Today

Kayden James Stockmeister

Kayden
James Stockmeister Kayden, 3, of Charlotte, went to be with the Lord on August 25, 2011.

He leaves his loving mother and father, Krissy Hans and Kenny Stockmeister, Jr.; grandparents, Rick and Karen Hans and Ken and Lidia Stockmeister, Sr.; aunts and uncle, Dina Stockmeister, Tiffany Hans and Ricky Hans.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 11:00am at Good Shepherd Church, 13110 Moss Rd Charlotte, NC 28273 with inurnment to follow at Forest Lawn East Cemetery in Matthews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Good Shepherd Church to assist Kayden's family with expenses.
Please visit Kayden's online memorial at www.mcewenpinevillechapel.com

Published in Charlotte Observer on August 30, 2011

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Tom Petty Songs

I admit that early on Tom Petty took some getting used to.

First, there's the voice. Unique. Sometimes he makes Bob Dylan sound downright melodic.

Then, the hair. How's it still there?

And finally, the genre. Is he new wave? Pseudo punk? Classic rock? Alternative? All of the above?



Yet through it all, I've come to appreciate his wry humor, distinctive sound, and the Heartbreakers band that surrounds him. Little known fact: Mike Campbell, who is the lead guitarist for the Heartbreakers, wrote the music for "The Boys Of Summer," the Don Henley song that is my favorite of all time.

So here are my top five Tom Petty tunes:

5. I Need To Know. This surging, frantic song well represents the early, punk-inspired years of Petty's career.



4. Listen To Her Heart. Musically, see above. Lyrically it gives terrible advice for lasting marriages but great advice for rock & roll relationships: "she's gonna listen to heart; it's gonna tell her what to do; she might need a lot of loving but she don't need you."



3. For All The Wrong Reasons. The little known track from 1991's "Into The Great Wide Open" combines ringing guitar with spot on cultural observations. Should have been a hit but I guess the A&R man said he didn't hear a single.



2. Learning To Fly. What a terrific song from beginning to end.



1. Free Fallin'. Is it still a great song even without that great video? Yes. But the video sure doesn't hurt. It almost made me want to take up skate boarding. Almost.

God Knows Better Than I Do What Is "Good"

I have a confession.

Not that kind, silly.

No, my confession is that I had very low expectations for Boundaries With Kids. In fact, I didn't even want to do it at this time.

My original "series schedule" had us doing something else during August followed by a parenting emphasis in September and October. Yet due to some larger scale schedule changes around here -- changes to which I agreed only reluctantly -- we ended up doing Boundaries in August.

And even then, I only felt "OK" about the message and service preparation.

But like the title of the post says, God knows better than I do what is good. And what is needed.

The response to what we've talked about on Sunday mornings in this series has been overwhelming. Our crowds have been large, interest has been high, and families are being changed.

Add to that, the communities we are building through the BWK Discussion Groups have helped new friendships form and new disciples grow.

All in all, as many people are telling me, "one of our best series ever."

Hmmm. Maybe we should do more series that I don't want to do.

When What Happens To "Other People" Comes Home . . .

If you're like me, you see a news brief like this one . . .


Toddler drowns in SW Charlotte pool

A 3-year-old boy drowned Thursday morning after he fell into a backyard swimming pool in southwest Charlotte.

The boy was being watched by his grandmother at a home on Wildwood Muse Court in a neighborhood off Steele Creek Road, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

Police said it was only a matter of minutes between the time that the grandmother realized he was missing and the time he was found.

Paramedics took the boy to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His name has not yet been released.

Police said they're investigating the incident as an accidental drowning and that charges are unlikely.



. . . and you subconsciously think, "that kind of thing only happens to "other people."

Except in this case, the "other people" are some of Good Shepherd's own; three generations of people we've known and loved for years.

So we are a community with heavy hearts today, trying to navigate the "what now?" even as we wrestle with the inevitable "why?"

Pastor Or Agitator?

So what's the more profound role for a person in my role: pastor or agitator?

If you say pastor, then you'll believe that the most effective leader of a local church will care for souls, pursue healing, and excel in the ministry of presence.

