History

In a few weeks we are going to celebrate All Saints Day … remembering the history of those who have faithfully lived out their lives at Rockport United Methodist Church seeking to make Rockport a place where people can experience God in new and fresh ways. The history of a congregation is no more real to most church members than a list of names. I hear from time to time, “Who are these people”? For many, church is no more than who was at the last worship service, or who was at the last congregational crisis that they would just as soon forget. For others, history of the church is nothing more than some dusty board minutes squashed in stationery - store binders on a neglected shelf, or a list of faceless clergy. For others history of the church is nostalgia for the old ways … the Book of Common Prayer or the King James Version of the Bible.

That's too bad, because a congregation's history is rich with meaning. For good or ill, a church's history influences its future attitudes and actions. This can go far beyond the usually well-broadcast theological or liturgical stance of many congregations. Normally when I ask members to fill me in on the histories of the church, I find they are both amazed and frightened. They usually share dreams both realized and dashed. No matter how many tell the story the same result is most often arrived at. Many times in hearing of the history of a church I hear a story of how they were tempted to leave the church. Yet when pushed, I normally ask the question, “What prompted you to stay”? Almost always there is a hope for the future.

If history can provide hope, it can also steal hope. Scripture is filled with examples of people who held onto the past to keep people from moving forward. For example, the children of Israel, unable to share Moses' vision, began to see their slavery in Egypt as the good old days. The story has been the same throughout the history of the church. We should honor caution, yet whenever a church has been held up by the thievery of history, we need to ask three questions. First, is there a historical reason we are being kept from following the vision of God, namely that we go into the world to reach those who are lost? Second, are we looking at the right history? What other historical events in the church might give us a different picture of the situation? Third, what new things in this situation change our perceptions of history or render our history irrelevant?

On the best days, when I worship with the saints of Rockport United Methodist Church, I grasp in a fresh way that we are creating is a new history. When gathering in a place filled with worshiping people, we realize anew that the greatest things we do not only bring our history forward and make it present, but also points us toward the future. The passage of Scripture that helps me understand this concept the best is found in Romans 5:8 …“But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”

Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers

Walking by Faith

The other day I heard a simple statement that caught my attention … "Faith is more about the small steps than it is about the large leaps." How true that is, it's more about the daily moments of trusting than it is about removing the "mountains" before us. How often have we felt despair because we didn't have a "great faith" like Peter to walk on water. We desire a “great faith” like the three Hebrew boys Shadrach, Meshach and Abidnigo, who stood firm in their faith while being thrown into the fire. We yearn for a “great faith” like Daniel facing the lions in the den. We read about the many different people in the Bible and wonder if we will ever reach the status of "faith-filled."

I believe we question ourselves and beat ourselves up in regards to our "faith" or lack of "faith" in God because we know the amount of times that we break our promises to God and each other. All of us promised at our moment of conversion, that Jesus would have our lives forever, but … we promised God our lips would always bear witness of the goodness we have experienced … we promised Jesus that our time would be His to do with as he pleased, … we promised to be faithful stewards of God’s blessings in our lives. The list could go on, but we all get the point! So how do we get back up and walk the walk of faith? We must begin to once again be people who take small steps of faith fully trusting that our faith will grow with each step we take.

Recognize that like all others, we make our promises in the warmth of Jesus' fellowship and break the promises while separated from Christ. We make the promise during the time of gentle breeze and warm sunlight, and break them when the cold storm winds begin to blow and darkness begins to fall. So you may say, "What are we to do?" The answer is to take the small steps of faith and stay in the presence of God. If we do so then we have the promise found in Hebrews 13:5-6 to hold on to … “...for He Himself said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, ....we confidently say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, What shall man do to me?" We too need to hear the words Joshua spoke to the Hebrews who were preparing to enter the Promised Land. He encouraged them to “…choose this day whom you will be faithful too…” We need the same commitment and mindset understanding that we will not fail because God will help us and will be with us. A saint from a past century wrote these trustworthy words of encouragement to walk by faith. “Though the fire may rage, the tempest storm, the water rise, I shall walk on through the valley of the shadow of death; I will fear no evil, for my God is with me.” So let me encourage each one with these words … take small steps of faith daily and with each step you will find that you are one step closer to the completing your mission of “Making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

In closing, remember keep the praises high, the worship of God deep, the affection for each other flowing and the pursuing of faith strong.

Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers

What about Worship?

I have been away on vacation, enjoying family and God's beautiful nature. It was during this time of renewal I read about an author that peeked my interest. So I would like to introduce you to a new friend of mine ... a writer named Steven Newman. Here is what he says:

“When we look at worship, many of us see it as something we are to do once a week. For others it has become a daily part of our lives.

