This Sunday we will begin our journey to Bethlehem. I, for one, am excited that we can share this journey together. I am glad you will be seeing the sights, smelling the smells, hearing the sounds and learning the history of the most amazing series of events in the history of the world.
This week will be all about Mary of Nazareth (that's where our journey begins). In a sense Nazareth should feel like home for many reading this post. We live in Abbeville (or somewhere near this little town of 3,000 people). Nazareth, like Abbeville, was a little town near a much larger and more affluent city named Sepphoris. Sepphoris, a town of 30,000 people, was an affluent place fit for the origin of a king. It had culture, shopping and social life. People would have gone there to shop. They, not Nazareth, would have had the Walmart, the mall and the Carmike 12 showing the latest Christmas blockbusters (ok, I did take a little cultural license with that one). You get the point ... Nazareth was where people traveled from to go somewhere else ... Sepphoris was a destination. We get a little taste of what people thought about Nazareth when, in John :46, Nathaniel asks "can anything good come from Nazareth?" What we know is that something very good came from Nazareth!
Nazareth was Mary's hometown. Nazareth was where Mary is told of her coming child and she utters those amazing words "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word (Luke 1:38 NRSV)." Those words have always reminded me of Jesus' words in the garden of Gethsemane "Not my will but thine." Nazareth is where a little boy named Jesus grew up, halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. And Nazareth was the place where Jesus is conceived when God's Spirit overshadows Mary and God (the divine, perfect, holy being that has existed in history as a being made of light, life. purity and omniscience) does something amazing ... He shows His transcendence as He travels from eternity into time and into a virgins womb. And it all starts in a little town called Nazareth.
Maybe for the world, Nazareth was a place that was obscure, unimportant and insignificant. But for people (all people whether they know God or they are oblivious to God) it is a place that "Good tidings for all people" began. We, who live in Abbeville, can be reminded that making a difference isn't about the size of the town we are from. It isn't about whether we have a reputation for greatness or a social status that makes us "upper crust." It is about being good, hard working people like Mary's family probably were. It is about telling God "Here am I ... let it be as you have willed." Mary's story is one of greatness. Her obedience changed everything, including the entire history of the world. A 13-year old teenager makes a decision that gives me hope and strength ... it has empowered and altered our nation ... and that power to change is planted in the hearts of every Christian in Abbeville, Alabama. We may not have a Walmart ... but we've got Jesus! Randy
Monday, November 25, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Ridiculous Things
Ever encounter something that is ridiculous and impossible? Today I was riding my bike and a little dog came out from a block away ... about six inches tall and full of himself. He was barking and threatening and his poor little head wouldn't even reach the pedal. It was both funny and ridiculous. I told him to go on home before he encountered something that might eat him.
We sometimes do things that are ridiculous. Many times we tackle causes that are impossible (like that little dog). I did admire his courage and our courage for wanting to fight the unbeatable foe. But sometimes we tackle projects that are ridiculous from their inception. They are things that are self-evident. We try to push and control them. I wonder if this is what God was saying to the prophet when he asks several rhetorical questions and then answers them. The conversation goes like this ... "What can we bring the Lord? What kind of offerings should we give Him? Should we bow before God and give of yearling calves? Should we offer Him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? No ... O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:7-8)." God is saying that we ask these questions and maybe (in my case) preach sermons about truth that is self-evident. God is sarcastically saying "Don't being that weak stuff and those silly questions in here ... you know full well what you should do and I am not going to let you hang your responsibility on the messenger, the eloquence of the presentation, the magnitude of the offering or any other excuse you might have." God is explicitly saying we DO know what He wants.
In that spirit, this is the time of the year I am supposed to have what is called a "Stewardship Campaign." It seems that such campaigns are "the way it has always been done." They are the little dog (the pastor) chasing a task way bigger then he is. So I am going to rely on what God's Word has told us. That way I won't mess up the message with a "campaign," a "scheme" or some great idea to tell you what you already know. I am not going to insult you with a beautifully-designed card or that little table that tells you what 10% of your income figures out to be (we can do the math). I am not going to tell you that we are better or worse off than we are. But here is what will be done faithfully:
1. I will ask the finance team to report our monthly income so you will know the financial condition of the church.
2. We will send (at least quarterly) a statement of your giving. You can do the math and see where you stand, and I am confident that you know what God requires of you.
