Freedom

I love to travel. Up to this point in my life, the opportunities for travel to other countries has come only once in a great while, but I’m thankful for every opportunity that I’ve had.

I’m always surprised at one of my favorite moments. Maybe I shouldn’t be…

It’s coming home.

No matter how wonderful a time I’ve had, or how amazing the experiences have been, it’s really nice to set foot back in the good ol’ U.S. of A. Red, white and blue. Baseball. Cheeseburgers. Sweet Tea. Life is good.

But, really, the best part of coming home happens…of all places…during the immigration/re-entry phase of the trip back at the American airport.

I remember the first time that I came back to the U.S. A traveling companion said, “watch this, it’s really great.”

The customs official took my passport, scanned it, looked me in the eye and said, “Welcome home, Mr. Roberts.”

Good stuff.

There is a lot to love about America.

And, believe it or not, people around the world really do want to love Americans. I’ve often heard other Americans who have traveled to other countries make that statement, and I’ve experienced it myself.

Citizens of Atlanta, Georgia can walk the streets of London, England, and depend on the charity of strangers…just because of our accent.

I’ll never forget how Holly and I accidentally charmed two wonderful old ladies in a pottery shop in Worcester, England. I just walked in and said, in a good Southern drawl, “Good mornin’, ma’am, how’re y’all today?”

We were immediately their new best friends.

“Yes ma’am, we’re from At-lantuh. Yes ma’am, it gets reeeeel hot down there.”

Around the world, people of other countries carry some wonderful stereotypes of us Americans. I like to think the good things are grounded in some truth…that we’re adventurous, optimistic, tough, and entrepreneurial. …Think, “cowboy.”

We’re admired for having “can do” attitudes. We see what is possible, and we believe that anybody can be somebody.

I’ll never forget what an American WWII veteran once told me. He said, “In the War, if the Germans hit a problem, they’d just have to sit and wait until a commanding officer told them what should be done. They were trained not to act on their own. If Americans hit a snag, what do you think happened, son? We by-God started fixing it. That’s why we won the war.”

That story always makes my blood run red, white and blue.

There is so much to be thankful for as this Fourth of July approaches.

Plenty…resources…opportunity…education…freedom.

But please…don’t confuse my words with a Presidential-style “We’re Number 1” pep rally. Folks, we don’t need to let our politicians cause us to confuse love of country with love of God…and they all will try.

We can be proudly Americans…thankful for the blessings that we’ve received…but first we are citizens of another great Kingdom. We are, first and always, followers of Christ.

And how God could use the faithful of this nation in the world. More Americans, growing closer to Jesus and following in his steps, will make for a better America…and a better world.

We should never forget the way Jesus ended one of his great parables in Luke, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” Luke 12:48

That “demand,” and “requirement,” is the wonderful honor of blessing.

When we embrace that call, we do something wonderfully Christian…and maybe even American. We really live out the meaning of “freedom.”

^“13For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. ¹⁴For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14

Baseball…Cheeseburgers…Sweet Tea…

Opportunity…Blessing…Expectation…Humility…Optimism…Life is Good

As churches around the country celebrate the Fourth with their congregations this Sunday, may we first and always celebrate Jesus…his disciples will be the Americans we all want to love.

See you this Sunday…

Adam

LIFE AT SOTH:

CAR SHOW SUCCESS: Many thanks to all the SOTH Friends and Family who volunteered to make this past Saturday’s car show such an incredible success. Over 40 vehicles were shown, and nearly $2000 profit was raised for Lifeover Ministries. All that money will assist local families and children in need with the many programs that lifeover is undertaking. Special thanks to John Garrett for his leadership, and to Publix for sharing their parking lot!

MUST MINISTRIES PARTNERSHIP, LUNCH PROGRAM SUCCESS: SOTH’s partnership with MUST ministries in delivering weekday lunches to the needy kids of our immediate community has taken off in a big way. We’ve just completed our first month, and already nearly 1,000 lunches have been prepared and delivered. You ready right, 1000! Huge thanks to all the volunteers who have given money, supplies, and their time and energy. We are learning all the names and stories of our neighbors that we’re serving, and some of them have started participating in the life of our church! This July 4, SOTH will host a cookout at the church for our new friends. Everyone is invited to come help cook, serve and eat together on Wednesday, July 4, from 10 AM until we’re done.

K-2 VBS THIS WEEK: Nearly 20 kids are involved in SOTH’s K-2 VBS this week! They’re learning Bible stories and having a great time. Special thanks to our Children’s Director, Kathryn Beasley, for putting together such a great event.

THANK YOU SOTH! Earlier this week we e-mailed a need to our SOTH family. A long-time family in our church had a specific financial need and we set a goal of raising $2000. So many of you responded that we have met and exceeded that goal, having received a special offering of over $2300. Many thanks from the family that has been helped, and to all of you for your trust and generosity in responding to this need.

STAFF POSITIONS OPEN: SOTH is now accepting resumes for its Preschool Director and Youth Director positions. Interviews will happen during July for each of these exciting opportunities.

