January 19 2020 First Lamb

January 19 2020 *John 1.29-42, Isaiah 49.1-7 “First Lamb” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

For the last several Confirmation classes, I have taken the youth and all their young siblings to Chris’s farm to have a close look at his sheep. One year Chris invited the class to take one of the little lambs home for a few weeks. Chris was so concerned about this particular lamb that needed some extra tender loving care. He was behaving like a good shepherd.

Visiting the sheep was always a special time. The lambs always evoked “oohs” and “aahs” from the children as well as the adults because the lambs were so cute, [slide #  1  two lambs with a sheep] so adorable, so soft, so cuddly, so innocent, so pure in heart, so gentle, so meek, so mild, so curious, so animated, [slide #   2  lamb speaking] , so playful [slide #   3  lamb skipping] so warm, so cuddly, so relational [slide #  4  lamb with cat], so sincere.

A lamb evokes peace of mind because a lamb is no threat, no threat at all. A lamb can bring out the gentlest, kindest, humblest parts of us; or it can bring out the beast in us, if we harbor the heart of a bully.

So John’s disciples had a choice to respond one way or another when Jesus arrived in verse 29 : “Look, here comes the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The recognition was repeated in verse 36, ‘Look, there’s Jesus, the lamb of God.’ Saying it twice is what children did while looking over the fence at Chris Siegel’s lambs. Look, there is a lamb. Look! Look! Look! Can you see what I see? They looked again and again. They kept on looking and watching with great delight, oohing and aahing until their heart’s content.

John’s disciples were amazed to see Jesus, God’s lamb, God’s firstborn one who would take away the sin of the world. Who cares about sin? Do you care about sin? What sin matters most to us? What sin irks us when we watch the news? When we watch our neighbors? When we look at our family? When we pause for a moment of silent prayer asking God to forgive US, begging God to reveal to us what we are doing or saying that offends God or a sister or brother? What sin matters the most to us? What sin matters the least?

John’s disciples were amazed to see Jesus, God’s lamb, who would take away the sins of the world. They could not take their eyes off of him. Two of them followed him until Jesus turned around and invited them to come and see where he was staying. And verse 39 says that they spent the day with him. [slide #  5   they remained…]

They stayed with Jesus for the day. As disciples, we have stayed with Jesus for a morning retreat, for a service of worship, for a day of mission.

When we stay with Jesus we grow to understand the answer to that 90’s slogan WWJD – what would Jesus do? [slide #   6  WWJD bracelet] The slogan originated from an 1897 novel written by evangelical Christian Charles Sheldon called “In His Steps.”  The entire title is “In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?” The novel told of a preacher who challenged congregants not to do anything until they asked themselves the question, “What would Jesus do?” The book sold 50 million copies. It was one of the best-selling books of all times, especially since the price was real cheap because of copyright glitches. Some Christians have more financial business smarts than others.

A few years ago one of the Maryland Youth Rally’s emphasized that question, what would Jesus do. Young people and adults would say during Bethel announcements and testimonies – What would Jesus do? It was a refreshing throwback to the nineties.

It is good to stay with Jesus long enough to have some idea of what Jesus would do. It is also good to DWJTYTD – [slide #  7  DWJTYTD]  - do what Jesus tells you to do -  DWJTYTD.

As Christians we want to think very carefully about our religious beliefs and behaviors. Our standards are high for a reason. Shallow thinking and shallow loving keep good company.

There is nothing shallow about Jesus being the Lamb of God, the sacrificial lamb who takes away the sin of the world. The idea of animal sacrifice and the symbols of our sin and our guilt being taken from us is thousands of years old. We may not always understand these ideas as deeply as the first church understood them. The Last Supper [slide #  8   last supper] was a vivid and powerful experience for the disciples. For us, it is a precious memory that we breathe life into every time we unite as one, loving one another and enjoying one another.

The Ancient cultural rituals remain fresh and meaningful when we stay with Jesus long enough to get to know what Jesus would do and when we do what Jesus tells us to do.

Then a light bulb goes off in our minds [slide  #  9  lightbulb] and we realize we fall short of the glory of God, we run to the altar, weeping and confessing to our Merciful God, that we have not loved God with our whole heart.

We have failed to be an obedient church.

We have not done God’s will,

we have broken God’s law,

we have rebelled against God’s love,

we have not loved our neighbors,

and we have not heard the cry of the needy.

Forgive us and free us for joyful obedience….through Jesus Christ our Lord, the Lamb of God that takes away our sin.

