May 27 2018 “Come Holy Spirit, Come: Send Us”

May 27 2018 “Come Holy Spirit, Come: Send Us” *Isaiah 6.1-8, Romans 8.12-17 Jacqueline Hines

The prophet Isaiah records in the 6^th chapter that the King of Judah who reigned 700 years before Jesus was born in Judah, had died. The year that King Uzziah died was like any other time when a prominent leader dies. The whole world knew that things were about to change, and everyone was watching and waiting and wondering what was going to happen next.

Uzziah had reigned for over 50 years and things had gone very well. The military was stronger, food was plentiful, and there was a good measure of peace and security in most communities. King Uzziah made his mistakes along the way, but they were nothing compared to the great things that had been accomplished by the grace of God.

Today, if we flip through all the editions of the 2018 Mercury, we would see obituaries of the lives of well-known persons whose deaths have changed our world. There are names such as scientist Stephen Hawking, who studied the black hole and relativity [slide # 1  Hawking], Dorothy Malone [slide # 2  Malone] an Oscar-winning actress, Barbara Bush [slide #  3   Bush] former first lady, and Winnie Mandela [slide # 4  Mandela] anti-apartheid activist. We take notice of important people in our lives who die, and for years, we remember how their lives mattered to us.

On the day that King Uzziah died, Isaiah, the prophet took a special note of what a blessing he was, and he knew life could change drastically. Isaiah was the king’s prophet. Now that Uzziah was gone, Isaiah must have wondered if the next king would pay attention to his spiritual guidance.

Every king had a prophet, just like every U.S. president has a Godly adviser like a Billy Graham, [slide # 5 Graham] like every U.S. senate has a chaplain like the current chaplain Barry Black [slide # 6  Chaplain Black] a retired Navy Rear Admiral and former Chief of Navy Chaplains.

Isaiah was God’s messenger of wisdom and comfort for king Uzziah and on the day that the king died, Isaiah says he saw the Lord. The king was gone, but with his spiritual eyes, Isaiah saw that the Lord was still on the throne. Certainly, we take comfort in a loving God ruling and reigning over our lives. We do not like everything that happens in this world, but the idea that God’s ultimate purpose and plan is love and justice gives us a reason to keep the faith. The idea that love never fails gives us strength to continue our journey.

Isaiah saw three things in chapter 6 that we all must see if we are going to survive when it seems that all is lost and terrible things are about to happen. First, verse 1 says that Isaiah saw the Lord, high and lifted up, sitting on a throne. We all need to see God for ourselves. We all need to be aware of God’s presence. We may never have a dramatic or mystical experience in our life, but we should all see God constantly in the scriptures, or in the situations in our lives, or in the lifestyle of someone who lets their little light shine.

If we cannot see God, we cannot follow. Without a vision, the bible says we cannot live. Jesus also said, we cannot live by bread alone, we need God’s word, through scripture or example or testimony. Otherwise, we wither on the vine, that is, we bear no spiritual fruit - no love, no joy, no peace, little patience, barely any kindness, hardly any goodness (generosity), we lack faithfulness, and self-control is not in our vocabulary. We need to see God’s word through scripture or example.

Isaiah, not only saw God on the day that King Uzziah died, Isaiah says he saw the hem of God’s robe, and it filled the temple. I like the New International Version that says “…and the train of his robe filled the temple.” [slide # 7 the train of his robe….].  We have seen trains worn by royalty and those with status and power. The world just witnessed the very public wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Meghan’s train was 16 feet long. [slide # 8 Markle’s wedding gown].

In this season of graduations, we see robes worn by those who have earned positions of power that come with certain academic degrees. [slide  #  9  putting on academic hood] Their dress is also a version of a royal train. [slide #  10  gathered with academic hoods ]

Bishops, priests, preachers, and those in religious orders wear capes, long and short to symbolize the wide reach of God’s presence and power. [slide # 11  cardinal robe]  There have been linen, wools, furs, [slide # 12  fur stole] and silks that drape around, and down and long and wide, signifying a certain position with God and with God’s people. [slide # 13  group of clerics]

St. Martin of Tours, is known as the military saint. [slide # 14 St. Martin of Tours] He looked past the expense and luxury of his cape, that draped like a train to represent his high status. St. Martin cut his cape with his military sword and shared it with a beggar who had little to wear in the dead of winter. It is good in our moments of celebration and luxury that we find a way to remember those who are suffering.

