Wisdom from Lil Wayne

/ Jason Morris / Leave a comment

While reading the Lil Wayne interview in the latest issue of Rolling Stone, I found just a small piece of wisdom.

After briefly talking about migraines that seem to be a side effect of an accidentally shooting, Wayne said, “We’re here to live. We’re here to do, we’re here to be. And this here, this is what I’m doing, so I’m gonna do it. Because when it’s over, it’s over.”

So, I’m reading those words and found myself thinking, “Wow! Isn’t that what we say often say in the church? We’re here to live…we’re here to do…we’re here to be.”

We continually challenge people to discover what God is calling them to do…and then do it. We challenge people with the idea that life isn’t about sitting back and waiting for that one day, “when we all get to heaven.” We attempt to usher people toward action…to live…to do…to be.

The point where the church would disagree with Wayne is when he says, “When it’s over, it’s over.” The church would most likely proclaim, “when it’s over, it’s only beginning.”

Lil Wayne seems to understand that life is for living. Living is done best when we do what God has uniquely designed us to do. Living is done best when we attempt to become the people God desires us to be.

So, this morning, I find myself encouraged (by Lil Wayne, of all sources) to get out there and live, and do, and be.

Talk to Your Loved Ones

/ Jason Morris / Leave a comment

Over the years, I’ve found that one of the leading causes of broken relationships is a lack of communication. Whether it’s a friendship, marriage, or a relationship between family members (parent/child), failing to communicate can often lead to stagnant relationships. Without taking steps to correct a breakdown of communication, one can find the relationship ultimately ceasing to exist.

Last night, I was reminded of this while having dinner with my family. There we were in a restaurant talking about a wide array of topics. I noticed other groups of people engaged in conversation.

Then, towards the end of our meal, I observed a teenager and a parent sitting quietly at a table. The mother was reading a book. The daughter was texting. As far as I could tell, they never even looked at one another. Now, it’d be presumptuous to assume that this was normal for the pair. For all I know, they could have had a lengthy conversation before arriving at the restaurant. But, it appeared as though they had no desire to communicate with one another.

The teenager texting away, ignoring her mother, is fairly typical these days. However, what struck me the most was the apparent surrender of the parent. It appeared that she had accepted this pattern of non-communication as normal. By reading a book rather than attempting to engage her daughter in a conversation over dinner, it seemed like she had given up. And, if I were the child, it would have given me the message that my parent just did not care.

So, I was reminded of the importance of communicating with the ones you love. I have let numerous friendships fall apart because I was simply too lazy and self-consumed to take the time to make a call or send a message. Today, my desire is to correct that…to make it a point to communicate with those important people in my lives.

And, what lengths are you willing to go through in order to communicate with those you love? Are you willing to give up some of your personal time to make time for a friend? Are you willing to pick up your cell phone and text your child?

This week, take some time to engage in a conversation with those who are most important to you.

Work Clean

/ Jason Morris / Leave a comment

I’ve wanted to write this for some time. However, with the holidays and the move, blogging has been pretty low on the priority list.

While reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, I found two words of advice from a chef quite profound. The two words…”Work clean!”

Bourdain expands on the concept of working clean:

Working clean, constantly wiping and cleaning, is a desirable state of affairs for the conscientious line cook. That chef was right: messy station equals messy mind…Being set up properly, trained and coordinated is not nearly enough. A good line cook has to be able to remain clear-headed, organized and reasonably even-keeled during hectic and stressful service periods…The ability to “work well with others” is a must…Practicing your craft in expert fashion is noble, honorable, and satisfying.

While Bourdain is writing about line cooks, I believe the concept of working clean can apply to a vast array of fields.

Do you have a messy station, therefore a messy mind?

Are you able to remain clear-headed, organized, and reasonably even-keeled during hectic and stressful moments?

Are you able to work well with others?

Are you practicing your craft in expert fashion?

My goal is to work clean. I desire to get rid of the mess. I desire to remain even-keeled during the stressful moments I am sure to encounter. I desire to work well with others. And, I strive to practice my craft to the best of my abilities.

Will you join me on this journey of striving to “work clean”?

