January 3 2021 Isaiah 60.1-6 Arise and Shine Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Continuing in the spirit of Christmas, let’s listen to Donna playing a reminder of Jesus birth in our hearts.

Our scripture lesson is from the prophet Isaiah 60.1-6

60Arise, shine; for your light has come,
   and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
² For darkness shall cover the earth,
   and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
   and his glory will appear over you.

³ Nations shall come to your light,

   and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
⁴ Lift up your eyes and look around;
   they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
   and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.

 ⁵ Then you shall see and be radiant;

   your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
   the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
⁶ A multitude of camels shall cover you,
   the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
   all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
   and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

++

Most of us who look up at the stars just enjoy looking from time to time. Some of us actually study the stars. People like astronomer Derrick Pitts 

 search the heavens day and night, discovering and rediscovering a world of repeated patterns and constellations.

From the beginning of time, stars have guided adventurous travelers, the lost, those who were running away from something bad and those hoping for something good.

In every case we look into the darkness in order to see the light of the moon, the stars, and the sun. We long for the light. Light gives us hope. Light rejuvenates us and signals to us that good things are on the horizon.

On the other hand, darkness is a good thing when we want to relax or sleep without being distracted by light. There are therapeutic deprivation tanks also called isolation tanks that try to optimize relaxation.

They are designed to eliminate or at least minimize all sensory input – light, sound, touch, etc.. The tank involves a light-proof, sound-proof, pitch-black tank that contains water with Epsom salt to relieve pain and to make floating mindless and effortless. The tank is designed to be a distraction-free zone that calms anxiety and alleviates depression.

When a person goes into an isolation tank to block out all sensation in order to rest their mind and body, they choose to do so as a therapeutic intervention. However, sensory deprivation that is forced or extended can result in extreme anxiety, hallucinations, bizarre thoughts, temporary senselessness, and depression. It is a good thing that we have God’s presence in the darkness.

Darkness is a part of our human experience. We can even say with confidence that just like physical darkness, spiritual darkness comes EVERY DAY. Spiritual darkness can be as regular as the physical darkness we experience.

At times our day is eclipsed

and the lights may go out and we may experience darkness unexpectedly, unpredictably, and interminably. We may also know times and places where darkness is more… or less…. Alaska has more daylight than night.

We celebrate the light because light is most often a welcome relief. But, let us remember that God is with us even in our darkest nights. God is present in our midnight moments. God is good on the grayest day. As we approach this New Year, it is a good to think about this God we serve and worship. It is good particularly to reflect on our relationship with God who is with us 24/7.

Are there meaningful conversations between us and God? How much of it is sweet talk?  How much is praise? Are there any angry demands? Requests? Hidden agendas? Do we dare share our dreams? Little dreams as well as big dreams? Is there any confession and repentance going on in our conversation with God? Any serving or sacrificing? Listening? Hiding? Mumbling mean words? Bad words? Arguing? Laughing? Peace? Joy? How is it between us and God?

Experts say that we may have some dark days ahead with covid-19 in spite of the light and lift experienced because of the new vaccines. We celebrate the light, but what should we be doing in the darkness?

Isaiah tells us what to do. He says we should arise and shine. For our light has come.  

Nations and kings will come to the people of God because we are bright with a wonderful light.

So whatever dark day or miserable moment you are experiencing today, or on any day, God’s got you! Arise and shine for you have enough light to see all the good that God has in store for your every situation. There is enough light in you and on you to bring hope and help in every rancorous relationship. There is a healing light for every health hazard that may come your way this year. There is hope shining in the distance for every place you may feel helpless or confused. There is comfort and meaning in every way you may mourn. God’s got you…in the palm of God’s hands.

Arise and shine…get up, look up, pray up, stand up and keep up and in step with Jesus on the journey. Whether you find yourself at the foot of the cross or kneeling before God’s throne of grace and mercy, arise and shine!! Just do it!

A friend shared a song with me this week that was a great comfort. It is called “All the Way My Savior Leads Me.”

 All the way my Savior leads me

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His faithful mercies?

Who through life has been my guide

Heavenly peace divinest comfort

Ere by faith in Him to dwell

For I know whate'er befall me

Jesus doeth all things well.

 

Let us pray.  Lord, God almighty, as we begin this New Year, we do not know what the future holds, but we thank you that we know who holds the future. We put our hand in your hand. Help us to hold on. Help us to keep the faith, to do our part in our relationship with you and with one another. Deliver us from the coronavirus. Deliver us from fear, dread, worry, anxiety, stress, nervousness and tension. Bless the preachers, teachers, leaders, and missionaries of every nation and station that they would be a blessing to those who need it most.