3. We will answer any financial question you might ask and I will ask for your prayers to lead us to faithfully care for God's money.
4. I will continue to give thanks for your giving (because of your giving we have been faithful participants in God's mission through the Church in our community, our nation and our world).
5. I will ask you to read (often) Micah 6:7-8 so you are reminded of what God requires of you ... that way I won't need to repeat it.
Thanks for listening today! You are all a blessing and I give thanks to God for you! Randy
We sometimes do things that are ridiculous. Many times we tackle causes that are impossible (like that little dog). I did admire his courage and our courage for wanting to fight the unbeatable foe. But sometimes we tackle projects that are ridiculous from their inception. They are things that are self-evident. We try to push and control them. I wonder if this is what God was saying to the prophet when he asks several rhetorical questions and then answers them. The conversation goes like this ... "What can we bring the Lord? What kind of offerings should we give Him? Should we bow before God and give of yearling calves? Should we offer Him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? No ... O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:7-8)." God is saying that we ask these questions and maybe (in my case) preach sermons about truth that is self-evident. God is sarcastically saying "Don't being that weak stuff and those silly questions in here ... you know full well what you should do and I am not going to let you hang your responsibility on the messenger, the eloquence of the presentation, the magnitude of the offering or any other excuse you might have." God is explicitly saying we DO know what He wants.
In that spirit, this is the time of the year I am supposed to have what is called a "Stewardship Campaign." It seems that such campaigns are "the way it has always been done." They are the little dog (the pastor) chasing a task way bigger then he is. So I am going to rely on what God's Word has told us. That way I won't mess up the message with a "campaign," a "scheme" or some great idea to tell you what you already know. I am not going to insult you with a beautifully-designed card or that little table that tells you what 10% of your income figures out to be (we can do the math). I am not going to tell you that we are better or worse off than we are. But here is what will be done faithfully:
1. I will ask the finance team to report our monthly income so you will know the financial condition of the church.
2. We will send (at least quarterly) a statement of your giving. You can do the math and see where you stand, and I am confident that you know what God requires of you.
3. We will answer any financial question you might ask and I will ask for your prayers to lead us to faithfully care for God's money.
4. I will continue to give thanks for your giving (because of your giving we have been faithful participants in God's mission through the Church in our community, our nation and our world).
5. I will ask you to read (often) Micah 6:7-8 so you are reminded of what God requires of you ... that way I won't need to repeat it.
Thanks for listening today! You are all a blessing and I give thanks to God for you! Randy
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Roads, Continued!
Last night I spoke to our Wednesday night group about Isaiah 40, the passage where God, through the prophet Isaiah says "Prepare for God's arrival. Make a road straight and smooth, a highway for for our God. Fill the valleys, level off the hills, smooth out the ruts and clear out the rocks. Then God's bright glory will shine and everyone will see it."
I love this passage. It is inspiring, radical and challenging because it is about the arrival of Jesus that (in John 14:6) is the way (our road) the truth and the life. For me and you and all of the Church, our road is here. We know our destination and we also know that our primary focus is not about getting ourselves there. It is about loving others enough to sacrifice, lead, love and tell what is necessary to get them to God's place. In fact, our mission is never about ourselves ... it is about others. We are servants. We are missional. We are outwardly focused. And by being in this servant posture we are uniquely prepared to lead others along that straight, smooth road fit for our God.
Last night I began to think of this image in the context of Abbeville United Methodist Church. How can we make the road straight and smooth? How can we bulldoze centuries of dirt and muck so that everyone that comes in our doors sees a straight path to Jesus? How can we fill the valleys? Maybe Celebrate Recovery does this for some folks because it welcomes anyone to come and realize their valleys are not as deep as they once thought. How can we level off the hills? Maybe our high places (they are spoken of negatively in Scripture) need to be brought down to a level that everyone can get in ... low enough so that our table truly becomes the Lord's table that invites anyone calling upon the name of the Lord. How can we smooth out the ruts? On roads ruts happen and they need to be found and patched. We should look often and be willing to patch the places that become barriers to some of "the least of our brethren." And how do we should clear off the rocks? We call them what they are ... rocks like our denomination's name (which can become an idol), our lifestyle that we perceive as both better and justifiable, our possessions which have always been barriers to God's call, our institutions which lead us away from devotion to God (remember this when you sing "I Surrender All"), and our submission to Jesus' clear and perfect Gospel message which should change us into a path to Him.