The sacrificial lamb came bringing the Words of life. [slide #   10  sacrificial lamb] The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Everyone did not want those words, but the Word came anyway. Some tried, as they try even in this day, to kill the Word, but God’s word cannot die. Scripture tells us that some are always learning and never arriving at the truth of God’s word. Still, God’s word is an everlasting word.

If you have ever given blood you know that blood regenerates in the body. Within 48 hours [ slide #   11     hours 48] the blood plasma returns to carry nutrients through our system. Within 4-8 weeks our red blood cells are back to normal and we have our 12 pints of blood – about a gallon, gallon and a half - flowing again. [slide #   12  gallon jug]

Culturally, most of us are removed from the daily reminder of blood. When we see blood, we expect that it represents bad news. We may be repulsed. On the other hand, those who run blood mobiles, doctors, nurses, lab workers like Tina and ENT’s like Cheryl’s son, all understand and are grateful that there is life in blood. They know that those who have sacrificed their blood are a blessing to many. They know that new life is generating and regenerating and revives and resurrects the lives of many who are dying.

Sin leaves us destitute and dying, but we are saved by the blood of the lamb, Jesus. We expect good news to be revealed to us as the Word cleanses and heals, because we are washed – inundated by the very thought of such love and sacrifice for us. The seven and even more deadly sins are draining our life, but God…makes us whole.

So that ancient prayer becomes meaningful - Have mercy on us, Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, Lamb of God, who takes away my, grant me your peace.

Last week I mentioned that the kin-dom of God, is our Christian governing authority that rules bringing right living, strengthening joy and powerful peace. Under the reign of Christ, we are promised life, and not just life, but abundant life.

The reason we pray is to be better citizens of the kingdom of God with its wonderful benefits.  I want to close this sermon with a question. What are reasons not to pray? I am looking for at least two answers. Don’t pray if ______________! (Congregation participation) Amen. [Slide # 13  worthy is the lamb]

January 12 2020 First In Line

January 12 2020 *Matthew 3.13-17, Psalm 29 “First In Line” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

==

In his short life of 33 years, Jesus came to his cousin John to be baptized in the Jordan River. There was a long line of folks who came to John to be baptized. [slide # 1 line for baptism] Baptism had become a part of the Middle Eastern culture. If you have ever taken a tour of Israel, you have seen baptism pools. [slide # 2 ancient baptism pool] Baptism represented a revival of faith, a renewal of vows to God, but John did not want to baptize Jesus. [slide # 3  John  with Jesus] John thought of Jesus as so holy that he did not need anything, much less to be cleansed from sin, for he had no sin. John quickly realized that there are many benefits of baptism, even for Jesus.

John Wesley, founder of Methodism and priest in the Church of England noted five benefits of baptism. [slide # 4  John Wesley] First, baptism makes us conscious of our sinful nature and covers us with a since of God’s cleansing power that washes away our sins in what Micah 7 calls the depths of the ocean also called by some, the sea of forgetfulness. Wesley had no problem with infant baptism since the biblical example shows Jesus being circumcised 8 days after he was born and brought to the Temple for dedication – today some call it a Christening. As Methodists, we are open minded to different ways of being cleansed just like we wash a pot differently from the way we clean a bed.

Wesley taught baptism as a symbol but emphasized that baptism makes us officially in covenant with God, a second benefit of baptism. Bethel has an official covenant with God as baptized believers. We have also established an official Covenant of Holy Manners with each other that we have repeated and reviewed together from time to time.

Covenants make our commitment clear. I was friends with a couple who lived together for decades. He refused to marry her. This was very upsetting to her. She did not feel secure because for her, his commitment was too casual and not at all clear. Year after year, she reminded him what Beyoncé sings, “…if you like it…you should put a ring on it…” My friend wanted the world to see that he was committed, that he loved her, and that their love was something the world should see and to which they should hold them accountable, spiritually and legally.

I have never found a reason to do a private baptism. Baptism is a community event, a public confession, an official ceremony affirming that we believe in God, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Baptism puts our beliefs on record and makes our covenant official. Baptism tells the world what they can expect of us. They will know we are Christians by our love for one another. Baptism is a symbol of covenant. Our love is the sign and living proof that we are keeping our commitment and that we are not hypocrites.

Baptism puts us on the church membership list, which is a third benefit. When babies are baptized, they are listed as Prepatory Members but not counted in the roll until they affirm a covenant with God for themselves during Confirmation.

A fourth benefit Wesley recognized was that baptism adopts us into the loving family of God. Fifthly, baptism affirms the idea that we are now children of the Most High God with all the benefits, privileges and responsibilities that come with being a child of royalty. We are legal heirs. We have the legal right to the spiritual gifts of God, the grace of God, and the promises of God, the God who loves us and calls us, BELOVED. We are heirs of the kin-dom of God. Romans 14 describes the kin-dom of God as the Holy Spirit working side by side us in our lives to bring right living, to bring peace and to bring joy. That is all we need to keep us going.

