Time

One of the great hymns of the church- “O God our Help in Ages Past”- has a line in it which says: “Time like an ever-flowing stream bears all who breathe away…”

I guess many of us think about time this time of year as 2009 fades into 2010. Whenever a year passes, we say things like: “time and tide wait for no one,” or “time sure flies when you’re having fun.”

When you’re young time seems endless, the future is spread out in front of you. When I was in first grade, our teacher asked us to think about what we would be doing in the year 2000. I remember thinking: “Will I live that long? Will I be able to do anything if I do?”

Shaun Connery was being interviewed on late night television. He told about filming a movie deep in the hinterlands of Scotland. Every day he said: “I would rise up early and have breakfast. My limousine driver would meet me out front and I would get into a temperature controlled car and ride a few hours to my destination. At the end of the day, I would get back into my car and ride back to my motel.”

He said: “Every day I noticed an old man. On my way out he was walking, and on my way back in he was walking back.”

He said: “I asked my driver to stop one morning and I asked the man if we could give him a ride. I told him that we would pick him up in the morning and take him to where he wanted to go and then on the way back we would pick him up and take him home.”

The man said: “No…” Connery said: “Why not?” The man said: “What would I do with all that time?”

Connery said that he and the man were living in two different worlds. I was living in a fast time, moving as fast as I could get to where I was going. The man was living a step at a time.

The truth is that when we get older time doesn’t go faster really. It’s still 24 hours a day. But, it sure seems to go faster, doesn’t it?

Last Sunday, I used Paul’s letter to Galatia as my text: Chapter 4:4-7. Paul says: “In the fullness of time, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law…”

In the fullness of time means when the time was right, when the time was ripe, as ripe as a peach on a tree, God sent forth his son. We would say that when Jesus was born it hardly seems like the right time. But, some theologians say that the time was ripe in that Rome had built roads to everywhere in the known world to enhance trade. Even sea routes were regularly travelled to import and export goods.

The time was right for the Gospel to be spread throughout the world.

In a day or two, many will gather in Time Square to await the coming of a new year. Many will not think much of the meaning of time.

Our culture, in fact, teaches us that if time is to have meaning it must come from us. Time is something to be manipulated and planned out. Our faith teaches us that if time is to have any meaning at all, it must come from God. God has plans for us that we do not yet know.

Only God knows the times. Time is a gift to be lived, not frittered away. In our time, God sent forth his son to claim us as his children.

Happy New Year!
Dave Nichols

The Nativity Story

We watched the movie: The Nativity Story. About 70 or so people came. Children, youth, and adults all came. And, when it was over, we all had wet eyes. It is one of the most moving movies on the Christmas story that I have ever seen.

It is beautiful in its simplicity, just like the Christmas story itself. A young mother, a really young mother and an older Joseph are married. Their marriage is arranged, as all marriages are arranged back then. Mary and Joseph both see angels and hear them speaking. Mary is pregnant, “with child” as the King James version says it.

Her would-be husband is astounded at it. Her parents are embarrassed. The community gossips and points. Still Mary maintains she has done nothing wrong.

In the middle of it, an order comes from Caesar that everyone should return to the town of their origin to register for the tax. Joseph and pregnant Mary start out; she is riding a donkey. He is walking, leading the donkey.

There’s a wonderful scene when they get to Bethlehem. Mary is just about to give birth. In desperation, Joseph carries Mary in his arms from door to door asking for a place to stay. An innkeeper tells them that he only has room in the cave, where the animals lodge.

Within minutes, Mary delivers the baby Jesus and Jesus is laid in a manger. Heavenly visitors have proclaimed to the shepherds that Jesus the Savior is born. Astrologers from the east arrive after months of tracking a star.

The whole thing ends with Mary and Joseph running to Egypt to escape the furor of Herod. It’s a simple, wonderful story of love and hate, of violence and peace, of suffering and joy.

One person said that they had forgotten just how hard people back then had to live. But mostly it was the simplicity of a mother expecting a baby and a husband remaining faithful. It was the simplicity of a God who comes into the world, not by going down to capital city, nor to the religious and political leaders, but to Bethlehem to a simple couple.

The God whom we worship and adore is just the kind of god who makes his appearance in the filthiest place in the world, in the place where animals lodge. Every baby is a miracle, but this baby is Savior of the world. This one is the Redeemer in flesh.

In the midst of a world of turmoil and violence and change, in a world of hatred and bitterness, in a world of darkness, like our world, the Messiah is born. Listen as the baby cries in the night. There are so many babies crying on this night. But, this baby cries so that no one ever will have to cry in the night again- without hope.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Mighty God

During these Sundays in Advent, we have been using Isaiah 9:6 as our focus. In this passage, it’s the eighth century. The Assyrian Empire lurks at the borders of Israel (the northern kingdom). Israel has entered an uneasy alliance with Syria in the hope of keeping the Assyrians back. But, all Assyria wants is to gobble up every small country on its way to the Mediterranean Sea.

Soon Israel will be overwhelmed by the Assyrians and Judah (the southern kingdom) will be threatened by the approaching empire. But, something happens, an act of God, and Assyria turns away. Judah will go another 150 years or so before being overrun by the Babylonians.

In this darkness, in a world that is changing rapidly, in a world threatened by empires and kingdoms, Isaiah speaks his word. Isaiah 9 foresees the coming of Messiah. A child will be born; a son given to us. His name shall be called: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The church looked back at that passage and heard Isaiah speaking his word and saw in Jesus the fulfillment of this prophecy. Jesus is: Mighty God. He is Messiah come to save the world.

Last Sunday I talked about “Mighty God” and its meaning. We know about might in this world. We think of power and strength. The word for God here is “el”, a familiar name for God in the Old Testament. We see it in the name of our church- Bethel which means house of God.

Messiah is God mighty in power, wisdom and love. You can see why those who expected Messiah did not see it in Jesus. Jesus is born in a stable, the place where animals lodge. He, who had no place to lay his head, comes to offer himself is love for the world.

This is “mighty God”. This is God’s might clothed in weakness and wonder. Isaiah was probably foretelling the coming of the king Hezekiah. But, the church looked at it and said: “More is going on here than we know.” Jesus of Nazareth born in Bethlehem is the Messiah. He is might clothed in weakness.

Every Christian knows that this is the way God does business. God does not come to live in palaces or great kingdoms. His kingdom, his reign, is present in weakness, and in suffering love.

At a recent graduation, I heard a woman from the Middle East crying out in faith and in celebration: “El,El,El”. She sang it rapidly in that high, squealing, voice which which we are familiar. We hear it on television sometimes when there is a funeral procession in the Middle East. She is crying out: “God, God, God…”

During Advent, we yearn for that Messiah who has come and will come. We yearn for his kingdom of love and light. We yearn for the one who will make true peace. To him and for him all our prayers ascend.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Advent- and so it begins!

Everyone has commented this year especially that every year there seems to be a concerted effort to extend the Christmas shopping season. I don’t know if there’s anything concerted about it or not. I don’t mean to imply that there is something necessarily sinister about it. It’s just that every year it gets longer. This year it seemed to me that as soon as Halloween arrived we were asked to think of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas as the holiday season.

Now, I understand that merchants and shopkeepers certainly rely on the income from Christmas to support them business the whole year. And, I know many of them and they are not evil people. They are people who are simply trying to make a living.

Sunday, November 29, the season of Advent began with the lighting of the first Advent candle. Advent is the church’s way of saying: “slow down, take it all in, think, pray, reflect.”

Advent marks the beginning of the church’s year when we begin telling the story all over again. The color is purple and is about majesty, royalty, and repentance. The king is coming to visit; get ready. Make preparations. And, keep your eyes open for where he might appear to you.

I imagine that this year will be a little different for most of us. For one, we are given permission to think of this season and how to celebrate it with less concern for gifts and more concern with giving.

This year, some of my church folk, asked if we might do something to help children. We investigated and found that last year in Spartanburg County the Salvation Army had care for 1300 children’s Christmas needs. This year, they have some 3000 to care for.

So, we put out an angel tree with fifty children’s names and they were all picked the first Sunday. We got some more and people are still pulling them.

The problem for all of us is not that there is crass commercialization out there. We don’t have to wait for Christmas for that. There are always those out there who are simply out to get to your money.

The problem is when we don’t say anything more or give anything more or share anything more at Christmas so that the real story of Christmas is not displayed and preached and shared. So, pray, and love, and share, and give as you always do, all to the honor of the one who comes among us as a baby.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

We are So Blessed!

Say it with me: “We are so blessed.” We are so accustomed to thinking about life in a closed-fist sort of way rather than thinking of life as abundance, an abundant gift from God. And, God has not stopped giving. We are so blessed.

After the wedding of our second daughter which is chronicled earlier on this blog (I think I told you part of this before), everyone left. Everyone left except the caterer and Mary and me. We sent our younger daughter home because she had a “bug”. Betsy, the eldest daughter was there but not really into doing much. We loaded up her car and sent her home.