I know that is a lot to take in. You are probably asking, "What does he mean?" I want you to think about that. If we are called to make a straight path for and to our God, how should we do it? Maybe we should do what the old song says ... "nothing in my hand I bring, only to the cross I cling." Our denominational differences, our music styles, our prejudices, our stuff, our ideas about what "our God" is like, our idols and our sports teams mean nothing to Jesus. God seeks our hearts. He is knocking at the door. Let's let Him and anyone who comes with Him in! Randy
I love this passage. It is inspiring, radical and challenging because it is about the arrival of Jesus that (in John 14:6) is the way (our road) the truth and the life. For me and you and all of the Church, our road is here. We know our destination and we also know that our primary focus is not about getting ourselves there. It is about loving others enough to sacrifice, lead, love and tell what is necessary to get them to God's place. In fact, our mission is never about ourselves ... it is about others. We are servants. We are missional. We are outwardly focused. And by being in this servant posture we are uniquely prepared to lead others along that straight, smooth road fit for our God.
Last night I began to think of this image in the context of Abbeville United Methodist Church. How can we make the road straight and smooth? How can we bulldoze centuries of dirt and muck so that everyone that comes in our doors sees a straight path to Jesus? How can we fill the valleys? Maybe Celebrate Recovery does this for some folks because it welcomes anyone to come and realize their valleys are not as deep as they once thought. How can we level off the hills? Maybe our high places (they are spoken of negatively in Scripture) need to be brought down to a level that everyone can get in ... low enough so that our table truly becomes the Lord's table that invites anyone calling upon the name of the Lord. How can we smooth out the ruts? On roads ruts happen and they need to be found and patched. We should look often and be willing to patch the places that become barriers to some of "the least of our brethren." And how do we should clear off the rocks? We call them what they are ... rocks like our denomination's name (which can become an idol), our lifestyle that we perceive as both better and justifiable, our possessions which have always been barriers to God's call, our institutions which lead us away from devotion to God (remember this when you sing "I Surrender All"), and our submission to Jesus' clear and perfect Gospel message which should change us into a path to Him.
I know that is a lot to take in. You are probably asking, "What does he mean?" I want you to think about that. If we are called to make a straight path for and to our God, how should we do it? Maybe we should do what the old song says ... "nothing in my hand I bring, only to the cross I cling." Our denominational differences, our music styles, our prejudices, our stuff, our ideas about what "our God" is like, our idols and our sports teams mean nothing to Jesus. God seeks our hearts. He is knocking at the door. Let's let Him and anyone who comes with Him in! Randy
Monday, November 4, 2013
OK ... It's Getting Close! A Word About Christmas
What is Christmastime to you? I think the answer is different for each of us. Maybe the answer changes as we get older and the expectations of children change to the obligations of adulthood. Maybe we are influenced by our favorite Christmas specials or turned off by the constant stream of commercials hoping to win our Christmas dollars. Maybe the booking of travel plans and the idea of a vacation have caught our eye and we are bent on making this trip the best ever. Maybe none of what I have said above has any relevance to the real meaning of Christmas. Maybe our society has a bad case of commercialism and needs a savior. I have good news about that ... there is a savior and he came to Bethlehem to a manger ... truly a strange way to go about saving the world.
Being new in Abbeville I have gotten lots of information about what happens here at Christmas. I have heard about the plans for a live Nativity ... the Polar Express night for children ... the Christmas Eve "Come-and-Go" Communion and some of the parties that are planned. I have been working on our Christmas Sermon Series which will be about the physical and spiritual journey of Mary and Joseph as they make their way to the manger. We will learn about Nazareth, Bethlehem, the Way of the Patriarchs, and about two people named Mary and Joseph. I hope you will be there every week as the Bible tells us the story of God with us.
