Signs of Growth - Changed Hearts

December 6 2015    Malachi 3.1-4, *Luke 3.1-6 “Signs of Growth – Changed Hearts” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

In this third chapter of the gospel of Luke we hear the names of several ancient politicians. Tiberius has been in office for 15 years. Tiberius was a distinguished general, a CEO, large and in charge. He ruled in the Roman Empire, those Italians who for 12 centuries,  controlled 50 million people.  It was said that the sun rose and set on the Roman Empire. The Romans were considered as powerful as the United States is today.    

Tiberius had been emperor since Jesus was a teenager and he died a few years after Jesus was crucified. The humble, human back story is that Tiberius’ mother and father were divorced and he was adopted by his step-father, Caesar Augustus. Tiberius’ great uncle was Julius Caesar. When it came to ancient politics it was all in the family as much as it is for any government. 

Tiberius appointed Pontius Pilate as governor of Judea. Judea also called Judah was also ruled by the Roman government, but high priests like Annas and Caiaphas had religious political power like the pope and like our United Methodist Bishops who blog, tweet, and take political and spiritual stands around the globe on every issue, and like Billy Graham, they are inspiring and influential to many politicians.

Luke makes a point to tell us that Herod and Phillip, who were brothers, were tetrarchs or governors in the very important districts of Galilee and bordering areas that were political hot spots since it was the area where Jesus, the religious renegade called home. These brothers were sons of Herod the Great who – for political reasons helped the Jews rebuild/renovate the Holy Temple that had been in dissarray for 500 years, torn down by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, now known as Iraq.  

How the people of God must have looked forward to building and rebuilding their place of worship, in spite of all they had gone through!!

Luke gives us a detailed political rundown because history matters in our life and in our world, or as one of my former district superintendents said to me, ‘What happens in our church can all depend on whose ox has been gored.’

The politicians worked hard to keep their positions so they were careful to support the religion of the day which was worship, not of Jehovah God, but worship of the emperor. The idea of worshipping God first was tantamount to treason. Those who did not bow down to the Emperor were persecuted and quickly put in their place.

Wherever we live and whoever our leaders are, God expects us to pray for them, to be in dialogue with Go about them.   

If we are not governed by godly leaders, our job is to model godliness for them. Praying is a spiritual exercise that nurtures us in growing closer to God and to one another. Praying for some leaders and some countries can be a spiritual challenge.

That is where John the Baptist comes in. Luke says he was a voice crying in the wilderness. The Greek word for wilderness is er'-ay-mos. A wilderness is a place of desolation, lonely with pastures best suited, not for humans, but for animals. 

A wilderness is often deserted by others because it is a place where one feels unprotected, neglected, and vulnerable. Friends are not eager to meet us in our wilderness.

We all know about being in the wilderness. We have had relationships that ripped our heart out, jobs that ate us alive, a moral lapse that left us broken and pierced the hearts of those around us. A nagging mental or physical diagnosis may have crept up on us and we were dragged, kicking and screaming into a wilderness.

Still, Luke hears John the Baptist crying above every voice in the wilderness, ‘prepare a way for the Lord.’ John preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins says verse 3.

In the wilderness, there is plenty of time to think about repenting and forgiving, for it is easy to get ourselves bent out of shape to the point of needing to be straightened out. In the wilderness, we see vividly the faces of those who cause us suffering and distress and our need to forgive them and be forgiven. It was a lifesaver that John preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness.

Baptism is a universal symbol of spiritual cleansing and purity. Since the beginning of time humans have sought ways to be submerged, overwhelmed, and immersed in a sense of cleanliness that removes our spiritual dirt and grime. If you have seen the film 12 Years A Slave, you recall Patsy risking life and limb to get just a little  piece of soap.

Like physical cleansing, spiritual cleansing contributes to our emotional well-being and can quickly become a matter of life and death. We want to wash away our greed, hatred, and conniving bacteria before they can kill us.

John the Baptist cries – a grown man crying – sometimes loudly or softly, with strong words or with sighs too deep for words, crying in hopes that our hearts would be cleansed, changed to become a heart that is free to repent and free to forgive. Crying so we can realize that we can’t have a peaceful conversation with our heavenly father if we are doing dirty deeds or wishing ill will on one of his children – our sisters and brothers, especially when we are in dire need of God’s favor ourselves.

