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Posted November 12, 2008

This week's reflection is by Paul Harris, a member of our church
who feels deeply the significance of Veterans Day. — Mac

Another special day has come and gone. Did you stop and say a prayer of "Thanks" for the freedom we so easily take for granted?

Tuesday, Nov. 11th was our country's day to remember the Armed Forces veterans who stepped up to the call for freedom and did not shy away from protecting our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of a God led county. They spent days and weeks and years away from loved ones, to protect and defend loved ones they didn't know. They missed Christmas Days and Thanksgiving and birthdays, and many missed the day of their child’s birth, because they felt they had a duty to protect and defend.

I found a profound definition of a veteran on the Patriot Guard Riders web site that sums it up in clear words:

A Veteran — whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve — is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

Posted November 5, 2008

The cover story in Newsweek magazine last week was "Nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue." The ensuing article was a memo written to the president-elect by Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations.

His memo goes something like this:

There are only 76 days between Election Day and Inauguration; and you will need every one of them to get ready for the world you will inherit. You won, but at a price.

I hope you will remember as you begin to settle your debts, that people matter — for it's rarely a good idea to remodel the operating room while the patient is on the table. Just level with folks once the campaign is over, and let the leveling begin.

Haass makes some good points for new leaders to consider. There is an inheritance, there is a price, and the people do matter. I think he means that if our next president is to honor his office and the American people, it will be more important for him initially to observe what he has inherited than remodel.

He must put the campaign rhetoric to bed and level with us about what the future will require of us. That way we will have a place to hang our hat as we wait for a new vision and purpose to unfold.

Posted October 29, 2008

Well, it's all come down to this. The Philadelphia Phillies are up on Tampa Bay Rays 3-games-to-1 in the World Series, and their fans are all revved up for game five. The Phillies' star pitcher Cole Hamels takes the mound with a 4-0 record in the playoffs, and odds are his arm will wrap up the championship.

On the other side, the less-heralded Rays' ace Scott Kazmir is simply trying squeeze out one more win somehow, so his team can save face. You know the story line of this one: underdog David versus the giant Goliath.

Posted October 22, 2008

This Sunday, Oct. 26, we will celebrate United Methodist Women's Sunday. With that in mind, I've asked our local UMW president, Kasie Freeman, to write this week's column.

On Sunday, as we will celebrate United Methodist Women (UMW) Sunday, members of the Royston First UMW will carry out all aspects of the worship service, including a solo sung by Mrs. Linda Guyer and a message from Mrs. Betty Skelton.

Our theme for this year is "Called by Name." We are "called by name" to support the purpose of UMW: to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ, to develop a creative, supportive fellowship, and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. We are "called by name" to witness in areas where ministry is difficult and to minister to those who need our love and concern.

United Methodist Women are involved with more than 100 mission institutions in more than 100 countries around the world. As United Methodist Women, we participate in the Five Channels of Mission Giving.

(1) Pledge to mission is our own personal giving each month.

(2) Gifts in Memory honor the memory of the women in our church who we have lost in the past year through making possible additional mission work in the U. S. and around the world. We will light candles during our service in their memory.

(3) Gift to mission is a way we honor five missionaries in the field with a gift to missions in her or his name; we also mail them a birthday card to let them know we are thinking of them.

(4) Special mission recognition is an annual gift for mission work in honor of three ladies in our church that exemplify dedication to our church, mission work here in Royston and support missions nationally and internationally.

(5) World Thank Offering allows us as individuals to respond to God’s abundance and grace with spontaneous gifts of gratitude. We do this throughout the year with donations made when we feel especially grateful for something in our lives.

Posted October 15, 2008

This week, I was out at George Dick's Alpaca farm to review the new reports we've created to help our finance and Administrative Council better understand our financial picture each month.

George is the chair of our Finance Committee, and we've been working hard this year to develop reports that give us a way to see how we are doing as stewards of our tithes and offerings to God. How one is able to see and interpret it is important.