Jesus came to John to be baptized not simply as a good example, but because he wanted to acknowledge his ongoing need for consecration. He wanted to confirm his commitment to a covenant with God and God’s people. In his humanness he needed the connection with others. By God’s design, we need each other. We need to stay connected. [slide # 5  hands…need each other]

Connection is what helps us care for one another. You’ve heard of the experiment in the days when there were pay phones on street corners [slide # 6  telephone] A researcher left a coin in the change cup, so that when the next person in line went to make a call, they found a quarter. As the researcher left, he smiled and greeted the next person in line and touched them warmly on the shoulder. More often than not, the person preparing to make a call would say, “Hey, wait, you left your money.” When the researcher did not warmly greet the next person in line, more often than not, the person did not bother to let the researcher know that he had left some money behind.

This week a business man running a deli was stabbed to death while chasing behind someone who had stolen the tip jar. As mourners gathered lifting prayers and candles their attitude was one of choosing to be a light rather than curse the darkness. One woman declared emphatically that we must help those who need help. We cannot afford to hate each other because if we hate, we cannot help.

It is not easy to connect with one another. It is even harder to stay connected with one another. We are in desperate need of the Holy Spirit’s help to do our part in making this world a better place. Won’t you ask God’s guidance in your life today?

There is an epidemic of isolation and loneliness throughout our world that makes it hard to connect in our times of need. Some have said that the loneliest crowd are college students away from home. We see how important it is to invite those in the armed forces for Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving and Christmas when they are not able to go home and be with family. I appreciate the Bethel family that invited me for Christmas dinner a few weeks ago. When we are not connected to others, medical experts say that our mental and physical health is at risk. Our blood pressure goes up. Inflammation increases, setting the stage for heart trouble and less resistance to illnesses like colds and flus.

Good neighbors are a great blessing. [slide # 7  neighbors] Good friends are more precious than gold. [slide # 8  good friends] Pets can give us joy and purpose. [slide # 9  pets] Emotional support animals [slide # 10  emotional support ..]   [slide # 11  dog giving high five] save lives and bring comfort to those traumatized with post-traumatic stress syndrome for example. We are made to connect. [slide# 12  person hugging dog]

There is even a new app that claims to have a solution to loneliness. It is called a chatbot. [ slide # 13  chatbot app] It is an AI – artificial intelligence robot with whom you can have a nearly human conversation. Chatbots may help sometime, but like Tami Terrell and Marvin Gaye sang -  “...ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby….ain’t nothing like the REAL thing…”  [slide # 14  Marvin / Terrell…]

After Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened. The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. A voice came from Heaven saying, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” [slide # 15  Jesus  baptism]

We are also pleasing to God. God loves us just as much as Jesus. We are the apple of God’s eye, the center of God’s attention, first and foremost in the mind of our creator. We are all beloved, we are all important.

Regardless of how we treat each other, God treats us as if we matter, as if we are the head of the class, first in line. It does not matter if we are in a cheese line, bread line, soup line; towing the line or crossing the line, first hired or first fired, feeling glad or feeling bad, God is with us to open up the Heavens for us, to descend upon our lives in the form of a dove and tell the world, this is my child and I am happy about. It pleases me to call you my children. I am not disappointed. I am pleased. I am not ashamed. I am pleased because your commitment is clear, you’re true to your covenant, you trust not in your own might or your power but in my Word that cleanses and restores. I love you! You are precious in my sight.

If you have never felt God’s great love for you, just ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. Let go and let God love you. Let go of anything that is not Godly and let God love you. Connect with God. [Slide # 16 hands connecting…] Amen. [slide # 17 we grow]

Youth Sunday Youth Preacher Tyler Collins Is It OK to Be Angry December 29 2019

You’re asking your partner for the 3 rd time to please make sure they put the laundry away and for the third time they’ve made an excuse to why they didn’t do it then all of a sudden you feel something in your chest. You feel you blood boiling and then you realize you’re angry! Anger it’s something we all have. We all have emotions, happiness, sadness, excitement etc but most importantly anger. Now is anger okay? People ask that question to themselves every day is this worth getting angry over or why am I mad? To be 100 percent honest it’s a hard subject to grasp in my opinion in John 2:13-16 it says

