD into our lives.

If you are entering 2013 experiencing darkness of this world, know that the light of GOD that we celebrated at Christmas is still shining! If you are still basking in the loving glow of Christmas morning, know that you have the ability – and responsibility – to bear the light for others that vanquishes the darkness. The light of the Christmas star is indeed shining still, and shines every time we allow our lives to point people to Jesus. Just as the light of the Christmas star led the Magi (or wise men) to Jesus, we can point people to the everlasting love of GOD as we light the way for others!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden…
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5.14, 16)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!