May you find many reasons to praise and give God thanks this day and always.

Next week we go to the gospel of Mark 1.4-11 with the message “Arise and Repent.” If you would like to make your contribution to the great ministry and mission of Bethel. God Bless you! 

December 27th 2020 New Birth – A New Heaven and A New Earth Revelation 21.1-6 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

 

December 27^th 2020 New Birth – A New Heaven and A New Earth Revelation 21.1-6  Pastor Jacqueline Hines

The bible tells us to give thanks in all things, not necessarily for all things, but in all things. We are in our 38^th week and we thank and praise God for every one of our blessings. None of them do we want to take for granted.

Continuing in the spirit of Christmas, let’s listen to Donna playing a reminder of Jesus birth in our hearts. 

Hear now the words of the book of Revelation chapter 21 verses 1-6. 

21Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

 ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
⁴ he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ ⁶Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

The writer of the book of Revelation is said to be a disciple named John, not John the Baptist and not John the beloved disciple. This John is called John the elder who lived almost a hundred years after the resurrection. John the Elder was no doubt, open to hearing and seeing God in a way that one can only hear and see when one carefully pays attention. John wrote, “I see a new heaven and a new earth.” 

Not long ago, a member came to a church meeting through a new glass door that had just been installed. He was focused on the contents of the meeting and when everyone else was admiring the new door, he said he had not even noticed. That member, however saw a vision for renovations to make God’s house beautiful as well as accessible. He saw it when others did not. God helps us see something good in order to do something good.

John the Elder wrote his vision down so that WE who love God could see something good and new that God has in store for us. We have mixed feelings about something new. My grandfather had the most raggedy bedroom slippers you can imagine. Every year well-meaning grandchildren would happily buy him new slippers for Christmas, and the next year he would be wearing those same old slippers. Sometimes we prefer the old because it is just so much more comfortable than the new. There is a saying “The only one who likes change is a baby.” At the same time, there are many new things that are refreshing and that make us happy. Even more so, sometimes, new is necessary.

John’s vision of a new heaven and a new earth is most appreciated by those who are desperate for something new. No matter where we come from or where we are going, all of us have been desperate for something at one time or another. We may have been desperate for a new job, a new relationship, a new car, a new home.

At times, we may live lives marked and marred by more desperation than some others. We may be suffering some health or emotional crisis. We may be stuck in a cycle of sadness and despair from which we can see no way out. We may be paralyzed by fears or petrified by our past. At times, we may be desperate for a new start.

John the Elder was no exception. He was in exile on the island of Patmos. He was suffering. Any family and friends he had who happened to be Christians were living their lives in an atmosphere of political turmoil and persecution.

In desperate times, what can we make of God speaking to us about a new heaven and a new earth? Does it bring to mind the climate changes wherein whole towns are wiped out by fires, or miles of glaciers are melting, leaving whales and penguins homeless, or viruses that mutate as fast as vaccines, or pollution so pervasive  in some countries that there are literally thick, fog-like clouds everywhere, including inside their homes. Such atrocities are dramatically intense and new. Does God intend to destroy the earth with catastrophes in order in make the new earth and heaven that John writes about?

Dr. David Jeremiah has a new book about heaven.  Chapter 8 is called A New Heaven and A New Earth. In it he contends that God does not destroy anything in order to create something. God renovates. So when Dr. Jeremiah talks about hell, he does not talk about an ever burning fire, but rather a purification, a purging, a restoring, a putting a light on the subject. Or as I have phrased it from time to time, God deals with us.

When we hear John talk about a new Heaven and a new earth, do we think of a perfect place that has all the pleasures and provisions for which we could ever hope? If we do, we are not off base. What can be more pleasant than peace and joy down in our heart? What more could we ask for than to have the safety and security of the presence of God almighty! That is how I have often imagined Heaven, a place where I could rest under a blue sky and shades of ivy in peace without fear.

A televangelist testified that he had a taste of Heaven in a dream. He walked into his new heavenly home and it was furnished just the way he liked it. The colors of Heaven were out of this world, the fruit on the trees, and the streams of water that flowed were beyond breathtaking. There was magnificent music and every time someone gave thanks and praise to God it would awaken in him a spontaneous and energetic praise as well.

During a prayer service I attended many years ago, we were asked by the preacher, “Who wants to hear angels sing?” One young woman raised her hand and while the rest of us were worshipping, the service continued and later the preacher asked her what she heard. She was crying and barely able to talk when she spoke saying, “It was just so beautiful. I have never heard anything like it before.”

