Experience the Joy of Christ at The Well                         August  27, 2014
From Our Lead Pastor . . .   


Sometimes I wish Jesus had children.  It might not have made being a parent or guardian or mentor easier, but it would have been simpler to have a definitive parenting blue print from Christ.  I wish there was tucked away in the sermon on the mount something akin to, "You've heard it said 'do homework before dinner,' but I say unto you, 'Children should do homework after dinner.'"  Isn't it interesting that for many of us a majority of our Christian walk is in the context of something on which scripture is relatively silent--Parenthood.

Now there are some verses about the parent-child relationship.  Some we fondly remember like, "Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me'" (Matt 19:14), and "Honor thy Father and Mother" (Exodus 20:12).  Others we often forget--"Unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt 18:3), or "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).  And there are those we just plain make up--"Spare the rod, spoil the child" (which is not quite what Proverbs 13:24 says).  All I'm saying is that my mid 90's WWJD bracelet is rendered effectively useless when trying to convince my daughter to complete her multiplication tables, or when that fateful day arrives and someone asks her to the homecoming dance.  Come on, Jesus . . . you couldn't outline a teenage curfew policy?

 Most of our daily Christian walk is an exercise in improvisation.  The Bible doesn't tell us what to do at 2:30 pm on Tuesdays.  Scripture is more a script than it is instruction manual.  It's right there in the name.  Scripture doesn't offer everything we want to know, which is why it is so very important to be shaped by the habits of the church: prayer, fasting, service, communion, study, worship...  These Works of Piety, as John Wesley put them, are means of grace whereby we learn to walk with Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.  That's the thing.  Scripture doesn't tell us everything we want to know, but it does tell us everything we need to know.

There are plenty of issues that Jesus didn't explicitly mention, so it's best to start a Christian journey with that which Jesus did express.  When we learn to love God and neighbor, when we learn that we cannot serve God and Money, when we eat with the poor and speak truth to power, when we get our pious nose out of Mary Magdalene's business, when we learn to love others as Christ has loved us, then we will know what to do when life offers the variables.  

So, I can't tell you what time your child should be home from the school dance.  I would offer that nothing good happens after midnight, unless you are praying The Hours, which I have not known teenagers (or adults) to do.  But maybe the love and charity Christ offers through the formational habits of the church will give you the strength and the courage to talk with and trust each other.
  
 See you Sunday if not before

 

Rev Matt Rawle

  

What's Happening at The Well
                                  
 
YOUTH UNITY--Sunday, September 7th   
 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm hosed by The Well.
Come here the new pastor at FUMC Amite, Rev. Tom Dolph!

NEW DATE!!
Visioning Retreat--Sunday, September 14th from 4:00-7:00 pm
What is God calling The Well to become?  Why is our community of faith here?  How is God equipping us to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?  Join us on Sunday, September 14th from 4:00-7:00 pm as we gather with Dr. Debra Davis as she guides us into what God is calling The Well to become.


 
 CHILDREN'S DAY AT THE WELL
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30th 10:00 am to Noon
   Water games, jump house, and more!  A fun-filled morning followed by a picnic pot luck lunch at noon.
CURRENT WORSHIP SERIES

At times we are called to be wise and courageous in putting our values into action, like the characters in the timeless novel To Kill a Mockingbird.  "The Mockingbird Parables," a four-week sermon series by Rev. Matt Rawle (inspired by Matt Litton's book of the same name), will illuminate the parallels between the Christian faith and To Kill a Mockingbird.  Join us as we examine the citizens of Macomb County in ways that compel us to reflect on our own lives.  Are we building community?  Are we influencing society for the better?  Join us Sunday mornings at 9:00 or 10:30, and check out our website calendar for a schedule of Mockingbird book clubs during the week!

Get Connected . . . 
 
Interested in becoming a member of The Well family? Contact Rev Matt Rawle to learn about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ!
 
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21400 S I 12 Service Road Ponchatoula LA
985 542 1911
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The Well is a United Methodist Faith Community dedicated to connecting persons to the joy of Jesus Christ and the Body of Christ through worship, study, fellowship, and service.