Posted January 9th, 2012 by John Ed Mathison
Memorials
In memory of Mary Holman - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig and Ronnie & Linda Poole
In memory of Marguerite Craft - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Weldon Doe - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Nathan Duplantis - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Allison Bronner - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Marion Lorino - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Dr. Jesse Littleton - Gaeton & Cindy Lorino
In memory of Bill Taylor - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Craig Donley - Dottie Blair
In memory of Matthew Newell - John Ed & Lynn Mathison
In memory of Tony Rane - John Ed & Lynn Mathison
In memory of Don Harrington - Ronnie & Linda Poole
In memory of Fran Webb - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Mary Buchannon Snow - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Margaret Tankersley - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig and John Ed & Lynn Mathison
In memory of Susan Horton - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Chandler Scott - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Bob Cannon - Jules & Jane Davis
In memory of Emory Folmar - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Billy Livings - Bubba & Barbara Lewis
In memory of Mary Eloise Peters - Bubba & Barbara Lewis
In memory of Murlyne Clements - John Ed & Lynn Mathison
In memory of Bill Nunn - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In memory of Bobby King - John Ed & Lynn Mathison
Honorariums
In honor of Elsa & Evelyn Precht - Ronnie & Linda Poole
In honor of Eunice Henig - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In honor of Tommy & Marlene Henig - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
In honor of Phil & Marilee Tankersley - Mike & Jenny Lynn Henig
Posted January 5th, 2012 by John Ed Mathison
Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a disconnect between what we are saying and what we are actually doing. A simple way to say it is whether or not we are just talking the talk or actually walking the walk.
Sometimes this is done without really realizing what we are doing. Sometimes it is just an honest mistake. Other times it is just sheer hypocrisy.
A couple of cute things happened to high profile public figures recently. President Obama accepted an award for supporting government transparency. That is good, except that it was at a private ceremony from which the media and public were excluded!
In early June, Fox News ran a report on whether or not Sarah Palin would be running for president. The network mistakenly showed Tina Fey imitating Sarah Palin, instead of Palin herself. A producer at Fox has been disciplined, and any such repeats of the error would lead to dismissals.
Jesus really came down hard on people who were hypocrites. Read Matthew 6:1-18 and Matthew 23:2-36. The word hypocrite comes from the Greek drama when one actor could play more than one part by simply changing masks. Most of us have become pretty good at acting different ways in different situations.
The Pharisees were a major target for Jesus teachings. They enjoyed bragging about keeping all of the laws, but they didn’t keep the two most important laws of loving God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength and loving their neighbor as themselves.
What I say is not nearly so important as what I do. I have heard my Dad say many times, “The best sermons are those sidewalk sermons that lay people preach everyday as they live their lives.” He would also say, “What I do speaks so loudly people don’t hear what I say.”
Consistent Christian behavior is one of the most needed commodities in today’s world. I have many areas in which I need to improve. Cognitive dissonance is a hindrance to kingdom work.
Jesus says in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven..”
Christian growth is the process of converting cognitive dissonance into transformational living.
Posted January 3rd, 2012 by John Ed Mathison
2011 was a year that afforded many great opportunities for ministry. I want to thank each of you for your prayers and financial support that makes this ministry possible.
Let me share just a brief recap.
I had the opportunity to conduct Annual Conference and District seminars for over 2,800 pastors and lay people. These were conducted in the following Annual Conferences: Alabama-West Florida, North Alabama, Michigan, North Carolina, Western North Carolina, Florida, Memphis, Holston, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri East, Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, North Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas.
I also led Pastors seminars for the General Baptists, multi-denominational seminars in Atlanta, North Carolina, Missouri, and Fresh Anointing Church of God in Christ in Montgomery.
I had the opportunity to preach 131 times in many United Methodist Churches and in churches of six other denominations. I had the privilege to preach in 7 African-American churches. As you can see, this required a lot of travel.
I had some interesting experiences speaking to groups outside of the church venue. I did a leadership seminar in Orlando, Florida for ALFA Insurance managers, Rural Electric Coop in Alabama, Prattville YMCA Leadership Board, had an opportunity to speak to the 1,200 public school teachers in Autauga County, Citizen of the Year banquet honoring Dr. Jack Hawkins, Hyundai Awards banquet, Vaughn Forest Baptist Church Wild Game Dinner, Troy Bank and Trust, STEP Foundation banquet, and several athletic teams.