We know what it is like to weep for joy when we hear a beautiful song or see a beautiful sight; how much more will we praise God, weep for joy and dance with delight in the presence of the Holy One when our journey and mission here on earth is complete and we hear him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” 

New is nice, but in a time of desperate need, new is necessary. We serve a God who wants to give us nice things as well as the things we need.

We all need to remind ourselves in good times and tough times that God’s word shows us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. There will be purging, restoring, and renovating in order to create something new.

From time to time, we may hear just a few of the musical notes that will resound in heaven.We may get just a little taste of that heavenly fruit or a mere glimpse of something special our creator has prepared just for us in Heaven.

But, when at last, we reach Heaven, we are sure to hear the unmistakable voice of the lover of our souls greeting us. He will wipe every tear from our eyes, death, mourning and pain will end. The thirsty will be given a gift, water from the spring of the water of life, a new life, a necessary life. Let us pray.  

We praise you God for the triumphs and victories of this life. We praise you for the sorrows that you have helped us to bear and the burdens that you have carried on our behalf. Open our eyes that we might see most clearly what you showed your son John, a new heaven and a new earth. Show us that trouble does not last always, that weeping may endure for the night, but joy definitely comes in the morning. We put our trust in you to heal the sick and brokenhearted among us, to anoint us with the will to speak the truth in love and to do justice and love mercy.

We pray as you taught us…  

Our father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

May your eyes be open this day that you may see what great things God has in store for those who love God.

 Next week we go to Isaiah 60 verses 1-6 with the message “Arise and Shine.” If you would like to make your contribution to the great ministry and mission of Bethel, the website is 

Or you can send it to 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City, Pa. 19475.  God bless you!

December 24 2020 Pastor Jacqueline Hines Isaiah 40.1-5 “Covid Christmas Comfort”

 

December 24 2020   Pastor Jacqueline Hines Isaiah 40.1-5 “Covid Christmas Comfort”

Our church historian Michael Osiol wrote in the December issue of Coventry Living the story of a four year old who was taking a train ride to his home on our nearby New Hanover Street in Pottstown. He was waiting with his mother at the same station as John Ellis for whom Ellis Woods Road is named. John had a white beard, long white hair and in the eyes of the four year old, John Ellis looked exactly like Santa Claus. It turns out that John not only had the look, he had the heart of St. Nicholas, and since he lived in the same neighborhood as the little boy, John paid him a visit with a special gift that no doubt brightened the youngster’s spirit and fulfilled his hopes and dreams.

Christmas is a holly, jolly time of year, and many of us look forward to it. 

We are so blessed to have the spirit of Christmas as part of our culture. How wonderful it is to see the love of Jesus influencing people throughout generations all around the world.

However, not everyone celebrates the joy of Christmas. Some historians suggest that Puritans in England even banned Christmas in the 1600’s. They saw that some were using the holiday as an excuse for having drunken brawls, not to mention losing a day’s work. So, when Methodists left England for America in order to exercise freedom of religion, Christmas was not widely celebrated. In fact, the Annual Conference of the Methodist Church of 1784 in Maryland was held on Christmas Eve because Christmas was not as big a deal as it is today. All the preachers and church members had an open calendar with only a service on Christmas.

Thank God, we have not lost the Christmas spirit that has been cultivated for some time now. Even, in spite of the Covid crisis, we are free and eager to worship and celebrate. However, there is the saying, “If it is not one thing, it is another. There is always something or someone that may make one Christmas a little harder to celebrate than others. Whether it is private and personal or public and painful, there is always something going on somewhere that makes Christmas so necessary in the first place.

Whatever and whenever our challenges exist, we need Jesus. We need the Christ that comes with Christmas. The word “Christ” in the Greek language is translated “Anointed One,” One chosen to fulfill God’s special purpose and specific plan. In Hebrew, the Greek word Christos has been translated as “Messiah.”

God’s chosen leaders were anointed with oil sweetly scented with precious herbs such as frankincense. The oil would be worn as a symbol of God’s presence and calling. Prophets like Isaiah predicted that the Messiah – the anointed one - would come for the purpose of being a Jesus or “Yeshua” – which is the Hebrew word for “Saviour.” There are about 300 biblical passages that point to God sending a Jesus Christ into this world with the purpose of saving us, rescuing us from our sins and the sins of others. Is there an area in your life where you need to be saved?

