Everything we've discussed so far concerns a power far beyond you or your abilities. What I am suggesting isn't a mere illustration. This isn't a child's game. Rather, this is a life and death matter. This is for teenagers and young adults and adults of all ages. The consequences, in your life and in our community, are very real. The impact is NOW. The implications are played out in our community today and tomorrow.
This is an urgent call to action. The enemy has over run the town! The adversary has control of too many in our community. Too many of our own ranks have divided loyalties. We can no longer play it safe. We must choose who we will serve. We must be of firm conviction in this matter. We must be persistent and not give up hope or allegiance.
The time for us to join the battle is now. We can not delay as we put ourselves and those around us in jeopardy. While drugs and gangs control some of our homes and neighborhoods we have stood idly by. While the expectations in many of our homes, schools and community has diminished we have waited for someone to step up to do something. While we've expected politicians, or teachers, or preachers, or someone else to make a difference, we've been content to complain but not act. The burden is upon each of us as individuals to step up to the challenge. Then the task is to unite under the banner of the One who has given us everything we need to win the battle!
The time for action is today and it begins with us. But we must let go of our sense of power and submit ourselves to God. We must follow the example of Christ. We must rely upon the Spirit as we take our place in this spiritual battle as a soldier of the One True King. Yet, as seen previously in the manual, the hostile forces prefers to use our everyday habits, thoughts, attitudes, and practices against us. The Enemy uses our own sense of independence, ability, and self certainty/self centeredness against us. We have proven we can not win the battle doing what we have always done. We can not be partially armed for the battle. Rather, we must be fully equipped if we are to stand in the cosmic battle played out in our everyday lives.
Read Ephesians 6:10-18 for more background and to reinforce the urgency of this matter and the full armor you must have to be effective. As you reflect upon your life and our community these are some of the essential characteristics that are most necessary to effect a lasting change in our lives and in Augusta. The demons of idolatry, religiosity, poverty, addiction, racism, hopelessness, gangs, and a legion of other forces of evil can not be overcome by our continued ineffective efforts. The fact is that we fuel the flames of negativity and despair as most of us give in to "what has always been and will always be." We expect too little of ourselves and too little of our community with such thoughts and expectations. We do not expect the Kingdom to be present and our prayers mock what God desires to do through our submission. We must view the battle in new and different ways, and we must armor ourselves accordingly as the fight is much different than we have previously supposed.
Today is the day for a new battle to be fought in Augusta which will take seriously our place in it and our obedience and resolve to depend upon God and one another.
The Augusta Irregular Militia is mobilizing and is prepared for battle. Will you join the ranks? Will you give yourself to the battle at hand? Will you submit your life to the the Field General who calls for obedience? Will you help us transform in Augusta that which many have given up on? The time is NOW. Which side will you choose to serve?
Showing posts with label devotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotion. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
"Recruitment Manual for the Augusta Irregular Militia: The Problem Reconsidered"
Have you known many people in the military? They are just like the rest of us. Some are excellent examples of all the finest virtues you can name for a soldier. Others, well others try to live a divided life and maintain their old habits, lifestyles, and vices even as they seek to serve.
The problem is that we can rather quickly, and most naturally, fall back on our old ways. Old habits, old attitudes, old practices can easily creep back into our daily life. Our passion for the mission and enthusiasm for the battle can become overwhelmed by our emotions or self perceived needs. We get lax with our expectations and our exercises. We do the minimum and get by. We lose our high calling and revert to our most base instincts.
The danger is that we may not be a soldier of light but a warrior of darkness.
Recall that our standard bearer, King Jesus, is the One who withstood the temptations in the wilderness (do you recall those specific issues and emphases?). Our Commander in Chief, our Field General, has a different way of doing battle than we tend to naturally follow. Yet, we are to avoid idolatry and follow the way of Christ. See Ephesians 4:17-5:20 as an extended reading worthy of the time to understand these matters. A key to this section is 4:17-19 and the warning not to live in the futility of our thinking.
HA the futility of our thinking seems to proclaim the noise and confusion of our times!
Be aware of the specifics in the passage, but dwell on the main theme issues of:
-ignorance
-hardening of heart/lost sensitivity
-lust for more
-be imitators of Christ
What does this mean for the cultures and subcultures which seem to revolve around the most base natural instincts and emotions?
What are deceitful desires? What are new attitudes that lead to righteousness and holiness?