SOTH Preschool Director Leslie Mousa has done an incredible job, bringing financial stability and expected full fall enrollment to the SOTH preschool. We celebrate the opportunity that she and her husband Jeff are taking for church-planting in the Pittsburgh, PA area.

Thanks to Cindi Bartlett for 6 ½ years of awesome, volunteer youth ministry coordination! Cindi is “retiring” from this place of service in her Life at SOTH, but we know that she’ll jump right in somewhere else. SOTH will be hiring a paid Youth Director this summer and we hope to have someone on board by back-to-school time. Thanks to Amber Bartlett, Ryan Rigby, Troy Edwards and Andrea Vantrees for the volunteer leadership that they are providing in the interim time.

Resumes can be mailed to the SOTH office at 4283 Chapel Hill Road, Douglasville, GA 30135, or delivered in person at the Ranch, Tuesday-Friday from 9AM to 3PM.

WELCOME JUNE NEW MEMBERS: Welcome to the Jacqueline Powell family, to Dina Harbour, to Lina Adams and to Tim and Karla Mantooth! We also celebrated the baptism of youth member Tyler Jefferson this month!

SUMMER IS JUMPING! Much, much, more is happening in the life of our church. Want the details? Visit www.sothumc.net where our newsletter will be posted by tomorrow.

NO BLOG NEXT WEEK: The bloggin’ pastor will be taking a week off from the blog to celebrate the 4^th next week. Thanks for your faithful reading!

Tradition

June is here, and over the years, it has come to mean two things for me: The Braves will swoon, and Annual Conference will meet.

Yes, we do win the “creative naming” award as United Methodists, don’t we?

We have this conference…and it meets annually…and we call it…

“Annual Conference.”

That’s what I love about United Methodism --- we don’t need no stinking fancy names.

Annual…Conference. That’ll do.

Last week, almost 3,000 of us gathered in Athens at the Classic Center. Every UM clergy person of North Georgia, and an equal number of representatives from the laity, met from Monday morning until Friday afternoon.

New clergy were approved and ordained, ministry reports were heard, worship was celebrated and delegates were elected to represent us on regional and national levels.

Other than my annual trip(s) to Weaver D’s, the best moment of the week comes on the very first day, when all those thousands of voices join together at the official opening of the Conference.

We always sing a particular song, written by Charles Wesley (brother of Methodism’s founder, John Wesley), back in ’49…1749. It’s a tradition.

The song, “And Are We Yet Alive?” was written, as Charles Wesley wrote himself, “For the Society, at meeting.” The song is still sung every year when Methodists throughout the world open their “Annual Conferences.”

And are we yet alive,

and see each other's face?

Glory and thanks to Jesus give

for his almighty grace!

For the traveling preachers of 18^th century Methodism, the meaning was not metaphorical. They were thankful to have survived another year of ministry, and to unite together in each other’s physical presence once again.

But what about us?

For the 3,000 Methodists staying in Athens’ lovely hotels and eating in its outstanding restaurants, the question of our physical well-being seems less in doubt than it did for the preachers of 250 years ago.

But the song’s real meaning should be every bit as powerful.

Another year has passed, and we are all still alive in our faith. Thankful to God, we should rejoice in seeing one another.

But I think the thing I love best about “And Are We Yet Alive?” is that it’s just supremely “real.”

What troubles have we seen,

what mighty conflicts past,

fightings without, and fears within,

since we assembled last!

Fighting and fearful sums up how we all act sometimes, and for all of us, the 12 months just passed have certainly had those exact kinds of moments.

But there is always hope…

Yet out of all the Lord

hath brought us by his love;

and still he doth his help afford,

and hides our life above.

Then let us make our boast

of his redeeming power,

which saves us to the uttermost,

till we can sin no more.

As the music swells and the lyrics move toward resolution, I am reminded of the true wonder of this thing called church.

In that moment, worship accomplishes what only worship can. It imparts a sense of perspective, and strengthens our hearts with the deeply felt assurance that we are not in this thing alone.

It could imagine the voices of 258 years’ worth of Methodist preachers, joining together with the faithful disciples of today…

Let us take up the cross

till we the crown obtain,

and gladly reckon all things loss

so we may Jesus gain.

The power of good tradition…relevant for today. We are not the first, and we are not alone.

Grace & Peace, and I’ll see you this Sunday,

Adam

LIFE AT SOTH:

Lifeover Ministries Charity Car Show this weekend! Don’t miss the first ever car show to support the work of Lifeover Ministries, an independent ministry of outreach and mission, closely connected to Shepherd of the Hills. Lifeover first came to prominence through its ministry to “Baby Noor,” the Iraqi child brought to the U.S. for lifesaving spina bifida surgery. Lifeover continues to work on many local and international helping ministries in the name of Jesus Christ.

This Saturday, June 23, Lifeover and SOTH will host a classic car show in the Publix shopping center parking lot, just across the street from SOTH. Many thanks to Publix for their partnership, and to all the hardworking volunteers who have made this day possible.

Registration will begin at SOTH at 8 AM, with judging at Publix at 12:30 PM and awards presentation at 3:00. Contact John Garrett at jgarrett@rematiptop.com for more info, and we’ll see you this weekend!