Here we are at a Covid Christmas, and we are desperately praying to be saved! Some have asked, “Is this terrible virus upon us because God is punishing us.” The answer is “no” AND “yes.”  The bible says we do well to judge ourselves. As with all judgments, if the shoe fits, then wear it. Or, as one lawyer put it, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”

Living our lives in the light of God’s love can keep us out of many troubles. Nevertheless, whether we are suffering innocently or because of our own doing, we are always loved and cared for by our Creator who is also known in the bible as the “God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians Chapter 2 verse 3) Still, we are comforted through God’s word from Isaiah 40 verse 1 “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” Can you hear this verse as God giving us direction to comfort one another, to care for one another, to cherish and cooperate with one another? Covid-19 is not the only virus that plagues us and from which we pray to be saved. There are a multitude of spiritual viruses that disrupt our lives, causing us to die young, early, or in isolation. Calm, forgiveness, and compassion are the vaccines we need immediately! Verse 2 goes on the say,

² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, ( that symbolic place where all of God’s children live ) and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

Can you appreciate the idea that God casts our sins into the sea of forgetfulness and allows any consequences to complete their course instead of live streaming into our lives forever? That should be a comfort to each and every one of us.

Finally, verses 3-5 announce ³ A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

As we prepare the way of the Lord in our lives, in our hearts, and in our homes, let us begin by embracing the comfort that God has for us. And let us comfort, really comfort others because that is what God calls us to do. If we are willing, we may even be anointed with Godly comfort to share!

Some of us are as good with discomforting and needling others as we are with comforting them. If we want more of God, if we hunger and thirst for righteousness and the fruit of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, then we are willing to clear a path for the Lord in our hearts and homes. Jesus is so willing to talk with us and walk with us and lead us in a way that is good.   Then we can experience what Isaiah was talking about when he said ⁴ Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. ⁵ And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  Amen. 

 

December 20 2020 “Herod - The Last Straw” Matthew 2.1-14 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

 December 20 2020  “Herod - The Last Straw” Matthew 2.1-14 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Matthew has recorded the birth of Jesus for us. Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples known to work as a tax collector for the Roman Empire. The Jewish community probably resented Matthew as much as some Americans resent the Internal Revenue Service. For most, the taxes are too high and those who resist may encounter hefty fines and even imprisonment for tax evasion.

Matthew tells us that Herod, whose salary was paid by taxpayers, was king when Jesus was born. Herod, as you may recall, was not a first name. It was the name and the title of the dynasty, just as the Caesars represented a dynasty, as in Julius Caesar, the feared and hated dictator assassinated by 3 senators, who, led by Brutus, stabbed Caesar 23 times. His adopted son Caesar Augustus was the first Roman Emperor. 

The dynasty of the Caesars ruled the Roman Empire while the Herod dynasty served under them as governors and local civil servants of the smaller Jewish territory states of Israel. In the little towns like Bethlehem, word was that Jesus was to be born soon and that he would rule over all Israel and his kingdom would never end. Those prophetic words were not just a nice announcement. They were an act of treason, perceived as an attempt to overthrow the government. Really, though, God is always struggling with humanity to rule and reign with truth and justice.  

Matthew does not specify which Herod was king or, more likely a mayor than a king, but it was Herod Antipas that ruled when Jesus was born. There were many Herods. Herod the first, called Herod the Great (72-4 or 1 BCE) lived just before Jesus was born. Herod Archelaos (23 BC -18 AD) was fired by Caesar August and relieved of his duties in Judea. Herod Antipas (20 BC – 39 AD), ruled the Jewish community in Galilee of Judea when Jesus lived and was crucified and he became cozy with Pontius Pilate, the governor of the broader territory of Judea. 

Herod Agrippa 11 BC- 44 AD sat before one of the Apostle Paul’s 6 court cases after Paul was arrested for disturbing the peace with the gospel, just as communities today are being arrested, terrorized and persecuted for being Christians around the world. 

After Jesus was born, some wise guys came around asking for this King Jesus. Of course, in certain governments, babies and children have royal titles and the rights to a certain throne which become more official after they turn a certain age. 

Verses 1-3 tell us:  

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

We are left to wonder just how wise these wise men could be to spread the word that they were looking for a king when the Roman government, known for keeping their subjects in line with cruelties such as crucifixion, had already provided a king. Were they radicals or were they travelers from a distant land that did not completely understand the norms and customs of the day?