What does this mean for me? Where am I in this picture?
What does this mean for my church, faith group, or spiritual/life support group? Where are we in this picture?
What does this mean for my community? Where are we in this picture?
I'm still thinking about Augusta and more concerned than ever about the urgent needs of our beloved area and the people of it. We are called to live as children of light and to make the most of every opportunity. But the challenge of the battle may be before we have even begun!
Can you keep up the standard and live up to the expectations that define this type of service? Are you part of the solution to the challenges in Augusta or are you part of the problems?
The problem is that we can rather quickly, and most naturally, fall back on our old ways. Old habits, old attitudes, old practices can easily creep back into our daily life. Our passion for the mission and enthusiasm for the battle can become overwhelmed by our emotions or self perceived needs. We get lax with our expectations and our exercises. We do the minimum and get by. We lose our high calling and revert to our most base instincts.
The danger is that we may not be a soldier of light but a warrior of darkness.
Recall that our standard bearer, King Jesus, is the One who withstood the temptations in the wilderness (do you recall those specific issues and emphases?). Our Commander in Chief, our Field General, has a different way of doing battle than we tend to naturally follow. Yet, we are to avoid idolatry and follow the way of Christ. See Ephesians 4:17-5:20 as an extended reading worthy of the time to understand these matters. A key to this section is 4:17-19 and the warning not to live in the futility of our thinking.
HA the futility of our thinking seems to proclaim the noise and confusion of our times!
Be aware of the specifics in the passage, but dwell on the main theme issues of:
-ignorance
-hardening of heart/lost sensitivity
-lust for more
-be imitators of Christ
What does this mean for the cultures and subcultures which seem to revolve around the most base natural instincts and emotions?
What are deceitful desires? What are new attitudes that lead to righteousness and holiness?
What does this mean for me? Where am I in this picture?
What does this mean for my church, faith group, or spiritual/life support group? Where are we in this picture?
What does this mean for my community? Where are we in this picture?
I'm still thinking about Augusta and more concerned than ever about the urgent needs of our beloved area and the people of it. We are called to live as children of light and to make the most of every opportunity. But the challenge of the battle may be before we have even begun!
Can you keep up the standard and live up to the expectations that define this type of service? Are you part of the solution to the challenges in Augusta or are you part of the problems?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
"Recruitment Manual for the Augusta Irregular Militia: The Problem May Be You"
Have you ever seen a zombie movie? It's almost always crystal clear who is alive and who is "undead." Movies are that way. You can usually determine the "good guy" from the "bad guy." Real life is somewhat more complicated.
We can not be confused about where we stand and how we are doing.
This likely requires an honest assessment, a demanding drill instructor, and a team of others committed to the mission. Anything less and you will neither tell yourself the truth, push yourself hard enough in the mission, or benefit from the competition, encouragement, and truth telling that others on a team will bring you. Anything less than this total package and you will be confused about where you are and how you are doing.
This is not a call to inaction, or discussion, or status quo- in your life or in your community. This is a call to deployment. This is a call to change Augusta starting with you, with your home, with your neighborhood, with your workplace, and with your social groups and relationships. This is a call to be a foot soldier in the Kingdom of God.
A soldier must be prepared for the mission. A soldier must be patient and persistent. A soldier must be prepared to follow orders. A soldier must be willing to work hard for the greater good of the unit and the mission. A soldier is always on call. A soldier must be willing to sacrifice, both in small ways and perhaps in significant ways, for the mission to be accomplished. The life and practices of a soldier demand best efforts, attention to detail, practice, and commitment.
But you aren't there yet.
Even if your mind and heart soar with the thought of service there are some preliminary matters to attend to. Think of basic training for a soldier. And don't forget the ongoing training and every day disciplines required of those in military service. Tough, consistent, demanding, high expectation training is the key.
Read Ephesians 2:1-15.
Are you dead or alive?
Who, or what, rules your life?
What are your daily desires and thoughts? What are your cravings?
What is the motivating characteristic in your life?
What is your purpose, your calling, in Augusta?
We can not be confused about where we stand and how we are doing.
This likely requires an honest assessment, a demanding drill instructor, and a team of others committed to the mission. Anything less and you will neither tell yourself the truth, push yourself hard enough in the mission, or benefit from the competition, encouragement, and truth telling that others on a team will bring you. Anything less than this total package and you will be confused about where you are and how you are doing.
