Videos

Who is Jesus? I went around 5points in Columbia, SC to hear who Columbia said JC is.

Common Ground, a joint ministry of Wesley Memorial UMC and Shandon UMC, went on a mission trip to the Eleuthera in the Bahamas. 

The South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church hosts a youth revolution every year where UM youth from all over the state of South Carolina gather in Columbia, SC to worship. This is a little clip from Revolution 2013.

Faith. We seem to profess we have it, live it, do it. At least on Sunday we sing, read and hear about a living faith which we have been called to as one's who call ourselves Christians. But when it comes down to really having faith--faith that Jesus says can tell mountains to jump in the sea and the mountains will obey. Or, faith like Moses and so many who were called to leave the old for the new God was working in the world through them. The faith Jesus clung to as he hung on the cross and said "Father forgive them; they know not what they do." Do we have such faith?

For many of us this is just another Christmas season. Don't get me wrong; I do love and look forward to  the Christmas season every year. I love all the sparkling lights, hot chocolate with whipped cream, beautiful paper and ribbons, wool mittens, scarfs and hats, Christmas caroling, poinsettias and candle light services. Christmas is truly one of the most wonderful times of year. But as I've watched 28 Christmases come and go, it seems that ever year I fall into the same Christmas trance as if I've been put under a spell by all the twinkling lights. My Christmas trance or routine becomes second nature: clean house, cook, shop, eat, visit family, shop, worship, eat, shop, eat and more shopping. The more Christmases I live through, the more shopping has become more and more a basic and ordinary and expected part of the Christmas season. Sure, I worship, but worship seems so periphery to the way so many of us have celebrated Christmas year after year.

I used to say that Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday because that holiday used to be so simple: food & family. But now even the Christmas shopping traditions are taking over the simplicity of Thanksgiving. No, shopping is not totally evil. After all much of mu Christmas shopping is about finding that perfect gift for friends and family. But I will confess that I can't help but pick up a thing or two or three or four for myself. I don't know about you, but when I'm out in the Christmas shopping mobs I find it all too easy to get caught up in an excitement of Christmas that is far removed from the reason we Christmas say we celebrate Christmas. Christmas today seems to be far removed from the first Christmas of more than 2000 years ago. Christmas today seems far removed from the simplicity of which the first Christmas was celebrated. Christmas today seems far more about me, you, us than the little baby whom angels announced as the Savior of the world. In fact when you think about Christmas today, I wonder--where has the real Christmas gone?

The true meaning of Christmas seems to be hidden under the glitz, ribbon, paper, shopping and new traditions we buy into today. "Jesus is the reason for the season" is merely lip service for many Christians. Because like we humans so often do, we have fooled ourselves into thinking Christmas is about us. But it is Jesus' birthday we celebrate. Yes, in a way it is about us because he is the gift of the season. What more could we want? Nothing under any tree can compare with the gift of Christ. As followers of Christ, let us not only forget the reason we celebrate Christmas, but let us not forget to live the reason for this season. This year ask yourself a WWJD kind of question. Since it's Jesus' birthday, what can you give him? What do you think Jesus would like for his birthday? Maybe if you honestly answer that question, your Christmas will look a little different than it has in the past.