There are details that are helpful when we cross each other’s cultural boundaries. I tutored in a mathematics lab with tutors and teachers from Chile, Africa, Russia, the Caribbean, and India. One tutor decided to participate in the holiday tradition of sharing Christmas cards. So, he gave all the tutors a Christmas card, but it was not signed. He understood that it was nice to give cards, but he did not understand that it was customary to sign your name on them. Another example is when a Tanzanian priest stayed in my home for a couple of days and he was cooking a meal on the gas stove. He was using foil instead of a pot as if it were a campfire. A Korean colleague in seminary seemed disturbed and full of dread, turning pale whenever conversations arose around the less than conservative theologians who were mentioned. I wondered what kind of painful politics would meet him in his country. The look on the face of a Nigerian atheist seeing a beautiful picture of a cloud white Jesus in the background of a baby blue sky, was sheer hatred. Without prayer, how could we ever survive the cultural challenges before us? While living in an International house, I made an enemy of a Chinese acquaintance when I offered to paint her fingernails. Her sense of appropriate physical distance was different from mine. We learn as we go along.

When Herod Antipas heard about this King called Jesus, he had a meeting to study the situation. He may have been a Methodist at heart. We love our meetings. Matthew says in verses four and five:

4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied,…

All politicians want to know as much as they can about their opponents and their people. So, he called a meeting. He pretended to be in alliance with his Jewish constituency. Herod pretended he wanted to find out where Jesus was so that he could worship him like the others.

Herod lied. He said he wanted to know where Jesus was so he could worship him, but he really planned to kill him as the rest of chapter 2 tells us. 

For a Christian, realizing there are those who want to kill Jesus is the last straw. Lying about worshipping Jesus is the last straw. Anything evil is the last straw. The last straw transforms us, propels us into a place where God changes us and makes us new! The last straw inspires us and motivates us to do something good in order to overcome something evil!

Indeed, the magi or wise men had enough wisdom to follow the star until they found Jesus. Verse 10 says :  

10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The wise men were wise enough to follow the star, to follow their dreams, and to follow God’s will most of all, in order to make something good happen. The reason they went home by another route was to avoid reporting the whereabouts of Jesus to Herod Antipas because they knew he wanted to kill Jesus. They wanted no parts of that evil intention. They could have gone to Herod with the information he so badly wanted. It could have given them some political clout and capital. They could have received a nice bit of change in exchange for turning Jesus into the royal authorities. Instead, they were wise enough to decide to do good rather than evil. 

It is wonderful that the Christmas season inspires us to counter many of the evils of poverty, homelessness, and hunger. It has not always been that way. 

 In the 1600’s England, the *Puritans banned Christmas. They did so for a combination of reasons, including to discourage those who used the day to get drunk and start fights or just so they could avoid having another holiday when none of their workers could produce.

The anti-Christmas sentiment was still going on 100 years later when John Wesley was preaching in England. So, Christmas was not as important as it is for us. Interestingly enough, the first Annual Conference of what is now the United Methodist Church was called the Christmas Conference held on Christmas Eve in 1784 in Baltimore, Maryland – home of some of the free and land of the brave.  

Today, we would not think of having our Annual Conference during Christmas, but back then, people were free because they were not celebrating Christmas like we do toda. My, how times change. In the blink of an eye, what we do can last for centuries.

In spite of Christmas not being the highlight of the American year until around 1870 or so, Charles Wesley, Pastor John’s brother who as a musician celebrated with a special service including the well-known hymn he wrote entitled “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”   

The Wesley’s too were focused on the idea of transformation, being made new, being born again so that we can serve God with all of our heart, our mind and our soul. Christmas transforms us until we see ourselves not just as owners of God’s blessing, but as faithful stewards of all that God gives us, not hoarding but helping one another. Or, as Rev. John Wesley purports in his covenant prayer: I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.  

December 13, 2020 Luke 2.1-7 “New Birth: Jesus, Holy Hay” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

 

December 13, 2020 Luke 2.1-7  “New Birth: Jesus, Holy Hay” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

 

It has been 36 weeks, and things are not looking better, but we continue to walk by faith, not by sight. On this third Sunday in the season of Advent, we recapture the joy of the Lord that is our strength, and we all need God’s strength!

 Here is another musical selection by Donna. 

Here now Luke the physician’s story of the birth of Jesus

 

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

 

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

 

 

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

 

The word of God for the people of God!

 

The reason Mary and Joseph landed up in Bethlehem was because of Caesar Augustus. He called for a census. In those days no one came to your door with a government form or a website address to determine what the population was. It was cheaper for the government and better for the local economy if individuals went to the courthouse. There is and always has been a need to know how many school-aged children, senior citizens and possible people in the workforce and trainees for the military are in a certain jurisdiction. That’s good information for a government to have.