This is not a call to inaction, or discussion, or status quo- in your life or in your community. This is a call to deployment. This is a call to change Augusta starting with you, with your home, with your neighborhood, with your workplace, and with your social groups and relationships. This is a call to be a foot soldier in the Kingdom of God.
A soldier must be prepared for the mission. A soldier must be patient and persistent. A soldier must be prepared to follow orders. A soldier must be willing to work hard for the greater good of the unit and the mission. A soldier is always on call. A soldier must be willing to sacrifice, both in small ways and perhaps in significant ways, for the mission to be accomplished. The life and practices of a soldier demand best efforts, attention to detail, practice, and commitment.
But you aren't there yet.
Even if your mind and heart soar with the thought of service there are some preliminary matters to attend to. Think of basic training for a soldier. And don't forget the ongoing training and every day disciplines required of those in military service. Tough, consistent, demanding, high expectation training is the key.
Read Ephesians 2:1-15.
Are you dead or alive?
Who, or what, rules your life?
What are your daily desires and thoughts? What are your cravings?
What is the motivating characteristic in your life?
What is your purpose, your calling, in Augusta?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
"Recruitment Manual for the Augusta Irregular Militia: Call to Action"
Given the challenging times and the dire consequences of our inaction, the time has come for a general call to action of all men and women of the Augusta, Georgia/ Central Savannah River Area. This is issued to every teenager and adult, every person of conscience, everyone who imagines a neighborhood and community and town that reflects our greatest hopes and dreams.
It is no longer appropriate for us to continue in a state of apathy, nor is it prudent for us to live in a self centered fear that nothing may be done. We can not continue the policies of "every man for himself" nor the isolated suburban pursuit of happiness. What happens in urban Augusta affects suburban Columbia County and has effect in the rural CSRA. Our former ways of living must give way to a more community centered, honest, and fruitful approach at creating a common life that is worth handing to our children. Our failure to seek to encourage and create such a community will be a continued sin handed down to our children and grandchildren unless we repent of our failures and atone in ways that lead to life. This grand failure must be reversed immediately and it must begin with us!
Look at what we have become. Consider what you see every day in your Augusta experience. Examine the daily news and reflect on how we have gotten here. We can argue the points and the causes (though my hope is that we are stirred to action and not merely more discussion!), but the process begins with us. Some issues that get my attention include:
-we divide rather than unite- our opinions, our anger, our platforms, our politics, our personal pursuits are an agenda that is a "dead end road" as we only know, friend, and work with those who agree with us. "Others" are counted as enemies- how can this be in community?!
-we are obsessed with ourselves to the detriment of the community- what we can gain, our addictions, our values become the objective. Our personal pursuits become the agenda and are foisted on the community. The community must be about more than one individual or group. Multiply this and community is divided by our small, fractured viewpoint.
-thus there is no common culture, no common goal. We all play our car stereo obnoxiously loud all the time because we don't care about our neighbor. We don't extend courtesy to another car, another person, because we don't think of them as friend or neighbor, but as nameless competitor. We are desensitized and our children are version 2.0 of selfish insensitivity.
-Should we even discuss the "older sins" of our community? This seems no longer civil to even speak in public, but the reality of white flight and separated neighborhoods and obviously divided political commissions begs the question. Of course, racism isn't a one way street! This is an equal opportunity evil that we seem to mutually embrace. Sadly, the Church is just as much a culprit and perpetrator in this as any institution. The sins of the fathers and grandfathers are now being visited on us today. How can we break through this, build bridges and relationships, and do the needful work of the Kingdom?
-the irony is that our personal spirituality and isolated lives of work and play are impacted by the current state of affairs. We have become Lone Rangers, though the team requires unity of purpose and life. Sadly, the Church is relegated to the sideline as for too long the emphasis has been on the "spiritual" versus the "practical." Yet, we pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." There is something very important here about us that we must respond to.
The negative vibe, the crime and violence, the crush of addiction, the power of mass despair, the rampant unemployment and underemployment, the challenges of basic food and housing, the loneliness and isolation of those who want to reach out to someone, the lack of voice and leadership that the masses will follow-- provides opportunity for an "all call" as we are in a state of emergency! It is time for a sense of urgency, for action on behalf of others, for a level of team work and unity that is seldom seen outside of war.
