Gleanings…

Welcome to February, the month where we begin to lose our fascination with cold weather and begin looking at seed catalogs and vacation options.  February is also the month of Valentine’s Day which, for the first time that I can remember it happening, falls on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  A word to the wise: Do not get the idea that this lets you off the hook for surprising your sweetheart with flowers and candy.  Instead, you will be able to further demonstrate your deep love and affection for each other with ashes on your foreheads.  Imagine the witness you will be when you go out to dinner later!

Lent is for the spirit what breaking up the ground is for a garden.  Lent gives us the opportunity to prepare our hearts to remember the gifts of Holy Week and Easter.  Remembering our Lord’s journey to the cross and to resurrection enables us to share God’s love with people who are suffering with shame and doubt.  The journey to Golgotha, and through the tomb to the resurrection, removes every doubt whether God knows our pain and has suffered as we do.  Indeed, God is with us in every matter.

Years of little more than egg hunts and bunnies has dulled the Easter message of God’s love for creation.  As we enter the season of Lent this year, let us ask God to grow a new message of hope in us.  Participate in a Bible study, spend time reading devotional materials, share what God has done and is doing in your life with a trusted group of friends.  In this way, remember and rehearse the love of God so that you will be able to share it when someone asks you about Easter.  And, above all else, pray that God will enable you to sense the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you are directed to those who need to hear the message of God’s love for them.

Easter comes at a beautiful time of the year.  Let’s get ready for it by preparing our lives to be beautiful expressions of God’s love throughout this year.

Grace and peace,

Braxton ><>

Looking for a new way to serve in the community this year? 

We partner with Burks UMC and St. Alban’s Episcopal Church to provide a meal and serve the homeless in our community.  All are welcome to join us.  Meet at First Baptist Church downtown the 2nd Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. to prepare the food and 6:00 p.m. to serve the meal and then clean up after the meal.  This is a wonderful way to reach out a share God’s love and kindness with those in need. 

Thank You!  Our prayer is that all will have a joyful New Year!   

Braxton and Lyndie ><>

“Rise Against Hunger” meal packaging event

Saturday,   January 27 – set up at 9 am. (Need 5 – 7 volunteers to help unload and set up)

Event time:  10:00am – 12:00 noon

We need 50 volunteers to help package 12,096 meals. 

Great opportunity for children and adults who need community volunteer hours.  Volunteers can drop in and stay for whatever length of time they have available to help.   

Fairview United Methodist Church
3901 Hamill Rd.  Hixson, TN 37343

For more information on Rise Against Hunger look on their website:  http://www.riseagainsthunger.org/get-involved/host-a-meal-packaging-event/

Come enjoy a Potluck dinner, caroling, and visit with Santa!

Bring your family and friends and Enjoy the Fun!

Fairview UMC Choir & Friends Present:

 “The Christmas Season”
Sunday, December 3, 2017, 6:00 p.m.

 Amidst the fun of the annual Christmas festival, people are struggling to find hope, love, peace, & joy. It takes a child named Gracie, to help them recognize, receive, and share God’s gift of Light…..His son Jesus!

 Caroling
Beautiful Music
Children Participation
Violin Solo
Refreshments

 Fairview United Methodist Church
3901 Hamill Rd. Hixson, TN 37343

 This is an original play written by Magge Hudgins. Magge teaches at the Center for Creative Arts. She has performed and directed at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre and performed in off off Broadway in New York.

Lindsey Burgess will play the piano for the musical.  Lindsey is the pianist at Grace UMC and teaches music in the Hamilton County School System. 

The Fairview Choir has performed many musicals and dramas, but this is the first original play they have performed.

Gleanings…

How many ways can you think of to say, “thank you”?  Worship for the month of November will focus on thankfulness and the things we can be thankful for.  Each week will address a different aspect of our relationship with God.  Preparing for this series has led me to examine my life for the times when I have experienced the touch of God and the ways that I responded.

To say that my life has always been a bed of roses is laughable.  Thankfully, this is not a confession so I don’t have to reveal how many incidents were my fault.  At the same time, it would be incorrect to say that I have not experienced many blessings along the way; again, not because of something I did, or did not do.  This is probably true of your life, too.