 

Caesar Augustus was the adopted son of the rich and powerful Julius Caesar who was murdered by Brutus and the gang in 44BC. Like father, like son, they both seemed to have manipulated those around them into treating them like God’s. After all they were known for their AUGUST – or their “grand” personalities, which is why they were called “Augustus.”

 

Of all the people that were counted in the census, Luke the gospel writer wants us to see the importance of the one born in Bethlehem, whose name was Jesus.  

 

If you have gone on a tour of Israel, you may have visited the church of the nativity,

where a spot is marked as the place where Jesus was born. Inside the church is a cave with an opening that is about 4 feet high. You have to stoop low to enter because the door was lowered to keep looters from driving in with their carts. It can be an act of humility to lower ourselves and view the place where as the song says, “You [Jesus] came from heaven to earth, to show the way.  From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay. From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky. Lord I lift your name on high.” We often picture Jesus in a stable, surrounded by animals and hay, and with Jesus, we know, even the hay is holy.

 

Going to what could be the site of Jesus’ birth is a way to recognize the life of Jesus. Reflecting on the life of Jesus – his birth, his death, his resurrection, his dwelling in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, are all ways to honor him; it is to exalt the kindness and character of Jesus, to lift up the high and holy name of Jesus.

 

It is good that we have decided to take this Advent journey to the high and holy moment called Christmas. We often tease each other saying that there are those who only show up to church for Christmas and Easter. We call them Chreasters. But as Jesus reminded us, those who are not against him are still for him – even if it is not one hundred percent, they are for him and not against him.

 

It is true that those who spend more time with Jesus share more of his love and goodness. In Matthew 18.20 Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am with them.”  Each Sunday we can ask ourselves, did we see Jesus here today. Something marvelous happens when Jesus shows up. It is always a high and holy moment. Have you ever noticed? Did you smell roses, did you hear melodious music in the silence?

 

The songwriter experienced Jesus’ presence saying, There's a sweet, sweet spirit in this place, And I know that it's the spirit of the Lord

There are sweet expression on each face, And I know that it's the presence of the Lord. Sweet holy spirit. Sweet heavenly dove, Stay right here with us, Filling us with your love. And for this blessings, We lift our hands in praise. Without a doubt we know. That we have been revived, When we shall leave this place.

 

As an ordinary baby, Jesus came to touch our lives and save us. Like every seemingly ordinary breath we take, matters, Jesus matters. Each day we take countless breaths and our hearts beat countless times, it is easy to forget that we depend on every one of those breaths. Immanuel, God is with us. Jesus the Christ the anointed one comes to save us from our sins and the sins of others. Remembering at Christmas how greatly blessed we are, how great a God we serve, carries us to a high and holy place where we can sing, again with another songwriter:

 

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place

I can feel His mighty power and His grace

I can hear the brush of angel's wings

I see glory on each face

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

 

We need the high and holy moments in our life. Holding on to the highlights of our spiritual day can give us a little boost when we need it the most, they put a smile on our face and help us to keep our chin up when we’re down.

 

It is good to visit, revisit and remember the great things that God has done for us. Sometimes, the great things God does are small things, unusual or ornery things, things that are simple or even secular. God can turn anything into something high and holy to help us.

 

We remember the birth of Christ at Christmas because remembering and reflecting bring to the forefront of our minds important lessons that we need in order to remain faithful. Recalling the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit within us and around us rekindles and renews our love for Jesus and all mankind. As we gather in his name, Sunday after Sunday, we can be set on fire and set free to be the Church deeply rooted in God’s love and grace.

 

For the most part Christmas brings so many memories, sights, sounds, and reasons to gladden our hearts. Like those who flock to the church of the nativity, we enjoy the Christmas season because it is a sensational experience, personal experience, an experience of holy hay. We can see with our own eyes, hear with our own ears, reach out and touch one another for ourselves.  

 

Sometimes, during this pandemic we are not sure what is worse about covid-19, getting sick or not being able to reach out and touch one another! We are certainly discovering that there are so many ways to touch and be in touch with one another.

 

According to Psychology Today, touch is the first of all the senses to be developed in the womb and is the most strongly developed at birth.

 Before we were born, God designed us to stay in touch, to be together. We do well, now, to, at all cost, find ways we can to connect! We cannot forget that during the Second World War, war orphaned babies were left in a room without human touch and they began to die. Later, when each one was assigned someone to hold them, they began to live.

