Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church

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A Community of believers making a difference by making disciples
Joinus on Sunday,November 21, as we celebrateChrist the King SundayWorship 8:45 a.m. Chapel and11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Rev.John Roperwill be preaching on the following Scriptures:Psalm 119:1-7; Matthew 6:19-21.Sunday school for all ages 9:45 a.m.
Sunday, November 21 7:00 p.m. Annual Community Thanksgiving Service will be held at St. Matthews Methodist Church, John Roper will be preaching.
Prayer Group meets on Monday's for prayer at 9:30 in the Prayer Room

Thu, 11/11/2010 - 20:04 admin
During December you will be asked countless times "Are you ready for Christmas?" In other words have you found gifts for everyone on your list? Its a hard job isnt it?
The first Christmas after we were married Janies family drew names to decide who would buy gifts for whom. Janies oldest sister, Barbie, had drawn my name. Janie had told her I needed a tennis bag. Bear in mind that every tennis bag I had ever seen was canvass or some sort of fancy plastic. On Christmas morning I opened my gift from Barbie. Out of the box came a navy blue, genuine leather, monogrammed tennis bag. Few of you have ever seen me play tennis, but to say my game is average is to give me a more credit than I deserve. No one where I played tennis had a bag this fancy. It just seemed to say that I was better than I was. Besides, most of my tennis shirts had a hole or two in them, my tennis shorts were all a little frayed, and I still played with a wooden tennis racket. I wasnt so sure that the leather bag and I had the right to be seen together in public!
Its hard to find just the right gift, are you ready for Christmas?
This season is fraught with the trauma of trying to find the right gifts for the people on our list. Anyone who has ventured out to the mall is well aware you are putting your life in someone elses hands just by being there. We could be trampled, we may never recover from the exhaustion, but by goodness we have to find that right gift if it kills us.
We assume that giving is the hardest part of Christmas after all it is so hard to find just the right gift. But have we ever considered the perils of Christmas getting.
Are you ready for Christmas?
I dont just mean trying to look surprised although you already knew what you were going to get. Nor do I mean the art of looking very pleased and saying just the right thing when we open the gift"Oh, its just what I wanted"even though you have no idea what it is! No, I am talking about the demands the gift may make upon us!
In an essay by Garrison Keillor he writes, "A Christmas gift represents somebodys theory of who you are, or who they wish you were, and of course, we know how to handle the wildly inappropriate gift from a stranger, but what if you see yourself as a suave dude and a swift intellect and then one year your wifeyour wifegives you a pair or singing undershorts that perform "O Tannenbaum" when you sit down and a battery-powered coin bank in which a little farmer picks up the coin in his pitchfork and hoists it into the silo? Thats when you go through an identity crisis.
Are you beginning to see how getting can present its own set of problems?
If my someone gives me an organizer for Christmas is it because they think I want to be more organized or because they think I should be more organized?
Keillor suggests that a Christmas gift often tells us little about who we are. But it tells us a great deal about who the giver of the gift thinks we are or ought to be. Sometimes the gift seems to come with its own set of demands.

I have told you about Pam Morrison who married at 18 and had her first child at 19. Oh, the child was planned and very much wanted. In a word the child was very much a gift. But she told about getting home only to have the baby start to cry. She picked up the child and sheer panic swept through her. She thought, "Im not ready for this".
What has everybody been asking us for weeks now? Are you ready of Christmas? And of course we are thinking of the gifts we have to purchase or the cooking and cleaning. But perhaps these are the minor concerns. You see all this time we have thought that the question are you ready for Christmas had to do with our being ready to give, but scripture asks something different, are we ready to get.
Throughout the story of the birth of Jesus there are hints that this gift comes with some expectations. There will be demands that this child will make upon not only his own parents but on us as well. The gift we are given in the Christ child is the gift of wholeness. Perhaps the reason John the Baptist was so hard on us was the recognition of just how demanding this gift of Jesus will be upon our lives.

We may be a bit like we were in our early teens when we dreamed of the day we would leave home and be completely free to make our own decisions. However, once we left home we discovered all to quickly the demands of car payments, rent, insurance, food. Our much sought after freedom seemed like such a gift, and it was, but it was a gift that would demand much of us.

In the gospel of John we find a story about a man who has been ill for 38 years. He is lying next to a pool that was believed to have healing powers. Jesus saw the man lying there and knew he had been there for a long time. Jesus asked the man "Do you want to be made well?" On the face of it this seems to be a very strange question. Hasnt this man been by this pool hoping to be healed? Doesnt everyone who is ill want to be made well? But the truth is over time we may become quite comfortable with our condition. So much so that health becomes a threat to us. And so Jesus asks, "Do you want to be made well?"

I had a friend whose father gave him golf lessons for Christmas. My friend never used them. I asked him why. He said, "If I took the lessons what excuse would I have for not being any good. Now at least when my father beats me I have an excuse." He laughed as though what he was saying was a joke, but to tell you the truth I am not so sure.

