Keeping Christmas

I recall some time ago someone  telling me the story of a relative of theirs that would begin the process of taking down their Christmas decorations on the afternoon of Christmas Day.  While that does not happen at our house,  I am sure that some of you are already doing a similar thing- taking down your Christmas decorations, putting your Christmas gifts in their respective places.  Soon, our homes and neighborhoods will be void of the bright lights and decorations that brought a twinkle to our eyes just a few days ago. 

While there will come a time when we will put our decorations in their respective storage places and find a place for the gifts we receive,  I encourage you to carefully consider not putting the center of Christmas, Christ Jesus, away in the corner of the closet or in the attic.  The best of Christmas is God with us, Emmanuel, Christ Jesus.    Lord knows we need Christ in our world more than ever before.     I don’t know about you, but I think we need to keep Christmas at its best in our world and lives all the time. 

Peter Marshall was a Presbyterian pastor in another day and age in Washington DC.  He puts it this way about Christmas:    "May we not 'spend' Christmas or 'observe' Christmas, but rather 'keep' it."

As we read the story of the birth of Jesus in Lukes gospel, we read this verse in Luke 2:19 these words:

¹⁹ However, Mary continued to treasure all these things in her heart and to ponder them.

I  want to ponder and treasure the best of Christmas too.  How about you?  Amen.  Let it be, Lord.  Let it be.   Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  Lord, we thank you for the precious gift of yourself at Christmas in your son and Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.   Give us the wisdom to allow Christ to be a part of our world the whole year through;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Christmas is Personal

Most every Christmas,  I will find myself on the receiving end of a comment from some adult who laments that “Christmas has gotten so materialistic.”    This usually will be followed by thoughts that for many people that Christmas has become consumed with only getting gifts that require “bigger barns” to store all the objects we have.  While I know the comments are well meaning and have some substance to them, Christmas at its purest and best is materialistic. 

Only the gospels of Luke and Matthew give some insight into what the birth of Jesus Christ was all about.  The gospel of Mark was in too much of a hurry to share about the life and death of Christ Jesus to tell us about the birthday of Jesus.  And the gospel of John is a “gospel of a different color” from the other 3 gospels.  The closest Christmas story that John has is found in John 1:14  where we read:

And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.  

In Christmas, we see God come to us in material, human  form.  While our Christmas gifts might come to us in a form made of  cotton, wool, or plastic,  God comes to us in Christmas in human material and flesh  in a child born to Mary named Jesus.     God is flesh and blood at Christmas in Christ Jesus.   While most of us yearn to hold a child, this child named Christ Jesus grows to become a man who would hold on his shoulders the sins of the whole world. 

What an awesome gift God gives us at Christmas in the gift of Christ Jesus.  Our joy and challenge is follow the example of Christ Jesus and make Christmas personal.   As God came to us up close and personal in the life of Christ Jesus,  we have the opportunity to  make the love of God visible in the people we are each and everyday.    We live in a world where love is a stranger to so many people.   Oh, to follow the example of the God we know in Christ Jesus and let the love of God become incarnate in who we are and what we do.  That is my Christmas hope and prayer for myself.  How about you?  Merry Christmas.-   Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  “O holy child of Bethlehem, descend on us we pray.  Cast out our sin and enter in. Be born in us today.  We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell.  O come to us, abide with us.  Our Lord Emmanuel.  Amen.”

Pet Rocks And Other Christmas Gifts

I was browsing on the internet the other day and noticed that they are selling pet rocks again.    As I saw the ads for pet rocks,  I thought back to a Christmas in the 1970’s when I got a pet rock for a Christmas gift.   They were a fad at the time.  You can see a picture of a pet rock above.   Pet rocks are certainly easier to take care of than a dog or cat.    They certainly do not need shots or a litter box.  What do you do with a pet rock?    What do you do with any gift that you receive?   We can use it,  throw it away, give it away, or simply stash in into a closet, attic, or drawer to never be seen again. 

We prepare in these days not only to give gifts to friends and family, but to celebrate the greatest gift of this season or any lifetime-  God’s gift, Jesus Christ.   There is a scene in the gospels when the Roman leader, Pontius Pilate, has Jesus before him.  As Jesus stands there,  we hear these words in Matthew 27:22,  “What shall I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?” 