If you say agitator, then you'll believe that the most effective leader of a local church will stir up the people of the church to act on behalf of their faith, rally the congregation to dream big and accomplish bigger, and excel in the ministry of annoyance.

So what's the verdict?

My Relationship With Altar Calls

I admit that I have an uneasy relationship with the uniquely Southern, Protestant tradition of the "altar call": the invitation for people to come forward at the end of the service to surrender their lives to Christ.

The source of my ambivalence? Well, on the one hand, I recall a conversation I had with a good church friend several years ago. And he asked me, "Why don't you have an altar call every Sunday? After all, whenever our Lord spoke, he always had one."

Really? When Jesus spoke, he always gave an altar call?

Well, no. I feel quite sure Jesus never even heard "Just As I Am." The altar call is a modern development. Jesus' public addresses followed no prescribed formula; they were designed simultaneously to comfort AND to infuriate. He did call for response, but not at an altar in a decisive moment of faith.

So the misinformation on the part of my friend contributed to my suspicion.

As does the reality that there are many creative ways to conclude a time of worship together . . . including those that make the message "stick" with the entire congregation, not just the ones who are weighing a faith decision in their minds.

Yet in contrast to my mixed emotions, consider what happened this past Sunday at Good Shepherd. At the conclusion of a message of personal boundaries as the basis for parental boundaries -- "You can only give what you already have" -- we opened up the altar.

We gave people whose lives are out of control the opportunity to place their lives under the Lordship of Jesus.

And at 11:30, people started coming. And coming. And coming. Young and old. Skeptic and seeker. Black, white, Hispanic, and Asian. We invited all kinds of people into a living relationship with a reigning Savior, and they responded.

So we've spent much of the week following up on those decisions made at our altar on Sunday morning.

I don't want to confine God to a formula, so we'll always be flexible when it comes to altar calls.

But I want to give the Spirit space to run in people's lives and this kind of follow up this week . . . well, that's what being a pastor is all about.

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Sports Rants

They are moments etched in time.

They are the source of phrases that have worked their way into the common vernacular.

They are, frankly, sources of unending YouTube enjoyment.

They are SPORTS RANTS.

Sometimes coaches, sometimes players. Sometimes during press conferences, sometimes during the heat of battle.

Always classic.

Here they are: my top five favorite.

Warning: though I've tried to chose edited clips, some of them have language that is . . . colorful.

5. John McEnroe, "You Cannot Be Serious!" How many classic lines in this one rant?! "Chalk flew!" "You are the pits of the world!" And then, of course, the phrase that has become its own industry: "You cannot be serious!" Often overlooked from this 1981 Wimbledon rant is that McEnroe went on to end Bjorn Borg's five year run as the champion by beating him in a four-set final. Serious.



4. Dennis Green, "The Bears Are We Thought They Were." I didn't even remember that Dennis Green coached the Cardinals. But I will always remember his frustration that his team let the Bears off the hook.



3. Jim Mora, "Playoffs?!" Now we know why the playoffs were such an absurd notion of Mora's Colts: they hadn't drafted Peyton Manning yet.



2. Mike Gundy, "I'm a man, I'm 40!" Oklahoma State's Gundy was trying to protect his own quarterback from newspaper coverage in Stillwater and offers himself up as a fitting alternative. Offer accepted:



1. Allen Iverson, "Practice? We're talking about practice?" Ah, it must be nice to be so good you don't need to, um, practice. You know this is in the common vernacular when Aaron Rogers responds to a poor Packers practice session by tweeting it . . . much to Mike Sherman's chagrin.

Hunger, Hair Nets, And Heroes

I posted last week about our Fed Up With Hunger effort.

Well, the results are in.

A multi-cultural and multi-generational collection of Good Shepherd heroes gathered together Saturday morning, donned hair nets, and together fought hunger in the horn of Africa.



Two hundred volunteers packed 50,100 meals that will be delivered to the drought-striken border of Kenya and Somalia.

The best part of the project? I had nothing to do with it -- in fact, Julie and I were delivering Riley to college.

Instead, our student ministry team spearheaded the day -- they came up with the idea, coined the title, spread the word via social media, and then showed up in droves to unpack boxes and fill bags.



It's the kind of thing that makes me proud to be a pastor. Especially at a church like Good Shepherd.



