I've been thinking about writing this for a while.  It even crept into my Christmas Eve sermon.  I had thought I would leave it alone and let Christmas go by, but I happened to read this article: The Thud After Christmas.  So, blame that author for what you are reading now.

You've read the yard signs, bumper stickers and shoe-painted business windows.  You know, then, that Jesus is the reason for the season.  That's like the first question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire; if you miss that one, you're just not paying attention.  Since that's such an easy question, let me ask you another one.  What "season" are we blaming Jesus for?

Is Jesus the reason for the season

• of lights?  
• what about the trees?  
• surely, we aren't indicting baby Jesus for bringing us Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.  
• is Jesus the reason for the shopping season or the subsequent season of credit card bills?  
• does Jesus really have anything to do with snow falling on December 25th?  

It's an appropriate question to ask. There's a lot about this season that may or may not have anything to do with Jesus. Of course, some of us will say, this is the season of Christmas; the treats are bonus. Well, if Christmas is the season Jesus is the reason for, why have many of us moved on already? I'm writing these words two days after Christmas. Since Christmas I have seen after-holiday sales, people taking Christmas decorations down and the spirit of Christmas turn toward the anticipation of the New Year.

Understand, Christmas didn't begin after the NFL triple-header on Thanksgiving. Christmas began when you worshiped with your family and friends at church on Christmas Eve. By the way, we recycled all the left-over bulletins from that service, if you know what I mean.

If Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season, then we've got a couple of weeks before that is all over. Don't look at me weird, then, if I still wish you a "Merry Christmas!" Christmas ends on January 6. I waited as long as I could to put up a Christmas tree and to sing Christmas songs. So, I'm all Christmas until early January. I'm singing Emmanuel for as long as I can. And not O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Everyone knows what one!), but United Methodist Hymnal #204 Emmanuel--that's my most meaningful Christmas song.


Now, am I trying to convert you to a more liturgical lifestyle? That wouldn't be all that bad; trust me. But, no, that's not my intent. I do want to remind you that we live in the same world. You and I see the same news. We know about what happened in Connecticut a few weeks ago. We know about the police officer and firemen who were shot to death. Even if you hadn't heard about the cases I'm referring to, you could easily find others. Cancer is a common word. Families are fighting against each other. People are hurting.

Saying that we're ready for Christmas because we got the cards all mailed doesn't help those people. Rushing to get our gifts ready and houses decorated doesn't do much good either. We all are in need of hope and joy. We don't find that under a tree or on a red-suited, fat guy's lap. We find that in God. It's taken me years to truly begin to understand that. The quick rush of Merry Christmas doesn't begin to address any of that for us.

The cultural Christmas season is nice, but it has its inconsistencies. I stood in line in front of a woman who was cussing out another woman for, supposedly, cutting in line. Merry Christmas.

The church’s Christmas season is a time we give ourselves to evaluate our lives to discover where it is we need God's grace. Don't be the over-saved guy, please; I know we do that all the time. But if Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season, we should realize that New Year’s Day just happens to be during that time.

Where is your hope thin? In what ways have doubt, insecurity and fear overwhelmed you? What are your disappointments? your failures? your lack of faith? What has kept you from being more faithful to God? If Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season, it seems like questions like these would help us see where God's light needs to shine in our darkness.

I want Christ’s light to shine for you. If it does, then you know what a merry Christmas is, and we still have time to celebrate it.

A lot of the books I have were gifts because I was "just starting" as a minister. A few weeks ago I had thought about how that doesn't happen often anymore. Most people know I made it through school and that I've been at this for a little while now.  Well, last week I received these as a gift from a retired pastor!

What you may not know is that this is something most pastors do right before we leave the office for the worship service.

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Face it.  Thanksgiving is the middle child of holidays.