Then ... on Christmas Eve ... I hope you will make worship a part of your day. The Come-and-Go Communion time and the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will offer all (we will invite the entire community) a chance to kneel and offer Jesus the only gift He really wants for Christmas ... our hearts. Did you know that Christmas Eve is a great time to invite family, friends and your neighbors to worship in a beautiful setting ... a setting where we are all on the same song sheet singing about the Christ Child and His birth? Did you know that this service, more than any service of the year, is our gift to God and our community where we say ... "Come see the Child ... the season is not about parties or programs or lights or presents or wearing our best clothes. It is about Jesus." Come and sing ... pray ... kneel at the altar ... take the bread and cup with our friends, family and neighbors.
I have to say ... our time in worship is the only thing that seems to center me in the Christmas season. I have had the honor of serving communion to many at Christmas Eve services, including an off-duty Santa Claus still in his suit. It is always a blessing I carry with me through the rest of the season. Some have said ... "it is inconvenient for the participants and it adds another event to an already busy season." Yep ... that is true. So I might have to eliminate a party, a trip to a light show, or a last minute trip to the mall. Or I might have to tell the people at my house, I'll be back in 45 minutes ... I have something important I need to do. Why? Because the story of Christmas tells us that the shepherds left their flocks and the angels left the heavenly realm. Because of all nights of the year, this is the night to worship. I love the words of the Casting Crowns song that make a harrowing observation about this night ... "O Bethlehem, what have you missed while you were sleeping, for God became a man and stepped into your world today, O Bethlehem, you will go down in history, as a city with no room for it's king." This night, this season and really each day we draw breath, is about a God who deserves our devotion, our talents, our time, and our worship. I won't make excuses. If my world has no room for the king, then there is something wrong with my world. What say you? Randy
Being new in Abbeville I have gotten lots of information about what happens here at Christmas. I have heard about the plans for a live Nativity ... the Polar Express night for children ... the Christmas Eve "Come-and-Go" Communion and some of the parties that are planned. I have been working on our Christmas Sermon Series which will be about the physical and spiritual journey of Mary and Joseph as they make their way to the manger. We will learn about Nazareth, Bethlehem, the Way of the Patriarchs, and about two people named Mary and Joseph. I hope you will be there every week as the Bible tells us the story of God with us.
Then ... on Christmas Eve ... I hope you will make worship a part of your day. The Come-and-Go Communion time and the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will offer all (we will invite the entire community) a chance to kneel and offer Jesus the only gift He really wants for Christmas ... our hearts. Did you know that Christmas Eve is a great time to invite family, friends and your neighbors to worship in a beautiful setting ... a setting where we are all on the same song sheet singing about the Christ Child and His birth? Did you know that this service, more than any service of the year, is our gift to God and our community where we say ... "Come see the Child ... the season is not about parties or programs or lights or presents or wearing our best clothes. It is about Jesus." Come and sing ... pray ... kneel at the altar ... take the bread and cup with our friends, family and neighbors.
I have to say ... our time in worship is the only thing that seems to center me in the Christmas season. I have had the honor of serving communion to many at Christmas Eve services, including an off-duty Santa Claus still in his suit. It is always a blessing I carry with me through the rest of the season. Some have said ... "it is inconvenient for the participants and it adds another event to an already busy season." Yep ... that is true. So I might have to eliminate a party, a trip to a light show, or a last minute trip to the mall. Or I might have to tell the people at my house, I'll be back in 45 minutes ... I have something important I need to do. Why? Because the story of Christmas tells us that the shepherds left their flocks and the angels left the heavenly realm. Because of all nights of the year, this is the night to worship. I love the words of the Casting Crowns song that make a harrowing observation about this night ... "O Bethlehem, what have you missed while you were sleeping, for God became a man and stepped into your world today, O Bethlehem, you will go down in history, as a city with no room for it's king." This night, this season and really each day we draw breath, is about a God who deserves our devotion, our talents, our time, and our worship. I won't make excuses. If my world has no room for the king, then there is something wrong with my world. What say you? Randy
Monday, October 28, 2013
Compassionate Strength
Our passage on Sunday is both a sad story and a story that leads us to hope. It is sad because in Matthew 23:37-39 and Luke 19:41-44 Jesus weeps over people He loves ... people who are blind to His holy presence and identity ... people who are caught up in the temporal and oblivious to the eternal. When I read this passage I think of the churches I have attended and people I have met who are caught up in non-eternal issues at the expense of Jesus' announcement of His kingdom. I, on a much lesser scale, have wept some of those tears that flowed from love and compassion for people I desire to see make it to a heavenly home.