I led seminars with selected Pastors from Alabama-West Florida and North Alabama Conferences. I lead a seminar for a Matrix Connection involving selected Pastors from across the United States.
In addition to these preaching, speaking, teaching opportunities, I have served as the Chairperson of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy, which has responsibility for the election and assignment of Bishops. I also have served as chairman of the Investments Committee for the United Methodist Publishing House Board. I have enjoyed serving on the Alabama Sports Commission. I have served at Frazer on the Vision Committee which has established a special project for transformation and revitalization in a special area in Montgomery.
I have continued to prepare and deliver a 2-minute devotional thought 5 days a week on WLWI, one of the largest radio stations in Central Alabama. I have also written a weekly blog. Several newspapers and magazines have picked up and used the blogs.
I had opportunities for pastoral functions as I officiated at 11 funerals and 13 weddings.
I have participated in writing and preparing resources for training Pastors in developing countries. I spent time in consulting with 5 churches.
I am greatly indebted to Linda Poole with whom I have worked for the past 15 years. She handles most of the administrative end of the ministry.
I am also blessed to have a wonderful Board of Directors who are very active. These Directors are Mike Henig, Gaeton Lorino, Mike Hutson, Harold Faulkner, Lucinda Cannon, Ken Love, Wilbur Hufham, Craig Coblentz and Steve Davidson. I would encourage you to go to the website (www.johnedmathison.org) and see more extensive biographical info about them.
To ensure financial accountability, we continue to belong to and abide by the stringent standards of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
The year 2012 has already presented some awesome opportunities for ministry and training. Please be praying that everyone connected with the John Ed Mathison Leadership Ministries will be faithful to God’s call and that each of us will be good stewards of the time, talent, and resources that God is providing.
Please pray bodaciously for this ministry.
For the Cause of causes,
John Ed Mathison
Posted December 28th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
One aspect of getting ready for the New Year is to make resolutions. Most American adults make resolutions each year. Most of those resolutions center around losing weight, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, handling money better, attitude adjustment, etc.
The success rate of keeping those resolutions is not very good. Most of us have quit trying by the end of January. Aren’t we glad that broken resolutions don’t have sharp edges.
Biblical characters can lead us to some real resolutions. Using them, join me in making some resolutions that are worth making and keeping!
I will resolve with:
David – To face any giant victoriously, using God’s plan.
Caleb – To make my report, even if it is the minority report
Joseph – To run immediately from temptation.
Abraham – To be willing to pack up and follow wherever He leads.
Jabez – To ask God to expand my territory.
Noah – To be willing to build an ark, even when it is not raining.
Joshua – To use God’s strategy, even when it is not politically correct.
Dorcas – To focus on doing good and kind things for God’s people.
Naaman – To be willing to swim in polluted water if God tells me that will bring healing.
Job – To trust that God will ultimately cause things to work out.
Barnabas – To give encouragement to all of God’s people.
Mary – To be obedient to God, even when it doesn’t make sense.
Gideon – To trust God when He tells me how many resources I need to accomplish a task.
Enoch – To walk with God.
Elijah – To listen for the still small voice.
Martha – To learn to stay focused on God’s purpose.
Isaiah – To be open to a Temple experience.
Paul – To fight a good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith.
John – To see God’s revelation of a new heaven – the Holy City.
Joel – To dream dreams and see visions.
The following are the Biblical references for the Biblical characters mentioned in this blog.
David – I Samuel 17:39-51
Caleb – Numbers 13:25-31
Joseph – Genesis 39:12
Abraham – Genesis 12:1-5
Jabez – I Chronicles 4:10
Noah – Genesis 7:8-17
Joshua – Joshua 6:1-20
Dorcas – Acts 9:36
Naaman – II Kings 5:10-14
Job – Job 1:1-22; 42:1-17
Barnabas – Mark 15:36-41
Mary – Luke 1:34-38
Gideon – Judges 7:2-22
Enoch – Genesis 5:22-24
Elijah – I Kings 19:11-13
Martha – Luke 10: 38-42
Isaiah – Isaiah 6:1-8
Paul – II Timothy 4:7
John – Revelation 21:1-22:8
Joel – Joel 2:28
Posted December 21st, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
Two recent surveys by Lifeway and USA Today/Gallop are verifying what many people have felt for a long time. Christmas is becoming less a Holy day and more a holiday.
Surveys discovered that 9 out of 10 Americans celebrate the holiday, even if they are atheists or agnostics or believers in some non-Christian faith.