Isaiah’s saw God as a ruler with status and power and we need to see God in that way as well.

The second thing Isaiah sees that all of us need to see on our faith journey is in verse 5. He sees where he falls short and he can admit it. “I am a man of unclean lips, [ slide # 15  I am a man…] and I dwell with a people of unclean lips.” Isaiah understands that there is at least one place in his life where he needs God to help him and strengthen him if he is going to go to the next spiritual level. Then he will be able to witness to God’s power and love in at least that one area – whether it is great or small.

Thirdly, Isaiah sees the altar of God. Isaiah is so close to the throne of God that he can feel the warmth of fire from the altar. In order to get close to the throne of God, one must be able to take some heat, the heat of confession and repentance, the heat of trials and tribulations. Isaiah is also close enough to the altar to hear the angels known as cherubs. They are God’s front line security guards, and they are singing praises to God, for praising God protects us from many enemies. They cry “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

Isaiah can even see the second round of God’s security force, the seraphim. The word “Seraphim” means “burning ones.” Seraphim are on fire for God. The seraphim remind me of a story of a preacher who was on fire for God. People would fill arenas and fields to listen his sermons. He was heard to say, “I set myself on fire, and people come from miles around to watch me burn with my passion for God.”

A seraph can be considered God’s closest source of security, the highest order of angels. They were very close to the altar. They had access to the fires of Heaven and, no doubt, the fires of hell. Bishop Tutu in his fight against apartheid, would thank the world for their prayers and he reminded everyone that their prayers were not in vain. He knew their prayers created a wall of fire against the enemy. Prayer brings us as close to God as we can get.

Isaiah saw the seraphim flying down from that high and lofty place, bringing a hot coal from God’s altar. They placed it on his lips. [slide # 16  seraphim with coal] The coal was so hot it had to be carried with tongs, yet it was not too hot for his lips. Whatever work God has to do in us may seem like it could damage or destroy us, but God has the right amount of fire, the right timing and the right touch that can free us of our sin and guilt.

Isaiah was able to see God for the great God that God is, admit his weaknesses, and stand in the divine presence of God long enough to become free of his sin and guilt. After all of that, Isaiah hears the voice of the lord asking, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Isaiah was not hiding. He spoke out, ‘Here am I; send me!’

It is not easy to listen to God’s voice, especially when you know God wants something. After all, we are not really trying to listen to the God who wants to intoxicate us so we will be forever under the influence and control of the spirit of love, yielding what author Richard Foster names as the places we find hardest to surrender to God: money, sex, and power!

We cannot answer God’s call us unless we see what Isaiah saw: A Holy God who is high and lifted up, a God who loves us with a passionate fire, [slide # 17  fire of God’s love] and a God whose altars are secured with many angels to serve us as we serve God. [slide  18 …don’t grow cold.] Amen. [slide #   19  William Penn]

   

May 20 2018 “Come Holy Spirit, Come: Change Our World”

May 20 2018 “Come Holy Spirit, Come:  Change Our World” *Acts 2.1-21 Pastor Jacqueline Hines    Humor -

Today we celebrate Pentecost. The word “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth” meaning 50 days after the Jewish holiday of Passover. [ slide # 1 fifty days] Passover is the time Christians know as Easter. Since our spiritual roots are both Judaic and Christian, the Jewish holidays and the Christian holidays have similar purposes and similar time schedules.

The Old Testament law requires [slide # 2  Bible scrolls] that men take the lead in making sure their family is represented in at least three yearly festivals. These are holidays on which one is to enjoy God, enjoy family and friends and neighbors and share a meal to celebrate the harvest that God has provided.