21 id the uttermost farthing. “ God is telling us that if we have anger for all the wrong reasons it will end it bad fate and fortunes. There’s plenty of instances of god getting mad I. The Bible from Jonah to the way the Egyptians treated the Jews, however it is okay to be angry if it is justified. Another example For instance. In John 2 13:16 it says” When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” when Jesus flipped the merchants tables In Jerusalem he was angry because merchants were making a holy place become filled with people who were more about wealth and robbing people rather than worshipping god. God had a reason to be angry and he was angry because it was justified but does that make it okay? In Ephesians glad warns us “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” God tells us to exile hate from our souls yet Jesus had anger so is it okay? That’s a question that may never be answered. Anger cause many problems in life from lost friendships to lost spouses. In psalm 55:3 it says because of what my enemy is saying,

    because of the threats of the wicked;

for they bring down suffering on me

    and assail me in their anger.” Waning anger causes division in life because people listen to other people’s opinions rather than trust their own or God’s! Finally in Ephesians 4:26 it says

 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,” in my opinion this means that it’s okay to be angry just don’t sin while you are angry and don’t

live every life being angry because at the end of the end of the day you have so much to be grateful for thank you amen

December 22, 2019 Snow Baby Dreams

December 22 2019 Matthew 1.18-25 “Snow-Baby Dreams”  Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Snow babies can be collectible figurines of babies wearing snow suits [slide #  1 snow babies]. A German candy maker began making them in the 1890’s as reusable cake toppers.

Snow babies also refers to babies born in the winter. Girls may be named Alaska, North, Noelle, Christmas, Crystal – as in sparkling ice crystals, January, Demetria – the Greek goddess of winter, Elsa – from the Disney movie Frozen, Bianca and Blanche  - both - meaning “white,” Holly, Ivy, and even the names Snow and Ember – call to mind thoughts of winter. Boy’s names for snow babies are Jack as in frost, Nicholas as in saint, Rudolf, Robin – the winter bird, Doug – said to be a Chinese name meaning “winter,” Gabriel – after the archangel that brought the news of Jesus birth to Mary - often pictured as cold and wintery, some snow babies are named Christian for obvious reasons and Jasper which means “bringer of treasure.”

How many of you are snow babies, whether or not you have a typical snow baby name?

In verse 23, an angel of the Lord – we know that Satan has angels, or messengers, too – but it was an angel of the Lord that appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that his fiancé Mary was going to have a baby  [slide  #  2 Joseph sleeping]  and they will call him Emmanuel which means “God with US.” In verse, 25 however, the text reads, “He” meaning Joseph – named the baby “Jesus.” They would call him Emmanuel, [slide # 3  Emmanuel] but Joseph named him Jesus. What does Jesus mean? Jesus is from the Hebrew root word Yeshua, translated as Joshua, meaning rescuer, one who saves. In other words, Jesus means “Saviour.” [slide #  4 Jesus Saviour]

I need to be saved once in a while. [slide #  5  boat]  How about you? I need to be saved from myself sometime. How about you? [slide #  6 woman in ocean] I need to be saved from my enemies sometime. How about you? I need to be saved from fear, dread, worry, anxiety, stress, nervousness, tension, ill health, and poverty of one sort or another sometime. How about you? [slide #  7  Jesus saving man in ocean]

The angel declared that they would call him Emmanuel, but Joseph named him Jesus, because Joseph knew he needed to be saved. He also knew he was not the only one who needed saving. Joseph also knew it’s not what they, the people say, it’s what God says. [slide #  8  You say/God says]

Joseph was a righteous man according to verse 19. In spite of the drama, which by the way, was initiated by the Holy Spirit, in spite of his confusion about what God was doing in his life and the life of his family, Joseph was unwilling to humiliate his woman. What a man! What a man! What a man!

How many of you know that the number one global health problem for women is domestic violence, and men, like Joseph have the solution. Just say “no” to abuse. [slide #  9  Tony Porter] Get out of the “man box” as Tony Porter teaches the NFL and guys on college campuses. [ slide #   10  teaching boys…]  Boys - and girls can be taught at an early age, to respect and affirm the value of women. Joseph was UNWILLING to disgrace Mary.

Last week I mentioned that I was with a woman on her way to a witch’s conference in New Orleans and I wondered if she was one of those witches who put a hex on Christians. [slide # 11 snowflake] I was relating the idea of how snowflakes are six sided hexagons and the world sometimes uses six sided symbols in evil ways. A kind member of Bethel shared the perspective that women have been so abused throughout history that when they called upon God to save them, they needed a God with a female face. If you have ever been abused or mistreated, you know how seeing the right face matters.

