Coming....to Encourage Us

December 8   2nd Sunday of Advent Isaiah 11.1-10, *Matthew 3.1-12 “Coming to Encourage Us” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Our gospel lesson from Matthew shakes us up with a lot of talk about changing our ways and judgment. Verse 11 brings some encouragement to balance the heaviness of the issues. It says “Jesus is coming to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” The promise of Jesus’ coming to baptize believers is something we can all look forward to.

Baptisms are happy occasions. Next week we will celebrate a baptism next Sunday.  We use water because it is a universal symbol of refreshing and cleansing. Everybody appreciates water.  (PowerPoint slide of refreshing waterfall). 

Water is so beautiful and necessary. For centuries water has been used to purify - in politics as well as in religion. You remember how Pilate took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, "I am innocent of this man's blood…” (As we see in the slide)

Water is a powerful symbol. Its use in baptism makes for an absolutely perfect rite of passage into the spiritual life. After our initial baptism, whether through sprinkling, pouring, or dunking, there is the promise of Jesus’ coming to baptize all disciples with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Receiving Jesus’ baptism means our spiritual life can go to a whole other level.

In today’s religious circles, talk about fire baptism or being baptized with the Holy Spirit happens mostly among our Pentecostal and charismatic sisters and brothers. These holiness movements trace their roots to John Wesley the   founding father of Methodism. He and his classmates in Oxford University England formed Holy Clubs known for their very strict practices: fasting twice a week, meeting from 6-9 every day, and celebrating communion weekly. In later years, Methodists often expressed their faith with such electrifying emotion that they gained the reputation of being “shouting Methodists.”

Historians describe Methodist prayer meetings and worship services in the same way that the book of Acts describes Pentecost. Tongues of fire and loud praises to God made them look as if they were under the influence of too much wine.

There is no doubt that John Wesley was baptized by the Holy Spirit and with fire. That is an honorable part of our spiritual legacy. However, Wesley quickly came to understand that there was more to being a mature Christian than the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire and all the emotionalism that often accompanied it.

When Wesley sailed from England to Georgia, that settlement named after King George, he had high and holy hopes of fulfilling a mission to save souls. Instead, he got the shock of his young life. His health deteriorated, and he found more than a few unsettling conflicts to endure.  Baptism encouraged him to  keep his faith in spite of life’s challenges.  

Throughout the ages, the promise of Jesus to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire has been fulfilled. Believers of all walks of life, religious persuasions, and nationalities have been immersed, dipped, influenced, guided, cleansed, and overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. Of all these definitions of baptism, I appreciate the definition that baptism means being “overwhelmed.” Jesus’ baptism may mean that we are overwhelmed in the sense that a bear hug envelops us. (As this slide of father giving a child a bear hug shows)

Nineteenth century Revivalist Charles Finney described his baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire this way:

As I shut the door of the office after me, it seemed as if I met the Lord Jesus Christ face to face. It seemed to me that I saw Him as I would see any other man. He said nothing, but looked at me in such a manner as to break me right down at His feet. I fell down at His feet, wept aloud like a child, and made such confessions as I could with my choked utterance. It seemed to me that I bathed His feet in tears. I must have continued in this state for a good while. I returned to the front office, but as I turned and was about to take a seat by the fire, I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost. Without any recollection that I had ever heard the subject mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to come in waves of liquid love; it seemed like the very breath of God. I wept aloud with joy and love.*

Being baptized by the Holy Spirit and fire is a heart-warming, personal, and memorable experience. It is promised to all who believe. It reminds us that we are deeply loved. It encourages us to keep our faith.

Our first thoughts about baptism may not include fire, but fire has a profound impact on our baptism. Fire gives light, defies gravity by always facing upward, and it defies the rules of nature by traveling faster uphill than downhill. We can see this when we light a match then turn it upside down. Wildfires cleanse the forest of disease and insects. Fire discourages wild beasts from approaching. Bishop Tutu declared that the prayers of God’s people were like a wall of fire protecting him from the enemy.

With Jesus’ fire baptism, we are able to fight fire with fire. Wildlife managers often purposely set fire to an area so that an oncoming fire will have nothing to feed on.  A duck hunter learned the value of fighting fire with fire. He was with a friend in the wide-open land of southeastern Georgia. Far away on the horizon he noticed a cloud of smoke. Soon he could hear crackling as the wind shifted. He realized the terrible truth; a brushfire was advancing, so fast they couldn't outrun it. Rifling through his pockets, he soon found what he was looking for, a book of matches. He lit a small fire around the two of them. Soon they were standing in a circle of blackened earth, waiting for the fire to come. They didn't have to wait long. They covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and braced themselves. The fire came near and swept over them. But they were completely unhurt, untouched. Fire would not pass where fire already had passed.*

So, like our founding father John Wesley, let us feast on God’s word, pray about everything, and serve with love for that is all we need to do to remember or to prepare for Jesus to encourage us by coming to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Amen.

Sermons.com*

Thanksgiving for All Others November 10, 2014

November 10 Thanksgiving – *2 Thessalonians 2.1-5, 13-17, Luke 20.27-38 “Thanksgiving - For All Others” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

During  All Saint’s Day which we celebrated last week, the question often emerges, “Do United Methodists believe in Saints?” The answer of course is “yes.” As Christians, the Holy Spirit lives in us!  Marvelous work is being done in us and through us to fulfill the awesome plan of God. “Yes,” we are saints.

A saint is simply someone who is “set apart” just as we are today in this sanctuary. We have separated from other people and places, in order to keep this appointment with God and with one another. It’s not because we are more important or more valuable. We want to spend some quality time with the Sacred One. We have heard the invitation in that book of the bible called Song of Songs. It is an invitation from one who loves us, saying “Come away with me…” So we have come. We have come to “con sacred“ “consecrate” ourselves, to purge and purify our hearts, minds, and souls. We are saints, indeed – always willing to receive God’s lavish love for us. Always ready to share that bountiful love with others.

Not all of us will be famous saints like those talked about among our brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church, and the Lutheran Church. They acknowledge saints known as patron saints whose lives are marked by some extraordinary or miraculous event. Such saints are said to protect and defend others in various circumstances. For example, St. Paul who wrote most of the New Testament is the patron saint of writers. We have heard of St. Patrick the patron saint of Ireland, St. Francis who loved animals, St. Nicholas the patron saint of money, St. Joseph carpenter and patron saint of the home, St. Mary patron saint of mothers, St. Valentine patron saint of love, St. Joan of Arc patron saint of soldiers, St. Jude patron saint of things that cause despair and heartache, and St. Elizabeth patron saint of expectant mothers.

Jesus assures us that those saints who have left this life as we know it are very much alive. However, it is not included in our Methodist teaching or doctrine to ask them to say special prayers for us.

We have not gone so far as to create beautiful prayer cards with pictures of saints. We may enjoy baseball cards of stars and little blurbs about their famous plays and statistics, but it is not our Methodist tradition to possess cards that tell of the mission and miracles of the saints.

Ecumenical gatherings and family socials can be very enjoyable because of the many different and delightful religious traditions we share among denominations. There are also those times when we wonder about other traditions or we frown at their doctrine. Arguing about religion can be like taking a juicy steak away from a pit bull.

We may all have ideas that we hold on with a dogged determination. Holding on too tightly puts us at risk of generating dogma instead of doctrine. Church doctrine guides us in the most peaceful and powerful relationship with God and one another that we can possibly have at a particular time.

