FAITHBOOK ROC 2012

Amazing...isn't it??? They have trees up there, and I started thinking about mountaintop experiences and their importance.
Jesus takes his inner circle to a mountain with him and they experience a God thing, something unlike anything they had ever seen. Most of us have had a similar experience, maybe not as intense, but a “mountain top” experience nonetheless. It may have been while worshipping at youth camp, a prayer meeting, or maybe even a conference you attended. God moved there in a way you had never experienced. What did you do with it when it was over? Some attempt to relive the same experience everywhere they go. Life doesn’t seem right if one of those experiences isn’t right around the corner. They began looking for an experience instead of living their life for Jesus. Peter wanted to do just this (Mark 9:5), he wanted to make a memorial to what happened on the mountain so they could come to it and relive the event. But Jesus didn’t allow him to do this and brought them back down the mountain, telling them not to mention this until he was risen from the dead (Mark 9:9). What a buzz kill. You see this awesome thing, you want to keep reliving it over again and again and Jesus says, “Oh yeah, by the way, don’t mention this to anyone until I have risen again.” The disciples didn’t understand this (Mark 9:10), but, Jesus knew what he was doing. He gave them the glowing mountain top to aid them through the dark valley when he would be taken away and murdered. He graciously gives us these experiences so we are able to navigate the many valleys in our lives, not so we can stay on the mountain. So, cherish these mountain top experiences, and draw from them in the valleys. But never create an idol by living for them instead of Jesus.

Bell, Ryan. "Mark 9:2-3 – The Mountain Top Experience." Short Daily Bible Devotions. © Fellowship of Devotional Bloggers., 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2012.


I want to build a house up on this mountain
Way up high where the peaceful waters flow
To quench my thirsty soul
Up on the mountain

CHORUS

My faith is strengthened by all that I see
You make it easy for me to believe up on the mountain
Oh, up on the mountain

I would love to live up on this mountain
And keep the pain of living life so far away
But I know I can't stay
Up on the mountain

CHORUS

I said I'd go, Lord, wherever You lead
For where You are is where I most want to be
And I can tell we're headed for the valley
My faith is strengthened by all that I've seen
So Lord help me remember what You've shown me
Up on the mountain

CHORUS 2
You bring me up here on this mountain
For me to rest and learn and grow
I see the truth up on the mountain And I carry it to the world far below
So as I go down to the valley
Knowing that You will go with me
This is my prayer, Lord
Help me to remember what You've shown me
Up on the mountain
Up on the mountain

I cherish these times up on the mountain
But I can leave this place because I know
Someday You'll take me home to live forever
Up on the mountain


Chapman, Steven Curtis. Heaven in the Real World. North Hollywood, California: Schnee Studio and Studio At Mole End, ... 1994.

BOW MILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Here is a picture of Bow Mills United Methodist Church, in Bow Mills, NH, flanked by snow that would send fright into the hearts of many a New Mexican. Tonight I am going back to church to help with the youth activities, of which I am honored to be a part. When I finally got up the nerve to join the church, I was asked if I would be faithful to the United Methodist Church with my prayers, my presence, my gifts and my service. The answer was yes!! could I accuse some people who have started going to another service, or who have even left the family, of being unfaithful to their promise to the church? And yet I want God's will for my church, not mine, even though that sounds trite.

LONDONDERRY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH...AND FAITHFULNESS

For this post the thing that immediately comes to mind is actually a secular love song, but the line is just perfect for the situation. The weather in New Hampshire is cold and green, and in New Mexico it is cold and brown. I needed biking gloves with fingers last week on my way to church! Let me go see if I can find these lyrics.
Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone

I never had a church home before. I never looked forward to going to church until now. I never cared about the faithfulness of people around me until now, when I see people leaving the family, and changing, and when I heard someone say last week, 'oh, i served in the youth group until the minister changed, and then it wasn't my youth group anymore.' I never cared until I started doing video for a small service held on Sundays among the other three that we usually have, which is a small, close knit congregation in the middle of the larger ones. And I have to keep my eyes forward, especially now that I am home.

SATURDAY WITH THE YOUTH

Here is a picture of the puppet ministry of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Manchester, NH. It's very cold in New Hampshire; I think I heard they had ten inches of snow. Later when I'm not restless I will try to find some information on a youth program in a Methodist church New Hampshire. I am ashamed to look at the date on my last posting, but the semester has flown by. Where are the months of September and October? I need them to work on my papers for this semester, and now it's presentation time. I spent this afternoon hanging out with about six youth from my church and the pastor and his grown son cutting Christmas trees for decoration tomorrow night at youth. I'm now a youth sponsor--and it's funny, because I hated being a youth. I wonder if my experience in the youth group would have been different if my family had had a foundation. My parents are STILL looking for a church, and sort of thanks to the youth of ST. PAUL'S LAS CRUCES I'm home.

