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DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/27/2009 They are there though I do not see them.  They still speak though their voices are heard no more.  The names of some of them were written at one time on the membership roll  of our church, and then there are others whose names are written on my heart.   I particularly feel their presence on Easter morning and when we celebrate the Lords Supper as they feel the pews to overflowing even though they are not included in the worship attendance count.   Who are they?  The Apostles Creed calls them the "communion of saints".  The apostle Paul speaks about them in Hebrews 12: 1-2 when he says,  " 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith," Next Sunday, November 1 on the church calendar is "All Saints Day".  I invite you to join us at worship next Sunday as we remember them and give thanks to God for them.  Our lives are better because of them.   We are different people because Christ used them to make a difference in us.  PRAYER-  Praise and thanksgiving be to you, O Lord, for the communion of saints whose lives still speak and who continue to be a source of inspiration for us.  Grant that the lessons of faith and life they taught may bear fruit through our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/20/2009  I am feeling tired and weary today from the demands of pastoral ministry.   Some folks tell me that the job of pastoral ministry is an easy job.  I have wondered at times that if the pastoral ministry is such an easy job why is there not a surplus of pastors?    Like any other job, most folks don't know all of the demands of pastoral ministry because they have never done it.   Sometimes, the pastoral ministry is a "dirty job".  While the television show about "dirty jobs" highlights the dirt and grime one encounters in specific jobs, the pastoral ministry is a dirty job because so often I find myself wading through the "dirt" of people's lives-marriages that are broken or troubled&ldots; individual lives that are stained with sin&ldots; relationships where people are throwing "mud" at each other&ldots; moments when individuals and the church is much less than the disciples of Christ they committed themselves to be.   At the risk of appearing self-serving, let me share with you that October is Pastor Appreciation Month.   If you have ever experienced a death in your family, faced time in the hospital or had a family member who did, been to church on a regular basis or just for a special occasion, or gotten married or had a family member who did,  there probably was a pastor there.  Perhaps God even used that pastor to make the presence and peace of Christ real to you.  Whether that pastor is a person in your past or a person in your present, I encourage you through a card, call, or e mail to take time to say thanks.    You will be glad you did, and so will that pastor.      PRAYER-   Lord, I thank you for pastors who you have used in my life to bring your comfort to me or to bring challenge to me. Lord, bless all pastors as they seek to be faithful shepherds of your people following the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/13/2009 One of the ministries at Cold Springs Church that has really grown in recent years is our preschool ministries.  When our preschool program started in 2007, we had 9 students.  Last year, we had over 30 children and this year we have over 60 children.  It is a lively time around the church on weekday mornings as these children come to our campus.  I am blessed by my daily encounters with the children and having the chance to lead them regularly in Chapel Services on Wednesdays.    There certainly must have been many demands on the time of Jesus during his earthly ministry.  Despite his busyness,  Jesus took time for children.  We hear one of those stories of Jesus and children in Matthew 18:1-3 where we hear: 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Oh, to be like the children.  We would do well like children to  feel a sense of joy and wonder about the smallest things of life&ldots; to have faith in characters like Santa Claus, faith in people, and faith that God can do all things&ldots; and to be ones who know the importance of quickly forgiving that friend or sibling that you were made at ten minutes ago.  While the task in human development may be to grow up and become an adult, perhaps the task in our spiritual development is to become a child again.   When we do, I think we are not far from the Kingdom of God.   PRAYER-   Lord, I thank you for children, the chance to teach them about you, and for the things they can teach me about following you.  Bless our children and thank you for the blessing they are to me; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/6/2009 One of the modern ways of communication that I haven't quite mastered is text messaging.   For those of you that are less knowledgeable about such things than myself, that is when you type a message on a phone or other small keyboard and send the message to another person's phone, computer, or other device.  Our girls send text messages to Ann and I regularly, and sometimes I just want to cut through all this texting and pick up the phone and call them.  While I am not sure that I like texting, there is another kind of texting I would commend to you:  study of the sacred TEXT we call the Bible.  I rejoice in those that are gathering in small groups like Disciple 1 and other studies in our church in these days and studying the Bible.  There is great value in that kind of texting.  The apostle Paul speaks of that in II Timothy 3:16-17 where he says,   16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.   Whether you are part of a small study group or not, I commend that kind of texting to you.   You might never master understanding fully the sacred text, but I can assure that you will understand it more fully if you study it.  PRAYER-   Lord, we pray with thanksgiving for your gift of the Bible, a lamp for our feet and a light for our paths.  Through the power of your Holy Spirit, give us motivation to open your Word to study it and open our minds to understand it; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/29/2009 When I was in the 7th grade, I wrote a letter to the governor of North Carolina at the time, Dan K. Moore, on behalf of my 7th grade class.  My assignment in writing the letter was to get his definition of what "freedom" is. I remember how proud I was when I received a typewritten letter in the mail from the Governor and shared it with my school class.  I suppose it was the first typewritten letter I ever received, and I know that it is the only letter from a NC governor I have ever received.   The apostle Paul lived in a time when Governors were appointed, not elected.  The leader of the land he lived was not a President, but a person they called Caesar.  Christians faced the possibility of persecution or death if they did not declare their allegiance to Caesar.  Despite all that, hear what the apostle Paul says about the leaders among us in Romans 13:1, 5-7, 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.    Most of us are quick to blame or criticize our Governor, our legislature, our President, or Congress when they make a plan or a stance we do not like.  Let us be as quick to offer our prayers to God on their behalf and also offer our respect even if our viewpoints are not the same.   PRAYER-   Lord, we pray for all those who govern this land we live and love- our President, Congress, our Governor, and our legislature.  Give all of our elected officials that wisdom that can only come from you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/15/2009 I don't know about you, but I am a "pack rat" at heart.   I like to keep things.  For example, I have some boots in my closet I have had for over 20 years.  I just might need them some day, you know?  Every once in a while, circumstances force me to get rid of some things.  It was my move to Cold Springs Church that finally forced me to get rid of those plaid sport coats that I had had since the 1970's. Since we are in September now, I know that soon I will need to make some wardrobe changes.  Soon, those knit shirts I love will give way to corduroy shirts and sweaters.      As I was thinking about wardrobe changes on a recent September day, I came across this passage in Colossians 3: 9-10, 12 where Paul says,  "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator&ldots; 12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."   It is not only the change in seasons or change in  locale that calls for wardrobe changes.   When you follow Christ Jesus, you also wear different spiritual garments because Christ has made a difference in your life.    When others see you and I,  can they tell we are Christians not so much by the clothes we wear on our back, but by what our heart is clothed with?   Prayer- Grant, O God, that we might let your love so shine before others that they may see you and give glory and honor to you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/1/2009             Today is September 1.  It is the beginning of a new month.  Can you believe that two thirds of the year is already gone, and that in four months we will be celebrating the new year of 2010?     There is a lot of hub-bub that annually surrounds the beginning of a new year.  Hundreds of thousands of people gather in Times Square in New York City to watch the ball drop, and millions of people around the globe gather with family and friends to celebrate the coming of a new year.              Have you ever thought about that God gives us new beginnings not just once a year, but all the time?  Today, God gives us a new month that we call September.  Every night when the clock strikes midnight, God gives us a new day.  Every seven days, God gives us a new week.  Every sixty minutes, God gives us a new hour.  All the time, God gives us new beginnings, new opportunities, new chances.  I am reminded of the words of a hymn that says, "This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on, time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that's gone."             Today is a new day and a new month.  In the next sixty seconds, God will give us a new minute.  In the next sixty minutes, God will give a new hour.  Thanks be to God for the new beginnings, new hopes, and new possibilities that He gives all the time.  Have a glory-filled day, week, and month.  PRAYER-   O God, fresh every morning is your love.  Thank you for new, fresh starts you give all the time.  Grant that through the power of your Spirit that we might live for you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 8/25/2009 Today is a day that many school children have been dreading and many parents have been hoping for:  the first day of school.  Well, at least it is the first day of school for children in the Cabarrus County schools.  There will be a few tears for those parents or grandparents taking their 5 year old to kindergarten, and there is a tinge of excitement for those 12th graders who relish that they are finally seniors.  As students go back to school and prepare again to be immersed in the three R's of Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic, I invite you to consider three R's in the life of being a Christian disciples.    As children go back to school, consider getting back to READING.   When was the last time you opened the Bible in your home to read it?  When was the last time that you opened a devotional book or any other book about a relationship with Christ?    If it has been so long that you can't remember the day that you last read your Bible and some other religious material in your home, it has been too long.   A wonderful way to get back to the Bible in these days is Disciple Bible study or another small group being offered in these days.  Check your church bulletin or contact the church office for your more information. A second R that I invite you to consider is REFLECTION.  As children get back to school,  perhaps you need to get back to prayer.  Prayer is more than just an emergency line to God in time of need;  it also is a way to enrich our relationship with God.  We live in a world where we are bombarded with so much information from television, the internet, and other media.  In such a world, we also need to take time to be still and silent and listen to that still small voice of God that is there. A final R for you to consider is RESPONSIBILITY.  God is holding up his responsibility as your God.  God is sure, faithful, and steadfast.  Are you holding up your responsibility as his disciple?    Do you attend public worship regularly&ldots; and offer the gifts of your time, talents, and financial gifts to the church regularly?  Would you be embarrassed if your next door neighbor knew the amount you put in the offering the last time you worshipped, or would they be concerned thinking that surely you could not afford to give so much?    Are you taking seriously your responsibility to serve others and witness for Christ?   When was the last time that you did something with a group of fellow Christians for someone else?  When was the last time you shared with someone outside of church the goodness of God that you know in your life?    Reading, Reflection, and Responsibility.  These are three R's I invite you to consider on this first day of school.           PRAYER-   O God, we love you.  We want to love you more.    Grant that we might follow you more dearly;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 8/18/2009 On a Sunday afternoon after Sunday services a few weeks ago, Ann and I made a trip to my hometown of Burlington.  Since my parents are deceased and the only family I have in that area now are aunts, uncles, and cousins, a trip there does not hold the excitement it once did.  Despite that, every once in a while I get the urge to go to the place I grew up and visit.   Ann and I did a number of things while we were there, and among them was to visit the cemetery where my relatives are buried.  I stood at the grave of my Mom and Stepfather on the day that would have been his birthday, and said a silent prayer of thanksgiving for them.  I stood at the place where are buried my grandparents.  As we visited the graves of family members in the Town of Gibsonville cemetery (just west of Burlington), I noticed that buried just a few graves down from my Uncle C.A. and Aunt Gertrude was Kay Yow.  Some of  you will remember her as the womens basketball coach at N.C. State University and that she died a few months ago.  Gibsonville was Kay's hometown.   Kay Yow is buried beside her parents, and her grave is now marked only with a small metal plague.  Though Kay Yow was a giant in her fight against cancer and in the basketball world,  you would not have known she was buried there unless you were looking for her grave.      In the Declaration of Independence of our country signed on July 4, 1776, it states that "all men are created equal".   Whether we are a giant in the basketball world like Kay Yow or a common man or woman, all of us are born with equality also die with equality.  In the midst of it all is a God who loves one and all whoever we are, and His Son Jesus Christ who died for one and all.   PRAYER-   Holy Lord and living God, we thank you for loving us and loving all.  Grant through the strength of your Spirit that we might put aside our biases and see others with the same love and equality that you see us;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 8/11/2009 Though it is not yet the middle of August, another school year is almost here.  The tax free weekend was last weekend to assist students and their families in buying school supplies, and Cabarrus County Schools start again for students on August 25.  Two of our daughters are back in school even though they have college degrees.  Melissa and Heather are attending UNC-Charlotte preparing to be school teachers even though they are past the age for the traditional college student.  Like some members of our church family who also have been in school,  Heather and Melissa are seeing that learning is a life long process.    In Luke 2, we hear the story of a 12 year old Jesus in the temple asking questions of the religious leaders.  In Luke 2:52, we read,  And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.   Just as Jesus grew, so followers of Christ Jesus should grow.     While our growing in faith and grace does not save us anymore than when we started the Christian journey, it does help us to become more effective disciples of Christ.    That is why we have learning opportunities for adults like Sunday School classes, Bible study groups, and the like.  I Peter 2:2 puts it this way as it speaks of life long learning for Christians when it says:    Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.    PRAYER-  Loving Lord, we love you.  Help us to continue to grow in your love and grace that we might be more Christlike; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 8/4/2009 I have waiting on my mind as I write this because I am in a hospital waiting room with a family in our church congregation.    Have you ever thought about how much time we spend waiting in life?   It is not just family members at a hospital who wait, but all of us wait.   We wait in rush hour traffic on our way to or from work&ldots; wait in line for movies, concerts, a restaurant table&ldots; wait for the wedding, the funeral, or the concert to begin&ldots; wait for appointments at the doctor, attorney, or the dentist&ldots; wait for the baby to be born.  We wait with expectancy for something to be said&ldots; something to be shared&ldots; something to be finished&ldots;something to be done.     Have you ever thought about how we wait on God?   In Psalm 27:14, we read, Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.    The Book of Psalms was the hymn and prayer book for the Israelites, and the Israelites certainly knew what it was to wait.  They waited to be delivered from bondage in Egypt.. to go into the Promised Land&ldots; and for a Messiah to come.   Like the Psalmist, we "wait for the Lord" for an answer to our prayers&ldots; for wisdom for the decision before us&ldots; for comfort to come in our time of loss&ldots; for deliverance from our trials.  We wait for the Lord, waiting with expectancy  knowing that God answers in his way and in his time.     PRAYER-   O Lord and God, we call on your name knowing that you are the one who hears our prayers and who answers them.  In this fast and furious world where communication happens so quickly, give us patience as we wait on you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 7/28/2009 Let me tell you about my grandchild.  In a few days, our grandchild, Lillian, will be celebrate her third birthday.  A few weeks ago, Ann and I received an invitation to Lillian's birthday party.   It will be a "princess" birthday party and that is appropriate because Lillian has a "princess" outfit and enjoys watching the Disney movies that feature "princess-like" characters such as Belle, Ariel, and Snow White.  As I thought about Lillian and her "princess birthday party",  it occurred to me that Lillian is a princess in more than just her Grandpa's eyes.  Lillian is a princess in the eyes of God too.  I Peter 2: 9-10 confirms that we are royalty when it says,   9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  Lillian is not the only royalty I know.  If you are a follower of the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, you are also a part of the royal family.  Thanks be to God.    PRAYER-   God our King, we are humbled by the thought that we are a part of your holy, royal family.  Help us through your grace and Spirit to let you reign as the King of our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 7/21/2009 In the midst of construction here at Cold Springs Church in the last year, we have made some changes to our parking lot and its lighting.   