People make a great fuss about Halloween.  Of course they do; it's the first-born.  First-borns make us "parents for the first time."  It's likely you've wrapped that statement in a prayer for your first-born.  You were teary-eyed when you said it, too.  Your other children all but wonder why you didn't affirm that obvious piece of information about them.  After all, they made you parents for the second and fifth time.  Likewise, Halloween inaugurates the holiday season.  It's like National Blueberry Popsicle Month doesn't exist.  Spooky costumes and candy corn have this strange way of prepping us for Christmas.

And Christmas can do no wrong.  Duh!  The baby of the family gets away with everything.  You don't have to have a baby sibling to know that.  Just watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off again.  Everyone thinks the babies are so cute.  By the way, that drives older siblings crazy because they (we) know better.  If you don't think that applies to Christmas, ask yourself why we sing Away in the Manger so many times before and after December 25th.  I wasn't there, but I'm guessing that fleeing from an imperial killer and having a stable-birth cannot be that cutesy!

In the middle of the excitement of Monster Mash and Charlie Brown's tree creeps in Thanksgiving.  Sure, we know it's there.  We love it unconditionally.  We don't mean for it to appear like we forgot about it.  In fact, when the day comes we'll do what it takes to make it perfect.  In the mean time, we're still regretting the Halloween pounds and beginning to stress about that fact that Christmas is almost here.  Middle children understand.  They've heard it all before.

I have a middle child.  Somehow, someway, no matter the effort I give to make it otherwise the middle child syndrome makes frequent appearances in my home.  Still, I'm determined to make sure that child knows how important she is and how much she means to me and our family--and, ultimately, to God.  I think it's time we realize how much we've neglected our holiday middle child.

Considering all that God has done for us, giving thanks is a meaningful part of life and faith.  Undoubtedly, someone will remind you that is something we do everyday and not just on one holiday.  It may be annoying when they say it, but they are right.  "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His love endures forever" (Psalm 107:1).  God's faithfulness lasts forever.  So, our thanksgiving should endure more than the last Thursday of November.  But maybe that one day can teach us something important so that we can learn to give thanks more often. You may have to put a little effort into it.  There's only so much football and overeating can teach an American.  Find/make/renew a tradition to make thanksgiving the meaning of Thanksgiving.

Just know, however, that people considerately wait until after Halloween to ask if you're getting ready for Christmas.  Thanksgiving gets no such R-E-S-P-E-C-T.   But you've got thanksgiving on your mind.  So, when they do ask that question before Advent,  you just ask them what they have against your middle child.

How can you make Thanksgiving (the holiday) more meaningful, and thanksgiving (lower case t, the way of life) more frequent?

Would it comfort you to know that I wrote these short words days before the results of last night's election? I hope it does because I did so on purpose. For a variety of reasons, I tend not to share my political leanings. One of the advantages I feel I have is that I can offer a perspective that you can take as being thoughtful and, as best I'm able to, free from the usual tone of "my side vs your side" politics. Besides, I'm not convinced most people want to know who I vote for. I was called by the church to be a pastor, a preacher and reminder of the Gospel of our Lord. So, with that in mind...

I'm anticipating the first time I'll hear the words. It'll probably be on Facebook! I first noticed them a few elections ago and have heard them every morning after the election since. What are those words?  Can you imagine someone saying this: "It's sad."


Take a guess at who says that. I've never heard someone whose candidate won an election state that; it's always someone on the losing side. May I suggest that a candidate losing an election is not sad--not even your candidate. Maybe it's disappointing or frustrating. It may even be wrong, but that's something we find out later, not the day after the election.

Sad? Children around the world are dying because of malnutrition. People live in anguish because of drug violence and gang activity. Families are struggling with addictions. Cancer, depression and suicide are sad. Elections? Well, there are people in the world whose votes don't matter and feel forced to vote in particular ways, or else. Is it sad to think about the amount of money used by candidates to convince us to vote? 

We're the church. We're supposed to be set apart, holy. Quite often the way we speak and think about the world around us sounds just like everyone else. Maybe that's sad. Rest assured, God's will is never subject to who runs our nation. Praise God! That message has been clear for thousands of years. Maybe you woke up to find the president to be the man you voted for. Maybe not. That doesn't mean God voted for them too or that the devil is running the next four years.  It means someone won an election.  That's not sad; that's politics.

