March 25 2018 Palm Sunday "Whose Calling"

Mark 11.1-11 March 25 2018 (Palm Sunday) Mark 11.1-11 “Whose Calling?” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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In our mobile society, we cherish the precious times when we can get together with friends and loved ones. We celebrate one another with smiles, kind gestures, sharing and caring in countless ways. It is a joy to be in fellowship. Whenever two or three are gathered together for God’s good purpose, God fills our cups with blessings until they overflow. [slide # 1 cup]

That is what it was like on the first Palm Sunday. Jesus was being celebrated and the crowd was excited. All his fans were cheering enthusiastically. There were definitely others there who were not on Jesus’ team. They were there representing Jesus’ opponents. [slide # 2 Palm Sunday]

When we gather every Sunday, we make a loud and joyful noise! We are happy to be together. We celebrate our victories. We cheer each other on. We bow at this altar in adoration of Jesus, we lift our voices from the depths of our hearts, and we pray in unison declaring our faith in a loving God.

Jesus is here as he was on that first celebration of his entrance into Jerusalem, the city of Peace and Justice! Verse 9 says the crowd cheered for him, for he had been a blessing to many, just as he has taught us to be a blessing to many. [slide # 3 palm/Jesus on donkey] They were using their outside voices, wishing Jesus well, celebrating the many joyful moments they had experienced with him. They had experienced Jesus within their families. Jesus met with them during biblical studies and voluminous debates in the Temple. They ate together at many suppers, a couple with over 5,000 attending. They excitedly shared many miraculous moments of their healings and the magnificent incidents in which they were helped, which they so appreciated.

In verse 9 we see that they shouted “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (For they all knew that there are several layers of heaven beyond this earth. Each heaven has their own rules and laws by which they operate. There is the sky full of clouds where planes can fly. Next is the home of the moon, stars and other planets. Beyond the stars and moon is the realm where spiritual powers reside. Blasphemous principalities and evil influences rule with lies and deception. Above all is the highest heaven, where the throne of God can be found.)

We align ourselves with those cheering Jesus sending praises past the mundane to the highest heaven. They cheered as he rode into Jerusalem after 3 years of controversial ministry that led to questions and conflict.

We understand this crowd, not because Scriptures tell us whether they were either democrat or republican, liberal or conservative. We understand this crowd, though Scriptures do not say that this crowd had spent the year praying and reflecting on LGBTQ issues like we United Methodists have been doing this year as we meet to create a decisive document called the “The Way Forward” [slide # 4 Way Forward]

We do know that the crowd was very religious. Only religious people could say as they said in verse 9 “God bless this Jesus who is bringing our people into the kingdom – not the U.S. kingdom of President Trump, President Obama, President Bush, President Clinton, President W. Bush, President Reagan, President Carter, President Ford, and so on.

This Palm-celebrating crowd was not cheering for the kingdom of Israel, Egypt, the Pharaoh or the Caesar. At the top of their voices and number one in their minds was the name of the Lord and a blessing for the kingdom of King David – God’s kingdoms, a spiritual kingdom.

“Hosanna, Hosanna” [slide # 5 Hosanna] they said over and over again. We say it today, in our songs and our prayers, though culturally speaking it is not our first language.

“Hosanna” was an expression of joy, praise, adoration, like we express when we clap our hands, hoot, howl, whistle, roar with delight, or enthusiastically say things like “Thank you Jesus!” [slide # 6 Thank you…] or “Go Eagles.” “Hosanna” is a happy expression that reflects hearts full of joy with rosy thoughts, optimistic ideas, favorable outcomes, high hopes, promising possibilities, providential guidance, and heavenly advantages.

It was along with this affirming applause and standing ovation that Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Then verse 11 says “…he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” [slide # 7 he looked around…]

He went into the temple and he looked around at everything.

He went into the temple just as we go to church. Verse 11 says Jesus did something I find quite interesting. He looked around…… at everything. It is not unusual to look around. It is unusual to look around at everything. One reason you might look around at everything is when you are preparing for something big.