The survey indicates that a gap is being created between what we say we believe and what we do. Belief and behavior are at odds.
Most respondents in the survey indicate that Christmas is “primarily” religious, but for most people that doesn’t translate into Christian practices. For example 89% give gifts, 86% enjoy a meal with family or friends, 80% put up a Christmas tree and play holiday music.
When it comes to religious activities, only 58% say they “encourage belief in Jesus Christ as Savior.” Only 47% attend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day worship, and only 28% read or tell the Christmas story from the Bible.
There is definitely a disconnect between saying that Christmas is a religious holiday, and practicing it as such. It appears that Christmas is becoming more and more secular rather than sacred. Scott McConnell, the director of Lifeway research, says that most people “give a head nod to Jesus while they spend their time and dime pleasing themselves.” Most people who say that Christmas is religious, skip church, omit Jesus, and zero in on the eggnog.
The songs we listen to at Christmas indicate what the day means to us. In the last five years the song played most often was “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.”
The list of top 25 most performed songs during the Christmas season was recently released by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). This is a radio air play monitoring service. “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” or “Silent Night” did not make the top 25 list. The only explicitly religious song, “Little Drummer Boy,” made the list coming in at number 8.
The best way to change anything in society is to begin with me. Then let that move out to my sphere of influence. I do enjoy putting up the decorations, celebrating with the parties, but it is up to us to practice the priority of remembering whose birthday it really is. Christmas is not about my need to get and to give – it is about Jesus. It is not my birthday – it is His. It is not about my entertainment but about my worship of Him.
Let’s start a new trend. Let’s make this a Christ-centered Christmas. Let’s focus, in belief and behavior, on the fact that “Unto you is born this day…a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
Posted December 14th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
Gift giving is a vital part of Christmas. Too often we swap gifts rather than give gifts. It can be frustrating to try to find the right gift for the right person.
When God gave a gift, He didn’t buy it at the store – He gave Himself, His Son. The best gifts at Christmas are not bought – they are a sharing of who we are.
Matt Hoffman discovered this. He was a senior defensive end at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. His college had an on campus drive in the spring of 2009 to enroll students in the Be the Match registry for the donor program. Hoffman was one of 371 people who signed up.
There was a road maintenance worker in Brenham, Texas, named Warren Sallach. He was going to die if he didn’t receive a blood stem cell transplant to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Matt Hoffman was a match for Warren.
It wasn’t a simple gift. When he was identified as a match, he had to receive shots for five consecutive days before the transplant so he could raise the blood stem cell count. The offshoot of this was that the medication enlarged his spleen, which put him at risk of a rupture if he played football. His team had one more game. He decided to sit out his final college game in order to save the life of somebody he had never met.
As you are aware, the confidentiality of recipients and donors remain anonymous to one another for at least a year after the transplant. They can only make contact if both parties give their consent.
Can you imagine the feeling when Warren Sallach, 59-years-old, met Matt Hoffman, 21-years-old, for the first time? He met the man that had given a gift that saved his life. It was a gift that wouldn’t be swapped – it was a gift that could not be reciprocated.
Matt knew that he had missed out on a few sacks in his last game. He wasn’t just an ordinary player. This past year he was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
While Matt Hoffman gave a great gift when he gave up playing in a football game in order to save the life of a man he had never met, God gave up His Son who would be persecuted and die for millions of people who had not even been born yet! While Matt’s gift met a need for this life, God’s Gift met the deepest need of mankind for eternity!
Christmas is about the greatest Gift that God could give – the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.
Paul writes, “Thank God for His Gift that words can’t describe.” (II Corinthians 9:15 CEB)
Posted December 7th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
Earlier this year I was preaching in a church that has a beautiful sanctuary. All of the appointments are precise, are in the best of taste, and have deep theological implications.
Then I saw something very interesting. There is a large banner right next to the wall showing the dove and the flame representing the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is oftentimes described by a flame and fire. The United Methodist logo has a flame and a cross. The cross represents the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The flame represents the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Then I saw something very interesting. Right under the banner and behind the altar rail there is a large fire extinguisher.
Now I know that there is a safety code and fire extinguishers have to be present in certain places in public buildings. But having the fire extinguisher right next to the fire of the Holy Spirit was very interesting. It raised the question to me as to whether most of us are participating in fanning the flame of the fire of the Holy Spirit or using a fire extinguisher to put out the flame. Are we more effective with a fan or a fire extinguisher?