If my kids were regular readers of this blog, I can guarantee you this would be their favorite post.  Truth be told, I think it's almost one of mine.

I've thought before about how I want "to go."  Call it what you want: kick the bucket; taking a dirt nap; going to the big whatever in the sky.  I bet you've given it some thought, too.

Of all the ways I have ever imagined I might bite the big one, this is one scenario that I'm sure wouldn't apply to any of us.

Dinosaurs blown away by own farts, say researchers

And you thought this was going to be uplifting.  Stay blessed...john

Something strange happened this past Sunday.  Our service lasted an hour and twenty minutes.  As of yet, I don't know that the bishop has been contacted.  I'm just saying; this kind of stuff doesn't happen everyday.

Last Sunday was Communion Sunday, and we began a sermon series on the book of Job.  I'm never going to short change Communion.  Usually, that means I'll prepare a shorter sermon.  But since this was the first sermon in our new series and was about stuff I know really matters to a lot of people, I went with a typical sermon time.  Of course, I had fun.  I can only pray everyone else was blessed, too.  Tell the truth, you pay attention to what time you get out of church.  Are you a "I could've stay another hour" person or a "One Lord; one faith; one baptism; one hour" person?


The first sermon in our series is entitled "Ashes to Ashes, We All Fall Down."  I had in mind Job sitting "among the ashes" (Job 2:8) as I wrote that title.  We've all been there.  Maybe we weren't throwing fern plants over to break the pots to use as a back scratcher, but we've all had times of loss and pain.  One of the take-away lines from the sermon is: You can do everything right and still have everything go wrong.  Boy, ain't that the truth!

I hope you'll join us for the rest of our series, and begin by listening to the first sermon below.  I can't promise you instant healing or anything, but, hey, there's no charge to listen.  Let me know what you think.

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Now, go ring around the rosie, or rosy, whichever. Stay blessed...john

I wanted to quickly tell you about our upcoming sermon series.  It is based on the book of Job, and is creatively entitled "Lessons from Job."

It is a 4-week series.  We begin Sunday, October 7, 2012.  If you are in the Shiner area, please stop by and join us for worship.  If not, then boo on you!  Kidding.  If not, then be sure to check back here to listen to the series.



Stay blessed...john

Oh, those disciples.  They were often confused, hard-headed and scared.  If Jesus was the living water, they were the water in the tires after a rain that the weather man says we should dump.  Perhaps that is a little harsh.  Jesus was convinced they were the right people he needed.  They eventually handled the gospel-to-the-world thing pretty well.  Still, some of the things they did and said should really make us glad we're not at all like them.

Mark 9:38-50 is a great ecumenical text.  I am sure there are other great texts to read when you get a bunch of people together who come from different faith backgrounds.  The disciples didn't care too much about some guy they ran across who was using Jesus' name.  This guy didn't run with the disciples.  He probably listened to praise music, or still only used the KJV.  At the very least, this man wasn't one of the disciples.  So, they had to stop him from "casting out demons" in Jesus' name.  But Jesus told them, "Do not stop them."


I promise to write a post soon to tag along with this sermon.  It will based on this sentence I took out of this sermon: Your favorite TV/radio preacher probably gets on my nerves.  The sermon time doesn't provide ample space to fully explain that statement.

Just know that I know God uses all kinds of people to build the Kingdom, and I'm okay with that--most times.  What about you?

This sermon is about recognizing that God does indeed use us all.  God wants to use us all.  Are we willing to let others work for God's glory?  Are we ready to work?  Are we a stumbling block to them or ourselves?

Have a listen and let me know what you think.

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Stay blessed...john

First saw this from Gavin Richardson via Facebook

I don't blame Apple, really. Everyone knows you "got to give the people want they want." And people want to feel like they have the best. People want to be in the know. People want the good stuff in life.

And, you know, I could write a long post about being content blah, blah and blah.  But I don't have to.  There are two quick items I can bring your attention to that will do the speaking for me.