Here, in the time of the Great Recession, it is time to call up the Augusta Irregular Militia. We need teenagers, and young adults, and adults of all ages and stages who are willing to serve. Such a group -interested in loving God and loving neighbor as ourselves- is still a worthy experiment and the timing has never been more urgent. Augusta Kingdom workers need to mobilize NOW to meet the needs of the battle as the war has already been raging. People are being lost everyday to the ravages of battles that consume them.
Consider this call to action a personal invitation for your life. Carefully read and ponder Ephesians 1: 3-14 as you respond to this call to action. In the next few days I'll share more from the "Recruitment Manual" as we consider the mission and the preparation you will need as a recruit. There are some key battles to be waged in the coming days. Are you ready for what this will require of you?
It is no longer appropriate for us to continue in a state of apathy, nor is it prudent for us to live in a self centered fear that nothing may be done. We can not continue the policies of "every man for himself" nor the isolated suburban pursuit of happiness. What happens in urban Augusta affects suburban Columbia County and has effect in the rural CSRA. Our former ways of living must give way to a more community centered, honest, and fruitful approach at creating a common life that is worth handing to our children. Our failure to seek to encourage and create such a community will be a continued sin handed down to our children and grandchildren unless we repent of our failures and atone in ways that lead to life. This grand failure must be reversed immediately and it must begin with us!
Look at what we have become. Consider what you see every day in your Augusta experience. Examine the daily news and reflect on how we have gotten here. We can argue the points and the causes (though my hope is that we are stirred to action and not merely more discussion!), but the process begins with us. Some issues that get my attention include:
-we divide rather than unite- our opinions, our anger, our platforms, our politics, our personal pursuits are an agenda that is a "dead end road" as we only know, friend, and work with those who agree with us. "Others" are counted as enemies- how can this be in community?!
-we are obsessed with ourselves to the detriment of the community- what we can gain, our addictions, our values become the objective. Our personal pursuits become the agenda and are foisted on the community. The community must be about more than one individual or group. Multiply this and community is divided by our small, fractured viewpoint.
-thus there is no common culture, no common goal. We all play our car stereo obnoxiously loud all the time because we don't care about our neighbor. We don't extend courtesy to another car, another person, because we don't think of them as friend or neighbor, but as nameless competitor. We are desensitized and our children are version 2.0 of selfish insensitivity.
-Should we even discuss the "older sins" of our community? This seems no longer civil to even speak in public, but the reality of white flight and separated neighborhoods and obviously divided political commissions begs the question. Of course, racism isn't a one way street! This is an equal opportunity evil that we seem to mutually embrace. Sadly, the Church is just as much a culprit and perpetrator in this as any institution. The sins of the fathers and grandfathers are now being visited on us today. How can we break through this, build bridges and relationships, and do the needful work of the Kingdom?
-the irony is that our personal spirituality and isolated lives of work and play are impacted by the current state of affairs. We have become Lone Rangers, though the team requires unity of purpose and life. Sadly, the Church is relegated to the sideline as for too long the emphasis has been on the "spiritual" versus the "practical." Yet, we pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." There is something very important here about us that we must respond to.
The negative vibe, the crime and violence, the crush of addiction, the power of mass despair, the rampant unemployment and underemployment, the challenges of basic food and housing, the loneliness and isolation of those who want to reach out to someone, the lack of voice and leadership that the masses will follow-- provides opportunity for an "all call" as we are in a state of emergency! It is time for a sense of urgency, for action on behalf of others, for a level of team work and unity that is seldom seen outside of war.
Here, in the time of the Great Recession, it is time to call up the Augusta Irregular Militia. We need teenagers, and young adults, and adults of all ages and stages who are willing to serve. Such a group -interested in loving God and loving neighbor as ourselves- is still a worthy experiment and the timing has never been more urgent. Augusta Kingdom workers need to mobilize NOW to meet the needs of the battle as the war has already been raging. People are being lost everyday to the ravages of battles that consume them.
Consider this call to action a personal invitation for your life. Carefully read and ponder Ephesians 1: 3-14 as you respond to this call to action. In the next few days I'll share more from the "Recruitment Manual" as we consider the mission and the preparation you will need as a recruit. There are some key battles to be waged in the coming days. Are you ready for what this will require of you?