Jesus was preparing for something big. [slide # 8 big] Jesus is always preparing for something big in God’s house. There is so much to see when we look around the church. Big things are happening. In the global church we see more people than ever with clean water. Clean water is a good mission. There are countries where children become blind and die simply because they do not have clean water. That is unimaginable for us.  [slide # 9 without love, without water] Because of missions and good government, and nations working united together for a common good, hundreds of millions more people have access to clean water than they have ever had. When we look around, we see that missions matter.

Have you ever looked around the Bethel café around 9 30 on Sunday morning? Have you seen the two guys that meet in the café during the Christian education hour? The two guys represent two generations. There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is working in them and through them to create something big. Scripture says that iron sharpens iron. So when Ron and Tyler get together in the café, there is no doubt that they help each other to be the best preachers. They have both preached the word of God more than once at Bethel. They both let their lights shine in this world of shadows.

There is also a team of folks at Bethel who look around inside and outside of the sanctuary and make big plans to make taking care of God’s house a very high priority. They go about painting and planting, scraping and scrubbing so that God’s house is ready for each royal visit, for every human being that crosses that threshold is a guest to be honored. We maintain God’s house as well as our own homes because God is worthy of our very best!

Others at Bethel gather monthly, governing the Church in big ways. They gather weekly to reflect on the bigness of scriptures, they come together during Advent and Lent with Aubrey’s bigtime opportunities to reflect seriously on spiritual principles, our latest being Made for a Miracle [slide # 10 Made for…]

After soaking in the applause and being fanned by the Palms, [slide # 11 Jesus on a donkey] Jesus went into the sanctuary and looked around. [slide # 12 Jesus in Temple] He was preparing for something big, his biggest mission. He was preparing for at least three things: He was preparing to welcome God’s people, to remind them that they are wanted, to do whatever it takes to make it well with their soul. Verse 11 says he left the Temple and went to Bethany, which was the home of his devoted family of friends -  Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. [slide # 13 Jesus leaving the Temple]

We have learned to do what Jesus did. We gather, we look around at everything, and we prepare for something big. [slide # 14 Jesus leaving the Temple again] We too welcome all into God’s house. We want to remind them that they are wanted. We want to do all we can so it will be well with their souls. May we always be the church God intends us to be. Amen. [slide # 15 Don’t think….]

March 18 2018 "God Calling"

March 18 2018 (Fifth Sunday in Lent) John 12.20-33 “God Calling” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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I  was given a Fishwrapper a few weeks ago and there are some humorous lines of plays on words that I want to share and bring a smile before I begin the more serious Lenten message this morning.

To write with a broken pencil is pointless. A boiled egg is hard to beat. The batteries that were given out were free of charge. A dentist and a manicurist got married. They fought tooth and nail. A bicycle can’t stand alone. It’s too tired. A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months. Smiles are good!

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In this season of Lent, we focus on the idea of making sacrifices for God’s sake. Most of us know about making sacrifices in life, whether great or small. We have made sacrifices for a stranger or a neighbor or a member of our family. Simply defined, “to sacrifice” is to give up something for something else that is considered more important. For the Christian, nothing is more important than whatever God has for us to do. [slide # 1 God’s will] God’s will brings the best results. [slide # 2 seek God’s will]

Verse 25 of our text declares that those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. “Hating one’s life in this instance means willing to give your life totally to God, not caring for our life on our own terms, but always letting God lead us in taking care of ourselves because God’s plan is bigger and better than we can ever imagine. Hating one’s life in this text has nothing to do with evil. Hating one’s life has everything to do with loving God’s good will more than loving ourselves and loving anything we dream of, anything we plan for, anything we cling to, and anything we own, including ourselves. [slide # 3  …life in God’s hands]

Jesus says something in verse 26 that I never noticed before after all these years of reading the gospel of John. He says in verse 26 whoever serves me must follow me, [slide # 4 whoever serves me…] and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

It never occurred to me that serving Jesus is a separate idea from following Jesus. In other words, if we make ourselves available to do good works, God is pleased! Most often it is our availability not so much our a- bility that puts us in a position where God can use us to be a blessing.

In the world today, some reject religion, the church, Christians, or God. Sometimes, religion, the church, Christians, and God seem to be rejected with more good excuses than good reasons. Nevertheless, there is so much work to be done to make this world a good place that even people who are not at all religious are inspired by the grace and mercy of God to serve as Jesus calls humanity to serve. Many serve Jesus. Not everyone intends to follow Jesus.