Mary and I finished packing up the food that was leftover. They asked me what to do with it and I said: “Throw it out…” But, Mary, who is more patient than I, sometimes, said: “No, we’ll take it with us. I don’t think she knew how much was left over. Everybody ate their fill and left and we had all this food.

Now, as a child, I learned to clean my plate because it’s a sin to waste food. I still think that but it was about 10 o’clock and we were exhausted.

We packed all the food, every last bit of it. I drove home wondering where we would put it all or what we would do with it. I drove carefully, dodging potholes, not turning too quickly until we go to the house.

There, we unloaded it and Mary finally got to eat something. Then, Mary suggested that we take the leftovers over to Miracle Hill, the homeless shelter. It was nearly midnight.

I told her to call and she did. They said to come on they’d help us unload it. We packed up the car, again, and headed out. We drove around back through the gate and they directed us to the building where about six men came to help us. In just a minute everything was gone.

I yelled out to them as we got in the car, “God bless you!” Several yelled back, “he does every day.”

I nearly cried. I asked Mary: “Did you hear that?” Here I was in whatever state I was in, and here a man, with little or nothing, said he was blessed. What right did he have to say he was blessed everyday, unless he had a great faith.

It’s Thanksgiving- family, friends, worship. For once, don’t focus on what you don’t have or what you lack, focus on this: “We are so blessed.”

Here we go. Say it with me: “We are so blessed”.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Stewardship Anyone?

The first full-time appointment that I served was a three-point charge (three churches). I’m trying to remember. I think the entire budget for that charge was around $60,000. And, we had among the three churches 300 members. So, every year we had no problem raising the money to meet the maintenance, and ministry needs of the churches. Staff? I was it, of course. No stewardship campaigns or appeals. We didn’t need them.

My second appointment was to one church. (You remember that United Methodist pastors are appointed to their churches by the bishop.) We had 218 members and the budget was around $60,000. Again, I was the staff and we raised all we needed. No stewardship appeals were needed.

Then, I heard God calling me to start a “new” church down in Goose Creek (north of Charleston is all you need to know). Mary and I and Betsy moved to Goose Creek where we had 8 adults and six children waiting on us to get started. You need to know, if you don’t already, that I’m a little crazy and I was very young. After six and a-half-years we had 300 members and 250 active. We met in rented space for over four years and then built our first building to the tune of $400,000. Our small congregation then assumed this and the budget. Or, should I say we tried to assume it. The average age of the congregation was 27.

We moved into the new building in June of 1989. And, some of you will remember that hurricane Hugo hit in September bringing some damage to our new building. For one month, we missed getting much in the way of offerings. Then, in December we had a record snow fall and missed two more Sunday’s offerings. Did I say they were 27 or so? Did I also say that we didn’t have any reserves or history?

With God’s help, and some radical measures we made it. Then, we moved on to Socastee UMC where we have a huge debt on a new sanctuary. I moved in and met with the Treasurer who told me that we had about $18,000 in the bank and had paid no apportionments that year. Apportionments are United Methodist mission and denominational causes. “OK”, I said.

Then, we served Clemson UMC and next I was District Superintendent for six years in Rock Hill. And, in 2006, we were pleased to be appointed to Bethel UMC in Spartanburg. Here our budget is one million plus dollars and there are, counting Day Care and After School, some nearly 30 staff members. We have two huge mission trips- adults and youth. We have great youth and children’s ministries. We have a staff second to none in providing leadership in music and worship, pastoral care, and nurture. There is so much that God is calling us to do. And, every year we are privileged to talk about stewardship as we plan next year’s mission budget.

And, what happens, the economy drops. Every church and organization and business is feeling the pinch. We have had to make adjustments as we pray for our people to get work again and our culture to return to some movement forward.

Sunday at Bethel we will be celebrating the privilege of being Christian givers and followers of Jesus Christ. No sacrifice that we make can compare to God’s sacrifice (giving) for us. As we are faithful, we imitate the faithfulness of God to us. And, we trust in all things that God will provide.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

All Saints’ Day

Last Sunday Nov. 1 just happened to be All Saints’ Day. All Saints’ Day is always the day after All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween). Some say that Halloween had it’s origins in Celtic pagan practice. The Celts believed that at this time of the year, the end of summer, that the spirits, both good and bad were allowed to roam the earth. The good spirits were welcomed; the bad spirits warded off. They believed that at this time of year the border between this life and the next grew thin. As with other secular holidays, the church baptized it and made it a Christian holiday called All Saints’ Day or All Soul’s Day. We, in the United Methodist Church do not worship the saints, but we do admire them. On All Saints’ Day, last sunday, we named the honored dead, those who had “died in the Lord…” Scripture assures us that living or dead we still belong to God. We had twenty honored dead. Looking over the list you might wonder about the sainthood. All of them were human beings living their lives in the service of God in Christ through the church. Several years ago, a country singer sang about his wife who put up with anything from him. He sang: “She’s a saint, even thought I know I ain’t”. To be a Saint in Biblical understanding is to be someone who reflects the glory of God in all of life. A little boy noticed the stained-glass windows in church and that there were people, images, in them. These are some of the Saints, he was told. The boy said: “I can see the sunlight through them…” That’s it. It’s not that any of us are perfect, far from it. On any given day, our thoughts and actions…well, you know, don’t you. But, as we seek to live out God’s gracious claim on our lives through Christ, we pray that someone might see the light of God through us. Do they? Wherever you are, say a prayer that God will reveal himself not only to you, but to all you meet.

 See you in Church!

Dave Nichols

All Saints’ Day/Reformation Sunday

Every year near Reformation Sunday we celebrate this Sunday, All Saints Sunday. Martin Luther, in the 15th century, nailed his 95 theses on the door of Wittenberg Cathedral. This was how you got something discussed. In this university community which was always considering new ideas, and novel approaches, supposedly, you nailed new ideas, or papers to the door of the church. This got you a hearing.

Martin Luther nailed up his 95 theses and started a firestorm of conversation, gossip and discussion about the church.

Sometimes I think we ought to have a way to do that, discuss things, I mean. If there were some public square where we could as a church discuss the church and our faith openly. A suggestion box is a poor substitute for honest and frank discussion.

Once a friend of mine served as associate pastor. He and the Senior Pastor asked members of the congregation to answer a survey. The main question was: what is your greatest dream for your church? They got two responses from the church. One was about my friend. It said: “Ask the associate pastor to quit smoking.” I don’t remember the other response.

My friend was depressed for weeks. They had expected dreams and visions for the church and the only thing members of the church could say was “make the associate quit smoking.” Well, that’s good advice for anyone. But, where is the great debate about the church and our faith?

You might say that that great debate is always going on. We Methodists who have open hearts and minds and doors sort of believe that there is something here worth fighting and arguing about.

A number of times in the Gospels, Jesus catches the disciples arguing. They argue about which disciple is greatest. They argue about children in church, about who will be left and right of Jesus in the kingdom. They argue about passing the peace or communion by intinction. They argue, that’s for sure. But, where is the great debate over things that really matter, the truths of our faith? Where can we talk openly, discuss freely without fear?

The possibility of meaningful discussion in the public square is passing. The culture moves more and more toward an enlightenment view of the world. The enlightenment taught us that you can talk out in the open about anything you want except religion because religion causes wars and rumors of wars. And, if you can just get people to quit talking about religion and ultimately the Christian God or Jesus, then we will be able to live in relative peace.

And, we do bear some responsibility for our part in any religious wars and violence. Our history is mixed. We Christians do take up arms against others. We have hurt and wounded in the name of God.

Much of the war and violence in the world was done by Christians who started thinking that it was alright to use weapons of violence against others. 

So, we reason that if we can just keep people from getting too heated over religion then we won’t have war. So we have this uneasy truce with our culture. We can say all we want to say about God or faith or religion as long as we do it in here. But, you can’t say it in school, or on the street, or at work, or at play; religion is a private matter. Just keep it private and everything will be well.

You just can’t have people who believe things deeply running around all over the place.

It is a judgement on us that we are seen as people who are more mean and cruel than anybody else.

But, what if there were a place where we could discuss the faith openly without fear.

Sunday School was like that for me. I will never forget Ms. Gladys. Gladys taught the high school class in our church for years. One Sunday, it was in the on the tailend of the turbulent sixties. She said: “Jesus was a radical.” I got upset. How dare anyone call Jesus a radical. So, I reacted, got angry. She smiled. Another guy said that saying Jesus was a radical meant that Jesus was radically different form the people around him. Of course, she was right. Jesus was a radical. But she didn’t know then that I was growing up to be a preacher.