We muddle along through life satisfied with shallow sometimes-meaningless relationships. We muddle though life satisfied with selfish self-centered behavior. And we have an excuse, we are broken or should I say, incomplete people. So we find that kindness and generosity are the exceptions in our life rather than the rule and we say, we cant help it.

Then along comes God, bursting into our little status quo lives and says I have a gift for you. The gift is my own child. My child will lead you to wholeness if you will follow. My child can show you how to completely become the person you were always intended to be. Yes, it will require you to change. Yes, it will make demands of you. Do you want this gift or not? It comes with a warning because once you open it you can never be the same person again. If you let it, this gift will take possession of you in such a way that you will be changed forever.

Many years ago one of our friends daughters was getting married and I was asked to assist at the wedding. At the rehearsal dinner, Jay, the groom stood up to speak. He told about how his real father had walked out on them when he was five years old. When he was eight, his mother remarried. Bill, his stepfather, came to all his little league games; to all his school plays; taught him how to throw a football; and taught him how to play golf. Bill, had driven him on his first date. I am not so sure, said Jay, that biology has a whole lot to do with being a father. He then asked Bill to stand up next to him and he said, as my best man tonight I want to give you this gift. Then he said, "and I would like to ask you to give me one more gift tonight. From now on, can I just call you dad and not Bill, because you are my real father. Of course, by this time we were all crying so hard that I am not sure what happened next.

But I learned something about gifts that night. The gift of love, which was the gift Bill gave to Jay, has a way of possessing us. And when we are possessed by that gift of love we are transformed by it.

Each year we are reminded of the gift God wants us to have. It is the gift of wholeness. This may be the year we are finally able to fully accept the gift that is given. Or maybe, we will only be able to take one step or two toward that acceptance. But God keeps offering and will not stop offering until we accept. I happen to believe that the power of Gods love will win.
And so let me join that long list of people who has already asked you this question, "Are you ready for Christmas?"

Tue, 06/22/2010 - 12:50 admin
My wife and I recently went to visit my 88-year-old mom in North Carolina. She lives alone in the house where she spent part of her childhood. The house is about two miles outside of the small town of Wagram. Mom still drives and actually is in pretty good health. She would prefer to stay right where she is for as long as she can. She actually feels pretty safe with her 4 dogs running around in the yard and neighbors that keep a regular check on her. The issue is she knows and we know that at any moment that could change. I am beginning to realize that this is true regardless of our age. I have an aunt who is much younger who just discovered she has Alzheimers. A few weeks ago she was planning on moving nearer the grandchildren so she could spend time with them. Now she is looking into nursing homes. What is the commercial that was running a few years ago, "Life comes at you fast!"
Lately it seems to me that the most important issue for all of us is how we keep all this in perspective. My sense is that this is one of the main reasons God has given us the scriptures. On Sunday June 27 we will finish our series of sermons on the book of Revelation. This is a book that takes both the power of evil and the goodness of God very seriously. It seeks to give us a sense of perspective on life.
Barbara Brown Taylor in her book Leaving Church tells the following story. She shares her concern that it seems to her that we think that since Jesus took care of all the hard work for us there is really nothing left for us to do. "God now has become a great friend who would like to get to know us all better, if we can find the time. And if we cannot, then God loves us anyway. "The fear of the Lord" has become as outdated as an ephod."
"This is not true for the Native Americans I know, whose divine meetings have included glimpses of the god who is as far above them on the food chair as an eagle is to a mouse. When they will talk about this at all, they do not speak like mice whose bones have been picked clean. They speak like mice who have been lifted high into the heavens where they have seen themselves, the world, and the lives they lead with terrible new clarity. Set down again, they cannot look at anything the same way they once did, which means that they cannot live the same way either. Because their fear has proved to be the means of their transformation, they do not want to get over it. Their time aloft has brought them as close to an eagle as most of them will ever get, which makes their terror appropriate. The fear of the Lord and the Lords love of them are two windows on the same reality." P. 189-190.
There is something terrifyingly real about dealing with aging parents that you loveas someone said, "No one gets out of this world alive!" So please let us not be guilty of trivializing the agonizing that is involved in all these hard choices. But is it just possible that Taylor is right and the fear of the Lord and the Lords love are two views of the same reality? This would mean that indeed even in these hard choices we are transformed into persons that are being moved more toward the image of God by the very making of them. John