A few weeks ago, I spoke with an OJR high school student. She was preparing to join the following of students from around the country on Walk Out Wednesday, which was held this past week. [slide # 5 school banner…walk out] They decided they wanted their voice heard around the issue of gun violence, especially in schools. Their actions were controversial and brave. History tells us that student movements may be messy but they change lives for good, they change the world.

I was in a graduate level counseling class with a woman from China not long after the protest in the 1989 Tiananmen Square student protests in Beijing. [slide # 6 Tiananmen Square] The students called for democracy, greater accountability, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. About million people followed the path to the square and gathered to protest. The government was threatened by the crowd and 10 thousand people were arrested, [slide # 7 Beijing crowd] some were executed.  Guns and tanks were deployed in order to stop the protests. Though the Chinese government maintained that no one was killed, other reports say thousands were killed. One man known as “Tank Man” [slide # 8 tank man] stood boldly in front of the tanks. His was a symbol of courage in a fight for justice; there is only speculation of what happened to him.

We remember the 1960’s student sit-ins at Woolworth lunch counters. [slide # 9 spraying mace over protesters] Though it was messy, their actions were controversial and brave, helping to eliminate segregation laws. They changed lives for good, they change the world. [slide# 10 integrated counter]

Every generation of students has some injustice to protest. They do not all profess to be Christians; they are at least standing up and standing out preparing to serve and sacrifice, to do something and not simply sit back and complain or do nothing.

In recent months we have also seen a surge, a wave, of men and women protesting sexual assault in the #me-too movement. [slide # 11 me-too] I like to think that those protesting are not only serving the Lord by speaking truth to greedy, corrupt, power mongers, but that they are also following the way that Jesus is leading, whether or not they are conscious of Jesus presence with them.

Just like life can be stressful, following Jesus can be stressful. A man told me last week that he was having a serious bout with insomnia. I assumed his insomnia was stress related. His solution was to take a double dose of one of those over-the-counter sleep aids, like Nyquil or something. Instead of responding to his alarm for a morning meeting, he woke up in that afternoon.

My doctor loves to give me the latest research on how stress effects the body. Stress is hard on the heart she tells me. Mindful meditation – that is filling our brain with positive thoughts has proven to be more effective in maintaining good heart health than surgery. Filling our brain with good, hope-filled and positive thoughts, leaves less room for fear, rage, discouragement, and negativity that stresses the body in every way.

The doctor gave me her favorite mindful meditations: breathe in “peace,” breathe out “love”. She asked me if I practiced mindful meditation and I said “yes”. I consider my morning meditation and prayers throughout the day as a way to be less stressed and more confident that God will guide me in the ways of peace and love. I want to serve, but I also want to follow Jesus, I do not want to spend an hour without him by my side, much less a day. Some days I know I should take the advice of Rev. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church who said when he has an extra busy day of serving the Lord, he added extra time in prayer!

Jesus said “Whoever serves me must follow me.” It is good to serve. We love to serve. We are good at serving. Often we serve Jesus without even knowing it! It’s all good, but serving Jesus and following Jesus are not the same. Many of us serve in many ways, but when we follow him, Jesus does at least three things for us. He changes us for the better, he challenges us for the better and he chooses us for the better.

Jesus changes us for the better. Following in the footsteps of Jesus leads us to be better, holier, healthier people, families, communities, and countries. Any changes we want to see that will make America great again, begin with following Jesus. We used to know what it was like to have peace in most schools. Now that more schools have become war zones, we are even more anxious to find peace.

War zones spread like a wild fire [ slide # 12 wildfire ] or a contagious flu both of which we have experienced as an epidemic this year. [slide # 13 flu] First responders [ slide # 14 first responders] and the World Health Organization follow a strict plan and path in order to save lives and make changes for the good to stop the spread of things that harm and begin the spread of things that heal. [slide # 15 flu shot line]

If we as Christians follow Jesus in the paths that make for peace, we will see a change in us and around us, we will see peace spread far and wide, too. We are serving and that is good. But, following Jesus, is even better. 