Church dogma separates us from each other. Church dogma would always rather fight than switch, or shift, or change, or adapt, or detour, compromise, or continue as if our Covenant matters. Dogma is what Jesus confronted when he said the Pharisees “worship me in vain; their teachings are mere rules taught by men.“ 

After hearing the sound doctrine of Jesus, the Pharisees took up arms. They fought to the death. Experts today, in the church and outside the church, are fighting tooth and nail, like the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, not for God’s sake, but for profit and self-importance.

This very week there have been discussions about keeping trans fats or hydrogenated oils in foods, though some consider them unsafe because they lower good cholesterol and increase bad cholesterol.

The bible teaches us how to fight for what we believe, but in a different way than the world fights. The biblical pattern for fighting for what we believe is to fight to protect and defend the abused and the neglected, not to fight one another. The biblical pattern for fighting is not to fight when you want to fight. It is to fight when God directs you to fight. God is the General in charge, and we do well to wait for our orders.

Doctrine unites us. Dogma divides us. Every society has ideas by which they are indoctrinated. Every church and denomination has its written doctrine, legally binding teachings. Our United Methodist doctrine is found in the Book of Discipline.

Our biblically based doctrine needs to be prayerfully studied, carefully reviewed, and diligently pondered with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. That’s why Christian education is so important. Sunday School and bible study provide a solid foundation that keeps dogma from undermining the integrity of the House of God.  

Bethel members talk often about building a house well. Some know of homes built so well that while every house on the block has water in the basement, they don’t. We’ve smiled about one home where every door frame is perfectly level, and not even a mouse can get into the house.  Sound doctrine helps us to build our spiritual house well. Our children deserve an excellent house of God to grow up in spiritually as do we all.

Paul taught sound doctrine. It was often controversial, and dogmatic opposition would come out of the woodwork. In Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica, he taught the controversial issue of Jesus’ second coming. Some call it the Rapture.  In verse 1 of chapter 2  he says – “As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.”

There were some who were teaching that Jesus has already returned. It was very upsetting to think that Jesus had returned and left them behind. It was very upsetting and it shook them up quite a bit. In his letter to the church in Thessalonica, he set the record straight. Paul puts on his pastor’s hat and tells the church not to be shaken up by the dogma, which were mere human ideas.

It is almost impossible to talk about religious issues without being emotionally shaken up and confused sometime. How do we avoid being confused and shaken up as Paul suggested? The Holy Spirit working in us helps us. While considering whether something is sin or not, right or wrong, good or evil – the Holy Spirit helps us keep that conversation going with God and with one another.

When we wrestle with the rightness or wrongness of teachings such as infant baptism versus being old enough to choose; gender issues such as women wearing pants; or same sex marriage, the Holy Spirit helps us to be grounded instead of flying off the handle. The Holy Spirit helps us to be more clear than confused. The Holy Spirit helps us to be more devoted than divided. Without the Holy Spirit, we can’t do what Paul directs the church to do – stop being shaken up, stop being deceived.

There is no way to wake up one day with the guarantee that we will never be shaken or mistaken, but if we are bent and determined to stay on the journey toward peace, the Holy Spirit is just as determined to help us.

Along with counseling the church to not be shaken up, Paul gives thanks for the people of the church. He understood that our attitude of gratitude for one another creates an atmosphere for good things to happen. It defeats any dogma that we have created when we hold tighter to our ideas than we hold on to God.

Our gratitude creates an atmosphere for sharing until all are satisfied, until we loosen our grip on what is ours long enough to let go and let God. Our gratitude creates an atmosphere where Jesus helps us to check our dogma at the door, saying ‘the one without sin should cast the first stone, or go and sin no more.’ Our attitude of gratitude creates an atmosphere where much fruit is produced – much love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (generosity), faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

As long as we humbly teach the soundest doctrine we know and fight, not for profit or self-importance, but to protect and defend each other, especially the least the last and the lost, our chances of being shaken and thrown of course will give way to gratitude for each other, and wherever we go there will be an atmosphere ripe for something more delicious and nutritious than we can ever imagine. May the spirit reveal the truth to each of our hearts today.  Amen.

Coming to Prepare Us

December 1    1st Sunday of Advent   Isaiah 2.1-5, *Matthew 24.36-44 “Coming to Prepare Us” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

How beautiful it is to gather in this sacred place, to enjoy the peace and quiet, to enjoy the joy of the blessings of kindness and love that we pour out on one another’s lives. Nowhere in this world would the Lord find a kinder, gentler people than those of us that the Lord has blessed right here. The Holy Spirit has brought us together for such a time as this. Surely the Holy Spirit has plans to bless us to be a blessing to many, just as Bethel fore parents have been a blessing generation after generation.

We are so blessed that it is good we have gathered here to celebrate the Eucharist. Eucharist is from the Greek word for thanksgiving, for Jesus gave thanks before he broke the bread and shared it with the disciples gathered just as we are this morning. It is a good thing to remember how blessed we are and to offer God our thanks that it is as well with us as it is. Thanksgiving is not only due our Creator, thanksgiving primes the pump for good and great things to spring forth from our hearts and our hands, from our lips and from the light of our lives.

On this first Sunday of Advent, we remember what we, and all royalty, around the globe, all children of the King of Kings refuse to forget. We remember that an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “… do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

We repeat this story year after year to nurture the deep roots of our faith. We prepare again and again for the birth of Jesus in our lives, for we know for sure he is coming! We know all about the three points I want to share this morning - predictions, the preparation, and the provision of Christmas. The Church has been celebrating Christ’s Mass, Christ’s birthday on December 25^th for the last 1500 years.

By the Third Century A.D., church fathers had no birth records for Jesus. So, people came up with spiritual reasons that his birth was probably born in March or April, or May, or November. The Roman Empire was big on celebrating birthdays – though not every Christian thought it was a holy idea back then. The Roman Empire also had big celebrations of their sun God’s around the winter solstice in late December. It did not take long before Christians under the rule of the Roman Empire felt comfortable celebrating the birthday of God’s Son around December 25^th. The deal was sealed when Emperor Constantine decided Christianity would be the national religion and December 25^th would be the day the birth of Christ was to be celebrated.

More important than the actual date are the predictions of Christmas. Seven hundred years before Jesus’ birth. Isaiah 7.14 told us, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Every one of us is reminded in Mathew’s scriptures this morning of the predictions of Christ coming. He was born in a manger, died on a cross, was buried in a tomb, and he is coming again. No one knows the day or the hour except God the Father in Heaven. We can expect the unexpected at Christmas. Just as the floods that covered the earth were unexpected in Noah’s day, just as the thief comes at an unexpected time to steal, just as it is unexpected for anyone to be left behind, Christmas is a time for the unexpected.

Within the last few weeks Bethel Trustees have been patching up the roof and putting buckets of ice melt at each of the church entrances. They are responding to the signs that winter is on its way, and in order to avoid unnecessary inconvenience and expense, they are preparing for the unexpected. 

There is nothing routine about Christmas. It has been predicted. We know it is on its way. We cannot expect it to be anything but good and holy, but whatever happens will be unexpected. We won’t be able to put it in a box, wrap it up, hide it, hoard it, or ever lose it. Though it is clearly predicted, Christmas will always defy our expectations.