And if you think 50,000 meals is a lot, well, something bigger is around the bend . . .

Another Big Weekend

Boundaries With Kids this weekend starts off with an event that transcends boundaries: Our Fed Up With Hunger project on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (Check Wednesday's post for more information.)

To register, sign up here.

Then on Sunday I'll bring the second message in our Boundaries With Kids series: Parents With Boundaries.

You'll discover some things about David the Goliath-slayer that you probably didn't know before.

Sunday.

8:30. 10. 11:30.

How "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Is Like Ministry

In reading David Browne's Fire And Rain, a musical & cultural exploration of the pivotal-but-overlooked year of 1970, I learned some interesting factoids about Simon & Garfunkel's iconic Bridge Over Troubled Water.

For example, did you know that Simon originally wanted a shorter, quieter song without the "Sail on silver girl . . ." verse which brings it to its anthemic conclusion?

Or did you know that the stress of writing and recording the entire album ultimately led to S&G's breakup?

Or most interestingly, did you know that when it came to Bridge, Paul Simon wrote the lyrics, composed the melody, oversaw the arrangements . . . and then handed it all off to Art Garfunkel for the vocals? He knew that Garfunkel's crystal clear, impossibly high sound could bring home the song much better than his own quietly ironic voice.

How is that like ministry?

When those of us in pastoral ministry get it right, we cast the vision, plow the ground, make the arrangements, and then allow people in the church actually to carry out the ministry . . . which they can often do better than we do.

It's as true for praying over the sick as it is for planning a pot luck. It's as applicable to counseling the grieving as to stuffing envelopes.

My most rewarding moments as a pastor come when people take a raw idea of mine and then launch it miles further than I ever could.

In other words, when they take a Paul Simon melody and turn it into an Art Garfunkel masterpiece.

Fed Up With Hunger

RIGHT NOW in the Horn of Africa people are dying every day from the worst famine in 60 years. Food and water are desperately needed.

Good Shepherd has felt the call to be Jesus’ hands and feet in meeting that need.

THIS Saturday, August 20, from 10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. we will be attempting to pack 50,000 (yes you heard that number right) meals with our partners from Stop Hunger Now.

We will then send the meals to Africa. This event is open to the entire community, so bring your friends, parents, neighbors and children.

I'm proud of our Student Ministry Team for this initiative and looking forward to seeing all the ways God will bless their passion.

To sign up for Fed Up With Hunger, check here.

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Magazines

In this age of websites and ezines, I'm going to give a shout out to the old fashioned magazine.

I've grown up on them. I still love reading them. There's something intoxicating about holding a glossy in my hands and reading up on the latest cultural trends, political maneuverings, and athletic accomplishments.

And I'm old-fashioned enough that I simply don't "get" ESPN The Magazine. It's too hip, too disjointed, too modern for me.

So here are my top five magazines of all time:

5. Good News Magazine. This is the ultimate "insider" piece for those interested in Methodist machinery and Methodist politics. Its print presence is much dimished these days, but its web influence is still strong. But back in the day it was the place to go for tasty morsels from the hierarchy of the UMC . . . and how to return it to orthodox theology.



4. Car And Driver. A great magazine for a teenage boy. It's where I first laid eyes on a Lamborghini Countach and where I learned the difference between horsepower and torque. Even to this day, I'll check it to see if my Nissan Maxima gets a good review on the Driver's Test (mas o menos, but what do they know?).



3. Time. Sadly, the editions keep getting thinner and thinner as ad revenue goes online. But it's still far thicker than Newsweek! My family subscribed to Time when I was a boy and we've continued that trend to this day.



2. Sports Illustrated. I still have an extra hop to my step when I get the Thursday mail, knowing that SI will be there. The "covers" section on SI.com is simply priceless. Of all the classics, I'm partial to this shot of Pete Sampras winning the 1997 Wimbledon:



1. Speaking of tennis, my favorite magazine of them all is the late, great World Tennis. From its inception in 1953 to its demise in 1995, it was the voice for those who followed the sport closely. As a pre-teen, I simply pored over its pages every month. Fortunately, I have about 30 copies from the 60s and 70s in our bonus room and as I look back through them today I realize that reading World Tennis was where I learned to write.

