The Blessings of Family - Christmas 2008

The Shepherd Family
With my siblings, Phillip, Mark and Ruth Ann together with our father, James

With my girls, Mary Allen & Christi

Great-Grandpa with his five great-grandsons:
Tyler, Phillip, Alexander, Ian & Connor

Real New Year begins with Advent

December 3, 2008

No, the anesthesia from my surgery hasn’t affected my ability to read a calendar. This week IS the TRUE new year for Christians. The Christian calendar, based on the life of Jesus, begins anew the first Sunday of Advent. So this week, we are already into a new That’s not what we are used to. That’s not when all the “Happy New Year” party hats and streamers are in the store (trust me, trying to find Happy New Year party things for Children’s Time in November is almost impossible!) Of course, your neighbors and co-workers would think you were crazy if you said Happy New Year to them this week. And many – even in the church – turn their noses up at the idea that Advent is, truly, the beginning of the new year. But I am thrilled that the church does something different from the culture. At the times when the church and the culture are look-alikes, (far too often the case) that’s the very time that the church is unfaithful to its mission and Savior. I think it is fine if you want to celebrate New Year’s Eve on December 31 and New Year’s Day on January 1. But the celebrations on those days should be small in comparison to the REAL celebration of heart that begins with the Advent season. It is not only right – it is absolutely ESSENTIAL to our well-being – that our sense of time come from the life of Christ, not a calendar. That calendar will change the date. But Christ can change the heart. The calendar will change whether you want the change or not. Christ will change you with your invitation, your willingness and your cooperation. The calendar year doesn’t need your cooperation or invitation. It’s coming no matter what. But the change of heart that can make this a truly new year is found in Christ. The real celebration of our lives each year should be the Christian new year. I guess I haven’t thought ahead enough this year to make it a campaign. Maybe I’ll be more than recuperating next year and invite us ahead of time to plan for a big party when Advent rolls around. But it’s never too late to celebrate the extraordinary gift of new life that Christ brings. And all through Advent, we can remind each other that the calendar of Christ’s life takes priority over the calendar of months. So say “Happy New Year” to all this Advent! You’ll be giving a witness that your mind and heart marks time in Christ. And, if people don’t get the witness, they’ll just think you’re so together that you’re ahead of everyone else. As a matter of fact, those who are grounded in Christ ARE ahead – ahead in ways that no to-do lists can show. This year, let the church guide us into making Christ the foundation of our life. Let everything else keep time around that first and foremost reality.

Child's questions rings a bell

December 10, 2008

Forty years ago, I was ringing bells for the Salvation Army. That was my job for Christmas break. Although the Salvation Army was founded by Methodists, John and Catherine Booth, I didn’t know much about our denominational cousins until I went to college. And it was through a college friendship that I got the job, and it was only because my father and my friend’s father had been in college together that my parents let me go to ring bells in New York City. Grand Central Station was my kettle spot. What an experience. The other thing you need to know is that I am the queen of memorabilia. Having lived in a parsonage from birth until this June, my home has always been uniquely mine because of the pictures and memorabilia I have saved and carried with me from appointment to appointment. Two weeks ago, my Salvation Army experience and my biblically astute grandson came together. Connor and I have been reading since he came into this world. I have pictures of his daddy reading the creation story to him the day they brought the baby home from the hospital. But now, the Bible stories hold a special intrigue for him. Connor is especially fascinated with the story of Moses. He can tell you the story of the baby Moses in the river; the story of Moses at the burning bush. The story of Moses and Pharaoh is one of his favorites. I don’t get to do much reading at this one. Connor says, “Moses said, ‘LET MY PEOLE GO!’ with dramatic emphasis. My part is to say, “And what did pharaoh say?” Connor says, “Pharaoh says NO WAY!” with equal emphasis. Then, pausing pensively, Connor says, “If God says ‘Let my people go’, Pharaoh should say ‘yes.’ What’s wrong with that Pharaoh? Grammy, that guy had a problem. I don’t know what it is, but you should figure it out.” He’s so serious – and, of course, he has a good point – I try to keep from laughing out loud. And then, we get to the Red Sea where Pharaoh has changed his mind and comes after the Hebrew children. The scene, as we all know, is very dramatic: The Egyptian army on one side; the Red Sea on the other and the Hebrew children in big trouble. We are always thrilled that God parts the Red Sea and then the Egyptian army gets drowned. Connor is fascinated with the bullies and the bad guys – like Goliath. And, in this story, it is the Egyptian army – the only army he has ever heard about. Connor is also wonderfully, uninhibitedly curious. So a couple of weeks ago, he found my memorabilia – the bell I have kept from my Grand Central Station experience 40 years ago and my Salvation Army cap. “What’s this?” he asked. I explained that it was my bell and my hat from when I was in the Salvation Army. Words can’t describe the look of surprise on his face. He was clearly shocked. His eyes opened wide and, with a trembling, incredulous voice he said, “Grammy, YOU were in the Egyptian army?” I quickly reassured him that I was not in the Egyptian Army working for Pharaoh. (Never mind how ancient THAT would make me! ) I quickly told him that there were other armies than the Egyptian army in the story of Moses – and I was working for a good army – the Salvation Army – an army that helped people. He seemed greatly relieved. Although my employment with the Salvation Army was a month-long December in college, my affection and respect for our sister denomination has continued throughout my life. And, although I have been serving under a United Methodist flag, I can tell Connor that I have been working in a salvation army – an army that works for Jesus to help people. The funny conversation between Connor and me raises a question we all should take a look at. Take away the name Egyptian for the army of the forces of this world and don’t stumble on the particular, unique brand of “Salvation Army.” Which army are you serving in? Will your grandchildren be proud or horrified by the service you are rendering? I could visibly see the relief that Connor felt when I assured him I had not been in the Egyptian army years ago. (I’m pretty relieved myself that I wasn’t in the Egyptian army of Pharaoh!) And, although I don’t wear the uniform and ring the bell that is so familiar during this season, I do want – like John the Baptist – to declare the importance of taking stock in our lives and turning to the good; encouraging us to work for God and have personal stories of a noble nature to tell our grandchildren.