The addition of new lighting has brought some compliments from those who make their way to their vehicles after evening church activities, but it also has brought a complaint from one of the neighbors to the church who was saying that the bright lights are making it difficult for him to sleep at night.  I hope we have resolved the issue of the bright lights at night around the church with the neighbor.  This issue reminds me of an important lesson from Jesus:  WE ARE CALLED TO BE LIGHT.  Jesus emphasizes that to his followers in the sermon on the mount when he tells them in Matthew 5: 14-16:   "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 5Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.   I pray that each of us will allow God to do what only he can do about helping us to be a bright light in the world.  PRAYER-   Holy God, you have called us to be the light of the world.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, help us to let your light shine through us that your name might be glorified;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 7/14/2009 Pastor Mary and I had the privilege (along with several laity of our congregation) to attend the Annual Conference Session last month at scenic Lake Junaluska.    Annual Conference is more than pastors being appointed and ordained.  It is also a time of worship, Bible study, and dialogue about issues of faith and life.  Among the issues that were discussed on the Conference floor were two volatile issues of our day:  the lottery and homosexuality.   One of the things I appreciated about the spirited speeches and dialogue about these issues is that people did not attack or say unkind things about people of differing opinions.  A few days ago, we celebrated Independence Day.   July 4th is a national holiday because it is the day when the founders of this nation signed the Declaration of Independence.  One of the things that document says is this: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights&ldots;.." One of the ways that we can live out our belief that "all men are created equal" is by treating others (even those that hold differing opinions than our own) with dignity and respect.  I believe that is not only an American thing to do, but it is also the Christian thing to do.  The apostle Paul puts it this way in Colossians 4:6 where he says, Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer everyone."    PRAYER --      O God, you have put your fingerprint on each one of us.  Though all of us are equal, none of us is exactly the same.  Through the power of your Spirit, help us to treat all persons with dignity and respect.  In all our speech, help us to speak knowing you are aware of all we think and say; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 7/7/2009 I have had moving on my mind in the last several days.  It is not that I have been thinking of moving, but I have been thinking of those United Methodist pastors moving from serving one congregation to another.  For those of you that are not United Methodist or who are new to the United Methodist Church, United Methodist pastors are appointed to a congregation by a Bishop rather than being called by the congregation.  Pastors are appointed one year at the time rather than for a longer term.   In most cases, a pastor does not move from a congregation unless a change is requested either by the pastor or congregation.  Last Tuesday, June 30 was "moving day" for United Methodist pastors and their families  as they left behind their former congregations in the morning and arrived at their new homes and communities in the afternoon.  On Sunday, July 5, these new pastors led worship in their new places of service for the first time.  Though it has been 7 years since I became the pastor of Cold Springs Church, it has not been so long that I cannot remember what moving as a pastor feels like.  There is the excitement of going to a new place of service mixed with the sadness of leaving behind old friends and a former church.  There is a sense of loss of leaving behind the comfortable and familiar mixed with the uncertainty of facing the new and unfamiliar.  It causes me to pause not only to think about new pastors serving in new places, but also to think about those people who are new to our church.  Several times a month, we have persons that cross the threshold of our church doors for the very first time.  Sometimes, they are come as guests to worship, and other times they come for other events like Vacation Bible School, our community breakfast, or a fund raiser.  In Genesis 18, we hear the story of some men that come to visit Abraham to share him the news that his wife, Sarah, will finally give birth and have a child.  These men were not ordinary humans; no, they were angels.  Though Abraham did not know who they were, we hear that he offered them a radical hospitality of food and friendship.    Sometime soon, someone new will cross the threshold of our church or our life.  Like Abraham before us, may we offer them a radical hospitality.  PRAYER --      O God, your Word says that welcoming the stranger among us is so important that it will be one of the criteria about whether we know heaven or hell.  God, help us to reach out to welcome others into our fellowship knowing how you have welcome us;   through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 6/30/2009 I have been focusing in my devotions in recent weeks on the fact that this June marking the 35th anniversary of my time of  being a Methodist pastor.  I was first appointed as a pastor  in 1974 to 3 small rural United Methodist Churches near Clinton, NC-  Turkey Church, Unity Church, and Friendship Church.   Those three churches did not have worship every Sunday.  On the first Sunday, I had worship at Turkey Church at 11 am.  On the second Sunday, I had worship at Friendship Church at 9:30 am, Unity Church at 11 am, and Turkey Church at 7:30 pm.  On the third Sunday, I had worship at Friendship Church at 9:30 am, Turkey Church at 11 am, and Unity Church at 7:30 am.  On the fourth Sunday,, I had worship at Friendship Church at 9:30 and Unity Church at 11 am.  On the few 5th Sundays of the year, there was no worship at any of the churches.  One of the things during those early days of my pastoral ministry that I soon discovered is that it was impossible for me to be aware of all that was going on in the life of those three different churches.   The ones that really kept things going in the life of those three churches was the laity who were there Sunday after Sunday whether the pastor was there or not.  While the Bible is clear that pastors are important in the life and ministry of Christ's Church, they are no more important than the laity.   That is a part of what the apostle Paul is saying in I Corinthians 12 when he says,  " 14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body." PRAYER --      O God, you have created each one of us to be unique.   Forgive me, Lord, for excusing my lack of involvement in the ministry of your church by saying I am only a layperson.  Give me faith to trust your call.  Equip me through the power of your Holy Spirit to do your will;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 6/16/2009 I spoke in my devotion last week about this June marking the 35th anniversary of my time of  being a Methodist pastor.  I was first appointed as a pastor  in 1974 to 3 small rural United Methodist Churches-  Turkey Church, Unity Church, and Friendship Church.  The parsonage was located in the small town of  Turkey was located in eastern Sampson County.   One of the challenges of living in that house was that the phone was on a three party phone line.  That meant that there were times you could not talk on the phone because someone else  in another house was on the line.  It took me the longest time to figure out when someone was calling me.  I finally figured out that a phone call was only for me when the phone rang two long rings one after another. I find myself thinking about calling this time of year. I suppose it because I just returned a couple of days ago from Annual Conference where pastors were just appointed and ordained.    We hear in  I Samuel 3 about a boy named Samuel.  Though the Lord is calling him, Samuel thinks it is simply the voice of his mentor, Eli.  It took the help of Eli before Samuel was able to figure that God was calling him.     Oh, if it were as easy to figure out God's calling as it was to figure out when a phone call was for me on that three party phone line.  I believe that God has a calling not just for those who are pastors, but he has a calling on all those who call him Lord.  For some persons, that calling is to preach while for others that calling is to teach a Sunday School class or practice hospitality or something else.    I pray that God will put an Eli in your vicinity that can help you figure it out.    PRAYER --      O God,  I praise you that you call persons not only to be pastors to preach your Word, but you also call people to serve and honor you in so many other ways.    Give me a heart that listens to your call, and give me persons that can help me hear that call when the sounds of the world drown it out; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 5/12/2009 One of the things that I love about this time of year is the appearance of my favorite flower, the Iris.  Everyday this time of year, I take a brief morning walk to get in the newspaper and I view the beautiful Irises at the corner of the parsonage yard.   There are several things I love about Irises.  First, they are a hardy flower.  While some flowers (like African violets) are very sensitive, Irises grow in all kinds of conditions.  Secondly, I love the fact that there are so many different shapes and colors of Iris flowers.    Finally, I love the fact that Irises keep multiplying and expanding.      In I Peter 1: 23-25, we read these words:   23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For,"All men are like grass,  and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,  25but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.   My hope is that as followers of Christ that we might be like the Iris.   Like the Iris, may we stand hardy and tall amid the storms of life and bloom even though our "bloom" might be different than someone else.  Like the Iris, may we continue to grow as followers of Christ Jesus.   PRAYER O God, we give thanks for the beauty of your creation that we behold this time of year.   Through your grace and goodness, may we continue to bloom and grow in our love for you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/28/2009 Have you ever sang the song "Row, row, row your boat"?  I read in the news a few weeks ago about a 25 year old man named Paul Ridley who rowed his boat almost 3,000 miles.  Paul Ridley is the youngest American to ever row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  Paul started an organization called "Row for Hope" after the death of his mother from skin cancer in 2001 and used his solo rowing trip to raise awareness and money for cancer research. It might be newsworthy to row your boat alone across the Atlantic Ocean, but it  is difficult to row your boat alone through life.   In these days when we still bask in the afterglow of Easter, a part of the good news for those who follow Christ Jesus is that we do not have to row through life alone.  Jesus puts it this way in Matthew 28:20 where he says,   "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  Whether we face cancer as did Paul Ridley's Mom, the trials of work and family, or whatever we can be sure if we are a follower of Christ Jesus that we do not go through life alone because Christ is with us.   Thanks be to God.  PRAYER Lord,  thank you for your love and care for all of us and yet each of us.  Lord, as I face the challenges of this day, this week, and this life help me to depend on you and seek your help;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/22/2009 This coming Sunday, many that are a part of the Cold Springs Church family will gather to consecrate our new fellowship hall.   It has been we have longed and longed for. While actual construction began on August 4, 2008,  church records show that a new fellowship hall has been talked about at least since 1996.  The dictionary says that the word "consecrate" means to set apart as sacred or holy.  On Sunday, we will gather to consecrate Krimminger Hall.  I am reminded of some words that President Abraham Lincoln once said.  In November, 1863, Abraham Lincoln came to the Pennsylvania countryside to visit a battlefield at Gettysburg.  As Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address, he said this:   "We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live.  It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.  But in a larger sense we can not dedicate- we can not consecrate- we can not hallow this ground.  The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract." There is no word that this pastor or any person can really say that can make that space we will call Krimminger Hall sacred or holy.   No, it will be consecrated by the actions of people in the decades to come who will gather in the place to honor and glorify God as we are the Church.  PRAYER Lord,  thank you for the gift of this new facility we will call Krimminger Hall.  Thank you for the gifts of time and money that made that building possible, and for the new ways it will allow Cold Springs Church to serve you in the days to come.   As our church worked together to build it, help our church work together to pay off its indebtedness and to use the building to glorify you.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/14/2009 I have been finding myself doing a lot of reflection on my time as a pastor during the last several months as I prepare to celebrate my 35th anniversary as a pastor in June.  I have had the chance to serve as a pastor during some dark times in our country.  For example, in August 1974 (less than two months after I became a pastor) I remember the darkness and confusion that I and many felt when President Nixon resigned from office.  I remember also the fear that ran rampant in the Fall, 2001 when terrorists flew planes into the Pentagon in Washington, DC and into the World Trade Center towers in New York City that prompted persons I had never seen at church come to a special prayer service on Tuesday evening or call the church to sign up for a blood drive. Truly this time that is upon us is also a dark time as we hear of job losses, financial collapse, and other signs of a faltering economy.  There have been some days when I literally have turned off the television or changed the channel from the news because I could not hear no more.   In these troubled times,  Easter seems to have more meaning that normal.  In a time of darkness, there is the light of a new dawn when an angel says"He is risen".  In a time of fear, there is faith in the One who left the tomb, Jesus Christ our Lord.     Though Easter is a New Testament story, I am also reminded of words from Isaiah 35: 1-2 which says,  "The desert and the parched land will be glad;  the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.  Like the crocus, it will burst into blossom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy."   In this desert time of darkness, we behold the bloom from a cemetery of Easter and a living Christ.      In these days, I pray that the joy and hope of the living Christ will bloom in your hearts.   And I pray that we might embody that truth as individuals and as a church to a world that truly needs the joy that can be found in the living Christ.  PRAYER Lord, we offer prayers for those we know and don't know whose lives are filled in these days with trouble and despair.  Lord, help us to cling to the hope that is ours in the living Christ, and let that hope be seen through us;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.    DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/7/2009 One of things that is significant about the sanctuary of Cold Springs Church is the large cross on the wall behind the altar table.  It is large and is noticeable most anywhere you stand in the sanctuary.  You simply can't miss that cross.  These days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are known as Holy Week for Christians everywhere.   Just as you can't miss the cross in our church sanctuary, we can't journey to Easter without the cross looming large on our spiritual landscape.  The Friday before Easter is called Good Friday.  That is the day when Jesus Christ was crucified for my sins and the sins of the whole world. The goodness of Good Friday is not that Christ simply died, but that he died for us.    The joy of Easter only has meaning when we encounter the somber truth that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us on Good Friday.  During these Holy Week, I encourage you as I encourage myself to contemplate the meaning of Christ's sacrifice for your sins on the cross.   As you reflect on the cross, remember that the cross is empty.  It is empty because Christ Jesus was buried and rose again.   The cross is empty, but our lives are not because Christ lives.  Hallelujah.    Thanks be to God.  PRAYER Lord, I give thanks that you loved us so much that you allowed Christ to die for my sins.  Help me, O Lord, to die to self and to live for Christ;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 3/24/2009 If you are travelling Interstate 85 northbound near Burlington, you will notice a Home Depot on your left.  Years before the Home Depot ever stood on that property, that land was a part of my Grandpa Perry's farm.  I recalled recently a time when my cousins were playing on that land after Sunday dinner at my Uncle Donald's house.  My cousins and I wanted to go outside and explore, and my aunts and uncles had said that my cousins could go if I (as an 11 year old and the oldest one) would watch over them.  So, off we went.  The fun for me ended when I looked around and discovered that my 5 year old cousin, Bobby, was missing.   I felt afraid and not sure what to do.  I had let my uncle and aunt down by not taking good care of Bobby.  In just a few minutes, my fear was replaced with joy when my Grandpa Perry came along holding the hand of my cousin, Bobby. While that experience is a memory from long ago, what is a current experience is that there are times when I sometimes do a poor job of caring for others.   There have been times when I have not taken good care of the congregation as their pastor&ldots; or taken good care of my family as  Ann's husband and the girl's father.  Just as I gave thanks that day long ago for the presence of my Grandpa Perry caring for my little cousin, so I give thanks for our heavenvly Father who is always there and always cares even when we don't do so well.  And you know what?  That heavenly Father is there also with you.  PRAYER  Lord, I give thanks for your constant presence with us in all times.  Forgive me for the times I let you down and fail to show love and care for others.  Thank you for being faithful even when I am not;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 3/17/2009 Since the death of Robert Jamerson, I have witnessed an outpouring of so many positive remembrances about him from so many people.  Robert touched many lives during his 53 years of life.  As I have reflected in recent days on his life and death, I have wondered if Robert was ever told by all these  folks how much he meant to them.  During this season of Lent, we are called to examine our own lives in light of the life of Christ and his sacrifice for our sins on the cross.   There are two basic kinds of sins that we commit against God and others:  sins of commission (things we do) and sins of omission (things we fail to do).   