Through everyone working together this was very meaningful Holy Week Experience.
John W. Alford

In addition to the weekly celebration of the Resurrection, an annual observance of Easter became a part of the churches celebration very early in the life of the ancient church. Many believe that the primitive Christian community of Jewish origin would have observed the “Passover of God in Christ” the very next year after the crucifixion. Very early the Church fathers used the name Pascha to refer to the cross/Resurrection events and it’s annual observance. Passover/Resurrection was seen as a single event.

Eastertide festivities do not end with Easter day. We celebrate our redemption every Lord’s Day. In addition, we set aside fifty days of pascal rejoicing which reaches a resounding climax on the day of Pentecost-the fiftieth day of Easter. On the fortieth day of Easter, Ascension Day is celebrated in the church calendar. The ascension of Christ into Heaven and His exaltation in the kingdom over which He reigns should be an essential part of our redemption. In the Moravian liturgy we find this statement: “Christ our crucified, risen and ascended Redeemer, shall remain our confession of faith.”

The celebration of the fiftieth day of Easter, the day of Pentecost brings our annual observance of our Lord’s resurrection to a joyful close. The sending of the Spirit is the completion, the fulfillment of the resurrection promises of the risen Christ, the climax of the Easter season.

These fifty days should be a time of joyful celebration in our life and in the life of the Fairhope Christian family. The cross and resurrection was a reckless act of pure love for us on the part of both God the Son and God the Father.

Happy Easter!
John W. Alford

A classic description of the early Christians is given in the Book of Acts. The late New Testament scholar, Dr. William Barclay distills it all into these classic descriptions of the early church.

They had a sense of togetherness in fellowship.
“See how they love one another” outsiders said.

It was a learning church.

It was a reverent church.

It was a church where things happened.

It was a sharing church.

A worshiping church.

A happy church.

A church of people whom others could not help liking.

All this implies a heavy role for the laity as well as the clergy. Preaching is dialogue. Many, many ministers understood that the preacher preaches to the congregation inside the church and the laity preaches outside in the world. One of the distressing dilemmas in our modern church life is that most of our laity do not see it that way.

How much does this description fit Fairhope Christian Church? May each of us really ask ourselves which of the above eight characteristics fit us. If you feel that there are some that are not a part of the description of us, then pray and ask God about areas that do not fit.

If there are areas in which we are weak we need to ask that the Holy Spirit would give us discernment as we seek to become what God would have us be in 2008. May God give us wisdom and understanding.

In Revelation 3, we read, “The people I love, I call to account~prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God! Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!
Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.” (Both quotations from The Message.)

To those who hear the voice of God and open the door, God promises victory and union with Himself.

Those who have faith and trust in God, come to know that God is faithful. We know that in the end God is in control. In this New Year may we give our all to be our Father’s children. May we turn back to God, renew our commitment to Him and live for Him in 2008.

Erma Bombeck in a column several years ago asked why a baby in a diaper was the symbol of the New Year. She wrote that the little New Year is a symbol of innocence, freshness and optimism. The baby reminds us to shed some of the baggage and old clothes of the past year. She also suggested that we should have no glasses that allow us to see our differences but none of our likenesses. Get rid of our shoes that allowed us to walk in the ruts of old ideas and stubborn resistance to change. No luggage to carry our prejudices. No neckties or scarves that choke out laughter, or joy or words of forgiveness. We should be like a baby ready to celebrate and live life on God’s terms. Give this new child a chance to grow, to develop, and to learn.

Emma Bombeck ended by saying:
This is my challenge to you and me this morning.
Let’s put away our tired old clothes,
lets get rid of the pessimism that can overcome us,
let’s say goodbye to the old person,
and once again become new-born babies in Christ-
children of the living and loving God.

Have a Happy and Blessed 2008.

Lord, for Thy coming us prepare;
May we, to meet Thee without fear,
At all times ready be:
In faith and love preserve us sound;
O let us day and night be found
Waiting with joy to welcome Thee.

May we pause from the business and frenzy of December to take time to reflect on the meaning of the Advent season and pray and praise the one who is Emmanuel. May we rejoice because “your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28).

The American Thanksgiving holiday is a combination of a very ancient harvest festival and the Christian tradition of acknowledging that God is the creator and sustainer of all. It is also a part of our American heritage.

In the Old Testament the concept of giving thanks goes back to the beginning of the Jewish law. In Exodus 23:16&19, we read, “Hold the summer Festival of Harvest when you bring in the first fruits of all your work in the fields. Hold the autumn festival of Ingathering at the end of the season when you bring in the years crops… Bring the choice first produce of the year to the house of your God.” The Message. Later this became the festival of Pentecost, which was one of the most important Jewish festivals. Since God was and is the giver of all blessings, His children were to give thanks to Him. The Psalms of David give many prayers of thanksgiving.