We have to make room for honest, frank discussion about our faith. Where did we get the notion that we all have to be alike. Surely, there are some basics of faith. That’s why we say the Apostles’ Creed every Sunday to call us back to the truths of our faith, but…isn’t it possible to find a way to talk openly about our faith?
Blessings!
Dave Nichols

A Trip to the Dermatologist and Maturity

I went for the first time ever to the Dermatologist this morning. My children are regulars there with skin issues going way back to acne, etc. Something came up on my face about six years ago. It didn’t hurt and I was fine with it. It’s my face, after all. But, Mary, my wife, has not been ok with it from the beginning. So, it took her around six years to wear me down. I cave much quicker on other stuff.

So, I went in this morning and took off my shirt and sat down. The doctor, a wonderful guy, came in and introduced himself. He asked why I was there. I told him my wife made me come in. He said: “Gee, I’ve never heard that before.” He’s awfully funny.

I showed him the place on my face and he found another 10 or so places just like it. He looked and said (using very scientific terms) that it was harmless “warty” stuff that comes with maturity. I said: “Oh good. I’m so glad it has nothing to do with aging.” He offered to take the thing off my face, but said it was ok with him. So, I allowed as how if it was ok with him, it was great with me.

There is a cyst on my back that he can remove if need be but it was ok too. So, I posted my results on facebook and I’ve gotten all kinds of interesting remarks. One guy says his wife tried to get his “warts” off with nail polish remover. One of my “friends” said that for insurance purposes these things are called senior acne.

There are some good things about maturity. Of course, the maturity I’m talking about has nothing to do with age. It can have something to do with age but it doesn’t have to. I’ve seen younger people with a lot of maturity. And, I’ve seen older people with the maturity of a teenager.

Jesus says: “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Perfect means something like maturity- maturity in love. If we are fortunate, we live to grow older. And, I hope with God’s help, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, that we are growing into maturity as well.

And, remember God loves us “warts” and all. Thank God.
Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Veteran’s Luncheon

Yesterday, at Bethel, thanks to Maureen King and the Senior Adult Council we had our annual Veteran’s Luncheon at Bethel. It was well-attended; it always is. The speakcer was Brig. Gen. Ed Hall who has taught at Wofford College and has been a leader in the ocmmunity for many years. He talked about what it means to be a soldier. It was moving as he talked about the soldier and the families who were part of their service. Dorothy Voss led in music from the “war” era. And, we sang, ending it all with God Bless America.

It still amazes me how many are still around who served in World War II. What a wonderful group: the greatest generation. There were people who had served in WW II, Korea, and Vietnam. I have always admired those who gave/give themselves in military service to our country.

I graduated from high school in 1970 and the Vietnam War was winding down. You remember that it ended officially in 1973. As I remember, our country went to a lottery system. Each person with a Draft Card was assigned a number based on their birthday. Those with lower numbers would be called first. I remember that my number was 50. I thought I would be called, but was not. Some of my friends went, of course. Some of them died. One good friend died in a Jeep accident.

I would have gone. My family was one that believed in duty and service. I was on my way to seminary, in my first years of college. But, my number didn’t come up. Since then, we’ve gone to an all-volunteer service method.

My churches served military people when I was in Charleston. There at least 30% of my people were active military, mostly Navy. Some were in the Air Force.

In Myrtle Beach, many were in the Air Force until the base was closed. Many others were retired military, there for the services at the base and for the beach.

Everyone prays for an end to war; the soldier prays it most. We give thanks for all those who have been willing to give themselves in service to their country.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

After the Wedding

We gathered on Friday last week to rehearse for the wedding that I talked about last week. Our middle daughter was getting married. Most of the future in-laws had arrived and we spoke briefly before the rehearsal. Some of them were not there because of a flight cancellation. You remember that they are from Texas, most of them.

Rehearsal was uneventful. By that, I mean all went well. The pastor (Chris’ former youth pastor) was there as were all the bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc. I was surprised at how emotional I felt at the rehearsal. I guess this was the first time it came home to me that this was really going to happen. My way of dealing with things like this is to put them off emotionally. I believe and practice: Don’t cross the bridge until you get to it. Well we were at the bridge and I felt it. It was a beautiful sunny day at the rehearsal. All went well.

We got home and collapsed. Next day, the day of the wedding, we got up and got started. The women had a brunch to attend at 11am. The men met with me at the parsonage for barbecue. My next “son-in-law” cooked the barbecue. It was great. We ate and watched football and had fun.

The women came home and we had a few hours. So, we relaxed until we left for the wedding. There were clouds; so, we, left the tent up for this outdoor wedding. But, there was not a drop of rain. It was a wonderful, joyful, service celebrating God’s presence in it all.

Bluegrass music from the Saggy Bottom Boys and Brandy made the service more special. Then, in a blink of the eye, it was over and we went to the party. We greeted family and friends. We ate a bit; shared cake. Then, we danced.

Frances came to me and said: “Tell the DJ to play one more song and then we’ll go.” I told him. The song flew by and I looked up to see Frances and Chris running out the door and everyone behind them. I caught up just as they were pulling away.

Then, we spent about an hour cleaning up- flowers, food, and other things. Late that night, Mary and I (at her urging) took the leftover food to the Homeless shelter. They were so appreciative. I was humbled.

Then, back home, we stayed up later and then went to bed. Sunday was good, yet sad, as we adjusted to the idea. We picked up a car at the airport and brought it back to our house. Martha, our third daughter, was at home because of Fall Break at school.

That night we watched “Father of the Bride” (1950). Though the movie is old, it reminded us that not much has changed over time.

It’s Wednesday and I’m beginning to recover. Jesus does show up at weddings, by the way.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

When a Daughter Gets Married

Mary suggested this week that we pull out the old version of the movie “Father of the Bride…” I nixed the idea. I remember the movie all too well and the trials of the father. I have seen the newer version with Steve Martin. The older version is better but the newer one is good.

We’re heading down the home stretch at the Nichols house as we get ready for Frances to be married to Chris next weekend, October 10th. At this point, as far as I can tell, everything is ready to go- as ready as everything can be for a wedding. You all have been so gracious and understanding of the situation. You all have been generous as you always are. We’re grateful to you. Keep us in your prayers.

Weddings are special times for families. There are so many feelings focused on that one event in a family’s life. There is so much to say and do. Parents are seeing their little boy or girl step up to another level in life. Parents are happy for their children, yes, immensely happy, and yet they are sad. Time and tide wait for no one, the saying goes. Time moves on. You wouldn’t have it any other way. To keep them from this moment would be an injustice.

Brides and Grooms are experiencing the joy of wanting to get on with it- to continue the separation from their parents- to make their own lives together. Surrounded by family and friends, in front of God and everybody they stand at an altar and promise to…well, you know.

It’s different being on this side of things. As a pastor, I have stood on the altar side with countless couples who were making their promises. I have had run-ins with photographers and now, videographers. It’s not a circus, you know, or it’s not supposed to be. One groom told me he wasn’t saying: “Till death do us part…” We were on the way out for the service. I said: “You’ll say it or we stop the ceremony right there.” He said it and as far as I know they’re still married happily.

I’ve been round and round with families about the music that’s allowed in a Christian wedding. A wedding is, like any worship service, a service that gives praise to God. It’s a worship service. So, all the romantic music in the world is not enough to give praise to God. I’ve been a part of weddings small and large and celebrated the beginning of life for so many.

But, it’s different from this side as daddy. It’s good; it’s just different. I’m practicing my one line: “Her mother and I do…” I think I’ve got it.

One last thing to remember: Jesus shows up at weddings. Remember John 2, Jesus shows up at a wedding at Cana of Galilee. Something goes wrong. It most always does. There are so many details. They are out of wine. Jesus has the servants draw water from the well. It’s not water; it’s wine. The host is complimented that he has saved the best until last.

John wants us to see that God has saved the best until last: Jesus. So, on Saturday, as we worship God and Frances moves on, I’ll look around the room at smiling faces and for the one who brings joy to all the important moments of our lives

See you in Church!
Dave Nichols

Healing

Last Sunday, Sept. 27, the lectionary included that passage from James which asks: “Is anyone sick?” An Anglican priest was serving communion from house to house in his parish when he got a call from his bishop. The bishop said: “You can’t do that; house communion is reserved for the sick.” The priest responded: “That’s just fine, bishop, in my parish, we’re all sick.”

James tells us to call for the Elders of the church to pray and anoint the sick. So, I felt led last week to have a Healing Service in church. I have done Healing Services before in smaller settings. In one church I served, the practice was to have a Healing Service immediately after Communion. We’d go from Communion in the sanctuary to a Healing Service in the chapel. It was a group of ten or twelve. We prayed and anointed with oil.

Never had I don’t anything like this in a larger setting. So, I felt led to do it on Sunday. I got the olive oil and I invited all who wanted to come forward to be anointed to do do.