 

Touch, that is good and gentle, has the potential to physiologically reduce our pain, lower our blood pressure, foster kindness, good will and wellbeing. Our palms, during a handshake, exchange an enormous amount of good vibes. How we miss that in many cultures! 

When we cannot touch, talk can become the new touch. With the rise of depression, anxiety, and perplexed parents of more and more children who are hurting themselves, we hear experts say that the solution, especially for young people, is to “talk, talk, talk and to avoid isolation.” This is, as always, a time to speak the truth in love, to use words that comfort and encourage. Talking can keep us alive in this pandemic!

 

At the same time, talk can be cheap, and positive action speaks louder than meaningless words. We always need the Holy Spirit to teach us, to touch us, and to talk to us. That’s why we worship and get together by any means possible because we know where two or three gather, Jesus is there. Something happens when Jesus shows up.

 

The Holy Spirit teaches us when we read and study God’s word, when we dialogue with one another on hard to understand scripture and hard to answer cultural questions. The Holy Spirit teaches us when we seek the Lord diligently, serve the Lord faithfully, and obey the Lord quickly. 

The Holy Spirit touches us when we stand still, meditate, pray, praise God and thank God. 

 

The Holy Spirit talks to us when we come empty, empty like an empty pitcher before a full fountain –

as James Weldon Johnson prayed. The Holy Spirit talks to us when we are ready to be filled with a word of wisdom, a word of consolation, a word to build us up and to build each other up.

 

It is good that we are on the journey toward Christmas, gathering to lift up the name - which is the character and the lifestyle of Jesus. For, Jesus will always show up and something good is always going to happen.

 

 

Let us pray…

There is a place of quiet rest, Near to the heart of God, A place where sin cannot molest, Near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us, who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God. There is a place of comfort sweet, Near to the heart of God,

A place where we our Savior meet, Near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us, who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God.

November 29, 2020 “Patience 2020” Doug Hughes

My message for today is focused on patience.  Without a doubt, the year 2020 has been a year that has tested our maximum limits on patience.

Romans 12:12 tells us: be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.  Joyful, patient, and faithful.  Three very good choices.

When you replay this year, we have moved from what feels like crisis to crisis.  News stories have told us horrible things, to the point where I think it’s safe to say we were not sure who was right and who was wrong, who to follow and who to run away from.  I recently read a quote, “News to the brain is what sugar is like to the body.”  Think about that for a second, how has our world changed because of the 24 hour news cycle?  Since this is youth Sunday, and each year I feel older and older I reflect to a time not that far in the past.  Before cable news, before the mass use of the internet, before email when the news cycle was three times a day.  For 30 minute sections.  Some in this sanctuary can probably recall a time with even less news, perhaps just the daily newspaper.  Who remembers that the national anthem used to play at the end of the day on the TV when the station turned off for the night, turned off! How does this relate to my message of patience?

I believe we are spiraling into a darker time, where instant gratification and assuming what we are told, is true.  Without the critical thinking skills to stop, think, and act.  Only god and our faith can keep us focused, when attacked from all sides by what I would term as craziness. 

As some of you know I am a nurse, and I pride myself on being a paramedic, and ER nurse specifically.  I meet with prospective nurses often, many are trying to decide on if they should go to PA school, or Nursing school, and if they can ‘handle the stress’ of being a nurse or work in the healthcare profession.  The short answer is YES.  Anyone can but the skill of a good nurse is not knowing every medication, or knowing every medical issue (that why we have doctors....) it is keeping calm under fire.  When the ER is full and one more patient comes in, they do not want to see a charge nurse losing his or her mind because there are no beds.  They want to know that they have arrived at a place that will care for them.  That will make sure they are safe.    

2020 is sort of like that.  Each crisis is like yet another sick patient has arrived and we need to figure out how to care for them.  

In January I was presenting to a nursing home of maybe 200 residents.  About 50 of them were in front of me the rest were in their rooms, since they were unable to make it to the auditorium, I presented an update on the hospital, answered some questions and then questions about COVID came up.  I answered like any other virus question, wash your hands often and we should be ok.  A couple of short weeks later they and we were in lockdown.  Little did I know 6-7 day workweeks with 12 hours each day would be looming for me, not that I am complaining, helping others is the reason I entered the healthcare field.  Working long hours, and along with the fear that I would bring home a virus to my family.  

Rules were made by the state and local governments and we had to adjust on the fly.  At 7pm on a Thursday we were informed the governor cancelled all elective surgeries.  7pm!  If you had surgery scheduled for 7am, that meant you prepared, you family was ready to support you and BOOM, it was cancelled.  Normally most surgeries  might be classified as elective, but if you are in pain, it might not be electives to you.  Patience.  Deep breath, what is the right decision?  