In the New Testament, Jesus showed that being thankful should become a way of life for His followers. Jesus gave thanks for food before meals. At the Last Supper Jesus gave the Jewish blessing for the cup and the bread. Jesus also encouraged giving thanks for God’s presence and protection. Paul’s letters give many instances of his giving thanks to God. In 1 Thessalonians 5:6-18, Paul says, “Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The first Thanksgiving as it was observed by the Pilgrims and Indians set the stage for later observations. In 1789, Presidnet Washington issued a Presidential Thanksgiving proclamation. The thanksgiving celebration disappeared until the Civil War when President Lincoln reinstated it. A joint resolution of Congress in 1941 established the fourth Tuesday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

George Washington intended that Thanksgiving be a day of thanksgiving and prayer. Let us live our life as a Christian in such a way that we live each day in thanksliving to our God. We have been blessed beyond measure.

In the Bible in Ecclesiastes 3:1 we are told: “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity.” Interim ministry is a time for learning in a congregation. When pastoral leadership changes, the church becomes an open system. The church is in a position to learn more about itself and its future. If this time of learning is worked through, the potential for having a long and happy pastorate of the new minister is enhanced. Peter Steinke has suggested that interim ministers may be “temporary shepherds” but that they can have a meaningful, long-term effect on the life of a congregation.

It has been suggested that there are five realities that make pastoral ministry more challenging and difficult today. They are:
a). Institutional resistance to change.
b). The need to redefine purposes and mission in the modern or
postmodern setting of the church.
c). The challenge to exercise liable Christian stewardship.
d). Controversial social issues will continue to produce conflict
and tension.
e). Increasing diversity in American society which will blur the
differences in religious traditions.

When a change of pastors occurs a congregation needs time to adjust. For some this is a time for grieving for the former pastor, for others it may be a time of working through feelings left over from several pastors back in the time line of the congregation. Emotional adjustments need to be made. People need to come to terms with their feelings. As the people begin to take stock of themselves, as they assess their strengths and weaknesses, as they refocus their sense of identity and mission, they gain new understandings of the past. As increasing readiness to go into the future emerges they begin to see themselves moving forward in new ways with a new leader.

There are five developmental tasks that a congregation needs to progress through on the interim journey. These are:
a). Coming to terms with History.
b). Discovering a new Identity.
c). Leadership changes during an Interim.
d). Renewing Denominational Linkages.
e). Commitment to new Directions in Ministry.
In The Message Bible Romans 12:1-2, we read:

The Message Bible
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around like, and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity. God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

In this passage, the focus is on transformation. Transformation has been defined as: “The new shape that occurs after transition, towards which change is aimed.” Life is a series of letting go of what was and moving ahead into a transformed future. The Bible, among other things, is a story of the journeys of God’s people that lead to major transformations. God’s presence directed these events as a part of His redemptive mission. God continues today to lead His church through transition to transformation, though death to resurrection.

Much of the above was taken from: Nicholson, Roger S. Temporary Shepherds: A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry. Washington, D.C.: The Alban Institute, 1998.

Dr. John Alford

This will be my last article to this newsletter and, probably, any church newsletter. As I confront the future, retirement is a future that I never really thought about.
· What is it like to get up in the morning and not have to be mindful of the time
and my schedule for the day?
· What are my feelings going to be when I receive on a monthly basis my pension
check, Social Security check, and I haven’t done a darn thing?
· Will my plans for a part-time career be fruitful, or am I just whittling away at
time?

How excited I was 20 years ago when I graduated from Brite and was ordained. The night of my ordination, when the ceremony was all concluded, I read the above scripture from 2nd Timothy; and I saw before me a new career serving God and proclaiming Christ — never once thinking about eventual retirement.

I have been pondering my life and remembering a lot: Edina High School in 1962; UCLA in the early 70’s; my career in business (including my first time as a Vice President and on the Board of Directors); the time I met Harry Truman (1961) and the personal tour he gave me of the Truman Library — and a host of other events in my life.

The other day a retired friend of mine from my Vietnam days called me and congratulated me on my impending retirement. We talked for a while about the “old days” in Vietnam (42 years ago).

We remembered good friends, great adventures, and also very sad and even tragic occasions. As our conversation was about to end, he said to me: “At least you get to retire with a pension, most of the other guys are dead.” And as I remember old faces of young men who were good friends (like brothers), and who never lived beyond 18, 20, 21, etc., I realized that this too was something to ponder.

And now the result of all my reflections, ponderings and remembrances is this: my life, my future, my journey has always been in the loving hands of God. With Christ as my Savior, I need not worry. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:7&8 – “. . .the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Whether the rest of my race is long or short, God will care and assist me. I will do the best I can and the rest is up to the Lord.

