Collections

For our Prime Timers Senior Adult Ministry lunch yesterday, I dragged out some of my model railroading collection. Yes, I’m a train collector of HO, O, and G scale models. Displaying my collection was difficult because I couldn’t unpack dozens of boxes and show off everything I have. I found it hard to pick just a few things that represent the entire collection. It’s like choosing your favorite child! I couldn’t do it! Somehow, I managed to control myself and filled a show-and-tell table with a few locomotives, some rolling stock, and maps and pictures of full-sized trains. It was fun playing show-and-tell with the Prime Timers.

I’ve spent many hours in my life modeling trains and playing with them. Jesus said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18:3) Seems like Jesus is on the side of adults who like to be childlike from time to time. My wife seems to agree as she approved my renovating an attic storage room into a train room. I can’t wait to have an open house for church members to come play trains with me.

Many people have an instinct to collect things. What do you collect—toys, dollhouses, dishes, or porcelain figurines? Maybe you thought if you collected stamps, coins, or beanie babies you were “investing” in stuff that would make a big payoff in the future. Many a collector has been down the road of thinking their stuff was worth more than it really is.

The old joke is true, “Do you know how to make a million dollars with a collection of _________?   . . . . Start with two million dollars.

Occasionally there will be an anecdotal story about some art or toy collection that fetches a high price at auction. These stories are the exception to the rule. Collections are only worth something to the collector. No one else cares very much.

The instinct to collect things might be one of those things God planted in us. If we are made in the image of God, then at some level God must be a collector. God is not into trains, planes, automobiles or beanie babies, Hummels, or dishes. God is very interested in us, his children. I think God collects all the memories of you he can. God celebrates our successes and roots for us to do better when we fail. At the end of our lives, God, the Great Collector, gathers us up into his presence for eternity. The collection of his children in heaven is diverse and astonishing. I imagine we are all the favorites when show-and-tell time comes.

Collections are only worth something to the collector, and you are infinitely valuable to him.

Peace,

zack@madisonfumc.com

Is Easter Over?

There was a marvelous event in the skies this week – a total solar eclipse that made its way across our continent. There was great anticipation and excitement as large crowds travelled to the cities where there would be totality and the best visibility of the eclipse. News channels covered the event for days, with reporters spread all along the path. Here in Madison, we experienced about 80% totality, and for a short time, it was magnificent. For a just a few moments, most of our country came together, putting our differences aside. In unison, we looked up and saw an event in the heavens that no human could have set in motion. We saw something bigger than all of us. But now, the eclipse is over. We are all just back to business. The news has moved on to other topics. All that excitement has passed, and our attention has naturally moved on to other things.

But what about Easter? Is it over too? Easter Sunday, in all its glory, beckons us to live like Easter people. But sometimes, we treat Easter a bit like that eclipse, don’t we? During the 40 days of Lent, we prayed, and we reflected on the sacrifice and suffering of Jesus. We grappled with the reality that He paid the price for our sin and we wondered if we were worthy of that kind of love. In the darkness of Good Friday, we remembered with hope that Sunday was coming. And so it did! On Easter we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord with great joy! We ran to the tomb and we saw for ourselves that it was, in fact, empty. We sang our Hallelujahs and we rejoiced with peace and love in our hearts. We all looked up together. It was magnificent. But now, a week or two later, are we still acting like Easter people? Are we living our days as if the tomb really is empty? Or, after all the excitement and the celebration, have we found ourselves edging back into the routine of daily life – back into the tombs of our own making? Oh, they come with many different signs above the door: Stress, Fear, Anger, Hurt, Worry, Pride, Doubt, Resentment, Hopelessness, Grief, Regret, even Unforgiveness. All the things. Whatever we call them, those tombs can hold us captive.

We know Jesus came out of the tomb. We believe it with all that we are. But do we know that means we can come out of ours too? We struggle so mightily to get out of our tombs by our own strength. We push that stone with everything we have. Or we pretend it isn’t there. Or maybe we just settle in and dress it up, trying to make ourselves think we like it there. But here’s the thing: We don’t have to move the stone. It is already done. When Jesus died on that cross, we were set free. We are no longer captives. We just have to be willing to walk out of the tomb and into the Light.

Living as Easter People doesn’t mean life won’t be hard. It doesn’t mean we won’t experience difficult circumstances. But those feelings and circumstances don’t have to define us. They don’t have to hold us in bondage. Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, defines us. He holds us in the very palm of his hand and He bids us to come out of our tombs. Jesus said to the disciples in the upper room, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” As Easter People, it is our time to heed the SENDING. He calls us to go, right now, and build His Kingdom, be His Church, and serve his people with love and humility. Jesus’ death on the cross brought healing and hope to THIS side of heaven. We don’t have to wait until we get there. Let that tomb crumble. Let that stone roll away. Christ has risen from the dead and our sins are forgiven. We are free and Easter has only just begun. Let’s go tell somebody.

