May, 2008; it feels rather strange to be writing that date.  We are nearing the end of the first decade of the Twenty-first Century.  What bright shining progress have we made?  How much wiser has humanity become in the first step of the new millennium?  How well have we learned from the errors of our collective past?

In the political arena we have reinforced the concept that unless you have vast wealth or connections to vast wealth, political ambitions cannot take you much beyond the local level (excluding major metropolitan areas).  We have also expanded the ease at which it is possible to say anything or imply anything about another person without fear of being held accountable for those statements.  As a matter of fact, the more outlandish the effort the more widely it will be shared.  What sane person wants to invite everyone in the world to examine and embellish their every little stumble or fall and share it with the global marketplace?  Society is more interested in gossip and scandal than it is in substance and depth.

In culture, like politics, we prefer scandal and gossip over anything that requires us to seriously think and examine our own understandings and practices.  We rely upon a vast array of pundits to tell us what is most important, what we truly need to know and what we should have in our homes and lives.  We do not seek glowing examples of human triumph unless it includes some element of humiliation or weakness in that same person.  The most idolized are the ones who get the most money, without consideration of the means of acquiring that wealth nor what is done with that wealth.

I have truly found it amusing that we now have available luxury work vehicles (pickups and off road vehicles) with fancy leathers and rich carpeting.  Imagine hauling a half-ton of manure in a Cadillac or four-wheeling through the swamps in a Mercedes.  Consumerism has become habit.  The marketplace has convinced us to set aside reason and practicality before we enter into the store. Look at the sub-prime mortgage crisis-- do we really believe that we can buy a million dollar home for $500 a month in 30 years?

Our communities are beginning to sound like bad reality TV.  We often stop seeing our neighbor as a fellow part of the community and more like the person preventing me from winning the big prize.  We would rather get into heated arguments rather than discuss ways of improving our neighborhoods. We have even stopped thinking in terms of neighborhoods.  Unless you can afford a car and are willing to drive across town, it is difficult to buy a loaf of bread or a bottle of milk or visit the doctor because they have all move out to the edges of town that appear more prosperous. We draw attention away from the more neglected parts of town, and when we decide to improve those parts of town, we are often willing to sacrifice the people who cannot afford rising property values and rising taxes.  In our pursuit to improve we fail to provide affordable and practical housing for the poor, and the elderly.

Now for the Church: Within the Disciples of Christ we seem to struggle with much the same problem as everyone else.  We want our personal agendas to be at the forefront, regardless of the importance of those issues in the Bible.  We withhold funds from the denomination because we are angry about something someone said or did.  We are  willing to sacrifice the Covenant Community in order to prove that we have the true understanding of the Will of God and everyone else is wrong.  We attempt to build a church where everyone looks and sounds the same, where everyone believes and practices the same, and we get upset if someone points out that we need a variety of gifts and a variety of expression and a variety of talents to successfully be the church.

First Christian Church in Warner Robins is not the perfect church, thank God!  We do not always get it right; however, we are trying to get it right.  We see the need for variety.  We see the need for people from all walks of life and all streams of this community.  We welcome everyone who walks in the door without asking for a justification of their faith and worthiness.  We do these things because we challenge ourselves not to sit in judgement, but to love as we have been loved.

We are now striving to reach out and share a word of wholeness and hope to other people.  We are not the place to come and be saved, rather we are the place to come and discover that God’s Grace has already done that and we would like you to join in the celebration of that gift and the reconnection of hope in the lives of others.  We are decidedly in the world, but are trying to live with one foot and all our hope in the world of God, hoping to show God’s presence in this world.

Shalom, Darrell

Growing up in northeast Ohio, one of the radio stations to which I listened was CKLW, a Canadian station out of Windsor, Ontario.  They played Motown.  So it should come as little surprise that I was and am a Gladys Knight fan.  During high school, she released a recording of "Try to Remember" combined with "Memories".  Both pieces recall the "good old days" but also demonstrate that we cannot live in the past.

During the past eight years, yes, I have been here that long, I heard a lot about how things used to be in this congregation.  Full worship services, large groups going to youth events, active groups.  This was mixed in with a regret that things were no longer that way.  As I have said on many occasions, be careful what you ask for...you might just get it.