Monday, October 31, 2011
An Amazing Church
If you haven't figured it out by now I serve an amazing church! We tend to be active to hyperactive, keep old members & staff around for long tenures plus engage new folk into the life of the congregation, and serve the world in a lot of different ways. Just last week we had one outreach team in Jamaica on a medical mission. We also had a team in Ringgold, GA doing reconstruction on houses damaged by the spring tornadoes that hit Tuscaloosa and continued a line of destruction up into northwest Georgia. And, in addition to our normal ministries, we also had a group staging a huge church yard sale that raised $8100 for local mission and opened the doors of the church to the community.
After such a busy week we enjoyed a guest preacher on Sunday. Have you heard of the author and preacher Max Lucado? It was a great Sunday-- a little Christmas or Easter-- after a very busy week of mission and ministry.
Local Press on Lucado Visit
And, perhaps even better than such great local press, here's what a college student who's moved to our town said about the day in her blog.
What a blessing to serve an amazing church and "run and not grow weary!"
After such a busy week we enjoyed a guest preacher on Sunday. Have you heard of the author and preacher Max Lucado? It was a great Sunday-- a little Christmas or Easter-- after a very busy week of mission and ministry.
Local Press on Lucado Visit
And, perhaps even better than such great local press, here's what a college student who's moved to our town said about the day in her blog.
What a blessing to serve an amazing church and "run and not grow weary!"
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Death-- Close and Personal
My 90 year old grandmother died last Thursday at the old family homestead near Savannah, Georgia. The last few years had been tough for her as Alzheimer's took its toll, and then somewhat related to that, she broke both hips in the last year as she forgot she still couldn't do everything she could in days gone by.
My mother retired last autumn after Grandmother broke the first hip trying to hang up clothes outside. Grandmother has a clothes dryer, but wouldn't use it, as she thought it cost too much to operate. Plus, you spend so many years hanging clothes out on a clothesline and it's a daily habit.
The plan was to get Grandmom back to some degree of health, and get her back home. So, mom took that plunge into taking care of her mom who was forgetting everything except that sense of independence, stubbornness, and will to go and do that most of us have until the end. She was always a woman of deep Christian faith, with great assurance and confidence, who was also opinionated and decisive! As time went by the fixation on the return home became more pronounced. My mom got her mom's home renovated to accommodate the wheelchair Grandmom was now confined to. After returning home from the first hip break she got up in the middle of the night and fell and broke the 2nd hip.
But the old country girl, eldest child of her family, was made of tough stuff and eventually returned home again. That was where she was the most happy as she could tend her garden, visit with family and friends, and soak up the south Georgia life that she knew so well.
That was where she always wanted to be. At home. In the garden. In the kitchen. Visiting with those she loved.
I got the call last week that hospice was beginning home visits. Suddenly the normal routine changed. A couple of days later it was obvious that Grandmom was spiraling down fast as she went into a deep rest. Last Thursday I left Augusta, passed the gnat line, and left the piedmont area to go home to Bryan County to see Grandmom one last time.
As the day wore on the changes were becoming more obvious, more pronounced. This clergy, who has sat with families as they waited on the death of a loved one, could see all the signs.
Family and neighbors still visit and wait with you through such a time as this back home. In my county the funeral home director still drives to your house to make arrangements, even though Grandmom lived 25 miles from the county seat town. And when you can't remember a name, or can only think of where they live, he is quick to help you make the connections that your mind can't quite recall in such tender, emotional moments.
I said my goodbyes to family and friends. I said my last goodbye to Grandmom and told her it was time for me to go home, and that it was time for her to go home.
I got about half way home last Thursday, and got the call when I was in Millen that Grandmom had passed peacefully from this life into the next. I felt that odd mix of grief and relief that you feel when a loved one has battled for so many years.
The scattered family gathered back home to honor the matriarch of the family. Grandmom was always the one who seemed to know all the family names, and details, and history. Her daddy was a Brown, and her momma a Duke. She married my granddaddy, Lavert Bazemore, and thus I'm related to half of south Georgia!
My grandfather died in 1975, and my Southern Baptist, Eastern Star, "hair always in place" grandmom eventually remarried a number of years later. She lived in Savannah through both marriages and outlived two husbands. Then she came back to the farm in Ellabell that her daddy bought after the family was displaced with the establishment of Camp Stewart (now Fort Stewart).