At sundown today, our Jewish brothers and sisters will light the menorah to begin the celebration of Hanukkah. They will remind us all to give thanks even when we are crying in the wilderness. Like the Advent candles, the menorah reminds us that there is a light within each of us. It is a light that shines in the wilderness so we can see that our guide and deliverer is with us, showing us the direction we should go in order to live holy.

So John cries until we listen and look, until we look and see the Christ in every area of our lives.

For everyone is ready for Christmas, but not everyone is ready for Christ – the anointed one, anointed with the oil that glistens and shines and lights up our lives in ways that matter more than anything. Let us hear the cries of God and of one another until we can see the light and follow the one who can save us. 

Amen. 

Alive in God's House

November 15, 2015  “Alive in God’s House” I Samuel 1.4-20, *Mark 13.1-8 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

The gospel of Mark tells of a day that the disciples were admiring the magnificent stones as they walked around the Temple. We understand how awe-inspired they must have been. Every society has landmarks. Every community has historical buildings, monuments and temples that either reflect God’s glory or man’s God-given ability.

If you have ever been to Russia, you may have seen St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square.   . It was built in the 1500’s on orders from Ivan the Terrible and commemorates the capture of the fortified cities of Kazan and Astrakhan. The church is shaped like a flaming bonfire rising 156 feet high in the sky.

The Kiyomizu-dera of Japan is a Buddhist temple that was built in the 1600’s on the side of a mountain. Its name Kiyomizu means waters that are “pure” and “clear.” In the middle of this temple is a waterfall that flows from the hills. It is made without a single nail. When earthquakes come to Japan as they often do, this temple sways on its beams and pillars that interconnect and interlock in ways that stabilize the temple.

Africa’s massive Temple of Kom Ombo  was built during the Ptolemaic dynasty in the second century BC. It is actually two temples built for two ancient gods. The two temples are mirror images of each other, with two sanctuaries, two halls, two courts, and two entrances.

We do not have to go far to see beautiful architecture.  The Chester County Courthouse was built in 1846 at a cost of $55,346. It was designed by Thomas Walter who also designed the dome of the United States Capitol. 

Our own Bethel United Methodist Church began in 1844 at the bottom of the hill. The basement of the building we worship in today was dug by hand by members. Stones were hauled one by one before it was dedicated in 1932. Forty years later, in 1972, the education wing was built. In 2016 the First Phase of the renovations will be complete by the grace of God. 

It is a wonderful thing to build something majestic and beautiful! There is a great deal of satisfaction that comes with fulfilling a plan, overcoming every obstacle, smoothing out the rough places, and working each detail to its fruition.

Verse 13 tells us that as Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ 

They were in awe of the great accomplishment. Still Jesus reminded them that the physical building is very much a part of our spiritual building.

As buildings go up or down, so our spiritual life is regularly renovated. As wars ebb and flow in reality or in the rumor mill, so we struggle with one issue or another. We grow closer to God and one another. We deepen our understanding of God’s will for our lives. We are able to manage every burden knowing that God is making something beautiful out of our lives.

There are those days of terrorists and homelessness and such when the whole world could cry out in faith like the songwriter: Something beautiful, something good, all of our confusion he understood. All we have to offer him is brokenness and strife, but he makes something beautiful out of our life. No matter what is happening around us and in us, God means is working it out for our good. God is building a house not made with hands.

While we are building on earth, we are also constructing spiritual places where we can dwell secure even when all around us is sinking sand. We are building places where justice and mercy are the pillars that cause our church to sway rather than break. We are building spiritual places where unity brings us to the table together and we partake of the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (generosity), faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Then the world will know that we are Christians by our love and by our love our children, too, will know that we are Christians. Amen.

Alive In the Courtoom

November 8,  2015 “Alive in the Courtroom” Psalm 127, *Mark 12.38-44 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

You may have noticed that much of the bible is written in the backdrop of some secret military meeting, or a courtroom or a classroom. If you are in the habit of watching the evening news, you find stories in the same backdrop as the bible stories.

This morning’s text begins with a classroom conversation. Jesus is the teacher speaking to what could be a group of young lawyers who are debriefing after sitting in on a courtroom trial.