It takes a real family to prepare for Christmas, for Christmas is first about bonding before it is about buying. There will be no Christmas without the freshness of forgiveness and the freedom to receive kindness and to give it. The ultimate celebration of Christmas happens as we delight in the Lord every hour and repent every day. Christmas is more about blessing the least, the last, the lost, and the grieving among us and in us. It is less about burdening our days with manic consumerism and fizzy festivals.

Christmas is all about kings who understand there is one to whom even they must bow. Christmas is about young couples beginning a new life together that is sure to change the world for the better. It is about senior citizens with wise and wonderful words so prophetic they cause the young to sprout wings and fly. It is about courageous fathers in the frontline, who know how to build a home with wife who says “yes” to God, a home where protection and peace are plentiful. It is about those whose negative words are muted and whose faith is growing.

Christmas brings the unexpected, that is why Christmas is always predicted, prepared for, and provides all we will ever need to do God’s will. The Harvard Business School Press published a book by Max H. Bazerman and Michael D. Watkins called Predictable Surprises. They say that even though there are many signs that can help us see the unexpected situations in our lives, most of us focus on only one sign. We are on the alert for a sign of one thing to fix, one gift to have, or some one to blame. It’s him, or her, or them, or this or that.

There is never one sign for the unexpected events in life, much less for Christmas.

God provides many signs that will lead us to Christmas. Bazerman and Watkins advise us that the more we respond to all the signs and strengthen each other to respond, the more we “decrease the potential for an ugly, bad surprise to escalate exponentially.”  

The signs that lead us to Christmas are everywhere. They are incessantly persisting and insisting on the direction that we should go. They are often the subtle and fleeting micro communications: the twinkle in the eye or the tear in the sigh of someone near and dear to us. There are unspoken signs in that call to care or to celebrate with others across America or across the world.

God provides many signs for us to follow. If you do not see them, seek them with all your heart, and you will find them. They light our way and make our burdens light. If we would but follow, they would lead us to a glorious place. They would lead us under the protective shadow of God’s wing. They would lead us beyond the troubles and temptations of this world. They would lead us to Christmas blessings beyond which we could ever imagine. Prediction, preparation, provision – they will lead us all to the best Christmas ever. Amen.

Thanksgiving - Ruler and Rescuer

November 24 *Colossians 1.11-20, Jeremiah 23.1-6 “Thanksgiving – Ruler and Rescuer” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

At the last youth rally in Maryland that I attended, there were about four very creative workshops that one could choose from. The workshop I attended along with the youth, included a dramatic presentation. There may have been 500 joy-filled tweens and teenagers in that room all waiting for the presenters to begin. Suddenly, with no warning, a teenager stood up from his seat in the middle of the crowd and let out a hair-raising scream. “Jesus, help me!”  I will never, ever forget the sight of Jesus running from a far corner of the room. With lightning speed he made his way through the crowd to the one who had bravely cried out to him.  The drama captured the intensity of our need to be rescued and Jesus’s eagerness to be there for us.

Winter is on its way. Already in the back of our minds, we dream of a giant snowfall that might rescue us from the hustle and bustle of our lives. Children wear their pajamas backwards in hopes of having the whole day off to sled and make snow angels. Colleagues welcome a day to work in until the roads are clear. 

At any given day, there are different situations and circumstances for which we would love to be rescued. Paul tells the church at Colossae (in the area of modern day Turkey and Greece) that Jesus has rescued us from darkness, but not just the darkness. He has rescued us from the power of darkness, which is the authority to command devilish imps who are often in fellowship with the Prince of Darkness. The power of darkness is an evil physical and spiritual force that has authority to move as soon as it becomes dark, to bring Hell’s misery and mental anguish. At the cross, we have been rescued from the power of darkness.

Being rescued from the power of darkness is not to be confused with being rescued from having problems in our life. Scripture tells us that our days are short and full of trouble, that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all, weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

Sometimes a Divine rescue does come with all the relief and fanfare that we   expect. We hear the sound of a mighty rushing wind as Jesus rushes like lightning to be by our side. Other days, we may be at our wit’s end, crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”  

We may long to be rescued from physical pain, utter disappointment, financial distress, frustration, fear or failure. Whatever it is, we want out. We want the dark days to end and the light at the end of the tunnel to quickly appear. During those times, the one who rules the universe also becomes our rescuer.

We are rescued from the power of darkness in at least three ways. We are rescued - number 1 through the Word, number 2 through God’s will, and number 3 through worship.

Scripture tells us that God’s word is a lamp at our feet, and a light on our path. God’s Word helps us live a life worth living. The more I read God’s word, the more alive I feel. The more I meditate on God’s Word, the closer to God I feel. The more I study it, the deeper the wisdom seems to be.

There is great wisdom in the Ten Commandments alone. The first four of the Ten Commandments demand that we have the utmost respect for God. The last 6 of the Ten Commandments command high standards for respecting each other. There is nothing old fashioned about God’s word. Who among us could name even one blessing anyone has ever received by disrespecting God or others?

Who among us can listen to the evening news without being horrified by man’s inhumanity to man? Who can witness, without shuddering, the acts of utter contempt and depravity perpetrated by lost souls who know not what they do? Chances are good that there is someone in your circle of influence that needs to be rescued. Pray, pray, pray that they notice that God’s Word has rescued you. We are rescued from the power of darkness first through the Word of God.

Secondly, we are rescued from the power of darkness through the will of God. No matter where we go or who we are, we cannot escape the sense that at any moment, our will can be overruled. We plan a picnic and the rain comes. We plan a marriage and it dies on the vine. We plan financial security and the bottom falls out. We plan for health and the doctors haven’t a clue. There are those days when our good will is quickly overruled, and we plunge into what seems like endless depths of darkness and despair.

We wonder if the God of the universe has trashed us and left us for dead. Thoughts creep into our despairing minds. Just maybe, we think, another child of God is more important than we are. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

One of my favorite stories is of a speaker who held up a $20 bill before his audience and asked “Who wants this $20 bill.” Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 bill to one of you, but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the $20 bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

No matter what the speaker did to the money, people still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the circumstances that come our way or the decisions we make. *

We may feel worthless, but no matter what happens, we will always by worthy of love, deserving of good things, and precious in the sight of God and in the sight of all those who call themselves a child of God, who walk in the footsteps of Jesus. No matter what comes our way, we will never be without God’s love and tender care.  God’s love will always outshine or darkest moments. Just because we do not see God’s hand does not mean we are not still in his heart. Just because we cannot see the sun shining does not mean we are not experiencing its benefits.

In northern Chile, between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, there is a narrow strip of land where the sun shines every day. It rarely rains. The sun shines brilliantly and the sunsets are ever so picturesque. Storms pass right over and heavy fog stays far away.  This strip of land is sort of “protected” from ever having a dark day.  You might think that it would be the most beautiful land in the world, but it’s not. It’s a sterile and desolate wilderness because constant sunshine hinders streams of water, and without water nothing grows there.*

Even when the days are dark and cloudy, God has a purpose and a plan. As Betty Jo Borzick reminded me this week from the songwriter, “I believe with every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.” Streams of tears are not taken lightly by God. God is working something out for us. Psalm 56 tells us that ever tear we shed is kept in a bottle and stored in God’s record book. God has a most precise purpose and compassionate plan. We are rescued from the power of darkness by God’s sheer will to love us dramatically.

God’s word rescues us, God’s love rescues us, and thirdly, worship rescues us. Worship happens when our hearts are grateful. When we understand that we belong to God and that all that we have and all that we are and ever will be we owe it all to one who is infinitely greater, one who may overrule, but who will also overwhelm us with love.

