Thank God for our elders/shepherds

It is truly something special to take a road trip with the elders and their wives (and Bob!). Tracey and I enjoyed last year very much and this year was much the same for me. These elders are great storytellers (in the best sense of the word!). They love telling the stories of this church, reliving everything that has made our church what it is. They told funny stories and sad stories. It was clear that they love this church. Before we got off the van late Saturday night, we all prayed for some struggling saints we were concerned about. Bob and Eric traded off calling Jack about Elaine over the weekend...each still trying to love the best they could from 6 hours away. Eating together Friday night was fun for me because they even laughed at a few of my jokes! Though we all look at leaders differently, it is becoming clearer all the time that these leaders love one another and they love the church and they are truly trying to serve God in Oxford to His glory. Be supportive of our elders. Get to know them better. Pray for them. Let them pray for you. God has given this church a special blessing to have unified, loving shepherds. May we accept our role as the flock under their care.

Sermon as Siren

In this season of severe storms, tornado watches and warnings, I recently made a spiritual connection to a daily occurrence that I wanted to share with you.
On campus at exactly 12 noon, almost on a daily basis, sirens loudly sound off as a kind of “test of the emergency broadcast system.” These sirens serve as a reminder of what will happen in case of a true emergency related to flood, earthquake, storm, tornado, etc. Every day we hear these warnings and except for maybe the first time we heard them, they go largely unnoticed in our routine. We continue eating, talking on our cell phones, or my favorite—throwing the Frisbee around in the Grove. The sermon is much like this siren. Every Sunday we hear another sermon sounding off like a siren on campus—warning us, reminding us, encouraging us. And maybe the first sermon or two really stood out to us, but many since then have gone largely unnoticed. Yet the sermon still speaks and God still warns and reminds. A true emergency of cosmic proportions is coming for those of us who have not heeded the warnings and reminders—the day Jesus returns. I hope the next time you hear the sirens, you’ll think of the sermon and remember the loving and constant warnings of God to be right with him.

Spring Peace

(This is for the Sunday bulletin after Spring Break, thus the past tense!)

This past week was Spring Break for Ole Miss students. Many of us locals noticed the break. Traffic was less congested, frustration was less, blood pressures were lower and many of us got places much faster. It was in many ways a week of peace. We experienced a calm and a quiet and a rest that we do not normally experience. For many of us, it was a gift of grace—like a serene lake or a perfect sunset.
For many of us, we may wish it was like this all the time. But to wish for that is to imply that it would be better if college students didn’t live here. We don’t really want that do we? I think we all struggle with where we search for and find our peace. We are all searching for peace, but often we find our peace in something other than Jesus. And once we find it, we camp out there until it disappoints us. Let us search for and find peace in Christ alone. In this way, the worldly things that trouble us will not really trouble us. So bring on the college students because they are a gift that we have for only a short time! And let us hear the words of Jesus and truly know peace: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” John 16:33

Encouragement when you need it most

God has an amazing way of encouraging his children. Today, out of the blue, a 3 minute conversation between my elder and a friend also turned into a minute of encouragement for me and the man who brought the friend. They had come because they were with AA and it was time for the friend to apologize and make things right with my elder. But while they were talking, the other man told me they had just been listening to a sermon that I had given...talking about the lies we believe and the things that keep us from Christian community. He was talking about it so excitedly and passionately that he convinced me the sermon must have been good even though I don't really remember it. I praise God for the power of his word and I praise God that he places people in my path who give me encouragement when I need it most!