Number 1:

...for I have learned to be content with whatever I have.I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11b-13

Number 2:
Jimmy Kimmel Live - First Look: iPhone 5

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What else could I add to that?

Stay blessed...john

There's a nice one-screen movie theater not too far from our house. We go there occasionally, depending upon what's playing. Something tells me, though, that I shouldn't expect this next movie to be showing there anytime. If it were, I think I would plan a church field trip.

The movie is entitled Hellbound. I haven't seen it; I've only seen the trailer. It appears to be a documentary-type look at the ongoing faith conversation about hell. Is it a real place? Who goes there? Is is forever? And so on. When I figure out how I can, I will watch it. I can't recommend or praise/bash it, yet. But have a look and see if it is something you might take some time to watch.


Would you watch it? Stay blessed...john

This was an easy sermon to preach.  Easy in the sense that making connections isn't difficult.  We all know what it feels like to be the one to say something we later regret.  We all know what it means to let your tongue slip and say something you wish you could take back.  And there have been times when you wish you would have said something.  Any way you lay it out, preaching on the tongue, or our big mouth, is easy like Sunday morning.

Someone said this was best sermon since coming to Shiner.  Another person was sure I overheard one of their conversations the day before.  And a few were sure I was talking directly to them.  

The title of this sermon is Mark My Words...On Second Thought.

Listen when you get a chance.  Play it as you wash dishes or clean off the clubs.  Let me know what you think.





Stay blessed...john

“If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.” 

A couple of months ago one church sign got a lot of publicity.  The sign read: God prefers kind atheists over hateful Christians.  I thought about that a few times while I was preparing for this sermon.  Our last church had a marquis.  Had this sermon come around then maybe ours would have had the same message.  But you can't always get what you want.  So, I got to preach this sermon, but didn't get to have church-sign fun.  Life goes on.

What I wanted listeners to consider with this sermon is that the choice between being religious and spiritual is a false dichotomy.  Religion gets put down by many people.  I shared two videos this past week on our church's Facebook and weekly eNewsletter (AnotherNote) that shared two ideas about religion.  One was called Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus.  The other is called Why I Love Religion, and Love Jesus.  You should take a moment to listen to them.

Religion gets blamed for quite a bit.  Religion, though, doesn't kill people; people kill people.  And we can't laud religion over relationship because if you have a relationship with God then you have a religion.  So, instead of picking on religion, I think we should understand that our religion is there and that others are paying attention to it.  Here are a few thoughts to help you choose your religion.

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And yes, I did have REM's song in my mind when choosing this sermon title.  Stay blessed...john

Little Man wanted to have some time at the ball park for his birthday.  So, the Fletcher Five got their gloves and bats and went to the field.  It wasn't as hot as it has been lately, but it was hot.  I wasn't the only one sweating!  We played for quite some time.  We chased balls, got each other out and ran the bases several times.  There was minimal complaining and no family cheating, mostly.

After a couple of runs around the field I was due for a break.  Sue me.

Ashlei and Brittani joined me and we took a few moments to catch our breath.  Ashlei came a few seconds behind us because she went to get her water bottle.  Oh, that water bottle looked so good.  No one else brought any.  Sweat poured down my face, while water, sweet cold water, bubbled and chugged for her.  She loves me; I know this.  So, I asked for a drink, or two.  Brittani tried to get some as well.  Lovingly, kindly and funly (?) Ashlei said she couldn't do it!

Brittani became our advocate.  "I bet Jesus would give us some," she told the water hogger. "Jesus helped people, Ashlei," was her conclusion.

Ashlei took one more drink, which by this time I think was a little more flauntingly than before.   "Yes," she said with watered lips, "but he also told us about the ten bridesmaids.  Some of them were prepared and some weren't.  I was and you both weren't."


So, both of my daughters are paying attention to scripture.  I was so proud of both of them.  They each recognized something they had been taught.  I was encouraged because I knew they had been paying attention to something or someone.  I laughed and jumped in the car; my first thought was to have a great Bible study, but I don't think they would've appreciated it as much as me.