The first legal holiday celebration is the Passover. [slide # 3 Happy Passover- flowers] Passover is also called the Feast of unleavened bread which celebrates the rescue from slavery in Egypt, when they left town quickly. They planned to bring bread with them to eat on their journey because there were not many places to buy bread. They baked it in a hurry. They did not put yeast in the bread because they did not have time to let it rise. So their bread was more of a flatbread or matzo. [ slide #  4 flatbread]    [slide # 5 matzo]  Passover was also the night that acknowledges that the angel of death passed over their homes, for which they were grateful.

Christians celebrate the Passover, in a sense, every communion Sunday. For Christians, every Sunday is a celebration of God’s resurrection power, and deliverance and mercy. [slide # 6 Passover – wine] We celebrate Jesus delivering us from the slavery of sin. Passover is celebrated once a year by our Jewish brothers and sisters in March or April, often close to our Easter.

The second required celebration is [slide # 7 tabernacles] the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths or Tents which was a festival of thanksgiving for God’s provision of shelter as they wandered away from slavery toward the Promised Land. Our Jewish neighbors celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in September or October. [slide # 8 tent] For some, the celebration includes building tents and booths in fields and rooftops and spending the night in them to remember what it was like before God blessed them to settle in a land of their own.

The third celebration commanded is a harvest festival. We Christians call it Pentecost [slide # 9 Pentecost] In the Old Testament it is called the Feast of Weeks or in the Hebrew, Shavuot. There are 7 weeks or 49 days of preparing and waiting for the harvest. It was a time of prayerfully and gratefully anticipating God’s goodness and abundance. On the 50^th day, there was a celebration.

These three festivals were designed by God that we might understand and appreciate God and God’s people as a source of blessing. It was a pleasant and good, to be with family and friends – well… for the most part. It was a joy to eat good food and share laughter with the neighbors near and far. God prescribes good fellowship because it is good for the mind, body, and soul.

Today, many Christians, not all, but many, are celebrating this day. My Baptist brother down the street is not celebrating Pentecost. Many Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Catholics often celebrate this day as Pentecost.

We Christians who celebrate are not celebrating just because it is a day to give thanks for the blessings of the harvest. We celebrate because of the extraordinary thing that God did on the particular day of Pentecost that is described in chapter 2 of the book of Acts of the Apostles that was read by our confirmands today. [slide # 10 the book of Acts]

Verse 1 of Acts 2 tells us that when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. [slide # 11 together in one place] The writer here is emphasizing togetherness and oneness for a reason. We can assume that they were together for good reasons, for the most part.

Committed couples know well [ slide # 12 cuddly cats] the value of unity, for unity and oneness lay a very strong foundation during their courtship as they deepen their covenant together. Committed Christians are united with one heart and mind. We are together as often as we possibly can be. Because our love is solid and true, problems may be solved, almost magically, or problems may cease to matter at all because the fruit of our love is so great.

And if by chance one should fail to love another, [slide # 13 couple back to back] God’s love never fails, so no one loses unless they choose to lose. God’s greatest blessings come when we are together as one.

Verse 2 tells us that as this group of God’s children were together in one place, suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind.

Do you think God was frustrated that is why God snuck up on them with a sudden and loud noise? Could God have been fed up with his people because they had gotten so far off track from doing the right thing? We are made in God’s image and when we look within our hearts, our homes, our church, our neighborhood, our country, and our world, don’t we see things that are godless and grimy, too?

The noise God sent was loud enough to make their ears perk up. When we hear the wind howl, we too are on alert, recognizing that the next sound we hear may be a trash can crashing to the ground or a tree limb cracking. [slide # 14 trash can…] The scripture says they heard the sound of a violent wind; that is downright scary!

