Feed People and Learn Stuff
I am grateful to my friend Cindy Bell for sending me a link to freerice.com. Thanks!
We are in a feasting time of year. Many of us will be under the heavy influence of participating in more than one Thanksgiving celebration. Advent brings a wonderful series of worship services to our churches, but they are accompanied by a number receptions and holiday parties. From the last week of November to New Year’s Day the dominant tradition in our culture is that we eat.
Of course, when we gather around our tables we pause to give thanks. We pray our thanksgivings grateful for all of God’s blessings. Often when I have listened to these prayers, I have heard several people, much wiser than I, add to the missives, “Remind us of the needs of others.”
In this prolonged season of feasting, there are also a number of opportunities for us to feed people who do not have much food. I am to now know about a creative way to help feed the hungry.
Go to http://www.freerice.com/ (that’s “free rice”). There, you will find a vocabulary quiz. For every definition you get right Free Rice will donate 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. It seems to be sort of a win-win situation. You learn big words and help feed hungry people at the same time. Since starting the web site in October, Free Rice has donated over 1.7 billion grains of rice. It shouldn’t take any erudite philanthropist a hemidemisemiquaver to ascertain that this is a sensible munificence.
There are a number of opportunities to help the poor in our community and in our world. I hope that you will find yourself involved in more than one in this season not only of feasting but of giving.

A Prayer at the Save-A-Lot
(of course, look for a very different kind of prayer on the day before Thanksgiving)

O God of all our days, our shelter and hope through all generations: In every age, your truth has been proclaimed by many voices that it is you who makes our hearts wise, our minds sound, and our purposes righteous to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord.

We celebrate that this day has arrived. We pray a word of thanks on behalf of many people who have worked hard to make the opening of this store possible. Through the processes of visioning, planning, renovating, rebuilding, purchasing, and stocking; many minds, voices, and bodies have labored to see this day happen. We are grateful for what they have been able to do. We pray a word of thanks on behalf of men and women who now have work because this new store is here.

Most of all, we pray a word of thanks that there is something new in our community. Though it could easily be considered small and insignificant, we have often confessed that little things add up, and we have agreed with your word that all things work together for good. May this new thing help us to have hope for the continued renewal of this community. Open and enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we would be able to see the coming of your kingdom, even on days like today, and where we can each work as your servants within it.

We pray your blessings upon all the businesses of our town and our county, for these are the places where your people also gather. Though we can be found gathered in church buildings, we also see one another in the post office, in banks, and in the grocery stores, and we will lean heavily upon your promise that where two or three are gathered in your name there you will be also. We are grateful that you bless us with your presence as we worship, but we also pray you will bless us to go to work in your name and that we will find you waiting for us there.

Again, O Lord, we give you thanks for this good day, but we know it is not the work of our hands or the achievement of any human effort. This day is good because you have made it so. Therefore we pray these words of thanksgiving through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Invocation at the Grand Opening

of Sav-A-Lot grocery store

in Allendale, SC. October 31, 2007.

The Town Pastor
I have been pastor of First Baptist Church of Allendale, SC for almost 8 months now. I now have to watch my step because folks are beginning to recognize me at Hardee's, the post office, and grocery store. This is small town life and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I am one of a few full-time pastors who reside in town. This makes me the go-to-guy for a number of occasions. One distinct honor came this summer when members of our National Guard unit returned after being deployed in Iraq for a year. I was asked to deliver the invocation in a welcome home ceremony. It was a special experience to look out at the faces of families who had not seen these men and women for a year. Everyone was happy they were home. It certainly was a holy moment. Everyone knew that. I might have felt like Peter did at the transfiguration. "It's good for us to be here!" I don't know why Jesus did not turn to Peter and say, "Well, duh!" Of course, it being Jesus, I reckon he didn't have to.

This Wednesday, I am honored to pray again at another moment in the life of the town of Allendale. A new grocery store is opening. This might not sound like a big deal, but in a town that has seen its fair share of difficult days, here is at least a glimmer of hope. Here are a few more jobs in place that has the state's third lowest unemployment rate. Here is some commerce being generated where folks are used to not being an option for shopping. Perhaps, in some subtle way, it wakes us up to more that we all could be doing as a community. Maybe, then, it won't be a glimmer of hope, but we could somehow become exposed to the bright, shining glory of God. And I'll get busy building boothes for Moses and Elijah . . .

Look for me to post the grocery store grand opening invocation Wednesday.

One Happy Computer Owner
You might want to ask for clarification when your pastor says, "My latest experiences using the internet have made me really happy."
What exactly do you mean by that, Rev?
OK, it is not what you think. Lately I have been determined to catch up with some folks I have not seen for a long time. The internet has been a big help.
I have used Facebook over the last couple years to keep up with friends. Now that Facebook has opened up beyond college students, I have been able to find a lot of folks who went to college with me.
I haven't seen my taekwondo instructors in 11 years. Of course the TKD association has a web site, and Dave and Caryn are still teaching. They are level 5 TKD masters now!
All in all, it has been pretty easy to find people, though I would never confess to being a brilliant, private investigator type. I'm really glad to be able to stay in touch with a lot of friends and family members.

The Lord's Supper
Yesterday, I think I had one of "those moments". I think you might know what I mean, moments that come around to help you get a glimpse of what the ministry is all about. I mentioned to Trisha that every church member should get to sit where I sit sometimes and take a good look at this part of the body of Christ. Yesterday, I got to see each of these folks passing the bread and the cup to one another. The plates passed between family members, from the old to the young and back, from the poor to the the well-off--each person a loved member of the family of God. It overwhelmed me for a moment, and I breathed a hopeful prayer that each person I saw got what they needed. I did.