So, quick response to that: Don't give up teaching our children!

Now, I just wonder if this means they will vote differently.  Do you think I have anything to worry about?

Stay blessed...john

Quick question: What do you know God has done IN you?



Stay blessed...john

First, I have to apologize for the sound quality of this sermon. Hopefully, though, I won't have to apologize for the sermon quality of this sermon. I think I might have had the lapel mic off during the sermon. Man, I miss my sound guy! But we're getting things figured out.
The title of this sermon is Will Work for Non-Perishable Food and is based upon John 6:24-35. Oh, how we are more than willing to work for the things we think we want. The saying we learned around the dinner table is true: If we're hungry, we'll eat anything. We are hungry for many things: love; comfort; security; satisfaction, etc. Our tendency, though, is to feed those hungers with things that are not God. Consequently, we are only left more hungry.

It's a cycle many of us know well. We think a bottle will bring comfort, but it only leads to another bottle. We think the mouse click will brink satisfaction, but it only leads to another click. And on and on. Jesus promised us that "whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." As one hungry beggar to another, I have come to believe that to be true. May it be true for you, too.

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Stay blessed...john

We've made some changes to our church newsletter.  The format is different and the name is different.  It was called the Circuit Rider.  Now, it's the Circuit Writer.  Lame, Methodist humor, I know, but I like it!

Stay blessed...john

You hear the word Pharisee---what do you think of?

Chances are you know those guys as the people Jesus threw down with time and time again. You’re probably glad you’re not one of them. I can’t say that I blame you. They come across as being so sure of themselves and very my-way-or-the-high-wayish. And, let’s face the facts; it’s hard to market any good pharisaical material. No one wants to wear a t-shirt that reads: My brood strains gnats and swallows camels. Yo!

“It could be,” one demotivational poster reads, “that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.”

You won’t say it, but that’s probably what you think of the Pharisees. Nico and friends, in all likelihood, suffer from the second worst bad rap ever—the first, of course, belongs to Vanilla Ice (Sorry for the ‘90s rap reference).

In John 10, Jesus is presented as the Good Shepherd. Jesus begins that chapter by dropping some sheep knowledge. It sounds like pretty simple stuff: there’s a gate for sheep to come in and out; some people try to steal the sheep; the sheep know who to trust. But John tells us that not everyone was keeping up. Verse 6 says, “Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.” The “them” John refers to is a group of Pharisees.

The question begs to be asked: Why didn’t they understand?

• Maybe it wasn't so simple. 
• Maybe they only knew about gnats and camels and understood nothing about sheep. 
• Maybe they thought Jesus was talking about someone else. 

Ignore the chapter numbers in your Bible and you realize that John has already told us why they don’t understand. The sheep speech is part of a conversation between Jesus and “some” Pharisees that began in the last section of chapter 9. Take out your at-home pew Bible and I bet you’ll have a heading over that section that reads “Spiritual Blindness.” On the heels of a healing, Jesus has just insinuated the Pharisees’ blindness. So, as far as John is concerned, the reason why the Pharisees couldn’t understand the sheep talk is because they were spiritually blind.

Lesson learned, right? No wonder we don’t want to be like the Pharisees. We sing hymns and praise songs that include verses like, “Open my eyes that I may see,” and “Open the eyes of my heart; I want to see you.” We don’t want to be spiritually blind. So, don’t be like the Pharisees, right? Not exactly. Jesus explained what he meant further. This time there was no confusion at all. They understood him exactly. So much so that John says, “The Jews were divided because of these words.” When John speaks of “The Jews” he is typically referring to the people like the Pharisees; they were religious leaders. You see, not all the Pharisees were Jesus haters. There were some that recognized Jesus for who he was.

Some just needed a few more answers. Others were pretty set in their ways and were unable to phariSEE something new. I imagine there were others who had no trouble believing, but their relationship to other Pharisees made it difficult to follow Jesus fully. Maybe more of us should get fitted for that new t-shirt. Yo!