Verse 2 continues recording the incident saying, [slide #  15 sound…filled…house] that sound filled the house. There was no way to escape? It was as if God had cornered them. The sound of a violent, rushing wind was inside!  Fortunately for them, they were sitting down as verse 2 tells us, otherwise they might have fallen down. [slide # 16 …sitting…]

How intriguing that the writer of Acts of the Apostles would tell us that those celebrating Pentecost that day were sitting. It brings to mind how intentional the bible is with words. You may remember other places in the bible where people sat. Jesus sat at Jacob’s well and waited when the Samaritan woman came by and had a little life-saving talk with Jesus. A crowd following Jesus sat down to eat and a miracle happened, a miracle we talk about to this day. The prophet Isaiah tells us that on the day that King Uzziah died he saw a vision of God sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. The prophet got the clear and comforting message that God is in control, even when it seems that all is lost and terrible things are about to happen.

On this day of Pentecost, the people were sitting, resting in God’s presence, eating, drinking and making merry, and God shook them up something terrible.

They started speaking in other tongues. Maybe they liked their own tongue better than the one that the text says was coming out of their mouth. Maybe they did not want to be caught speaking like a proper Hebrew or Arab, but it was happening anyway. Maybe they heard their best friends on the other side of the room talking with the syntax and the enunciation and the accents of the same people they had all made fun of together.

Now when we read the story of the Tower of Babel back in Genesis, we get the idea that God did not like the idea of everyone speaking the same language inasmuch as they were conniving with each other to reach heaven.

In Acts, however, instead of God working to keep them from speaking the same language, a language that was evidently nonsense and babble to God, here God is, having his children speak the language of the other, of the people on the other side of town where you did not want to go, the other people whose ways and customs were other than their own.

The power came from Heaven and they had no control over it. The Holy Spirit was in control of them. The people who came running to hear and see what was going on thought God’s people were intoxicated with new wine, which according to New Testament scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, was the wine with the strongest percent of alcohol.

Have you ever been so filled by the Holy Spirit that you were out of control? [slide # 17 Have you ever been filled  I mean out of control in a good way. The tears start flowing and you can’t stop them to save your life. [slide # 18 tears] You start clapping your hands and you don’t even want to stop. You scream for joy until you lose your voice. [slide # 19 screaming] Have you ever been so filled by the Spirit that as you started telling a spectacular story of God’s goodness in your life your words stopped in midair and you were reduced to bowing your head and muttering “mmm, mmm, mmm?” [ slide 20 head down] Some blessings are simply inexpressible. Have you ever tried to pray about something and all you could get out were sigh after sigh after sigh, sighs that Romans 8 describes as too deep for words? [slide # 21 sigh]

We respond to God’s nudging in many different ways.  Like the ancient church we may see things differently [slide # 22  two dresses]  some see blue and black while others see white and gold. We hear things differently. Some here “Yanny” some hear “Laurel”. [slide # 23 Yanny/Laurel] But, if we sit together in one place, God will rush in to help us harmonize with each other’s voices and languages. God will help us see each other in ways that unite us and make us one!

On this day of Pentecost, their hearts were touched, their minds were blown, they were deeply moved, the words coming out of their mouth told of God’s wonderful deeds of power and praises to God.  Their tongues were on fire with God’s love. [slide # 24 tongues of fire] There were no arguments, no negativity, no backbiting, no silent treatment, no fear …nothing…. but words that could do three things: (1) build someone up, (2) comfort them, and (3) encourage them in the ways of holiness, just like I Corinthians 14 instructs us to do.

The fire of Pentecost that day represented the persistently loving presence of God! This day the fire of God was neither contained in a warm, cozy fireplace or an inspiring altar candle. God was not in God’s usual box.

God was present, but we can imagine that not everyone was happy about God showing up at this celebration the way God chose to show up!

Perhaps they were more than satisfied to hear and say something other than words that build others up, comfort or encourage. From time to time, who among has not perked up an ear upon hearing some juicy gossip, especially if it is about someone who has hurt our feelings or made us mad? Who among us has not had to bite our tongue real hard to avoid saying cuss words or back-stabbing words that neither glorify God but rather discourage? Who among us has not consciously or unconsciously rubbed salt in another’s wounds or pushed someone away when God was ready to teach us how to comfort them? Who among us doesn’t want to be taught because we already know it all?