When we look at praise as an element of our hip, the Bible is very clear regarding when and how we are to worship God through our praise, THe Bible is clear about how and when we are to worship God.

1. All the time
2. With everything we are
3. With a joyful heart

When talking with others about worship, I often hear the phrase " a sacrifice of praise" being throwns around Do we really know what we are saying? Scripture teaches us as stated in the book of Hebrews 13:15 that, “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” For me continually means continually. That means all the time...non-stop. Psalm 34:1 says, “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” Again, this is all the time.. .24/7. Is that what God meant? Does He expect us to spend all of our time praising Him?

Psalms 103:1 says, “Praise the Lord, 0 my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name”. ‘All my inmost being’...God doesn’t want a flippant offering of praise as we are walking into the church or as it randomly crosses our minds. He wants everything that is in us to praise His name. God desires wholehearted praise from deep within us that is not inhibited by others. Too often we offer up praise that is not from our hearts. We voice it as if we are talking to a friend on the phone. I believe praise is a serious thing to God. Heaven is filled with it. He says that He is enthroned in the midst of it. In Psalm 22:3 He even named the tribe from which Jesus would come out of “Judah”, which means “praise”.

Lastly, we are to do it with joy. Psalm 9:2 says, “I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, 0 Most High”. Psalm 33:1 states, “Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him”. How is this possible? You mean that when I praise I have to do it all the time, with all that I am, and joyfully, as well? That’s a tall order to say the least. We have to remember that this is a God thing. When we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior it was a serious decision. It can be compared to living in a place where Kings Rule. We are to be totally loyal to the King. Our lives are to be submitted to His direction and will. We are subject to His authority. Those of us who live in the U.S. have become soft in our understanding of what this means. We sit back and enjoy the good life when we are called to be servants.. .of God and of man. We praise ourselves and others more than we do God.

I challenge you to take a look at your life as a child of God and as one who is called to be a worshiper of God. If we keep things in perspective and truly keep God first in our lives, the natural outflow will be a life filled with praise. Praise seems to be important to God. It should be important to us. Give Him praise merely for who He is and the rest will follow. He is worthy to receive our praise all the time, with a joyful heart, and with all we are.

Keep the praises high, the worship real,and the fellowship with God deep!!!

Peace,

Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers

There isn't a week go by ...

There isn't a week go by, I mean it has been happening every week of this past year … for weeks and weeks … for months and months.

First it was a distant smile, then it was a short conversation in the parlor, then it was a hug, followed by an invitation to share a meal. First it was a conversation about life, a conversation about our love of God and family, and it is a discussion about the trials of life and trails we face from deep within. Now it is about the way we structure our worship experiences, it’s about offering multiple opportunities and styles for worship. It is about our EMS Worship (Early Morning Service) and the contemplative style of coming into the presence of God. Now it is about new ways to gather together and fellowship with others. Now it is about new ways of reaching out to those who need to experience both friendship and God. Now it is about The Bike Riding Trail Group, The Theater Trail Group, The Youth Outings and Study Trail Group, “The Shack” Trail Group, The Panera Sunday School Group, The Golf Trail Group, and the Ice Cream Trail Group. In the future it could be about The Parenting Trail Groups, The Sign Language Trail Group, The Bible Study Trail Group, The Gourmet Cooking Trail Group, and a host of other opportunities to gather together and travel the Trails with others.

It is happening every week.

Something in the church has caught our eye, or warmed our heart, or stirred our mind. And we want to be involved. We bring our money; we bring our friends; we bring our broken selves to this place we call "sanctuary."
We bring ourselves and we give. We give in order to be involved, even when the involvement isn't directly our own. We want to be a part of this place where the spirit of the Living Lord is active and alive. We give because we have seen the radiant smile on the face of a child racing to meet her mother saying "Can we stay?” or “When we come back?” Is it possible that someone can wish every day were Sunday? We give because in this place we have been nurtured in our spiritual life more than we ever thought possible. We give because of a sermon that has set our life on a new course. We give because the church is willing to take the broken life of a dear friend and helped make that life whole again. We give because blind people in Africa are given sight, hungry people in Haiti are fed, and neighbors around the corner rely on us doing our part to make a difference in their lives. We give because there are others who are in need, and we have been so blessed by God.
We give to be involved. We give in order to unleash energies for good in the world.
You see … something is happening at Rockport …

God is happening here!