Acts 1:8 records that Jesus said to the disciples to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit’s power was received the Good News of Jesus Christ began to spread throughout the whole world. Nobody could stop it. They didn’t have any fire extinguishers in the Book of Acts!
There is a movement of God’s Spirit in our world today. It is most evident in the churches overseas where the church is growing exponentially. Here in America we have used our fire extinguishers so well that most churches are stagnant or declining. In the United Methodist Church we have closed more churches in the last 100 years than we have open today. There are similar statistics in other denominations.
In other places of the world people are open to the movement of God’s Spirit. They fan the flame. In China today I’m told that there are 15,000 new Christians every day. In India there are 10,000 new Christians every day. Many missionaries are going to unreached people groups. The power of the Holy Spirit is so strong that great movements of revival are taking place.
Similar stories are happening in South America, the Philippines, in Asia, and many places in the world.
In January 2012 I will be speaking at the Synergize 3! Conference in Orlando, Florida, where pastors from 35 countries around the world will be present. It is not uncommon for some of them to preach on a Sunday to 10, 20 or 40 thousand people! They have churches that dwarf the largest churches I have seen in our country. So many pastors and churches in other parts of the world are using fans to accelerate the flame of the Holy Spirit. Fire extinguishers are not an option.
I have been a part of the Synergize Leadership team and have been serving as co-chairman for North America. The goal is to carry out the vision of Dr. Bill Bright, to start five million churches and win one billion people to Christ. That is such a God-sized vision that only God through His Son Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit can cause that to happen. Please pray for this effort.
And practice fanning!
Posted December 1st, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
An interesting phenomena is occurring in the United States. We are getting smarter, but at the same time we are declining in creative thinking.
IQ (intelligence quotient) test scores in the U.S. have increased by an average of three points per decade during the 20th century. The current generation should have IQ’s of more than 20 points above those of their grandparents. This rise in IQ is also seen in Canada, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand.
U.S. Researchers at Duke University examined IQ tests of more than 1.7 million American 5th, 6th, and 7th graders between 1981 and 2010. The results showed a similar increase in IQ scores.
At the same time that IQ scores are on the rise, CQ (my symbol for creativity quotient) is going the other direction. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking indicate that creative abilities of American children have been trending downward for almost 20 years. This testing is based on young children’s ability to both come up with original ideas and put them into practice.
This downturn in CQ is affecting the American workplace. 85 percent of employers say they cannot find the right applicants for jobs that require creative thinking.
CQ is critical to make the gospel relevant in today’s culture. The message is always the same, but the methodologies of communicating the message must be more creative. I am all for us getting smarter, but it might be more critical for us to become more creative!
Read Luke 5:15-26. Some intelligent guys saw a man who needed to meet Jesus. They were smart enough to figure out a way to carry him to a public meeting place. When they discovered that the crowds were so big that they couldn’t get near Jesus, they didn’t just put him down and say that they had done the best they could. They stared thinking creatively!
They went up and dug a hole through the roof. They lowered the man to Jesus and the man was healed.
Many of us quit when we face an obstacle. They began to think creatively and figured out a way to get the job done.
People today need to come to Jesus. We need to quit complaining about the obstacles and start doing better creative thinking. I believe that the higher our IQ, the more our creative thinking can be utilized!
I have been in a lot of churches this past year where people are doing creative ministries. They are reaching people that most folks said couldn’t be reached. They are developing creative ministries that are getting people to Jesus. And when people get to Jesus, they are healed and made whole!
While working with many churches, I have learned that people who just want to do things they way they have always done them spend a lot of time talking and discussing about how tough things are. I have met other people who acknowledge the challenge, but then begin asking God to lead them to a creative way to overcome the obstacle.
It’s not IQ vs. CQ, but rather using our increased intelligence to be more creative.
Are you ready to put some holes in the roof?
Posted November 30th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
God provided a lot of opportunities for ministry during the months of October and November. Here is a brief synopsis of some of the major opportunities.
October 1 and 2 – Preached in St. George, SC at the Indian Field Camp Meeting. At the Sunday morning worship service the tabernacle was packed and several hundred people sat in chairs under the trees. Drove back to Montgomery.