‘Beware of the scribes,” he teaches. “They like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.' '" Jesus using the word “condemnation” probably rings in the ears of his listening learners. The word “condemnation” echoes like the boom of a judge’s gavel. Boom! They devour widow’s houses and will receive the greater condemnation. condemnation….condemned…damned….punished….boom. There it is. Class dismissed. The case study of the corrupt is over. The Scribes who fleece the widows until they have nothing left have been theoretically convicted of many crimes. The judge has so ordered! 

In the verses that follow, Jesus is now on a stakeout, watching folk in the Temple. Verse 41 says, “He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. [It makes you wonder if some made a point to show off their giving, like those big banquets where pictures are taken with donors with their checks that are 5 feet wide. That is not as popular as it used to be, for many reasons.]

Jesus notes, “a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.”

His disciples who are never far away were watching, too. They were probably watching Jesus to see what he, as their master teacher, was watching.

Once I was in a Chinese takeout with a friend. He began staring intently at the young, fair-skinned Chinese clerk who had pink lips, and I was watching him as he was watching the clerk. I was puzzled at the puzzled look on his face. After what seemed like a long time, he finally turned to me and whispered, “She looks just like a newborn baby mouse.” What others see can be very interesting.

Jesus had finished his stakeout of those putting their money into the treasury. Verse 43 says, “Then he called his disciples and said to them, “‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’”

Who does that? Who gives out of their poverty? Who gives all they have to live on?

The story comes to mind of a chicken and a pig who lived on a farm. The farmer was very good to them and they both wanted to do something good for him.

One day the chicken approached the pig and said, “I have a great idea for something we can do for the farmer! Would you like to help?”

The pig, quite intrigued by this, said, “of course! What is it that you propose?”

The chicken knew how much the farmer enjoyed a good breakfast. “I think the farmer would be very happy if we made him breakfast.”

The pig thought about this. While not as close to the farmer, he too knew of the farmer’s love for a good breakfast. “I’d be happy to help you make breakfast for the farmer! What do you suggest we make?”

The chicken said, “I could provide some eggs.”

The pig knew the farmer might want more, “That’s a fine start. What else should we make?”

The chicken looked around…scratched his head…then said, “ham? The farmer loves ham and eggs!” 

The pig, very mindful of what this implied, said, “Oh no. That means you get to make a donation but I would be making a sacrifice.”

God did not call that poor widow Jesus saw to sacrifice her life and live in poverty. The greedy and corrupt in the ancient system did.

There are moments when we catch the temple guards, scribes, and the Pharisees strong-arming widows in ways that remind me of the Internal Revenue Service.

If you wanted to live peaceably in the ancient community you had to pay your Temple "tax" or else, be isolated, railroaded, ransacked, mistreated and denounced. It was not a pretty picture. That is not God’s perfect plan for his children.

When the IRS finishes its business with us, we may be left with a headache, trembling, angry or frustrated. We may feel robbed. We may face what seems like cruel and unusual punishment. When we think we have it bad, we can always compare our economic life with that of other countries. We know some are more corrupt than others, at some times in history more than others. Some show more justice than others. Some abuse their poor more than others.

Boom! The gavel goes down. The condemning evidence is witnessed in the face of every child of God that is poor.

The causes of poverty may be complicated. What is not at all complicated is that God is calling us to DO SOMETHING, SOMEWHERE, SOMEWAY, SOMEHOW. In our family, in our church, in our community, God is calling us to do something whether it is small or great. God is calling us to witness, to testify, to give, and to share understanding that God will provide what we need.

Our calling may be to give something material and financial like food or money. We may hear God’s call to give something spiritual like a listening ear or a kind word. But there is no way in this world that God is not calling all of us to do SOMETHING, SOMEWHERE, SOMEWAY, SOMEHOW.

Don’t get mad if God is asking you to give something small and unnoticeable. Don’t be mad if God is asking you to give something bigger than you think is reasonable. God knows the beginning and the end of each gifts. God has a purpose and a plan.

Don’t be mad if you look back and see you have made a mistake in giving more or less than you believe God called you to give. God sees your heart and can move you forward. 

As you move forward with your offerings, Jesus sees all. The poor widow he sees is not the example of sacrificial giving that God wants us to follow. The poor widow is the evidence that proves God is calling all of us to do whatever God is asking us to do so that we will not bear the judgment of making matters worse for the poor or doing nothing while others are in need.  