Certainly, we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are all a work in progress, but when we obey God and come together in one place, I guarantee you, God will show up and God will give us tongues of fire, full of words that change us, change our churches, and change our world for the better. [slide # 25 Acts 2 Church] Amen. [slide #  26 dog and cat]

May 13 2018 “Come Holy Spirit, Come: Teach Us”

May 13 2018 “Come Holy Spirit, Come: Teach Us” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

  

It is not unusual from time to time to have discussions about whether we think of God more as a mother or as a father. We refer to God using masculine pronouns “he” and “him” but the bible also refers to God in very maternal terms, with very nurturing qualities and feminine characteristics. [slide # 1 God the father…mother]

My favorite reference is to Jesus saying: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” [slide # 2 hen]

There are many passages that refer to God’s mothering nature. In the prophet Hosea we hear God saying, “Yet it was I who taught the tribe of Ephraim to walk, I who took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.”

In Deuteronomy 32 God is described as a mother eagle. “Like the eagle that stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, God spreads wings to catch you, and carries you on pinions.” [slide # 3  eagle]

God is also described in Deuteronomy 32 as the God who gives birth - “You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

In Isaiah 66:13 God is compared to a comforting mother, saying “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 49:15 compares God to a nursing mother saying, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”

Isaiah 42:14 even depicts God as a woman in labor, “For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept myself still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.”

We are made in God’s image. We are made to love and care for one another as a father and as a mother!

When we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us to love and care for one another, we learn valuable lessons.

Without prayer [slide # 4 prayer] our spiritual growth is stunted and we more easily become like Judas who is referred to in this first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Judas hangs out with the wrong crowd. Judas’ crowd is very concerned with power and money even if it means going against the will and ways of God. Judas invites his cronies to gang up on Jesus, to join him in insulting and opposing him in ways in which they had become quite skilled.

Every skill we learn is not necessarily a good one! We learn evil skills, too or we learn to use our God-given skills in evil ways. Or, we are out of control until the Holy Spirit takes control or until we give God the reigns of our hearts. Sometimes we have to surrender our control and our will a million times before we are actually strong enough to let go and let God have God’s way which is the best way.

Without prayer [slide # 5 kneeling in prayer] our spiritual growth is stunted and we do learn to act like Judas. On the other hand as we mature in Christ, we find ourselves more and more involved with and surrounded by disciples who are busy learning how to transform the world into a better place, by caring and sharing and loving one humble and selfless deed at a time.

After Judas left the twelve disciples who had all been trained by Jesus, the disciples still needed a certain number of representatives to govern the affairs of the Christian communities. Just like our senate and our congress require a certain number of representatives based on municipalities and population. The twelve tribes of Israel needed to have at least one representative for each tribe. Symbolically and politically that is why twelve disciples were needed.

There were two disciples in the running to fill that position of the 12^th disciple. Their names were given in verse 23 as a man named Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and the other man’s name was Matthias. [slide # 6 Joseph and Mattias]

The eleven disciples observed the lives of these two men, they decided that both were excellent candidates, but they were not convinced that God wanted one more than the other. They could have picked both of them, but that is not how it was done at that time. They could have administered a test and chosen the one with the highest score, but that is not how it was done during that time. They could have had them run a six month campaign and take a vote as to the one whose views and reputations are favored like we choose our United Methodist Bishops today, but that is not how it was done during that time.

Instead of all those ideas that have been used through the centuries, they simply did what they had learned worked well for over 1000 years. They cast lots. In our culture we know casting lots as tossing dice like we do in a Monopoly game or flipping a coin as we see done in a football game. Casting lots is a universal effort to be fair and free of human bias.

Because both men were good, instead of choosing sides, the disciples were able to avoid some hurt feelings by not choosing, but allowing the choice to be random. Their desire to be fair was focused and it created an atmosphere of justice and peace.

