Returning Thanks: Thoughts on "Church Vision"

If I’ve heard this prayer once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. As a child, I used to roll my eyes when I’d hear some old man recite the words by rote. He usually mumbled quickly along, aware that his audience was focused on the fried chicken, cornbread and sliced tomatoes.

It’s called, “asking the blessing,” or “saying grace,” or best of all, “returning thanks.” Sometimes, in pockets of the deep southern vernacular, the name of this act is shortened even further, as in “Herschel, would you ‘turn thanks, and then we’ll eat.”

Whatever you call it, it goes like this:

“Father, we ask for your blessings on the food set before us, and on the hands that have prepared it. May you bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies, and our bodies to your service.”

That prayer is considered the right and proper way to begin a barbecue, fish fry, homecoming dinner, and any of a number of other church-eating related events throughout the south. Maybe folks pray this prayer in other locales as well, I don’t know.

I just know that the local Patriarch with the deep Georgia drawl has the right voice to make this prayer truly resonate.

As a kid, I knew that when my time came to be one of the praying grown folks, I would say something new, and creative, and from the heart.

Well…a little older and a little wiser now…I think that new and creative definitely has its place, but it’s sure not the only game in town. What a beautiful prayer this truly is, handed down from generation to generation. We don’t have to be the center of attention when we can be part of something larger than ourselves.

This beautiful old prayer reminds us that the summer bounty spread before us on the church buffet is absolutely a free gift from God, and a sign of his love. In fact, everything is a gift. If God chooses to “nourish” our bodies, then we will have the privilege of committing them to his service.

“Vision” should work exactly the same way in a church. At SOTH, our worship, prayer, study of scripture, building of relationships, giving and serving in the community are all gifts from God.

When we respond to God by getting involved we are “returning thanks” to the God who loves us.

On August 15th, we’ll have an important conversation as a church family. The conversation began in May with our listening groups. We’ll share feedback, we’ll pray, we’ll dream about what God might be calling us to next, but most of all we will continue the process of letting God lead us and give us a vision for this community and our world.

Plan to stay for lunch after 11:00 worship that Sunday, and take part in the good things that are happening.

Now, let’s “turn thanks” and eat --- that’s always a great idea.

Grace & Peace,

Adam

VBS 2010: What We Learned

This morning I got to see a pretty spectacular thing.

Sometimes that happens for all of us...we witness the miraculous.

In 1992, Sid Bream slid across home plate and the Braves beat the Pirates in the NLCS. That was a good night.

Sometimes a sunrise or sunset stops us in our tracks. At least a few times each summer, I will pick and eat the perfectly ripe, just picked, homegrown tomato. That always gets my attention.

The truth is, there are thousands of things that we encounter each day which, if we actually thought about them and paid attention, would simply blow us away.

Almost always, those things are simple and spontaneous.

Jesus needed to remind his disciples of this truth:

¹³Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

¹⁴Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." ¹⁵When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. -- Matthew 19

Jesus' disciples often needed to recalibrate. In this case, Jesus did that by teaching them about children.

"This is what the kingdom looks like."

I saw the kingdom today when a line of about 20 little children formed at our opening VBS worship rally.

They'd been invited to share what they've learned this week.

"I learned to forgive my friends when they hurt me."

"I learned that I should love people."

"I learned that God will never leave me."

"I learned to pray for people."

That's what the kingdom looks like.

It's Friday, and tons of SOTH volunteers have dirty houses...piles of laundry...kitchens that need cleaning...and lots of other delayed tasks that have gone undone while they've given their time and energy this week.

Great planning has taken place. Lots of work has been done...so that this spontaneous showing of the kingdom could unfold.

Thank you God --- and all of our volunteers --- and our children, for allowing me to see it.

VBS Celebration this Sunday at SOTH: 11 AM!

Grace & Peace,

Adam

Dear God, surround me as I speak,
the bridges that I walk across are weak
Frustrations fill the void that I can't solely bear
Dear God, don't let me fall apart,
you've held me close to you
I have turned away and searched for answers I can't understand

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them crashing into the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
with faith like a child

Sometimes, when I feel miles away
and my eyes can't see your face
I wonder if I've grown to lose the recklessness
I walked in light of you

[Little girl:]
"I've got joy like a fountain!"
"Be kind one to others"
"In Jesus Christ Your son"

They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
with faith like a child

Politics and Religion at the Supper Table

Rev. Tony Crosby is a good friend of mine, and Pastor at Alma, United Methodist Church in Alma, Georgia. He's written a great piece that reminds us how patriotism and Christianity can fit together for American Christians. I really enjoyed it and wanted to share as we approach both the 4th of July and Holy Communion in our worship at SOTH this Sunday. Thanks Tony!
Politics and Religion at the Supper Table

One of the rules that many of us were taught growing up is that you aren’t supposed to talk about politics or religion at the supper table. Most people hold very strong opinions about both of these subjects and the food just doesn’t go down very easily when the tempers are flaring and there is heated discussion.

So guess what I thought we might do? Of course! We are going to talk about politics and religion at the supper table. We will try to keep the discourse positive as the calendar and our traditions converge today with celebrating the sacrament of communion on our most celebrated national political holiday.

Mixing politics and religion is dangerous mostly because people have difficulty resolving matters where it seems that the two have competing objectives. For example, nations make war upon other nations from time to time and many Christians find this to be at odds with the “gospel of peace” that is taught in the scriptures. A controversial piece of legislation will find both support and also opposition from Christians throughout the country because of differing ideas about how Biblical principles should be lived out in the public square. It always makes me nervous when people begin to equate the work of any government with the work of God. The Christian church has historically had some of its worst and darkest times when it has aligned itself too closely with political entities.

As Christians, we serve God first as citizens of the kingdom of God; but, we are also citizens of a geopolitical nation as well. I am very thankful for the heritage of our country and for its unique expression of representative democracy in the world, however, I am cautious in my political allegiances in the context of worship. God has made forgiveness and grace available to all who will call upon the name of Jesus Christ—from Iraq to Italy, from Afghanistan to Africa, from the Czech Republic to Chile, from Bolivia to Brazil, and, yes, from sea to shining sea right here in the United States of America. As Christians who live in one of the most affluent nations in the world, let us never forget how much we need God’s grace in our lives. As we come to the supper table today on this Independence Day, let us remember that God so loved the whole world that he gave his only son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

Written by Rev. Tony Crosby, Alma UMC