“A Conversation With a New Friend”
The other afternoon I was in the office working on this or that and I received a phone call from another pastor in town. He was calling to welcome me to town and to introduce himself. We talked a little about Boonville, church, and life in ministry.
He went on to ask how worship has gone thus far and to share with me about his message this past Sunday. He said that he typically avoids talking about national holidays like the Fourth of July, but this year he was moved to do so. He said that some of the words in the Declaration of Independence kept playing through his mind this year and he felt led to discuss them.
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”
Given the renewed conversation in our nation (and around the world) about racial discrimination and the controversy about the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” it seems to me that this phrase is as important for us to discuss now as ever. Our founders were flawed men (as are we all) and didn’t always live out this self-evident truth, but it is still an ideal to which we as a nation, we as individuals, and we as Christians seek to live out.
We as Americans love to quote words from our founders, but I don’t know the last time I considered whether I was helping to live out these founding ideals. I confess to you that I don’t always view all people as being equal. I often feel as though I am inferior to some, based upon some skill or attribute they possess which I envy. And there are times where I judge myself to be superior to others – sometimes it is because I feel I have a skill or attribute they do not. Other times it is because I feel like my way of thinking, reasoning or behaving is superior to theirs. What would it look like for us to live as those who view every person we meet – those with more and less resources than us, those of different races and nationalities, those of different political persuasions than us, those who practice faith differently than we do – as our equals?
I was challenged by this conversation and these thoughts. I encourage you to consider the words of our Founding Fathers and whether or not you truly live out this ideal on which our nation was founded.
It is an honor to be your pastor and to be in ministry with you to an amazing God!
Blessings, Chris
P.S. We are working on redesigning our website. It is still a work in progress but please take a look and share with others.
News and Events this week:
Saturday, July 11: United Methodist Men – 8:30 am in the Fellowship Hall
Sunday, July 12: Big Surf Water Park outing – 2:00pm at Big Surf, potluck dinner after the park closes
Tuesday, July 15: Trustees – 6pm
Wednesday, July 16: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Small Group – 9:30 am in the Church Lounge
Lay Servant Leadership Team – 7:00 pm Zoom meeting
Thursday, July 17: Baby Grace – 5:00 pm, Annex
Worship This Weekend
This weekend we continue our message series Three Essential Questions as we examine the question “Why do people need the Church?”
Our Scripture reading will be from the book of Hebrews.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV
Music this Sunday will include the hymns “Holy, Holy Holy”, “Help Us Accept Each Other,” “We Are the Church,” and “Sent Out in Jesus’ Name.” Additionally we will sing the contemporary songs “Do Something,” and “Here I am to Worship.”
I hope you will join us this Sunday, but understand that some are still not ready or able to join us in person. We will attempt to have the service available online (Facebook and on our website) by early afternoon. (This past Sunday we experienced some “technical difficulties” and were unable to get the service recorded.)
Closing Words of Wisdom
Catch on fire and people will come for miles to see you burn.
John Wesley