Jesus changes us and he also challenges us for the better when we follow. None of us here are ready to lift a 500 pound barbell, [slide #  16 red barbell]  but there are those who do. Jesus knows how much we can bear and challenges us, treating us softly and tenderly. There is an old hymn that says - Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, Calling for you and for me; Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised, Promised for you and for me! Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon, Pardon for you and for me.Come home, come home, You who are weary, come home. [slide # 17 …you who are weary…]

We are challenged to listen and hear the voices of love that surround us. We are challenged to be obedient to the scriptures and respectful and responsive to our traditions, experience, and reasoning. We are challenged to get along with one another, to love and care for one another, to set healthy boundaries for one another and speak the truth in love to one another. We are challenged to make commitments and keep them to the end. Jesus challenges us for the better. When we follow him, we become stronger and more able to bear and share life’s burdens. [slide # 18 bearing one another’s …]

Jesus changes us for the better, he challenges us for the better, and finally he chooses us for the better. You are chosen by Jesus for good reasons. You are the best God has. You are the best choice to do the great work that the Holy Spirit has to do. [slide # 19 …Gods best]

Each one of us is created uniquely and designed with sheer awesomeness. [slide # 20 …creator not duplicator] You are gorgeous. You are special. Every breath you take, every move you make, every beat of your heart is majestic, even miraculous. You are not a mistake. God made you on purpose. You are a masterpiece. [slide # 21 ...masterpiece] You are extremely important. You are multi-talented. You are breathtakingly beautiful. You are an unforgettable rose in God’s beautiful garden. God smiles at the thought of you. [slide # 22 Maker…factory…] You were intentionally shaped with care in your mother’s womb. You are the apple of God’s eye. You are forever beloved by the maker of the universe. You are highly treasured and honored by the king of kings. You have been purposely made with God’s wonderful and plan in mind. [slide # 23 God made you on purpose]

God loves you just the way you are, past, present and future. You have an open invitation to always follow Jesus in an adventurous journey that leads to unspeakable love, joy and peace. And all this is true for each one of us that God has made. As we each follow Jesus, we discover him to be our rock and our shield in the time of trouble. It does not get better than that. We are chosen for the better.

In order to serve best, we must also follow. When we follow, we see the good in ourselves that God sees and we hear answers to prayers that will take us to places of peace and love.

I heard a man tell the story of one of his friends who lost his son. During the funeral one man waited in line for three hours to offer comfort. When he got two or three people away from approaching the father, he lost control of his emotions and could not speak a word, so he got to the end of the line and waited another hour. Soon he was again at the front of the line, and again he wept uncontrollably and could say a word.

Years later the father would recall that that man, though he never said a word, was his most treasured comforter. Could it be true that we hear God most when we are quiet? With Jesus by our side we serve; let us also quiet ourselves enough to know where he is leading us and follow. [slide # 24 Follow Jesus] Amen. [slide # 25 Dare to be a disciple]

March 11 2018 "The World Calling"

March 11 2018 (Fourth Sunday in Lent) Ephesians 2.1-10 “The World Calling” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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A few moments after the daughter announced her engagement, her Father asked, "Does this fellow have any money?"

"Oh Daddy, you men are all alike," sighing deeply, she replied, "That's exactly what he asked me about you."

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Paul was proud of the church in Corinth. They had become a church against many odds. The church was a part of a culture of extraordinary temptations, distractions, and opportunities to satisfy the self and put God last. The church at Corinth had issues, but they still found a way to be exemplary Christians.

We find so much information in Paul’s pastoral letter to the church in Corinth. They gave generous offerings to missions and to the poor so much so that other churches were inspired. Corinthian Christians were very talented with their spiritual gifts of teaching, preaching, witnessing, testimonies, prophesying and speaking in tongues. They had plenty of fellowships and food over which to gather and encourage one another in the Lord. They needed the encouragement to provide comfort for those times when life and the business of building a church brought moments of discouragement.

As they united and worked in harmony with one another, they had to stay alert and prayerful for there were some among them more hungry than others. There were others who did not quite fully appreciate the enormous value of keeping all Ten Commandments. Some saints could not get comfortable kneeling at the Communion rail knowing that the Table of the Lord was always open to EVERYBODY no matter what transgender, transsexual, trans union, transmissions, and transformations they brought to the table.