I don't know about you, but I think one of my sins of omission is  not telling people regularly how much they mean to me.   I remember in my beginning days of ministry that a woman named Juanita shared with me this saying, "Give me flowers before I die, and not just when I am dead and gone."    Before this day ends, I plan to give at least one person I love and appreciate a bouquet of thanks for who they are and what they mean to me.   I invite you to do the same.  It won't cost a high flower bill, but only your time.  PRAYER Lord, I confess to you that I am a sinner.  Forgive me for the things I do that are contrary to your will, and things I do not do.  Thank you, Lord, for the gift of family and friends.  Help me to let them know how much they mean to me;   through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 3/10/2009 Many of you will remember the late Tim Russert, former NBC News political reporter that died last year.  In his book, Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons,  he shares a story told by a woman whose Father was ill and was taken to the hospital.  The woman shares that she rushed to the hospital not just because of her concern for her Father, but because she felt that she needed to tell her Father that she loved him because she had never done that before.  When the woman arrived at the hospital, she found her father in a hallway because the Emergency Room was so busy.  With a combination of passion and urgency, she leaned over to embrace her father and said to him, "Oh, Dad, I love you. I love you so much and am sorry that I have never told you."  As she embraced her father, he whispered in her ear, "That's okay, Honey.  I knew it all along."  That Father is not the only one who knows he is loved by his child without being told.   Christ Jesus says the same thing in John 14: 23-24,  Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.  You see, love in Christ is not so much something we say as something we do.  PRAYER Lord,  through the power of your Holy Spirit help our love for you to be seen and not just said.   We pray these prayers in the name of the One whose name and nature is  love, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 3/3/2009 I remember being at the beach years ago just before Easter.  The television news from a Wilmington station told the story about a man in shirt and tie walking down the streets of a Wilmington area town carrying a cross on his shoulder.  In the midst of a holiday, I was confronted with a holy question:  Would I and have I taken up the cross of Christ Jesus? Churches across the world were filled with Christians last Wednesday as a pastor took ashes (a symbol of repentance) and made a sign of the cross on their forehead. Lent is a time of the Christian year that beckons us to contemplation about our lives and how we "measure up" to the call  of Christ and His cross.   I don't know about you, but there are some things in my life that I need to let go of if I am to more fully and faithfully carry the cross of Christ each day.  Jesus tells the story about a man who discovers a pearl of great price.  The story goes that the man was willing to let go of everything else he had that he might possess that pearl of great price.  My hope for each of us during the time called Lent is that we might let go of all those other things we possess (or perhaps that possess us) that we might know more fully Christ in our lives.  PRAYER Lord, thank you for your great love for me despite my failures and sinfulness.  Cleanse my heart, O God, during this season of Lent that I might more fully carry the cross of Christ daily as your disciple; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 2/24/2009                 Do you realize that the month of February is almost gone?  After today, there are only 4 days left in this month.  February is the shortest month of the year.  While every other month usually has 30 or 31 days, February usually has only 28 days.              There is an important lesson this month of February gives us, and it is this:  as February is short, so life is short.    Psalm 90 puts it this way, "The length of our days is seventy years- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away&ldots;. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."             Though our car or home might come with a warranty for so many years or miles, the human life does not have any such guarantees.  The person with a "wise heart" (as Psalm 90 puts it) is one who lives each day with vigor and joy knowing that we have no guarantees about tomorrow.    PRAYER             Lord, forgive me for the times that I have taken the gift of my life and the gift of a day for granted.  Instill in me the wisdom to know that today is the only day I really have, and help me to live accordingly; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 2/17/2009            Early morning is surely my favorite time of day.  There is a beauty and tranquility to be found in those hours of the day as a new day begins.  As I made my way the other morning to tend to the dogs and retrieve the newspaper, I noticed daffodils and yellow blossoms on forsythia bushes peeking out at me.   I had not noticed them before.    Though they are not ablaze in their Spring glory they gave me a preview of the Spring to come when winter is over in a few weeks.            The sight of those daffodils and forsythia starting to bloom were a reminder to me about how God gives us "hints of hope" along the way of life.  In Isaiah 11:1, the prophet Isaiah says, A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."     Isaiah is saying that though the family line of David seems to be a thing of the past, there is still a hint of hope for Israel as they await a Messiah.            Through a smile that comes from an unexpected person,  a note that fills our mailbox, and many other ways we receive a "hint of hope" from God in the winter of our life and circumstances.  I thank God for those "hints of hope" that come my way and pray that I might be offer a "hint of hope" for others who await Spring to come.   PRAYER           Lord,   you are alive and working still.  Give me eyes to see it, ears to hear it, and a heart to receive the truth of your presence still among us.  Help me to be a blessing to others on this day.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 2/10/2009              Are you hurrying to read this devotion?  As you read this, are you thinking of the many things you have to do today or tomorrow?  Go ahead,  and be honest about it because I won't know.  So many people that I see everyday tell me how busy they are trying to balance the demands of work, home, and (yes) even the church.   And you know what, sometimes I am one of them.    This busyness of our lives affects so much of what we do.   We don't have time to cook a regular meal, so we cook in the microwave.  We don't want to take time to go inside the bank, so we use the ATM or the drive up window.  We are so busy that we can't talk to our friends, so we send them an instant message or text message.  We tell our friends or family members that we don't have time to take our lunch hour, and we say it as it is a badge of honor.  Sometimes, I believe that we are like the coon dogs my Daddy used to talk about who will run themselves to death.              If some of the things in the above paragraph ring true for you, God has a word for you in Exodus 20: 8, "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy."   That passage is not just speaking about whether businesses shall open on Sunday or whether we should work on Sunday.  That passage is saying that we need time to rest our bodies, minds, and souls.   God rested on the 7th day after creating the goodness of creation.  Do we think that we are any busier or better than God that we do not need rest?    PRAYER             Lord, I confess that sometimes I am too busy and don't take time to rest.  Forgive me, Lord, for even the times when I am so busy working for you that I do not take time to simply be with you.  Give me the courage to change.   Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 2/3/2009                  A few days ago, two well known natives of my home county of Alamance County, NC died.  One of those persons was former Governor Robert Scott, who was governor of NC from 1969- 1973 and later served as President of the N.C. Community College system.  While Governor Bob Scott was from the eastern part of Alamance County, the other person who died, Kay Yow, was from Gibsonville in the western part of Alamance County.  Kay Yow won many games as women's basketball coach at NC State for over 30 years and also as an Olympic coach, but her greatest victory was the courage she showed as she fought cancer for over 20 years.                   As I have reflected in recent days on the impact of  the lives of these two persons had on me, North Carolina,  and our nation, I was reminded of a passage of scripture from Genesis 26:18,  18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.   As Isaac and company enjoyed water from wells they did not dig, so you and I know the fruit of the labors of those who have gone before us.     If you or someone in your family attended kindergarten in the public schools in NC, you owe a debt of thanks to the late Bob Scott because it was under his leadership that kindergarten began in the NC public schools.   If you or someone you love has faced cancer treatment, then you owe a debt of thanks to the late Kay Yow for her work to raise awareness and money for cancer research for over two decades.    Thanks be to God for those who have "dug the wells" of life from which we now drink.   PRAYER                 Lord, we give you thanks this day for all those we know and do not know who have gone before us whose work and courage are a blessing to our lives today.  As they worked to make this world a better place, give us courage and grace to make a difference not only in the present, but also in the future; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/27/2009             Things are heating up in the sports world.   The biggest professional football game of the year, the Super Bowl, is on February 1.  If you are a college basketball fan, you know that there are some crucial games in the next few weeks that will decide who will make it to the "big dance" or the NCAA Basketball tournament.  Of course, it is only weeks before the NASCAR season starts at Daytona.  If you are baseball fan, you know that Major League spring training will be here before you know it.   In the midst of these events in our sports world, fans will show their loyalties for their favorite teams or favorite drivers with shirts, hats, and the like.  Fans will also talk on and on trying to lift up the virtues of their team and putting down the poorness of their competitors.              As I was thinking of this the other day, I got to wondering about you and I as followers of Jesus.  Why are we so proud to wear the shirts or hats of our favorite baseball team, and timid about wearing clothing that says something about the Lord we say we love so much?   Why do we as sports fans talk regularly about the excellence of our favorite college basketball team, but we talk with shyness about what the Lord has done in our life?    Jesus speaks to this in Matthew 5 when he says, "You are the light of the world.  A city built on a hill cannot be hid&ldots; In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."    If we can't stand up and claim to be on the Lords team on earth it might be that the Lord won't stand up and say we are on His team in heaven.  PRAYER             Lord, forgive me for having more excitement about my favorite sport team than about being a member of your team.  Lord, through the power of your Holy Spirit help me to share and show the light of your love in my life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/20/2009                 I don't know about you, but I was very concerned when I heard about the plane crashing last week into the Hudson River in New York City.  You see, our daughter Heather was on her way that afternoon through New York to Madrid, Spain.   While I was concerned about the welfare of all those on board,  this Father was relieved to know that my child was not one of the passengers.                  As I am sure you know by now, all 155 persons (passengers and crew) survived the plane crash into the Hudson River.  Only a few passengers had serious injuries.  New York Governor David Patterson said it was "a miracle on the Hudson" that all persons were okay.   In John 2, we read the story about Jesus turning water into wine while he was attending a wedding in Cana (a small village near his hometown of Nazareth).  The story goes that Jesus' mother, Mary, brings a problem to Jesus and that problem was that they had run out of wine.  Jesus then turns vessels filled with water into wine.  One of the wedding attendees exclaimed that they had left the best wine for last.  The story ends in John 1:11 with these words, "This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him."                 Jesus turning water into wine was his first miracle, but it was not his last.  I believe that everyday God performs miracles among us.  Sometimes, they are well publicized miracles like the "miracle on the Hudson" when a plane crashes and all survive.  More often, they are events that take place that are not under the public microscope and are known only by a few such as a "stone cold" heart is changed&ldots; a person that is critically ill gets well&ldots; or a person whose life has been filled with pain can let it go. In John 5:17, Jesus says that his Father is working still and he also is still working.  Thanks be to God.      PRAYER                 God of us all, we thank you for that through the power of your Holy Spirit that you continue to be at work in this world.  Give us an awareness of that work, that we might give you praise.  Give us passion and willing spirits to be partners in your work; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/13/2009                 January, 2009 is a time of change in our state and country as newly elected persons take office.  It is a historic occasion for our state of North Carolina as Beverly Purdue, the first woman elected governor of our state, assumes her office.  It is also a historic occasion for our country as Barack Obama, the first African America elected president of the United States, takes office on January 20.  There are also other persons who will or have been  assuming offices they were elected to such as members of Congress, school board members, members of the County Commissioners, and the like.                   In Romans 13: 1-5, the apostle Paul speaks about those who govern us when he says,  Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.  There is a second thing that all of our government leaders need besides our recognition and respect for their authority, and that is our prayers.  Join me in praying regularly for our President, Govenor, and other government leaders.  If they are to be good leaders, they need not only our help but also God's help. PRAYER                 Lord,  we lift up our prayers for all those who govern our country, state, and community.  Guide them in the decisions they make that they may not so much please the people as please you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/6/2009                 One of the privileges that Pastor Mary and I have is doing weekly Chapel Services with our pre-school children.  I always come away from that Wednesday morning experience touched by the wisdom and joy that ooze out of those three year olds and four year olds.  One of the things that I commonly do in that chapel service is that I ask the children if they have prayer concerns that they want us to pray about that day.  Many of the children will share concerns such as the following:  they have a scratch on their leg&ldots; their stomach hurts&ldots; a relative was sick last evening and threw up&ldots; they have a "boo boo".    After the children finish sharing those concerns, we join in a time of prayer and lift them all up to the Lord.           As I finished chapel service recently, I thought about a passage of scripture in Luke 12: 6-7,  Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.   God cares about us and all that is going on in our lives.  God cares about the hairs on our head, and the "boo boos" that His children old and young face each day.   Thanks be to God who cares about everything we face in life.  PRAYER           Lord, as people who live in a world where we often feel insignificant, we thank you that you care deeply for us and all that is going on with us.  Help us to bring to you all our cares and needs, and to show your care to others; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/31/2008             Most of you reading this have received or given the Christmas presents you will give this year.  Some of you probably have already visited the stores to use gift cards you received or to exchange a gift that did not work for you.   I enjoy buying Christmas gifts for friends and family.  While my wife, Ann, always seems to "second guess" herself on the choice of gifts for others, I usually settle on a gift in my price range fairly quickly.                 In Matthew 2, we hear the story of the visit of the wise men to the Christ child.  With help from a bright star in the heavens and the instruction of members of King Herod's court, they arrive to offer the Christ child their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.   Those wise men were wise not only because they searched and sought out the Christ child, but they also knew exactly what to give Him. I find myself pondering what I will give God in these days.  What do I need to give up to make room for Christ more fully present in my life?   What do I need to yield to Him?     I invite you to join me in asking those questions of yourself as we stand on the threshold of a new year.  The answers are found in what money cannot buy.   PRAYER             O God,  I ask your forgiveness for thinking that I know better what I need than you do.  As I prepare for a new year, help me to seek to give myself more fully to you and your will.    Hear these prayers;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/23/2008           When I was serving as a pastor in the North Carolina Conference, there was a little community nearby named Valentines, Virginia.  A matter of fact, one of the active families in the congregation had a Valentines, Virginia address.       The community post office in Valentines is usually a place with only one or two people at a time, but that changes when early February comes around each year as people from neighboring towns and communities flock to Valentines, Virginia  post office to mail their Valentines Day cards.   For many years now, the employees at the post office in Valentines, Virginia hand stamp the cards and letters that are mailed from there with a stamp that says "Valentines, Virgina With Love".            Christmas is almost here, and for those who are disciples of Jesus it is a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.      If there is one word that sums up who Christ Jesus was and is it is the word "love".      Jesus Christ was stamped with love, and the sender was God.   An old hymn puts it this way,  "Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love divine; Love was born at Christmas; stars and angels gave the sign."        May each of us seek for  the love of Christ to be stamped across all we think, say, and do.     Amen. PRAYER           O God,  we thank you for giving us the gift of Jesus Christ at Christmas.  Help us to let His love be known and seen through us.   Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/18/2008              Christmas is coming fast.  Why, it is less than 10 days away.    