Slowing Down

/ Jason Morris / 1 Comment

The last few weeks have been crazy. And, looking at the calendar, it doesn’t seem like things will be any less crazy.

Finding out that I have a new appointment kick started the craziness. Finding out that we would be moving in January launched the craziness into full speed. Throw in the holiday season and you have the perfect recipe for clinical craziness. Oh, and add a new baby into the mix…that leads us into sleep deprived craziness.

In the midst of fulfilling my duties at Center Chapel, preparing for my new duties at Christ UMC, and carrying out the business of the holiday season, we’re also looking for a new house…and attempting to sell our current home (please pray for a quick sale!).

This has led to frequent trips to Lafayette. I can say that we are definitely getting familiar with the greater Lafayette area as we have pretty much driven through every part of town in search of a home.

Last Sunday, at the 8am service, I spoke about the importance of finding joy during the holidays. We get so busy that our focus is often limited to checking things off of our holiday duties list. Shopping for gifts, wrapping those gifts, holiday parties, family obligations, school programs, etc…it all equals busyness. And, in the midst of our busyness, we can often miss the intended joy that the holidays should bring.

So, my advice to myself…and anyone who seems to be a bit overwhelmed by the holidays…is to just slow down. Take in the important things…let the non-essentials fall to the side. You know, some of the things that we have convinced ourselves are essential to the holidays totally miss the point. Rather than focusing our time on finding the perfect gifts for our family and friends, maybe we should just slow down enough to spend some quality time with those we love.

For the next two weeks, I’m going to slow down. I’m going to hang out with my family. I’m going to hang out with my friends. I’m going to write sermons at the Heorot. I’m going to do things that bring me great joy and remind me of what this holiday season is all about.

Lafayette…Here We Come!

/ Jason Morris / 1 Comment

On November 12th, I received a phone call from my current DS, Dale Mendenhall. The conversation started with Dale saying, “The Bishop has a new appointment for you.” At the time, I was racing to make it to the credit union before they closed so I could deposit a check and get some cash. I quickly said, “Um, can you say that again so I can make sure that I heard you correctly.” Indeed, I had not made an error in my hearing. Dale asked me to call the DS of the new Northwest District, Craig LaSuer and that he would have the details for me.

Later that evening, I called DS LaSuer and he spelled things out for me. The appointment would be as an associate pastor at Lafayette Christ UMC, focusing on youth and contemporary worship. As he spoke about the appointment, my interest was definitely peaking. It’s a strong church in a rapidly growing part of Lafayette. There is a lot of potential for growth. The church has a strong group of young families, awesome children’s ministry, and just too many good things to list.

He scheduled a meeting for the following week with Scott Mann, Christ UMC’s senior pastor. I really enjoyed our time together and felt like Scott is someone I could easily work with. So, the meeting went well and we decided to move on to the next step of the process.

On Monday, November 23rd, Emily, Jocelyn, and I headed over to Lafayette to meet with the staff parish committee (Sammie stayed with my parents, Jocelyn sort of needs to be with her mother at this point). The meeting could not have gone any better. We really enjoyed meeting some of the people from Christ UMC. Both Emily and I felt great about the meeting. After a time of discussion, DS Lasuer came out and said that the church felt really good about it and asked how we felt. Obviously, I felt good too. So, the appointment became official.

Yesterday, the appointment was announced in both churches. It’s a bitter-sweet moment for us. We love Center Chapel. We have been amazingly blessed by this congregation. This is our home. Our families are very close. We see great things happening at Center Chapel…and we see great things on the horizon. It’s hard to leave Center Chapel. Yet, we know that this is the right thing to do. We see this as a wonderful opportunity…for me and for our family. A lot of things have lined up and clearly indicated to us that God is in this.

So, my last Sunday at Center Chapel will be January 10th. My last day here will be January 14th. And I’ll make my transition to Lafayette Christ on January 15th. It’s going to be a big change. It’s going to be a good change.

We’re excited about this. We would ask that those of you who are the praying type would surround our family in prayer during this time. We ask that you’d pray that our house will sell and that we’ll find new housing in Lafayette. We ask that you pray for Lafayette Christ and that this period of transition will go smoothly and that God will bless this congregation. We ask the same prayers for Center Chapel.