Quite often we are quick to use our spiritual label makers to define others. Once defined, we know exactly what to do with them. We know how we’ll talk to them (or about them). We know what they believe and why. Well, we’re pretty sure we know, but that doesn’t matter because we’re at least sure of what we really think of them—and that’s all that matters.

Jesus knew his ministry wouldn’t last very long. You don’t go around speaking to power and getting away with it forever. So, Jesus knew there would be plenty of Pharisee barbecues he would not be invited to attend. Still, he spoke and gave them all a chance to hear. Sometimes, apparently, he even repeated himself.

Perhaps we should be so willing, too. Many of the Pharisees you think you know probably share a lot of faith with you. But who’s been willing to listen to them? When someone says, “I know your kind,” what they should do is stick their fingers in their ears, close their eyes real tight and repeat, “I’m not listening; I’m not listening” because that’s what they’re already doing on the inside. You might be right; many of “those people” are going to be just like you’ve imagined or been told. But there might just be those that don’t follow suit like you think.

• Are you willing to listen to them? 
• Could you imagine yourself having a decent conversation with them? 
• Would you let them sit next to you at the church potluck? 
• Can you imagine them as friends? 
• When was the last time you prayed with them or for them? 
• Could you stop calling them "them?"

If anything one of those previous suggestions make you cringe just a bit, you might be more the Pharisee that you thought they were? So, you hear the word Pharisee and you think.............


Stay blessed...john

"Good morning.  Welcome.  It's good to see you this morning."  That's about as far as many of us preachers go with our welcome at Sunday morning worship.  Maybe some innovated one will say something like, "Oh, come on.  You'll have to do better than that.  I said, 'Good Morning!'"

Jon Acuff recently shared a welcome a friend of his found at a church he attended.  I'm thinking about making it ours!  It reads:

We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, yo no habla Ingles. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a few pounds. We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or like our pastor who can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up or just got out of jail. We don’t care if you’re more Catholic than the Pope, or haven’t been in church since little Joey’s Baptism. We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome soccer moms, NASCAR dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems or you’re down in the dumps or if you don’t like “organized religion,” we’ve been there too. If you blew all your offering money at the dog track, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or because grandma is in town and wanted to go to church. We welcome those who are inked, pierced or both. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down your throat as a kid or got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters, bleeding hearts … and you!

Now, think about the kind of welcome your church gives.  Does it have meaning?  How does it reflect your understanding of church and God.

Stay blessed...john

+StuffChristiansLike

I suspect that our recorded sermons will return next week.  The recording equipment should be in the mail and ready to go for this Sunday.  That'll be good because I think since I haven't seen how long the sermons have been I've given myself permission to go a tad bit longer than usual.  Or maybe it's just me.

Yesterday's sermon was about rest.  God gave us rest and we all need it.  We live in a busy world, constantly going, going, going.  Many people take pride in their ability to always be busy.  But I don't think we were designed to live that way.  With everyone so busy, is it any wonder so many people feel tired all the time, feel like they can't concentrate, are grumpy and are dealing with an array of medical conditions?  We need rest.

And God gives us rest.  I did mention how the church notoriously follows suit with the busyness.  I've heard of many people, lay people and clergy, who have been "burned out on church."  What!  So, we, as the church, need to evaluate and consider what it means that, "We can get burned out working for the One who gives us rest."  There's something wrong with that picture.

People need the Lord, and God needs us well rested so we can be God's avenues of prayer, healing and peace for them.


So, find rest that connects you to God so that you can be prepared to do the work of God.  Stay blessed...john

It's been three weeks since our family's move to Shiner. The most difficult part of our move has been that we still don't have cable. Well, okay, there are the emotional aspects of moving that are always difficult. But, overall, our family is home and we are getting adjusted to a new community and meeting a lot of wonderful people.

When you see these crosses, you're at Shiner FUMC.