Before they tossed the dice to determine which of these men of God that they had carefully examined was God’s choice, verse 24 says they prayed. , [slide # 7 verse 24…] ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen. After they prayed verse 26 says, ’And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles. [slide # 8  verse 26]

We often think of casting lots as gambling, but this biblical tradition among the disciples was not gambling because there was no gamble with the careful examination of these Godly men. Joseph and Mathias were both winners.

It is said that the practice of casting lots is mentioned 70 times in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament. Their die probably did not look like our modern die. Their die probably looked closer to the dreidels that we see during the observation of Purim. [slide # 9  two dreidels] Purim is that season when God showed mercy as Esther spoke up for her people and the Jewish people were delivered from being exterminated by Haman who was extremely jealous which made him insecure and afraid which made him a bully who was quite capable of the violence he planned. Lots were cast with evil intentions to determine which day they were going to plan the massacre. We use the dreidels as a reminder that in our hands the dreidel means fairness and justice for God’s people.

Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus cast lots with evil intentions to see who should get Jesus’ robe that they stole instead of giving it back to Mary his mother. [slide # 10 soldiers gambling over Jesus robe]

God’s people were accustomed to casting lots in order to divide land among the tribes; they would do research on the land, divide each section to include some forest area, potential springs, and as much farm and grazing land as they could and they would cast lots to determine who would get what. In that way no one could be accused of selfishly choosing the best land or strong-arming others into getting an advantage over another.

You remember in Luke 1 that Zacharias was serving in the temple [slide #  11 Zacharias and incense] when he was visited by an angel that told him that he was to have a son John the Baptist that would prepare the way for the Lord. Every priest had a job to do, some more challenging and unpleasant than others. So they cast lots to decide who would serve on which day and what job, whether pleasant or tedious. That way no one would get all the tough jobs. They would rotate from one job or another according to the casting of the lots. Zacharias was on duty that day because it was his lot.

Zacharias’ job was to burn incense. Incense is a symbol of prayerful, restful conversation with God. Incense is an example of the kind of conversation we want to have with one another, too. Priests were to make sure that incense and lamps were burning on a regular basis as a constant reminder of being in a relationship with God. It was to create a sweet aroma, a sweet atmosphere, a peaceful atmosphere, a holy atmosphere, where the light of God’s love and truth can be clearly seen! God used his children’s efforts to cast lots in ways that brought unity and eliminated as much bias as was humanly possible.  As Prov. 18:18 says "Casting lots causes contentions to cease, and keeps the mighty apart." (or separated so they could not work together on their evil deeds)

Without deeper study and reflection, some American Christians have thought that they could get an answer from God by shutting their eyes, opening their bibles and randomly putting their finger on a certain page and a certain verse and that would be God’s answer. [slide # 12 finger on bible] But, the biblical example we learn from scripture is that these Godly men did their homework, they researched and examined and came up with the best choices that they could. Then they prayed and then they cast lots but only in those situations where it is clear that all the choices were good and Godly choices. [slide # 13 which way…]

Closing your eyes and picking a bible verse to read is great because every verse is good to read. Closing your eyes and picking a bible verse to get an answer from God for a particular situation is not the example set by the disciples because every verse does not address God’s good will for every situation. Many decisions require research, reflection, and conversation with God and with each other. [slide # 14  powerful testimony….church] There are no shortcuts.

May we be ever prayerful and prepared, ready for the Holy Spirit to teach us what we need to know and show us the way to go. [slide #...15 God is love…] Amen. [slide # 16 let God teach you..]

May 6 2018 “Come Holy Spirit, Come: Fall on Us” - *Acts 10.44-48,

May 6 2018 “Come Holy Spirit, Come: Fall on Us” - *Acts 10.44-48, John 15.9-17 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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Every significant event in our lives creates warm rituals – parties and services that nurture our souls. On birthdays we celebrate with cards and candles.  [slide #  1 birthday party] Weddings bring on toasts, [slide # 2 wedding toast] and laugh-hardy roasts are often part of retirement and award banquets. For a 25th wedding anniversary a traditional gift to be given is silver. Bachelorette and bachelor parties compete for rituals that creatively cater to the couple to be, and baby showers are a customary must for many. Memorials of relationships past and present are marked with the most precious memories and mementoes, [slide # 3 tattoo] including tattoos these days. We humans deepen our sense of joy and commitment when we celebrate, when we remember, when we ritualize our experiences in order to meaningfully relive them. Some things are too important to forget.