Mae Belle Brown Bazemore Larrimore, my grandmother, died last week. We had visitation Sunday afternoon in Pembroke GA and I saw a few of the elders with most of the crowd now being the children who are now old! How have so many years gone by so quickly?!
The funeral was at 11:00 AM Monday and held at Olive Branch Baptist Church, in Ellabell, which is a half mile from the "home place." It was like a family reunion. Of course, reintroductions had to be made as we all peered deeply into each others eyes attempting to see through 20-25 years! Stories were told. Some of the years were caught up on. The new, old words of faith were shared again as we all experienced death up close and personal. Scripture was shared and songs of faith were sung, including Grandmom's favorite, "Beulah Land." Then we gathered for lunch in the fellowship hall. It was mostly homemade, home grown, lovingly prepared and brought down to the church by family and friends.
Since Savannah doesn't provide police escort of funeral processions anymore we had a leisurely lunch and afternoon before the trip to Savannah. The burial was at 2:30 PM in Forest Lawn Cemetery in old Savannah where my grandfather was buried.
Having grown up on a farm I know that there is a certain cycle, and a certain season, that eventually brings life to death. That is not a thing to be fearful of, or to hide from, but something to accept and to live with in a sense of reality that feeds life. Yet, I also know from both faith and experience, that death isn't the end of our story as we follow the God who continues to redeem and create! This isn't a naive thought, or a simple challenge; this is a daily struggle as the journey of life and faith continues as we follow Christ from one room in the "house" into other rooms. Even though I've once again seen death up close and personal I have even greater assurance that this life is preparation for an even greater Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace which I will experience one day.
Thank you Grandmom, and thank you God, for so many years and for all the blessings you have passed on to me and to so many others. May I continue to grow day by day to be a blessing as I follow the Risen Christ!
"If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."
My mother retired last autumn after Grandmother broke the first hip trying to hang up clothes outside. Grandmother has a clothes dryer, but wouldn't use it, as she thought it cost too much to operate. Plus, you spend so many years hanging clothes out on a clothesline and it's a daily habit.
The plan was to get Grandmom back to some degree of health, and get her back home. So, mom took that plunge into taking care of her mom who was forgetting everything except that sense of independence, stubbornness, and will to go and do that most of us have until the end. She was always a woman of deep Christian faith, with great assurance and confidence, who was also opinionated and decisive! As time went by the fixation on the return home became more pronounced. My mom got her mom's home renovated to accommodate the wheelchair Grandmom was now confined to. After returning home from the first hip break she got up in the middle of the night and fell and broke the 2nd hip.
But the old country girl, eldest child of her family, was made of tough stuff and eventually returned home again. That was where she was the most happy as she could tend her garden, visit with family and friends, and soak up the south Georgia life that she knew so well.
That was where she always wanted to be. At home. In the garden. In the kitchen. Visiting with those she loved.
I got the call last week that hospice was beginning home visits. Suddenly the normal routine changed. A couple of days later it was obvious that Grandmom was spiraling down fast as she went into a deep rest. Last Thursday I left Augusta, passed the gnat line, and left the piedmont area to go home to Bryan County to see Grandmom one last time.
As the day wore on the changes were becoming more obvious, more pronounced. This clergy, who has sat with families as they waited on the death of a loved one, could see all the signs.
Family and neighbors still visit and wait with you through such a time as this back home. In my county the funeral home director still drives to your house to make arrangements, even though Grandmom lived 25 miles from the county seat town. And when you can't remember a name, or can only think of where they live, he is quick to help you make the connections that your mind can't quite recall in such tender, emotional moments.
I said my goodbyes to family and friends. I said my last goodbye to Grandmom and told her it was time for me to go home, and that it was time for her to go home.
I got about half way home last Thursday, and got the call when I was in Millen that Grandmom had passed peacefully from this life into the next. I felt that odd mix of grief and relief that you feel when a loved one has battled for so many years.
The scattered family gathered back home to honor the matriarch of the family. Grandmom was always the one who seemed to know all the family names, and details, and history. Her daddy was a Brown, and her momma a Duke. She married my granddaddy, Lavert Bazemore, and thus I'm related to half of south Georgia!
My grandfather died in 1975, and my Southern Baptist, Eastern Star, "hair always in place" grandmom eventually remarried a number of years later. She lived in Savannah through both marriages and outlived two husbands. Then she came back to the farm in Ellabell that her daddy bought after the family was displaced with the establishment of Camp Stewart (now Fort Stewart).