The word "Christmas" is a combination of two words.  The first part of that word is "Christ".  That is a common name we use for Jesus, the son of God and son of Mary, who came to earth as the long expected Messiah.  The second part of the word "Christmas" is "mas", and it comes from the word "mass".  To this day, our Roman Catholic friends use the word "mass" to  refer to their worship experience.                When you break down the word "Christmas", we discover an important point that we all need to remember:  CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT THE WORSHIP OF CHRIST.   It is easy for us to lose our focus on what Christmas is about.  Sometimes, we focus on another personality at Christmas.  However, Christmas is not about Frosty, Santa, Rudolph, or the Grinch.  No, Christmas is about Christ.  There are also times when people focus at Christmas on what they do not have at Christmas such as family members, time at home, or even lots of money.    While it is normal and natural to feel down at Christmas when you compare yourself to the "perfect Christmas" we see portrayed in a Hollywood movie, Christmas is not about you and me; no, Christmas is about Christ Jesus and worshipping Him.              In the midst of these days, let us not let the glitter and activities of these days blind us to the Main Event of  Christmas:  the worship of God's great gift in Jesus Christ our Lord.   PRAYER             O God,  Christmas is coming fast.   In the busyness of these days, help me not to forget that Christmas is not about things or even about me, but about celebrating the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, who deserves all glory, honor, and praise.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/9/2008           My filing cabinet in my church study is almost running over, and I am not sure what to do.  I have two file drawers filled with sermons.  Even though I have been keeping my sermons on computer files for several years, every week I print out a paper manuscript and put it into that file cabinet as I have done for almost 35 years.  Now, the file drawers are packed full and I am wondering whether to throw the sermons away or to simply buy another filing cabinet.            What do you do with a sermon is finished?   As I put a copy in a file drawer, do you simply say "good sermon, preacher" and file it back in your memory?  Do you breathe a sigh of relief when the sermon is over, and move on to more important things?   What do you do with a sermon when it is finished?             In Luke 4, we hear of a time when Jesus came back  to his hometown and gave a "sermon" in the synagogue.   After Jesus finished reading the scripture from Isaiah, hear what Jesus says as we read in Luke 4: 20-21,      20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."         If we take seriously the challenge to follow the example of Jesus, perhaps the thing we need to be doing with sermons when they are finished is not to file them away or throw them away, but let them be fulfilled in our faith and practice.  PRAYER           O God, we thank you for those you have called to preach your Word.  Give us ears to hear your Word, and the courage and wisdom to let your Word bear fruit in our lives;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/2/2008           I see them every once in a while at the mall or walking down a city street.  They are young and they are dressed more conservatively than most young people their age wearing their white shirts and black pants.  They are well groomed with no facial hair and the hair on their head  is closely cut.  They are Mormon missionaries.  The Mormon Church strongly encourages its young people to be missionaries in a place far away from their hometown.  Males are asked to serve as missionaries for two years, and females for eighteen months.  They are not paid for their mission work, and have to raise money for their own expenses.  The Mormon Church asks its young people to do this as a fulfillment of the "Great Commission" of Jesus in Matthew 28: 19-20 that says,  19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."           I read recently that there are 195 million "unchurched" people in the United States and that the United States is the third largest mission field in the English speaking world.   The same news article said there is not one county in the United States that has a greater church population than it did ten years ago. If the place of Christ and His Church does not become the "great omission" in people's lives, perhaps we have something to learn from those Mormon missionaries in following the "great commission". PRAYER           O God, we confess that we have failed poorly sometimes in telling others about Jesus and His love.  Give us, O Lord, a new zeal and passion to share the love of Christ with others;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/18/2008 I am in the hospital, waiting with a family for a surgery.  The place is filled many people and sounds.  Hospital visitors make their way to visit someone they care about and hospital staff and volunteers make their way to their duties.  There is the sound of the automatic doors opening and closing&ldots; the bell of the elevator as it arises at this floor&ldots; and the voices of people in this waiting area chatting to pass the time.  I overheard a woman talking as she waited for the elevator say,  "someone tried to get MY parking place".     I do not know where that woman parked, but if she parked near the hospital that parking space was not really hers.   If you want to be technical or legal about it, that parking space probably belonged to the hospital.  Yet, she was talking like it actually belonged to her. The mis-statement of that woman is an important lesson for me as Thanksgiving comes near.  So many times, most of us act like the things we use regularly are our personal possession whether we are talking about the pew where we sit in the church sanctuary or the lane where we drive on our way to work.  Most of the time, the thing we claim is our own is owned by another.  Psalm 24:1 tells us who is the rightful owner of all things when it says,  "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it;  the world, and all who live in it;"   Oh, for the grace to live like that. PRAYER           O God,  you are the creator of all things and the giver of all good gifts.  Thank you for the blessings I know in this day and in this life.  Thank you for your provision for me.  Lord, help me to not only see what you provide, but help me to live knowing it all comes from you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/11/2008           Amid all the excitement that construction is progressing  for a new fellowship hall at Cold Springs Church,  it is easy to overlook the fact that 2008 is the 50th anniversary for the construction of our current fellowship hall.  I walked through the  current fellowship hall the other day when the only sound I could hear was the song of my own footsteps.   As I walked there, words to an Amy Grant song came to mind which say:  If these old walls could speak/ Of things they remembered well/ Stories and faces dearly held/ A couple in love/ Livin' week to week/ Rooms full of laughter/ If these walls could speak."             What stories the walls of our current fellowship hall could tell if they could speak.  They could tell of good food and good times, of birthday parties, family reunions, wedding receptions, and church dinners.  They would tell of sad times when families gathered for a funeral meal or people said things that hurt rather than helped the cause of Christ.   The fellowship hall walls  could tell of times when the church was at its best as people worked together at our annual BBQ or to distribute the Angel Food boxes or when the church dreamed dreams that came to reality.   What stories those 50 year old walls could tell if they could talk.      I then walked out the doors of our old fellowship hall and looked to that place that will soon be our new fellowship hall, and I said a prayer for the walls of that place that will be filled with people of our church family in a few months   What will be special about that new building is not its bricks or space, but the times that the people of Christ will gather within those walls.    As Psalm 51:18 says,  "In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;  build up the walls of Jerusalem."        PRAYER           O God, we thank you for the many times through the years when people have gathered on our church campus.   As you been present through the years in so many events that have taken place in our current fellowship hall,  we ask that you be present in the days ahead as we gather as the body of  Christ in our new fellowship hall; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/4/2008 It is Election Day, 2008.  Across these United States, people will go to churches, schools, town halls, and the like to cast their vote.    We live in a world where people are often labeled by their income, their race, their gender, or their political persuasion.   But all those labels evaporate and do not matter when we step into the voting booth and cast our ballot for the candidates of our choice.   There is probably at least one person reading this who is pondering if they should really vote  and whether their vote will make a difference.   Let me share with you some facts from history to show how one vote can make a difference.  Did you know that Texas became one of our United States in 1845 by just one vote when a senator changed his vote and made it our 28th state?  Did you know that the Alaska Purchase of 1867 was ratified by just one vote paving the way for it to become part of the United States in 1948?  Did you know that one vote in each voting precinct would have elected Richard Nixon rather than John F. Kennedy president in 1960?  One vote can make a difference because one person can make a difference.  The apostle Paul speaks about that in Romans 5:17.  Hear what the apostle Paul has to say about the sin of one man, Adam, and the grace that is found through one man, Jesus Christ:   17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.  As one man, Jesus Christ, made a difference in our world and in our lives, you as a man or woman can make a difference today through your vote.  PRAYER             O God, we  pray for our elections this week.  Give wisdom to all that vote.  Help them  to see not just what the candidates say, but also to hear what you say.  Help any apathy or indifference we feel to evaporate as we realize the priviledge to participate in the process and the difference that our one vote can make; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.    DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/28/2008             The postmark on the envelope noted that the letter was mailed in Stainfield, NC.  The letter inside the envelope identified the sender only as a friend.  This friend noted in the letter their concern that "most churches are doing little or nothing to win souls for the kingdom" and went on to list several examples on how to share your faith.    I wonder why the sender of the letter did not identify themselves?   In Matthew 5:14-16, we hear Jesus say in the sermon on the mount,  14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.      Perhaps it is not so important to share in a letter or in person who we are, but it is critically important for those who claim the name of  Christ to never fail to find a way to share who Christ is in our lives.   PRAYER             God of us all, I thank you for the love of Christ that has been known to me. Give me wisdom to discover ways each day to share the love of Christ with others;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  Devotion from Pastor Randy  10/14/2008            A few years ago, a movie was released called "SuperSize Me".   This movie was part documentary and part comedy that was an experiment of sorts.   The film-maker, Morgan Spurlock,  sets out on a journey to McDonalds not just once a day, but three times a day for an entire month.  For that 30 day period,  Spurlock experiments  with what would happen to his weight and health if  does not  eat or drink anything that is not on McDonalds menu.                In Ezekiel 3: 1-3, we hear that Ezekiel the prophet sets out on a a different diet of his own as follows:  1 And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.  3 Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.      Ezekiel is consuming the word of God.  Spurlock saw some changes in his health and weight from a McDonalds diet for 30 days.  I wonder what changes would take place in our spiritual health if we consumed more Scripture and spent more time in prayer over the course of the next 30 days?     While it is important for us to take care of our bodies, it is also important that we take care of our souls.  PRAYER             O God, we confess that we spend more time thinking about care for our bodies than we do thinking about the care of our spirits and soul.    Forgive us, O Lord, for feeding our bodies, and starving our souls.  Through your Spirit, Lord, change us that we might be changed  by you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/14/2008             A few years ago, a movie was released called "SuperSize Me".   This movie was part documentary and part comedy that was an experiment of sorts.   The film-maker, Morgan Spurlock,  sets out on a journey to McDonalds not just once a day, but three times a day for an entire month.  For that 30 day period,  Spurlock experiments  with what would happen to his weight and health if  does not  eat or drink anything that is not on McDonalds menu.                In Ezekiel 3: 1-3, we hear that Ezekiel the prophet sets out on a different diet of his own as follows:  1 And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.  3 Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.      Ezekiel is consuming the word of God.  Spurlock saw some changes in his health and weight from a McDonalds diet for 30 days.  I wonder what changes would take place in our spiritual health if we consumed more Scripture and spent more time in prayer over the course of the next 30 days?     While it is important for us to take care of our bodies, it is also important that we take care of our souls.  PRAYER             O God, we confess that we spend more time thinking about care for our bodies than we do thinking about the care of our spirits and soul.    Forgive us, O Lord, for feeding our bodies, and starving our souls.  Through your Spirit, Lord, change us that we might be changed  by you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/7/2008             I did something the other day that I have not done in a long time.  Like some of you recently, I waited in a long line of cars to get gas.     As most of you know, there has been a shortage of gas in our area in recent weeks  prompting drivers to search and  to wait for gas.    As I waited in line, I thought of a verse of scripture,  " O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you;  my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water"  (Psalm 63:1).    If we could thirst for God in our lives with the kind of vigor that some have searched for gas in recent days, I think that we would be better for it.   While gas gets us to work or to other destinations, seeking after God adds to our life  in the present and our life in the world to come.        PRAYER             Almighty God,  we ask your forgiveness for the many times we have sought the things of this world and have not sought you.  Forgive us, O Lord.  Through your power and your grace, help us to put you first; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/30/2008             It is the end of September, and the last couple of days the news reports would make you think it is the end of the world.   The financial rescue package before the U.S. House failed, and the news on Wall Street yesterday was not good.  Gas prices are high if you can find gas at all in our part of the world.  A local bank, Wachovia, is acquired by a competitor.  People wonder and worry about the security of their pension monies, their jobs, and their lives.              In the midst of all this bad news,  I heard the cheerful, melodious sound of a bird singing outside my bedroom window early this morning.    As I heard that bird singing, I was reminded of this passage in Matthew 6: 25-27,   25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?        The bird sings their song because of instinct, and we can sing the praises of God because of trust in the One who made us and made the birds.  Amen.   PRAYER             Holy God, in the midst of so many uncertainties in the news we hear, help us to trust in the certainty of the good news that you love us and are with us always;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/23/2008 The next holiday on my calendar is Columbus Day though it does not get much observance in this part of the country.  Our friends in New York City first observed Columbus Day on October 12, 1792 (which was the 300th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas).  It must have not been as easy journey for Columbus and his crew to the Americas.  They must have felt some fear as they sailed off into the horizon wondering what storms they would face or whether it was true that the earth was flat. In Luke 5: 3-5, we hear of a time when Jesus and his crew go on a sailing voyage.  In Luke 5:4, we hear,  "When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."   It is not easy to go off into unchartered waters whether you are  in a boat or you are in life.   It is so much easier to stay in the comforts of familiar shores  instead of going into the unknown place, the new job, or the new mission and ministry God has for us.   The good news for those in Christ is that we are not alone, and that Christ goes with us.    PRAYER             O God,   a new day and new possibilities are 24 hours or less away.  As I face new horizons in each new day and in life,  help me to step out in faith knowing that you are with me; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.    DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/16/2008   As I write this, folks on the Gulf Coast are recovering from one hurricane and two more hurricanes are churning in the Atlantic toward a destination yet to be known. As I have watched the news about the hurricanes, I have been reminded of the importance of being prepared for such events by taking steps such as evacuating and buying emergency supplies.   Being prepared is the motto for boy scouts and is a wise move as hurricanes come near.  Preparation is also a theme that  Jesus emphasizes time after time.  Jesus tells stories about maidens that do not have oil in their lamps for the coming bridegroom and about building your house on solid ground so that when it rains it will not be moved away.   As this day and this week unfold for each of us, let us be prepared for the joyous challenge to show the love of God to others through acts of kindness and service.                PRAYER  Lord, I love you. Through the power of your Holy Spirit,  prepare me for the opportunities that this day offers to show the love of God to others; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/9/2008 It is a rainy day as I write this.  I don't know about you, but I don't like driving in rain and I don't enjoy getting my shoes or clothes wet from rain.  I recall a song from my college days titled "Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get me Down".  Rainy days seem to  bring down many of us.  While we might not like the rain, the ground outside certainly is enjoying it and the crops and vegetation around us are certainly thirsty for the rain.  The land where the Bible was written is a dry, arid region.  