Summer Children’s Ministries: This week, a second Drama Camp is being held at SOTH, and next week is our VBS for kids age K-2. E-mail SOTH Children’s director Kathryn Beasley at Kathryn@sothumc.net for more information, and sign up this Sunday at SOTH!

New Members and Baptisms: Welcome to the Powell family who joined SOTH on June 3^rd, and to Dina Harbour and Lina Adams, new members who joined SOTH on Sunday, June 10^th. Congratulations and special welcome also to Tyler Jefferson, baptized at SOTH this past Sunday, June 17^th!

Pray

Hard. Mysterious. Confusing. Inadequate.

Uplifting. Powerful. Connection. Assurance.

What do all those words have in common?

They all describe the ways that Christians experience prayer.

What is prayer?

Well…libraries full of books have been written in response to that little question.

Prayer is to speak.

Prayer is to listen.

….to God…the Creator of all that exists…I AM…the one before and beyond time…

No problem, right?

Christians feel inadequate when their secret prayer struggles are revealed. After all, somehow we’ve come to believe that it should be an easy process, and that all folks who follow Jesus have an easy time getting their prayers “beyond the ceiling.”

The simple part is true. The easy part is not.

Sometimes, in my frustration with prayer and as I talk to other Christians, I want to give the theological version of the “Bull Durham” speech.

You remember the Bull Durham speech, right? OK, probably not.

In that great baseball movie, the manager of the struggling, minor league Durham Bulls baseball team hurls a bag full of wooden bats up against the locker room wall to get his players’ attention.

“Baseball is a simple game…” he says. “You throw the ball…you catch the ball…you hit the ball.”

Simple, but not easy.

Jesus’ teaching on prayer was pretty straightforward:

7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:7-11

Though not easy, I really do think prayer is that simple.

Ask. Seek. Knock.

Then wait…and look…and listen.

In a wonderful new book on prayer, Christian author Phillip Yancey says that the very act of praying does wonderful things for our souls because it keeps us humble.

Prayer, Yancey says, reminds us that we need to ask. It shows us that we are not independent. We played no role in determining where we would be born, at what point in history, into what family and with what genetics. We have absolutely no power to stop the earth from spinning, to cause the sun to rise or impact its setting. We are marvelously, and completely dependent upon God.

Real prayer starts in humility…and then some marvelous things can unfold.

God goes to work within us.

“God helps those who help themselves,” says the Book of ME. That often quoted scripture exists only in our minds, not within the Bible.

Jesus says (my paraphrase), “God helps those who ask.”

This week saw SOTH pass a major milestone of prayer, faith and action. Tuesday morning I sent an e-mail asking for your prayer as the county heard our request for property re-zoning. Whether the results of that meeting had been “favorable” or not, prayer acknowledged our dependence on God and faith in his provision.

Tuesday night, the door was opened. Our application has been approved, and SOTH is now on a clear track toward completing the sale of its property, purchase of new land and the construction of a brand new and improved facility.

Humbly, we will continue to ask…and seek…and knock.

The path is unfolding before us, and the God of all things will never fail us.

I’ll see you this Sunday ---

Adam

LIFE AT SOTH:

Land Update: Cornerstone Development Partners was successful in their application for the re-zoning of our property for commercial development. This is a major milestone as we move forward. Please continue to support SOTH with your prayers as we hope to close this sale and the purchase of our new property (24 acres located ½ mile west on Dorsett Shoals Road) by the end of this year.

More stuff on prayer: Many thanks to St. Theresa’s Catholic Church here in Douglasville! Did you know that St. Teresa’s is our “covenant partner” in ministry --- and they pray for us at each and every mass! To the people of St. Teresa’s, thank you so much and please keep praying for us as we pray for you.

Great prayer website ---- looking for a new way to pray? Check out www.pray-as-you-go.org . This site is run by the British Jesuits, and is one of the best uses of the internet for spiritual growth that we’ve ever seen. You can download a podcast of a week’s worth of devotional music, scripture and guided prayer. Great stuff!

3-5 Grade VBS starts Monday at SOTH! Have 3^rd through 5^th graders at home this summer? Bring them to SOTH for VBS, beginning Monday morning. More details on our website, and this Sunday in worship! K-2 VBS will be held the week of June 25-29.

Annual Conference 2007: The United Methodist North Georgia Annual Conference will meet, beginning this Monday in Athens, GA. Derrick Fountain and Adam Roberts will represent SOTH. You can follow everything online at www.ngumc.org with live video feeds of all sessions.

Summer Lunch Update: Our summer lunch ministry has taken flight! In its first week, over 120 lunches were delivered. This week, the number is climbing over 150 toward 200 lunches! Thanks to all of you who have supported this ministry financially, and for those of you who are working each day to make and deliver the lunches to community kids who are home alone this summer and in need. Your efforts make a difference in the life of a child! Want to help? Take a moment to sign up on the summer lunch bulletin board, located in our entry hallway at SOTH. Lots of slots are still available.