Mae Belle Brown Bazemore Larrimore, my grandmother, died last week. We had visitation Sunday afternoon in Pembroke GA and I saw a few of the elders with most of the crowd now being the children who are now old! How have so many years gone by so quickly?!
The funeral was at 11:00 AM Monday and held at Olive Branch Baptist Church, in Ellabell, which is a half mile from the "home place." It was like a family reunion. Of course, reintroductions had to be made as we all peered deeply into each others eyes attempting to see through 20-25 years! Stories were told. Some of the years were caught up on. The new, old words of faith were shared again as we all experienced death up close and personal. Scripture was shared and songs of faith were sung, including Grandmom's favorite, "Beulah Land." Then we gathered for lunch in the fellowship hall. It was mostly homemade, home grown, lovingly prepared and brought down to the church by family and friends.
Since Savannah doesn't provide police escort of funeral processions anymore we had a leisurely lunch and afternoon before the trip to Savannah. The burial was at 2:30 PM in Forest Lawn Cemetery in old Savannah where my grandfather was buried.
Having grown up on a farm I know that there is a certain cycle, and a certain season, that eventually brings life to death. That is not a thing to be fearful of, or to hide from, but something to accept and to live with in a sense of reality that feeds life. Yet, I also know from both faith and experience, that death isn't the end of our story as we follow the God who continues to redeem and create! This isn't a naive thought, or a simple challenge; this is a daily struggle as the journey of life and faith continues as we follow Christ from one room in the "house" into other rooms. Even though I've once again seen death up close and personal I have even greater assurance that this life is preparation for an even greater Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace which I will experience one day.
Thank you Grandmom, and thank you God, for so many years and for all the blessings you have passed on to me and to so many others. May I continue to grow day by day to be a blessing as I follow the Risen Christ!
"If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord."
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Baseball, Life, and Faith
My 2nd grade son is playing baseball with a recreation department team. The Mets play against other Columbia County teams composed of 1st-3rd graders in this machine pitch league. I'm amazed how quickly these children develop skills over the course of a few weeks. And we've got a good mix of parents and suppportive friends who keep the games how they should be for young kids. I'm reminded of some of the simple, yet outstanding, principles that serve our children well this season:
*Stick with the Basics
*Practice
*Keep it Fun
*Be Encouraging
It's good stuff that works in baseball, life, and faith.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Christians as Promulgators and Fomenters?
A clergy friend recently posted a great quote on Facebook as his status yet deleted the one accused. Adam got attention with: "And for his own part, _________ flouted many regulations of the Church...concerning parish boundaries and who had authority to preach. This was seen as a social threat that disregarded institutions. Ministers attacked them in sermons and in print, and at times mobs attacked them. ________ and his followers continued to work among the neglected and needy. They were denounced as promulgators of strange doctrines, fomenters of religious disturbances; as blind fanatics, leading people astray, claiming miraculous gifts, attacking the clergy of the Church..."
This led to an interesting discussion by United Methodist clergy regarding these sentiments written about our beloved and often quoted founder- John Wesley- and a comparison with the church today! We especially loved the wording. Such strange words to our ears today. I'll take our quick e-conversation a few more steps.
Would the United Methodist Church, or any bishop or district superintendent, or any local congregation or ministry, put any of this in the job description today as a sought after characteristic for clergy or laity? No. *answering in John Wesley style as found in the early conference minutes of Methodism*
What/where is the place of "promulgators and fomentors" within United Methodism today? Hmmm, I can't answer this as a "yes" or "no" or with quick answer so I'll quickly abandon the John Wesley Minutes approach. I do recall that some pastors finish memorial services for deceased church members by moving their membership from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant. Perhaps we all need to get a little more militant in our Christian walk in preparation for Heaven?
I believe at the heart of this are some very important ideas about the Kingdom of God, what it means to serve the Kingdom, and how following Jesus today may still get us in trouble, or better said, into action for God. We can easily find this a bridge to all sorts of people in a community. I also sense that we might better connect with the next generation of clergy if we embrace this "wild side," this untamed clergy viewpoint. It may even save some of the clergy who've served for some years if we can break out of the "cookie cutter" mentality and allow for following a Risen Christ in some radical ways beyond the expectations of a local congregation. Are there ways to allow for some fire in the laity & clergy, maybe even stoke the flame, while still building continuity? How do we experience that intersection of Kingdom of God and institutional Church?