What shall we do with the greatest gift of this season or our life,  Jesus Christ?     I cannot tell you what happened to my pet rock, but I can tell you that I have not seen it in decades.  Will the gift of Jesus Christ be something that you get rid of when the thrills of Christmas are gone, or will Christ become a part of your life and routine in the days ahead?    Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall 

Prayer:  O God,  we look forward with great expectation the coming of Christmas and the coming of your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Prepare our hearts to give him room in this season and in our lives.  Amen.

Remembering December 7

December 7, 1941 was the date.  The place was Oahu in what now is the state of Hawaii.  On that Sunday morning, Japanese planes attacked the United States Navy installation of Pearl Harbor destroying many lives and much of the Pacific fleet.  While the attention of military personnel and local residents alike were focused on what was happening at Pearl Harbor, Marie was concentrating on something else.   At the Naval Hospital just a few miles from Pearl Harbor, she was giving birth to a little girl that she had carried in her womb for 9 months.  On a day when many lost their life a few  miles away from her, Marie gave birth to a new life. While many around her felt deep sadness,  Marie felt the joy of a new baby. 

I had the priviledge to be Marie’s pastor many years after that December day.  Though it has been decades since she told me that story, I still remember it.    While many Americans remember December 7 as a day of sadness, Marie remembered December 7  as a day of joy in her life.

Historians can give you many reasons why our country suffered such a major attack at Pearl Harbor that day.  Surely one of the reasons was that our armed forces were not prepared for such a violent and devastasting act.  On the other hand,  one of the main reasons why Marie gave birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl near Pearl Harbor that day was because she had followed medical counsel from her doctor.    It is always important to be prepared.

In these December days, Christians everywhere are in the season of Advent.   Remembering the urging of the prophets long ago to prepare for the coming of God’s anointed one, the Messiah, we prepare for the coming of Christmas and the living Christ into our midst in these days.  At the same time, Advent reminds us not only that Christ comes, but Christ will come again.  There will come a time when Christ will come and will create a “new Jerusalem” defeating the principalities and powers of this world.   On this December 7 and in this season, let us prepare accordingly.   Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall  

Prayer:  O God,  who has come and is coming: prepare my heart through the power of your Holy Spirit for your coming in these days;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The Password

A few weeks ago,  I was at a church gathering out of town.  Several of the attendees at the meeting including myself came to the meeting equipped with our laptop computers with information that we would discuss during our time together.  So that we could get on the internet, we asked one of the event hosts what was the password for their internet.  We were told the password is joyfulness.  I typed the letters of that word on my laptop and soon had success in being online. 

Though that meeting is past, I have been thinking about that password.  Joyfulness is more than a password to gain access onto the internet; no, it is a password to a fulfilled life.  We will encounter the word “joy” often in the next few weeks during this Advent and Christmas season.    Many of us will sing or hear sung the hymn “Joy to the World” or perhaps hear ”tidings of comfort and joy” as we hear the story about the birth of Christ Jesus.    How can we know joyfulness in this season and in every season?

Here is a short list of things that bring joyfulness and fulfillment to me.  I share them not in any particular order but simply as they come to mind.   They are as follows:  

·         Giving to others without expectation to receive anything tangible in return

·         Loving others and being loved by others

·         Spending time with children and with older adults

·         Singing songs and hearing music   

·         Watching the wonder and beauty of God’s creation and God’s creatures

·         Being forgiven and forgiving others

            My hope and prayer is that the things I listed above might be a part of my life in the busyness of these days.  Don’t like my short list of things that bring me joyfulness and fulfillment?  Then, make your own list and discover your own password.    Better yet, make those things a part of your days.  -  Have a joyful week.-   Pastor Randy Wall  

Prayer:  O God, help joy be more than a word I  read or a word I sing.  Help joy to be known in my heart.   Give me eyes of faith to see the joys around me in these days;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Grateful For What Isn't

I love holidays.   They call me to  pause and reflect about  things that I need to remember all the time and not just one day or season of the year.   Thanksgiving is no exception.    Perhaps some celebrate Thanksgiving because of the feast before them or because of the time away from work or even because it is the beginning of the holiday shopping season  What I appreciate most about the Thanksgiving holiday is found in the name of the holiday itself.   Thanksgiving.  I appreciate being reminded of the goodness and graciousness that God has given me in this year and this life. 