But I have also seen hope. I remember one Sunday I was preaching about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and I heard the usual "good sermon" and "you gave us something to think about." I was walking to my office thinking that this day was like others where I had challenged people to serve but they had taken the information without following with application. My reading of Jesus' words "You feed them" had fallen on deaf ears. That is, until a petite young lady came up and said, "You are right! We need to feed them." Not the 5,000 but hundreds of local kids who got good meals during the school week but came back to school on Monday hungry and in a state of food insecurity. They didn't learn, participate or test as well as other children because they were nutritionally challenged. My young friend took her compassionate heart and put it to work. First she met with a local elementary school and got permission to leave 5 backpacks filled with easy-to-prepare food for the weekend for 5 needy kids. In several months she was using the library of the church as a staging area to fill 30+ backpacks. Now over 150 kids are fed each week and, to date, 7,000 meals have been provided to kids who are healthier, more ready to learn, and glad that at least one thing in their lives is secure.
You are probably saying, "She is a super saint!" I can't share the issues that I knew my friend had faced, the decisions she made for her family or the struggles she had getting this ministry started. What I can share is that she had a willing spirit, compassion for other people and strength to say, "Here I am Lord ... send me!." Jesus said, "You feed them!" So ... she did! Randy
But I have also seen hope. I remember one Sunday I was preaching about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and I heard the usual "good sermon" and "you gave us something to think about." I was walking to my office thinking that this day was like others where I had challenged people to serve but they had taken the information without following with application. My reading of Jesus' words "You feed them" had fallen on deaf ears. That is, until a petite young lady came up and said, "You are right! We need to feed them." Not the 5,000 but hundreds of local kids who got good meals during the school week but came back to school on Monday hungry and in a state of food insecurity. They didn't learn, participate or test as well as other children because they were nutritionally challenged. My young friend took her compassionate heart and put it to work. First she met with a local elementary school and got permission to leave 5 backpacks filled with easy-to-prepare food for the weekend for 5 needy kids. In several months she was using the library of the church as a staging area to fill 30+ backpacks. Now over 150 kids are fed each week and, to date, 7,000 meals have been provided to kids who are healthier, more ready to learn, and glad that at least one thing in their lives is secure.
You are probably saying, "She is a super saint!" I can't share the issues that I knew my friend had faced, the decisions she made for her family or the struggles she had getting this ministry started. What I can share is that she had a willing spirit, compassion for other people and strength to say, "Here I am Lord ... send me!." Jesus said, "You feed them!" So ... she did! Randy
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Struggle
I really hate to start a blog with that word, but there it is ... struggle. The wrestling with the events, relationships, times and choices that make up daily life is often just that ... a struggle. It is interesting that two books of what is called wisdom literature in Scripture (the wisdom books are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs) are devoted to the struggles we all face in life. In fact about 75% of Psalms are about wrestling with life and with a God that is beyond our understanding. But Job (probably the oldest book in Scripture) and Ecclesiastes (written by a king who was in over his head in life) are both devoted to life's struggles. Job, who is not as patient as we often give him credit for, gets so exasperated with his friends and with God that he demands an audience with the Almighty. God grants Job the audience and Job learns that what God knows and does is unfathomable. Job finally says "I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me (Job 42:3 NLT)."
Solomon's struggles are different. He probably has few people he can trust. He is politically and socially at the top of the food chain, yet he realizes that politics, kingship and social obligations are not things that bring him happiness. They are burdens and struggles. He cries out (often) that the things he knows, the things he has and the perks of being king are part of a life that he views as meaningless. Some of us can identify with this ... we have more than we need but we find that we need things that are elusive, fleeting, distant and ethereal. Solomon calls them "a chasing after the wind."