Mary DID Know -- Do We?

I hate to ruin someone's favorite song...and, in spite of Sunday morning's epiphany, "Mary Did You Know?" is one of my favorite contemporary Christmas songs. I heard Sunday morning at my home church in Frankfort, Kentucky when I got to be home with my family for Christmas. The haunting music was artistically played and beautifully sung and I was really taken with the song until I realized that the lyrics are very far away from the biblical text.
The song is focused on asking if Mary, the mother of Jesus, realized that He would walk on water, heal the sick, raise the dead, etc. But to sing a song based around that premise is really to ignore the biblical text. With all due respect to the composer, the Bible tells us that Mary DID know. The angel had told her. And we know that Mary got the message because of both her speech and her actions. Her speech -- the glorious Magnificat in Luke 1 lets us know that Mary realized that God was turning things upside down. And her obedience to this dangerous, life-changing assignment also indicates that Mary DID know that Jesus was both unique and powerful and transformative. Mary knew. The question is, do we?
We may not have had the Angel Gabriel to make a personal announcement -- but we have such a rich, full experience of the revelation of Jesus. We have the accounts of the life that unfolded and we have the personal experience of the Savior who makes a difference in our lives and in the world. And yet, our speech and action often doesn't show that we know that Jesus is a life-changing Savior.
I don't mean to ruin the song, but the Bible is clear: Mary knew. Do we?

Merry Christmas!

Answer the call; live the words

What makes for a good Charge Conference? Having done my first round, I have some preliminary ideas. First of all, I don’t think a good Charge Conference is just getting all the paperwork done. The paperwork is a baseline requirement for the fundamental information flow between the local church and the connection. And it’s good to get it set for another year. But that isn’t what makes a good Charge Conference for me. A good Charge Conference is when people have a chance to reconnect with the large vision of our connectional church – to remember that every local church, no matter how small or how large – is part of a daring, bold, worldwide, comprehensive outreach to win the world for Jesus Christ. A good Charge Conference is when connectional servants have a chance to remind people that we know we value the extraordinary importance of the discipleship of the local church. The connection exists to enable, support, encourage and guide the irreplaceable work and witness of the local church. And a good Charge Conference is when people are inspired to put God’s word into practice. The theme for my first year of Charge Conferences has been Ephesians 4 – living out the high calling of Christ; maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; stop living like unbelievers; putting away all anger, wrangling, etc. and putting on kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness. In our heart of hearts, we know that this is what the church is called to live out. And people responded to the challenge of the high call. Over and over again, people seemed to recognize that this was the goal of church life. One person enthusiastically congratulated me on the Charge Conference experience…not just in person – but with a follow-up e-mail the next day. Best ever Charge Conference. And then, within hours of the congratulations, suddenly resigned all positions in the church because of a dispute with the pastor. I wanted to cry. Here we are talking about the high calling of Christ…talking about maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…talking about stopping the anger and practicing tenderheartedness and, within hours, striking out in the exact opposite. I wanted to say, “I know you thought it was a great Charge Conference. You said so. But did you hear anything the Bible said about how we are to live out this high calling?” I tell that story because the words of the birth of Jesus are ever-so-familiar. Even people who have only occasional contact with church recognize the message of the angels: “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace: good will to all”. The intention of God could not be more clear: God’s people – through the gift of Christ – are to live in peace and good will to all. Those words are straight from the mouths of God’s messengers. Those aren’t just words to sit in the sanctuary, listen to, have a warm, sentimental feeling about and then live in any kind of rabble-rousing, disruptive way we want to live. It’s a travesty if we listen to the message of the angels and then walk out to the door harboring ill will, disrupting the peace and ignoring an essential core of the gift of Christ. I know that there are people on the airways all around us who rant and rave and stoke emotions among people on earth. They slap labels and twist the truth and play on prejudices. That is not Christian behavior. Christmas must be a stark reminder to us of an eternal, unchanging truth: Jesus came that we might live with peace and good will to all. That doesn’t mean there won’t be differences. From creation on, the biblical story reveals a God who delights in diversity. But that diversity has a common bottom line: peace and good will to all. For all of us who join in this beautiful season, the question can’t be “do you know what the angels said at the birth of Christ?” The question has to be: Does the gift of Christ live in your life? Are you living with peace and good will to all? And, if there are relationships where you cannot extend the peace of Christ- – if there are people that you do not have good will for – then you have an invitation to really receive Christ this Christmas. No matter what else happens, it won’t be a good Christmas, in God’s eyes, without His people living out peace and good will.