Two Months Already?

As we move into fall, I was thinking about all of the changes that have been going on in my own life as well as the life of St. Paul.  I was talking with Laurie the other night and we can not believe we have only been at St. Paul for only two months.  We have felt so welcomed by the church that we feel like we have been here much longer.  Seminary seems like the distant past (that’s not all bad!) as we continue to grow and learn from our new friends here at St. Paul!

I have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know you during various meetings over the past few weeks. I have also received a lot of positive feedback from those who attended the pastoral meetings at the church.  One question that was consistently asked during the meetings centered around the direction I think the Church needs to go as we move forward.  

   

Most importantly, I feel we need to be a church that is grounded in prayer.  Psalm 34:10 promises us that those who seek the Lord will “not be in want of any good thing.”  Prayer has to be the foundation of who we are both individually and as St. Paul United Methodist Church.  If we humbly and faithfully seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I know he will be faithful in giving us the direction we seek both as a church and in our individual lives.  

I have been pleased by the response to the prayer covering calendar.  I think it is a good place to start!  If you have been praying for us, thank you!  If you have not had the opportunity to sign up, there are still openings available!  We are also putting together a prayer covering for those serving in the military.  Please pray for their protection and safe return as well as for their families while they are gone.

Spend some time just talking to God and let’s see where he takes us!  I know it’s going to be a fun ride!

Shalom,

Pastor Lance

I've Been Thinking....

Proverbs 12:11 says that if you till the land, you will have plenty of bread, but "he who follows worthless pursuit lacks sense."

What is it in our lives that we pursue that maybe we shouldn't be pursuing?  There is a huge difference between dreams and fantasies.  Everyone should have dreams- every great person I know sets goals and dreams, goals are not worthless ambitions.

But unrealistic goals are worthless.  They can consume time and resources and not give any return on the investment.  I might have a goal of being the best brain surgeon on the planet, but at my age and educational level, it is not realistic.  It doesn't mean it is bad, it just isn't realistic for me.  If I was younger, then it might be a realistic goal.  So your goals have to match your situation in order to be realistic.

When you write a business plan, you start with a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis.  I think it is good to do a similar assessment of our lives individually and as a church when we begin to set goals.  God can and does do miraculous things, but I think when we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he will open our eyes to the direction he would have us go.  It is our job to be humble enough to accept the guidance and form a plan in that direction.

One Month Already

I can't believe we have been in FL for 1 month already.  This weekend some friends from seminary were in Destin and we got to spend some time with them.  It was great to see old friends again, but it seems like an eternity since we were in Wilmore and at the same time it seems like yesterday.

We are settling into a routine, Laurie is still waiting on her number from the state so she can start work.  Other than that, life is pretty well normal.

I also found out that I have to be a resident for 6 months before I can buy a resident fishing permit!  That seems really strange to me, usually if you have a license- you're a resident.  Oh well, at least I have the pier.  We used some graduation money today to buy a yard cart that I converted into a fishing cart/yard cart/beach tote.  Multipurpose and about 1/3 the cost of a fishing cart!  Now to get one of those King Mackerels!

Biting off more than I can chew!

Today we announced the coming partnership between Navarre and St Paul.  I think there is tremendous opportunity if we do this right.  Over the next several weeks we will have more information and we'll keep everyone informed as we can.

I also changed the order of service a little today.  I have been spending some time looking into why we do what we do in worship and there are some things that make liturgical sense to do in a certain order.  Traditionally there is a prayer of thanksgiving given after the offeratory and I would like to move toward prayer requests during the service.  There is always discussion around whether or not to do this, I think it helps the congregation stay connected and I also see it as a way to connect the two services since we can keep each other informed of joys and concerns.

And to top the whole thing off, the new DS showed up this morning!  I was already a little nervous about the sermon and how the announcement would be accepted and just for a little extra stress the DS shows up for the first service.  He's a very nice guy, it just caught me a little off guard!

Quite a morning at St. Paul to say the least.