There are some parts of Israel today that only see rain two or three times a year.  Rain is a precious commodity in that part of the world.  The writer of Psalm 42 certainly is thinking of this when he writes, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?"     I believe that folks thirst for God and often are looking for God in the wrong places.  We thirst for joy and fulfillment and seek to find it in things that we can hold in our hand or that hold us.     Do you thirst for God with the passion and urgency that a deer  or the ground around us thirsts for water?   If so, then a rainy day for your thirsty soul  is only a prayer away.         PRAYER             O God, rain anew with your grace and presence on our thirsty souls.  Forgive us for seeking to quench our thirsts on things that do not satisfy and do not last; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/2/2008      A few weeks ago, Ann and I took a few days of vacation that was cloaked in mystery.  We went on a trip, and Ann did not know where we were going until we left that day for several days travelling from one end of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the other.      Ann tried to pry information about our destination out of some of our church staff, but they did not tell her (because they did not know the destination either).    There are times that we know we are going, but we don't where to.  There have been a few times my son in law has gone on missions with the U.S. Army that he did not know his destination.  There have been times as a Methodist pastor that I knew that I was going to be serving a church, but I did not know the name of the church or its location.  Life in general and the Christian life in particular is sometimes cloaked in mystery.    Though we have our plans for the day and goals for our life, we never know for certain what each day holds for us or what will unfold in our life.  In Hebrews 11:8, we read these words about Abraham,  "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."   None of us knows for sure who will cross our path today, what will happen this evening,  or what tomorrow will bring.  So, we live by faith trusting in the God we know amid the many, many things we do not know.  PRAYER  O God,  we are grateful that even though we do not know the twists and turns of our future, we know you.  Give us faith and trust in you as we face days ahead.    Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 8/26/2008   It was lunchtime, and Ann and I were hungry.  As we made our way down the road in our travels a few weeks ago, we spotted a chain restaurant whose name you would instantly recognize.  We went into the place seeking to quench our hunger.  The sign near the door told entering guests "Please wait and someone will seat you."  Though we waited for over 5 minutes and we were the only waiting guests,  no one bothered to seat us (though the guy at the cash register did wave at me.)   So, we seated ourselves.  When a server finally came to take our order, we headed for the buffet bar only to find a limited amount of choices.  When we got our food and sat at our table,  we had to wait another five minutes after getting our food for a server to bring our drinks.  After we finished our meal, we waited for several minutes before a server ever came to bring our bill to the table.   As Ann and made our way through the parking lot to the car and I complained to Ann about the poor service we had received, that's when it happened.  Suddenly, a question that I believe came from God came to mind:   "Randy, how are you doing serving me and my people?" Followers of Christ Jesus, including this pastor, are called to serve, not to be served.  We follow one who, like a servant, washed the feet of his disciples.  We serve a Christ who wore a crown of thorns, not a crown of gold.  Jesus speaks about serving in Mark 10: 44-45 where he says,   "44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."   How are you doing serving Christ?  How are we as a church doing serving the world?  PRAYER             O God, thank you for those times in my life journey when I am reminded that it is not about me being served, but about me serving.   Give me a sensitive heart to see the chances around me daily to serve others;  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 8/19/2008 I am in a hospital waiting room, and my mind is wandering to various things:  how are things going in the surgery&ldots; am I ready for worship on Sunday&ldots; all the things I have to do tomorrow.   As you read this, I wonder what is on your mind?  Is your work on your mind?  Is worry  in and on your mind as you wonder how you are going to make ends meet?  Is someone in your family on your mind?  What in the world is on your mind? The scriptures share a wonderful truth about God and that truth is that you are on God's mind.   Psalm 139:1-2 tells us, "O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and rise; you discern my thoughts from afar."   The reason why God knows us and our thoughts is because we are on God's mind.  Singer and songwriter Willie Nelson sang a song a few years ago titled "Always on my mind".   There is one portion of the song that says, "Tell me,  Tell me your sweet love hasn't died,"   You and I were "always on my mind". Whatever may be on your mind today, you have always been on the mind of God.  Thanks be to God for such a love that will never, ever die.  PRAYER             Praise and honor be to you, O God, who created the heavens and yet cares about each and every one of us.   May your care and compassion for us be a source of comfort and joy for us always;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 8/12/2008  I heard on the news a few weeks ago that Randy Pausch died.   A professor at Carnegie Mellon University, he was invited a few years ago to participate in a lecture series called the "Last Lecture Series".   Presenters were asked to share lessons on life as if it were the last lecture they could deliver.  Unlike his peers who delivered the lecture, it turned out to have personal meaning for Pauch because he had been just diagnosed with cancer.  What Randy Pauch shared that day so moved those who were there that it has been shared in other settings such as Oprah, the internet, and even a book. What would you want to share with others if it was the last opportunity you had to share with them?  What would you want to tell your family and friends, or even the world you live in?   When time is limited, I think that we tend to get to the heart of what we think is essential and important.   Seven years ago on this date, I spoke to my mother for the last time.  A few hours later, she died of a heart attack.  Her last words to me are written on my heart: "I love you, Randy".  Though we may have heard as children "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me", words are important and matter.  The Book of James emphasizes the power of our words when it speaks about the tongue "being a fire" and the importance of taming the tongue.   Just as you do not get a second chance to make a first impression, we also do not get a second chance to make a last impression.    As you go through this day, let us be mindful of what we say to one another.  As followers of Christ, our words not only say something about us, but they also say something for or against Christ. PRAYER             O God, forgive us for the times our words are a poor witness for you and do not reflect the love of Christ.  Give us wisdom to think about what we say this day.  Let our words be one way that we bring glory and honor to you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 8/5/2008 When July turns to August, I think about that young woman in her 17th year.  She was her Daddy's baby and she was having a baby.  She got pregnant only months after getting married to a shoe salesman.  It was not an easy pregnancy.  In her 3rd month of pregnancy, the doctor said that she needed total bed rest which meant that she had to quit her job. She followed the doctors orders even though it was hard for the young couple to make ends meet because she wanted her baby.  In those days before sonograms and other sophisticated equipment, the doctor told her that he thought her baby would be born either dead or deformed.  I was with her every step of the way as she went through that experience.  Despite the months of waiting and the gloomy predictions of the doctor, she waited and prayed.  Then, she hoped and prayed some more till that August afternoon in a thunderstorm when she gave birth to a healthy, happy baby boy.   I think about that young woman when July turns to August because that young woman in her 17th year was my mother and that baby boy was me.  I literally was with her every step of that experience.   In  Psalm 139: 13-14, the Psalmist declares, 13 For you created my inmost being;  you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,   I know that full well.  When July turns to August, I give thanks again to God for that 17 year old young woman named Shirley who hoped and prayed for the baby inside her, and I pray with thanksgiving to God who fearfully and wonderfully made even me even as he has fearfully and wonderfully made you.    PRAYER  O God, thank you for creating me and giving me life.  Thank you for re-creating me through the salvation that is ours in Christ Jesus.  Help me to show  my thanksgiving for the gift of life by honoring and glorifying you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 7/29/2008 One of the things I have been  noticing as I read and hear the news in recent years is that  there seem to be an increasing number of celebrities speaking about spiritual and religious matters.  They include persons such as Madonna, Oprah Winfrey, and Tom Cruise.  While on the surface this might appear to be a good thing, as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ I am concerned with some of the religious teachings that I hear coming from such persons.     While persons have in our country freedom of worship and freedom of beliefs, I am concerned that  people will think that just because a celebrity does excellent work on the stage and screen that they also have excellent beliefs that are purely Christian.  The early Church faced such issues also.  In response to some beliefs that were contrary to the gospel, the apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 3: 11-13,  11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.     While our names might not  be flashed across the stage or screen, we need to make sure what we believe is based not on a celebrity or public figure, but squarely on the foundation of Christ. That is the only one  a follower of Christ can build their life upon.  PRAYER  O God,  help me to let Christ be the foundation of what I believe, what I am, and what I do.   Forgive me when I have my eyes more focused on a celebrity than I have focused on you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 7/22/2008 "Road Construction Ahead."  Many of you have seen such signs on the roads recently but last week they could have put such a sign on the church grounds.  As many of you know,  a contractor has been paving around the spring and the scout building recently.  One of the things that I noticed in the paving process is that the contractor spent days and hours preparing the site for paving by adding gravel and grading before they ever put any asphalt on the ground.   It reminded me that it is important that one has a good foundation.  As a carpenter's son, Jesus knew something about building.  He speaks about it in Matthew 7: 24-25 where he says,   24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  What Jesus was saying here is that it is not only important to have a good foundation for a road or a house, but it is also important to have a good foundation in your life.   The good foundation that Christians  build their lives upon is Jesus Christ.  We build that foundation through a life filled with prayer, Bible study, public and private worship, witness, and service.    I guess that you might say that our church is always a "construction zone" as we build on the foundation of Christ. I will hope to see you at our church construction site soon. PRAYER  O God,  I admit that I am a work in progress.  Through the power of your Holy Spirit, give me the discipline I need to continue to be made more fully into the way and image of Christ;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 7/15/2008 A few weeks ago, the late Jim McKay died.  For many years, he was the face for the television program "ABC's Wide World of Sports".  I remember that when the program came on television each week an announcer would tell the television audience that they would see the "thrill of victory and the agony of defeat".  I was reminded recently of those same  wide range of emotions in the life of  Cold Springs Church.  On a Saturday morning, I gathered with a family at a cemetery as they laid to rest their loved one.   Forty Eight hours, I found myself in a hospital room celebrating with a family the birth of a child.   As a baby is born, a family is thrilled.  As one is laid to rest in peace, a family knows the agony of grief. In his letter of Corinthians, the apostle Paul searches for a metaphor to explain the nature of the church.  The metaphor that works for Paul is the human body.  Paul says that the church is the body of Christ.  In I Corinthians 12:26, the apostle Paul  says this about the church as the body of Christ:   26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.    There are times we as the church rejoice as a baby is born, a wedding takes place, or a person graduates.  Then, there are times we weep as a loved one is buried, test results bring bad news, or a marriage is troubled.     And in the midst of the tears and the smiles, there is a God who comforts us in our sorrow and who is the source of each and every blessing.  Thanks be to God.  PRAYER  O God,  we thank you this day for the holy privilege to be the body of Christ, the church.  We pray with thanksgiving for the blessings we know this week in our lives and in our church, and we thank you for your care for those who feel pain and sorrow in their lives.  Hear the prayers of praise and prayers of petition we bring before you this day;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 7/8/2008 Last week, I went with a group of folk from Cold Springs Church and other area United Methodist Churches to Mississippi as a part of a mission work team.  I have had the privilege to be a part of mission work teams to a number of different places across our nation and in other countries.   One of the arguments I sometimes hear against mission work teams is that it would be much more cost effective to send the money that it cost to travel there than to send them a group of people.   Though that argument has some merit, what persons do not realize who have never gone on a mission work team trip is the blessing that takes place  in the interaction with the people.  I go on mission work team trips not just to be a blessing, but for the blessing I receive from the persons I go to help.  You see, there is always a blessing you receive when you reach out to help a brother or sister in need. In Acts 20:35,  we find an interesting passage of scripture. In that passage, we find the only words attributed to Jesus outside the gospels.  Hear what Acts 20:35 says,  35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "   I have been blessed many times through the kindness and generosity of others, and I have also been blessed when I have had the chance to give to others as I did the mission work of Christ near and far.  PRAYER  O God,  we thank you this day for those who go in mission in your name around the block and around the world.  We are grateful for the blessing we have to share the love of Christ Jesus with others in word and deed.  We pray this day for travel mercies for those who go to do your work, and for protection for those who go to do your work in places of danger.  Give us eyes to see and ears to hear those ways you are calling us to be mission for you, and give us a willingness to say, "Here am I.  Send me";  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 7/1/2008 Times Square in New York City is one of the most interesting places I have ever visited.   The thousands of lights flashing on signs above you and the thousands of people and cars around you give it a frantic flow of movement unlike any other place I have ever been.  Ann and I were in New York City in late May for a few days.   Amid the people at Times Square on that day were sailors whose ship had docked at the port there for a few days.  As those sailors walked in front of us, we came upon a man who was positioned on the sidewalk.  While some along the sidewalk were selling water-colored paintings or watches, this man was selling his point of view as he displayed some bumper stickers saying some very disparaging things about our nation's vice president.  As the sailors passed by, I heard this protester say, "Thank you, gentleman, for your service protecting my freedom to state my opinions."  This week, we come to another July 4th Holiday.  Some folks will observe it by travelling on vacation to various locales.  Others will feast on food with family or friends or watch fireworks.  Amid it all, let us be mindful that the reason that we have the freedom to do such things is because someone paid a price that we might exercise such freedoms.     Someone also paid a price that you and I might be forgiven by God, and that one was Christ Jesus.  The apostle Paul puts it this way in  Romans 8: 1-2,  "1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." PRAYER  O God,  another July 4th holiday approaches and we offer you thanks for the persons that paid a price for the freedoms we enjoy each and every day.   We praise you most of all for the freedom from sin and death we find in our Lord Jesus Christ.   As we live in the freedoms you provide, help us to more fully love you and love one another;   through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 6/24/2008 I was walking down Houston Street in Fort Worth, Texas one Sunday morning a few months ago.  As I made my way from the Fort Worth Convention Center toward First United Methodist Church, I was stopped by a young man on the street.  He showed me a picture of a young woman he said was his girlfriend and told me that he was trying to get back home but did not have enough money.  "Would you give me some money to help me pay for my bus ticket?", he asked. Thinking back to the sermon I had just heard at the early morning service at the convention center about helping the poor, I smiled to myself thinking that God was giving me a chance to put that sermon into practice.  I pulled a few dollars out of my wallet and put them into the hands of the young man saying, "Have a good trip, and "God bless."  I then made my way toward the church.   In Leviticus 19: 9-11, we hear the scriptures say,  9 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'"    We are called to give to the poor not just because they are in need,  but because that is a way that we show what we believe and who we serve.       PRAYER  O God,  give us eyes to see and a heart that is loving to the poor that are around us always.      Through our compassion to those in need, help us to show the love of Christ that lives in us;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 6/17/2008  Though Cabarrus County Schools had their last day of school last week, the church is abuzz this week with dozens of children who are in class learning.    They are there not for summer school, but for Vacation Bible School.  The children are learning new songs, playing games, and doing crafts.  Most of all, they are hearing the stories about Jesus and other characters in the Bible.   There is an old saying that says, "A man may work from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done".  