The new office is just about arranged, and I am trying to figure out exactly what my schedule will be. Blog beware--I have been working on upcoming posts that I am excited to share. For the first time in a long time, I am serving a church without the pressures and work of being in school. I almost don't know how to act. 

Our new church is Shiner First United Methodist Church. You can find our church online at www.shinerfumc.org. It has not been updated in a while, and you know I will take care of that soon enough. If you're on Facebook you can also connect with our church. Our address is www.facebook.com/ShinerFUMC. Go to our page and "Like" us.

God is always doing new things in and around us.  I pray God's peace would be unavoidable for you today.  Stay blessed...john

Sometime ago, I was telling someone about the church I served here in Irving. I could tell the light went on right before this question was asked: “Isn’t that the church with the hams?” Who would have ever thought that a big ham could be used for ministry—please keep your jokes to yourself. You can’t blame that person for first remembering the succulent taste of our smoked hams over anything else about us. It’s a big part of what we do. So, I affirmed our ministry of pork, but went on to offer other memorable things about Oak Haven.

Of course, I will remember the ham smokes, but also so much more about our time here. You all have been a joy to serve in ministry with. I thank God for your faithfulness that brought you from low points in the church. I thank God for your willingness to reach beyond what was comfortable and/or usual. And I thank God for the ways you have loved our family, and, perhaps, put up with me at times. Together, we have sought to be faithful to God. So, keep loving, learning and living faithfully, and do everything you do with Ham -N-Bean intensity.

Sir Charles has had plenty to say about San Antonio.  Now, Mayor Castro responds.



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What do you love/like/hate about San Antonio?

Have you met our family's newest acolyte?

Ashlei is the Tim Duncan of acolytes.  She is humble, always ready to go and a superstar!  Of course, she helped train Nathan.  And, this picture is of Ashlei and Nathan on his first day as an acolyte.  There's something about wearing a "dress like you, Dad" that got to him.  Gloria said that was stillest and quietest he had ever been in church.



Acolyte on, short people!

This young man doesn't need this blog to brag on him.  But that's what we'll do.  Check out this link to the Daily News (Galveston):

Texas City senior a 4-time all-state choir honoree

A funny thing happened at work this morning.  Okay, it wasn't all that funny, but I couldn't keep from smiling.  let's just bask in glory of this day, this day that I submitted the final paper of my seminary career.  Yes, friends, we are the champions!

As the disciples tried to make sense of the news of Easter morning, Mr. Up From the Grave appears to them.  I've seen too many movies in my lifetime to think that I would have just stood there merely frightened and doubting like the rest of the disciples.  No, before Ghost Man Jesus has enough time to say, "Boo!" I'd be long gone.

I am not completely finished with seminary, yet.  Oh, but I can smell it.  Or is that.....

Rose City Park is a United Methodist Church in Portland whose name you probably never knew before.  If so, I would think you are in company with many, many, many other people.  Well, unless you haven't heard of them lately.  Many, many, many people have been introduced to the "other place to be on Sunday."  I am not quite sure what that means.

The thing is, Rose Park has this marquis.  God bless the pastor because he tries to keep corny church stuff off of it!  In fact, one of his most recent message in a marquis brought the church a lot of attention.  Look at the image above and see if you can guess why?

My opinion?  I. LOVE. IT.  I love it so much I was willing to do the annoying period after every word sentence.  You see, I love it so much I'm willing to be annoying--oh, the life my poor wife must live.  If I wasn't moving soon, I would probably steal it and put it on Oak Haven's trusty marquis.  I say if I wasn't moving because not everyone is willing to go all annoying like me.  They just want to be hateful.  Sorry. That was tacky.

What do you think of the sign?  What does it say to you?  What church sign message do you remember most?  Make it a good one so I can go change ours soon.  Right now it only says, "Peace be with you."

Gifts abound at Easter time.  Now, I can live with chocolate bunnies--chocolate anything really.  Perhaps we wrap our smaller gifts of candy, trinkets and pocket change in a variety of decorated plastic eggs.  And, of course, many of us gift ourselves with the perfect Easter outfit(s).

