In the Baptismal Covenant that we use to celebrate Confirmation I ask the Candidates the following questions concerning their renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith - 
On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you: 
Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin? 
I do. 
Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves? 
I do. 
Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races? 
I do. 

We celebrated the reception of the Confirmation class of 2016 a few weeks ago and baptized three new members into the Body of Christ. As we shared together in worship and the confirmation class and those being baptized were asked the historic questions that allow them to publicly profess their Faith in Jesus Christ, I was reminded of STAR WARS and the recent Vision Pathway Team Report. Here's how -

The world has lost interest in many interesting things... 

According to a recent Pew Foundation survey, people today have lost interest in Religion, but claim Spirituality is the most important aspect of their life! What can this mean? Have people lost interest in Jesus or in the "shenanigans" of Christianity, which often bears no resemblance to Christ's example?
 

Jesus did not come to cajole or manipulate people. He did not come to debate or lead by forceful personality. He never tried to gather a crowd (although crowds gathered whenever Jesus taught, healed or spoke). And Jesus never tried to build an organization. He never marketed himself or developed his "brand". Instead, he exemplified this quality that we all need - Gentleness. 

My how fast things change - changing times and an unchanging message!

My thumbs are clumsy at typing on my phone's tiny keyboard, and the phone constantly substitutes the wrong word for what I mean. I quickly realized that if I wanted to "stay in touch" with our daughters, I would have to adapt my primary form of communication from face to face and in person conversations and even phone calls to texts, tweets and Facebook posts. I am a reluctant "texter". But, I'm clearly in the minority: A recent survey indicates that eighty percent of Americans prefer texting to voice calls. 

In a study conducted by psychologists from Binghamton University, participants were found to be significantly more likely to view period-punctuated texts less genuine than unpunctuated texts. So apparently, when texting, the more you punctuate, the less real you are? 

The words recorded in 2 Chronicles tell of the consecration of the Temple. Built to the Glory of God and for the purpose of reminding God’s people that God had a dwelling among them. Built in a time when the world was in great need, a time of famine, peril and pestilence. A time of great unrest. A time of upheaval, change and uncertainty. Yet one thing remained constant – God’s Love for His Children. 

As we begin the journey that will be 2016, we pause to reflect on 2015. As we reflect on the year just past, we recall that we gathered to worship for almost 120 times counting special worship celebrations, we said hello to some new faces and bade farewell to some familiar faces, we prayed together, laughed and cried together. We studied together, served together and sought to be faithful in living out our shared commitment to making disciples and transforming lives. Thank you for your faithful support of our shared ministry that made 2015 a great year of Kingdom building!

 "A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 (CEB) 

Christmas brings both celebrations and challenges... 
The birth of the Christ child is cause for rejoicing! The arrival of the long awaited Messiah! God with us - a time of great celebration! Many had waited with eager anticipation the arrival of God's Kingdom. The weight of the world would be on the shoulders of the newborn King! The arrival of the Christ child, meant that the World would never be the same - and that would mean many challenges. The earthly rulers, kings and potentates would not easily surrender their authority and submit to the Kingdom of God. The paradox of the celebration and the challenge of Christmas are still evident in our world today.

 As members of the Body of Christ in Rome, Georgia we have an obligation to care for those who need care in our midst.   James 1:27 - "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and   widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."  I have sent the following article for publication in the Rome News Tribune and I share it here with you to invite you to help Rome First continue to be First in the Community by leading the way in caring for our neighbors across the street, across the community, and across the globe