Honoring Our Mothers on Mother’s Day

As I write this article, we are well into our MythBusters sermon series. The other day it occurred to me that I’ve always like this kind of stuff. I like mysteries. I like figuring things out. I liked Paul Harvey’s “rest of the stories.”

So, with Mother’s Day approaching, I looked up how Mother’s Day got started. The Wikipedia version is that in 1905 Anna Jarvis started a crusade to found a memorial day for women. In 1907 she passed out 500 white carnations at her mother’s church. The first Mother’s Day was celebrated on Sunday, May 10, 1908. Anna chose Sunday because she intended the day to be commemorated and treated as a holy day.

Nine years after the first official Mother's Day, commercialization of the holiday became so rampant that Anna Jarvis herself became a major opponent of what the holiday had become and spent all her inheritance and the rest of her life fighting what she saw as an abuse of the celebration. It only took nine years! I chuckled when I first read that, but really it is sad, isn’t it?
Google “mother’s day gifts” and you’ll see the commercialization continues. One web site I clicked on lists “Pocket-Sized Digital Picture Viewers” as a “Gift Guru Top Pick.” Really?!

Sorry mom’s, but you won’t be getting pocket-sized digital picture viewers when you come to Aley on Mother’s Day. But you will be honored. Our children are working on special flower displays that will be placed in our entrances in your honor on Mother’s Day.

Guys, let me encourage you to make Mother’s Day special for your mom and wife. Take a sheet of paper and write across the top “5 Reasons Why I Love and Appreciate ____.” Make a sheet for your mom. Make one for your wife, and encourage or help your kids to do the same.

Let’s do what Anna Jarvis set out to do—honor our moms and make it a holy day.

Joy and peace,
Pastor Matt

Time Warp--Stewardship

Have you seen the TV show Time Warp? I don’t watch it regularly, but I saw an episode of it on my flight home from Israel last month. The producers of the show ask, “What happens when two guys with super slo-mo cameras look at ordinary stuff?” Here's a link if you want to check it out.

It sound innocent enough, but the clips I saw were fascinating. I saw two guys walking on water. I saw a guy called a free-runner running up walls, flying over railings, and leaping off ledges. All of it was amazing! Watching in super slo-mo you could actually see the liquid turn into a solid for just a moment. You could watch the runner’s muscles ripple as they absorbed the shock of his jumps.

It may be a strange connection, but when I think about your stewardship, I think about that show. Giving isn’t normally something we think of as glamorous. It is just part of what we do. But week by week it’s like I get to watch it in super slo-mo, and I’m amazed by and thankful for your faithfulness in giving. I see ripples in the kingdom of God, ripples your giving sends out. And as I watch, I see it with new eyes. I see it with eyes of wonder.

So I want to thank you. Thank you for being the people of God at Aley Church. Thank you for your faithful giving. Because of your care, because of your commitment, ripples are going forth, the kingdom of God is advancing, and people’s needs are being met. Your faithful stewardship is a glorious thing to behold! So thanks.

Joy and peace,
Pastor Matt

My 100-Word Before-and-After Story

Here it is... a couple of days late, but better late than never. It is exactly 100 words long. Let me know how I did, and tell me your story.

"My family was always very active in church as I was growing up. I went to church, Sunday school, Bible school, etc., but it wasn’t until my family moved when I was a teenager that I realized I needed God in my life. Until then I’d never realized I wanted to control my life. I fought with God about who would control my life until I realized I was in a battle I would probably never win. So I decided I’d try living according to his plan. When I did that, I experienced more peace than I’d ever known before."

Joy and peace,

Pastor Matt

One Walk already!

Wanted to let you know I walked across the room last Fri. I'm already trying to keep my promise.

What I'm afraid I can't do (yet) is share the details of the experience. The people we are trying to reach are children of God, not class projects. I'd hate for anyone to feel like we are just getting to them because it's what we are "supposed" to do.