A Different Drug Problem

I came across this piece recently and so shared it the people of Good Shepherd during yesterday's launch of Boundaries With Kids:

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a crystal meth lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question: "Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?"

I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad's fields. I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, this world might be a better place.

God bless the parents who drugged us.

Boundaries With Kids

We've got a big weekend planned for you.

First, our band plays at the Rivergate Shopping Center on Saturday, August 13, from 6-9 p.m.

It's an ideal way for the larger Steele Creek community to have an introduction to Good Shepherd in a low threat, high touch environment. So bring a lawn chair, some friends, and maybe some extra change for ice cream, and we'll see you and celebrate with you on Saturday night.

Then on Sunday we begin a series I've been wanting to do for quite some time: Boundaries With Kids.

It will be four weeks of teaching and praise designed to help parents, potential parents, grandparents, teachers, and coaches to have healthy, godly influence over children of all ages.

Inspired by the book of the same name authored by Henry Cloud and John Townsend, it all starts this week with a message called The Future Is Now.

Sunday.

8:30. 10. 11:30.

Whitney Houston Was Wrong

A generation ago, Whitney Houston told us, "I believe that children are the future."

No they're not.

They're the present.

That's why I'm excited about our Children's Ministry and the team of staff and volunteers we've assembled to lead it. Take a look:



If you'd like to be directly involved in influencing the life of a Good Shepherd Kid, click here

How The Stock Market Is Like Marriage

Down 634 points.

Up 492 points.

With that kind of volatility, it is so tempting to bail out of the market altogether; to panic at the first sign of instability and move to something safer & more comfortable.

Yet wise investors (so they tell me) are not swayed by short term movement in the market but instead position themselves for the long haul.

How is all that like marriage?

When you enter into a marriage based on emotions, romance, or convenience, well, you're much more vulnerable to short term volatility. The newest crisis, the loudest fight, the current stalemate can all become convenient excuses to bail.

Yet when you recognize that marriage is much more about commitment than passion and more about obedience than happiness, short term crises become occasions for reflection rather than departure.

Instead of fleeing the marriage -- or, exiting the market -- couples with a long term view navigate and negotiate their way through today's problems.

Because tomorrow's payoff awaits.

On Wall Street and on your street.

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Classic Hymns

Let's stay "old school" today as well.

I've spent more time than you might suspect in traditional churches. After all, when I first started going to church there were no other options! So I've spent time in high church Presbyterian, middle church Methodist, low church Baptist, and all points in between.

That includes nine years at a traditional-becoming-blended church in Monroe, a time in which I got to know the United Methodist Hymnal very well.

So what are my five favorite hymns from the classic Christian tradition? Here they are:

5. Standing On The Promises (#374 in the UM Hymnal). Standing on the promises is so much better than resting on the premises, isn't it? Just enough of a Southern Gospel feel to make this one feel right at home.



4. It Is Well (#377). So beautiful, especially when Chris Macedo and April Geiger sing it at one of our memorial services. Even better when you know the story behind the song.



3. I Stand Amazed (#371). Here's a bit of irony: I was only vaguely aware of this one before I came to Good Shepherd. I'm always moved by the combination of lights and visuals when we sing this on a Sunday. Here's a modern take on it, courtesy of Chris Tomlin:



2. Blessed Assurance (#369). Fanny Crosby wasn't a Methodist. But she should have been. "Assurance" is one of our hallmark distinctives.


1. And Can It Be (#363). This is my favorite hymn?!? It's almost unsingable in most settings. We never sang it at Mt. Carmel in Monroe and have yet to sing it here. The lyrics are difficult, the melody a challenge, and the harmony is almost out of the question if you want to get it right. So why is it #1? Easy. It's the National Anthem of Asbury Seminary. You get 1000 seminarians singing "my chains fell off / my heart was free / I rose went forth and followed thee" and if you're not crying, you're not breathing.

Going Back To Our Old School

One of Steely Dan's more infectious tunes is "My Old School":



Well, we went Old School Methodism on a couple of occasions yesterday as we finished up the "Elements" series.

