Nathan Persell 10/25/16 Nathan Persell 10/25/16

Not Everyone's Holidays are Happy

Trick or Treat?

My family was one of those that turned off all the lights and hid in the basement on Halloween, praying no kids would knock on the door. I’ve never been trick-or-treating, although I’ve helped with a few trunk-or-treats at church. I only dressed up twice for a church function as a kid: Once I was Darkwing Duck, and once, I kid you not, I was the full armor of God. For the most part I didn’t care about not going trick or treating and I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. Except for costume day in first grade.

I guess some schools still do it today where kids can wear their Halloween costume to school one day before Halloween. When I was a kid, m class went on a parade to all the other classes and every kid was wearing a costume - except me. Everyone got to show off their costume and tell people about who they were and why they wanted to be that for halloween. And because kids don’t always handle awkward social situations the best, I got asked over and over again what I was dressed as. And when I said I wasn’t dressed as anything I would inevitably be asked why I wasn’t and I would have to got through a little spiel about how my family didn’t really do halloween and blah blah blah. It started to wear on me. I was about to break down and just start crying when a random kid in a class answered for me when the other kids asked who I was.

He said I was dressed just like that guy from Back to the Future.

That was it. The guy said a total of twelve words in my presence. He didn’t even say the words to me. I think he might have given me a thumbs up or an ok sign or something but somehow everything was better after that. I didn’t even know what Back to the Future was but from then on I got to say I was dressed as the guy from it, the questions stopped, and I knew I had a third grader on my side. As I’m typing this out, I completely realize how ridiculous this is. I was planning on writing something different about Halloween. But even 25+ years later, I can’t talk about Halloween without thinking about what a complete stranger did for me when I was six.

It's OK to not be OK

We are about to head into the biggest holiday season of the year. We have Halloween next week, Thanksgiving next month, and Christmas is just around the corner (just walk through Walmart and try to ignore all the Christmas merchandise already out). While for a lot of us this is the most wonderful time of the year, there are people who can’t wait for this time of year to be over. The holidays will remind them of people they’ve lost, remind them that spouses or parents are overseas, or make people wonder how everyone else is so happy while they feel so miserable (SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, is a real thing that affects over 3 million Americans each year).

This is why the youth are going to go reverse trick-or-treating (going around neighborhoods handing candy out instead of asking for candy). It’s why Boo at the Zoo matters, why we encourage people to serve at Richard’s Memorial for Thanksgiving, and why we’re doing something new this year known as "the Longest Night" in December. None of these are extravagant things. But in the simplicity of them, we acknowledge that for some people the holidays are rough. That not everyone feels perpetual hope, and that we are willing to meet people where they are. So as we do these organized things as a church to reach our community, be on the look out for simple ways that you can personally make a connection with someone. Maybe it’s just an encouraging word, or a hug, or bringing someone a cup of coffee. The little things, even things as little as twelve words and a thumbs up, can make a huge, lasting, impact on someone.

-Nathan

Nathan Persell serves as our Youth Director. When he's not leading devotions and playing basketball with teenagers, he enjoys disc golf and bike riding. Learn more about Nathan here.

Office 10/20/16 Office 10/20/16

Multiplying Disciples

You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.

2 Timothy 2:1–2, NRSV

Learning to Be Like Jesus

In the past the only way you learned a trade was to find a master of that trade and learn from them. That is still the way to learn many trades today: brick masons, pipe fitters, carpenters and steel workers.

It’s the same way with following Jesus. I marvel at the way Jesus handled critics, showed compassion and spoke about God. Those are things I would like to be able to do. So, the only way I can learn to respond as Jesus did is to learn from him – become his disciple.

Discipleship is, in the simplest terms, becoming an apprentice of Jesus. We become apprentices of Jesus by watching, listening and practicing what he did. To that we have to spend time with him in prayer, read his words, observe his actions, mirror his devotion to God and do what he says. However, to truly follow Jesus, there is one additional step we have to take – we have to make disciples too.

Paul Discipled Timothy

Paul describes the process for one of his young apprentices, Timothy, “Take what I have taught you and teach others who can then teach others.” That is the key. Being a disciple means that we pass on to others what we have learned from those who taught us, so that they can teach others. A true disciple never lets the process end with them.

Paul taught Timothy who taught others, who taught others. They taught others who taught others and so on and so on. Then someone taught Bertha Norris and Fred Melvin and James O’Shields and John Chisum and Dot O’Shields who taught me. Chances are you have never heard of any of those people, but each of them played an important part in helping me follow Jesus.

That is what Paul instructed Timothy to do. It’s a job not just for ministers, but for everyone. Only two of the persons listed above were ministers; the rest were just followers of Jesus who cared enough to share their lives in Christ with me.