If you have ever needed saving like Joseph and Mary who were oppressed by the harsh rulings of the Roman government, who ran for their lives, crossing the border to a foreign country, if you have ever needed saving, you’d call his name – too. Jesus. They were snow babies of sorts, snowed in, snowed under, victims of a governmental snow job, but God had a plan for their rescue. The plan was revealed in a dream to a righteous man.

We sing praises that God is with us, Emmanuel, but those when we need saving, we call him Saviour, Jesus. [slide # 12  call him Jesus ] Amen. [slide # 13  Thank you Jesus]

December 15, 2019 Snow in Deaf Ears

December 15 2019 Matthew 11.2-11 “Snow in Deaf Ears” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

If you will give me another chance, I will share some snow humor with you!

What do cool snowmen wear on their heads? Ice caps

Where do snowmen go to dance? Snowballs

How do snowmen travel to the snow-field? By icicle

Reflecting on snow reminds us that snow comes from God, so says Job 37.  Snow in deaf ears, shocks us into understanding that God has ways of helping us to hear.

Matthew’s scripture tells us that John the Baptist was in prison for sharing the gospel. [slide #  1 John in prison] What is good news for those being saved is often bad news for practicing sinners. As a prophet, John’s calling was to speak the truth in love, but no matter how kindly you tell someone how immoral or unjust they are, their first thought is not likely to be to celebrate or send you a thank you gift. Fear and anger is the more common response. So when John dared to point his finger at some very private relationship matters in which the Herod was involved, rather than humble himself and pray, Herod was determined to kill John the Baptist, and he did just that.

Like John the Baptist, Jesus attracted enemies as well as friends when he shared good news. The friends built the church. The enemies built systems of persecution, torturer, and murder.   

Those who joined the ranks of the persecuted were folks like Dietrich Bonhoeffer a Lutheran pastor who pretended to be a supporter of Hitler in order to sneak Jews out of Germany before there was an opportunity to send them to the gas chamber. Bonhoeffer was hung for acting on his faith; his brother Klaus, a lawyer, was shot for his participation in the circle of Anti-Nazis.

The Circle also included Dietrich’s brother-in-law, Hans von Dohanyi also a lawyer appointed to Germany’s Supreme Court and leader in the armed forces. He was married to Dietrich’s sister Christel. Two others who joined the circle of Anti-Nazis in order to uphold their Christian values were Hans Oster – son of a preacher and soldier in the German army, and Ludwig Beck. Both worked to keep Hitler from taking over the army and invading other countries who would no doubt become victims of the same insane purging of those considered to be unwantable and inferior human beings – how ungodly is that? They were deaf to the word and will of God.

Eleanor Isaacson author of Dancing from Darkness [ slide  # 2  Eleanor’s book] was born in the USA to her German-born mother, but circumstances sent them both back to Nazis Germany. Eleanor’s mother abandoned her and returned to the US. Nevertheless, Eleanor felt the presence of a loving God in spite her Godless experience, for Hitler did not allow religion, especially Christian. Though through his mother’s faith, Hitler was baptized and confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church, he left home at the age of 18 and never went back. He wanted to create a national church and failed, but was able to intimidate folks enough to squelch the singing of Christmas songs. After all, Jesus was just another Jew to be exterminated.

Though Eleanor grew up in a culture void of hearing conversations about church and God, she was not deaf to God’s voice. Christmas time was still special. She describes the snow as a wonderful symbol, even the sound of hope and beauty in the midst of terrible times. [ slide  # 3  beautiful snow scene]  Even though Christmas had its painful memories, she listened and obeyed the voice of God directing her and comforting her in miraculous ways. Our BUS – Bethel Senior group heard Eleanor’s fascinating story when she spoke at Brownback, and they have read her book.

Our Christian Faith encourages us to listen for the good news all the time, even in the worst of times. Whatever time it is in our lives, God helps us to hear the good news. [slide  #4  good news] John was incarcerated when Jesus sent him some good news.  ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. ⁶And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’

Jesus is with us and Jesus brings us good news. Healing and help and health and holiness is everywhere. [slide  # 5  God…everywhere] Despite our being captive by the enemy of ill health, loneliness, isolation, unwillingness to look at God’s will and walk in Godly ways, poverty, or our eagerness to devour each other with weapons and words of contempt, there is still good news. Somebody is doing the right thing all the time. Someone is reaping the good that they have sown everywhere. That is why we can say that God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good! [slide  #  6 God is good]

God’s constant goodness is seen in snowflakes. Snowflakes are dust that get a hug from water. Water - H ₂ O,  two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen, always, join together consistently, and predictably to form a hexagon when they freeze. [slide # 7  snowflake] That’s how God designed them.

