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!

Celebrating the Christmas Miracle!

Christmas is almost here! The excitement is building and it is less than a week away when we will gather to share Communion, light candles, and sing Silent Night, Holy Night! In Christmas Eve worship, we will commemorate the day GOD broke into our human history to tell us that His place is with us on earth (Immanuel!) and we will know Him as Jesus, because He will save us from our sins. (Matthew 1.18-25) Throughout this season of preparation for Christmas, which we know as Advent, we have explored various aspects of how we can prepare for, and experience anew, the miracle of Christmas!

Our December message series, Be Part of the CHRISTMAS Miracle, has sought to explain the miracle as (1) GOD giving us His presence, even though we do not deserve it; (2) GOD’s saving and changing us through His presence; and (3) GOD inviting us to share the miracle with others so they may know of His love and desire for transformation through salvation! In addition, we have explored the miracle of generosity: GOD is generous and wants us to be made into the likeness of Jesus and be generous, too. We understand generosity as doing something for someone without any expectation of reciprocity, and giving to someone who could never repay you. It was during this message that we unveiled our Miracle in Missions offering, where we are hoping to collect $10,000 to be used in mission and ministry across the world. So far we have only collected $1,745, less than 20% of our goal, but you still have time to bring your offering to the church either in worship this Sunday, Christmas Eve, or in our combined worship celebration on December 30^th at 10:55am.

This past Sunday, we explored the Miracle of Celebration. Celebrations are important! They are times when we rally together to celebrate something significant that happens in life. The miracle of celebration is it forces us to shift our focus off of self, where we are prone to want it to be, and refocus where it needs to be…GOD! Christmastime is perfect for this, because we tend to focus too much on our own wishes and dreams and not enough on the fact that this life-changing event is all about GOD saving us and providing the hope we need when life causes us to be discouraged. Then, when we come together to celebrate, we find a synergy is developed with others with whom we are celebrating. This is the essence of Christian community, and is an exclamation point on the need to gather in worship for such high and holy times.

I don’t know about you, but the recent events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT dampened my celebrating spirit. I wept as I watched the news coverage about the evil and hateful atrocities just a week-and-a-half or so from Christmas. As I was praying, though, GOD reminded me that our current understanding of Christmas as sleeping in heavenly peace, is really all about hope, because the peace we seek is not our reality. It wasn’t the reality in the world some 2,000 years ago, and it is not reality today. GOD didn’t look at earth and realize that we had finally learned how to get along with each other and decided it was time to come hang out. The world was dark, dirty, and messy, yet in love, GOD decided to come anyway. We tend to think that we deserve Christmas, making it all about us, but the reality is we did not then, and do not today; still, GOD came to bring the light and show us the way! This being the case, the beauty of Christmas arrives when we realize that the very night the star pierced the darkness to declare that GOD’s home was now with His people on earth was the moment when hope was truly born! This forces us to shift our focus off of self and onto GOD so that we know we can celebrate – even when life seems so scary – the fact that GOD truly is with us!

I want to leave you with a beautiful passage from Scripture that reminds us how important it is to celebrate GOD, even when life does not make much sense in the here-and-now. May these words challenge and comfort you as you put the finishing touches on your Christmas preparations so you may celebrate anew next Tuesday!

“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4.4-7, The Message, emphases mine)

 Merry Christmas!

Taking the Miracle to the World!

I hope you are experiencing an awakening as to the miracles that GOD is already at work in bringing to you and your family during this Advent season, the Christmas season, and beyond! We are fully engaged in our Be Part of the Christmas Miracle message series that Pastor John and I have led this month. As a reminder, this is the three-step approach that we are using to describe the miracle of Christmas: (1) GOD gives us His presence even when we do not deserve it; (2) GOD’s presence changes and transforms us; (3) GOD invites us to be part of the miracle by sharing the message of salvation for the transformation of the world.