In a highly interactive service, we began by asking why would a church ever ask people do something as private and personal as prayer in a group setting on a Sunday morning? In most people's experience, corporate prayer -- especially of the written & recited variety -- is an opportunity for the brain to disengage even while the mouth is in gear.

As an example, we used a prayer that most United Methodist churches use at some point early on in their Sunday worship experiences:

"Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"

However, even though it seemed we were setting up the straw man of coprporate, liturgical prayer whom we would then demolish by pointing out its irrelevance to modern times, we went old school.

The very fact that many of us ask the question -- why would a church ever ask people to do something as private and personal as prayer in a group setting on a Sunday morning? -- simply reveals how modern, Western, and individualistic our thinking has become.

In ancient times (when the bible was written!) there was no conception of a "private, personal faith." There was no "me and Jesus." Biblical faith is always in community and in conversation. It's the same with biblical prayer. Ancients would look at our objection to corporate & liturgical prayer with amusement. "Don't they know what the faith is really about?"

Even more to the point, when we read & recite prayers written hundreds of years ago, we acknowledge that God has greater concerns that merely what my mind can conceive of and what my tongue can articulate. We get connected to what is old and what is vast and what is emphatically not cool . . . and that's very good.

So we concluded our interactive service yesterday by praying together another old school Methodist prayer: the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer. It goes like this:

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

Amen indeed.

Elements, Week 6 -- Prayers

So we come to the final week of Elements this Sunday.

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect out of the series. It was such a departure from our norm.

Plus, it was a series that unapologetically focused on what we do together on Sunday morning.

And finally, I knew I'd say some things that might be unsettling, especially for people who have long been comfortable with Methodist understanding of the sacraments.

Yet in spite of my uncertainty, God has favored us in this series. We've seen people stretched, challenged, educated, and comforted. And, best of all, many baptisms are in store in future weeks.

So we conclude the series with the element of "Prayers." Granted, this element is not tactile like bread, water, or baskets, but the notion of a private practice like prayer happening in a public place like worship brings up a number of questions, including "why do it at all? Why do this private thing in a public venue?"

Ah, that question contains the seeds of the answer.

To see how and why, Sunday.

8:30. 10. 11:30.

Greater Than

I John 4:4 has some of Scripture's most confident words:

You, dear children, are from God and have covercome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

If you follow Jesus, his Holy Spirit, literally, bodily, resides in you. You have been invaded.

And because of that that One "in you" has conquering power over the one in the world -- namely, Satan and the forces of darkness.

So ...

As you wrestle with cancer, the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

As you struggle with temptation, the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

As you despair over unemployment, the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

As you fear for your family, the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

As you battle against depression, the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Wake up to the one who is in you today.

On Getting Prayed For

On several occasions in recent weeks, I have been surprised by the generosity of people praying for me.

First, I shared some time with staff and friends from Steele Creek Church of Charlotte. I have previously posted about my connections with Kelvin Smith, SCCC's pastor, here.

Anyway, SCCC recently opened a new sanctuary and Kelvin asked me to pray with his staff on the Thursday morning before the Sunday opening. I was eager to do so. At the close of that particular prayer time, Kelvin then said, "Brother, now we want to do something for you." So they put me in the middle of a large circle, laid hands on me, and prayed for my spiritual life and the ministry of Good Shepherd.

Now: I value my personal space. I'm not always keen on getting touched. And with the exception of Kelvin and a couple of others, I didn't know these people all that well. So at a very personal level, those moments were awkward, uncomfortable, and . . . beautiful.

Second, at Monday evening's healing service, I prayed for the healing of a young man whom I've come to know over the last several months. When I said "Amen," he turned and said, "and now how can I pray for you?" I've never had someone reverse the roles on me at a healing service before. So again, it was intimidating, suprising, and . . . beautiful. I received one of the loveliest prayers I've ever heard.

Third, out of the blue some staffers at this church have started popping into my office and asking simply, "how can I pray for you?" Guess what? I'm the leader, supposedly in a good enough place that I pray for others more than they pray for me, so these requests are unexpected, perplexing, and . . . beautiful.

Who are you allowing to offer prayers on your behalf today?