This is a season to seek God with ALL of our hearts. It is the season to hear God’s voice guiding us to give and to receive. For God is surely speaking to me and to you on behalf of someone in need It may even be our own need. 

It is obvious in this life that we were made to depend on God and one another. Just think about the daily urgency of our need for food, water, shelter, friendship, support, freedom, and opportunities. These ultimately come from God, and God works in our hearts. We need the Lord, the Lord needs us, and we need each other. Amen.

Alive in Christ

November 1 2015 “Alive In Christ” Isaiah 25.6-9, *John 11.32-44  Pastor Jacqueline Hines

You probably have had some exasperating circumstances in your life. Your circumstances may have been so exasperating that you asked the same question that was asked in verse 37 of our lesson from John: ‘Could not Jesus who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’  From time to time we may wonder, if Jesus did that, why did he not do this?

Jesus was weeping at the tomb of Lazarus. Some said it was out of love. Others wondered why he was weeping when he had power all along to keep him alive. There are no real answers to all that happens in this life, accept that God is God and we are not.

We struggle in the mystery of what God or we coulda, woulda, shoulda. We can work ourselves into a tizzy thinking about a past that we cannot change or circumstances over which we have little control. In such times many of us have prayed that prayer used in alcoholics anonymous:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Instead of giving in to the habit of worrying and complaining about our situations, no matter how rough, we do better, even if only for a moment, to follow the discipline of sharing our gratitude. Instead of looking at the glass half empty, we are hope-filled when we see the glass half full and are grateful. Instead of focusing on the grey clouds, looking thankfully at the silver linings can help us cope a little better. 

Concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl  is known to have survived dire circumstances because he refused to dwell on the question, “Why me?” Instead he kept his eyes on God and the blessings that never ceased to flow. He found focusing on the love of his family brought happiness and being grateful paved the way for peace.

It is not easy to look up when the devil is throwing swords at your feet. It is not easy to focus our faith on the idea that God has our back, to keep on believing that no matter what happens God will never leave us or forsake us and will always give us something to manage our difficulties for which we ought to be thankful.

Let us rest assured that Christ lives in us and around us to make love a real and healthy part of our family and our community. It is natural for life and love to flow among God’s people. 

We are alive in Christ. We are alive with conviction, conversation, and constant change. We are blessed with so much : connection, cleansed hearts, the proven ability to correct our shortfalls. We are busy like our creator, creating new and wonderful ways to bless God and those who most need a blessing. Bethel, we are equipped and ready to serve God and enjoy God in every way that we are called.

We are especially alive with the three that I first mentioned - conviction, conversation, and constant change, and so we should be. 

The reason we are alive as a church today is because of our convictions.  Since 1844 – 171 years, we have trusted in God, by the grace of God. God has been faithful to us and we have, by the grace of God, been faithful to God.

We fast, we pray, we serve, we tithe, we sacrifice. We practice what we preach and we repent when necessary, and we are yet alive!

Though our faith may dim and our doubts trouble, we emerge again and again trusting that we are never alone. We are a people of conviction. Secondly, we are alive also because of our conversation. 

Adult conversation is able to endure whatever issues that we face. Adult conversation is able to figure out what to do in a cultural clash. Adult conversation does not run when trouble comes on the scene.

A psychologist was asked by a parent of a teenager, what they could best do to survive the mood swings and growing pains of their child. The psychologist’s answer was to do all you could do to keep the conversation going.

Other wise persons would add – keep the laughter going in the conversations. Finding a reason to laugh, or at least smile, is exactly the spoon full of sugar that helps the medicine go down.

We keep the church alive in Christ just like we keep our families alive in Christ. Visitors who come to worship are often grateful for a little conversation. They want to hear what it is like to be a part of our church, and they are happy to talk about life in general. Smiling goes a long way in communicating our welcome; going deeper and engaging in conversation can work wonders.

There is a delicate balance to be had when it comes to visitors. One woman said she went to a non-denominational church and it took her twenty minutes to move the few feet from the front door through the lobby to the sanctuary because there were so many people greeting her, engaging her, getting to know her, and wanting to show her children where Sunday School classes were held. She found that just a little overwhelming. There is a delicate balance to be struck.

Our convictions and our conversations keep us alive as a church. Much of our spiritual health and well-being is because of our willingness to adapt to the third point: constant change.  It is said that the only constant IS change.