Think on these things during this summer season. Our giving is important because it makes a statement about who we are. This year in particular, I encourage us to step up our Stewardship giving because God is happening here, and we want to be a part of the action!
I invite you to make a statement about who you are, about what is important, and about how being involved in the awesome activities of God is such a joy. A great teacher once said, "The world uses people to make money, while the church uses money to make people." Let's give generously to make people abundantly alive in Jesus Christ!

Because of God’s grace,

Rev. Gordon Myers

An irrelevant tourist stop

It is not uncommon for me to receive up to 50 or 60 emails a day. Most are from friends who are keeping me abreast of their events and activities. Other emails are forwarded down the line and often don't have much personal content. But today I received an email entitled "An irrelevant tourist stop". I was moved by the insights of this email that I want to pass it on. As you read, be drawn into what is being described, and consider how you can be involved in changing the norm!

Peace,

Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers

In the last week I had the pleasure of spending more than 24 hours driving on Interstate 70 between home and Kansas City. There's not much to see, so in the rare event that something came up, it got our attention.
About an hour outside of St. Louis was the American Farm Heritage Museum. It had great visibility from the interstate and we could see a great collection of steam-powered tractors, the kind of things I would always pause to admire at the County Fair.
But as we drove on I got thinking about the viability of such a museum. I gave it not much more than a thoughtful "hmm" and kept going. We never thought about getting off at the exit and paying it a visit. I have nothing against this stuff, but it had no relevance for me or my family. There was no reason for us to go there.
I even started wondering if such a place was really needed or if it was merely for the benefit of those who already knew about antique tractors. Did school kids really go there wide-eyed dying to known more about equipment that was outdated half a century ago or if it was really for guys to go show off to each other and have a place to tinker and hang out.
It didn't take long for me to connect those same questions to our local churches. At annual conference we learned that one in three churches in our Conference have not had a single new member "in years." This means that for a third our churches people drive by and have the same response that I did to antique tractors.
I will tell you that I don't know a thing about the Farm Heritage Museum. It may be the best museum of its kind in the free world. They have a great sign in the front and plenty of parking, convenient from the interstate and a pretty good web site.
But I still had no reason to go.
Expecting people to come to our churches simply because we are the church is an outdated notion. We need to go out into our communities and feed the hungry, heal the sick, comfort the afflicted. The Book of Matthew tells us over and over that Jesus built the church first by doing good works, then, when a crowd had gathered, he preached them.
We have the preaching part figured out, we need to do a better job gathering crowds. If not, we are no more than a place for our own members to tinker and hang out.

Worship: Freedom of Form

Recently while meeting with a pastor friend of mine our conversation turned to worship. In the middle of our discussion about worship my friend made a rather bold but true statement: “We need to keep in mind that worship has been a neglected subject in evangelical history. We’re working against 400 years of neglect.”

While driving home I started thinking about the inward and outward dimensions of worship which must be informed and shaped by our primary focus on God.

A quick survey of the New Testament presents us with many different ways of expressing that worship commitment. Certainly the early “church practiced baptism and the Lord’s Supper. But church meetings also included reading Scripture (Col. 4:16), teaching and preaching (2 Tim. 4:2), praying (1 Tim. 2:8), singing (Eph.5:19), and giving thanks (Heb. 13:15 KJV). Paul even described the “mundane” matter of collecting money as an act of worship: “I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Phil. 4:18).

However, nowhere does the New Testament prescribe a specific order of worship. That freedom of form stands in sharp contrast to the detailed worship instructions of the Old Testament. The clearest picture of a New Testament church service appears in First Corinthians 14, a passage that suggests a great degree of spontaneity and lay participation: “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation” (v.26).

One of the greatest dangers we face in the church today happens when we are not willing to sacrifice our own preferences over the style and form of worship. What is appropriate and meaningful in the body of Christ changes as more and more people become a part of the body of Christ... We’ve got to get to the point that we can separate our preferences from our theological absolutes. That is a tough job!

I believe the essence of worship is communion with God. I also believe worship happens when our personal relationship with Christ becomes a priority. It is then that our worship is most fully alive. Worship happens when we are in the very presence of God and experience God’s grace and love in new and exciting ways. This communion with God can and does happen within various worship styles.

In most churches the most controversial question of style involves music. At Rockport we have been exposed to and have experienced worship of God with a variety of music and styles. We benefit from both the new kinds of music as well as the musical heritage found in our time tested hymns of the faith. Theology by and large, was passed from generation to generation through the hymns.

Therefore I encourage a blend of traditional and contemporary forms of worship. I find the traditional has depth; the contemporary has relevance. As I visit other churches, I find churches which are growing are churches which include in their worship of God both depth and relevance. My prayer is simple … “May Rockport be a place of worship that has both depth and relevance for the people who call Rockport their church home!