This past Sunday, we discussed the Miracle of Generosity by exploring Acts 20:35. Luke records Paul saying, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Paul admits that bearing the message of salvation can be hard and sacrificial work, but it is necessary for those who are capable to help others in need; then Paul mentioned the oft heard and used words of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Considering generosity from a biblical point of view, we must recognize that it is doing something for another without expecting anything in return, as well as doing something for another who could never repay that act of generosity. We see that GOD in Christ did both of these simultaneously for each of us that we might be changed and enjoy the eternal blessings of heaven as part of GOD’s holy family. So when we view generosity this way, just like Ebenezer Scrooge learned in A Christmas Carol, we come to experience the fact that we are changed when we are generous…a total reorientation of life!

As I wrote last week, we are giving each individual and family an opportunity to Be Part of the Christmas Miracle by flexing our generosity muscles. We have set an ambitious goal of collecting $10,000 that will be given directly to missionaries and mission agencies to be part of GOD’s miracle of transformation by utilizing the global reach of the United Methodist Church. During worship on each Sunday remaining in 2012, as well as on Christmas Eve, we are collecting a special missions offering to help bring the miracle of GOD’s transforming love to people in places across the world that you and I would likely never be able to reach. We hope that you will strive to be part of the miracle of generosity and be generous to people all across the world without any expectation of reciprocity from those who could never repay your sacrificial act. We also encourage this to be something you do as a family, so everyone – young and old – has an opportunity to know that your sacrifice has helped to bring love and relief to someone in need. I guarantee that it will make a difference in the way you experience Christmas this year. In the spirit of Christmas, this is truly something to celebrate!

Speaking of celebration, this coming Sunday, Pastor John and I will explore the miracle of celebration as part of our Advent message series. GOD calls His people to times of celebration to help us move the focus off of self and onto others at times we might be inclined to be too self-centered. I hope you will make every effort to be in worship this Sunday as we strive to Be Part of the Christmas Miracle and share the glory of GOD’s transforming presence in our own lives as we dedicate our lives to joining GOD in the task of transforming the world! I pray you will come and celebrate with us!

The Miracle of Generosity

This past Sunday Pastor John and I debuted our Advent message series, "Be Part of the Christmas Miracle." Advent is the season of preparation for Christmas where we commemorate God coming to earth in Jesus, as well as looking forward to the return of Jesus (see Revelation 21:1-7). During this special season, we also think critically about how we are to live lives of Christian hope, peace, love, and joy to share the miracle of God with the world, beginning in our own backyard. 

As we began talking about the miracle of God, we explained it this way: (1) the miracle comes first in God's presence with us, in spite of the fact that we do not deserve it; (2) the miracle of God's presence transforms our lives as we begin to live for Him; and (3) God invites us to participate in the miracle by serving, sharing, and shining the light and love of God for others. Understanding the nature of God's miracle, and how we are invited to participate and share in it, can help us garner a whole new appreciation for Christmas and our need to prepare adequately for it during Advent! 

This coming Sunday, we will continue our "Be Part of the Christmas Miracle" message series as we explore the miracle of generosity. This is perhaps the one time of year when we all palpably know that it is better to give than to receive. The fact of the matter is that God gave us all the love, grace, and mercy, and hope of eternity, and that changes the way we live in the here-and-now! God's generosity greets us in the midst of our own existence, changes the way we see the world, and challenges us to live lives of generosity for the transformation of the world. Let's face it, God is a giver and we are to be givers, too! So as we live generous lives, we not only change the world, but find ourselves changed, too!!!

As part of our Advent series, we will each have the opportunity to flex our generosity muscles, so to speak. We are challenging each individual and family to commit to being generous for the world -- please consider making a special gift (over and above your regular commitment to giving to the church) that will be used in mission and ministry to the world! We have set an ambitious goal of $10,000, but imagine the miracles that can be done in the name of Jesus Christ as we seriously consider our call to share in the miracle of generosity! Every penny will be used to share the love of God with people all across the globe. 

This is indeed a special and blessed season as we consider the amazing gift of God and the implications it has for our lives. I join the Apostle Paul and share his prayer from Ephesians 3: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph.3:16-19, NIV) This is the essence of God's generosity and our call to be difference makers in the lives of others as a difference is made in the world for God!