A few weeks ago, I heard a woman tell of her experience with storm Sandy. She mentioned that her husband was an emergency worker and had to leave the home in order to help find survivors and victims in the storm. She knew she would have to eventually evacuate like the rest of the neighborhood, but she found it excruciating to leave her home. Changing her routine and facing the uncertainty and loss was very, very grueling for her. She finally did it, but it was torture.

Others flat out refused to adapt to the necessary changes in the storm and not only put their own lives in jeopardy but called on emergency responders who risked their lives as well.

At the next Administrative Council meeting, I will be looking at ways that we can best prepare to adapt to the constant changes that are before us and every church in our nation and our world. It is not and never has been easy to change, but by the grace of God through the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we can remain alive in Christ. 

We have learned that it is the Holy Spirit working in us that enables us to stay alive with our convictions, our conversations, and our constant changes. Just like a surgeon learns to look through a microscope to heal, 

we learn to see things that are not visible to the naked eye. Just like a pilot does not look out of the window like the passengers, we learn to navigate heights by watching the panel of instruments. 

Rather than focusing on our circumstances, we are learning to trust God and watch God work in us through the Holy Spirit; that is how we stay alive in Christ. Amen. 

Dirty Words - Commandments

Job 23.1-9, 16-17; Mark 10.17-31 “Dirty Words – Commandments” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

If I were to give the bible another name, that name would be BOUNDARIES. The main function of the bible is to draw the boundary lines where we should step and where we should stay away. Biblical boundaries nudge us into our appropriate positions for peace and surround us with signs and wonders that inspire us to us to walk in paths bright with righteousness.

Verse 17 tells us that a man ran to Jesus and knelt down, giving him respect and honor. The same story is told in other gospels where the man was evidently young and rich with a lot going for himself.

This story brings to mind a certain GE commercial where the parents of a young man are congratulating him for his new position as a worker for GE one of the greatest company’s in this country. The father lays a huge hammer on the table and says, ‘This is your grand pappy’s hammer.’ Indicating he worked hard and long. The young man declares, ‘in my new job as a GE worker, I will be running big machines more powerful and efficient than ever.’ The dad looks at his son and says, ‘You can’t even pick it up, can you?’ The young man is speechless as the commercial comes to an end.

Today is senior day and we recognize that our seniors have worked hard and long to build great lives and to build God’s church. Each generation behind us comes along and may be able to do things faster and easier in some ways, but we smile to ourselves when we realize that they may not have the wisdom and spiritual strength to lift and carry as the generation before them.

The young man who ran to Jesus had spiritual discipline and self-control that was better than most, because most do not want to take orders. He was driven this day by one burning question and he was in a hurry to get the answer.

‘Jesus, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ What can I do to have the lawful right to eternal life? He may have wanted to add to his portfolio of valuables. Perhaps eternal life was just another one more admirable asset to go along with   all of his other stuff.

Jesus looked at him and loved him and told him to sell all his stuff and give the money to the poor, for when God is all we have, we understand that God is all we need.

Though he walked away sadly, he was bound to learn that eternal life is just what Jesus said in John 17, “This is eternal life to know God…”   Eternal life is to know God like Adam knew Eve. It is to live in a sacred place where one gets to know God personally and intimately, producing the stuff that really matters in this life and the life to come - the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The young man who ran to Jesus knew the commandments like the back of his hand, but he did not know the God who longs for a personal relationship with those whom he created.

One of my part time jobs as a teenager was working behind a widow in a gas station from 11-7 a.m. It was wonderful to keep busy chatting with travelers during the night and to watch the sun come up in all its glory. There were plenty of moments when I could pray without interruption. During one shift, I was enveloped by God’s loving presence as if in a great big hug, and in my heart I heard these loving words, “You are mine all mine….” which can be found in scripture. But, in my youthful foolishness and rebellious mind, I did not want to belong to God 100% and I felt myself pushing God away.

We run to Jesus for many reasons. When we are challenged to surrender 100% of our will or 100% of our stuff, we may go away sadly, even though we know our rewards would be great.

At the end of the day, it is not how we come to Jesus, it is how we leave.   Amen.

Dirty Words- Divorce

 October 4 Job 1.1, 2.1-10; Mark 10.2-16 “Dirty Words – Divorce” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

The bible tells us that God hates divorce. Right away we feel very guilty about divorce. Just breaking up feels bad. Not getting along is no picnic.