As I arrived at his farm I was invited down to see their two new baby girl Alpacas. Normally, baby Alpacas weigh about 16-18 pounds at birth. However, the first one I saw weighed just under 10 pounds. The other was of normal weight.

Posted October 8, 2008

His faith was made complete by what he did.
(James 2:22, speaking of Abraham)

People magazine recently said most will remember the late actor, Paul Newman, because of the undeniable magic of his "baby blues eyes" on the big screen — bigger than life he was.

Remember his macho/romantic 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? After all these years I can still see the happy-go-lucky bank robbers Redford (Sundance Kid) and Newman (Butch Cassidy) jumping that cliff to escape their captors and Newman riding his favorite girl around the country side to the tune of Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.

Who can forget the epic final scene when the movie freezes in time as Newman and Redford, side by side as brothers, charge a whole army and face the music of their trade? Bigger-than-life kind of stuff.

Beyond all the fanfare Newman received around his "baby blues," People said the thing that distinguished Newman from the other actors was something else: his philanthropic nature. His true "bigger-than-life" story was one of giving back.

Posted October 1, 2008

It's been a couple of difficult economic weeks for our country, hasn't it? We've heard opinions from every analyst that CNN, FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC can conjure up, plus two presidential candidates in a debate.

I'm still not sure what the truth is.

In times like these we need perspective, and frankly the only thing anybody has said that makes any sense to me is what a guy said to me down at the grocery store last week: "Preacher," he said, "no matter what happens with the economy, it's not gonna affect my fishing."

I just shook my head and said to myself, "Well at least this man has a perspective I can get my mind around."

Perspective gives us a way forward in tumultuous times. For instance, I paraphrased Lewis Gizzard to our saddened UGA nation Sunday, saying: "Yes, Alabama tore out our heart and they stomped that sucker flat yesterday — but if you only watched the second half, the Dawgs won 30-10!"

Posted September 24, 2008

I heard on the news that we are going to be waking up to 50-something  degree temperatures this week. Yes, Labor Day is long gone, September is slipping away, and the color of October is almost upon us. Officially, Monday, Sept. 22 marked the beginning of "Fall" which will carry us toward the four-day weekends of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As you think about how time flies and what’s on your doorsteps of your own lives this Fall, it's not difficult to break out in a sweat is it?

Whew! — you say. Well, say it again — and mark your calendars for being with your church family here at Royston First!

Ongoing…

• Kid's Klub each Wednesday at 3:30 in the Gym.
  
  
• New Youth and Adult Sunday School classes in the Gym and BBC.
  
  
• Our 6th and 7th graders are beginning their "Confirmation" journey with Pastor Mac during the 10 a.m. Sunday School hour.
  
  
• The 2nd and 4th Wednesday each month we gather for our Family Suppers at 5:45, followed by a short program at 6:30-7 p.m.
  
  
•  The first three weeks of each month, Pastor Mac's new Bible Study at 6:30 on Tuesday evenings and 10 on Wednesday mornings.

 
This Sunday, Sept. 28...

• In the 11 a.m. worship hour we will celebrate our children by giving them give Bibles to our rising 3rd graders and our children who have not yet received one.
  
  
• Our "Annual Church Wide Picnic" will be hosted by our Sunday School classes at Victoria Bryant State Park from 4–7 p.m. Pack your lawn chairs and bug spray!

Coming in October…..WOW, look at this!

Posted September 10, 2008

UMCOR stands for The United Methodist Committee on Relief. It has its roots in a decision in 1940 by the General Conference of The Methodist Church to respond to the vast needs of human suffering worldwide. Today UMCOR is acts as our not-for-profit global humanitarian aid organization, working in more than 80 countries as well in our own backyard here in the United States.

Its mission is grounded in the teachings of Jesus to alleviate human suffering — whether that suffering is caused by war, conflict, or natural disaster — with open hearts and minds to all people.