The church in Corinth was a church that was growing and developing in amazing ways. They had become a lively church, a bold and feisty church. They were at times just as cold-hearted and evasive or hot tempered and confrontational as much as any family or faith community, but through prayer they had grown, so much so that Paul could talk about how they were in the past. He said in verses 1-3:

You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, [ the devil ] the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.

Paul commended them on their spiritual growth, despite their struggles. We all struggle.

We were taught by a counseling professor in seminary that it is ok to be passionate about our faith, even to the point of being mad at God, to let it all hang out because God is strong enough to handle our anger. But there came a day when I learned that we can take that attitude a little too far. [slide # 1 attitude is everything]

A member of a United Methodist church was in a military hospital in the psychiatric ward. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and he was not happy about taking the medicine that would bring a balance to his brain. He was mean and surly but his family stood by his side for years.

He tells the story of the day he had a vision that Jesus was standing at the foot of his bed with eyes of love. He raised his fist and swung at Jesus as hard as he could, so hard that he knocked his own self out of bed and bang – onto the floor. He had gone too far with his anger. He only brought harm on to himself. [slide # 2 man on bed]

One day I gave God a piece of MY mind. I do not remember what I was thinking about but I clearly recall feeling that God was no longer worthy of my time and attention. [slide # 3 my life….] I ranted and raved in my heart, rebelling against a God who did not bother to ask me if I wanted to be born and who refused to be my personal butler. Suddenly, I had a vision of a very small person with an ancient face full of hurt, running quickly to get away from the shower of self-centered frustration that I felt too free to share. That vision was a powerful reminder that words hurt even when they are unspoken. Negative feelings are weapons. [slide # 4 gun]

One of my students taught me that being out of control is not necessarily out of control at all. She was a new student in the high school math class in the heart of Baltimore. For several days, she entered my classroom, raging at me, spewing insults reserved for substitute teachers which I was. She used the “f” word often and rejected all my efforts to calm, claim, conciliate and capture her attention. It was obvious though, that she did not dare to get up in the faces of the “bloods” or the “crypts” gang members who bullied her, for they would surely retaliate with violence. The lesson was that every rager, carefully chooses each victim. No one is as out of control as often as one might think. We do not lose our tempers, we choose our victims very, very carefully.

By the grace of God, this child neither annoyed me nor frightened me as some students did. God used my calm and confidence in that instance. It did not take long before she transformed into a sweet angel.  [slide # 5 attitude…little thing]

Another time, thinking that I could be honest with God and share my raw emotions, with no effort to filter my thoughts. I was again silently fussing and fuming about how life was not going MY way, I was telling God off. That is not all I was doing. I was forgetting who God is. I was forgetting that God is worthy of praise and honor. I was refusing to realize that no one, not even God deserves anything less than something good.

All of a sudden, in my quiet storm of rage, instead of feeling free and relieved, I felt the wrath of God, like a hot flash, warning me to get a hold of myself and show respect and gratitude! The feeling lasted a mere millisecond before I was again flooded with a sense of God’s love and warmth, but it was enough to shake me up and make me think twice before getting up in God’s face again.

The only time we should dare to bring our mess to anyone or anywhere, much less to the throne of God, is when we come carefully confessing offering premeditated praise, and humbly hungering for healing.

Negativity hurts. Negativity kills. Negativity deadens the possibility of greatness. The world encourages us to be harsh and heated or cold and crass. In our heart of hearts, we want a peaceful life. The Lenten season is our escape to opportunities that soften our rough edges. It is a season that teaches us to liven up, to act warmly, to listen and learn, from one who has mastered the art of healthy relationships. Jesus saves us from troubling and tumultuous relationships. That is another good reason to journey into Lent. [slide # 6  attitude…flat tire]

Lent is an invitation to refresh our lives and remove the deadly inspirations that threaten us. The Greek word for “dead” is “nek ros” [slide # 7 nek ros = dead because of sin]

It means to be departed from this life. “Nek ros” also means destitute of a life that is devoted to God, inactive to doing the right thing, and spiritually dead. [slide # 8 “Nek ros” = spiritually lifeless]

When we come to the Lenten journey with some spiritual dead zones, we can be assured according to verse 4 that “…God, who is rich in mercy, or kindness which is “el eh os” in the Greek - will bring great kindness to us. [ slide # 9 kindness =  “el'-eh-os” in the Greek]

It is out of the great love with which God loved us that God, not only shows great kindness, but makes us alive together with Christ. In the Greek, the word for love is  - agape - …”  [slide #  10  God’s agape love… -] which means affection and good will.