Recently, I opened a letter from a health care provider  in our area that shared good news.  The tests provided a good report.  There was no sign of cancer or any other serious illness.  It got me thinking about  thanksgiving in a different way.   Some times I give thanks to God for what is and sometimes I give thanks to God for what isn’t.   

Yes,   I give thanks to  God for all there is in my life.  There is food to eat, a home to live in, and clothes on my back.   Yes,  I give thanks for a wonderful wife to share life with and for all our family.  Yes, I give thanks for the holy priviledge that is mine to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am blessed beyond measure for what is.

Yet, there are  times that I give thanks to God for what isn’t.   I give thanks that when I gather to worship there isn’t a  legal authority forbidding me to assemble to worship the Lord.  I give thanks that I opened a letter that told me there was no cancer, and that I am not in the hospital or a long term medical facility.    Sometimes, I thank God for what isn’t.

Whatever this Thanksgiving holds for you,  I encourage you to join me in taking time to pause and reflect on what is and isn’t in your life that causes thanksgiving and gratitude to swell up in you.   Have a great Thanksgiving and a blessed week.-   Pastor Randy Wall

            Prayer: All praise, glory, honor, and thanksgiving be to you, mighty God.   Thank you for all your goodness that goes far beyond what I deserve.  Praise your holy name;   through Christ our Lord.   Amen.  

Reporting For Duty

Another Veterans Day has come and gone here in the United States.   While we share some of our  holidays  with people around the world,  Veterans Day is a distinctively American holiday.   On that day, we honor those who have served our nation’s call to arms in times of war and peace.   While it is related to Memorial Day, it is different in that Memorial Day focuses on those who died in military service while Veterans Day focuses on those who served and returned.  Like many of you, I have relatives who  served in the military in days past and currently have a son-in-law who serves in the United States Army.  In recent days,  I have been thinking of an old hymn that includes these words:

Am I am soldier of the cross- A follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name?/  In the name, the precious name, Of Him who died for me, Through grace I’ll win the promised crown, Whate’er my cross may be.  

One of the things that is critical for those in military service is following orders of their commanding officer.  Failure to follow orders can result not only in the charge of insubordination at a minimum but also  the loss of life at the worse.   As Jesus faced his own crucifixion, he put it this way as he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane:  “not my will, but thine be done.”.     Are we faithful soldiers of the cross or do we face the charge of insubordination to God our Father?    

The Salvation Army was founded by a British lay preacher named William Booth.   He used the metaphor of being a soldier of the cross in his work for the Kingdom of God.    One of the things that the  Salvation Army has always focused on is working with the least and the lost among us.    William Booth put the cause of being a solder of the cross this way:

"While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while little children go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!" 

Can Christ Jesus count on you in the fight to touch the least and the lost?   Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

            Prayer: Holy God, there are so many people that need to know the touch of your love.  I am reporting for duty.  Use me, Lord;  in Christ’s name.  Amen.  

Little Things, Big Results

Our clothes dryer at our home  was not working correctly.  The dryer door would not stay shut.  While I recall days in my life  when we did not have a clothes dryer at our house, today there are no clothes lines at our house or in our neighborhood.  The problem with the dryer was a small, but important one:  the small door latch had broken off.   After discovering that the dryer was no longer under warranty, we discovered on the internet not only a company that sold a dryer latch kit for under $5 but also a video that showed how to fix the problem.  In a couple of days, the dryer latch kit arrived at our home and the problem was fixed in a matter of minutes

That experience has had me thinking in recent days about the importance of little things.  The performance of that clothes dryer was dependent on a dryer latch that cost  a retail price of less than $5 and took less than 5 minutes to install.   I believe that the effectiveness of our Christian witness as a church and individuals is also dependent on little things.  It costs no money to share a smile, a warm welcome, or to make a phone call.  It costs little money to send a card to a friend or stranger who is sick and needs encouragement, or to prepare a plate of cookies for a new neighbor.  Yet, what a big effect those little things can have on the friend or stranger at our church, in our neighborhood, or in our workplace.

The apostle Paul uses the human body as a metaphor to make a point about the importance of little things in the body of Christ, the Church.   If you have ever had a toothache or a splinter in a finger, you know well that little things can have a big effect.   In I Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul puts it this way:

¹⁴ For the body does not consist of only one part, but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “Since I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” that does not make it any less a part of the body, does it? ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “Since I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” that does not make it any less a part of the body, does it? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body^[e] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has arranged the parts, every one of them, in the body according to his plan.^[f] 19 Now if all of it were one part, there wouldn’t be a body, would there? ²⁰ So there are many parts, but one body.