UMCOR responds to natural or civil disasters that are interruptions of such magnitude that they overwhelm a community's ability to recover on its own.

Posted September 3, 2008

What newspaper or magazine can you pick up these days without reading a quote from John McCain or Barack Obama? But the next day, can you remember what you read?

A Newsweek writer notes that the challenge for candidates is to say things in ways that stick with voters. Usually, that involves using some kind of memorable metaphor.

"Without an indelible metaphor," the Newsweek writer commented, a candidate's "policy speeches are written in invisible ink." Metaphors often make the difference between whether what we say bounces like rubber or sticks like glue.

Maybe that's why Jesus told 50-plus parables. Maybe that's why God inspired particular writings in our Bible about the faith journeys of such people as Jonah, Job, David, Mary, and Martha.

When we hear the name Jonah, who doesn't see him being swallowed up and spit out by a great fish? Or what about Job? How can you not feel some sense of his pain, or the pain of Mary at the foot of the cross?

These characters provide in themselves "indelible metaphors" that help us with our faith journey. These metaphors help us understand who God is — and who we are as people made in His image and living in this world.

Posted August 27, 2008

Since 1884, the first Monday in September has been celebrated as the national holiday we have come to know as Labor Day. It’s a time for our country to give tribute to our workers. However, in our age of planes, trains, and automobiles, it also has become a time to enjoy the "last blast of summer."

Before we set our sights on fall football, festivals, and the magic of leaves changing colors, we Americans will, on this weekend, pack as much summer into a space of three days as humanly possible.

That's actually a good thing. You know why? Well, all this activity actually provides you and me with a "footstool" from which to climb into the fall cycle of the school year and a more normal workweek.

If you think about it for a minute, it's difficult to just "flip the switch" of our lives from one way of living to another. That's why for me, this "last blast of summer" is helpful. It gives me a space to mentally transition from the lazy days of summer into the more disciplined and orderly way that fall brings. Labor Day, I think, helps us get our bearing straight.

Posted August 20, 2008

As I was listening to the radio, the contemporary song, Breathe, by Michael W. Smith caught my attention.

Maybe it was because fresh on my mind was the "Music in Mission" study I attended on Monday, put together by our UMW president Kasie Freeman. Or maybe it was because I’ve been planning for "Promotion Sunday" this Sunday, as we as a church ask God's blessings on our teachers for another year of service — and have our children "cross over" to their new class (thank you Janet and Larry Brown for building a bridge).

I'm not sure exactly why the song caught my attention.

What I do know is that I found in the lyrics a key truth that we claim as a church and teach our children:

This is the air I breathe, Your holy presence living in me.
This is my daily bread; Your very word spoken to me….
I'm lost without You.

I want to invite you to sit with these words over the next couple of weeks and ask the question, "What song would I write to describe what God means to me?" What song would our children write?

Posted August 13, 2008

It was 1976. The year I graduated from UGA and dreamed of being #1 in the SEC (not #1 in the land like today). It was also the year I moved to the "Big A" and became a regular at "Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium" — long before baseball was swallowed up by the $$$ and places like "Turner Field."

It was the year when I got the job that would define my life for the next 23 years. It was the same that year for Skip Caray, son of Chicago Cubs famous announcer, "Holy-Cow!" Harry Caray.

In 1976, Skip took over the reins, with Pete Van Wieren as a Braves broadcaster, and became our voice to the great American pastime, baseball. He was our voice to the celebration and joy of winning, and to the struggle and disappointment of losing.

We need a voice like that don't we, to keep us grounded through the ups and downs of life?

When I read of Skip's death a few days ago, I remembered these things we had in common. We started long careers at the same time, loved baseball, and were dedicated to the Braves — and really were too young to have a clue to how fragile life was.