Top Five Tuesday -- Top Five Ways Preaching Is Like Tennis

Someone I love dearly recently suggested that I write a book on the comparisons between ministry and tennis.

How about a blog post instead?

It's actually something I've thought about since I first began delivering sermons over 20 years ago now. Why does this whole process of preparing and then giving a message feel so much like getting ready for a big tennis match did back in the day?

Well, here are some reasons that, for me, preaching is like tennis.

1. Preparation. There was no point entering a tennis tournament if I hadn't practiced in the weeks leading up to it. I spent most of my life honing my shots so that I could compete for the state championship of Texas. In the same way, there's no point in standing up on a Sunday morning if I haven't already given a lot of thought and effort to what I'm going to say and how I'm going to say it.

2. Routine. The day of a big match, I'd wake up at the same time, eat the same breakfast, and warm up in the same way. Then during the match, I'd use a towel to wipe off the grip after every point. I wouldn't step on the doubles line as I was changing sides. I'd tie my shoes every two games. (Writing this down 30 years later just makes me see how sick I really was!) But there is comfort in a routine. So today, my process for researching, preparing, and then knowing a message so I can deliver it without notes is remarkably similar every week. There is some variation to be sure but by and large the routine of it all brings a measure of stability. And when do I know that some sickness still remains? When on Sunday morning just before I stand up ... I bend down and tie my shoes. Ugh.

3. Excitement. If I was in the middle of a big tournament -- say, the Texas State Championship -- my internal excitement would build each round. I assume it was a way of adrenaline flowing even before the match started. Today, I get that same kind of edge from Thursday morning through Saturday night -- especially if I have something provocative I just can't wait to say.

4. Environment. I couldn't bear to play a single point of a match if a gate was open. Today? If the doors to the Worship Center are open during our celebration services (except to let people stream in of course!), I just get all twisted.

5. Competition. By definition, of course, each tennis match has a winner and a loser. No gray area at all. When I am living in the Spirit, I recognize that in ministry our competition is the evil one. When I am living in the flesh, I believe that my competition is a "rival" preacher -- someone with a larger flock or a deeper faith than I have. My prayer is to live -- and walk and pray -- in the Spirit.

Different World, Same Elements

Yesterday afternoon, I attended the Installation & Celebration Service for Gary Royals, my new District Superintendent in the United Methodist Church.



I previously posted on Gary's appointment here.

Anyway, Myers Park United Methodist Church hosted the celebration. And Myers Park UMC is a completely different world from Good Shepherd. That becomes obvious upon seeing the gorgeous exterior architecture:



And the difference then becomes more apparent with the sanctuary design on the inside:



But nowhere was the "different world" more clear than in the celebration itself. Instead of gathering music downloaded from iTunes and played over the sanctuary's sound system, we were welcomed into the space with antiphonal singing & chanting from choir members stationed in the balcony and therefore out of sight.

Instead of the thumps of a kick drum to start the worship set, the massive sounds of a pipe organ let us know it was time to stand and sing.

Instead of "O Happy Day" sung from projected lyrics, we began with "The Church's One Foundation" sung from #545 in the United Methodist Hymnal.

And instead of a solo of the latest Matt Redmond, Chris Tomlin, or Coldplay tune, the special selections last night were a capella and a amplification (I made that word up) versions of classic Christian hymnody.

Instead of jeans and polos, the worship leaders wore robes and stoles.

So just when I thought there was simply no commonality between what happens at Good Shepherd and what happens in much of the rest of Methodism, it came time for representatives of the Charlotte District to give Dr. Royals tangible, tactile expressions of ministry as he begins to lead us.

One person gave him a loaf of bread -- to lead us in communion.

Another gave him a pitcher of water -- to lead us in baptism.

Another gave him a bible -- to lead us in preaching and teaching the Word.

And yet another gave him a hymnal -- to lead us in worship and praise.

It hit me: Elements! The same series we've been doing throughout July at Good Shepherd. It was as if all the sermon titles from the last month were staring me in the face: Bread, Water, Words, Notes.

Those tangible elements of worship and faith that far transcend differences in architecture, community, and liturgy.

Different world? Probably.

Same elements? Absolutely.

Ephesians 4:4-6 puts it this way: "There is one body and one Spirit . . . one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."