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/)