What about you? Is there anyone around you who needs an example of how to follow Jesus? I think there is.

Blessings!

Alan

CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S FAITH NOTES.

Alan Cassady serves as Senior Pastor at Navarre UMC, and has been at the church since 2011. When he's not preaching and teaching, he enjoys sci-fi movies and FSU Football. Read more about Alan here.

Office 10/18/16 Office 10/18/16

Voting as a Christian

Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”

Exodus 18:20-23, NLT

I hear many Christians talk about why they feel our nation has become "less Christian". I hear them say it's because our president or elected representatives are leading our country in the wrong direction. Yet during our current presidential debate, all I have heard is people looking at each candidate and wondering, "could I be that person's friend?" "Do I like them as a person?"

If you really want to know my thoughts, I don't like either of them as a person. I'm sure that doesn't surprise you because that is the general consensus of Americans right now. So, people feel they have to choose between "two evils." I want to challenge you to look at things from a different perspective.

Things to Consider When Voting as a Christian:

What are the issues at hand? Most of the debates have been focused on the candidate's character, so it is up to us to dig into the issues. The Billy Graham Association did a comparison of the nuts and bolts of the issues of each party called Democratic and Republican Party Platforms: Where They Stand on the Issues. It's a great way to get down to what each person is for.
Where does scripture lie on each of these issues? Spend time in prayer and ask yourself, "how do these issues fit within my understanding of scripture?"
Pray for discernment. Yes, I did say pray. We cannot separate our spiritual life from our political one. If we want our nation to become a Christian one again, we must pray over the person we elect, and we must pray for the individual who is elected every day.

Israel needed people to govern them in Exodus, so God had Moses choose people. It was a big decision. Today, we still need people to govern us. Involving God in our politics is the only way to make real, lasting change!

Please be in prayer for our nation and the upcoming election. And remember, we all have differences of opinion. It's not a reason to lose a friend.

Blessings,
Pastor Faith

Faith Parry serves as our Associate Pastor, and has been at the church since 2015. When she's not preaching and teaching, she enjoys documentaries and TV. Read more about Faith here.

Office 10/13/16 Office 10/13/16

The Power of Your Story

But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.

1 Peter 3:14–16, NRSV

Our Stories

Our lives are made up of stories. Stories are the way we make sense of life. Stories tell us who we are, where we have come from and where we are going. The same applies to God’s revelation to us.

Much of the Bible is story or narrative. In those stories we see God’s interaction with people and learn about God’s nature by seeing how God interacts with other people.

Stories are powerful! Your story is powerful! That’s right. Telling the story of how God has changed your life and helped you through different challenges is a very powerful thing.

Your Story is Yours

People may be able to argue with your doctrines and propositions, but your story stands tall. Why? Your story is your experience with God and your experience with God is yours. Now, to be honest, your story needs to rest on sound doctrine and be the general tenor of Scripture – no fairies, trolls or special potions.

Your story helps people identify with you in the struggles of life and God’s help in those challenges . Our stories can give people hope in their struggles.

Peter is writing to people living in what is today northern Turkey who were suffering from various kinds of persecution. The persecution and suffering happened because of their commitment to Christ and the difference that commitment had made in their lives. Peter urges them to continue to live their lives in full integrity, trusting God in the struggle. He also tells them to be ready to give a reason for their hope in Christ. In other words, be ready to tell their story.

Stories of Trust

Sunday we will be specifically looking at the stories of how we came to trust Christ in our life and so to help us tell those stories the Christian to the Core helps us shape those stories to be as clear as possible.

First, we help people understand what our lives were like without Christ. Our story could start with emptiness, guilt or selfishness. Be honest about your life at that point. Second, we need to tell how we came to Christ. Try not to use religious language, sometimes that just confuses people and creates a barrier to understanding. Then tell people what your life is like with Christ; how Jesus has helped you overcome the issues of your past. Then give people a clear and straightforward invitation follow Jesus for themselves.

I hope you will take the time to work through this section in the workbook and be willing to share your story when your group meets this week. Your story is powerful! Remember this passage from Revelation:

But they have conquered him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death. -Revelation 12:11

Blessings!

-Alan

CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S FAITH NOTES.

Office 10/11/16 Office 10/11/16

New Music: Say the Word

Note: Ok, I might have gotten carried away with this one. I'm a geek and I like to talk about worship, so lots of words and videos to work through this time. If you want the tl;dr (too long; didn't read) version, skip to "What on earth does this have to do with Say the Word?"

Hillsong United is getting a lot of great press right now, including a highly praised appearance on NBC's "Today Show" and the release of the documentary detailing the writing and recording of 2015's "Empires," "Let Hope Rise." It's not often that a worship band makes it into the realm of public consciousness, but the guys in United are defying those expectations right now. It's even more unlikely when you consider that they started as an admittedly rowdy youth worship band in the early 2000s.