Proverbs 16:32 tells us “better a patient person, then a warrior, one with self control, then one who takes a city.  To me, that means – to take a breath.  Look at what you are about to do, who are you truly here to serve.

We followed the rules, but grouped patients by what would happen if they did not have surgery.  Would they be in pain until this was over?  Either way, we did what was right.  We cared for our patients.  That is our job.  Then the fun started, visitor polices needed to be adjusted and decisions we make means patients might sadly die without their family present.  Chaplains were told they could not round and support not only the patients but the staff.  Masks and gloves had to be made (yes I said made).  I am asked if the number of patients was the problem.  It was not, it was the length of the time they stayed.  On average a patient stays in the hospital for 3-4 days.  The first wave of COVID patients came and stayed for over 30.  Alone.  Unable to move.  The medical and nursing staff had to do all sorts of things to figure out how to best care for everyone, but they did, supported by the entire health system.  Athletic trainers became screeners, doctors appointments became virtual, and engineering staff assembled negative pressure rooms out of plastic.  Everyone in the healthcare community did an amazing job, with equally amazing support by the community.

Flash forward to June.  Jack and I had a trip to Philmont Boy Scout Ranch cancelled, so I took the opportunity to take Jack and Sam to Denver, with the plan to drive to Los Angeles.  The pandemic seemed to be calming, and it was a time to get away.  We drove to Pikes Peak where we experienced snow in July, then drove to Durango, and onto the Grand Canyon. What made this even more fun was we really did not have a plan, just get to the next stop.  

Somewhere this new topic of a travel ban started.  We happened to be visiting all of the states the banned list that PA released, which meant I wouldn’t be going back to work for two weeks after I arrived home. I could panic and fly home.  OR not.  We choose to continue.  

We arrived at the Grand Canyon at almost dusk, starving we ran for food and all we wanted to see was the sunset with only 20 minutes before that happened.  I admit, I did not have any patience.  The line for food was slow, the minutes were being lost.  I’ll leave out the details, but we made it. Honestly it was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen in my life. We spent 24 hours exploring the Grand Canyon, and moved to Las Vegas.  

Yes, you COULD suggest that LV was not the best spot to go in a pandemic, but memories were had.  We planned to leave for Yosemite at 7am.  At 4am Jack begin to get sick.  Really sick.  I began to wonder how I can get to the airport and fly Jack home in the MIDDLE of a pandemic while vomiting.  Talk about patience.  I was in full PANIC mode.  We would be stuck out west until we were healed.  Patience....deep breath.  It’s not Covid and we will be ok. Sam and I got him into the rental car without anyone noticing how pale he looked.  We left LV and drove towards LA.  About an hour later we were safe, Jack felt ok.  No fever, no anything, whatever it was passed.  We had lunch at “In and out burger”.  Not a bad burger.  We drove on to LA without issue.  

 

Got lost in the hills of Hollywood, toured Santa Monica and the pier, walked the walk of fame, and sadly saw many storefronts boarded up from the recent riots a reminder of a stressful 2020.  

In the end, I would not trade that trip for anything.  The experiences we had were something I will cherish for the rest of my life.  I could have panic’ d and gone home.  Yes, there was some risk, but life is a risk.  QUOTE from poker book.  There are risks in life.  When you panic you lose all clarity.  We all do it at times, if you ask my family they will surly let you now I have moments of no patience.  I can list them.  But that is for another day.  

Back to 2020.  This year challenged us all.  Covid, at the top of the list.  The presidential election cycle a close second.  To the youth here and watching virtually today, be calm.  Put your phones down and begin to think on your own.  Realize that you control your own reactions, decisions, and what your future brings.  If you take the world at face value you will not be in control of yourself, you will give up control to others they will tell you what to think, tell you how to act and before you know it, you will be simply along for the ride.  Life is too short.  I am not saying be lawless, we must always be respectful of others and make sure we are giving back, supportive, and most of all making our world a better place. When you find yourself in a stressful place, where patience is required, take a deep breath think about how you can keep control, and take action.  Sometimes it will be the wrong decision, which is ok.  We learn from the outcome, fix what is broken, and try again.  

Finally I leave you with Galatians 6:9 let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  We did not give up when Covid struck, Sam, Jack, and I did not give up when we could have, we will not give up because of this tough 2020.  Let’s be patient, and pray 2021 is much better!!