The process of snowflakes forming six sides is just one of millions of processes that God has designed. God’s designs are a heavenly reality, a divine destiny, a supernatural system, a powerful display of that which is far above our understanding and control.

In the ancient world, the six pointed star, the Star of David, [slide # 8 star of David] the shape of a hexagon, is said to originally symbolize God’s protective shield and military might granted to King David. But, any symbol can be quickly usurped for evil purposes, such as occurred with the gestapo as well as those who practice witchcraft and sorcery, trying to put a hex on people.

Amazingly, God designs and creates in the midst of evil and chaos. The atmosphere where snowflakes and stars and the rest are made is turbulent. There is plenty of drama and never a dull moment up there.  That is why each snowflake is different; even though they all have six sides, their journeys are all different. They are shaped as they shimmer and shake while traveling the 10,000 feet from heaven to earth, falling at a rate of 3 to 9 miles per hour. God creates and designs all kinds of wonders among the turbulence of humanity. The human condition from the mind to the womb is a place where chaos and turbulence recur, but that does not stop God from creating. God creates at a greater rate than we can destroy.

The challenge is that in the worst of times, we may not want to hear anything except that trouble has ended. Most of the time we hear only what we want to hear anyway. As we prepare for Christ coming into our lives, it is good to begin to hear in fresh ways.

We can all envision what space looks like [slide #  9  outer space] but it is the radio astronomer who thinks about what space sounds like. Did you know, the sun sounds like a fire roaring and crackling, Jupiter sounds like a pop of corn popping, Saturn sounds like a hail storm, and a star or pulsar has a sound of beat after beat after beat?

Though it is weird to think of listening to space, radio waves reveal things like how large and how far away a planet is. Just as doctors learn things by listening to our hearts, our lungs, our arteries [slide # 10  stethoscope] we also learn something when we listen to our pets or strangers or persons from other backgrounds and languages, or persons with different ways of communicating sounds – like melodious grunts or gregarious groans that come without words.

It’s true the more we listen, the more we hear. Hearing is a “we” thing; one listens, another is heard. What a blessing to be heard. To be heard us to be understood, to be loved and cared for and respected, to be like the God who designed us to listen and to be heard. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to hear each other, to understand, to love, care, and respect each other. Such moments are indeed sacred! Such moments stir up an atmosphere of healing through mercy and justice.

I heard a doctor say that we can manage our health – physical, social and otherwise - when we stop doing the things that destroy our health. Otherwise, we are keep mopping the floor while neglecting to turn off the faucet as the sink is overflowing.

The difference between illness and wellness [slide #  11  illness vs wellness] is the difference between “I” that is living life isolated and alone and “we” that is living life in holy connection with one another, or as one United Methodist mantra goes: See All the People. Stop trying to fix the church. Just nurture holy relationships.

Perhaps most importantly of all, the Holy Spirit helps us to hear ourselves and the God who lives in our hearts. I was at an Advent retreat recently and we spent time being still and meditating, taking time to listen to our inner thoughts and waiting to hear God’s voice. We were reminded of the value of connecting to ourselves, feeling our own pulse and sensing God’s presence as we positioned our bodies to focus our minds and spirits.[slide #  12 thumb and index finger] Here, touching the index finger is said to touch our consciousness and touching the thumb is to connect to and share authority – which relates to scriptures that call for anointing of oil using the thumb – which I use for the distribution of ashes, oil, and water baptisms.  Praying with palms together [slide #  13  praying hands ] exemplifies the connecting of our total being in in intense petition and gratitude with the humility of being all in, surrendered and dependent.

Posturing ourselves in order to listen to our bodies, to ourselves, to God to each other brings wonderful, even miraculous results, proving once again that God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good. May the snow always be in our ears reminding us to wake up and hear the sound of miracles of justice and mercy in the making. For they bring healing all the time. [slide #  14  proof of God…] Amen. [slide #  15  let it snow..]

December 8 2019 Matthew 3. 1-12 “Snow in John’s Wilderness” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Continuing to reflect on God speaking to us through snow during this Advent season, will you allow me a little snow humor? It’s snow funny…

 Q: How do Eskimos make their beds?

A: With sheets of ice and blankets of snow.

John the Baptist was a trailblazer. He led the way for Jesus, who had the most controversial and bitter sweet message ever to be told. Matthew describes John as a wilderness man. Verse 4 says his clothes were made of camel’s hair. After he skinned a camel, the hair was probably course and crude looking. As a wilderness man, John was not as bothered by the itchiness or the woodsy smell as most of us might be.  If you have a camel coat, like one from Brook’s Brothers in the King of Prussia Mall, you might pay $1000. Even in the day of John the Baptist, there was a hefty price to be paid if one were to wear clothes made of camel hair.