October 4 – Met as a member of the Alabama Sports Commission. The purpose of this organization is to plan and promote sporting events in the Montgomery area. We meet in the new press box at Cramton Bowl. You need to see all of the renovation that has taken place at Cramton Bowl and the building of a huge facility at the south end of the stadium. This is a huge square building where you can play seventeen volleyball games at once or several basketball games or indoor tennis courts. There is also a large dining area. It will be a tremendous asset to the city. The new complex has not been named yet. Since it is a square building, and there are some trees and shrubs in the plaza, and since it is located on Madison Avenue, I just suggested that we should name it the Montgomery Madison Square Garden.
October 8 – Attended the Hall of Fame induction at Huntingdon College for five new members. Anthony Leigh is giving great leadership at Huntingdon. The athletic program is extremely strong. I left Saturday afternoon to fly to Raleigh, NC. They were completing the study of Treasures of the Transformed Life.
October 9 – Preached at the First United Methodist Church in Louisburg, NC. I stayed with Dr. & Mrs. Mark La Branche. Mark is the President of Louisburg College. The church is across the street from the college. I did something I have not done in over 50 years – I walked to church on Sunday morning!
October 10 – Led a five hour seminar at Louisburg College for pastors in two of the Districts surrounding Raleigh.
October 11 – Traveled back to Montgomery. Lynn and I attended an In His Steps dinner as we were participating as Captains in this important stewardship campaign.
October 15 – Traveled to Fairhope, AL. This is one of Lynn’s favorite places to go.
October 16 – Preached at the morning worship services at Fairhope United Methodist Church. They are completing the study of Treasures of the Transformed Life. Mike McKnight is giving great leadership.
October 21 – Attended my 55th High School Reunion in Opelika. I thought it was 45, but they insisted it was 55. Some of my classmates have really aged!
October 22 – Traveled down to Port St. Joe, FL. to be with Mac and Beckie Fulcher. Both of them are products of the Frazer family. Mac is giving great leadership as the pastor there.
October 23 – Preached at the two morning worship services at Port St. Joe. The first worship service is outdoors. They call it “WOW” (Worship on the Water). It actually was pretty cool –actually cold – at 8:30 (EST) for that first service. I traveled back Sunday afternoon to be at Frazer where Bruce Wilkinson was beginning his seminar.
October 24 – Traveled to Nashville, TN as I serve on the Board of the United Methodist Publishing House. We meet once a year.
October 25 – I serve as the chairman of the Investment Committee for the United Methodist Publishing House. This is an interesting experience for me because on my committee is a man who recently served on the Federal Reserve Board and a couple of bank presidents. I let them do the decision making.
October 26 – Lynn and I had an opportunity to spend time with Bruce Wilkinson. He has been a big influence in my life. We attended the Sav-A-Life banquet that night.
October 30 – Traveled to Phenix City, AL to preach at Trinity United Methodist Church for their homecoming service. I served Trinity for 2 ½ years just prior to coming to Montgomery. The greatest thrill is to return to a place where you meet people who comment about the effect of your ministry on their lives. I stayed over Sunday night to preach as all of the Methodist Churches of Russell County came together for a joint rally.
November 1 – I was invited to speak at Citizen of the Year banquet honoring Dr. Jack Hawkins, Chancellor at Troy University.
November 2 – I love spending time with young athletes. Alexia Henig is the track coach at St. James School. She had a special gathering for her athletes and their parents and invited me to speak to them.
November 5 – Officiated at the wedding of Chase Fisher and Rachel Beers. It was a unique experience because they are the same age and grew up in the same church. At the altar where the wedding took place, they had been baptized as infants. They had attended Frazer Kindergarten and “graduated” on that stage. They were confirmed together at the same altar. They both were active in the youth program and participated in choir and drama presentations on that stage. Their High School graduation was held at Frazer and they graduated together on that stage. On Youth Sunday Chase spoke in the three traditional worship services and Rachel spoke in the three contemporary worship services. Now they came back to that same spot to be married. One of the great things about being the pastor of a church for a long time is that you get to see young people grow up.
November 6 – Preached at the homecoming worship service at Coosada Baptist Church. Coosada is not a big town, but they average over 700 in worship.
November 7 – I serve on the nominating committee for the Montgomery/Opelika District which met to select District leadership. Dr. Ron Ball our District Superintendent is giving great leadership.
November 8 – I was invited by Coach Reggie Barlow and Coach Payne to come over to Alabama State University and meet with the football team and offer a word encouragement and prayer. I have had a lot of opportunities with the coaches and players at Alabama State. They have had a great season, especially beating Tuskegee University in the Turkey Day Classic.