 There are many people who lament the money or the talents they do not have to make a difference.  Perhaps we need to look not so much at the big things we do not have, but at little things we have and can do to make a difference.  Have a joy-filled week.- Pastor Randy Wall

            Prayer:  Lord and God, thank you  for the grace and goodness you have given me every day of my life.  Help me take action today to touch somebody in your name;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

A Communion of Saints

It is a new month we call November.   A general election is only days away and candidates of many different persuasions are making their  final case of why you should vote for them.  The month of October just ended with Halloween and the fun that offers for the young and old.  Amid all that is going on, it is easy to forget the importance of November 1 on the Christian calendar.   November 1 is All Saints Day.  Protestant traditions don’t have a path to sainthood like our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters.  Those that associate sainthood with living a life without blemish perhaps shudder at the mention of the very possibility that someone could be a saint.   Despite such objections,  All Saints Day has become more important in my journey as a Christian in recent years. 

We say we believe in the “communion of saints” in the creed we call “The Apostles Creed”, one of the oldest affirmations of faith in our Christian tradition.  What do we believe about that communion of saints?    Here is what I believe about the communion of saints.    I am grateful for the lives of followers of Christ that have gone before me who now know their final rest in the Lord.  None of us is without blemish, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.   Yet, I am grateful for the saints  for the  memory of their  words and example are a source of inspiration for me as I seek to follow Christ now. The faith that I have in Christ has been formed and shaped by their lives. Their lives made a difference in my life.    I give thanks to God for them.  I am reminded of the words of Hebrews 12:1-2   which says:

Therefore, having so vast a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, and throwing off everything that hinders us and especially the sin that so easily entangles^[a] us, let us keep running with endurance the race set before us, ² fixing our attention on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of the faith, who, in view of^[b] the joy set before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

            Do you believe in the communion of saints?   What do you believe about them?   Amid the busyness of these days,   I encourage you and myself to take time to ponder that.  Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

            Prayer:  Lord,  I  give you thanks for the lives of the saints who now know eternal rest in you. May their lives inspire me to greater heights of serving you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

The Opportunity of Hurricaine Matthew

Many of you like myself have watched with sadness the havoc that Hurricaine Matthew created a few weeks ago on the east coast.   The television news and newspapers have told us the stories of the flooding, lives lost, and homes damaged.    For those like myself who live in the Carolinas, this storm is not a news story far away.  No, it is up close and personal.  When I hear how the storm affected places like Kinston, Lumberton, Fair Bluff, Charleston, and the like,  I think of people I personally know who live and love  in those areas.

I am reminded of an encounter I had with a person in the congregation that I had the priviledge to serve.  We were talking that day about a gentleman in that congregation who was facing heart bypass surgery.   A matter of fact,  I believe it was the first time I had ever heard of such a surgery.   Since heart bypass surgery was a new procedure and since the man was in critical condition,  there was some question of whether he would even survive the surgery.    As we lamented the health and surgery of our brother in Christ,  I lamented how sad it was that Vernon was in such critical condition.  Alvin startled me when he responded to my comment by saying:   “It is sad, Randy.   However, it is also a wonderful opportunity for us to be the Church in his time of need.”

That comment is surely appropriate as our friends and neighbors seek to rebuild their lives after Hurricaine Matthew.    While it is immensely sad for them, what a wonderful opportunity for us to be the face and hands of Christ right now in the midst of this disaster.   I encourage you to pray for those who are recovering from this vicious storm and for the relief workers now and in the coming months.   Finally,  give as you are able to the church or charity of your choice to help out.  Richly we have been given, and now richly let us give.  Have a joy-filled week.-    Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  Lord,  I pray for those who continue to recover from the damaging effects of  the hurricaine.  Bless them and use my hands and gifts to make a difference in their lives right now;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.  

Maybe More than BBQ, Candy, and Crafts

There are many churches who are having all sorts of events this Fall.   The list of events includes bazaars, craft sales,  barbecue sales,  Fall festivals, trunk and treat events, and Homecomings.   There will be lots of food, fun, and fellowship.   There will also be many people roaming church campuses for these events  who are not there when the church doors open on Sunday morning. 