I'm still thinking on that E. Stanley Jones quote mentioned yesterday: "He feared that the substitution of the church for the Kingdom of God might rob the missionary movement of the needed fires of imagination, enthusiasm, and self-criticism."
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. . When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:35-36
This led to an interesting discussion by United Methodist clergy regarding these sentiments written about our beloved and often quoted founder- John Wesley- and a comparison with the church today! We especially loved the wording. Such strange words to our ears today. I'll take our quick e-conversation a few more steps.
Would the United Methodist Church, or any bishop or district superintendent, or any local congregation or ministry, put any of this in the job description today as a sought after characteristic for clergy or laity? No. *answering in John Wesley style as found in the early conference minutes of Methodism*
What/where is the place of "promulgators and fomentors" within United Methodism today? Hmmm, I can't answer this as a "yes" or "no" or with quick answer so I'll quickly abandon the John Wesley Minutes approach. I do recall that some pastors finish memorial services for deceased church members by moving their membership from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant. Perhaps we all need to get a little more militant in our Christian walk in preparation for Heaven?
I believe at the heart of this are some very important ideas about the Kingdom of God, what it means to serve the Kingdom, and how following Jesus today may still get us in trouble, or better said, into action for God. We can easily find this a bridge to all sorts of people in a community. I also sense that we might better connect with the next generation of clergy if we embrace this "wild side," this untamed clergy viewpoint. It may even save some of the clergy who've served for some years if we can break out of the "cookie cutter" mentality and allow for following a Risen Christ in some radical ways beyond the expectations of a local congregation. Are there ways to allow for some fire in the laity & clergy, maybe even stoke the flame, while still building continuity? How do we experience that intersection of Kingdom of God and institutional Church?
I'm still thinking on that E. Stanley Jones quote mentioned yesterday: "He feared that the substitution of the church for the Kingdom of God might rob the missionary movement of the needed fires of imagination, enthusiasm, and self-criticism."
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. . When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:35-36
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Deadheading Flowers... & Church?
We're still into 90 degree days in Augusta, GA though the weekend is forecast to see a nice drop into fall temperatures. It's the perfect time to do some yard chores in preparation for the change of seasons.
I have a large butterfly bush at the corner of our front porch. It's a lot of fun through spring and summer as it attracts butterflies and bees with those fragrant flowers, as well as putting on a great show of purple. Of course, to extend the flowers, and produce more, you've got to deadhead the plant a number of times to get the best production. Do you know about deadheading flowers? It's a maintenance job in a garden, yet it's a way of preparing for more production and extending a season.
As I'm reaching over my head to clip the multitudes of spent flowers of my butterfly bush I'm also noticing the new areas where new growth will spring to life. The bees are still working the plant, lighting on the flowers as I'm working. I'm clipping at a living plant hoping to create more life and extend the summer just a little longer. I'm sometimes cutting off flowers that are still pretty but on the tale end of vibrant. I'm cutting with tomorrow in mind, not yesterday.
My mind drifts to that familiar passage in John 15:1-2:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
Where is God at work pruning in your world working to create more life? What must go in order for there to be more production for the Kingdom?
What does this mean for you as a Christian?
What does this mean for your church?
What does it mean for your denomination?
I have a large butterfly bush at the corner of our front porch. It's a lot of fun through spring and summer as it attracts butterflies and bees with those fragrant flowers, as well as putting on a great show of purple. Of course, to extend the flowers, and produce more, you've got to deadhead the plant a number of times to get the best production. Do you know about deadheading flowers? It's a maintenance job in a garden, yet it's a way of preparing for more production and extending a season.
As I'm reaching over my head to clip the multitudes of spent flowers of my butterfly bush I'm also noticing the new areas where new growth will spring to life. The bees are still working the plant, lighting on the flowers as I'm working. I'm clipping at a living plant hoping to create more life and extend the summer just a little longer. I'm sometimes cutting off flowers that are still pretty but on the tale end of vibrant. I'm cutting with tomorrow in mind, not yesterday.
My mind drifts to that familiar passage in John 15:1-2:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
Where is God at work pruning in your world working to create more life? What must go in order for there to be more production for the Kingdom?
What does this mean for you as a Christian?
What does this mean for your church?
What does it mean for your denomination?
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