Well, the work is never done learning about Jesus and the stories of the Bible.  It is not done at the end of 180 days in the school year, or with 13 years in school.  It is the joyous privilege of a lifetime learning more about Jesus.    Jesus modeled that for us in his life.  In Luke 2, we see Jesus in the temple asking questions and learning.  In Luke 2:52, we hear, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."    Let it be so not only for the children at Vacation Bible School, but for all children of God.     PRAYER  O God,  your Word says that "a little child shall lead them."  Help us to follow the example of our Vacation Bible School children and continue to learn more about you and your Word; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 6/10/2008  Ann and I appreciated the kind invitation of Barbara Bost to join the Senior Citizens on a trip to their lake front home near Badin a few weeks ago.  I saw it is an opportunity not only for some good fellowship in a beautiful setting, but also as a chance to do some fishing.  So I took with me not only Ann, but also my fishing license, fishing poles, tackle box, and fishing worms.   I did catch some fish and that is no fishing tale.  My haul for the day was a grand total of 4 fish.  Though I would like to tell you they were 8 or 10 pounders, they probably only weighed a few ounces each.  Some of the Senior Citizens enjoyed kidding me about my small fish.   One of the senior citizens said I was catching  sardines.  In Mark 1, we hear about a time when Jesus was by the waters of the Sea of Galilee and he was fishing for disciples.  Mark 1: 16-18 says, "16As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18At once they left their nets and followed him."   In the sea of people that made up the nation of Israel, folks like Sinon and his brother Andrew were  small fish, ordinary folks with little education living in obscurity doing a blue-collar job.  Yet, Jesus called them to the task of being "fishers of men."    While there might be small fish in the waters of the sea,  I believe that a part of what this story tells us is that there are no people who are small and insignificant in the kingdom of God.  Everyone has value in the eyes of God. PRAYER  O God,  we thank you for not only caring about disciples like James and John, but caring for folks like us.   We give you thanks that in a world with over 6 billion people that you love each and everyone of us.  Help us to respond to your call to be fishers of men in our world today by sharing the love of Christ Jesus with others whatever their standing in the world might be; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 6/3/2008  This is the time of year for graduations.  Area colleges and universities held their graduations a few weeks ago, and area high schools will be graduating in a matter of days.  Ann and I are a bit sentimental about this years graduates since our youngest child, Melissa, is among the recent college graduates.  My mother was the person in my life that always reminded me of  the importance of education.  I can remember her saying many times that "education is something that no one can ever take away from you."    In this time of year, let us reflect on the accomplishments of our graduates as they receive the fruits of their labors-  degrees, scholarships, honors, and awards.     Yet, this is also a time of year for the graduates and others to realize that they did receive their degree without the assistance and help of others.  For every graduate, there is a parent making financial sacrifices that college tuition and fees can be paid&ldots; a teacher that encouraged them to believe "you can do it"&ldots; and persons who wrote letters of recommendation or assisted with scholarships.  The same is true of not only our graduates, but all of us.  So much of the goodness of life that we enjoy in life is a gift from God through someone else.  Deuteronomy 6:10-12 reminds us of the same when we read, " 10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you-a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant-then when you eat and are satisfied, 12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery". PRAYER  O God,   bless the college and high school graduates among us.   As they face the unknowns of the future, help them to know that they do not walk alone.   We give you thanks for their accomplishments and for the many persons who have given so much that each graduate might come to this moment in their lives.    Help our graduates to go and be a blessing for you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 5/27/2008  Several weeks ago, my wife Ann shared with me that there had been a request for Bibles by persons coming to the Mount Pleasant Food Ministry.  I felt led to share this with the congregation at Cold Springs Church and God provided through the graciousness of the people at Cold Springs.  One member of the congregation put small copies of Bibles in our church mailbox, and the United Methodist Men responded to this need by buying a case of Bibles.  Ann was working at the Mount Pleasant Food Ministry the first day they had the Bibles there, and tells me that they gave away four Bibles that first day.    As Ann was waiting that day to give food to one woman at the Food Ministry, she asked her, "Would you like a Bible?" The woman gently picked up the Bible and  carefully looked at its cover, and then she hugged it tightly with both of her arms saying, "I have been wanting one of these."  After thanking Ann for the Bible and the food, the woman headed home.              I don't know about you, but the story of that woman was a blessing to me.  Do we have a love for God's Word, the Bible, so much that we literally hug the Bible?   Does the Bible mean that much to you?  The Bible meant much to  John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. In his sermon on "An Appeal To Men of Reason and Religion", Wesley says, "I am a spirit come from God and returning to God... I want to know one thing. the way to heaven... God Himself has condescended to teach me the way... He has written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me." Deuteronomy 8:3 puts it this way,  "man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live". PRAYER  O God,  I thank you for giving us the Holy Scriptures as a light for our path and a lamp for our feet.   Lord, forgive me for the times when I have been  slow to read the Scriptures.  Help me to grow in my study of and my love of the Bible that I might grow in my love for you;   through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 5/20/2008  For a couple of days while Ann and I were in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area in late April for the General Conference, we did some sight-seeing.  One morning, we drove a few miles north of Dallas to see  "South Fork" ranch.  This ranch was made famous through the 1980's television show, "Dallas".   The outdoor scenes at the house for the "Dallas" television show were actually filmed at the ranch, and they were filmed in the summer so as not to disturb the school schedule of the children who lived there with their parents.   One of the things that the tour  guide shared with us as we toured the home and the ranch is that the producers sought to create the illusion that the house and pool at South Fork Ranch were much bigger than they actually are. For example, television made the pool at the Ewing home look like it was an Olympic size pool when it actually is an average size home pool.  Television producers made the pool look bigger by literally pulling a swimmer backwards as they swam. Television and the movies is often about creating an illusion for the viewer that something is when it really isn't.  One of the temptations we face as followers of Christ Jesus is creating the illusion of a relationship with Christ that really isn't.  Jesus himself speaks about that in Matthew 23: 27-28 where he says,  27"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."     While television might be about the business of creating illusion,  the disciple of Christ Jesus needs to be the "real deal".   That only happens if Christ is real in your life.  PRAYER  O God,  forgive us for the times when our faith has only been skin deep.  Through your grace and your Spirit, transform us into being the people you have called us to be;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 5/13/2008   I was pouting about my trip to "What a Burger"  the other day.  I was disappointed that they did not have a Cherry-Lemon Sundrop in the whole place.  On top of that, I could not get my cheeseburger fixed "all the way", but had to have it with lettuce and tomato.  Before you get too upset, let me tell you that I was eating at "What a Burger" in Texas.  I saw "What a Burger" restaurants all around the Dallas/Fort Worth area when I was there a few weeks ago, and understand they have them all over Texas.  While the name is the same as the fast food restaurant folks around Cabarrus County know so well,  the truth is that not all  places that call themselves "What a Burger" Restaurants in the world  are the same.  The truth of that statement is in the food.  The same is true in the Christian life.  It is not just about calling ourselves Christians and followers of Christ Jesus, but it is about what we do.  The fruit from our lives tells whether we really follow Christ Jesus.  Jesus puts it this way in Matthew 7:21:  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."   Just as you can tell a real good "What a Burger" by what comes in your order, so you can only tell whether someone really follows Jesus by who they are.    PRAYER  O God,  thank you for calling people like us through your grace to be your disciples. Help the faith that we profess with our lips be seen through our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 5/6/2008 It was a zoo at Cold Springs Church a few weeks ago.  Sometimes,  we use the term "like a zoo" to speak about things being crazy or chaotic, but it really was like a zoo at our church the other day when we had the blessing of the animals service.  While Noah and company had two of every kind of creature when they went on their voyage on the Ark, we had lots of dogs, a few cats, a calf, a rabbit, and a few other creatures roaming the church parking lot and grounds.   There were also lots of two-legged creatures (people) there who were from the community.  A few days after the blessing of the animals service, I ran into one of the persons from the community that brought their pet.  As we stopped in the shopping aisle and chatted for a moment, they told me, "Thanks for the blessing of the animals of the service, but I got to let you know that I hope that we have a blessing of the animals service at my church because I don't want my pet to be a Methodist".   I know that person was just kidding with that comment, but it was a reminder to me that we use a lot of labels in our world today:  Republican or Democrat, Duke fan or Carolina fan, Methodist or Baptist, liberal or conservative, pro-choice or pro-life.  The apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 3: 28 there are no labels in the kingdom of God when he says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."   PRAYER  O God,  forgive me for the times that I look at others through the labels and categories that the world gives.  Help me to see others as persons that Christ died for and as brothers and sisters in Christ;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/29/2008   While most of you are reading this at work or in your home, I am in Fort Worth, Texas.  As Dorothy told Toto in "The Wizard of Oz" "I don't believe that we are in Kansas anymore", it is obvious in Texas that I am not in North Carolina anymore.  When you talk about BBQ  in Texas, you aren't talking about pork.  They certainly don't have green, beautiful trees around Fort Worth like we do around Concord.   And don't even ask in Texas to have your hamburger prepared "all the way".  I am in Texas attending the General Conference of the United Methodist Church.  It is held every four years, and there are people here from all over the world.    I almost feel like I am at the United Nations because there are so many interpreters here.  Of course, there are also persons here from all fifty states who speak with different accents and eat different foods.  As I gather here, I think about another gathering of people from all sorts of places.  They were gathered not in Fort Worth, but in Jerusalem.  While they were together, Acts 2 tells us that the Holy Spirit came upon them "like the rush of a mighty wind". My prayer is that as these Methodist folk of different places and different languages gather in Fort Worth that the Holy Spirit might come upon the church in a powerful way and empower us to more fully be the body of  Christ in the world.  That's a good thing to seek whether God's people are gathering in Fort Worth or any place.   PRAYER    Come, Holy Spirit, come, our hearts inspire and fill us with your heavenly fire as we seek to be your people;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/22/2008 Most of you reading this are only on the Cold Springs Church campus for a few hours a week, but Ann and I are around here all the time since the parsonage is located next to the church.  One thing you might not see in your brief time on the church campus is that there are all sorts of wildlife around the church.  I have seen wild turkeys, deer, and squirrels roaming around our church campus from time to time.  As the weather is getting warmer, we are keeping our windows at the parsonage open more and more.  In the early minutes of daylight recently, Ann and I listened as the birds sang in the trees around the parsonage.  As Ann and I listened to the birds singing, she commented, "Each of them is singing a different song." In Job 12: 7-10, we hear these words,   7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. 9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.    As we hear the birds sing, they are telling us the truth that the Lord God has made them and that God has made us.  God is the one that gives breath to the birds of the air and to the creatures that roam around the church campus, but he also is the one that gives us life and breath.   As the birds of the air have their song to sing, each of us has our own song to sing to the glory of God.  Let us sing that song this day and in this life.  PRAYER  O God,  we give you thanks for the birds that sing and all the creatures you have made.  We especially thank you for our lives.  Hear our prayers of praise to you this day, and help our lives to praise you always; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/15/2008 Last Sunday was a great day as we had members of our confirmation class join the church.   It was a joy for Pastor Mary, Betty Talley, Leon Talley, and myself to work with them for over 2 months as we learned together about God, Jesus, the Church, Christian service, church membership, and many other things.  These young people did not just learn things about being a Christian and following Jesus in confirmation. No, they have been learning throughout their lives from their family members, Sunday School teachers, and other folks.  In II Timothy 1: 5-6, we hear the apostle Paul tell his friend in Timothy, 5I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.   I give thanks to God for the faith that lives in these members of the confirmation class through the influence of so many folks.  May faith continue to grow in them, and continue to grow in each of us.     PRAYER  O God,  I give you thanks for all those persons whose life and example shared Christ with us.  Grant that our faith may continue to grow; through  Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/8/2008 Have you seen the television show on ABC on Sunday nights called "The Big Give"?  Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is the one who is producing the show and when Oprah speaks, people listen.   From what I can gather, there is a lot of buzz about the show.   The basic premise behind the show is that contestants are given a large sum of money with the instructions to spend the money not on themselves, but on a great need.  Throughout the Bible, we see one example after another of God giving.   God gives us the earth and its resources&ldots; a covenant, and a new covenant.  Most of all, God gives Himself in Jesus Christ.  As ones who have been given richly by God, we are called to give to others.     In II Corinthians 8, the apostle Paul tells us about the Church in Macedonia and their "Big Give".  Hear what Paul says about the Macedonian Church in II Corinthians 8: 1-5,  "1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." Thanks be to God for his generous giving to us, and thanks be to God for those whose way of life is one "Big Give" after another.     PRAYER  O God,  we give you thanks and praise that our lives are overflowing with your wondrous gifts.  As we have been richly given, help us to richly give; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the greatest Gift.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 2/12/2008 The sun had not even risen yet as I made my way from the parsonage to retrieve the newspaper.  As I walked across the church parking lot toward the road, I noticed a strange car parked near the road.    As I came along the side of the car, I noticed a young woman sitting in the car and waiting for the traffic to clear so she could be on her way.  "Are you the pastor at the church here?", she asked as she rolled down the car window.  Surprised at a pastoral encounter so early in the day, I was slow to respond but finally said, "Why, yes I am."   The woman then said, "I want to tell you a brief story before I go.  This morning, I woke up early and felt the need to pray, so I drove up here from home and went down to the Spring and prayed."     Before she drove away, she told me that I would be seeing her and her family at the church soon. That woman was not a member of Cold Springs Church or any congregation in our community, but she gave this pastor a  lesson early on that weekday morning about the importance of prayer.   A woman who is not a member of a church makes the effort to spend time in prayer early one weekday morning.  I wonder how many of those who are a part of the body of  Christ, the Church, take time to pray early in the morning or some other time of the day?   Anytime is a good to pray, and all the time there is something to speak to God about.  There are gifts and goodness in life to praise and thank God for.  There are needs in our lives or the lives of others that we can bring to the throne of grace  to a God that can do more than we can imagine.  There is a "friend we have in Jesus" that waits for us to share our life with him and who wants to share Himself with us.   Lent is a time of renewal.   Why not let Lent, 2008 be a time when prayer becomes more than something you do on Sunday or at mealtime?     God is ready to receive our prayers when we are ready to offer them.   PRAYER  O God,  I thank you for the gift of prayer.  Forgive me for the times when my prayers are infrequent and when praise and thanksgiving are rare in my prayers.  Lord, you want a deep, personal relationship with me.  Help me to reach out to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/22/2008 Please continue to pray about our need for rain.  In the aftermath of the recent snow and rain that we have received and with hot summer days only a memory, it is easily to be lulled into not thinking about the drought conditions North Carolina  and the South are still experiencing.    During this time of drought, I have found myself thinking more about the fact that most of Israel is a very dry region.  The desert in the southern part of Israel only gets rain less than 5 times a year.  