As a pastor, I know well that it is easy for church leadership to get so consumed by the plans and preparation for these events that they forget that they afford a greater and grander purpose:   such events offer the body of Christ the opportunity to introduce themselves and faith to people who might not be so well acquainted with Christ and His Church.   You see,  there are many people who come to Christ and His Church not through the front door into the sanctuary, but through a back door that leads to a church event in the fellowship hall, the kitchen, or the like.    I am a living testimony to that truth.    My first attendance at my local United Methodist Church was not for Sunday worship, but for events like scout meetings and Vacation Bible School. 

In John 4,  we read about a chance encounter that Jesus had with a Samaritan woman at the well.    Jesus and this woman came to the well for the same reason:   to get water.   As some folks visit a church in these days for candy, games, or barbecue,  this woman at the well did not have faith or God on her mind.  She simply wanted water to drink.     This woman left that well with a taste of something else:  the living water that Christ offered.   Sometimes,  people get more than they bargained for when they come on a church campus.    What they get might not be what they were looking for, but it might be the faith and the Christ that their soul and spirit surely needed.   Remember that,  church folks,  in the events that happen on your campuses in these Fall days.   Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  Lord and God,  grant that your love might shine through all that we do in our lives and in our churches in these days.  Help us to get out of the way and let Christ Jesus show through us; through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

A Fake Fisherman

I was first introduced to fishing on the Carolina coast in the Fall 1974 while I was serving in my first appointment as a pastor when I was invited to fish with some of the men of the congregation at Surf City.  We made the 90 minute trip from Sampson County to Onslow County and fished in the surf.   Though I had fished many times in ponds and lakes as a boy and a young man, that was the first time I recall fishing on the coast.  Even though I don’t believe I caught a single fish all day,  I was “hooked”  (pun intended) with coastal fishing and have been doing the same since then. 

I was thinking the other day about my next door neighbor to the parsonage there who went fishing at the Carolina coast that Fall.    Unfortunately,  his fishing fortunes were not very good as he (like my first coastal fishing trip)  did not catch a single fish that day.  The  poor fishing success of my neighbor  may have been because he had a beer in his hand that day more often than he had a fishing rod.   To soften the blow with his wife that he came home from his fishing trip inebriated, my neighbor stopped at a fish market where he proceeded to buy fish so he could act like he had caught fish.   You might say that he was a fake fisherman.  He was in the right place and he had the right equipment, but he had the wrong result. 

One day along the Sea of Galilee,  Jesus exclaimed to Peter, Andrew, James, and John to “follow me and I will make you fishers of people.”      Like my neighbor long ago, there are many followers of Jesus who  are in the right place to fish for people in their  neighborhoods, their schools, or their work places.  While my neighbor had his fishing poles and fishing tackle, fishers for people have some faith, Bibles, and the love of Christ.  However, there are too many fishers for people who are getting the wrong result.  Wow to any who are fake fishers for men and women.  Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  Holy God, you have given us the priviledge to share in your kingdom work.  Give us faith and courage  for your work and fruits from our labor;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

Thoughts about Election Day

               In just a few weeks, people in our community will enter the voting booth to elect persons to serve  our community, state, and nation.   In these days, we are bombarded with messages from the candidates as we drive down the road,  open our local newspaper, and turn on the television.     In these messages, we often hear about the virtues of the candidates for office and the vices of their opponents. 

            We are in a position unlike the fathers and mothers of our faith that we read about in the scriptures.   While we who live in a democracy choose our leaders, the Israelites and the early Christians did not choose their leaders.  No, their leaders were chosen by God.   Israel did not choose Saul to be its first king;  no,  God chose Saul.   David, often considered to be one of the greatest Kings in the history of Israel, was not chosen by the general populace.  No,  God chose David even as a boy to be king of Israel.   Things did not change when Christ Jesus came. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were not chosen by their communities to be disciples;  no, they were chosen by Christ Jesus.  We read in the early pages of Acts that when the disciples chose a replacement disciple for Judas, they did not vote but cast lots for the replacement believing that the Lord God would guide the process. 

            All of us will hear a lot in the next few weeks  about all the candidates for office and from the candidates.   Some may have heard more than we would like to hear.   As a person of faith, I suggest to you that I need to hear from someone else:  God.   Who would God have us choose to be the leaders of our community, state, and nation?