The love of God and the love the Corinthians shared with each other shaped them and molded them into exemplary Christians. [ slide # 11  sweat, smile…] May the generation behind us have our good example to follow. Amen. [slide # 12 …act…]

March 4 2018 "The Cross Calling"

March 4 2018 (Third Sunday in Lent) I Corinthians 1.18-25 “The Cross Calling” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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( --a few jokes…)

If any of us were asked “Would you like a cross or would you like a crown?” We would all choose a crown. [slide # 1 man looking at crown] A crown is the symbol of ruling and reigning, of being in control of our lives and in control of the lives of others too. A crown says we can sit back and enjoy our lives in peace. [slide # 2 royalty on thrones]

When the cross is before us, we pray the prayer that Jesus prayed: “Father if it is your will, let this cup pass from me. Not my will but yours be done.” In this Lenten season we follow in Jesus’ footsteps knowing they will lead us to the foot of the cross. [slide # 3 man carrying a cross]

Like Jesus, we surrender to God’s will more willingly when we trust the results, the reward, the resurrection. Like Christians centuries ago we sing in our heart –

“Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free. No. There’s a cross for everyone and there’s a cross for me.”

That verse reminds us that good things are worth working and sacrificing for. Good things may involve our shedding blood, sweat, or tears.

Another verse reminds us that the Christian cross is holy, sanctified – set apart for God’s sake in order to plough through some evil while we plant seeds that grow and develop God’s righteous plan. 

“The consecrated cross I'll bear till death shall set me free; and then go home my crown to wear, for there's a crown for me.”

A plant that grows does not look like the seed. When a cross is planted in our lives, we do not know what good will result, but we can be assured that it will be good.

Our text this morning tells us that God’s power can be found in the cross. “…for those being saved it (the cross) is the power of God.”  [ slide # 4 …power of God]

Not every cross is consecrated. Not every cross can fulfill God’s purpose and plan. St. Monica, [slide # 5 St. Monica]  mother of St. Augustine  of Hippo, [slide # 6 St. Augustine] a town in North Africa “…was given  in marriage to a man who not only came home drunk each day but had a violent temper and Monica was often the victim of his rage. He was neither a faithful husband and therefore, Monica’s life was full of trials, but her husband converted a year before his death and “he admitted that he admired his wife’s strong faith and it was her unwavering kindness towards him that changed him.” *

Monica endured the same trials with her son Augustine “whose brilliant mind seemed dedicated only to bringing her sorrow.” ** In his youth he took a concubine, had a son with no regard for the responsibilities, abused alcohol and other substances and spent years romancing his demons before he converted to Christianity. All the while his mother prayed and trusted God. She believed it was her cross to bear.

It seems Monica was called to do battle and to bear a cross with her loved ones. God gave her the spiritual weapons she needed to get her family out of the jaws of Satan. Still, not every cross is consecrated. Some are just trouble we need to avoid. Not every cross can fulfill God’s purpose and plan. We need to talk to God about our crosses.

Ruth Graham, Billy Graham’s wife [slide # 7 Ruth and Billy Graham] wrote the book “The Prodigal and Those Who Love Them.” Their five children have glorious ministries now but in their younger years they endured divorces, a runaway grandchild, drug abuse and some general misbehavior. [slide # 8 Ned Graham as a boy on left]

“Ned Graham, a pastor who prints and distributes Bibles in China, has told of the times, now long past, when he would return to the family home in Montreal in the small hours of the morning, “drunk or stoned or something.”

Each time, without fail, his mother would be sitting in her rocking chair in the kitchen, her eyes red and tired from crying or praying, or both.