A man was trying to persuade another to attend church. He said, "Don't you think you owe the Lord something?" The other man answered, "Yes, I suppose so, but God isn't pressing me as hard as my other creditors!"

True - and God never will. God will never send you a bill, or send out somebody to collect what you owe him. He doesn't keep reminding us how deeply we are in debt. This is something he would like for us to find out for ourselves.

It is one thing to be told that we have a lot to be thankful for; it is quite another to make the discovery on our own. We can be told and not be convinced, but what we discover on our own, is a lesson we don’t forget easily. Each of us needs to discover for ourselves that we are deeply indebted for the many blessings we have.*

God is worthy of our worship – that is our humble prayer, adoration, praise, and thanksgiving in even the darkest circumstances. Worship helps us keep that conversation with God and one another healthy and strong, fervent and meaningful.

You remember the song "Just A Little Talk With Jesus"

I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in

And then a little light from heaven filled my soul.

He bathed my heart in love, and wrote my name above

And just a little talk with my Jesus made me whole.

(Now let us) have a little talk with Jesus (let us) tell him all about our troubles

(He will) hear our faintest cry (and we will) answer by and by

(Now when you) feel a little pray'r wheel turning

(Then you'll) know a little fire is burning.

(You will) find a little talk with Jesus makes it right.

We are rescued through God’s word that rules us, through God’s will that love us, and through our worship that keeps the fires of our love burning like the noon day sun.  Amen.

*Sermons.com

Faith Heals

October 13 Luke 17.11-19 “Faith Heals” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Health care is a big topic in our news right about now.  In fact, there is a dog-eat-dog fight going on for health care here and in every corner of the world. We all want the same thing, and when we work together and share together, good things happen.

Pages and pages of the Bible are dedicated to details about health issues such as infectious disease, emotional well-being, sewage systems, and food handling. Health is emphasized in the Bible because health matters to all of God’s creation.

But, talking about health care is like talking about oil and diamonds.  Politics and profit always get mixed in the conversation. It was the same way for the ten lepers in Luke’s gospel that we read about today.  They knew Jesus. That was political in itself. We don’t hear them crying out “unclean, unclean, unclean.” They were required by law to do so in order to protect everyone else from getting leprosy - that bacterial infection that affected the nerves. Instead, they cried out, “Jesus, master, have mercy on us.” They wanted help for their lives, so they called Jesus.

Don’t we also ask Jesus to have mercy upon us? Think about it. Every pain we have, every diagnosis, every wounded feeling, every broken relationship, every injury,  everything that is out of order gives us reason to cry out, “Jesus, master, have mercy upon us.” Our hope is kindled when we cry out for Jesus’s help. Our healing begins when we acknowledge him as master.

Jesus heard the ten lepers crying out to him and immediately their lives were changed for the better from the inside out. Simply asking for Jesus’ help stirred up the healing process in them. When Jesus saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean.

It was customary for those who had a scaly itch, a weeping wound, a swelling bump, or any unpleasant ailment or situation that we can think of to get treatment by going to the priest. They were directed to go to the priest to get checked out, to get diagnosed, to get cleared to return to work and a normal routine.

They knew God was their source of healing. This was written in stone, so they were to go to the priest because the priest was the stand-in for God. No doubt, that scriptural direction is an inspiration for the Catholic tradition of going to the Priest. The priest would ask all kinds of questions about lifestyle, and relationships; eventually those with ailments would confess something that they needed to let go of in order to help them regain their health and wellbeing. This confession in its broadest sense is good for the soul, and revealing one’s shortcomings and ridding oneself of a guilty conscience is great for our physical health.

Luke says, as they were on their way to see the priest as Jesus instructed them, THEY WERE MADE CLEAN. In the Greek, to be made clean means to be cleansed from physical stains as well as to have a clean bill of health because of one’s hygiene and moral behavior; to be made clean is to be free from defilement and faults, purified from wickedness,  free from guilt of sin, consecrated and dedicated. Doing what Jesus guides us to do is to be on a path that is great for our health and wellbeing.

One of the ten lepers SAW THAT HE WAS HEALED. All the lepers were made clean, but Luke makes a point to say that one leper recognized that he was not only clean, but he was healed. The Greek word for healing in this text meant that he was no longer a slave to sin.

Whenever we ask God’s help and the day comes when we are finally free from a rough responsibility, a sad situation or a sickening sin, we naturally get so excited. We might even do what this one leper did. He raised his voice and nothing was even wrong; he bowed at Jesus feet like we humbly bow at the altar for communion. He was grateful, and so are we.

All ten lepers were made clean. Only one was specifically described as being healed, and when that healed one turned around and expressed gratitude at the feet of Jesus, Jesus went on and did what a priest would do, he declared him well and told him to go on his way. He said, “Your faith (your trust in God) has made you well.”

The word “well” is to be made safe and sound. It indicates that one has been rescued, or saved from danger and destruction. To be made well is to be restored. To be well involves a lifestyle of holy habits that begin with gratitude and humility that make all the difference in the world and in our health.

On this “bring-a-friend” Sunday, we are here because we have a friend in Jesus. We have all called upon him for mercy and help. When we follow where he leads us, our lives get cleaned up. When we take a good look at how beautiful and beloved God has created us to be, our lives grow better and healthier. When we see the great work God is doing within us, we are in awe and we long to worship and give thanks. As friends, we bask in the sunshine of God’s love for all of us, and our love for God and for each other. May it be so forever. Amen.

God's House - Prayerful and Peaceful

September 22  Jeremiah 8.18-9.1, *I Timothy 2.1-7 “God’s House – Prayerful and Peaceful” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

 Apostle Paul was the greatest preacher and teacher of the New Testament. He served the Church with extraordinary faith and fervor. On more than one occasion, he was imprisoned, beaten and left for dead because his preaching changed the way people thought about money and politics. While he was in prison, he was not simply trying to get out. He was writing letters. One of his many letters (though not written while in prison) was to young Timothy,  one of his young converts who had become a preacher.

Writing had to be a sacrifice in the Ancient World.  It was no small thing to get the dyes used for ink, the parchment paper made from trees, or a person who was willing to go into the prison to pick up and deliver a letter. The Spirit of God made it all happen. The purpose of Paul’s letter to Timothy was to bring God’s people peace.

Paul gives four directions for prayer because prayer more than anything, effects our peace. In verse one, he says, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.”

These four types of prayers bear the fruit of peace. We all need peace.  Every time there is a mass shooting like the one in the DC navy yard this week, we often become hyper alert. We may have moments when we go out and find ourselves worrying and wondering if some mixed up child of God is lurking in the shadows preparing to do violence, shattering our peace.

Horrific events can bring us to our knees. We are all directly and indirectly affected by each other’s tragedies. If we are going to have any peace at all, we have got to pray.

The story is told of the great Charles Spurgeon, whose preaching drew crowds of 10,000  in the 1800’s even before the age of microphones. He was on fire.  His writings are still in print. One day he gave a tour of his beautiful church. He led the visitors around the awesome sanctuary, then he asked them if they wanted to see what fires the church up. They certainly did not want to see the furnace room in the basement, but they were polite and followed the preacher. They went down a narrow stairway to an area beneath the pulpit. ‘Everything that happens upstairs starts down here, he said. Behind this door is the secret of this great church being so on fire for God.’