A 40 year old woman shared with me years and years ago that her parents were getting a divorce after decades of marriage. She was beside herself with grief and frustration. When young children experience divorce, they often blame themselves. They act out in school. The have anxiety attacks. I had two friends who got married; after ten years they could not stand each other. Their one child became so distressed he required psychiatric care. One of them cheated on the other and the other never got over it. All things are possible, but even God recognizes that some relationships are so wasted and deep in the toilet that it is better to let it go and learn some important lessons.  

Infidelity is the one reason for divorce that stands out as a lively option in scripture. And, if we read between the lines, we understand that there is more than one way to be an infidel. We cheat on one another when we marry the bottle or the job or otherwise stop acting in covenant with God and one another.  

The Israelites were told by God through the prophets over and over again to stay married to God and Godly people: do not marry those foreigners. They were told not to marry foreigners not because they were from another country or another culture. They were told not to marry anyone whose ways and cultures for whom faith in the God of justice, mercy, and righteousness was foreign. At times, we read one line of scriptures and run away and start rumors about God. It is best to study the word of God and learn to read between the lines. 

The Israelites married the ungodly. Foreigners who did not know the rules - that is those who were foreign to the ways of God and who went their own way instead. They may have married foreigners for money or power or prestige or sex or because they were eye candy or a showpiece or maybe because they were exotic and interesting. In those cases, God was pretty insulted and they were commanded by God’s prophet to get a divorce.  

God recognizes that some relationships are so bruised and broken, so far away from holiness that continuing would cause more harm than good. God knows and God cares.

God hates divorce, not because it is divorce, but because there is more focus on inflicting pain and suffering rather than resurrection and redemption. Divorce always feels bad. It is a major disappointment for family and friends who are rooting for success.

God hates divorce and so do we! Divorce or no divorce, it is best to keep our covenant with God, first and foremost.

God is absolutely wild about each of us, though, so much so that God keeps his covenant with us, even when we are not willing or able to keep our covenant with God. We are loved with an everlasting love.  

On this World Communion Sunday we remember that God keeps a covenant with us and if we keep the covenant with one another we will find unspeakable treasures of God’s blessings.  

There are at least three treasures we will find. First, when you keep a covenant with God, you will find the treasure of God’s love. You will find personal intimacy with God, detailed evidence of divine concern for you and all that matters to you. The other day, I was in the parking lot of Pottstown Hospital after visiting. I heard a horn blow, and I looked toward a van to see if someone was signaling for my attention. Joy stuck her head out of the window saying her toddler son Braeden was actually the one who had touched the horn, but it worked out well because her dad was in the emergency room. I thanked God for the precision and efficiency of that moment. That moment stood out for me like a ray of sunshine, a warm hug, and a sweet aroma. It felt like love, reminding me that God knows and God cares about the details of our lives.  

The second treasure we find in keeping our covenant with God is that we learn to love and covenant with God’s children around the world. In last Monday night’s bible study we looked at Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. We have all been Good Samaritans at one time or another.

We may have even been exactly like the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 who did the unthinkable when he saw a man beaten up and left for dead.

 While others were ignoring or rubbernecking this man who happened to be Jewish, like most people in the bible, the Samaritan who was considered the lowest of all races, had the mindset and the means to help someone half dead, someone who was different from him and probably useless to him for all intents and purposes.

The Samaritan shared a depth of love and compassion that could not be bought for a trillion, million dollars. God is the Samaritan who finds a way to get to us even when our marriage to God is dead, when we are too hard-headed to keep our covenant with God. God comes to commune with us even after someone beats us up, breaks our precious covenant, and leaves us half dead on the side of the road. God comes to us when others avoid us, saying they just don’t want to get involved in our mess, or rubberneck on our lives as if they have no shame or brokenness in their lives. God shows up with soothing ointments for our wounds and help and hope that transforms every detail of our lives.  

Oh that we would receive God’s blessings, not with anger and resentment, but with gratitude. When we receive God’s mercy and love and kindness for ourselves, we can figure out how God wants us to treat others no matter where they have come from or where they are going.   When we keep a covenant with God, we first find the treasure of God’s love on a very personal level; secondly, we find the treasure of knowing how to show love and compassion to others in great need, and thirdly, through constant communication in the covenant – that is through prayer – we grow to respect God, ourselves, and each other.