November 9 – I had the opportunity to have lunch and spend some time with Coaches Barlow and Payne. They have a great desire to not only coach football but help raise young men. Wednesday night I went over to Prattville United Methodist Church for the first of a three part series in their Advent Bible study.
November 11 – Once a quarter former Frazer program staff people and their spouses get together to eat and share great memories of ministry at Frazer.
November 12 – Traveled to Warner Robbins, GA to preach at Harvest United Methodist Church. Jim Cowart is the pastor. He had shared with me the impact that my ministry had on his life as he finished seminary. He had attended a couple of conferences at Frazer. His desire was to plant a new church. Harvest is only about 10 or 12 years old. They are averaging 2,300 in worship! I preached a Saturday night worship service.
November 13 – I preached three Sunday morning worship services at Harvest. It is an exciting church that is growing tremendously. It was a great thrill for me to be a part of that ministry for the weekend. Drove back to Montgomery.
November 14 – This was a day of travel to Branson, MO where I would be preaching and teaching in a Pastors Conference.
November 15 & 16 – Dr. Bob Pierson has put together some outstanding opportunities for continuing education for pastors. I had the opportunity to preach, lead two 1 ½ hour seminars, and participate in a panel discussion.
November 17 – This was a day of travel back to Montgomery.
November 18 – I drove to Atlanta to fly to Oklahoma City, OK where I rented a car to drive to Lawton, OK to speak and teach at an Evangelism event for the Oklahoma Annual Conference.
November 19 – I had the opportunity to teach for five hours to pastors and lay people on the topic of evangelism. Again I met many young pastors who had attended some of the seminars at Frazer. The host pastor at First United Methodist Church in Lawton, OK is Dr. Al Potts. He is a great leader and had served a short time in our Annual Conference. He had spoken at some events at Frazer.
November 19 & 20 – I flew back to Atlanta, GA and drove to Carterville, GA to preach three morning worship services at Sam Jones United Methodist Church on November 20. This was Commitment Sunday at Sam Jones. They were completing the study Treasures of the Transformed Life. Many people made encouraging comments about the study of the book. I also had an opportunity to meet with their church leaders at lunch on Sunday, before driving back to Montgomery.
November 23 – Attended a great celebration with Law Enforcement people and the presentation of a $60,000 check to pay for insurance premiums for fire fighters, police, highway patrol, etc. so that their families might receive some compensation if they are killed on duty. Grant Sullivan and Jerry Wills have done a super job in putting this PSIFprogram together.
November 30 – Will lead the second in a series of three Bible studies at the Prattville United Methodist Church. I am teaching on the topic of “How Transformed People Live in Tough Times.”
God opens doors. Please pray for this ministry.
John Ed Mathison
Posted November 23rd, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
I recently visited two different institutions where people live. One was a prison and the other was a monastery. I was visiting the prison as a part of a prison ministry. I greatly admire people who are constantly reaching out to those who are behind bars.
I also visited a monastery. That is a place where religious people live as a community and are trained for service within the church.
What is the difference in a prison and a monastery? There are some obvious differences, but I recently heard someone suggest that the major difference is thanksgiving. I was fascinated by that concept.
Thanksgiving in a monastery is an expected way of life. People pray and thank God and sing praises. It is training for a life of thanksgiving. That gives a distinctive purpose and special atmosphere to a monastery.
A prison is often a place where people are negative, caustic, hopeless, complaining and constantly having to look out for their own welfare. Very seldom would you expect to find a lot of thanksgiving in a prison.
I have been in some prison settings where people’s lives have been transformed. They don’t fit the above description of a prison. They are thankful and grateful and they have really allowed God to change their prison into a monastery. It becomes a place where they worship and are thankful for all the good things that God is doing in their lives.
Conversely, a monastery can become a prison if people are not thankful. If a priest or potential church worker becomes a cynical, negative, complaining person, that monastery can become a prison to them. It is a place where they feel locked in.
Life each day can either be a prison or a monastery. It is whether or not we have an attitude of gratitude. Thanksgiving can make the difference. If life is something to be endured and we complain about everything, life becomes a prison. If life for us is an expression of God’s grace through us and we are thankful, life becomes a monastery.
In Psalm 107:1 David says, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 95:2 says, “Let us come to Him with Thanksgiving. Let us sing songs of praise to Him.”
If your life feels like you are living in a prison, God will help you move to a monastery. I have a hunch that God wants to shut down more prisons and transfer more people to monasteries.
Thanksgiving is not just a day – it is a daily attitude!