Margie and I are very proud and pleased to have served God and the congregation of Fairhope Christian Church. We love you all and you will be constantly in our prayers.

God Bless & Keep You,

Pastor Jack & Margie

Do you remember when our denominational magazine The Disciple closed its doors and ceased publication? What a disappointment! I didn’t even like the magazine, but it did let me know what was happening in the denomination. However its editorial policy was biased, I thought, by the fact that it was denominationally supported, and just supported the view in the Indianapolis main office. Eventually it just shut its doors and went out of business.

In March of 2002, a group of generous donors put together a fund to start a “denominational magazine” to fill a very empty void. However this magazine is very different. It is called DisciplesWorld and has the following good points:

1. It is not owned by the denomination and its editorial content and news reporting is totally independent and any bias reflects the opinions of the contributing author of the article.

2. It did an excellent job of accurately covering the bankruptcy of NBA, and other problems in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

3. Verity Jones, the publisher and editor, is a trained and excellent journalist who is not afraid to take issue with the denominational leaders, and to tell the complete truth.

4. In 2007, the DisciplesWorld earned five awards at the Associated Church Press Conference, including an Award of Merit in the coveted “Best In Class” category.

5. In a recent editorial, Verity Jones described the mission of Disciples World: “This is the church’s magazine. Although created independent of church structures, and not funded by the denomination’s mission dollars, DisciplesWorld is in partnership with the church. We seek to provide a forum to engage the topics that [bring us together and] threaten to pull our church apart—through accurate reporting and conversation-starting articles. We’ve covered the bankruptcy of the National Benevolent Association (NBA), our denomination’s position in the Middle East, capital punishment, and salvation and the divinity of Jesus. Our hope is that through such engagement, the church as a whole will find ways to remain knit together even in the midst of diverse opinion and disagreement.”

To continue its policy of excellence in reporting, DisciplesWorld needs our support. Have you subscribed to this excellent magazine??

We need to know what is going on with the people who lead us and receive our mission dollars in Indianapolis. This month we are seeking to get you to subscribe. A one-year subscription costs $31.00 for 10 issues, and we are seeking your help by subscribing. Sample copies of the magazine are available in the parlor along with the opportunity to subscribe to an interesting first-class magazine. Bundle subscriptions (sending multiple copies to one address) are also available. Why not try it for a year?

TRY IT! IT WILL INFORM YOU AND MAKE YOU THINK!

Yours In Christ,

Pastor Jack

“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity
under heaven:”
[Ecclesiastes 3:1]

Once again in our lives I am faced with the prospect of packing my office and preparing to move. In many ways this isn’t any different from other moves, but in another way it is a very difficult and challenging move for me—I am retiring. No career, no office, just a pension check and a social security check. For a fellow who has worked since he was a young lad of 10, this is a little traumatic. I intend to write articles, there are several ideas for books in my mind; maybe I’ll be able to teach or supply preach, but nothing is definite—it is in God’s hand.

There is also another factor for a minister to accept when leaving a church ministry—effectively letting go. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Disciples of Christ) recommends that a pastor not return to a church he has recently served for at least one calendar year after his service has ended. This can be a difficult thing to do. Four months after I left my first church, a very good friend died of tuberculosis. His family wanted me to perform the service and I had to tell them I couldn’t because of policy. I went back for the funeral, but as a mourner saying farewell to a good friend.

In my last church, where I served for 10 years, I had a good friend named Jan. Jan had contracted MD in her late teens, was still living, but was a paraplegic in a wheelchair, and losing the major functions in her hands and arms. But she had a razor sharp mind and was very active, verbal, and intelligent. We became very good and close friends, and many were the afternoons in July and August when I would sit with her on her front porch during my many “pastoral calls” to her, and discuss the world and its meaning. When I left the church to go to Indiana, I said goodbye to my good friend with the promise I would come back after a year and visit. But 4 months after I left I got a phone call, and my beloved friend had died unexpectedly. Her brother, also a good friend of mine, asked me to come back and do the funeral. Hard as it was, I couldn’t do it. I am a Disciple pastor, and there are good reasons for these rules.

So, here are the rules:

· I will not come back and do a funeral, perform a wedding, baptize a child, or serve in any capacity as a pastor.

· I will not counsel, advise, or any way involve my self in the operations of this church for at least one year from October 7th, 2007 to October 7th, 2008.

At the end of that year Margie and I would like to come back and worship with you occasionally—after all, we will only be living one hour from Fairhope. You will be getting a new interim minister and then a permanent pastor, and they don’t need the former pastor looking over their shoulder.

We will miss you all, and you are certainly welcome to visit us, and maybe I’ll run into you at Julwin’s when I come up to have coffee with the “boys”.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jack