The door opened, revealing several dozen people on their knees in fervent prayer. He knew more than most of us that the secret of any church, big or small, was the prayers of the people. "I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach." If we are going to have peace in this world, we have got to pray!

The first type of prayer Paul encourages is the prayer that is most natural for all of us, the prayer of supplication, or petition, from the Greek word meaning “request.” All through the day, we have names of people, places, and things that we are constantly asking God to bless and help. I like what Paul says about supplication in his letter to the church in Philippi, the happy church. He says “4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

There  is great peace in doing as the songwriter says, Have a Little Talk with Jesus, tell him all about our troubles. He will hear our faintest cry…

Our first source of peace is asking God for what we want, for what we need. Does not James the brother of Jesus remind us in that 4^th chapter of his book that we have not because we ask not, or we ask for something without an awareness of holiness? When we need peace, prayer is the answer.

The second type of prayer is simply called prayer from the Greek word meaning talking and listening respectfully to God. Peace comes from having a conversation with God, and trust me, you won’t come into God’s courts with disrespect or enter his gates with an attitude toward God or God’s people for free.

The third type of prayer is intercession. We have a sturdy prayer chain at Bethel. It boosts our faith to know that others are praying with us and for us, from sun up to sun down, in the North, the South, the West and the East. The Greek word for intercession is prayer as a meeting with God. We used to call it “prayer meeting.”   In prayer God speaks to our hearts important information about the whole world. Prayer is where everyone counts. In prayer meeting whether it is in the carpool, fellowship hall, or cyberspace, if it matters to you, it matters to God. Prayer is about everyone – past, present, and future. Prayer is a “we” thing. The Lord’s prayer is about “our” Father….and giving “us” this day “our” daily bread, and “we” forgiving those who trespass against “us.”

At times the holy spirit will give us thoughts about whom to pray for and when to  pray and even what words to pray.  When I was working very little hours in the school district, my mother came to me and said she was praying and the Lord asked her to pay my telephone bill. I immediately asked her if the Lord had mentioned anything about my gas bill. We get important information when we pray.

Paul encourages us pray in four ways, first, to ask God for what we need and want, second, to pray with respect, thirdly, to pray for others, and finally to pray with thanksgiving in our heart. Who can forget that the first thing Jesus did before the miracle of feeding 5000 people with two loaves and fish, was to give thanks. If we can give thanks for what God has given us – no matter what it is - we change the atmosphere. We stir up miracles. We stir up healing energy. We stir up faith and love and truth. We stir up good things that can overflow around world, across oceans of despair and mountains of trouble.

Prayer changes things but more importantly, prayer changes us to be a church of uninterrupted blessings. I am hoping that prayer will help us provide elevator access for persons with disabilities. I am hoping that after our conversations with God we will agree about whether or not God wants us to develop a Bethel Nursery School after the Montessori School staff retires next year. I am hoping after we meet with God, we will use all our spiritual gifts and our unique gifts to maintain optimum unity and harmony, so that others can say, “Bethel cares.”

Joyce Meyers tells the story of how she thought she was supposed to be like lots of other women who kept their house immaculate and grew a garden.  

Nevertheless, one year she thought she would try to be like other women she admired, so she planted tomatoes, but they all got eaten up by a swarm of bugs. Her next door neighbor’s tomatoes turned out beautifully, so of course, Joyce said she talked to about it, and God said, “I never asked you to plant any tomatoes.”

God has a purpose and a plan, and if we pray God will direct our paths. The world needs peace; we need peace. Let’s be peacemakers together. Amen.

God's House - Coins and Clutter

September 15, 2013 Psalm 14.1-7, *Luke 15.1-10 “God’s House – Coins and Clutter” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

It used to be that Saturday morning in many households was reserved for dusting, polishing, cleaning up, wiping down, waxing, and refreshing the home. Sometimes in the clean-up process, one would find lost items, toys that disappeared and coins underneath chair cushions that you did not even realize had left your pocket.

One of the good things about cleaning up our act and decluttering our homes, our hearts, and our lifestyles is that it often reveals what God values, something that has been lost in the shuffle and needs to be found.

Jesus reminds us through parables that we are sheep, and we can easily lose our way, lose our footing, loose our balance. We need our shepherd, and we need each other. There may be seasons when we are like prodigal children, squandering love while investing in destructive pleasures. We can be lost like coins, taking ourselves for granted. Still we are treasured by a God who watches over us day and night like widow in Jesus’ parable who sought after the coin perhaps because it could be cashed in and her future needs would be met. God seeks us as if God can’t live without us.

Who do you know that is lost, today? Is it a neighbor who has wandered into a wilderness of sin, family member who has strayed into dangerous pathways, a valuable friend who is lost and forgotten by many?  Week after week, we may barely notice the lost. We may get used to the way things are. Still, the Holy Spirit stirs our hearts to remember, not only the 99 of us that are doing great, but also that ONE who may be lost.

Setting aside time to clean up and declutter our lives, helps us see that we are all precious in God’s sight, and God will do anything to be with us, to love on us, to care about us no matter how broken and beat down we might be.

I met a man in a Baltimore neighborhood who had a great government job, but he began to miss more and more days because of his drinking problem. Eventually, he went to the hospital as his vital organs began to rebel. I chatted with him and a couple other neighbors on the stoop one afternoon. Though he was just a few weeks from the grave, he talked about a grievance hearing he had with his job and the many opportunities he had lost.

As he talked, I felt God’s great compassion for him. I began to believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding me to tell him that I love him. Not that God loved him or we loved him, but that I loved him. I barely knew him, I argued. What if he misunderstands, I debated. It was a ridiculous thought, declaring love to someone so lost. Eventually, I found the words that connected us as brother and sister. His face lit up, those listening took notice, and I knew I had made a good decision. I also knew that whatever God did was not about words, it was about the power of the Holy Spirit to work unity and harmony in unlikely places. It was about being surrounded by the sound of God’s mighty, rushing wind giving us words and deeds that matter whether we are ready or not, whether others get it or not. 

Those who know of Maya Angelou know that she had been molested, and as a result of the trauma became mute from age 7 to 13. She later worked as a madam and an entertainer. The story is told of her taking voice lessons. Her teacher gave her an exercise where she was to read out of a religious pamphlet. The reading ended with these words: "God loves me." She finished the reading and put the pamphlet down. The teacher said, "I want you to read that last sentence again." So she picked it up, read it again, this time somewhat sarcastically, then put it down again.

The teacher said, "Read it again." She read it again. “God loves me.” Then she described what happened. "After about the seventh repetition I began to sense there might be some truth in this statement. That there was a possibility that God really loves me, Maya Angelou. I suddenly began to cry at the grandness of it all. I knew if God loved me, I could do wonderful things. I could do great things...*

If you have not already experienced it, in time you will see for yourself that the love of God finds us in many places and in many ways.  That makes it that much easier for us to unclutter our lives long enough to see what God sees, each neighbor is treasured  neighbor, all family members are precious, the forgotten friend is very valuable.

Who is it with whom God is calling you to share a word of comfort, a faithful deed, a prayer of healing? Surely, God is calling each of us to connect with at least one person as if we are blood relatives, because we are. Amen.

*Sermons.com Mark Trotter

Immediately

August 25 “Immediately” *Luke 13.10-17 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

We rose early this morning to be here, just like a certain woman Luke talks about in the 13^th chapter of gospel. Just showing up was an important step in what was about to happen next in Luke’s story.