I gave the invitation, not telling peoople not to go to the doctor. No, we live in a wonderful age when all kinds of treatment and help are available for our health. I said that God in Christ offers us a deeper healing- which is the meaning of salvation or wholeness.

AA reminds us that we are all at times hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. I asked: “Are you hungry, angry, lonely, or tired?”

I expected some to come, but I was astounded when just about everybody came. I anointed them and said: “Be healed in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The altar was full of people. It was moving. Lots of tears were shed and lots of love was experienced- God’s love.

We are living in a difficult time when many of us are feeling the hurt and pain of the economy, the brokenness in the world, and our own loneliness.

My prayer is that God’s healing was experienced in new ways at Bethel Church.
Blessings!
Dave Nichols

When You’re Depressed

The Bible never talks about depression, though the Psalmist asks his soul: “Why are you disquieted within me?” Scripture sees everything from the standpoint of faith. I am down because I am away from God. I have let other things come between me and my faith, other priorities take first place.

And, yet, we do get down. Depression is basically anger turned in on oneself. Feelings are just feelings and we all have them. And, if we don’t deal with them, they don’t go away. Feelings will hang around within and they can hurt us. Sometimes they have the power to destroy us.

Living the way we do we don’t take time to take care of ourselves enough. We ignore our feelings or push them down.

We are living through a time right now when people are collectively depressed. It sort of reminds me of the time when Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston. We were living in Goose Creek, SC, just north of Charleston. We had just built our new building for the new church which we started in 1984. And, Hugo hit leaving devestation in its wake. We were fortunate. All the pine trees were down in our yard, and the roof of our house had to be replaced. Others lost much more.

The Sunday after Hugo hit we gathered for worship in our church. No electricity or water, we huddled together and held each other. It was a difficult time as we all tried to put our lives back together. That year we lost about a month of offerings. You think we’ve got it bad now?

Never before had I seen people so depressed, not just one of us, but en masse, so to speak. And, like then, our collective depression will pass, but while we’re going through it what should we do.

We should keep our faith and trust God to get us through this. God really will get us through this. We will survive. During such a time as this, we need to keep working and moving forward. It is a time to pare down, to ask what is most important in life. It is a time to pray and worship. Maybe it’s a time to think about someone else’s needs.

So, if you find yourself down, you really are not the only one. All of us are fighting off this feeling that we have been robbed.

The Psalmist also says: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” Goodness and mercy are right behind you.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

9-11

Where were you when 9-11 happened? You know, when the planes flew into the towers and the Pengagon, where were you? We ask that question as readily as my generation is asked “where were you when John Kennedy was shot?”

When John Kennedy was shot I was in the sixth grade. It was the last class of the day, sixth period study hall. Mrs. Mabry, my science and math teacher came into our room and announced that the President had been shot. Mrs. Mabry was crying. Wow. She was the meanest teacher I ever had and she was crying. I knew something serious was going on.

School was dismissed early that day and we all went home not knowing whether our country would hold together or not. Was this just one thing among many that would happen? Was there an underlying conspiracy to overthrow our country? We watched as that huge Lyndon Johnson was sworn into office. We watched the funeral and John-John salute his daddy’s casket. It was a moving and difficult time. We were mired in Vietnam and the civil rights movement was in full swing. When you’re eleven or so, the world seems so big.

In 2001, Sept. 11, I was putting on my shoes in front of the TV when the first plane hit and it was reported. I drove to the office where we learned about the other planes and all that was going on. We sat for hours in front of the television trying to take it all in. We were in a collective depression.

At a worship service at the National Cathedral, world leaders gathered to worship and pray. These big people seemed all of a sudden so small. All kinds of questions circulated as we tried to figure out why this could happen. Did others hate us that much? What did we do? Most of the people killed were just at work.

Some say that this was an event that changed the world. One of my teachers says that this event didn’t change the world; it was just more of the same. An endless cycle of violence and revenge. My teacher says that Easter was the day that changed the world- but nobody believes in Easter.

Maybe that’s overstating it a bit. And yet, as Christians we always have to ask: “What is God saying to us in all of this?” Not that God caused it or wanted it to happen. But, what is going on here.

It’s difficult for us to ask questions like that. It sounds like we’re saying at some level that we deserved it. NO, no one deserves this- no matter what.

No, it’s just acknowledging that it’s God that we worship. And, our great towers of pride have come down. Shouldn’t that remind us who is truly God and what is of true value in this world?

God bless the USA!
Dave Nichols

Don’t Waste a Crisis

The speaker for our Spartanburg Kiwanis meeting on Thurdsday, Sept. 3rd, was Darrell Parker, dean of the business school at the University of South Carolina Upstate. He was there, of course, to talk about the great new business school building that is being built in Spartanburg. He did a good job of talking about what they are going to do educationally and business wise. But, when question time came, the topic of discussion was the economy. Is it over yet? What can we expect from the fall quarter? If we don’t produce anything in this country, do we have a future? There were some really good questions. One thing that stuck with me was a line that Darrell Parker said while talking about the economy. He said something like: “You don’t want to waste a good crisis.” He said that this crisis in which we have seen about a 12% drop is a good time to take stock, re-evaluate ourselves, and make some solid plans to come back. He said that if business is smart in this they won’t waste a good crisis. That applies to life in so many ways. Even Christians know that life is filled with storms and crises. We know that the in the Chinese language the same symbol is used for crisis as opportunity. Every crisis is an opportunity to pare back to what is necessary. It is a time to take stock of what is really important. It’s a good time return to what is important. We ask questions like this in times of crisis. When everything is going well, when there are not real challenges to our lives, we rock along. But, when the waters come up to our necks, when things are out of control (and they most always are), we get serious about what we value and what we love. This has been a time of cutting back, paring, and changing, I hope it’s been a time when we’ve really dealt with what is important. After all, no one should waste a good crisis. Blessings! Dave Nichols

Teamwork

On Sunday Aug. 30th, we worked with our third core value at Bethel Church. The first, you remember was Biblical Foundation. The second was evangelism. I got the notion of teamwork from a book called: Church is a Team Sport. It got me to thinking about the church as the Body of Christ. If God had wanted to do his thing without benefit of a community of people, God could have done that. Instead, in God’s wisdom, God chose to work with and through us to make “his appeal to the world…” As a team, I said, we are united. We are one. Recall Matthew 18 where Jesus establishes the church and says that the “gates of hades shall not prevail against it.” Recall John 17 where Jesus prayed to God in his high priestly prayer that his followers would all be one. Recall Ephesians 4 where Paul reminds us that we are one because we have one Lord, one faith, on baptism, one God and Father of us all. It doesn’t mean that we all agree on everything. We, as John Wesley says, agree on the essentials and we have love/charity about the rest. Jesus invites us to this unity when he reminds us that if we have something against another when we come to the altar to bring our gift we should go get it straight first then come to the altar. I invited the congregation to look around the room and if there is anyone who has anything against anyone to get it straight because we don’t want anything standing in the way of our doing God’s will. I also said that in this team we “bear one another’s burdens”. On any given Sunday we come to church with burdens, pain, grief, suffering. Sometimes it’s all we can to do bring ourselves before each other and God. But, in church we are reminded that we are not alone. We are part of a team that is hold us up, praying for us, working with us. Susie ran into a little girl with a broken doll. Susie’s mother asked: “Did you help her fix it?” susie said: “We couldn’t fix it, but I stay a while to help her cry…” That’s it. We share our burdens on this team. Next, I said, that we have a common calling. We are all ordained (chosen) in baptism to be God’s agents of love and grace in the world. Pastors are expected to be agents of God’s love; so is every Christian expected to walk out into the world in service and love. At work, at play, wherever we are we are one in our calling. Jesus said: “Follow me and together we will change the world…” Last, I said, we have a common mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We do that by inviting others to Christ, by growing in Christ, by sending others out into the world to live out Christ’s love. This is the church. We are on the same team, working for the same purpose, and sharing the same love. Our prayer is that we will grow together in love as we seek to do God’s will. Blessings! Dave Nichols

Evangelism

As some of you know, I am preaching a series of sermons on the core values at Bethel United Methodist Church. I am preaching out of my three-plus years with Bethel and out of my own ministry of some years in the church. I am using the letters in Bethel to work out our core commitments.

Last week we worked on a Biblical Foundation together. We worked on this not in an effort to make everyone the same. We worked on this to challenge ourselves to read the Bible everyday and to study it in groups. Groups like Disciple Bible Study offer a unique opportunity to get into the Word. Scripture has a privileged place among us.

On Sunday, Aug, 23rd, I worked on the second core value: evangelism. We’ve said a lot about evangelism over the last couple of years, mainly because “need-oriented evangelism” was singled out by Natural Church Development as our minimum factor (the one on which we need to work most as a church).

Visits to Sunday School classes gave us reasons why we are low on evangelism. Reasons stated were: it’s not a priority; we don’t see it as important; we are afraid. So, I think we need to commit ourselves to making it our core value if we are to be a fully alive church.

