In Spirit and Truth

Matthew 21:1-11 News traveled fast. It was nearing the Passover, the religious feast where the Israelites celebrated their freedom from the oppression of foreign governments. A festival that no doubt irked their Roman governors. The city, already buzzing with preparations, was set ablaze by the rumors. Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee, was coming toward the city — and he was riding the foal of a donkey. To this oppressed people, any passage of scripture that promised freedom would be high on their list to memorize; and Zechariah 9 would have been toward the top. Here at the festival of freedom they would be free. Waving palm branches, and covering the streets with this symbol of victory, they cried out the traditional benediction to the feast of Tabernacles...a prayer for the coming of Messiah, "Hoshiah Na" (Please bring salvation! or I beg you, save now!). Hosanna, to the son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the Highest. Their

Life is busy. We all have places to go and people to see. It easy to get caught up in the doldrums and monotony of life, but to do so we miss out on a hundred joys that each moment has to offer. There are any number of inspirational phrases that encourage us to live in the moment — "stop and smell the roses", "Carpe Deum." — Somehow we know that it is in these infinitesimal moments and not the in the grandeur of our plans, that we will find joy. I have heard it said that the present is where time intersects with eternity. The past cannot be changed, and the future cannot be known. It is only in the present that we can make a difference. It is only right now that I can have the relationship with God that I desire. Yesterday cannot be changed, tomorrow cannot be known. It is only today that I can live for God. Only now, in this moment. But moment leads on to moment. Task leads on to task. We are easily overcome by the urgency of the generally insignificant. And all th

It's a word that is firmly entrenched in our religious vocabulary. It has found its way into our songs, our scriptures, our sermons, and for some, our daily lives. Despite its long-standing presence, it seems that few know what it means. Some believe that it is a synonym of "Amen" as a response to a good sermon — merely a word to convey strong agreement with someone. But the truth is far more fascinating and relevant to our life. Hallelujah is a derivative of one of the seven Hebrew words that we translate as praise. "Praise" is a rather tame translation of the word. Hallelujah directly translated means "to be clamorously foolish." These days, with that definition, it almost seems more at home at a sporting event or concert than in church. When were you last clamorously foolish at church? In church, we generally relegate clamorously foolish to the student ministries. We'll let the children and youth handle that for us. But Hallelujah is a word for

I had the great opportunity this past week to attend the ACDA (American Choral Director's Association) National Conference in Oklahoma City. While there I was privileged to hear several world-class choirs, and learn from several world renowned conductors. As I tried to take everything in, a curious thought entered my mind. A good choir serves as a picture of how the church is to behave. There are several groups who have different gifts. Each group uses their gift in a way that compliments the others. They all pay attention to the director, to make sure they are in step with each other. They listen to each other, making sure that they don’t drown out the sound of the others. And even when their notes and words are different, they communicate a consistent message. Here at Faith we are a good choir! But even the best choirs have to be vigilant in maintaining their balance. Missions listens to Evangelism. Evangelism listens to UMW. UMW listens to Student Ministries, and together throu

One of the visible signs of a healthy church is that its demographic percentages closely mirror the demographics of the surrounding community. Among other things, a healthy church generally provides a snapshot of the community. Look around in any service on Sunday and you'll see every age group represented. Faith would easily pass its "yearly physical." However, across the country, in every denomination, one generation is disappearing. Those who are college age to around 32 years of age are not attending. If you look around on Sunday, you will see that Faith is doing better than many, but the percentage is low compared to the surrounding community. Even many who have grown up at Faith are absent. As I have talked with pastors around the country I hear the same thing over and over – This generation doesn't feel that there is a place for them in the church. As we have prayed about how to reach this missing generation, the staff, along with several parents whose children