John also wore a leather belt, which also implies that he and or his associates were mindful and familiar with animals in the wild. He ate locusts, crunch crunch, yum, yum.  We can buy locusts as well as grasshoppers, ants, scorpions, worms, and these barbecue crickets chips  I bought from Amazon. (only kidding) They are gluten free and high in protein.

Locusts, like some other bugs, can kill trees and devour crops. A locust plague occurred in the late 1800’s damaging $200 million crops in several Midwestern states. One witness said, the locusts looked "like a great white cloud, like a snowstorm, .."

Hearing that John the Baptist has been eating locusts is a very important part of this passage. You may have heard a lawyer tell in his television ad how he eats giant bully corporations for lunch. Witnesses might say of John the Baptist, “John eats locusts.” That is, John devours the devourer!” John also ate wild honey which has to be retrieved in spite of the bees and bears on the hunt. Honey is a reward for those who can manage sticky situations which happens anytime one talks about Jesus. We have come to know that honey is definitely not safe for babies to eat, but only for those who are mature. John was a wilderness man.

There was likely some snow, physical and spiritual, in John’s wilderness. Our Advent reflections on snow remind us in Job 37.6, “snow comes from the Lord.” We do not picture snow often in biblical stories, but John the Baptist probably saw snow in the mountainous region of Judea’s wilderness. There is snow in the Middle East . Snow does a variety of things to our lives and has many meanings and messages for us in this Advent season. From snow cream, to snow jobs, to being snowed in, snowed under, or the enjoyment of the beauty of falling or fallen snow, snow comes from God. God sends us snow and with God, we will be ok with it. 

Like John, we have spent time in a wilderness, and in every wilderness we find ourselves, God’s blessings have fallen upon our lives like gentle snow, reminding us that everything is going to be alright. Is there anyone here who has learned that God blesses us in our wilderness?  In this world, we have encountered our share of ferocious animals, untamed beasts and we have tasted bitter roots. We have stomached hardships. In our hearts we can confidently say, “God’s got this.”

Some days it seems like the whole world is a wilderness. Last week we looked at global warming and how it causes some forest fires. When I mentioned to the Bishop that experts say we are too late in trying to do reverse a catastrophe, she agreed saying that in Maryland, Smith Island and two of her districts are already under water. Our problem at Bethel is that the scout hut was destroyed by mold. Ten thousand dollars of donated goods and volunteer hours gone.  Increased rainfalls have caused our sub pump to run overtime, which costs.  

Forest fires are another problem said to be created by global warming. The earth is heating up to 3 degrees Celsius which is 37 degrees Fahrenheit causing dry wood to spark and inflame.  Interestingly, the natural forest fires caused by lightning make the forest healthy because their seeds are sealed with a gummy substance in cones. Only in a fire is it hot enough to melt the gummy seal, opening the cone, allowing the seeds, called “fire seeds” to drop to the ground, grow and become a specialized pine tree. One woman from Montana knows these trees, grown from fire seeds, are barely 16 inches in diameter  are used by Native Americans to make their teepees. 

Whether our wilderness is personal or global, God fulfills an awesome purpose and plan.

John cries out in our wilderness three urgent cries. First, he calls us to repent, to look within our hearts and note if there is anything there that is not like our God, to ask God to shine a light on us and search our lives for any wicked way in us. Rabbi Benjamin Blech tells the story of how death helps us change for the better. He has seen children at their parent’s deathbed shedding tears of regret, couples going through a divorce, begging for forgiveness. One woman argued with her husband. As he walked out the door she exclaimed, “I hope you drop dead.” That is just what he did. She never seemed to get over it. The day to repent and do God’s will is today.

Secondly, John cries out and welcomes us to be baptized in the wilderness. Baptism is a powerful reminder to be attached to one another. Baptism is a ritual that affirms our togetherness, our oneness, our unity from generation to generation. In and of itself, baptism is just plain water, but with a simple prayer of dedication, the water becomes a river of life, a wellspring of holiness, a refreshment to our thirsty souls, and hope and help for the least, the last, and the lost among us. You know their faces. God dares us to know their names. Our connection to one another creates an atmosphere that humanizes us and heals us rather than sabotages God’s plan by turning us into wild animals that call the wilderness their home and even sleep in the freezing snow.