            Below are some questions I am prayerfully asking myself in these days.  I encourage all people of faith to do the same.  Those questions are as follows:

Which candidates are ones that personify the great commandment of loving God and neighbor?

Which candidates for office espouse an agenda that seeks what is fair and just for the most people?

Which candidates live a life that shows Christ Jesus?

            Let us pray for our community, state, and nation during these election days.  Let us pray for ourselves that God will give us wisdom beyond ourselves.  -Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  Lord and God,  we did not choose you, but you chose us to be your disciples.  Give us grace and wisdom for choosing our leaders in these days; through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Black and White: A Way Forward?

            There has been much in the news recently about race relations in our community and our country.   I don’t need to recount the particulars of officer-involved shootings, community protests, and the loss of lives.  Other media can recount the details for you.   All of this has me thinking back to a movie that was released in 2000 and my own high school days. 

              The movie I have been thinking of is “Remember the Titans”  starring Denzel Washington that tells the story of a football team in northern Virginia in the early 1970’s.   Black and white were integrated into T.W. Williams High School and its football team and a black man took the position of  coach of the high school football  team.   What stood out in the movie for me was not just the fact that the football team won the state football championship, but how the attitudes of black and white changed toward each other as they got to know each other. 

            Our high school went through racial tensions and unrest during my days there.    I did not attend  T.W. Williams High School in northern Virginia, but Walter Williams High School in Burlington, NC.   Around 1969, our high school football coach was fired and was replaced by a black man named Jerome Evans as our high school was integrating with the predominately black high school in town.  In the aftermath of that,  there was lootings, riots, curfews, and the National Guard in my hometown.  Unfortunately, one young black man lost his life. 

            One of the things that happened in the aftermath of the racial tension in Burlington is that a student exchange took place between Williams High School (where I attended)  and Jordan Sellers High School (the predominately black high school that was being closed.)    I was elected by my fellow class members in my homeroom to spend a day in class at Jordan Sellers High School and to get to know the students there.   Sitting in class with those students and sharing time with them changed me and how I viewed blacks. .   

            The racial issues in our country are complicated and complex, and not easily fixed.   Perhaps my experience in my high school days at Jordan Sellars High School and the movie “Remember the Titans”  offers an idea worth considering and it is to simply try to be with and talk to each other. Notice I said talk to each other instead of talk at each other.     If we can spend time with a fellow human no matter their color and see them as a person that God has created,  then I believe Christ Jesus is in that moment .  Have a joy-filled week.-    Pastor Randy Wall  

Prayer:  Lord and God,  you have made each and everyone of us.   Help us when we look in the face of each other to see you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

A Respite Place

Earlier this month,  Ann and I visited New York City.   People go to places for different reasons, and such was the case in our visit to New York City.  While we went largely to see the sights,  we also had a secondary reason for our trip: visiting the 9/11 Memorial.  It had been 8 years since we were in New York City.   They were not finished with the 9/11 Memorial the last time we were there.   Since I worked in New York City in the Fall, 2001 after the terrorist attacks with both the General Board of Global Ministries and the American Red Cross, it was important for me to visit that site.   

Near the 9/11 Memorial is a church called St. Pauls Church.  You will see a picture of it above.   This house of worship has been on that site since the 1700’s.   They say that after George Washington was inaugurated as our nation’s first President in New York City, he walked to St. Pauls Church and spent some time in prayer there.   When I was in New York City after the 9/11 attacks, St. Pauls Church was transformed into a respite center for the workers at “Ground Zero”.   In the sanctuary of that church, one could receive a meal, a time of quiet reflection,  and even a massage to soothe aching muscles.  

  I left St. Pauls Church that day reflecting that the church at its best is always a respite center.  On its best days, the church is a place and people that provides a haven for the hurting, the hopeless, and the downtrodden.   In times of terrorist attacks and in all times, the church is a place and people that welcomes us and soothes our aching, wounded souls.   Yet, the church is also a place and people that sends us out into a world to tell of one who came to save us from our sins.     I want to be a part of a Church like that.   How about you?    Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  Lord and God,  you have built your Church upon the foundation of Jesus Christ our Lord.   Let your Spirit blow upon your Church that it might rise to new heights in serving you;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

By Our Love

            In recent weeks, I have been doing some  part-time volunteer work at a faith-based helping agency in my community.   While the agency provides clothing, meals, a nurse, and other things to help the “least of these” in our community, my role is to listen to people’s stories and see what community resources might help with  their plight.   A couple of weeks, a young man and his girlfriend came into the office.   They were struggling with the breakdown of their Ford Fusion.  I listened to his story and made several suggestions that might could help.  As he shared with me his name and phone number, he commented,  “You know,  I must confess that I have never been into faith, the church, and Christianity.  But you know what?   My experience here is starting to change my mind.”