We are beginning to get it.  We have more people in worship.  If everyone turns in forms that have talked with me about summer camp, we will send 12 children and youth and three adults to seven different camps (remember camp forms need to be turned in by the last Sunday of April).  A new adult Sunday school class is moving along well, as well as the new CWF group.  However, all this new activity and new participants requires more work from more people.  We need more people involved as teachers and group volunteers to help with Sunday school, children and youth programs.  We need to generate outreach visions for work to be done in our community and beyond.  We need people not only willing to pray for the church but to tell the people of the congregation that they are praying for the elders, the deacons,  the CMF (Christian Men's Fellowship); also praying for the CWF (Christian Women's Fellow), the CCF (Christian Children's Fellowship), the Chi Rho (middle school youth group), and the CYF (Christian Youth Fellowship-high school youth).  Oh yeah, I can always use a little prayer as well.

The Prayer Triads that were formed last year completed their work and their energy and prayers have contributed in many ways to the surge of hope and positive energy we are now experiencing.  This month I want to encourage those who were in triads last year to help form new triads this year.  I also want to encourage those who did not get involved to seriously consider taking part in the new triads.  Previously, the triads were tasked to pray for the church, its direction and its needs and for one another.  The new triads will continue this, but with an addition.  During the months of April through July, I want the triads to look at the needs of the community and seriously discuss what we, as a church, can do to fulfill the words of Matthew 25:40-- "When you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me".

We are a growing, loving community that invites others to be embraced in loving fellowship.  Now let us turn our efforts to reaching outward with that loving fellowship and embracing those who are hungry, thirsty, oppressed, and alone.  We are capable so let us ask God to guide our efforts and show us the ways we can share the Good News of liberty and wholeness to all those around us.

Shalom, Darrell

The Choir of the First Christian Church of Warner Robins (Disciples of Christ) honored our Lord with today's presentation of their 2008 Easter Cantata.

Click on the following link to check out the video...

2008 Easter Cantata


Note:  You will need to have Microsoft Windows Media Player loaded on your computer to view this video.  If you need it, you can download from Microsoft's website at:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/AllDownloads.aspx

On Sunday, March 30, 2008 all middle and high school students and parents are asked to be at the church at 4 PM to make plans and organize the Chi Rho and CYF youth programs for the rest of the year.  Any other adults who would like to work with these young people are encouraged to come and be part of the work of out youth.


On Sunday, April 6, 2008 all parents of children in the pre-school, elementary school age range are asked to come to the church at 4PM to make plans and organize the CCF for the rest of the year.  Any other adults who would like to be involved ion this ministry are encouraged to attend.

For months we focus on shopping and preparing special food and goodies.  We send cards and mail gifts to friends and family far away.  We over spend too much just because of the specialness of the ultimate day of celebration.  On the night before, adults get as anxious as the children for the morning to arrive so the festivities might begin.  On Easter Sunday we rush to the living room to exchange wondrous gifts and delicious treats.  No, wait, that’s Christmas.

For good or ill, Christmas surpasses Easter for our time and attention.  Yet, without Easter, who would even notice the 25th of December.  Our greatest personal effort should be directed toward the preparation to receive the gift of Easter.

On Easter, God liberates humanity from the ultimate fear, the fear of death.  God boldly demonstrates that human authority (princes and principalities) have no power to deny God’s Presence and Love.

Do not get distracted by the painful, tortuous execution of Jesus.  Sometimes we get so focused upon the death and the blood and the beatings and the crucifixion, that God’s defeat of death gets barely a glance.  Yes, Jesus sacrificed himself for all, but God also wanted us to know that the giving of a life was not the end of the authority of God.  Much like the first chapter of Genesis, we look at the creation of human beings as the focus of the story.  However, the creation of Sabbath is the pinnacle of the story.  The crucifixion is important, but Easter is the pinnacle, from this height we can see the complete love and power of God laid out for the world.

When we stand before the empty tomb, we see no reason to fear anything in all of God’s creation because we now realize that in God there is life.  We can love our neighbor as well as our self.  We can pray for those who despise us and hate us.   We can love our enemies and seek to help them be whole in body and spirit.  We can bring hope to the hopeless, release to those bound by fear, fulfillment to those who hunger and thirst.  We quite literally no longer have anything to lose.  Death is not the end; it is not failure; it is not the last word.  The Word is the last Word.

Celebrate Easter this year by joyously worshiping God and giving thanks for the freedom discovered in the life, death and freedom from death in Jesus.

Shalom, Darrell

Welcome to the Pastor's Corner!


This is the official blog of Pastor Darrell at First Christian Church of Warner Robins, Disciples of Christ. 

We are located at:
     100 N. Houston Rd, 
     Warner Robins, GA  31093

     Ph  (478) 923-1536
     email  fcc_wr@juno.com

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Shalom