Fri, 05/14/2010 - 13:24 admin
One of my very favorite people once suggested this for a bumper sticker, "Not going to church? Hows that working for you? Well, I have a similar question to ask, "Do you communicate primarily by text or email?" Hows that working for you?
The other day I called one of the guys who I play tennis with to ask if he was able to play at our regular game. He said he was going to be out of town but not to worry because he had already called and asked another friend to find a substitute for him. The trouble was he had called but he had not talked to the friend he had only left a message. The friend didnt get the message until the morning of the match so we wound up with three players, which is way less than ideal for doubles! It happened again the next week. We were doing something special in worship. I was told that everyone knew. Well everyone had been emailed and/or sent a text but guess what one person never got either. I am often told that we dont need to have meetings we can just do everything by email. I remain skeptical about that suggestion!
Now, granted I am somewhat of a curmudgeon but I think that in the interest of time and "efficiency" we have somehow overlooked the value of the good old face to face. I think that technology has not only increased communication it has also increased miscommunication. Someone told me about a New Yorker cartoon that showed a husband and wife sitting across the breakfast table "texting" each other! Is this what our intimate conversations have turned into?
I never write anything by hand anymoreeverything I write is on a keyboard. As a result my already poor penmanship has gotten even worse. If we never have the occasion to talk face to face will we also become less able to communicate in this way? What toll is that taking on marriages and what about the relationship of parents and their children?
Send your wife flowers, send her a text, send her an email but remember what still counts the most is looking her right in the eye and telling her you love her. Oh yes, and when we pray, we would do well to look right into Gods face, the one we know because of Jesus and tell him how much you love him too. Dont bother to text or email my understanding is that God doesnt have a computer or a smart phone! God prefers direct communication after all that is why he sent Jesus!

Tue, 03/30/2010 - 20:27 admin
I was on my way to work on Monday morning. I turned onto Browns Lane and there in front of me was a man and his little girl riding on a tandem bike. Both had on their helmets and she seemed to be pedaling as fast as she could to do her part. They turned into our church parking lot and up to the back door. Oh my goodness, it was a preschooler being brought to school by her dad! Both then got off the bike with big grins on their faces. He thanked her for helping and opened the front door and in she went!
For me this turned out to be a good start to the first day of Holy Week. It is, after all, a week filled with many emotions. Thursday and Friday will bring deep sadness as we celebrate Maundy Thursday worship and our Tenebrae service on Good Friday. Saturday evening will end with our Easter Vigil and a baptism as a reminder that in the early church this was the night new members joined. Sunday morning we arrive at worship for a joyous celebration when we cry out, "He is Risen!"
For most of the week I feel pretty much like the little girl on the tandem bike pedaling as fast as I can to "keep up." Unfortunately, unlike her I will sometimes forget that my parent is in front of me caring for me and doing all of the real work. I hope if the worship services do their work in me that, like the little girl, I will arrive at my destination filled with a sense of joy. I will realize that God has done for me that which I could not do for myselfI have been freed by forgiveness beyond my imagining.

The long journey toward hiring new staff has finally come to a close. The Pastor Nominating Committee has selected Kimberly Cabrera and Adam Fischer to be our two new associate pastors. This is indeed a thrill for me because over the past year I have watched how well these two worked together. The goal of the PNC was to choose the best team we could find. I have every reason to believe that they have succeeded. I have nothing but respect for Adam and Kims ability and think this will be an excellent staff.
A Personal Note
Janie and I have just returned from attending our grandson Jordans first birthday party in Batesville, Arkansas. We headed for Batesville with our car loaded with dozens of cookies (a special request from my son) and a number of gifts for Jordan. Leslie our daughter in law made a cake in the shape of a duck. Yellow icing was then applied by my son so I dont have to tell you it was thick. The finishing touches were the orange bill and the blue eyes. Do I even need to tell you that Jordan was within moments of the partys start covered in yellow icing much to the delight of both sets of grandparents! If the family decides to give up anything for Lent I hope it is not bathing Jordan at least until all the icing is finally removed! The party was on Saturday and seemed to fill up the whole day. On Sunday after worship Janie and I prepared the joy of taking care of Jordan while Jeff and Leslie lead the Youth Group that evening. Did I mention Leslie is the Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Batesville? On the long drive home, made a bit longer by the weather, Janie had plenty of time to plan our next trip! I just spent time wondering if perhaps the secret to happiness really is chocolate chip cookies, cake and grandchildren?

Thu, 01/07/2010 - 21:37 admin
When we were living in McClellanville, SC and I was serving my first church, we were on our way to my mothers house for Thanksgiving. We started out on the morning of Thanksgiving Day. It was about a three hour drive and about half way there the fan belt broke on our car. It was quite an ordeal to find a place to have it replaced on Thanksgiving. When we arrived back in McClellanville I was relating the story to one of my parishioners and he said, "Well, I always keep a spare fan belt with me under the seat of my car, dont you?" Of course, I said "no". Someone told me later that everyone did this in the days that service stations were few and far between such was not the case even way back in the 70s. This was before cell phones but even then there were plenty of service stations available, they were just not open on Thanksgiving Day.
Whereas care for our car is even more readily available today than it was all those years ago these days what seems to be few and far between is care for our spirits. We know what to do in case of a car crisis but we do not seem to know where to turn in a spiritual crisis.
It is for this reason that I am so excited about the invitation that Adam made to the congregation in his sermon on January 3rd. We as staff of the church are inviting the congregation to read the entire bible in 2010. Its not as hard as you might think. We have a plan, which is available through the church office, that suggests four passages a day for our readings. The amount of time required is 15-20 minutes a day. Really, wouldnt you just love to be able to say I read the bible in 2010? If we do then when the spiritual crises come we dont have to keep a copy of it under the seat of our car we can take it with us in our heads and hearts.