            The comment of that young man made me think of a passage of scripture in the New Testament.   Read this passage from James 2:    which says:

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

There are a lot of folks today for whom the Church, faith, and Christianity is a foreign commodity.   They either have become disenchanted with the same or they have never been introduced to the Christian faith.   What a glorious opportunity for those who are in Christ Jesus to let others know about Christ not through what we say, but who we are and what we do.   As the song says,   “Yes, they will know we are Christians by our love.”     Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  Living God, who dwelt among us long ago full of grace and truth in Christ Jesus:  live in and through our lives in our world today through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Hear our prayers, O Lord.   Amen.  

Fall: The Season, The Danger

            I am taking a conversational spanish class right now at the local community college.  I am taking it for one main purpose:  to learn something new.  Learning a new language is forcing me to do something I usually do not do very often, and that is think about the meaning of words.    With Labor Day behind us,   I find myself thinking about an English word that enters our vocabulary this time of year.   That English word is Fall, one of the four seasons of the year.  Some prefer to use the word Autumn, but I prefer Fall. 

            The season of  Fall is a beautiful time of year.     Just saying the word brings a smile to my face and my heart, for it is the time of year when I fell in love with my beautiful wife and it is the time when I fell in love with a Savior who loved me before I ever knew Him-  Christ Jesus.    The season of Fall brings pleasant thoughts of  autumn colors, mountain trips,  cooler temperatures,  church barbecues,  coastal fishing trips,  blooming mums,  pumpkin carvings, children in costume, and pumpkin pie. 

            While the season of Fall brings smiles and pleasant thoughts, a fall is generally not a good thing.    It is not good when we hear of friends and family who fall and suffer the consequences of surgery, hospitalization, and rehab.    Likewise,  it is not good when a driving motorist falls asleep behind the steering wheel.     In I Corinthians 10:12,  the apostle Paul cautions brothers and sisters in Christ against another kind of fall, and that is falling to the dangers of temptation.   Read this verse from I Corinthians 10:12 which says:

¹² Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing securely should watch out so he doesn’t fall.

            None of us are free from the temptation to fall away from being the people Christ called us to be.  If Peter succumbed to temptation,  why would we think it would be immune to the possibility?     When my children were young and learning to walk,  it seemed to me that they were less likely to fall when they stayed closed to me.    If we can each stay close to Christ,  we are certainly less likely to fall to temptation.  Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall 

Prayer:  Lord and God,   draw us closer to you that we might not succumb to the temptations that lurk nearby.  When we do fall,  lift us up with your grace and forgiveness;  through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

The Work of our Hands

            Many years ago before cable television and when most persons only had less than a dozen television stations to watch, there was a television show called “Dobie Gillis”.     One of the characters on the show was named Maynard G. Krebs and was played by Bob Denver.   As I remember Maynard G.  Krebs,  he always had an adverse reaction when the word “work” was said.    Maynard G. Krebs was a character who wanted to avoid work like most of us want to avoid a toothache. 

            I think about Maynard G. Krebs as another Labor Day approaches.  I give thanks to God for those who work and add  to my quality of life.    While many folks are looking forward to having a long weekend with a view of the mountains or water,   Labor Day is a time to celebrate the American worker.    Perhaps there was a time when what people ate, wore, and lived in was a direct result of the work of their own hand.   I think it generally true that such a time is no more in the part of the world I live.   Most of us everyday eat food that someone else produced or prepared.    Most of us wear clothes that someone else made and live in homes that someone else built.  In many cases,  we know not the name of the person that produced that food, built our home, or made our clothes.   We are indebted to workers whose names we know not. 