CHURCH CONTENTMENT

Here is a picture of First United Methodist Church in Rochester, NH, where there is rain. I just walked home with my father after visiting with him and my mother for a few minutes, a time of trying to stay on safe subjects and get out as soon as I can. I have found a home church, but they have not, and that was the story of my life growing up. Here is a quote from D.Max Whitfield, the bishop of the New Mexico Annual Conference on the subject of contentment.



Contentment appears to be a value that most church members and congregations value above everything else. The Apostle Paul calls us to learn to be content with whatever comes our way in life. We are to be content when we have everything we want in life, and when we fail to have even the basic necessities of life.

I saw many of the United Methodist Christians in the Congo who have taken Paul’s words to heart. They knew their relationship with Jesus Christ was more important than money, housing, food, education, or health. Knowing and serving Jesus was what really mattered. Everything else was of secondary value.

However, here in the United States it appears we have taken contentment as the primary value in the life of the Church. We tolerate injustice, gossip, spiritual mediocrity, congregations slowly dying, conditions of our communities and a lack of respect for other people. We are so content that we are the walking dead. We stand for nothing; we stand up for nothing; we become like the Church at Laodicea that is neither hot nor cold. We refuse to even invite people to attend worship with us for fear of making them uncomfortable or members of the church uncomfortable.

I see creating discontentment as one of my primary roles and responsibilities as a bishop of the Church. Individuals need to become discontent with their relationship with Jesus Christ and strive to become more like him in word and deed. Pastors need to become discontent with the way they are leading congregations. Congregations need to become discontent when they walk among people who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and believe they are doing everything expected of them to see God’s Kingdom come on this earth as it is in heaven. We need a great awakening of dissatisfaction with ourselves and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

A few months ago I wrote about the necessity of treating every person with respect, especially those with whom we do not agree. These persons are still our brothers and sisters. We need to respect their ideas, thoughts, and opinions. I certainly may not agree with them, but Jesus calls me to love my enemies and treat everyone as I would desire and wish to be treated. I was not prepared for the response. I was accused of being political. I needed to focus on spiritual issues and avoid placing the Church in the middle of political debates. I confess that I utilized public instances and public figures to illustrate my point, but some of the responses justified such crude disrespectful behavior and words. Some responses appeared to reflect approval of inappropriate behavior if it was in the political arena. There needs to be a great awakening of dissatisfaction with behavior that does not reflect Jesus Christ.

I told my father tonight that it is strange having a church home and caring about the future of the church. He could not understand, of course, because he still does not have one. Up there Whitfield says that we all need to become dissatisfied with our lives and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is probably true...especially since I love doing video in my church....could I change? My father was my role model for Christianity for a long time, and tonight he told me that someone quit coming to his Bible study because they did not like the way he was teaching. I need to be on fire, but I want ti to be a quiet fire.

NEW CHURCHES IN HONEYMOON PERIODS

New Church Development 2011 General Board of Global Ministries

New churches attract many unchurched persons, including new constituent groups not being reached by existing congregations. Why? Partly because they are often fresh, energetic and distinct in their vision, culture and approach to evangelization and ministry.

In many areas where the denomination is growing, much of that growth is attributed to new congregations. Thus, it is not an either/or situation; but resources, training, and strategic efforts must be utilized for both creating new congregations and renewing existing ones. Moreover, existing churches often reap new ideas, learn new outreach and leadership development techniques, and gain new excitement from innovative and successful new church development efforts.

The Office of New Church Development works with annual and central conferences, district superintendents, and congregational leaders to create strategic plans for church growth, to train leaders in evangelization methods, and to help establish new churches and faith communities. It also assists "fresh start" congregations that are undergoing merger or relocation.


My home church in new Mexico, not one in New Hampshire, sadly, where it is green, started an offshoot church about a year ago for people who are unchurched an would feel strange walking into a church building with stained glass. They meet in a hotel, with a pastor that is energetic and full of life. He was an associate pastor at my church for about three years, and then went to the new church to be its pastor. Now we have people going to the new church saying it is so full of life, and ours is not, anymore, but it is my home. And I discovered that a lot of the principles that apply to a family living together in a home can also apply to a church family.

FORWARD MOVING. . . .

Happy Fourth of July 2011. . . . where New Hampshire is hot and sunny and clear, and I had a nice phone conversation with a family member. It's strange how easy it is to put stuff behind you when you decide to. . .but it is a continuous decision. Forward marching. . .forgiveness is for me, not the person I forgive!!!