In my sermon I said first what evangelism is not. Evangelism is not: manipulation, or canned, or offensive, or unusual. Evangelism is not weird or anything like that. It is not beating people over the head with the Gospel. There are some who still do that, by the way.

Lucy said to Linus: “I have finally convinced the boy behind me in class that my religion is better than his.” Linus said: “How?” She said: “I hit him on the head.” That kind of convincing witness is not worthy of the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Then, I spent some time on what evangelism is. Evangelism is: caring, sharing, the spiritual dimension. I said that it’s like planting seeds, good seeds.

My main point was that our assumption that everyone who is outside the church is somehow different from us- is false. 90% of Americans in almost every poll say they believe in God already. A large percentage of Americans are interested in this “spiritual”. So, the truth is that we are not, on the whole, dealing with people who are aetheists.

Evangelism is about love because everyone needs to be loved; everyone needs a community; everyone needs God in Christ. So, we plant our seeds and leave the rest to God.

Look among the people in your sphere of influence. Pray for them and as the Spirit gives you opportunity share, witness, invite others to Jesus Christ.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

A Biblical Foundation

We began our series Sunday, Aug. 16, on our Core Values at Bethel. I said that the idea for this series came from a story that I read about a coach who decided to teach/coach basketball for children saying that he had become frustrated that older kids don’t know the basics. He said that no one knows the basics anymore.

I think that goes for Christian faith as well. We get along in our faith and get to thinking that we no longer need to master the basics. But, as the coach said: “Michael Jordan was great because he had mastered the basics. That’s what set him free to be great…” So, the first basic for us is a Biblical Foundation.

The Bible has a privileged place among us. I cannot go rummaging around in “Newsweek, or Psychology Today, or the New York Times for a text from which to preach on Sunday. I am, in fact, read them, but I must go the Bible for a text.

The Bible is a our agreed-upon text, the main rule for faith and practice. While the Bible is not a science book or a history book, not primarily, the Bible is a book about God. It is God’s word and all who read it under the guidance of the Holy Spirit hear God speak and are formed into that story.

The Rabbis say that God got tired of being mis-quoted and wrongly reported; so, he decided to write his own story. So, he hired a personal secretary to write as he dictated. Everybody knows that while God likes to talk, he hates to write. For forty days and nights God told his story and his secretary wrote it down.

Finally, it was done and God sat down. God had been pacing back and forth while dictating. Suddenly, the secretary wrote the last word and stood up. He threw down his pen and said, with rage of someone who had been plagiarized: “My God, that’s my story…”

As Christians, we are a people who are enrolled in a story. We bend our lives toward that story. We stand under the judgement of that account of reality. We read it and cry out: “My God, that’s my story.”

John Wesley said that the Bible contains all things necessary for salvation. We read the Bible, if only a verse, every day. We study the Bible with others. And, we remain open to God’s Spirit.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

God is at Work, HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Last night we had a good but difficult Finance Committee meeting. We are so far behind on our budget right now that…well, you get the idea. One of the most helpless feelings I ever get is the feeling of watching budget numbers deteriorate. Week after week to watch them slide downward gives me a “sinking” feeling.

On the whole, Finance Committee people are doing a great job trying to move the ministries of the church foward while at the same time trying to stop us before we go over a cliff financially. Don’t get the wrong idea. We do have reserves, but you can’t spend those down every year and keep losing money.

We are faced with living through the harshest reality that we’ve faced in this country in a while. A number of our members have lost their jobs; some will have to relocate to find work. Others feels the pinch at work. While they haven’t lost their jobs they have been cut back some. So, they do the best they can.

My challenge as a pastoral leader is to be realistic on the one hand. Yes, we are behind. We want to be good stewards of what we have. And, we have to let others know that we are struggling to decide about staff and other things as we start up the pledge campaign for another year.

As a pastoral leader, I also have to hold up our calling to make disciples of Jesus Christ. How can we in bad economic times continue to do what God is calling us to do on less? How can we continue to go out in ministry to others and not let this drag us into using it as an excuse to do nothing?

This morning, I head God’s word in my devotion. Philippians 2:13. It says: “God is at work in your to will and to work his good pleasure…” OK. Even in the mist of this turmoil, maybe especially in the midst of this turmoil, God is still at work in me, in you, in all of us, to work his will.

Don’t be discouraged. Trust God. Right?
Dave Nichols

It’s All True

He came into my office. I was the district superintendent of a United Methodist district in South Carolina Conference. He was the Lay Leader. He started in. He said that he was disappointed in the direction of the United Methodist Church. I asked him what he meant. He said he was afraid that we were getting more conservative. So, he asked me what I thought about the Bible. I said: “It’s the Word of God…” He said: “You don’t believe that literally, do you?”

Well, that’s a loaded question. You see in our culture there is truth (facts) and then there is faith. Facts are what matter; faith is a guess at best, according to the modern mind.

I said: “The Bible is the Word of God…” However you look at it, some of it is to be taken literally, some of it is not. There is myth and legend and history. But, the Bible is God’s Word. God still speaks to his people through Holy Scripture. We may not like it, but we may not dismiss it. Our main conversation in church is with this ancient book.

The Lay Leader looked at me as if he couldn’t believe what I had said. And, he left. I saw him rarely after that.

So, I heard the other day that Bishop Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the the Episcopal Church said that personal salvation is a heresy and idolatry. Just before this General Conference, a number of the members of the Episcopal Church left and went with the Anglican Church. In response to their leaving, all the bishop could say was that the ones left were the true church and those who left were heretics.

I see it all the time in the United Methodist Church. There are those who say that we should all just love each other- as long as we agree with them. And, if you believe the scriptures are God’s Word, then you’re written off as a fundamentalist.

I am not a fundamentalist, though I believe that there are some fundamental things that are the foundation of Christian faith, like salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I believe that the story of our faith is true. Jesus is the Son of God who came down from heaven to save us from our sins. John 3:16 is true.

Richard Lischer asked in a sermon: “When did you know that it was all true?” He was talking about conversion. He told about a friend for whom faith was a distant thing until one day it came to her. It was a beautiful New England day; everything was covered with snow. As she walked in the snow, she said it came to her: “It’s all true.”

People who believe that the Bible is the primary guide to our faith believe that no other story can be read and studied and accepted as more important than this story.

The bishop may not be happy that so many left her church, but she can’t call them heretics. A heretic is someone who doesn’t accept the orthodox faith passed down to us by the Saints. Salvation in Jesus Christ is personal and social.  In the company of Jesus you are asked to believe all sorts of things. In the church, we get to believe and live out something as impossible as resurrection.

Everything that Jesus said. Everything that he did. Everything that he was. Everything that he promised. It’s all true and we know it from Holy Scripture.

It’s all true. And, those who believe it are the ones who are the true church.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Is it Simple Really?

This Sunday, July 12, in the heat of summer, with a lot of people on vacation and 78 people on a mission trip to Louisiana, we will be working with Reuben Job’s book “Three Simple Rules” in Sunday School and Church. And, over the next three Sundays we will be doing John Wesley’s three rules: 1. Do no harm. 2. Do Good. 3. Stay in love with God.

Job says in his book that if we, United Methodist Christians, lived by these three rules we could change the world. I guess it could be said that if we Christians lived fully what we believed that we could change the world. As one of the earlier church leaders said: “The Christian faith has been tried and found wanting; it’s never been tried.”

Now that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? And yet, let’s admit that as Christians we are prone to take the easy way out, just like a lot of the culture. Most of our lives and time are spent merging with the culture rather than enlarging the distance by giving witness to the radical nature of Jesus’ Gospel.

I just heard that on television this morning someone from another denomination, a leader, said that personal salvation was a heresy and idolatry. Oh well. This may be a great time for us to look again at the basics of our faith.

John Wesley gives us three rules. Whether they are simple or not is another question. Done right, the Christian faith is hard work. That means that we are saved not just to sit down. It’s not over then; it’s just beginning. We are called to get into the game then, to move out in love and service, all of us, in the hope of tranforming the world; individual and corporate salvation is still in style.

I have some 90 books that have just arrived. I will have them Sunday. If you want one, they are $5 or if you can’t do that, you may just have one.

I am excited about the possibilities as we pray and study and worship our way through these rules as followers of Jesus Christ. In a few weeks, I will begin another series of sermons on the core values of our church, Bethel that is. Pray for us as we seek more and more to do God’s will around here and in the world.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

An Open Letter to the Governor of SC

Dear Governor Sanford,

Our prayers are with you and your family. We deeply regret for you and your family and the state of South Carolina the storm that is swirling. I am compelled to write you at this time to express for me and, I hope, for others what I am thinking and feeling at this time, to speak the truth in love, and to encourage you to move forward in a redemptive way.