Guest Writer: Ruth Bearden, beardenrmb@gmail.com

The Power of Pollen
This time every year we have the unpleasant task of blowing off our back porches. You know what that means, right? Pine Pollen. I’ve lived in Georgia most of my life and I’m still amazed by how much of the yellow stuff coats every surface out there. It settles like snow softening the colors of everything it touches to a dull amarillo haze. When it gets wet you have cheap yellow paint. Using my blower, I fogged out the backyard. My neighbors probably thought it looked like a new mosquito treatment. This unpleasant pollen season is important. It’s part of the beautiful cycle of life God gives us. Perennial flowers burst out of the ground where the last years stems and leaves died. Trees bud out with tender, newborn green leaves. First we have to endure the pollen. We sneeze and cope with watery eyes to make it through the day, but this season is where we understand that nature is renewing itself.

Every year, we learn this lesson from Spring again. Life will be beautiful, but it’s not without some unpleasantness. The season is a symbol of what God can do in our spiritual lives. If you are in a beautiful season of life, praise God while it lasts. I love the days that are sunny and bright with everything going my way. At some point, something will happen that’s a little more unpleasant, possibly more unpleasant than dealing with pollen on a Spring day. It could be an illness, a break-up, or a job loss. Again, I say praise God. Our Lord promises to be with us in the valley of the shadow of death. We have a Savior who will be with us as we walk through death itself. It may be unpleasant at the time, but we have the promise of a beautiful life after the unpleasantness passes away.

So rejoice in what Springtime pollen can teach us. Blow away the unpleasantness with the hope that life abundant and life eternal can be yours. Happy Good Friday and Easter, my friends!

Peace,

Rev. Zack

Reweaving the Connection

I have some beautiful hand-woven handkerchiefs, a stole, and a backpack in my office. I bought them from people I worked with when I was serving as a missionary in the Philippines. The colorful fabrics were woven by hand by women supplementing the family income.

Weaving fabric by hand is not an easy process. Imagine hundreds of 5-foot threads tied to a metal loop on one end. A special stick had grooves to spread each thread out so the shuttle could slide beneath above every other thread. It’s hard to explain. The loom could be worked on for a few hours or stored hanging on the wall. Most houses had a loom hanging with fabric in process.

Sometimes when life was busy, the looms lost their tight weave. The threads became loose and looked tangled and frayed. If weaver wanted to get back to work, he/she had to take time to comb out the twists and knots to get the project going again. Reweaving the fabric tightened up the loose ends.

We are in a process of reweaving our United Methodist Connection. Over the past year or so, the fabric of our connection to other UMC churches has been tattered or even broken off completely. Like weavers attending to a messy loom, our Board of Laity is putting together 4 regional gatherings for North Georgia Conference United Methodist churches. These gatherings are a time for us to come together for fellowship, relationship building, and strengthening our United Methodist identity as disciples of Jesus Christ. We will have worship, pack flood buckets, and break out for individual workshops. Our Bishop, Robin Deese, will be there to preach and answer questions. Registration cost is $20, which goes to purchase items for UMCOR Flood Buckets. Our church, Madison First UMC is hosting the event on March 24^th.

Don’t let the fabric of your faith or your church connections become neglected and unwoven. Put March 24^th 2:00pm on your calendar for a time to “Re-weave the Connection” with your fellow United Methodist brothers and sisters. Click the link below to register.  Register today!

Peace,

zack@madisonfumc.com

As a Youth Director, I often find solace in reflecting on my deep roots in the church and my extensive involvement in the youth group—a tradition passed down from my parents and grandparents, who themselves served as youth leaders. Presently, our youth at FUMC are immersed in a series exploring the complexities of relationships.

My formative years at Smyrna Presbyterian, a church much like ours in size, were characterized by the vibrant camaraderie of our youth group. Together, we embarked on meaningful missions, reveled in spirited games, and shared in both laughter and tears, unwittingly forging bonds that have endured over time. During my senior year, the arrival of a new pastor brought his son, Miles, whose passion for the outdoors mirrored my own. What began as friendship soon blossomed into romance, culminating in our marriage sixteen years ago.

However, Miles was not the only relationship I formed within our youth group. Since our relocation to Rutledge eight years ago, five other cherished members of our youth group have also made this community their home, enriching our lives in countless ways. Most recently, a dear friend from New Mexico joined our ranks, further reinforcing the enduring bonds of fellowship that have united us since our early church days. He joined us as a volunteer for our indoor rock climbing day.

While the demands of raising families and pursuing careers may have led to periods of less frequent communication, our friendships remained steadfast. Each reunion transported us back to our high school youth group, united by shared experiences and unwavering faith in Christ.

“Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.” (Proverbs 24:27)

Now, I have the privilege of witnessing our youth at FUMC build similar relationships with each other. As you know relationships and teenage years often can be difficult But These teens are putting in the work they are showing up to youth engaged and recently our group is getting even bigger. They are laying the groundwork for strong foundations in Christ, forging lasting friendships and creating unforgettable memories here at FUMC. It is such an honor to watch them laugh and have fun together all while worshiping Jesus.

Cheers,

Jen Buzbee
jenb@madisonfumc.com