Posted August 6, 2008

Franklin, Madison, and Hart county schools are gearing up for another year! Around town I have heard parents say, "It can’t come too soon!" — and teachers say, "Can we have just one more week?"

Ready or not, the time has come!

To help parents out, Diana Jones, founder of the stranger/danger child-safety program called RUN*YELL*TELL, has 10 tips for parents to pass along to their kids.

Things like: walk in groups; don’t take shortcuts — always stick to the main roads; never accept a ride from a stranger; have a "home-alone" plan for emergencies, for answering the phone and doors; remind the children that 911 is free from any phone; teach your children landmarks along the way to school and back, where the "safe havens" are in case they need help (fire stations, neighbors, police, retail shops, churches); tell them to never leave school without permission from school officials; and teach them to report any suspicious behavior from any "new" adult friends.

Mrs. Jones says children need to be 1) encouraged to communicate concerns to trusted adults, and 2) taught how to keep themselves free of harm with the quick rule: "Run, Yell, Tell." She says parents must be pro-active, when children as young as four, in communicating ways for their youngsters to stay safe (yet do it in a casual manner so it's not too scary).

Posted July 30, 2008

This week's column is by Nan Brightwell, just back from
the annual Poplar Springs Camp Meeting. — Pastor Mac

"Camp Meeting" at Poplar Springs Campground is horseshoes, ping pong, volleyball, hand-churned ice cream, wood shavings, water balloon battles, porch swings, good books, slides, sandboxes, bikes, wagons, walks around the perimeter square, laughs, giggles and harmless mischief in the night after lights out call, and daily visits to the beloved "Stand" for goodies and snow cones.

For many of us at Royston First, the annual 10-day adventure triggers anxious anticipation and fond memories of fun, family, fellowship, food, and friendships that have been lovingly planted, prayerfully watered, carefully cultivated, and continuously harvested since the first Camp Meeting in 1832.

Named for the refreshing springs and towering poplars that dominate the landscape, Poplar Springs Campground has convened for 176 years, with the exception of the four years lost during the Civil War, leaving in its wake hundreds of present participants who treasure its continued adherence to tradition and biblical truth and thousands who have gone on before us into Heaven as testimony to the messages preached there.

Posted July 23, 2008

This is a major time of transition for our denominational leadership. You see, according to our United Methodist Book of Discipline (our book of rules and guidelines), every four years Jurisdictional delegates — lay and clergy alike — elect and appoint bishops.

That was the case last week at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference held at Lake Junaluska, N.C. Delegates from UM conferences in Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia gathered for this purpose.

They centered their discussions around the theme, "Living the United Methodist Way."

What is that? Well, the Book of Discipline defines who and what we are right there in the preamble of our denominational "Constitution":

Posted July 16, 2008

I read a quote recently by J.G. Brown: "Flowers are our greatest friends." A question for you: If we sat down over a cup of coffee and I gave you this quote, would I catch you with a little smile on your face saying with me, "I like that thought"?

What if I then asked you to articulate why you liked Brown's comparison of flowers to that of a great friend, how would you say it? What vocabulary would you use to convey this saying’s meaning?

It's not so easy, is it? Things that touch us deeply, that bring about a warm feeling inside and a smile are simply difficult to express. There are poetic words and deep sayings that can break even the most impermeable barriers. Maybe that’s why we in the church turn to the Psalms over and over again.

As I paused to think about our Christian witness and our call to be God’s   instruments of grace and mercy against the barriers that separate people from our God, I am aware how difficult this is for some.

How do we live out the "Great Commission" Jesus gave us in Matthew 28 and offer vocabulary that invites people into a relationship with Christ? To someone in need, broken from a life of guilt and shame, to some thinking: "I wish I could do it all over," how do we witness to a grace that goes beyond the pain and loneliness? How would you articulate words to bring a sense of warm grace and hope to those who find themselves in a cold and lonely shell of despair?