First, I know that you’re a sinner. As a Christian pastor, and a human being, I know that we are all sinners. I knew this when President Clinton had an indiscretion. So, we believe that when we confess, we are candidates for forgiveness. I believe that you, in your mind, have confessed, but I’m not convinced that you’ve repented (actually turned).

Second, we are all responsible for what we do or don’t do. Or else, what else is there. In part, this is why many hate Christians right now. We talk publicly about our moral superiority and then we act and live just like everybody else. I know we’re all guilty of this to some extent. I certainly preach more than I do. You have to take responsibility for your actions and the hurt you’ve caused, particularly to your family, your boys.

Third, please stop acting like a hormone-soaked teenager. Soul mate? Please. Fall in love with your wife again? Please. You were in power and you took advantage of the situation. A grown man of your age ought to know that our hearts are deceptive. Martin Luther says the heart is a factory of idols. And, the chief idol is the self. So, any talk of falling in love, soul mate, etc., is nothing more than giving in to the world’s definition of love. Love is not just feeling. It’s a commitment in marriage to be together “for better, for worse.” You get the picture.

Fourth, please stop talking about it in public. You need to take the conversation to your wife and family. No excuses. You did wrong. You hurt others. Now, admit it. Let go the talk of your teen years, and get on with the hard work of forgiveness and redemption. Several years ago, I heard a young man say, after his girl friend tested positive for pregnancy: “It just happened.” Things like sex and adultery don’t just happen. They happen after careful fantasizing and planning and scheming and hiding and deception and temptation. They happen when we do them. We are responsible. Or else, what is there?

Blessings!

David E. Nichols

Only Believe

Today the lectionary Gospel was Mark 5: 21-43. There are two healing stories. It begins with Jesus getting out of the boat and moving through this huge crowd. A leader of the synagogue begs Jesus to go to his home where his twelve year old daughter is dying. Jesus moves through the crowd to go with him, when, remarkably, according to Mark, Jesus feels power go out of him. He asks who touched him. The disciples laugh: “Everybody touched you; why do you ask ‘who touched me?’”

The woman is overwhelmed and admits that she touched Jesus. She said: “I knew that if I could just touch your garment, I would be healed.” Twelve years she has been sick. Jesus heals her and says: “Your faith has made you whole.”

Then, Jesus moves on to the synagogue leader’s home where he finds the girl already dead and everyone in the throes of grief. Jesus says: “She is not dead; she is sleeping.” He speaks to her: “Talitha Cum”, “Get up.” She gets up and Jesus tells them to get her something to eat.

I saw faith demonstrated here. I had four points.

1. They heard about Jesus.
2. They looked for Jesus.
3. They invited Jesus into their lives.
4. They believed.

Martin Luther said: “God has made it so that all things depend on faith. Whoever has faith has everything; whoever does not have faith, has nothing.”

May we slip in among the crowds around Jesus with this man and woman of faith, and may we believe as they believed. May Jesus say to us: “Your faith has made you whole, complete, new…”

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Do United Methodists Believe Anything?

Sometimes I get the question (Do United Methodists believe anything?) from people in the community. Or, the question might come from someone who is interested in becoming a member of our church. Of course, I answer, “yes.”

One pastor, whom I loved dearly, simply avoided the question entirely and said: “We think and let think.” And, of course, that’s a partial quote from John Wesley. He says: “As to all opinions that do not strike at the root of Christianity, we think and let think.” That’s different from simply saying: “We think and let think.”

The pastor who answers that way may avoid conflict, but the parishioner goes away dumbfounded. We do believe the basics of Christian faith. Our Book of Discipline says that we believe in charity in all things, liberty in non-essentials, and unity in the essentials. Now, we may differ on what the Christian essentials are, but we do agree that there are essentials. I believe that the basics of our faith are the same as all other churches.

It was a community Thanksgiving Service. All of the religious leaders were there. The Unitarians lit a candle and read something. The rest of us argued as to whether something could be read from one of the Gospels. After some discussions, it was allowed.

Now, the purpose of these events is to celebrate our diversity and yet to call upon all religious people to be conciliatory with each other and to reach out in service to the poor.

The preacher, of another denomination, preached on that famous Thanksgiving passage from Deuteronomy 8 where Moses tells the people not to forget God when they get settled in the Promised Land.

The preacher proceeded to, with humor, say that we really don’t know who wrote the words, Moses certainly did not. In fact, it was all sort of a put-together passage. After he was done preaching it, I wondered why bother at all.

Sure, I’m a Duke Grad. I understand Biblical historical criticism, etc. But, the Bible is still scripture for us and for us that’s primary.

We do believe something. We believe a lot. We believe the basic, traditional, teachings of the historical church.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

United Methodist Membership and Amendments

Several years ago, I walked out of my house when I heard a crash. Across the street, a church member of mine, in his nineties, had pressed the gas instead of the brakes in his car, and went backwards into the neighbor’s house. EMS came and cut him out.

I made my way over to the hospital. By the time I got there he was in a room with his wife. They had agreed previously that if this situation arose they would not use artificial life support. So, his wife was there all alone to await his death. They had one daughter who lived far away. The man would be dead before she could get there.

I sat down to join the wife in the wait. It’s what I do when possible. After some conversation, she told me that she didn’t want me there. Almost angry in her approach, I wondered what I had done.

She said that she didn’t want me there because I believed in the resurrection of the body and she didn’t . And, after hearing me preach for a few years she knew that if she were joining the church now, I would not let her join.

Curious, I asked her what she believed. She told me about her family being liberals who were mistreated by fundamentalists. She said she came to church for the music and that was all.

I told her I respected her wishes and left. Of course, I prayed all the way home for both of them.

Now,I had not been overly aggressive with my faith. I certainly had not attacked them in any way. I tried to love them, but they were two of the most grumpy people I ever knew.

She was right that if she wanted to join the church when I was there, and she said she didn’t profess belief in the resurrection of Jesus, I would have trouble with it. I would probably invite her to be a part in any way she wanted without joining. Membership in the body of Christ means basically to believe in the life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ. If not, they why are we here?

Now, I say all that to say that one of the amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church, on which Annual Conferences are still voting, seeks to take away any authority form the pastor as to members joining. I have know people who have been admitted to church membership without professing anything. Is that what we want?

Now, I don’t know anyone who has been rejected for membership for being a woman or a sinner, for that matter. However, if the pastor has no say in who joins the church, in who is ready to join, then membership is meaningless.

I urge delegates to vote no on amendment number 1. Vote no on all the “world” amendments. Vote yes on the proposal for extending voting rights to Local Pastors.

And, pray that the United Methodist Church will continue to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

United Methodist Amendments Up for Debate

The United Methodist Church has always been a “progressive” church. That is, we, most of us, were always out front when it came to civil rights, social outreach, things like that.

Our faith as we received it was an active faith. We believe in faith and works. Surely, like Wesley, we believe that a person is “put to right” by God’s grace alone and that through faith we receive God’s grace. But, like James in the Bible, we believe that faith without works is dead. So the “social” Gospel always found a place among us. It meant that for a witness to faith to have integrity it had to include giving someone a warm blanket, or a bowl of soup. It might include changing a law or standing up for what is right.

So, when we talk about change we at least entertain the possibility that God might be doing something “new”. But, this year, the 32 amendments to the constitution challenge “progressives”.

We United Methodists certainly need to change things among us. We are dying on the vine, so to speak. And, whether you blame it on our liberalism, or our lack of evangelistic zeal (we are at ease in Zion), or whether you blame it on the fact that we have been mostly a rural church and all our rural areas are disappearing, most everybody agrees that we need some radical change.

We need things like new churches and new ideas. But some things still persist. We are a people who like to tinker with organization structure as if that will save us.

In my lifetime alone, we went from thinking of our leaders as Stewards, to thinking of our lay leaders as Official Board Members and Administrative Board Members, trying to keep with the times and use names from the business world. Or, we went from seeing ourselves as pastors to seeing ourselves as CEO’s.

The proposed amendments to our constitution are attempts, I believe, to better things. They are attempts on the whole to help us move into this new century. Most of the amendments move us into the times, so to speak. Supporters say that the so-called “world” amendments helps us acknowledge that we are a “world” church. Other amendments, they say, make us more open, more inclusive.

In my opinion, with the exception of the amendment giving Local Pastors voting rights, and the one putting Bermuda in the Northeast, these amendments do little more than dilute the church’s mutually agreed-upon Book of Discipline.

They open the door for less accountability, less common agreement, and more freedom to do as conferences please. If we say that we can divide into regions, that will be the end of the UMC as we know.