            The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of Jesus found in all four gospels.   The stories are similar in nature, but Johns gospel tells us something the other gospels do not mention:  the few loaves and few fish that Jesus used to feed thousands of men, women, and children were the direct result of the generosity of a little boy who shared his food with Jesus.    As Labor Day comes, I encourage you to enjoy a holiday and time away in your favorite places.  However,  I also encourage you to take a moment to give thanks to God for the worker who adds to your quality of life.  You may not know their name anymore than we know the name of a little boy whose food  blessed by Jesus fed thousands long ago.     Have a joy-filled week and Labor Day.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  Lord and God, thank you for the blessing of work and the difference it makes in our lives.   I give thanks for those whose name I know not who bless me through the work of their hands; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  

Where Have You Been?

            “Where have you been?”    That seems like an appropriate question for readers of this blog to ask this writer since it has been about 2 months since I wrote in this blog.    I am glad that to say that I have not been ill of body or spirit nor have I been pouting about a comment someone made about this blog.    “Where have you been?”  Well, let’s see.   Since the last time I wrote in this blog I have had  fun-filled hours playing with my 5 grandchildren… and some short trips to the coast with my beloved wife, Ann.    I have read books and listened to books on CD.   I have enrolled in a conversational Spanish class at a local community college.   I have watched new movies and old movies.    I have exercised regularly and finally started doing a daily log of the foods I eat.   

“Where have you been?”    I know you were specifically asking to know what happened to my blog and the answer is this:  I simply decided I needed to take a break from writing.   Those of you who have known me for several years  may recall that I have been writing a blog of some sort for some time.     The earliest record that I can find is back in 2004, 12 years ago.   I have written a devotion or blog as least once a week for those 12 years though I did take a break over  some holidays.   After 12 years and since I am in this new season of my life called retirement (or semi-retirement),   I felt that I needed to take a break.

            When someone takes a break and goes “below the radar”  we often think that someone must be mad or something must be wrong.    We have this expectation that people must always be busy and productive.    One of the things this new season of life called retirement is teaching me is that it is okay to take a break and rest.    It is not only okay to rest, but it is also Biblical.  We see that truth in the scriptures.    If you read the Bible from the beginning,  you  only read through one chapter of the Bible before you encounter rest in Genesis 2:2-3 where we read:

² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

            Everyone and everything needs a time of rest.   I not only wish that for you, but I believe that God desires that for you.    I will be back with my blog again on a regular basis, and will talk to you again soon.    Have a joy-filled day.-   Pastor Randy Wall

 Prayer:  Living God, forgive our arrogance to think that the world is indispensable with us.  Remind us regularly, Lord, that there is a time to work and a time to rest;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Remembering the Call

I think about it always  this time of year.  As the Fall means that some birds head south and the Summer means that children want to head out of school and into the pool, so this the month of June will have this to be on my mind.   You see,  it was 42 years ago this month when I was first appointed as a United Methodist pastor at the grand young age of 20 years old.    Though I was quite young, I had already spent two years on a church staff:   one year as a youth director and another year as the part time associate pastor of a church.   

What I think about is not just the details about my life that I mentioned above, but the wonder of the fact that God called me to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.   There were a lot of people that were better students of the Bible than I was.   There were also many folks who were more familiar with the ways of the church  and the Christian faith than I was  at that time as  I had been a Christian and a member of the church for less than 5 years.    Despite it all,  I had the audacity to say (as had Isaiah the prophet years before):   “Here am I.  Send me.” 

Years ago, there was a preaching professor at Duke named James T. Cleland.   He had retired from Duke before I became a student there.  However, I had the chance to hear him preach in my early days of ministry.  I remember him challenging the congregation (including this newbie preacher)  to “remember their conversion experience”.      It is good and right for each of us to remember over and over again  not only the fact that Christ Jesus called us to follow him but also to remember our calling to   be a pastor, a Sunday School teacher, and the like.

 I read the entire Book of Acts  at least once a year.   One of the things I noticed is that the apostle Paul recounts his calling by God on the Damascus Road several times.   One place where we hear the story of Paul’s calling is in Acts 22 where we read: 

Then Paul said: ³ “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.⁴ I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, ⁵ as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. ⁶ “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. ⁷ I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’⁸ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ⁹ My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ ¹¹ My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

Every once in a while, each of us who live under the banner of Christ need to remember our calling by God.   I find myself doing that this time of year, and I encourage you to do the same every once in a while.   Have a blessed week.-     Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:  O Lord and God, thank you for calling me to be your servant.  Give me a heart to hear your call in this day;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.