So here, in general terms, is what happened Friday. I'd planned to make this business exchange an opportunity to Just Walk Across the Room, so I prayed before it happened. I went in, conducted my business, then struck up a conversation with the other person. Turns out we have several common interests. I think the other person and I were both pleasantly surprised at the conversation, so I left with an open door for the next Walk.

My experience left me very encouraged about our September series! To me this was an early, easy confirmation that this is exactly what I am and we are supposed to be doing.

Keep praying, keep reading, and start Walking!

Blessings,

Pastor Matt

Requests Please

Much of the time, pastors plan sermons based on what they think the people need to hear, or what they believe the Lord wants them to hear. But sometimes I think it is important to preach on what you want to hear.

So, I have a simple request: let me know what you’d like to hear about. What issue are you facing that you’d like to hear God’s perspective on? What big question do you have about God? about life? What topic, book of the Bible, or Bible character have you always wondered about but never heard a sermon on?

Let me know. I have several weeks in November that are open right now, and I’d like to tackle issues that matter to you. I can’t promise we’ll tackle them all, or that we’ll even do them justice, but I’m willing to give it a try if you are.

Joy and peace,

Pastor Matt

A "Just Walk" Challenge

In preparation for our September study I am reading Bill Hybels’ book Just Walk Across the Room right along with many of you. As I read, I find myself challenged by both Hybels words and by his example.

As a “professional” Christian, it is easy for me to spend all day interacting only with other Christians. But the more I read Hybels’ book, and the more I spend time preparing for our September study, the more I realize I have opportunities all around me everyday.

So here’s my promise and a challenge for you. I hereby promise to “walk across the room” at least once a week during our series. I hope that’s not disappointing to you. I’m not some spiritual giant who has his act together. I’d like to promise to “walk” everyday, but I don’t think I’m quite there yet. This is one lesson I will be learning right along with you. Further, I promise to share my experience of walking across the room with you each week in the sermon. That’s it. I promise to do it, and I promise to tell you about.

And now for your challenge: I challenge you to do the same, first, to “walk across the room” at least one time each week, and second, to tell me about it. Will you do that? Tell me about your experience in person, via email, or right here on this blog (being sensitive of those you are writing about), do it somehow, but tell me.

One final thing. Will you pray for me as I step out of my circle of comfort? I’m already praying for you. I believe the Lord has some amazing things for us to discover as we grow together.

Joy and peace

Pastor Matt

P. S. Be sure to have Chapters 1 and 2 read before you come to church Sunday, Sept. 7.

Sermon Follow-up

I want to take a minute to follow up my message from this morning. As I said in at least one service, I know one of my sermon points shouldn't have seven sub-points, but hey, sometimes I run across something I that's worth breaking the rules for (like ending a sentence with a preposition!).

So, here are the Seven Principles of Finance I shared briefly this morning. They're not original to me, but I hope you find them useful.

Seven Principles of Finance for the Believer

By Jim and Pam Elliff

 

1. Non-attachment - I will purchase or receive nothing that I cannot give away.
2. Love - I will owe no man anything except love.
3. Liberality - I will constantly week to give away possessions for God’s glory.
4. Recall - I will keep accurate records of God’s dealings with me financially in order to show others that God answers prayer and provides for his own.
5. Security - I will save and invest only if God is leading, with the understanding that I will give it all away at his slightest instruction.
6. Compassion - I will not pray for someone else’s needs financially unless I am willing to be the instrument God uses to meet that need if he should desire.
7. Contentment - I will be content with whatever God chooses to provide, whether little or much.

I also wanted to follow up the impromptu request I made in third service. Several of you felt led to match the $20 I offered to help the person in need. Thank you! Even after my $20 was matched, several insisted I take the money. So I did, and put it in the offering for the next time something comes along.

Thank you, Aley, for being so generous. Thank you, Aley for being God's people. Thank you, Aley, for being such a great church!

Joy and peace,

Pastor Matt