So, change we need; we all agree on that. But, except for the two I mentioned, these amendments should be rejected. I have voted no and encourage you to do the same. Let’s honor the covenant of our church by holding the connection together.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

32 Amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church

Much has been said and much will be said about the 32 amendments to the United Methodist Constitution that are being voted on by Annual Conferences. Some have already voted; others will vote soon. I have encouraged everyone I know to vote no on everything except number 19 which gives voting rights to Local Pastors. It’s not that I’m necessarily opposed to everything there. I don’t really care whether we add gender to those who can’t be excluded from membership. Although I don’t remember anybody ever being turned down from membership in the United Methodist Church because they were female. I don’t really care if Bermuda Conference is put in the Northeast or Southeast. It doesn’t matter to me whether we call conferences outside the US “Central” conferences or not. I can certainly understand the reasons for changing the name.

My reasons for voting no on almost everything proposed are simple:

1. First, there are 32 amendments. How can anyone possibly know enough to vote on 32 of of anything, especially changes to something as important as a Constitution. The Constitution of anything defines something and changes to it should be made only after a lot of discussion and deliberation.

2. I have studied them thoroughly, and I don’t think anyone can tell me, for sure, what the actual outcome would be should we pass the “world” amendments. Does it mean that we would then have regional conferences that could be defined as they see fit? Would it mean that we would be only loosely connected and not have the same Book of Discipline? No one can answer those questions. Supporters say that we are a world church and these amendments further give expression to that reality. However, the possibility exists that regional conferences, whatever they are called, would simply further divide us. Some do want to divide us to get what they want in terms of policy and practice.

3. Why give us 32 amendments at one time? Is the intent to confuse? to divide and conquer? Is the hope that we will vote yes on enough of them to open the door to further division? I’m sorry but I don’t yet trust some of these leaders of the United Methodist church. I have seem many of them take sides and make broad statements that sound idealistic but really mean for the church further division.

Just watch the vote, it is so obvious that the vote in the south and mid-west will be almost opposite the vote outcome in the west and northeast. Are we that different really? On one level I don’t think so. We all want what is best for our church and God’s will. We are different in that we differ, many of us, on what God’s will is for us.

I do pray everyday that we will be given wisdom and led by the Holy Spirit and however this comes out that we will be able to still be partners, in every region, in ministry to the world for Jesus Christ.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

S.C. and the Amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church

I’m just getting back from the S.C. Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. We dealt with the 32 Amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church on Monday with relatively little friction. And, things turned out pretty much as I wanted.

Many of the amendments went down in a big way except the one giving voting rights to Local pastors and the one putting Bemuda to the Northeastern Jurisdiction.

Of course, the votes are counted individually and added up that way. It doesn’t matter how many conferences vote for or against the amendments. The votes are all added up to decide the issues. A two-thirds majority is required to make the changes.

Some conferences have already voted; others will be voting soon. I encourage you to vote “no” on the world amendments for the reasons that I have stated earlier. For one thing, no one is able to say what the implications of these amendments will be. The intention is to create more of a world church. But, we are already a world church.

They would, in fact, open the door for regional conferences and a looser connection. There would be less accountability and more freedom for each region. I believe that the net effect would be to create more division and less connection.

Again, if you like what is happening in the Episcopal Church, then vote “yes” on the world amendments. However, if you want to keep the world connected in our church, then vote “no”.

I also have trouble with amendments that weaken the United Methodist pastor’s role in receiving members. We are already an inclusive church. Anyone who comes to our church and professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is received into membership. However, sometimes the pastor needs the discretion to decide.

So, when you consider your vote, please consider the implications of letting our connection go.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Do United Methodist Amendments Really Matter?

It’s always hard to predict the outcome of votes taken today, particularly if the issues are not that clear. Now, some of the amendments to the constitution of the United Methodist Church are clear- those about editorial changes, one about Local Pastors, one about membership inclusiveness.

But, the so-called “world” amendments are hard to understand. That is, we don’t know what would be the implications of moving toward regional conferences, etc. Would regional conferences be free to do as they please, so to speak, without regard to the Book of Discipline?

Supporters of the amendments say that conferences outside the US already have some leeway with regard to the Discipline. Opponents say that we do not have a full picture of what passage of these amendments would mean.

My own thinking has been revealed in earlier blogs. I believe that passage of the “world” amendments to the constitution of the United Methodist Church would open the door for more freedom and less accountability.

On the one hand, that sounds ok. Live and let live.

And, as United Methodists who claim to be united, we know that we are not united. Or, to say it another way, we do not agree on everything. Some would say that we don’t agree on anything.

On the other hand, if we go the way of the Episcopal Church and go so far as saying that the Book of Discipline does not matter, then we will fragment in ways that we do not yet understand.

Any common beliefs, or practices, or social stands will go the way of the world. We will have nothing to hold us together anymore.

I know that those who support these amendments believe that it’s not a big deal, that we should just push everything through. All will be well.

But, I tell you, that if these amendments pass and if we allow for this kind of freedom from our common agreed-upon Book of Discipline, then our great church, which we all love will continue its decline.

So, I encourage all lay and clergy delegates to vote no on the “world” amendments to the constitution of the United Methodist Church.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

United Methodist Annual Conferences

On Sunday, May 31st, after church, I will join the other thousand or so lay and clergy representatives who will attend the SC Annual Conference in Florence, SC. For many years our Annual Conference was held in Spartanburg at Wofford, until, of course, I moved to Spartanburg. Then, we moved to Florence where there is a large arena, more motels, and restaurants. Also, it is closer to the middle of the state.

Annual Conference is the only time when the members of churches and clergy from all over the state meet together. We will set a new budget, which is lower, based on the economic problems. We will elect officers for another year. We will ordain pastors. We will debate, this year, 32 constitutional amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church. And, we will end the week with the Bishop appointing pastors to their place of service for another year.

Annual Conference is a time of fellowship, a kind of reunion for clergy who don’t see each other enough, a time for doing business, and a time of worship and encouragement.

We will start by singing the hymn written by Wesley that has opened every Annual Conference that ever happened. We will sing: “And are We Yet Alive…”

With all the discussions out there about our decline, and all the questions about what to do, we still celebrate that God in Christ is still working through the United Methodist Church, sometimes in spite of us.

Pray with me that we will find our way again and be led by God’s Holy Spirit to care that the world is dying, and people are lost for lack of faith.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church

I have been thinking about the 32 amendments to the constitution of the United Methodist Church which will be voted on by Lay and Clergy delegates this summer.  Every annual conference will debate 32 amendments.  Then, each delegate to Annual Conference will vote.  I can’t help but have the feeling that these amendments are important, but will slip by.  My fear is that, like may other issues, many of the delegates will simply get information fatigue and not delve into it much.  Or, They will simply think the whole thing sounds good on the surface and let the amendments go by.

How can anyone study enough of anything to understand completely what is behind all 32 amendments?  How can anyone understand all of the possible implications of each amendment.  Take out the one about Local Pastors, which I support, and the one about church membership being more inclusive, which I think is ridiculous since we are already inclusive, and you have other amendments about “world” Methodism.

The world amendments are supposed to make us as a church more of a world church instead of an American Church.  Since the US church is declining while the other areas of the world have explosive growth, then we ought to be more of a world church.

What this amounts to is an attempt to break up the church into regional conferences which could have their own rules and practices apart from the Book of Discipline of the church.  So, say in a particular region they wanted to do something that the current Book of Discipline does not allow,  the door would be opened for that since they would no longer be bound by that old Book of Discipline.  Connection, which we have preached for lo these many years, would be non-existent.  And, here we go.

The church would be even more fragmented than it is now.  Supporters of the amendments are trying to move toward an agenda that they can’t get in the front door by bringing it in the back door.

Now, you may ask, will it really make that much difference?  If connection means anything at all, if keeping the church together, at least in principle means anything, then passage will make a big difference.  The Episcopal Church has the same arrangement, it is declining faster than we are, if that’s possible.

If you like what’s going on in the Episcopal Church, then vote for the Amendments.  I urge you to vote “no” on all of the world amendments, and on the membership amendments.

Blessings!

Dave Nichols

The World Amendments to United Methodist Constitution

I’ll admit that I don’t understand everything about the proposed 32 amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church. I do see that the intention behind the “world” amendments is to deal with the issue of world Methodism. Old structures are based on the fact the United States church is the main church. Now, with growth going on in other places and the US church declining, supporters say that these amendments will move us toward a more worldwide church.

Now, while this sounds like a good thing, I believe that the amendments will further divide us. There is at least the possibility that there would be different regions of the church following their own rules.

So, it would/could mean the end of the connection as we know it. We would lose our common Book of Discipline which is holding us together at present. At least, most of us, agree to abide by the Book of Discipline.

If regions are able to do as they please, they we will dissolve into a fragmented church.

The Episcopal Church is doing this now. Look at what is happening there. They are bleeding members who are fed up with a church that has no common life anymore.

I will vote no on the “world” amendments because I believe that we are more effective as a church if can hold together in connection.

God help us to make the right decisions.