Both of these examples call us to stop and think about what is really good, what is really wise, what will make us fulfilled as people and what will bring us to a place we can (as Paul said) be content in every circumstance. I heard something yesterday that I think might be wise in the midst of life's struggles. A woman said that her mother, when she was hurting or when she was down or when she faced a struggle she could not figure out how to tackle, would hug her and tell her that everything would be alright. The Psalmists seem to come to this conclusion. Job comes to this conclusion and God somehow blesses Job in the midst of all of his losses. And Solomon concludes that life was a gift from God and that somehow God, if we fear and trust Him, will make things alright.
Maybe this blog today makes little sense in the confusion and storms of life. But, if you can let God give you a big ole hug and tell you that mother's words ... "It will all work out alright, because I am God and I have plans for you, work for you to do and a life to live. It will be alright." I guess that is all for now ... Randy.
Solomon's struggles are different. He probably has few people he can trust. He is politically and socially at the top of the food chain, yet he realizes that politics, kingship and social obligations are not things that bring him happiness. They are burdens and struggles. He cries out (often) that the things he knows, the things he has and the perks of being king are part of a life that he views as meaningless. Some of us can identify with this ... we have more than we need but we find that we need things that are elusive, fleeting, distant and ethereal. Solomon calls them "a chasing after the wind."
Both of these examples call us to stop and think about what is really good, what is really wise, what will make us fulfilled as people and what will bring us to a place we can (as Paul said) be content in every circumstance. I heard something yesterday that I think might be wise in the midst of life's struggles. A woman said that her mother, when she was hurting or when she was down or when she faced a struggle she could not figure out how to tackle, would hug her and tell her that everything would be alright. The Psalmists seem to come to this conclusion. Job comes to this conclusion and God somehow blesses Job in the midst of all of his losses. And Solomon concludes that life was a gift from God and that somehow God, if we fear and trust Him, will make things alright.
Maybe this blog today makes little sense in the confusion and storms of life. But, if you can let God give you a big ole hug and tell you that mother's words ... "It will all work out alright, because I am God and I have plans for you, work for you to do and a life to live. It will be alright." I guess that is all for now ... Randy.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
A Kind of Dance
In my line of work I find myself in some pretty awkward places. I was sharing with my friend Ed how the first act of ministry as a pastor was getting a cat out of a tree (it's a long story ... will share it later). And that was joyful considering the hospitals, the funeral homes and the courtrooms I have visited. One of those courtrooms was right here in Henry County.
Over my years I have seen the inside courts in Autauga County, Montgomery County, Escambia County, Walton County, Bay County and (now) Henry County. As I sat there in the court of Henry County I felt compelled to make an observation. My observation is based on knowing that Jesus is portrayed as a righteous and fair judge in Scripture. To "judge" in Scripture means both to decide cases/disputes and to govern. In the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25) Jesus rightfully judges on the basis of how we treat "the least of our brethren" (those who are in some position of displacement/disadvantage/disruption/oppression). This distinction could be the poor or the needy or societal outcasts. But whatever the term means, Jesus makes the right call. After all, He is perfect.
Here is what I observed about our courts in most places. In all of those places where I saw the "legal system" played out (except Henry County) the people were efficiently processed. The way things were done, the way people were treated and the way the law was applied was a very mechanical process. In our county I saw something different. The courtroom functioned with appropriate honor and decorum, but it did this with a level of informality that (in my estimation) did not make already elevated tensions worse. Rather, the 'procedure' had a calming effect on the people being judged and those that had some involvement in the process. In the midst of life-changing events for some in that room, there was a leveling effect. No one was better than anyone else. In his song "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" Bob Dylan wrote that the "ladder of law has no top or no bottom," meaning that our legal system should be a level playing field for all and that the rich should not escape justice or mercy ... that the poor should be afforded the same dignity. But what I saw in Henry County was like a dance. What do I mean?