Finally, John the trailblazer humbly reminds us that he is not even worthy to tie the sandals of the one who is coming, the one for whom the trail is blazed. Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming with a winnowing fork  says verse 12. That is he will come close enough that we will feel his breath, the breath of life, and we will be windblown just enough for the debris in our lives to be separated from the seeds that can grow into something great. And, that is not all. We will be baptized with the Holy Spirit that stirs up truth and sets us free from our burden of sin and sadness. We will also be baptized with fire; holy heat and purging flames will change us in ways that cause us to grow become whatever a loving and kind God designs us to be for God’s sake, for our sake, and for the sake of each and everyone around us who needs a Merry Christmas, a white Christmas,  a Christ with us. Amen. 

December 1, 2019 "Snow Angels"

December 1 2019 Matthew 24.36-44 “Snow Angels” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

As winter approaches, I am reflecting on snow. Snow comes from the Lord says Job 37.6. And we all know God has a purpose and a plan for everything, including snow. Every snow fall brings a message (like angels) of truth and peace and good news to counter all the bad news that comes our way.

Allow me a little snow humor to begin:

One snowman looked over to another one and said, “Do you smell carrots?”

What do you call a snowman in the summer? A puddle  

This is the season when we are expecting snow. We do not live in the 20 to 40% of the earth that is always covered with snow. We listen carefully for the news of its prediction. Meteorologists give us their most educated guess about what the weather will be like. With technological tools of radar, satellites and, weather balloons, they are most accurate within two or three days.

Even still, weather can be predicted but it cannot be controlled. It is good for us to always be ready for the unexpected, to be prepared with our listening ears on, to move at the impulse of God’s love, to be prayed up, living right, to be right with God, and to be responsible for whatever God has given us to take charge of.

Now more than ever the atmospheric weather as well as the spiritual weather seems to be unusual. Now more than ever we are being surprised, even shocked as atmospheric and spiritual weather patterns shift in unexpected and undesirable ways. A few weeks ago Sandy was on her way to Bethel from Downingtown and found herself in the middle of a snow squall! Others may have experienced such recently, too.

Some scientists say that humans are causing these catastrophic shifts in the weather. They say that we have polluted the earth with our lifestyle, our burning coal in power plants and all forms of transportation that emit carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide absorbs heat. The more carbon dioxide we put into the air, the more heat is contained in it. The earth then, gets warmer and warmer and warmer. Warm air holds more water. That means heavier rainfalls. In other places, higher heat means unprecedented heat waves, forests become kindling and water sources drought. Warmer oceans means an increase in the number and the intensity of storms.

Using cleaner technology from 2005 to 2015 has helped decrease our carbon footprint one source says. At Bethel, we have done our part by switching to LED lighting. Globally, however, we have a long way to go. Who knows how long we will experience melting glaciers, floods, forest fires, and water scarcity?

Since most of the earth is water, measuring the temperature of water has been used to determine atmospheric changes. It is predicted that the temperature of the earth is approaching 3 degrees which will mean catastrophe. No wonder we say more often that the world is coming to an end.

Few of us want to drive our cars less or use less plastic. It is very inconvenient to go back to a lifestyle that is healthier for us as well as for the planet. As it is we all may be eating at least a credit cards worth of plastic every week, because plastic is so much a part of our lives. We are living a life of luxury and tremendous convenience. Who wants to give that up? If the rest of the world changes, if government policies dictate change, that helps us all. Without change, a crisis is easy to predict.

Matthew predicts in verse 39 that the Son of Man is coming. During seminary, we pondered over who that is and what that means. In the end, most agreed it is Jesus who was coming back when we least expect him. To me Jesus’ return means he will show up anytime, anywhere, and in any situation he deems necessary. Jesus shows up whether we are ready or not, whether we are interested or not, whether we like it or not. After all the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, including suffering, including snow.

The work of the Holy Spirit is to help us prepare for the unexpected as   verse 44 says - ⁴⁴Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. How do we get ready? We stay awake as verse 43 says. In the bible to be asleep can be a synonym for prayerlessness. In order to be ready for anything, we must pray about everything! Prayer is like a wall of fire protecting us against our enemies. Prayer matters! When we take our burdens to the Lord in prayer we are lifted up in the arms of love. We are changed for the better. We are guided to face anything and everything that comes our way. Even when we disagree with the outcome, God is faithful and just.

Just as every snow flake is unique, every encounter with Jesus is unique. When icy cold water falls and touches an itsy bitsy piece of dust like us, it shivers and forms a uniquely designed 6 armed crystal.  

We are all uniquely beautiful, and we are all uniquely loved. We are all precious in God’s sight. When we really believe this, we will stick close to Jesus. By ourselves, like a single snowflake, we are amazing but we may not seem to add up to much. But, as you know, when snowflakes stick together, we can stop traffic.  

Stick with Jesus. He shows us how and he shows us how and when to stick close to one another! Amen.