Rain is so rare and so precious that you will find holes in the ground (called wadis) for the rainfall to collect and be stored.  The people of Israel know not only a dry land, but they also have known dry times in their history when hope and God seem far away.   Isaiah the prophet wrote in such a time these words:  “ The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God”  (Isaiah 35: 1-2).      Whether your prayer life focuses in these days on the dryness of the earth or whether you are feeling like you are in a time of “spiritual drought”, thanks be to God whose Spirit  can make the earth and make our souls bloom again.   PRAYER “Fill my cup, Lord.  I lift it up, Lord.  Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.  Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.  Fill my cup, lift me up, and make me whole.”  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/15/2008 In the early morning light, I look to the east and see the trees behind the parsonage.    This tall timber casts a silhouette against the light of the morning sky.  These trees were colored with leaves only months ago, but now their barren limbs of varying sizes have a plain and simple beauty about them.  On this winter day, the trees are skeletons that stand tall and erect awaiting not only this new day but a new day for themselves to come in the Spring ahead. Whatever time of year it was, it was winter in the hearts of the Israelites and for the prophet Ezekiel.  The prophet and his fellow Israelites were being held captive in Babylon, and their homeland of Israel was in physical and spiritual shambles.  In Ezekiel 37, we hear that Ezekiel has the image of a valley filled with bones.  Hear these words from Ezekiel 37: 11-12,   “11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel”  Perhaps winter time is not only the time of year you read this, but it is winter time in your life right now.  Perhaps there is a barreness and starkness to what your life is now.   Perhaps you are tired of what is going on in your life now or you even feel that God is far away.  The  same God that brought new life to the nation Israel and will bring new life to those trees that surround us on these January days can do the same for you.     Thanks be to God, who makes the trees bud and blossom again and does the same for the life of  His people.  PRAYER  O God, who makes all things new, give new life to those who need your tender touch this day.  Revive their spirits through your Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/8/2008 One of the “hottest” gifts for Christmas 2007 were GPS systems.  GPS stands for Global Positioning System.  What a GPS system does is that it uses a space satellite to assist you to know where you are and help guide you to where you are going.  In Genesis 3, we hear the story about the first sin of humans when they go beyond the boundaries of conduct that God has set for them in the Garden of Eden.  After their sin, the scripture tells us that Adam and Eve seek to hide from God.  In Genesis 3:9, we hear this verse, ‘But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"’  Where are you in these early days of 2008?   While a GPS can tell you what is your physical location,  I wonder where you are in your relationship with God and service for God. The good news is that wherever you are, God knows and God is there with you.  Where are you going in this year of 2008?   A GPS can tell you how to get from point A to point B, but how can you know how to go forward to grow in your relationship with God, your service for God, and in your relationship with others.  How can you know how to fulfill your meaning and purpose in life?  In John 14:6, we hear Jesus tell us, ‘Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”’     Through the scriptures, small group studies in Christ’s church,  worship, prayer, and the Holy Spirit, God provides us with guidance on how to go forward as His followers.   PRAYER  O God,  we praise you that you are never far from us and know our every need.   We thank you that you not only know where we are, but that you are there to guide us as we follow you.  In this new year of 2008, help us to avail ourselves of the means you provide to grow in  your grace and service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.     DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/2/2008 While I know that the new year of 2008 has come,  let me share a final word related to Christmas since it was only days ago.   In Algona, Iowa, they have a nativity scene that is visited by over 2,000 visitors each year.  The nativity scene is 40 feet wide, and features over 60 figures.   What is different about this nativity scene is that it was created by German Prisoners of War during World War II.  It seems that there were about 3,000 German POW’s held in Algona, Iowa in the 1940's.   Though the POW’s only made ten cents an hour working on Iowa farms and other jobs, they used their own money to buy the materials and built the nativity scene on their own time.    While the prisoners came to the camp as enemies, friendship developed with some Iowa residents who kept in touch after the war’s end. The story of the birth of Jesus is a story about a poor couple named Mary and Joseph and about rich Kings who had seen a star in the East.  It is a story about heavenly beings called angels and about low-down, mangy shepherds.  But most of all the story of the birth of Jesus is about Christ Jesus “the prince of peace” , who brings together rich and poor, heavenly beings and low-down sinners, Israelites and foreigners from the East.   In a town called Algona, Iowa, this same Christ Jesus brought together Germans and Americans.    In this new year of 2008, may that same Christ break down the walls between us and bring us together in these days. PRAYER  O God,   we give thanks  that Christ came as the savior for the world, and that people of many races, languages, and countries join in praising and adoring His holy name.  We pray that His Spirit among us in this new year of 2008 might knit us together as one people; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.    DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/21/2007 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EDITION This will be the last devotion for 2007.  Have a blessed Christmas.  Christmas is filled with traditions for many of us, and one of the traditions I have is that I always want to see a “Christmas movie” this time of year such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.   The other day, Ann received at the video store a free copy of the movie “A Christmas Vacation” for us to view.   One of the things that stood out in that movie is that the main character, Clark Griswold, had the deep desire to have a “perfect family Christmas” but things kept happening to mar that experience.  The tree they cut to go in their house was too big&ldots; the electric lights on the house would not work&ldots; and the family that gathered at his home did their own version of “family feud”. I believe there are a lot of folks like Clark Griswold that search for a “perfect Christmas”-  the perfect meal that would make Martha Stewart proud&ldots; or the perfect home decorations that could be featured on HGTV&ldots; or the kind of family gathering that could be portrayed in a Norman Rockwell painting.   Unfortunately, the perfect Christmas is sometimes as elusive as a three dollar bill because sometimes the food burns or gets cold&ldots;  the dog knocks over the Christmas tree&ldots; or a family member is sick or has gone to be with the Lord.  Perhaps “A perfect Christmas” is a figment of our imagination or the creation of Hollywood.   We certainly don’t hear of a “perfect Christmas” as Luke tells us that there was no room in the inn for Mary (ready to deliver a baby) and her betrothed Joseph.  I bet the stable where Mary gave birth would not be shown to HGTV viewers and the shepherds who first heard the news about the Child/King would not be dressed to the satisfaction of any movie producer.    We cannot create “A perfect Christmas” because Christmas is not made by humans, but it is made by God.   You see, everything that we create at Christmas pales in comparison to the perfect gift that God made at Christmas in the savior that was born in the world, Jesus Christ.   All the food that we eat at Christmas fills us for a day, but Christ is food for our soul for a lifetime.  All of the decorations in our home will soon make their way back to the attic or closet, but Christ fills our hearts all the time.   All the family that we hold so dear will not be with us always, but we have the good news from Christ Jesus that  “I am with you always, even to the close of the age.”    PRAYER  O God,  we give thanks for the wondrous, perfect gift you give at Christmas in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Through the power of your Holy Spirit, help our hearts to be open to knowing His presence among us.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/11/2007 Food is a big part of Christmas gatherings.  I can’t think of many Christmas activities that does not have food as a part of it.   But you know what?  Some of the food I hear about in Christmas poems and songs has never showed up at any Christmas gatherings at my house.  The poem “T’was the night before Christmas” may speak about sugar plums dancing in the heads of sleeping children, but  I have never seen a sugar plum on our table at Christmas.   Nat King Cole might sing of “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”, but we enjoy roasted peanuts and pecans at Christmas.   “Oh, bring us some figgy pudding” we sing when we share “We Wish you a Merry Christmas”, but no one  has ever brought any figgy pudding to our house at Christmas.  The gospel of Mark tells us about some other  food that probably will not be on your Christmas menu:  locusts and wild honey.    According to Mark,  that was the diet of Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist.   While we might not  eat what John ate, I think we would do well to heed his word and message:  “Prepare the way of the Lord,  make straight paths for him”  (Mark 1:3).     We have got some work to do to get ready for Christmas, and that work is more than preparing our favorite foods.  It is going to take some work to get our hearts ready to receive our Savior who saves us from our sins, Jesus Christ our Lord.   The food for our souls that Christ Jesus gives will never grow old.  PRAYER  O God, we confess that it is easier to get our homes ready for Christmas than to get our hearts ready.  Through the power of your Holy Spirit, come among us anew that might we live and sleep in the  “heavenly peace” that only your son, Jesus Christ, can give.  Amen.   DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/4/2007  “Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go; Take a look in the five and ten, glistening once again with candy canes and silver lanes aglow.”    When I hear the words of that song, I always think of my mother because that was one of her favorite Christmas songs.  With the Chrismon tree we see in our church sanctuary&ldots; the Christmas tree in our homes&ldots; and the lights reflecting from homes and along streets, it is looking like Christmas.   There is a message in the sights of Christmas, and that message is Christmas shows.    As a pregnant Mary made her way to Bethlehem,  surely it could be seen that soon she would give birth    The gospel of John, like the gospel of Mark, does not give us any details about the birth of Jesus.  The closest that John comes to telling us about the birth of Jesus is in John 1:14 when he tells us,   “14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”     In his own way, John was saying that Christmas shows in the fact that God came to us in the flesh. My hope and prayer for all of us that follow Jesus is that we will let Christmas show not just through the decorations we have in our homes on in the clothes we wear, but that we will let Christmas show by letting his love be seen in and through us.    PRAYER Holy Lord,  thank you for the gift of Christ Jesus, the Word made flesh.  Help me to let Christ so fully live in my heart that he might be seen in all that I say and do;   through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/27/2007 Angela Sidden, our administrative assistant,  was trying to make out the name on an offering envelope as she recorded the weekly contributions recently.  A young child in our congregation had done their best to print their first name on the envelope. It makes no difference how much that child put in that envelope.  Those monies in that offering envelope say something about that child and what they believe.   That child had learned through his parents and others that those who love Jesus and follow Jesus give their gifts to the Lord through His Church and that his gifts (though small) were important.   That child could have taken that money and used it to buy ice cream or bubble gum.  However, he chose to use that money to give to the Lord because that was important to Him.   That child might not be able to stand before the congregation and preach a sermon or even read the scripture lesson, but he could participate in the life and worship of the church by giving his offerings. In Psalm 116:12, we read the Psalmist ask, “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?”   What a good question to ask in the week after Thanksgiving or anytime.     A young child knew what he could do.  He could give his gifts to the Lord as he was able.  Let us go and do likewise.  PRAYER Thank you, Lord, for all that you have done for me.  Help me, Lord, to show you my gratitude and thanksgiving for all your blessings by offering the gift of myself and my monies to you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/20/2007            Well, Thanksgiving Day is almost here.  It’s time for us to count our blessings.  As the old hymn says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one”.  If we take the time to really do it instead of simply setting our sights on a Thanksgiving feast or our travel plans, we could easily jot down a long list of things to be thankful for.  For most of us, our list would include things like family, friends, our home, our food, our clothing, and our job.  But think about it for a moment.  If you follow this logic, we cannot give thanks if we do not have things.  What if we did not have these things?  Would we have anything to be thankful for? The apostle Paul says that we would have plenty to be thankful for even if we had none of those things.  A matter of fact, Paul says that we have plenty we can be thankful for that you cannot see or touch.   In Ephesians 1: 15-23, we hear the apostle Paul give thanks to God for a long list of intangible things like faith in Jesus Christ, love toward the saints, a spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the riches of God’s  glorious  inheritance and power.  None of those blessings that Paul mentioned can be  touched, seen, or possessed like you can the clothes you wear or the food you eat.  Yet, they are rich and wondrous gifts that God has given.  As this Thanksgiving Day approaches, there are people who know grief and loss.  There are folks who know fragile health for themselves or someone they love.  There are people who know not where their next meal or next months rent will come from.  However, whatever be our lot in life, all of us who follow Jesus know the intangible blessings that only God gives.  Thanks be to God for his wondrous gifts.  Have a blessed Thanksgiving.   PRAYER Thank you, Lord, for the abundance of intangible blessings you have given me.  Give me a grateful heart and help me live a grateful life;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/13/2007          The Mount Pleasant High School football team is to be commended for an outstanding football season.  It finished the regular season with a perfect record and won the Conference championship. Their accomplishments bring honor to the team, their families, and our community.   A few days ago, I was in Summerville, SC (outside of Charleston SC) to officiate at the wedding of my cousin, Jennifer. On the way back from the wedding festivities on Friday night, Ann and I got caught in high school football traffic.  They have a football coach in Summerville who has quite a record of his own.  John McKissick is in his 56th  season coaching the Summerville High School football team.  During these seasons,  McKissick has won more than 525 football games making him the winningest high school coach in the USA.  Some joke that John McKissick has been the coach at Summerville so long that he has letters of commendation from President Abraham Lincoln and President George Washington.   When McKissick,  81 years old, is asked how long he will coach, he only says that he will take one year at a time. There is an important lesson in the story of John McKissick, who is the grandson of a Methodist pastor, and it is this:  older adults can still be useful and serve.    John McKissick at 81 years old is still serving effectively winning football games at Summerville High School.   Throughout the scriptures, we see the truth that older adults can still serve in the work of the Lord.  For example, Abraham was 75 years old when he was called by God to be the father of God’s chosen people and was 100 years old when his son, Isaac, was born.   I thank God for the many older adults who are still serving effectively in the ministry of Christ’s Church.    While the federal government says that you can retire with full benefits at age 65, there is no retirement age for those who serve the Lord. PRAYER Thank you, Lord, for all those who have served you long and effectively.  Lord, help me to serve you all my days until that day when you call me to go home to you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/7/2007 We have been having a lot of problems with trees around the parsonage lately.  One day, a large oak tree next to the church parking lot simply fell over toward the parsonage.  The good news is that the when the tree fell it did not do harm to anyone or anything.  The bad news is that though the tree showed no signs of problems that it was dead inside.  According to James Sidden, the tree had been eaten by some wood-eating pests.  In John 4, we hear the story about a woman that Jesus met one day that was a lot like that oak tree.  There was a hollowness inside her that others could see.  However, Jesus saw her need because he really knew who she was.   Hear what John 4:13-15 tells us in this story,  13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."  Perhaps you are like that oak tree in that there is an emptiness or hollowness inside you that no one else sees.  Maybe you feel like you are about to “fall over” with what is going in your life.   But you know what?  Jesus sees your need just like he saw the need of that woman in John 4, and he ready to quench your thirsty soul if you would only ask.  PRAYER “Fill my cup, Lord.  I lift it up, Lord.  Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.  Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more.  Fill my cup, lift it up, and make me whole”;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/30/2007            You are reading this while I am on vacation in the mountains of North Carolina.     I am sleeping more and spending more time with my wife, Ann.  I am exercising more and spending more time in prayer.  I am enjoying the beautiful scenery and God’s handiwork in the mountains.  While the psalmist tells us that “he who keeps Israel neither slumbers or sleeps”, human beings need time to rest and be renewed.  This coming Sunday, we begin our annual Revival Services at Cold Springs Church.  I hope you will join us Sunday through Wednesday evenings at 7 pm nightly as my friends  Revs. Dave and Lynn Cash share the good news of Christ with us.    