This worshipping woman was bent over. When she arrived that Sabbath, she had had a hunched back for 18 years. She could not straighten up by herself. There is no doubt that she had a few aches and pains from stiffness.  None of this stopped her from coming to the House of God to give thanks, sing praises to God, and leave her offering. She knew there was a blessing for her in the House of the Lord, and she was not about to miss it.

The woman appeared for worship, and Jesus welcomed her. He invited her to come and be blessed, he spoke healing words to her, he placed healing hands on her, and her life was radically changed, immediately. So it is for us; accepting the Lord’s invitation, coming into his presence and listening to his voice will always bring an immediate change. We know it’s true.

In the Fall of 2011, we had a healing retreat here at Bethel; it was a time set aside to bring our aches and pains, our emotional hurts and pressing issues. It was a time for recognizing that our Creator is a Healer, sometimes suddenly, sometimes gradually over the years. Sandy Davies and I met to plan the retreat. We sat talking expectantly, waiting for God’s direction for the right person to help lead the retreat. It was no surprise when both of us began to understand that God was guiding us to a person with tremendous physical challenges to come and lead us on the retreat.  We called Rev. Jerry to lead us. He was restricted to a wheelchair, but his heart was free and full of the Truth of God’s word which set us free to go where God was leading us.

Since that retreat we have heard God whispering in many ways that we should never stop opening our hearts to the constant flow of God’s love and guidance, that we should prepare a way for everyone to be an honored guest in our hearts and in the House of the Lord. We knew we  should never forget to make those with physical challenges to feel at home, welcomed, special, and important whenever they cross that threshold. We should do our best to stir up an atmosphere of healing in this place.

Jesus welcomed a woman with physical challenges and no doubt a few other challenges, and she was set free. Isn’t that what we are doing too? The Spirit of Healing is in each of us, isn’t? Everything about us was designed by our Creator to bring the power of life, love, healing, wisdom, and strength, immediately. We make a difference in each other’s lives. We are healers. We heal each other, we touch one another’s lives in ways that make a difference. We know it’s true.

Our history shows we have been good disciples by God’s grace. We have come a long way. We have done well. Miracles and outstanding jobs have been witnessed here through the years. We are dedicated in many ways. There is a dedication to missions – we have three committees that show compassion to those in need who are far and near; there is a dedication to excellence in service here. From bulletin boards to barbecues – we experience the pleasure of working with others who are organized, creative, and neat; there is a dedication to prayer and the study of scriptures – in any given week the prayer lines are on fire with requests and every week there are from 2 to 12 opportunities for someone to study God’s word. There is a dedication to young people and a dedication to seasoned citizens exhibited every single day at Bethel.

Even greater than all that God has accomplished through us is the spirit of forgiveness that flows in us and around us. No church would last two weeks without the ability to forgive and continue in love. After all, no two of us are alike. We all like different music, we get different things out of the same sermon, we have our own preferences in how things should happen, how much money should be spent and where. Just like on Noah’s Ark, from time to time, toes get stepped on, feathers get ruffled, but when it is all said and done, we choose to continue the journey as ONE body, ONE family in Christ.

As long as we wake up every morning and choose to follow where Jesus leads us, we will be on a great path to healing. We will be farther away from a treacherous path Satan plans for us. Every day in the news we see the results of Indulging in just a few weeks of division and discord, rather than choosing  forgiveness, unity, and love. We see how bitterness, revenge, and disobeying God opens the floodgates for blood to flow in the streets.

Just a little love, forgiveness, and unity go a very, very, long way. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure. There is hope for us as a healing church because, over generations, we have learned to forgive.  We have nurtured our souls with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Meditating on the fruit of the Spirit -  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity (goodness), faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,  praying that the fruit would be more a part of our life, exercising the fruit as best we can -  all help us to be a healthy body of Christ.

When I think about the discipline it takes to bear the good fruit of the spirit. I think of the model of fortitude I witness in one set of Bethel parents. They make my heart burst with pride and inspiration when they talk about how they manage their children. When the children are out of work, they give them jobs to do. The jobs are usually so challenging that it inspires them to quickly leave the nest and find a job in the “real” world rather than remain under the scrutiny and rigor of their parents.

It is not easy to walk any righteous path, much less be a good parent. but if we are willing to follow, God will lead us. Being a good parent is no guarantee that children will be perfect any more than being a good church means that all will be perfect Christians. What matters is that we follow faithfully through the hills as well as the valleys, through the sunshine and the rain, through seasons of disappointment as well as seasons of celebration.

It has taken generations to build what we have as a church, to be a church that matters. One step at a time, day by day, week by week, year by year we have become a church that is a blessing to many. Bethel is no 170- year- old accident.  I was reminded last week at my family reunion that my great, great grandfather was born was born in 1844 –the same year Bethel was born. He was such an excellent carpenter that he survived the hardest of times. He built St James Temple Baptist church that is so well done that it still stands today after more than 100 years. That did not happen by accident. Good things emerge from all kinds of challenges, and good comes as we build on a foundation of faithfulness to God and to one another.

When I was in the classroom, my kindergarten students always enjoyed plants. It was all fun to pour the dirt, bury the seed, and watch it grow Over one weekend one of the plants withered. Within an hour of getting watered and being placed in the light of the window, the plant revived. The children were so excited at seeing the immediate results of just a simple glass of water.

The worshipping woman whose life Jesus touched that day was changed immediately. That is what happens when we accept the Lord’s invitation to  be in the House of the Lord, to dare to come into his presence, and  to listen to his healing words.

*Sherri rose describes herself as a Jewish American Princess. She grew up in a Hollywood Home, experienced 5 blended families. At the age of 16 she was addicted, angry, hating life and worshipping a rock band. She was raised in a Jewish home but with no commitment to the Temple – yet told if you choose Jesus as your savior – the family will disown you. She became a Christian at age 24.  Later beauty became her focus and in spite of falling off the runway in 1994, she won the Mrs. America pageant. Now she brings God’s healing word to thousands as a sought out speaker.

Her story is a reminder that it does not matter the cultural hills and religious valleys that we travel. What matters is that we show up with all of our brokenness and listen for the words that will immediately heal us and make a difference in some way or another. What matters is that when others how up, we make sure they see Jesus in us, and we immediately offer healing words that Jesus wants us to share with everyone, and that means everyone. Amen.

*Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. Overcoming the Heartaches of Life – 1. Monday, August 19, 2013

Growing Faith August 11, 2013

August 11 “Growing Faith” *Hebrews 11.1-3, 8-16  Rev. Jacqueline Hines

This is the hour of power, as Robert Schuller would say. This is the moment we find something to meet our spiritual needs, something to feed our faith, and satisfy our hearts. Our loving creator is stirring up something good right here, right now. At any moment God may shower us with all the love, joy, comfort, strength, peace and something special too wonderful to imagine. We are here because we have faith that God cares for all of us, that our needs will be met as we partner with God and one another.

As we trust in God, have faith in God’s will, and faithfully do God’s will, our faith will grow.  In our own Bethel way, we will be just as important as Mother Theresa who did not just serve the poor in Calcutta, she served the poorest of the poor, or Mother Hale who provided care for infants of drug-addicted mothers and babes infected with AIDS. Baseball has the Hall of Fame with names like Yogi Berra and Jackie Robinson. Football has a Hall of Fame with Jonathon Ogden and Bill Parcells. Retired brain surgeon, Ben Carson has a Hall of Fame for scholars in just about every state in the country. There seems to be no end to the recognition of excellence in our world.  It is the same for people with great faith. Hebrews 11 is known as the Hall of Faith in the bible. It reminds us of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah.

