Re-Membering Our Prodigals Rev. Mike Lamson May 6, 2012 Thank you. Wow, what a warm welcome. It’s an amazing feeling to be up here and see this. When I was asked to give the sermon by our senior pastor, I realized as I thought about it that this will be the fifth sermon I’ve ever given in my life. Can you imagine? I’ve always been the kind of person who looks for the talents that people have, and I want to support other people in bringing out those talents. So it was quite a shock for me when I realized I’m going to be the one up at this podium this time. Good morning and welcome to Lovin’Life Ministries at the beautiful Manhattan Center in New York City. I must say that things look a lot different from up here. I think all of you should try this sometime. I want to thank everyone from around the world who has joined us today, and I want to say a special thank you to our senior pastor and all the families from New York and New Jersey that have been supporting the development of Lovin’ Life Ministries and this amazing broadcast. Thank you. Our senior pastor, Rev. In Jin Moon, used to always sing a song for her parents called “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” I think she sang this for her mom, our True Mother, because her mother always lifted her up and encouraged her. Our senior pastor has been the wind beneath our wings and allowed us to fly to places that we never thought we could go years ago, don’t you think? Sometimes when I’m watching the big screen in Ohio or Indiana or some of the other states, I have wondered if the families in New York and New Jersey realize what an amazing difference they’re making in communities across America. Each Sunday as you applaud and create this high spirit, we feel it everywhere. Thank you. In Jin Nim has been the wind beneath my wings as a district pastor, allowing me to shine and lead, and encouraging me to be excellent in whatever I choose to embark on. Following Our Senior Pastor I must say that in the beginning of our ministry there were some things that I did not really understand. Was that correct for all of you, too? It was something different. I was more like a groupie following a rock star. As I grew in the ministry, however, I became a partner and an owner of my faith. Our ministry has become more than a Sunday event; it has become a lifestyle, a Lovin’ Life lifestyle. Over the last three years attendance is up, tithing is up, new members are joining. New people are being called by God to be leaders, like the Rev. Gaines in Atlanta, Cliff and Tiff. Hey, Cliff and Tiff. And Reverend Herndon, now helping us out in Ohio. When I was thinking about our live broadcasts and the different speakers we have enjoyed, the image of Forrest Gump came to my mind – when he’s sitting at the bus stop talking about what his mama used to say. “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” Listening to our national staff and our district pastors has been a wonderful experience. They are all the same on the outside, like pure chocolate, but when they shared with us on Sunday we were able to discover a lot of different flavors. Our senior pastor is a hard act to follow, with her passion for a ministry that can change lives and her sermons filled with stories of True Parents and True Family. I have always been encouraged by her faith and her belief that we could move mountains. Today I feel like I’m standing in front of a mountain and praying that God will help me move it, so I think I have a lot of growing still to do. She won my heart in our first district pastors’ meeting when she shared with us that she did not have to tell us what to do, that we should watch what she does and do it. Little did I know that that would lead me to a podium with all of you today. What amazing lives we live! Today I’d like to share about “Re-Membering our Prodigals” That’s Re-Member, a phrase Reverend Cotter coined a few sermons ago Introducing District 6 and Rev. Michael Lamson First, however, I would like to share a little about myself. My name is Michael Lamson, and I’m honored to be the district pastor of District 6. It’s a wonderful district comprising a group of the most interesting states. Some would consider them fly-over states until there’s an election, when everyone realizes how powerful we are. When I travel through Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Indiana and Kentucky, I realize what amazing families we have in our ministry. And I have to give a big shout-out to all the families in my district. Hey, guys! When our movement launched this new ministry, it was a really big step for some communities to switch to a live broadcast, but we did it. The communities in every state took that leap of faith, united with our senior pastor’s vision, and God rewarded us with happier, healthier communities, families, and children. And it’s amazing what we’ve done in three years. Also, I w