The church has plenty of rituals and routines that keep us focused, and that unite us and strengthen us for the many missions to which God is guiding us. In the church we have altars, front and center, [slide # 4 altar  with steps] with a few steps toward Heaven. That is to help us remember that God is high and lifted up, that we are to bow below God and not above God. [slide # 5 cross with white drape] We have the cross to remember that God’s love is a sacrificial love, we have candles to remind ourselves that Jesus lights our path by day and night. [slide #  6 candles] We have classrooms and fellowship halls to meet and greet and study and [slide #  7 classroom] plan – all for the purpose of building God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven and disciplining ourselves under the rule of the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit.   

So the apostle Peter had been invited by a group of Godly men to talk about his experience with Jesus. [slide # 8 Peter and others] Not everyone gets a special invitation to talk about their experience with Jesus. Perhaps someone may ask you about your church or your faith or your godly behavior – not smoking, cussing, fussing, or drinking to excess.

If you have your bible in sight like one of our members did while in the hospital for a couple days, [slide # 9 bible] people may ask you questions or want your spiritual wisdom, or they may share their stories, but not everyone gets an invitation to talk about how you met Jesus and how he has blessed you and what inspires you to serve him.

Peter had such an invitation and he told about the man from Galilee whose name was Jesus. He told them Jesus was baptized, that he was Lord of all, that he was anointed ( or full of ) the Holy Spirit and power that made him a man of peace [slide # 10 peace] who could do good and [slide #  11 …do good] bring healing to those who were oppressed by the devil. [slide # 12 oppressed by the devil] Peter told the crowd that Jesus was hung on a tree but there were many witnesses who could testify that he rose from the dead. Most important of all, Jesus commanded them to go and preach that God was the judge of the living and the dead.

How wonderful it is to hear about Jesus – his baptism, his power to bring peace. (Remember that message last week sung by 5 year old Claire and her dad) When there is no peace on earth, there is peace in Christ. It is wonderful to know the one who has power even over the devil. It is wonderful to know we have a judge who judges with fairness and kindness. [slide # 13 only God can judge me]

Now we all have our challenges in interpreting the word of God. We are given the promise that the Holy Spirit will teach us, but there is always something new to learn.

We do need to take care that we pray as we study and as we seek God’s will for our lives. [slide # 14 pray and study…] We can be sure that those who were listening to Peter were men of prayer. They were Gentiles. They did not come from the same religious background that Peter did. Still, God was in their hearts. They were men of prayer, and they were not only talking to God, they were listening to God.

They understood in their hearts that Peter was worshiping the same God that they were worshipping even though they were from different cultures. In seminary I recall a book on the required reading list entitled “Christ and Culture.” It reminds us that there is a difference between biblical doctrine and church doctrine. For example, the bible does not say that we cannot drink alcohol. The bible says things like “Strong drink is a mocker and beer causes fights and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”

John Wesley [slide #  15 John Wesley] established church doctrine for our United Methodist Church with a conviction and recommendation that we abstain from alcohol as a witness to our faith. That is church doctrine which I honor, but it is not biblical doctrine. Church doctrine emerges from our culture. Since we have a proclivity to medicate our sorrows, it is deemed wise to ban drinking. But, when my non-Methodist friends and colleagues tell me they have had a glass of wine, I try not to judge. I do cringe because, like John Wesley, I know too much about what people go through in a family and a church when alcoholism gets a hold of a loved one. I try not to judge because biblical doctrine is our standard. Church doctrine, though often very helpful is not the appropriate standard on which to lay the church’s foundation.