It is a great thing to have faith because without faith scripture tells us, it is impossible to please God.  Of course, our ultimate aim is to please God. When life presents a bitter pill for us to swallow, our faith may suffer. When our lives are touched by circumstances that are unbearable, unpleasant, or unfulfilling our faith may go by the wayside. We may begin to try to control our own lives when we would do better to let go and let God.

The late Rev. Claude Edmonds, pastor of Tindley Temple UMC tells the story of one family who had exceptional faith. They had no food in the cupboards, but still set the table and sat down together. The father said the blessing over the food that they were about to receive. Then a knock came at the door; there was no one there, but a bag of groceries had been left on the steps. They had faith in God’s promise to provide and they acted accordingly.

The Old Testament tells a story of an ordinary widow who had faith. Every month she wondered how she would survive. She kept going until one day all she had in the cupboard was enough to make one more meal. She made up her mind she was going to eat it and prepare to die. All of us should keep our bags packed, ready to go to Heaven at a moment’s notice, but preparing to go to Heaven was not God’s plan for the widow that day. God sent Elijah with a strategy that helped her survive for many more years.

Without faith we are easily lured into Satan’s plan which is to steal, kill and destroy anything in our lives he can get his hands on. Not nurturing our faith can mean giving up precious blessings. Jesus healed a desperate man. When Jesus saw him a while later, he warned him, “You look wonderful! You’re well! Don’t return to a sinning life or something worse might happen.” Faith paves the way for us to do great things. Doubt leads us down a dead end street.

I heard James McDonald speak this week about three circumstances that can drive us to a place where we lose our faith. The first is surprises. When catastrophe floors us and we find ourselves saying, “I did not even see it coming.” It is then that we are most likely to let go of our faith. Secondly, when our situation is severe. Life has its simple annoyances, like parking tickets, but from time to time we experience a situation that is severe and sobering.  It is then that we are more apt to abandon our faith. Thirdly, when Satan convinces us that some unfortunate and bitter situation in our life is settled, that there is no way out, nothing can be done about it, it is easier at such times to forget about our faith. A psychologist once defined being “crazy” as believing that there are no more options. Surprise, severe, and settled circumstances can easily throw us off the course. Our faith reminds us that God always has a purpose and a plan, a way out even when there seems to be no way. All we have to do is stay the course and keep the faith. There is an old gospel song that says, “If you just keep the faith ‘til the morning, if you just keep the faith through the night. If you just keep the faith ‘til the morning, everything will be alright.”

Fortunately, faithful members of Bethel listen for the Word of the Lord, we take God’s guidance seriously, we expect God to do something good and something GREAT. We hold on to our faith as if our lives depend upon it because it does!

Faith grows in the soil of courage. Doubt grows in the soil of fear (James McDonald). You remember the story of Peter wanting to do great things for the Lord. His faith was so great that he asked Jesus if he could join him walking on water. He started out strong, but when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ Why are you troubled and why does doubt arise in your heart.” Those are good questions for all of us to meditate and reflect on. Why? Why are we troubled, why does doubt arise in our heart when God has never left us or forsaken us?

On another occasion, Jesus was sleeping on a boat in the middle of a very bad storm. The disciples were naturally afraid, thinking they would drown as the boat was filling with water and beginning to sink. Jesus asked them another question that we do well to ponder from time to time. Where is your faith? After all, it’s in the times of strain and struggle where we need faith, not the times of contentment. Where does our faith go when all hell breaks loose?

We want a faith that is alive and growing, a faith that looks for God in every situation, a faith that somehow finds God in every situation. That’s how we become faithful witnesses. We see for ourselves that God is good and we can witness to the fact everywhere we go.  We are witnesses to the many ways God has of blessing those who love God. We are the witnesses; God is the judge and the jury.

There is a story about a U.S. Marine that was separated from his unit on a Pacific island during World War II. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire, he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly, he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen." After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.

As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. "Hah," he thought, "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer, he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that, in you, a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."

Growing our faith may mean a few hills to climb, a few crosses to bear, but in the end we will always be alive and well, whether in this life or the next. Peggy L. sent me an email not too long ago that depicted a man carrying a very large and heavy cross. He complained about how big it was, so he cut off a few inches. It was better but the man still felt that it was too much to bear, so he cut off a few more inches. This went on until the man finally smiled, feeling that the cross was now manageable. He continued on his journey until he came to a place in the road that had a big hole between where he was and where he wanted to go. The cross that he was carrying was no longer enough to bridge the gap so he could continue his journey.

In this world, holding on to our faith makes our faith grow in ways that make our lives better and the church strong enough that when we arrive in the house of the Lord and sit in our pew, we will hear the word’s whispered in our ear, “Well done, good and faithful servant, well done.”  Amen.

August 4, 2013 “Old Clothes, New Clothes” Colossians 3.1-11 [God guides us to new ways] Rev. Jacqueline Hines

Apostle Paul is said to have written 14 letters of the New Testament.  His writings are so political that it is no surprise that four of the books were written while he was in prison. Our reading from Colossians this morning is one of them. He was often arrested and confronted wherever he went because his preaching and teaching was so controversial.  Paul did not hesitate to talk about sexual issues. Even today, 2000 years later, sexuality is still very much a politically loaded topic, whether the headlines are from the football field, the mayor’s office, or the church. Besides sex, Paul talks about something that can be even more controversial. He is talking to the church about right attitudes, like anger. He dared to tell people how to feel about certain situations. His standards were in direct opposition to the ways of the world and sometimes the ways of the church.

Eighty-year old Pastor Eugene Peterson has a master’s degree from John Hopkins’s University in biblical languages and he developed a contemporary version of the bible called The Message. This is his translation of Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse filled with what for some are controversial perspective on sex and attitudes. It says  :

quote -1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life.…be content with obscurity, like Christ.

5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

9-11 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. – end of quote.

How sweet it is to have the Holy Spirit move in our lives in such a way that every day, we can have a cleaner heart, a cleaner mind, a cleaner attitude, a cleaner life.

Pascal was a child prodigy who lived in the 1600’s. He invented a mechanical calculator when he was a teenager. He was also a Christian philosopher who observed that ‘having God in our life can be the greatest thing we can imagine, or it can be the most miserable as it reminds us that something is missing.’

Sharing a table of communion today is our opportunity to kneel before Jesus and soak in his presence and receive anything that we may be missing: his light, life, healing, strength, power, music, visions, hopes, and dreams. Communion opens a spiritual door for us to enter into the presence of God and receive what we need most.

Since the resurrection, there have been debates about exactly what happens when we communion together, when we remember that Jesus died for us, that he came to love and save all the people of the world,  when we remember that he  was rejected by many, yet he still chose to stay and sacrifice his life.

Some say during Communion Jesus shows up and sits among us in ways that are majestic and mysterious. Others are convinced that bread and wine take on magical powers that transform us from the inside out, making us more divine.  Rev. John Wesley, the founding father of Methodism said since Jesus instructed us to have Communion, we should do so often – even every week- because it gives us the spiritual strength we urgently need if we are going to be a light in this troubled world.