United Methodist Amendments Will Further Divide

In a previous blog, I said that in a few weeks United Methodists will gather to consider 32 amendments to the church’s constitution. There are amendments about church membership, about world Methodism, and about Local Pastors being able to vote on delegates to the church’s General Conference.

The one about Local Pastor’s makes sense. They serve our churches under appointment by a bishop. They should have, at the very least, the right to vote on clergy delegates every four years.

One amendment is sold as an attempt to expand a our inclusiveness. Methodists worry a lot about inclusiveness. We spend a lot of time arguing about who’s in and who’s out. I see this one as an attempt to take the pastor out of the business of deciding who joins the church. Advocates want to move eventually in the direction of “making” pastors take into membership anyone who presents themselves for membership.

One, just one, of our problems as United Methodists is that we have taken membership too lightly. We have in the past, with few exceptions, and little training, received in the UMC so many cultural Christians who couldn’t care less about the church or the United Methodist Church that we are a church that has no basic convictions anymore.

Our people believe in Baptist principles if our churches are in Baptist dominated areas. Our people believe in Lutheran high worship if our churches are in Lutheran dominated areas. Membership, a name on the roll, has little value anymore.

Now, having said that, one of the values of membership in our church is that, at least, pastors have some authority over who joins.

I have taken in far too many young couples who couldn’t get married in the Catholic or Baptist churches. They joined, even attended our classes, avoided our wedding fees and then went back to their churches.

I have baptized far too many children whose parents have no intentions of keeping them under the ministry and guidance of the church.

While all churches have some fringe members. It seems that we United Methodists have more than most. So, do we really want to make it worse by making Church membership a “right”?

I will vote no on this issue. We can make a difference if we make membership mean something again with substance.

Next blog, I will comment further on the “world” amendments to the constitution.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

United Methodist Debate Heating Up

As we get closer to our Annual Conferences  in the United Methodist Church, both sides are doing their work to get what they want. Be assured that some are working hard behind the scenes to push through these amendments (32) to the contitution. The supporters are saying that opponents are out of line by putting their comments on YouTube. They should simply trust the General Conference, they say. After all, three-fourths of the delegates to General Conference voted for them. So, just vote and pass them through. There’s nothing to worry about. They’ll take care of us.

Well, i think that these amendments, except for 19, will open the door for a divided church, more divided than we are now, if that’s possible.

We will see our church fly apart so fast it will make your head spin. Without the “connection” held together by a common Discipline, we will break up overnight.

We are half the church we were when I was a child. We will be half the church we are now, or worse, if we allow each region to do its own thing.

Some will not stop until this happens.
Blessings!
Dave Nichols

More on the Amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church

Previous blog is about the 32 amendments to the constitution of the United Methodist Church that will be voted on by United Methodists at each Annual Conference this June. United Methodists meet annual (once a year) in each conference on matters of ministry, mostly budget and nominations. This year they will vote on the amendments.

In the previous blog I commented on them all in general. There is one more that needs comment. One amendment asks that we be more inclusive and list gender among those that we cannot cannot discriminate against in terms of membership in our church. Now, I don’t know anybody who has been turned down for membership because they were a man or woman, do you?

In my opinion this amendment grows out of an attempt to further limit the authority of a United Methodist Pastor to decide who joins a church. I don’t remember ever turning down anyone who wanted to join the church except a few. Those who refused to stand in front of the church and take the vows of belief and membership. Some did not want to profess faith in Christ; imagine that.

Once I got a call from a man who wanted to join my church. He was doing it for his wife, whom he said suffered from depression. He said: “She is happier when she is in church.” So, he asked me what he and she needed to do. I explained that he could join if he would profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He said: “You mean I have to say I believe something to join.” I tried to explain. He passed.

In the Presbyterian Church, prospective members go before the Session. In the Baptist Church, the whole church votes on you. In the United Methodist Church, the pastor is the only one who has such authority.

Again, I don’t know of anybody rejected because of gender. We already are open to those who want to join. We don’t need an amendment.

As a United Methodist pastor I value my authority in terms of church membership. And, I appreciate the trust of the church in me to make these decisions. So, again, I encourage you to vote “no” on all amendments except the one giving voting rights to Local pastors and Associate Members of the Annual Conference.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Amendments to the Constitution of the United Methodist Church

At the upcoming Annual conferences of the United Methodist Church, clergy and lay delegates will be asked to vote yes or no on 32 amendments.  To even understand 32 votes on anything is impossible.  But, there is ample information on the meaning for the average delegate.  So, what is my recommendation?  After 30 years plus of United Methodist ministry, where am I on these amendments?  I’m so glad you asked.  Here are my impressions and recommendations:

1. Every so often we United Methodists like to tinker with the structure of our church.  In most cases, the structural changes that we have made have been little less than arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.  Don’t get me wrong I love the United Methodist Church, but we just can’t get over the notion that if we change the structure we can get things the way we want them.  Usually, changes mean more bureaucracy, which we don’t need.  Who does?  This time the changes in structure have to do with the formation of regional bodies, as I understand it.  None of which have to agree on the Discipline of the church.  One would change the name of conferences outside the US.  That’s fine.  Change the name.  I certainly understand the distaste of using Central Conference as a name for anything.  This was the name used for African American Conferences before we came together.

2.  In the interest of being more inclusive, some want us to change some wording to make that clear, and to move in the direction of taking away from the pastor of a church any discretion as to whom he/she receives into the church.  There are obvious implications for this one.  If membership is a right, then all the other privileges like ordination and marriage can be considered rights, too.

3. Some amendments are saying that we are a US centered church and need to move in the direction of being more global.

4. One amendment change would give the right to vote on General and Jurisdictional delegates to Local pastors and Associate members.

5. I will vote no on all of the proposed amendments except the one about voting rights for Local pastors and Associate members.  If they can serve a church, then they should be given voting rights on delegates at least.

6. I will vote no on any attempts to create regional conferences that have no accountability to the general church’s Discipline.  If we vote yes on this one we will end up going the direction of the Episcopal Church.  An Episcopalian Clergy friend of mine says that their church is “bleeding” members.  “They are leaving in droves.”  If you like what is happening with our neighbors the Episcopalians then vote yes.  As for me, I will vote no.

Blessings!

Dave Nichols

Do You Have Questions about Being a Pastor?

I want this blog to be an opportunity to help others and to discuss issues of import with regard to being a pastor.  I have been a pastor for over 30 years, which I k now for some puts me out of the “in” crowd.  It’s so interesting.  When I was younger, I was told that the most important thing in life is experience.  It was true in parenting, in marriage, and certainly in pastoral ministry.  There is no substitute for learning on the job.  So, I did everything I could to learn.  I still do.  I read books, went to conferences, asked questions of others, and learned from my own failures.

Now, admittedly, I don’t know everything.  (Like I really needed to say that, huh?)  But, I do know some things that I didn’t know when I started out.  I did have some gifts and some instincts that were part of who I am.  I did know how to care about people and I loved the church.

From there, I started out with three congregations- United Methodists have charges of more than one church, especially in the beginning of their ministry.

So, here I am with all this experience which should qualify me to offer opinions at least.  And, now everybody tells me that the winning ingredient is youthfulness.  Now, I do think that I think younger than I am.  I certainly don’t fell my age.  But, I can’t replicate youthfulness with gray hair (or no hair).

I wasn’t really young when I was young.  I mean I always felt that those who were my age were less serious about life.  Of course, I was more serious because I had to be.  What I mean is that I never really said anything was “cool” when I was a teen.  I always hated the popular culture, to some extent, seeing it as puffed-up nonsense.  So, when I hear someone my age say something is “cool”, I nearly lost it.

Having said all that.  I would like to create this blog and invite comments and questions for discussions.  Are there things that I can help you with?  Are there issues of church and home that I can comment on for you?  Are there issues of Christian faith that are turning you inside out?  Just ask.  Leave your questions or comments and I will work on them.

I promise not to be perfect.  OK?

Blessings!

Dave Nichols

Core Values

Have you ever asked yourself: what are my core values? You know. What are the values, the notions, the ideas on which I build my life. All of us have them but we spend so little time thinking about them. Even churches, have core values. Sure, many of our core values are the same, as churches go, but some are disctintively our own church’s.

Over the summer I will begin a series of messages on the theme: “Bethel’s Core Values”. To challenge myself with it, I will be using the letters BETHEL as a way to name our values.

I will begin with B. What would you name for B. And, I will conclude with L.

Pray for me as I work toward trying to discern from God and from us what our core values really are.
Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Welcome

Welcome to this blog sight.  I am maintaining this as a way of communicating news and info, sermons, and educational material about the Christian faith.  Bethel United Methodist Church in Spartanburg, SC is my home, and place of work.  You will find all kinds of things on this sight eventually.  Check here often for anything that you need from us.  Our website is www.bethelmethodist.org.  You will find recent sermons (audio) and other things to help you navigate Bethel UMC. 

Blessings on you!

Dave

David E. Nichols