It is easy to develop church rules and regulations and rituals that we keep out of habit. We want to careful, for some may habits may harm rather than help the church. Some have outlived their usefulness and are no longer relevant in our cultural context. For example, there was a day if you showed up to church without a hat and gloves in some neighborhoods you were considered disrespectful to God and to the culture. Today when you show up in a hat a gloves in some communities, people may wonder how out of touch you are with reality.

It is so important that Christians have a regular dialogue with God in prayer and with one another, so we can understand what is in each other’s hearts as well as what is on our heads, so we can stop judging one another and let God show us how to accept one another and build the church rather than kill the church.

I heard a man tell the story of how as a teenager, he was invisible. He had problems that caused people to pick on him. Then he went to another school, nobody picked on him. They just ignored him. He found it more painful to be ignored than to be picked on.

As an adult, now he goes around lecturing to audiences to help them understand that what young people want more than anything is to be seen in the context of a meaningful relationship. Youth are typically experience-rich and language poor, so they make statements without words. They speak with tattoos and hairdos and dances and rituals that may not be part of any other language at all.

So, when I saw a young man a few weeks ago with a sweet smile, a Mohawk haircut with a ponytail flip, three or four tattoos, giant holes in both ears, I gulped and started a conversation and found out that he was a vegan and a dedicated father of a newborn. I think Jesus is pleased that I opened my mind and my mouth to look past all the things that I wanted to run away from, and saw him for the human being that he is. Since I expect to see this young man again, I hope the Spirit will teach me some things that will help me love and appreciate him and be just as excited to see him coming as I believe Jesus does.

The disciple Peter reached out beyond his comfort zone to tell these Gentiles the truth and the truth set them freer than they had ever been. To Peter the Gentiles looked different, even odd. They acted in different ways. They did not follow the same rules that had served God’s people so well in the past. There was definitely a cultural clash. [slide # 16 culture clash]

If Peter had not been a man of prayer, he would not have heard God asking him to go and preach to the Gentiles. [slide #  17 real men] If Peter had not been a man of prayer, he would not have had the strength to let go of his past routines and rituals long enough to see what God was trying to say and do in relationship to the Gentiles who were brothers from another mother. Peter obeyed God and shared good news with those whose hearts were hungry for good news. Because he was so loving and kind, Peter was the good news.

Peter knew God’s word. He knew about the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. He knew the laws and disciplines and rules that made for a life that was healthy and holy. But, more importantly, Peter knew God and Peter talked with God daily. He not only talked, he listened. That is how he learned exactly where he was to go and what he was to say!

Because Peter allowed himself to be the good news, to love and accept and welcome those God told him to, something strange and wonderful happened that day. Verse 44 says as he was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard God’s word.

They invited Peter to come and preach because they wanted to hear what God had to say, and when they listened, the Holy Spirit fell on them. That day, from the heights of Heaven, they were showered with blessings. Good things descended upon them. No doubt, love rained down, courage rained down, peace rained down, wisdom rained down; comfort rained down; perhaps even financial resources rained down.

Every time we pray, we invite God to speak to our hearts. When we actually listen, we can hear good things as they descend from the heights of Heaven.

We know exactly what it is like to be showered with blessings. We have had so many blessings that we had to share them. We have had so many blessings that we could not even count them all. WE have been very blessed.

Still there may be prayers that we have prayed for which we do not clearly hear God’s answer. Our hearts ache and long for something very specific. For those prayers, it can be helpful to start by setting aside 30 seconds every day or 3 times a day for 3 days at least, in order to intentionally be still and focus and ask God whatever it is you want to ask and if you still think God is not answering, then ask if there is anything you or others are doing that are blocking the blessing. And then listen and write down anything that you believe is an answer, and think about whether those answers are in keeping with God’s word and will for your life!

May today and every day be a day when we invite God into our hearts, and we listen, and the Spirit showers us with the blessings we need. [Slide #  18 quote…doctrine] Amen. [slide #  19 Jesus tattoo]