Today will be my first Sunday at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church. I have very mixed feelings as I step in the Sanctuary for the first time. I have one goal for today, not to throw-up on the nice Sanctuary carpet! I have feelings of great anticipation and excitement at the opportunity to work with some wonderful people, but I'm also filled with anxiety and stress as to whether I'll be able to meet expectations (theirs and mine, but mostly mine) and if I'll be accepted as new guy on the block. You know the old saying, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Nobody likes change, so will they accept the new guy and his family or long for the good old days? What will they think of my style, my message, my personality? There lies before us so many opportunities and yet so many questions waiting to be answered. In the words of Linus speaking to Charlie Brown when the bases are load at the bottom of the 9th, "Well Charlie Brown, seems to me we're surrounded by an insurmountable opportunity." William Willimon, former Bishop of the North Alabama Conference, once said that the first sermon is like a blind date. You want to engaging, but not come across as silly, comical, or goofy. You want to be impress with what you know, but not appear to be aloof, cold and unapproachable. As human beings we all want to maintain control over our lives, we seek out predictability and comfort and avoid change at all cost. Unfortunately this kind of life usually ends up in a stunted development and spiritual and emotional immaturity. Have you ever noticed that when people get really angry its because something they had counted on has changed and they are resisting the change. To protect ourselves and our way of life, we create for ourselves ruts, routine and rituals that promise to maintain the status quo, but leave little room for the creativity and initiative of God to redirect and bring something better into our lives. In 1 Corinthians 1-2, Paul writes to on of his churches about falling back into old habits, protective cliches and forgetting why they gathered in the first place. Paul invites them instead to MOVE FORWARD and explore all God has done for them, is doing and has in store for them if they will only let Him. As I come to this first sermon, it seemed like a good place to start. Not so much for the Mt. Pleasant UMC community, but for me. Of course I hope they get something out of it too. I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it — and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. 1 Cor 2:3 (Msg)