Posted July 9, 2008

One of the experiences I look forward to each summer is my week-long getaway at the beach. The waves crashing on the shore, the sounds of the birds above, the adult chatter, the children playing in the sand, and of course me with a good book — that’s my recipe for recharging the ol' batteries.

My week has come. I'm sitting here this warm summer morning — my folding chair pressed into the sand, our umbrella is flapping carelessly away in the wind. On my left is Amy, with a large hot cup of Java Joe's coffee with a dash of cream.

I can see the early-morning sun breaking the clouds now. So the time has come to plug in my iPod and begin the journey through the stack of magazines to my right — "All is well!"

Picking up a magazine, the headline, "Steps to Making the Most of Life," catches my attention. Everybody wants to know how to do that.

Posted June 25, 2008

"Conferencing" has become quite popular over the past 50 years. Most business organizations bring their people together in this way to discuss policy and implement better ways of working together. Usually, there are components of training, celebrating the past, and looking forward toward a brighter future.

That's how it was at the 142nd Session of the North Georgia United Methodist Annual Conference, held last week in Athens. Essential business was conducted, and there were wonderful moments of celebration.

We celebrated Bishop Davis' 12 years of leadership, and the more than 30 retirees who have given so much to our conference. I was moved as I listened to their reflections on ministry, speaking of countless ways in which they had experienced the power of God's presence in the local church — the result of a river of generosity that gave their ministries life.

That's what generosity does. It gives life. Generosity was embedded in the theology of Methodist founder John Wesley, and therefore it is embedded in the DNA of the United Methodist Church. And the powerful thing is that our generosity is magnified exponentially beyond our local churches.

How? By intentionally joining together in service to Christ in the world. This is one of the key reasons I felt called to serve Christ as a UM pastor.

This joining together in service was a major component of our work at last week’s gathering, as we came together as lay and clergy to pool our resources in acts of generosity.

Celebrating Bishop Davis' ministry, we gave more than $115,000 to the "Nothing But Nets" initiative — an anti-malaria campaign done in concert with the United Nations Foundation, Sports Illustrated magazine, NBA Cares, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Our collective North Georgia United Methodist generosity will now help more than 12,500 families to sleep safely.

A "love offering" of more than $110,000 was given to our departing Bishop, which he and his wife, Jennifer, pledged to ministries in Honduras and Venezuela. We also raised more than $8,000 to support "Our Daily Bread," the local UM-related feeding mission in Athens.

Posted June 11, 2008

Maybe it's as simple as the time you get out of bed in the morning. "Early bird get’s the worm," my dad used to say. Maybe you're an "early bird."

Or maybe you're defined by how you socialize in a group — as one who talks (or not), one who listens, or one who's a good friend.

One way you may be defined if you're a man is as a "father," and we will celebrate our fathers this coming Sunday in Worship.

Of course, even fatherhood can be defined in a lots of ways. One can be a biological father, an adoptive father, a grandfather, or a great-grandfather. You could be a spiritual father, or even a founding father.

All that to say, we are all defined by some name, some banner that represents who we are.

This past Sunday we looked at the call of Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 12 and defined him as the Father of God's people the Israelites.

To get at exactly who Abraham was, we asked questions: "How is it that at such a great age and personal sacrifice of worldly possessions, Abraham was able to follow God’s command without even a word?"

We looked at his extraordinary testimony of faith, maybe the best example of faith we have in the Bible. We asked the question, "What does it mean that God called Abraham and he went without even a word?"

Posted June 4, 2008

In her book, My Grandfather’s Blessings, medical doctor Rachel Naomi Remen tells about a ritual she follows each day, taught to her by a Tibetan nun.

Each morning when she gets out of bed, she takes an empty bowl and fills it slowly to the brim with water. As she fills it, she reflects on the particulars of her life: the people with whom she shares time, the problems and disappointments, her joys and successes, her limitations and gifts.