Helping my granddaughters to develop the practice of saying, “thank you” has reminded me of my own journey.  Needing to be thankful in a world that seems to worship self-reliance can be difficult to understand.  The sense of entitlement can also make us wonder why we should be expected to express thankfulness.  Yet, it is an aspect of love that binds us together.  It helps us to form groups that nourish and support its members.  It helps us in our need and it gets us outside of ourselves.

Rick Warren, noted pastor and author, opened his book, The Purpose Driven Life, with these words: “It is not about you.”  Instead, it is all about God.  While we love the sense of thankfulness that goes with Thanksgiving Day, we cannot fully appreciate the day until we come to grips with the truth that all we have is the result of God’s blessing.  Regardless of what we may be experiencing in our lives, God is there to celebrate with us or mourn with us; laugh with us or cry with us; run with us or carry us when our strength is gone.

The Spirit of Christmas Present in Charles Dickens’, A Christmas Carol, calls to Scrooge to “Come and know me better.”  When we get to know God, we find the one who always has us close to God’s heart.  We grow, then, to understand the events of life are invitations to get to know God better.  With that reality before us, we learn to rely more and more on God’s presence—even to desire it.

My prayer is that as we explore the things we are most thankful for, we will see ways to invite others to experience God’s gifts and join with us in thankful worship and praise.  Start a new practice with me this month and say, “thank you” every day to someone who least expects it.  It just might change a life.  See you Sunday and bring a friend.

Grace and peace,

Braxton ><>

November reminds us to count our blessings.  So, we say…..THANK YOU!….. to the employees of Life Care Center of Hixson.  We appreciate all you do to take care of our congregation and others in the community.   We will take homemade bread, cookies, and treats to the employees in November.  We encourage you to join us and say “Thank You” to someone in your life during this season of Thanksgiving.

Gleanings…

The longer I live, the more I see me doing some of the same things my parents used to do.  The latest activity I have noticed is the way I cut things from the newspaper.  As I look at the paper, I see articles that I want to read again and share with others.  Serving as a pastor, I am always on the lookout for articles that I pray will help me carry out my calling.  By now, you can see where this is going.  As I get to write this monthly column, I find that I want to share them with you.

The latest headline to catch my eye is 9 behaviors that will definitely make you an irresistible person*.  Knowing that I can use all of the help I can get, I read on.  Here is a synopsis of the nine behaviors the author identified.  Irresistible people…

• are nice to you.  No airs, no pointing to their own success, no one-upmanship; they have a confidence in who they are that comes across as kindness.
• know their worth.  They know their greatest attribute and it allows them to appear quiet, resolute, and confident.  We enjoy their company.
• make you feel comfortable.  They do not ask you to be someone you are not and they do not try to change you.  They look for the good in you.
• avoid drama and negativity.  Nobody likes pessimistic, down-beat types.  We like to be around people who lift our spirits.
• elevate others.  They love to give compliments.  They share the credit and are quick to share a kind word or help out.  They make life pleasant for others.
• don’t compete; they collaborate.  They do not look around to size up the competition, but with the intent to find others with whom they can build a partnership.
• are not afraid to be vulnerable.  We desire deeper, more sincere connections with others and their willingness to talk about the tough parts of their lives allows us to share ours.
• accentuate their strengths.  Stronger, intentional words impact our moods and help us to live with confidence.  Playing up one’s talents versus complaining about weaknesses changes how others perceive us.
• make an effort.  They make the effort to look presentable.  They take the time to prepare before meeting.  They are gracious and it encourages others to do things with a little more effort, too.

Did you notice the relatedness of these qualities?  To me, they present an image that is remarkably like that of Jesus.  Go back and read through the list again, but this time replace “irresistible people” with “Jesus” making changes for singular versus plural.  Did you notice how you found yourself nodding and thinking, “Yes, that’s what Jesus is to me”?  Now, can you imagine what others will think about Jesus when they see these qualities in you?

The world needs more of Jesus; how wonderful that we can share him through these little efforts to be nice to others.

Grace and peace,

Braxton ><>

*Article printed in the Times Free Press and is the work of Susie Moore, Greatest’s life coach and is edited for brevity.

Sunday October 8th, 2017 – 11:00 AM

Worship and Sing Praises to God!  All are invited to join this special service and fellowship.