As we need the renewal that vacation offers, we also need times of spiritual renewal.   In Psalm 51:10, the psalmist declares,  “ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”   I pray that those words will be our prayer during these Revival Services.  May each of us as individuals and all of us as a church we renewed in our commitment and our mission as disciples for Jesus Christ.  PRAYER      Lord and God, we ask that these Revival Services at Cold Springs Church be a spiritual oasis for our church and for us as individuals.  May the winds of your Holy Spirit blow afresh on all of us and on each of us;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/16/2007 Ann and I have been speaking a lot of time talking about weddings recently. Of the three daughters that Ann and I have that are not married,  two of our daughters are getting married in 2008.  Melissa will be married in May, and Heather will be married next Fall.   Since it was 2004 when we had our last wedding in the family when Ginger was married, I had forgotten all the plans there are to made.  There are invitations, a reception, flowers, photographer, and  (of course) the wedding dress.  I have told both Melissa and Heather that they have already taken care of one of the most important details of a wedding, and that is they have picked fine bridegrooms.    There is so much to do to get ready for a wedding.              Matthew 25 begins with a story of Jesus about a wedding.  Weddings were different in Jesus’ day.  Today, we receive an  invitation that tells us the time and place for a wedding.  In Jesus’ day, however, one did not know what the exact time would be.   The story tells us that five of the virgins were not ready for the bridegroom.  Therefore, they missed the wedding banquet.    In this story and the two stories that follow, Jesus emphasizes the importance of  being ready for the coming of the Lord.              I believe that the Lord is coming.  Someday, the Lord is coming to take home all those who have faith and trust in Him.  However, I also believe that in this day and this week  the Lord is coming.  First, the Lord is going to reveal his glory in something or someone around you-  a person, an experience, or in His creation.  Secondly, I believe that the Lord is going to give you the opportunity to share His love with someone else in a tangible way or intangible way.   While it is important to be ready for a wedding,  it is more important to be ready for the coming of the Lord in your midst.   PRAYER     Holy God, thank you for coming among us in this world.  We particularly thank you for revealing yourself through your Son, Jesus Christ.  As we experience this day and this week., give us open hearts and open eyes to see you and make you seen even through our lives;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 10/9/2007 There was an interesting story in the newspaper and on the television news recently about a fella named John Wood.  It seems that a man in Maiden, NC bought a BBQ smoker at a storage facility.  When the man looked inside the smoker, he found something wrapped in paper.  Inside the paper, the man discovered the leg of John Wood.  Reports say that Mr. Wood lost his leg in a 2004 plane crash and saved it because he wanted to be buried a full man.   Now, he is trying to get that leg back.   That “lost” part of the body is important to John Wood, and parts of the body are important in Christ’s Church.  In I Corthians 12: 12-20, the apostle Paul compares the church to the human body:   12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.    You are important in the life and ministry of your church.  Without the involvement and ministry of all persons in the body of Christ, the ministry of the church is crippled.  PRAYER     O Lord and God, I thank you for the gifts and graces you have given me as a part of the body of Christ, the church.  Help me, O Lord, to never think that I do not matter to you and do not matter in the ministry of my church;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 10/2/2007  I guess that Ann and I are going to have to buy a new car. The reason why is that  I heard recently a news report that said that in-dash CD players in cars might soon be a thing of the past just like the audio cassette players and the eight track players before them.  Dog-gone it, I had just learned how to work the CD player in our Kia.  It seems that digital music is the latest thing, and soon cars will be equipped with devices that will play music off a memory card like the one you have on your MP3 player (if you have an MP3 player).   Music certainly  has changed through the years and what we hear music from has changed also.  The days of the  LP record albums you played on record players, and the single vinyl records you played as 45’s are no more. Though the Bible is filled with words of songs to praise the Lord, it does not say anything about methods we use to hear music today like CD players or MP3 players.  Yet, it has something to say about changes in the world in which we live because the apostle Paul lived in a world that was changing also.  In I Corinthians 13: 8-13,  we hear the apostle Paul say, “8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.   Changes are always happening around us like the music we hear or the way we listen to the music.  And changes will also continue to be happening in us and to us.  In a world that is changing, how good it is to know that God and his love never changes. PRAYER     O Lord and God, I thank you that though the seasons change from summer to fall and though the leaves change and fall, you and your love never changes.  Thank you that we know that we can always count on you;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  9/25/2007 I read an interesting article in the Independent Tribune newspaper recently  about a man named Ernie Chambers.  I don’t know Mr. Chambers, and you probably don’t know Mr. Chambers either because he lives in Nebraska.  The newspaper article says that Mr. Chambers is seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty because God has caused fearsome floods, horrendous hurricanes, and terrifying tornadoes.  That newspaper article reminds me of a man named Job that we read about in the book of the Bible by the same name.  Though Job was a righteous man, we read that in a single swoop he suffers the death of all his children, the loss of all his possessions, serious health problems, and marital woes.  Job is angry, and he brings his charges before God just like Mr. Chambers does.   In Job 38: 1-8 we hear a portion of God’s response to his charges:  “1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: 2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? 8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb”    For several chapters, God asks questions such as these to Job.    The Book of Job ends with Job realizing that he does not understand God and His ways, and Job praying for his friends.              The Book of Job reminds us of several things.   First, it reminds us that it is okay for us to cry out and question God.   In places like Job and the Psalms, we see persons cry out with their complaints to God.   There is no sin in asking God “why?”   We worship a God that is eager to hear the complaints of his creatures as well as their praises.  Secondly, this passage from Job also reminds us what a great God we serve and what a wonderful world God has created.  We serve a mighty, awesome God that has created us and all things good.   Thanks be to God.  PRAYER     O God,  we thank you that you love us so much that you are ready and willing to hear not only our praises, but also our complaints.   We praise you for creating all good things, and for our constant presence with us;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  9/18/2007 As some of you know, I serve as a volunteer chaplain a few hours a week  in the Pastoral Care Department at  CMC-NorthEast.    I think that service in the community is important, and this is a way that I serve in the community and have served since 1996.   As I was chatting at the hospital with my friend, Chaplain Tony Biles, a couple of weeks ago, he received a page from the Intensive Care Unit.  The doctor informed Chaplain Biles that there was patient in the ICU who wanted to be baptized.   Since Chaplain Biles was tied up, he asked me if I would respond to the call and perform the baptism.    Though the patient was unable to talk due to being on a respirator, I learned a little bit about the patient that day through the doctor, nurses, and family of the patient.     The woman was a senior citizen, and  would soon be taken off of the respirator.  The doctor did not know if she would live after the respirator was removed.  Her family told me about her life as a mother and wife. Something happened on ICU that day.  Healing and wholeness came near even though her body was not instantly healed. A woman that was a senior citizen was “born anew” in Christ.  A woman that was connected to all sorts of tubes also became connected to Christ Jesus as one of his disciples.  I Peter 1:3-4 declares, “3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you,”   Thanks be to God for his transforming love.  PRAYER              O loving and living God, we thank you for the new life that comes through the grace found in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through the power of your Holy Spirit, grant that we might die to self and live for Christ and in Christ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/11/2007 It probably is no secret to anyone reading this who lives in the Tar Heel state that we are in drought conditions right now. The amount of rain we have received this year is many inches less than what we need.   Most of our area municipalities have called for water conservation measures and will levy fines for those that will not abide by those restrictions.  I got an e mail the other day that shared some news about how these drought conditions are impacting the sacrament of baptism in area churches.  According to the e mail, the Baptists have started sprinkling, the Methodists are using handi-wipes in baptism, the Presbyterians are issuing rain checks, and the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn into water.  I am not so sure about all that;  however, I am certain that God is the one that is the giver of rain just like he gives all our blessings.  Zechariah 10:1 tells us "Ask the Lord for rain in the Springtime;  it is the Lord who makes the storm clouds.  He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone."    Let us join together in praying for rain.  Local governments and even churches can take measures to conserve, but only God can bring the blessing of rain.  PRAYER     O God,  thank you for the showers of blessings and showers of rain you bring to our lives and our world.  Hear the prayers of your people for rain on the earth and its people; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.      DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/4/2007 Ann and I went over to Charlotte a few days ago to see a ball game. I  believe we had a better time than did the Carolina Panthers as they played the New England Patriots in an exhibition game.  The final score was 24-7, and the Panthers were on the losing end of the score.    There were at least 50,000 persons in Bank of America Stadium that Friday evening.   Since it was predominately a Carolina Panther crowd, they would cheer loudly when the Panthers made a great play or scored, and they would complain when the Panthers did not do well.    Since the game was not so interesting for this Carolina Panther fan, I got to thinking how that football game experience was a metaphor for disciples of Jesus Christ today.  There were 22 players on the football field at any given time, but there were thousands of persons who were spectators in the stands.   Sometimes it seems like we have just a few people who are busy doing the Lord’s work and a whole lot of people on our church membership rolls or even sitting in the pews who are spectators.   As the fans would cheer loudly when the Panthers did well and complain loudly when they did not, it often seems that there are a whole lot of folks who cheer or complain about the Lords work but too few people who are actually “giving their best to the master”.   On this day after Labor Day, I am reminded of these words of Jesus from Luke 10: 1-2 which say,  “ 1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”   If the Carolina Panthers are to have a successful season, they need some good players on the team.  If we as the body of Christ are to be faithful to the commission the Lord has given us to make disciples and follow Jesus, we need more than spectators on the sidelines.  We need workers on God’s team.  If you have been one of the “players” on the body of Christ team, thanks be to God.  If you have been simply a spectator,  God wants you out of your seat and in the game.  PRAYER Lord God,  your Son Christ Jesus called disciples long ago and he calls disciples today.    Give me courage to answer that calling and awareness to see how  I might live out that calling day by day;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  8/28/2007 I want to tell you a “whale of a tale” that happened recently at North Myrtle Beach.  Three pygmy whales came ashore in North Myrtle Beach a couple of weeks ago.   Pygmy whales are about the size of dolphins.  Though they are sometimes spotted on the South Carolina coast, they rarely travel that far south. News reports say that whales usually travel in groups and that when one of them gets sick, the others often follow it even if it means they eventually die themselves.   This “whale of a tale” does not have a happy ending.  Despite the help of beachgoers and wildlife officials, all three pygmy whales had to be euthanized.  The first whale was sick and had to be euthanized; the other two whales were unable, despite help, to get back to sea and they were euthanized about one hour after the first whale.    That sad story reminds me of some good news about God, and that good news is that the God who created those whales and created us is with us in times of death just as those two pygmy whales were with the sick whale.  The apostle Paul reminds us of that truth in Romans 8:38-39 where we read, “38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   What an awesome and loving God we serve.  PRAYER          Lord God, we praise you that in life, in death, and in life beyond death that you are with us.  Thank you for our love and faithfulness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 8/21/2007 Ann and I made a  brief pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach last week as I had the good fortune to be a part of the leadership of the Convocation on the Rural Church sponsored by Duke Divinity School and held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.  From the traffic we saw there, there are a lot of folks who do the same thing this time of year.   One of the things that we brought back with us, whether we like it or not, was sand.    Sand is somewhat aggravating, isn’t it?  We wash it off our feet and shoes, and we vacuum it out of our cars. Have you ever thought about how many grains of sand are on the beach?  Long ago, God did.  In Genesis 22:17, we read where God tells Abraham, “17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies”.  As I briefly walked the beach last week, it occurred to me that there in the sand is a reminder of the promise and hope of God that desires for each one of us and all of us to be His children.  PRAYER              Lord God,  we  thank you for the truth that you desire to adopt all of us to be your children.  We rejoice, O Lord, that such a promise is based not on our goodness, but on the salvation that is ours through Jesus Christ that is only a prayer away.  Through the power of your Holy Spirit, help our status as your sons and daughters to be seen in our lives day by day; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  8/14/2007 Many that receive this devotion also regularly receive e mail prayer requests.  I am grateful for this prayer ministry and for the many persons that participate in it. While the internet is filled with many opportunities for evil, this is an example of a way that the internet can be used for good.  What a privilege it is to pray for one another.   These prayer concerns are often filled with sickness and surgeries, trouble and tragedy.  It occurs to me that when someone else faces needs and request our prayers that it is a blessed opportunity for the “church to be the church”.  While I am not fluent in Chinese, I am told that the Chinese character that stands for crisis also stands for opportunity.    When we hear of  prayer concerns, we have the holy opportunity to pray  for others and be in ministry to them (including those who are in times of crisis).   As Galatians 6:10 puts it, “10As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." PRAYER  Lord God,  we pray today for those persons and situations that are on our personal and church prayer list.  Be with each need and each person.  Be at work in these situations doing more than we ask or even imagine.  Thank you for the opportunity that we have to come before the throne of grace and be a prayer support for others; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  8/7/2007             When Ann and I took a few days of vacation in late July, one of the things we did was travel to the North Carolina Outer Banks and watch the outdoor drama, “The Lost Colony”.   The “Lost Colony” out door drama is observing its 70th anniversary this year, but the story it tells is much older than that.  The story goes that in the late 1500’s Queen Elizabeth I gave permission to Sir Walter Raleigh to establish a colony in the New World we now call the United States.  A small band of  men, women, and children set sail and settled at what is now known as Manteo, North Carolina.  When rations became low, Ralph White and a few others set sail for England to get provisions.  When they returned many months later, they discovered a “lost colony”.  What happened to the colonists remains a source of mystery and speculation  even to this day.             It occurs to me that in the church of Jesus Christ we have our own “Lost Colony”, and it is that group of people that get lost from our pews, our programs, and involvement in the life of our church.  They are the people that joined our church and were involved in the life of the body of Christ.  Though we might see them in the grocery store or in the community,  we never see them and ministry of the church.  As Ralph White and company searched for the colonists lost from Roanoke Island, so it is our responsibility as the church to be concerned about their welfare.  Perhaps they are not involved in the church because of something that has happened in their life where the body of Christ, the church, might be a source of support and strength.  Perhaps they are not involved in the life of the church anymore because of an unfortunate encounter in their relationship with someone in the church.  In Luke 15, Jesus tells us not about a lost colony, but about a lost sheep who is sought out by the shepherd.  As God’s instruments in the world today, it seems imperative on we who are the church to search for those lost colonists who once were a part of our church.  It might be that not only their soul depends on it, but our soul depends on it also.    PRAYER              Lord God,  we pray today for those who have vanished from the life and program of our church.   Remembering how your love searched and sought us, help us to reach out to them;  in the name of Jesus Christ we pray and we serve.  Amen.	Wednesday Night Meal
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