As the bowl fills, she says she receives her portion in life unconditionally.

Then she takes the bowl, careful not to spill a drop, to a private place in her home, and dedicates all it contains to the service of life.

She begins her day with the edges of her life softened in knowing each part of her life may have an equal value in serving the world around her.

At the end of the day, before going to bed, she takes her bowl outside and pours the water out upon the earth. In doing this, she is reminded of the cycle of life — we are to take on whatever we have been given, use it to serve life around us, then let it go completely.

Posted May 21, 2008

This week's reflection is by Paul and Anne Harris, members of our church who feel deeply the significance of Memorial Day. — Mac

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. Many stories exist as to its actual beginnings, with more than two-dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day.

It is not important who was first; what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation — about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Probably most of us have someone in our ancestry who fought and died in a war. If not, we know someone who has.

It's difficult for those of us who haven’t actually had to serve to truly respect and appreciate what Armed-Forces service really entails.

We say we honor those who have sacrificed all to keep us free — but do it only once a year on Memorial Day, or do we honor them by continuing their fight and vigilance?

Do we act as patriotic Americans who believe freedom is a right and not just a concept? Do we really believe freedom never comes at a cheap price?

Posted May 14, 2008

I've always heard that elephants never forget, and it seems science has backed this up. A study of wild African elephants has revealed that this is particularly true of dominant females.

They appear to build up a type of social memory which enables them to recognize "friendly" faces in the wild. It is the way they are able to better protect themselves and their young from danger.

Moreover, it is memory held in the older elephants that ensures the survival chances of whole herds. This means the herd's future is dependent on memory.

Heritage Sunday is like that for the United Methodist Church, I think. We depend on our memory as we seek ways in which we can more faithfully serve and disciple others in the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Heritage Sunday is our "matriarch" and the vehicle of our social memory, helping ensure that our congregations stay in tune with our history and basic beliefs.

Posted May 6, 2008

The timeless order of God affects all else — even the "fixed" things of life. This coming Sunday is a great example. It is a collision of a special Sunday in the life of the Church and our fixed national holiday we call Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is always fixed on our calendars as the second Sunday in May. Pentecost Sunday, on the other hand, is celebrated 50 days after Easter, which corresponds to 10 days after Jesus returned to heaven. Pentecost finds its way to our calendars by way of calculating the phases of the moon and the changing of the seasons.

What all this means is the next time Pentecost and Mother's Day collide our great-grandchildren's grandchildren will be having babies — it will be the year 2160. That's a lot of Hallmark cards from now.

Speaking of Hallmark cards, as I was looking for a card for Mom this week, I suddenly realized it will be different for Mom this year without Dad by her side. 

As she opens her Mother’s Day cards, something tells me this year she'll probably be reflecting more about the love and blessing of having been a life companion to my Dad for most of his 77 years, than the blessings of her children and grandchildren.

That which we hold dear, though it seems so concrete and lasting, changes with the passing of time. It's the reality in which we live, a world of gains and losses. Yet, it doesn't stop us from seeking something constant in our life, does it?

The unchanging One

The good news is there is one concrete and lasting thing in our life, one promise we can hold onto that does not change. It is God's ensuing love across all time.

As Christian people, we make the journey of faith with this assurance. It gives us a way to be thankful both for what we have gained and what we have lost.

Posted April 29, 2008

A recent article in Newsweek began: "DNA is hip." Reading the article, I discovered there are companies that for a mere $2,500 will provide a personalized DNA test.

The test can tell you about your risk for a heart attack or diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease. All you need is a credit card and cup to spit in. That’s right. Just spit into a test tube and out pops an orange-and-pink double helix. Well, sort of.

It makes me wonder what Watson and Crick, who defined the structure of our DNA 55 years ago, would think about these virtual clinics being set up like hot dog stands on city streets. The language of life, once a sacred mystery, has become an information commodity.

Posted April 22, 2008

I read an