Peace,

Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers

Everything That is Worthwhile

"Everything that's really worthwhile in life comes to us free - our minds, our souls, our bodies, our hopes, our dreams, our intelligence, our love of family and friends and country. All of these priceless possessions are free."
~Earl Nightingale

Think about it. You can lose all of your money and start over. If your house burns down, you can rebuild it. But things that cost you nothing, you can never replace.

One of the most important keys to happiness is to clearly identify your core values in life. You must decide what matters most. Why the need to identify your values? Many people think, "I know what's important; I don't need a list to remind me." What they don't fully understand, however, is that those core values will often serve as critical guides for making important decisions. When they're in doubt, your core values will cut through the fog like a beacon in the night.

We all know there are many distractions along the road of life that will try to pull us away from our values. Sometimes we are forced to make difficult choices. But a good rule of thumb is that when you have to sacrifice material possessions for one of those "free things" that life has given you...you've made the right choice.

Have you ever thought about it quite that way!"

That's my goal to engage the brain and heart. And in today's world...focusing on the priceless "free things" you've been given will bring joy into your life.



Peace,



Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers

The Courage to Change

The Courage to Change:

Kathryn and I have only lived in Rocky River for a few months. But the other day, while driving in familiar area, I noticed a change. A business that had been around for as long as I can remember had closed and a for sale sign was posted on the structure. A change that made an impact on my life came unexpectedly, but nevertheless it transpired. I didn't have any control over the matter, I didn't have any indications of the impending conditions, but still it happened. A decision was made by someone else who affected my activities, my routine, and my life.

As I'm getting older, some would call it more mature, I find that change is not as welcomed by me as it used to be, but still I adjust. I find that I may not like the change at first, but as I adjust, I realize it isn't so bad after all. Why? Because I have come to realize that change is a part of life. Change leads us to another level, another dimension that wasn't present before. The key for me to accepting change is realizing that there is always a positive in the change if only I look for it. For example, Saul was changed on the road to Damascus into an instrument God could use. Peter was changed from a fisherman into becoming a witnessing machine for the Kingdom of God because of his interaction with Jesus the Christ. Have you been changed because of your interaction with the same Christ? If you are a believer, then change is expected. The Bible says that one of these days we will all be change in a twinkling of an eye. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 paraphrased) What once held us back will be changed. What once kept us in check will be changed. What once prohibited us from experiencing the fullness will be changed. This mortal body shall put on immortality. Oh what a wonderful and life changing time that will be.

A pastor friend of mine reminded me that sometimes in the midst of change we may not see God, but we must still trust God. In my almost 20 years of ministry, I have prayed this prayer of change: "Oh God, in this time of change and unrest, help me to sort living truths from dying customs. Help me to have both the courage to look beyond the unexpected and familiar ways and the humility to recognize the wisdom of them.” So while facing change, keep this in mind … God has it all in control. I am encouraged by the words God told Joshua, “Follow the ark for you have never been this way before, but trust me and follow me. (Joshua 3:3-4 paraphrase) One thing is sure … God will always leads us through whatever may be troubling us, so trust God in the midst of upheaval, adjustments, change.

Peace,

Rev. Gordon Myers

Resurrecting Hope

Over the past several months I have had both of my knees replaced. I have to say that the process has not been the most pleasant. I have had to fight through the pain of surgery. I have had to deal with the post surgery depression. I have had to deal with post surgery limitations, namely not being able to get out and about as I would like. Just this past week I had to deal with the news that I would not be allowed to get back to my exercise routine for another two weeks.

Lately I have been asking myself the question ... how can I resurrect the hope of life getting back to normal, or as normal as it can be?

I believe this is an important message for us during this holy season in the life of the church. I have been pondering how the church can resurrect hope in our community. I have been pondering how we can resurrect hope for those who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior? How can hope be resurrected for those who are hungry and homeless ... for those who are facing a life that might enslave them because of lack of employment or some injustice which would beat them down.

This week Rockport will be celebrating Easter and the resurrecting the hope through our worship experience. I want to personally invite you to come and bring a friend and find our how you can be involved in resurrecting hope for those who you come in contact with.

See you Sunday!!!

Peace,

Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers

What is good for the right knee is good for the left one too!

It has been a few weeks since my last post. Some may be wondering what has been happening. On February 4th I had a right knee replaced. I thought I was prepared for the procedure, but as most of us have learned ... life doesn't always present itself the way we plan it!

I anticipated the pain from the surgery. I anticipated the physical therapy. But what I didn't anticipate was the mental and emotional strain of not being able to do things for myself or not being able to go where I wanted to go.