She would walk to her son, kiss him on the forehead and say, “I’m glad you’re home, Ned. I’m going to bed now.” +

[slide # 9 Ned Graham]

We all have our crosses to bear, but we are not called to carry every cross or fight every battle. Sometimes the battle is not ours to fight, and none of our business. The Lord will take care of it and we should stay out of it. Sometimes God will shout at us to “let go” of a certain cross, to run away from certain people, to avoid certain situations, to stop fighting, to cease arguing and find the strength to follow Jesus wherever he leads, be it a safe pace, a peaceful place, another battlefield or to bear some other cross.

Every cross is not consecrated. So, we must follow Jesus to the cross. The cross of Jesus is at least three things. The cross is chaos, the cross is caring, the cross is Christ.

The cross is chaos just as Genesis talks about how God created something from a void. Whatever cross we are called to bear may seem barren. A cross can be thought of as a waste and fruitless; we wonder what good can come from it, but when Jesus finishes, the results will be called good. The cross begins with chaos, but through our work with the Father Son, and Holy Spirit, great good happens.

The cross is also caring. There are so many terrible things that go on in this world that can only be changed when somebody cares.  Since 2013 there have been 291 school shootings. There have been 18 shootings since January. [ slide # 10 shooting map] There are many people who care about kids. There are others who care more about the money they make from letting anyone and everyone buy guns - even automatic weapons. Who besides the military needs automatic weapons?  

Marian Wright Edelman, president and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund says – [ slide # 11 Edelman] “Consider that since 1963, over three times more children and teens died from guns on American soil than U.S. soldiers were killed by hostilities in wars abroad. On average 3,426 children and teens – 171 classrooms of 20 children – were killed by guns every year from 1963 to 2016. And gun violence comes on top of other major threats of global violence that threaten our children.” [slide # 12 child covering eyes]

The cross is caring. I am glad we support the local food pantries because Coretta Scott King once said, “I must remind you that starving a child is violence.”

When we care, there is a cross to bear. We care about children, we care about the church, we care about nurturing a culture that creates healthy, loving families.

In order to have healthy families we have to wake up and realize the world is changing. Overnight, cable television and the internet have exposed children to unimaginable filth.

I am told that schools have decreased their funding for sex education in schools. Young people know too much from the internet and much of what they learn is really training for abuse, violence, and neglect. What they learn sets them up for abuse that counselors say may not even be able to speak about for twenty years after an incident. When we care, we may have to sacrifice blood, sweat and tears to create something good and Godly and counter what the world has to offer. Love is not always simple or cheap. We want to do all it takes to let each human being know they are worthy of love and care.

Job surveys suggest that people rather have more vacation time from their workplaces than more money. Time is precious. What a child needs most from parents is time and attention. What a parent needs most is to watch who is giving your child time and attention. [slide # 13 father and daughter walking]

The cross is chaos, the cross is caring, and finally the cross is Christ. Christ is king, ruling and reigning with the power of almighty love. Christ is salvation, saving us from every enemy. Christ is the lover of our souls. We are beloved. If you have a cross to bear, you can be confident that love will see you through. Love will make a way.

There is a song I have heard that reminds us of how loved we are. It says:

Your heart is beating, alive and breathing

And there's a reason why. You are essential, not accidental [slide #  14 Jesus and children]

And you should realize. You are beloved. I wanted you to know [slide # 15 …wanted you to know]

You are beloved. Let it soak into your soul. Oh, forget the lies you heard

Rise above the hurt. [slide # 16 …not alone] And listen to these words. You are beloved.

[slide # 17 carrying cross] On your journey from the cross to the resurrection, may you know deeply that you are beloved by God and know that you are called to deeply love others! Amen. [slide # 18 Edelman quote]

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*http://www.family-prayer.org/saint-monica.html

 **https://books.google.com/books?id=EskRCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=monica+he+was+neither+a+faithful+husband&source=bl&ots=Lwbzpbf-ns&sig=_vcHINHtTv8eReADSXSjPwj3CUA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1pPG5gM7ZAhXNct8KHZ29CVIQ6AEIKzAB#v=onepage&q=monica%20he%20was%20neither%20a%20faithful%20husband&f=false 

+  https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2018/02/25/overcoming-struggles-billy-grahams-children-rooted-ministry-today/360965002/+