Indeed, Communion is our best chance at having unity in the midst of our diverse understandings and expressions of how to be faithful Christians. Communion is our path toward peace and reconciliation when Satan threatens to divide us during our controversial conversations. Communion is our time to give thanks for God’s love that makes all things possible. Love is so much bigger than right or wrong. Love finds a way to do the right thing, to make great things happen in spite of the odds.

The Greek word for Holy Communion is “the Eucharist” which means “Thanksgiving.”  We receive the Lord and each other in our hearts and we give thanks and work with it, accept each other, sacrifice for each other, until God makes something better with each of us than God would without one of us.

Thirty-year old *Rachel Hale Evans was featured in CNN – the Cable News Network.  She talked about the hunger young people have for Church. They are turning away from a church that is hostile to anyone who might be different from others. They are looking for a church that has genuinely learned to get along with all the others. She agrees with the experts who say, young people are not looking for a friendly church. They are looking for friends. Rachel says, “You can’t hand us a latte and then go about business as usual and expect us to stick around… We’re not leaving the church because we don’t find the cool factor there; we’re leaving the church because we don’t find Jesus there.”

It’s our privilege to be a church where Jesus is welcome, no matter who he brings along with him, no matter how controversial their sexuality or their attitudes. It is our privilege to be a church. May our church always be a place where Jesus can be found in me and in you. Amen.

* (http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/27/why-millennials-are-leaving-the-church/)

July 28 2013“WANTED : Love” Hosea 1.2-10 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

 “Love is a many splendored thing,” so goes the song from the 50’s. ‘It is like a touch that makes the heart sing, like a rose that blossoms early. Love is a reason to be alive.’ “It’s what the world needs now!” says another songwriter. God knows these songs are true! Love is the perfect and most pleasant solution to all our problems, the answer to all our questions. Love is the foundation upon which all good things are built. Love is bigger and better than we will ever know. God is love!

There is no doubt that we all want and need an abundance of love in our lives. We especially need to receive God’s love and to give God’s love to others. The book of Hosea which we have read this morning is about love. It’s about how to get all the love we need. It’s about how to give all the love that someone else needs.

Hosea was a spokesperson for God. He was a preacher, a teacher, a leader of spiritual things. God guided him in his marriage to Gomer, but the relationship required more love than he had to give. Hosea had to go deeper into divine treasures if he was going to give all the love that his woman needed. Hosea had to go deeper into divine treasures if he was going to get all the love that he needed. Love is a God thing.

True love comes from a relationship with God, being close enough so God can love us, strengthen us, guide us, heal us, and bless us so we can love one another, strengthen one another, guide, heal and bless one another. The world has its own brand of love, and if you have lived long enough, you have had the unfortunate experience of finding love in all the wrong and ungodly places. The world has fake love. It looks so real and shines so bright, sometimes we don’t even mind. God’s love is real, genuine, and worth a million. God’s love is worth the price we pay. It’s worth the effort, worth the worry, worth the sacrifice, and worth the struggle.

Part of our covenant with one another in the family of God is that we respect the fact that some days we have to struggle if we are going to be stronger. You have heard the story of a family that brought in two cocoons that were about to hatch. They watched expectantly as the first butterfly squeezed very slowly and painfully through a tiny hole that it chewed in one end of the cocoon. After it came out it was exhausted and lay flat for about ten minutes. Finally, it got up and flew out the open window on its beautiful new wings.

The family decided to help the second butterfly so that it would not have to go through such an excruciating ordeal. So, as it began to emerge, they carefully cut the cocoon open, but instead of sprouting wings and flying away like the first butterfly, in about ten minutes, it just quietly died. Our human struggle also makes US strong, beautiful and helps US to soar.

Hosea struggled in his family relationships. It was not easy. His wife was content to be far away from God’s love. She was not even trying to be a faithful wife. It is no wonder their first child was named after a historic, bloody battlefield called Jezreel. Their second child was named “unloved” and “unforgiving” in the Hebrew language, and the third child’s name was called “godless,” “no kin to God”

Each of us is known for something. We get a name, a reputation, a label for our activities and our attitudes – the great ones and the not so great ones. We can all relate to being called a spokesperson for God like Hosea. We have testified of the goodness of God in worship, coffee hour, or over the phone. We have shared the Good News with others. We have given a word of wisdom and comfort in due season.  We may also know what it is to be named the one who turned our back on God, who loves to fight, who has issues with a certain person and desperately needs to forgive in order to move on with their life. We may have even had a year or two when we were named the one who acted like everything but a child of God.

Whatever name we have been called, this life is not about our name, for there is a name above all names. His name is Jesus, savior, the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star, comforter, giver of life, matchmaker, mind fixer and heart regulator. This short journey we are on is about the perfect love God has available for us and for each and every one of our relationships. God’s love is in us and around us, always ready to blossom. With every breath we take, we know God’s Spirit is living in us. With every beat of our heart, we hear his love calling our name. God’s love is a forever love, a love that grows as we grow, struggles as we struggle.

We know God’s love best when we pray, when we serve, when we fast, when we read and study scriptures. Love grows when we do good deeds and follow the Ten Commandments, when we honor the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion where the Lord is present in special ways to heal, forgive, guide and strengthen us if we want to be healed, forgiven, guided, and strengthened for the journey.

One way God shows love to us is by putting prayers in our hearts that help us grow. Years ago, the Holy Spirit gave me this prayer to pray and help the body of Christ to grow. “Lord, deliver us from crying, craving, and criticism.” I have reflected on that prayer over the years. “Lord, deliver us from crying, craving, and criticism.

Love delivers us from crying. There are times when we feel sorry for ourselves and we cry and complain when love is urging us to step up our game and seek God with all our heart until we hear with our spiritual ears a plan of action. Love delivers us from crying when it’s time to act on God’s plan.

Love delivers us from cravings. The world is full of temptations and alternatives to God. It is very easy to be deceived, to get caught up in Satan’s traps and tricks. Jesus says his way is easy, and it is. The way of the world is shiny and shallow. Jesus’ ways are holy, powerful, full of richness and depth. If we take one step in the right direction, God will take two to help us. It’s a matter of choice. As we trust God, day by day, love delivers us from craving the world’s temptations that have no power to bless us but are bound to steal, kill, and destroy.

Love delivers us from criticism. Most of us know what it is to be criticized, to be doused in someone’s contempt and rejection. Criticism can be an easy art to learn and a bear to unlearn. Just as we are created for water, food, and family every day, we are created to give and receive affirmation and acceptance, care, comfort, consideration and kindness every day. Holy things happen when love delivers us from criticism, when we overflow with affirmation to others and from others, when we overflow with acceptance to others and from others, when we overflow with care, comfort, consideration, and kindness to others and from others.

Whatever the struggles in our relationships, God still has a purpose and a plan. Whatever our need, whatever our situation, God’s plan begins and ends with a covenant that Hosea had with God and his family, to love those who may not be 100% faithful, to love children of God who are just as prone to fuss and fight as to exercise their faith, who hold grudges though they want to humble themselves and forgive, who have cause others to suffer during their seasons of rebellion against the will and way of God.

So, the lessons Hosea learned about love are the same lessons we are learning. The prayers we pray for love are the same prayers Hosea prayed, “Lord, deliver us from crying, craving, and criticism” that your love can flow from heart to heart and mind to mind, so that we can step up our game, grow deeper into a love that is Holy, overflow with comfort and care for ourselves and for others all day long, and we will forever be called children of the living God.   Amen.