There are two kinds of dancing. Dance can be technically perfect, mechanical and, while beautiful, lacking aesthetic appeal. Like music played technically, this type of dancing can lack the soul and spirit that makes it truly beautiful. Then, there is the kind of dancing that happens between people who know one another, know the moves the other is about to make and (to them) the dance is more than the sum of steps on a chart. The dance, to those in relationship, is about the touch, the emotion, the grace of a mutually played-out journey. The dance is more than a bunch of steps.
So is court in Henry County. The people are neighbors who (for the good and bad of it) know one another. When the courtroom doors shut the people go out and live life together. They live life ... shop for food ... walk along the street ... attend weddings and funerals ... and see the scarecrow contest together. They (in and out of the courtroom) are in a kind of dance. And the song that drives the dance forward is community, family and respect. I am proud to live in a place where people are more important than the process and where we (as a community) can say to those working in the court system "well done, my good and faithful servant." Remember that Jesus said (by the way, to very imperfect people who made some mistakes and had their own baggage) those same words in Matthew 25.
For this new resident, I was honored to be in a courtroom where the goal is to encourage better behavior, enforce the law, grow people up into responsible adults, punish were proper and necessary, provide stepping stones out of trouble and teach (yes ... Biblical discipline always teaches). I am sure as I observe our legal system I will disagree with rulings and decisions. But I am proud to see America happen right here in Abbeville.
Over my years I have seen the inside courts in Autauga County, Montgomery County, Escambia County, Walton County, Bay County and (now) Henry County. As I sat there in the court of Henry County I felt compelled to make an observation. My observation is based on knowing that Jesus is portrayed as a righteous and fair judge in Scripture. To "judge" in Scripture means both to decide cases/disputes and to govern. In the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25) Jesus rightfully judges on the basis of how we treat "the least of our brethren" (those who are in some position of displacement/disadvantage/disruption/oppression). This distinction could be the poor or the needy or societal outcasts. But whatever the term means, Jesus makes the right call. After all, He is perfect.
Here is what I observed about our courts in most places. In all of those places where I saw the "legal system" played out (except Henry County) the people were efficiently processed. The way things were done, the way people were treated and the way the law was applied was a very mechanical process. In our county I saw something different. The courtroom functioned with appropriate honor and decorum, but it did this with a level of informality that (in my estimation) did not make already elevated tensions worse. Rather, the 'procedure' had a calming effect on the people being judged and those that had some involvement in the process. In the midst of life-changing events for some in that room, there was a leveling effect. No one was better than anyone else. In his song "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" Bob Dylan wrote that the "ladder of law has no top or no bottom," meaning that our legal system should be a level playing field for all and that the rich should not escape justice or mercy ... that the poor should be afforded the same dignity. But what I saw in Henry County was like a dance. What do I mean?
There are two kinds of dancing. Dance can be technically perfect, mechanical and, while beautiful, lacking aesthetic appeal. Like music played technically, this type of dancing can lack the soul and spirit that makes it truly beautiful. Then, there is the kind of dancing that happens between people who know one another, know the moves the other is about to make and (to them) the dance is more than the sum of steps on a chart. The dance, to those in relationship, is about the touch, the emotion, the grace of a mutually played-out journey. The dance is more than a bunch of steps.
So is court in Henry County. The people are neighbors who (for the good and bad of it) know one another. When the courtroom doors shut the people go out and live life together. They live life ... shop for food ... walk along the street ... attend weddings and funerals ... and see the scarecrow contest together. They (in and out of the courtroom) are in a kind of dance. And the song that drives the dance forward is community, family and respect. I am proud to live in a place where people are more important than the process and where we (as a community) can say to those working in the court system "well done, my good and faithful servant." Remember that Jesus said (by the way, to very imperfect people who made some mistakes and had their own baggage) those same words in Matthew 25.
For this new resident, I was honored to be in a courtroom where the goal is to encourage better behavior, enforce the law, grow people up into responsible adults, punish were proper and necessary, provide stepping stones out of trouble and teach (yes ... Biblical discipline always teaches). I am sure as I observe our legal system I will disagree with rulings and decisions. But I am proud to see America happen right here in Abbeville.
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