Those gifts are okay, but the gifts God has given us for Easter are far superior.  They are 1) the peace of God 2) the Spirit of God and 3) The mission of God.  Those are all the gifts we need.  What's best about those gifts is that they are given when we need them the most.  Jesus first offered them to the fearful disciples locked in a room.  Christ comes to our rooms, too, and offers us the same.

Where do you need peace?  That's where Christ shows up.

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If I were in the habit of telling jokes in my sermons, I would soooo want to find a way to fit this one in:

Question: What does a nosy pepper do?
Answer: Gets jalapeno business!

Well, at least there are still Bible studies, meetings and blessings before meals.  Just pretend you didn't hear this one.

Here is a great quote about mission work.  I read it from a resource our United Methodist Women used recently.  I sure wish more of us could let this sink in.

We learn that mission is not about me giving to you--it is about recognizing God's image in the other as we walk together.

Until we get over ourselves, though, I don't think we'll ever quite get that.  Thanks, UMW, for helping us remember something important.

Our Resurrection Sunday revolved around the theme that in Christ's Resurrection there is always hope.  As long as Christ is risen, there is hope.  We repeated that several times Easter morning, both early in the day and at our usual worship time.

What about you?  What was your Easter worship experience?  How do you feel your church celebrated the Risen Lord?


Here is my Easter sermon; it is entitled Where There Are Tears There is Hope.  The sermon focuses on Mary Magdalene's weeping outside the empty tomb, and remembers another story of someone weeping at a friend's death.

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This list is a few weeks late, but still worth thinking about.

Lent is the time that most of us know we "have to give up something."  I hate that.  First, no, we don't have to do anything.  Second, Lent is a time when the church has traditionally taken up the practice of fasting.  Of course, we can talk about and actually fast any other time of the year.  But who wants to get carried away, really? 

The distinction I want to make is this: Giving up something for Lent does not equal fasting.  Get over your potato chips.  Stop complaining because you haven't had a Coke.  And, believe it or not, man cannot live on chocolate alone--so, giving it up is really not a big deal.  You want to make Lent something you remember?  Pray more and fast more.

And, you can try a few suggestions from the sarcastic Lutheran.  Check out this link:

House for All Sinners and Saints’ 40 Ideas for Keeping a Holy Lent

Did your read anything that would be difficult to do?  Then you might want to try it.  What actions seem out of place, or most difficult to you?  How are you keeping a holy Lent?

Unfair?  Yes, it is.

Funny?  Of course!

What is worship? Why do we worship? Who is worship for? When do we worship? Where do we worship?


Those are some of the questions I asked myself as I prepared this sermon for yesterday. The sermon is entitled Why Your Worship is Boring. In part it's boring, I suggest, because we focus way to much on music and stain-glass windows. Of course, there are other things, too.  The psalmist said that "from you [God] comes my praise in the great congregation" (Psalm 22:25).  Most of us still think our praise comes from being tradition or contemporary.  No wonder our worship is boring.

What about your worship?  How many dry spots do you have in worship?  What elements of worship are most meaningful to you?  And, perhaps most importantly, what does your worship say about God?


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In a few months, our family is going to celebrate an undertaking we’ve been working toward for some time. I already know what I am going to do when it happens—it’s a Friday tradition. I am going to call into Dave Ramsey’s radio show and announce to the world that, “WE’RE DEBT FREEEEEE!” It's a Friday tradition.  That may not sound significant to you, but it is something wonderful because we haven’t always been faithful stewards. People would ask what credit cards we had. Jokingly, my response was, “The mall.” We both had decent jobs, but it always seemed like we had no money.


When we went to one job that paid half of the others we really didn’t have any money. Through that, though, we learned to trust God. We had to. And the good news? We’ve never lacked for anything. Yes, we waited to buy what we thought we wanted and didn’t always get away like we deserved. But God has been too good to us to be foolish and selfish. We learned we are called to be financially responsible, and we must continue to give. There is freedom and a joy in that, and I hope you’ll yell with me!