I was reminded of that ending scene in "Places In The Heart". Everyone was in church passing the Lord's Supper to each other. This scene gets a bit unusual as the plate is passed down a row that includes a man who was killed and a man who killed him. The message: even if there is not room in your heart for another, there is room at the Lord's table for all. Paul told Timothy, "If we are faithless, he remains faithful--for he cannot deny himself." (2 Tim 2:13) The little boy in the movie said, "The peace of Christ." I say Amen.

Pastor Perks
I have been in the business a while (16 years this summer). I have been taken out to lunch. I have had church members invite me to their homes for dinner. I have received my fair share of fresh vegetables and preserves. But today . . . (cue the Lou Gehrig speech)
Today... Today... Today...
I consider myself... myself... myself...
The luckiest preacher on the face of the earth... earth... earth...
Thanks to some good church folks, I've got 6 pounds of shrimp in the freezer!!!
What a treat! Thanks, church people!!!
And you knew this was coming . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF7XPcUnDj4

Sunday, September 30
Year C, Proper 21, Season after Pentecost
Meditaions, Prayers and Scripture Readings

Welcome
There are a couple of ways that we consider stewardship. The first way is to think about the right use of money, and sometimes we consider that by taking a look at the wrong ways we use money. God is concerned with how we make our money. Have we come about it honestly or have we harmed people in the process? A second way to consider stewardship is to understand what we owe God. Our first loyalty is as participants in the kingdom of God, and it is a loyalty that nothing on earth can claim and no Christian should give except to God. We are ultimately accountable and responsible to God. Our loyalty is demonstrated in faithfulness. It can be seen in worship. It can be seen in missions. And it certainly can be seen, heard, and known as we announce the loving presence of our Lord in this world. “The peace of Christ be with you.”

1 Timothy 6:6-16

Invocation
Gracious God, giver of life, without you we have nothing. We cannot rest in our earthly accomplishments, for they are not eternal. They wither like grass in the unapproachable light of your presence. We are gathered as your church, not because of what we have been able to do. No, we are here because of what our Lord has accomplished on our behalf. By his great love for us we have been saved. We ask your blessings upon us that we might shun the ways of the world in order to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. As we worship you today, we pray that you would find us taking hold of the eternal life to which we have been called, keeping the commandments of our Lord in purity of faith. May all we do in this hour glorify your presence, in words spoken, prayed, and sung; in our welcoming of each other in this service; and in our honoring your sovereignty in our lives. May this time be a good confession in the presence of many witnesses, even now as we confess your name in prayer, saying as our Savior taught, “Our Father . . .

Psalm 146

Prayers of the People
Our Lord and our God, we are glad that we know you and we sing your praises. Hear our hallelujahs and receive the prayers of your people.
You are the God in whom we can place our trust. We have no need to rely on the powers and systems of this world. They are temporary, fading and dissolving with time. You are eternal, keeping faith forever, and our hope is in you, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.
You execute justice for the oppressed. We offer our prayers for the people of this world who find them selves subjected to oppression by others. We pray for believers who suffer persecution. We pray for people who suffer from hunger or poverty because a tyrant disrupts the distribution of food or a government violates human rights.
We pray for the healing of the sick and the relief of all who are in distress. Open the eyes of the blind. Lift up all who are bowed down. Sustain them with your presence. Drive away illness from their bodies and set their spirits aright that they may know the victory of life and peace and be enabled to serve you now and evermore.
We pray for your continuing watchcare over strangers. May your peace accompany them. May your protection be a noticeable characteristic of their travels.
We pray for the care of the widow and the orphan. Lift them up to know the ways that you have provided for them in love and grace.
As we pray for others, we also pray listening for your word to us. Show us the ways that we can help meet the need of these we have lifted up to you. Strengthen us to be your servants and guard us from wickedness that we would acknowledge your reign with songs of praise to all generations.
We sing your praises all our life long, for we have much for which we can be thankful. We especially say “praise the Lord” in thanksgiving for the eternal life granted to us by Jesus Christ our Lord. It is in his name we are gathered as his church, commissioned to make disciples, and in his name we make this our prayer. Amen.

Luke 16:19-31

Benediction
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Go in the name of the One who came back from the dead for our sake. Go with your eyes wide open to see your neighbor in need. Go with your hands open to lift up the broken and give all you can to help. Go with your heart open that the love of Christ would be known. And your good works will be seen to the glory of our God in heaven. Amen.

Mascot Madness
Speaking as a former "man in the suit", I've got nothing but love for K. C. Wolf today.
Did you see it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOofejdChSg

Buccaneer Speak

If you read Ken Burger's column today on CSU's trip to Hawai'i you might have run across Coach Mills' quote . . .

"Every man desires by innate nature a battle to fight and an adventure that involves risk taking," Mills said. "Through the game of sport, particularly football, those two opportunities are provided. This kind of game answers the question, on a play by play basis, do I have what it takes?"

Sounds cool. It also sound like something the "voice of NFL Films" John Facenda might say in a highlight reel of bruised and bloody offensive linemen breathing a heavy mist on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. It might be like that for the Bucs this weekend, except for that frozen tundra part.

Speaking of Buccaneers, yesterday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Well, me hearties, did ye parlee with ARRRR's and AYE's? You know me--I be a buccaneer through an' through, you scurvy sea dogs. AVAST and heave to, laddies!!

Not too long ago, my sister forbade me to teach her kids my pirate song. It was kind of a nonsense song that three-year-olds would be good at singing. But, I guess the content could be considered rated ARRRRRR. Here 'tis. You be the judge.
I'm a pirate.
I'm a pirate.
I'm a pirate, be a-feared.
Here's my pirate eye patch,
And here's my pirate sword,
And these are my
BUCCANEERS!

Ahoy there, cue the fight song! ARRRRR you a buccaneer?