"History" Lessons

(Can you use the words "history" and "modern worship" in the same context? I'm going to. #spoilers)

I'm 26 years old, so my time growing up in youth group (my first experience with church in general) in some ways paralleled the maturation of Hillsong United. I never cared much for them when I was a teenager - their stuff was catchy enough, but it was a little inaccessible for a kid like me. I was the only musician in my youth group, a piano player at that, and their stuff was high energy and guitar driven (My predilection for metal music didn't help either). But as I got older and developed as a worship leader, Joel Houston progressed and developed as a worship leader and songwriter as well. Over that time, shallow bouncers like "One Way" (you can click the link, but I'll warn you: it's not great. What can I say? That was youth worship in 2003) gave way to more serious attempts, such as 2006's "United We Stand" - still a high water mark for the relatively fledgling Modern Worship Movement. "United We Stand" featured songs like "From the Inside Out," "Came to my Rescue," and "The Stand" and heavily influenced the next 10 years of worship music. 2006 was the year I started leading worship seriously, and suddenly I found myself reaching for more and more Hillsong in my setlists (though I was definitely more of a David Crowder kind of guy.) (This story has a lot of parenthetical moments)

Fast forward to 2013. I stop at 2013 because that's the year that Hillsong United "grew up" with the release of "Zion," which you probably know as the album that introduced "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)," and it's singer Taya Smith, to the world (Not to be confused with "Broceans." take the 30 seconds and thank me later) It's also, coincidentally, the year that I started working here at Navarre, and began considering ministry as a career. That last part is incidental, really, but I like the symbolism. Zion as an album was a complete tonal departure from everything the band had done in the past, while being a serious leap forward in lyrical maturity at the same time. (#spoilers: Oceans isn't even the best track on the album - that honor goes to "Scandal of Grace"). Zion showed a new dedication to creativity and maturity that has helped give the church's modern expression of worship meaning and legitimacy. That expression continued with the release of 2015's "Empires." Which brings us to the point of this whole walk down memory lane.

What on earth does this have to do with Say the Word?

(Hey, you're still reading! Or maybe you skipped here because history is boring. Either way, /highfive. )

Here's what 12 years of maturity looks like lyrically:

I lay my life down at your feet,
'cause you're the only one I need.
I look to You and You are always there
- One Way (2003)

Say the word and there is light
Say the word and dead bones rise
Every start and end hangs on Your voice
For Your word never returns void
- Say the Word (2015)

There are times that I listen to Hillsong United and am taken aback at new ways that Joel finds to say basic truth. "Your word never returns void." I love that line.

So we've been working through Christian to the Core, a study and sermon series about the core values of our faith. And while I was working through the lesson for Week 3 - Passion for the Harvest, this song kept running through my head. And it wouldn't leave. I found myself coming back to those verses, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this was something that our congregation needed to be singing. Now, if you've never had hours of your life taken from you listening to me talk about how I plan worship (my poor worship team, man), then you're probably unaware of how long it takes a song to make it from first listen to being scheduled for worship. I've got an admittedly over-meticulous process for evaluating and critiquing and preparing a song for Sunday morning worship, and it takes a long time. At the moment we've got a setlist of about 40 songs that we sing on a regular basis for Sundays. This year, we've introduced 14 new songs, 11 of which are still on that list. There are over 75 songs sitting in a spreadsheet that have been vetted and approved for potentially being introduced on Sunday mornings, and some of those songs will never see the light of day in our sanctuary.

That's what makes "Say the Word" so unusual. When Hillsong United released their "Empires" album last year, I vetted the few songs that stuck out to me. Somehow, I missed this one. Maybe it was the arrangement, maybe it was the placement between two great songs, maybe it was just where I was at at the time. Who knows? All that to say, "Say the Word" was never on that list. Then I heard the acoustic arrangement (linked below), and really started to listen to the words of the song for the first time. That acoustic arrangement was recorded on the mount of the beatitudes, where Jesus gave the "Sermon on the Mount" from Matthew 5. That was a very poignant realization for me, and hearing this song in that context changed my understanding.

This song says some very important things about the way that God's Word works in our lives, and I felt that it was something that we needed to be singing in this season of our lives. I can't believe I almost missed it!

Ok, I'll shut up. (Maybe.) Take a few minutes to hear the song story below, and catch the acoustic version as well.

Blessings!

-Matt

Matt Dailey serves as Worship Director at Navarre UMC, and has been at the church since 2013. When he's not leading worship and designing graphics, he enjoys baseball, comic books and team trivia (his team is nationally ranked. #micdrop). Read more about Matt here.