Gee. We're

still here. Computers work and everything. Lights are on.

Gas works. Telephone rings. Clocks are still ticking.

Welcome to the 21st century. Glory be!

Frankly, I

was never worried. I did what I always do...sat on the

sofa and sipped my sparkling cider at midnight, watching

the ball drop in Times Square. I left the Christmas

decorations scattered all over the living room with a

promise to put them away the next day, hopped on the

Internet briefly to wish all my friends a Happy New

Year...and went to bed. Then it hit me. We are in a new

century...a new millennium...call it delayed

reaction...whatever. But my brain finally started to

function. I started thinking back about the things I had

seen just in my lifetime. So much progress, so many new

things...in such a short time. My lifetime has only been

60 years. What about those who were 80...90 years old?

The technology alone must be mind boggling for them.

My

"Precious Gem" this week comes from a wonderful

column done by Rev. Doug Burrell of Inman United

Methodist Church in his church's newsletter, "The

Inman Informer." It's called "It's Time."

"The

one who wrote the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes says this

about time: `For everything there is a season, and a time

for every matter under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).' It

would seem this is one of those `times' when we would do

well to pause and reflect on what has happened in the

past year and in the past century, and to measure

ourselves against the backdrop of a millennium.

"Time

was put in perspective for me while I stood on the Mount

of Olives looking over toward Mount Moriah, on which once

stood the Jewish Temple. At the beginning of the last

millennium, the Jews had been exiled from Jerusalem for

almost 1000 years. It would be 99 years before the

`Crusaders' would invade Jerusalem. The European

Reformation born of the Enlightenment was still some 500

years away, as was the voyage of one Christopher

Columbus. The birth of John Wesley wouldn't be for

another 700 years and the United States of America

wouldn't arrive until 776 years later. Maybe that's

enough said to put 1000 years in perspective except to

say that according to scriptures, 1000 years is like only

one day to God.

"At

this time of year in 1899, no one dared to believe that

folks wouldn't be able to find a parking place at

Hartsfield Airport because they couldn't fathom a world

filled with horseless buggies, much less the idea of

machines that could carry 300 people up six miles into

the sky, and halfway around the world in less than a day.

"My

grandmother has been dead for more than a fourth of this

century, but, in 1899 she was a three-year-old. Her

parents could remember the War Between the States and

would never have believed that a man from just south of

Andersonville, Ga., would, just 76 years later, occupy

the White House. "There were no automobiles, no

telephones, no microwaves, no computers, no malls, no

interstate highways, no social security, no women voters,

no Internet, no television, no video stores and no school

buses.

"But

there was a Methodist Church here in Inman. It had

already been here over 50 years. It was (first) known as

Liberty Chapel, then Inman Methodist Episcopal Church

South, then Inman Methodist Church, and now Inman United

Methodist Church. It has had its ups and downs through

the years. There have been times of peace and war, times

of growth and decline, times of weeping and laughing. But

in all of these times, God has been with us.

"Especially

in this last year have we known the grace of God in our

lives. There have been excruciating losses. We have

broken ground and broken bread. We have grown in numbers.

We have ministered to the needy. We have studied God's

word and worshipped in His sanctuary. We have welcomed

new friends and rediscovered old ones. We have prayed and

worked. We have taken gifts to children and experienced

revival on the farm. We have begun new ministries and

made plans for the future.

"And

now it's time to move on. It's time to let go of the past

and we thank God for this provisions and pray ourselves

into the future. It's time to be surprised at what new

thing the Lord will do in our lives and through His

church at Inman. I pray for you and yours and for all of

us a wonderful New Year in the year 2000."

I echo your

thoughts, Doug. And thanks for those wonderful

reflections. Have a wonderful New Year, everyone. Until

next time...keep the faith.

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