Having this right knee replaced has once again reminded me that just as I am dependent on others to get around and to do things, I am also dependent upon God. What a wonderful spiritual lesson I have learned again because of a physical ailment.

I have been preparing for another lesson. On March 4th I am having my left knee replaced. I trust I will be prepared for graciously accepting the help of others.

Can we learn the same lesson for our spiritual lives? I have been touched by a song written by Anrae Crouch entitled "Through it all , through it all, I've learned to trust is Jesus, I've learned to trust in God; through it all, through it all, I've learned to depend upon God's word."

See you after March 4th.

Peace,

Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers

BISHOP HOPKINS URGES PRAYERS AND SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAITI

This past week I received communication from Bishop Hopkins. The following is his message to the Church:

"My heart aches for the people of Haiti and I know yours does too. By now, most of us have heard numerous news reports addressing the utter devastation that has happened as a result of a 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti on January 13.

Our prayers and financial support are needed to help our brothers and sisters of Haiti begin to recover from this tragedy. As you know, 100% of the contributions donated through the United Methodist Committee on Relief go directly toward the people who need it most. I urge every East Ohio Church to collect a special offering for Haiti Relief efforts over the next several weeks."

A PRAYER FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAITI by Taylor Burton-Edwards

The seas roar, the earth shakes, buildings crumble, roofs topple and walls turn to dust. Have mercy on the people of Haiti, O God. Nations watch, alarms sound, traffic halts, utilities stop, and news is hard to verify. Give us compassion to weep with those who weep, O God. People die, families mourn, mountains split, infrastructure and superstructure alike are gone. Make us swift to help and persistent to rebuild, not just things and structures, but lives, O God. Through Christ, the solid Rock. Amen

Where in the world was Pastor Myers?

It has been a busy month. Not to mention the year end paperwork that needs to be done for the Church, the preparation for the Board on Ordained ministry interviews, the setting of the vision for this upcoming year at Rockport. All of that alone would have tired me out. But just a little over a week ago Kathryn and I traveled to Taiwan.

We went to honor my father-in-law who was a missionary to Taiwan for over 40 years. They invited us to attend a memorial service. That was our official reason. But what I really wanted to accomplish was to see how that church is "Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world in Taiwan?"

What we found were five churches that were founded by my father-in-law that are active in reaching their community. We attended a worship service on Sunday while there and they invited the children from the community to attend what they called a "Fun Hour." Not Sunday School, but a "Fun Hour." They were actively reaching out and making disciples of neighbors and friends.

I was also overwhelmed by the work of the Blind School. It was started on a shoestring budget and now boast of just completing a $6 million dollar building project that includes a six story building to accommodate the special needs for the blind children and young adults of Taiwan. I have never seen a program so well run as the program run by Ruth Chen (77)and Joseph (50). This is one program Kathryn and I personally plan to support above and beyond my tithe to the church.

What a blessing to hear that one of the graduates of the Blind School is currently serving as an Ordained pastor in a Local church.

What Kathryn and I found was a church that was serious about Making disciples and were willing to be inconvenienced, to be put out, to support the mission with their own funds if necessary and guess what ... they are making a difference and they are making disciples. The church in Taiwan is a church that is respected because they are involved with those in need and are making a difference in their own community. May we do the same!

All I can say is "shea shea" which means "thank you" to the people of Taiwan who are sacrificing to make a difference in their world. May we do the same!

That's where I was last week. where were you? Church I hope!

peace,

Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers

Transformation

There seems to be disconnect in the world we live in. This is not new, but it has been highlighted by the weakness found in our economy.

There is a catch-phrase, "The New Frugality," that has illuminated a wonderful contradiction in the character of most American families. In a recent poll is was reported that 57% of those surveyed believed that in this new economic environment , the American Dream will be harder to achieve. In the same poll 56% believe that Americas best days are still ahead. These two ideals which seem to be at odds with each other, namely realism and idealism, hardheadedness and optimism, offer the church a unique opportunity to minister.

What is being addressed in the survey is that there is some anxiousness about the future. But what is also addressed in the survey is thatif the right course is set we will be better than we could have ever imagined.

So how does the church minister during such times as these. How does the church help individuals navigate through the uncertainty and see the bright future that can be? How can we help people see the possibilties of a bright future and be willing to do the hard work of retooling our ministry with a forward focus?

You would have to agree that this are interesting times in the life of the church, and you would also have to agree that there is much work to engage in to be prepared to "Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World" through the ministries of Rockport United Methodist Church.

Will you be a part of helping that transformation take place?

Peace,

Rev. Dr. Gordon Myers