When we respect one another we hear them, we heed them, and we hold them in high regard. When we hear, heed and hold every one of God’s children, we are purged of those nasty feelings of disgust, resentment, and contempt we may feel for ourselves and others when we are beaten down and half dead.  

Praying about everything helps us keep that covenant with God first and foremost and then with all others.   Prayer is our healing fountain, a breath of fresh air, a cleansing river, an ocean of peace and tranquility, prayer opens up a consultation room with God, a court of honor where we have access to a righteousness judge. Prayer becomes for us a wall of fire to protect us and our marriage to God from the enemy. Prayer is our battleground for victory our meeting house where joy overwhelms us. As we commune together may we find the greatest treasures, and may they transform every detail of our lives.  Amen.

Debt Free - Humility

September 13 “Debt Free –Humility” Proverbs 1.20-33, *James 3.1-12 Jacqueline Hines

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Today is Rally Day, the beginning of a new year of teaching and learning the ways of God. It is also the beginning of the New Year on our Judeo-Christian calendar. It is Rosh Hashanah, meaning the head of the year, or the New Year, or the Feast of Trumpets.  It is a time to loudly give thanks to God, offer praises for our many blessings, and humble ourselves by asking God to bring sweetness into the New Year. 

Scholars say that today’s scripture lesson - used to begin this new year and this sermon series on being debt free-  is passed down to us from James who was one of Jesus’ brothers. James starts off in chapter 3 by reminding Christians not to be in a hurry to teach because teaching must work extra hard to be accurate and inspiring. James, the brother of Jesus goes on to talk about how important words are. He notes that we all have the spiritual challenge of controlling our words rather than letting words control us. Words, James says, can start a destructive fire like a forest fire.  We all know what James reminds us, words matter. The words we will teach in our three adult classes and our 7 children’s classes will make a difference for years to come.

Since the beginning of this church in 1844, for 171 years, we have been known for excellence and dedication in teaching. Year after year we have been diligent and intentional about teaching. Now today James reminds us that our words matter. James tells us that there is a certain way we should talk. There is a time to speak and a time to study before you speak. There is a time to be quiet and listen. 

It is not natural for most of us to accept being told when to speak and how to speak and what to say and what not to say. Nevertheless, God has given us high standards. As teachers, formal and informal – for we are models of something wherever we go and whatever we say and do – God is always ready to teach us.  

One of our greatest affirmations of the lessons God teaches is found in our youngest children. Weren’t we amazed when we heard the children summarizing all they had learned at Vacation Bible School? One student from our own Bethel Christian Preschool remembered all the characters even a week later. Grandma was shocked.

I heard a precious story last week about another one of our 4 year olds. Last Sunday his grandmother gave a very inspiring children’s message with several examples of how to pray to God when you are in trouble.

His father was driving him home from church when another car went right through a stop sign without stopping. “Gee wiz,” he said out loud. The little one asked, “What’s wrong, Dad?” He said, that man did not stop at the stop sign and that could have caused an accident. I hope when you get old enough to drive you remember to stop at the stop signs. Branden said in very serious tones, “I think he is in trouble.” And, before he knew it, this father was hearing his 4 year old son I the back seat, praying as his grandmother had just taught him in the children’s message: “Dear Jesus, help that man remember to stop at the stop signs.” 

Let us all watch and pray so that we can be great models and teachers. We want the goodness of God to be passed down from heart to heart and generation to generation and year to year in ways make the world a better place.  We change the atmosphere one prayer at a time, one humble student at a time. Thank you Kaleb and Branden, and thank you mom and dad and grand mom and grandad, thank you Sunday School, thank you Bethel Christian Preschool,  and thank you all of Bethel and friends. Amen. 

“Debt Free – Blessing the Poor”

September 6 “Debt Free – Blessing the Poor” Proverbs 22.1-2, 8-9, 22-23,*James 2.1-10 Jacqueline Hines

Like most Americans, you know how easy it is to get over our heads in debt. We can get into debt just trying to live a decent life, especially when the job market takes a dive or prices skyrocket. We cherish the thought of being debt free. 

In biblical days, those who incurred a debt, were condemned to a type of slavery until the last payment. It was not pretty. Today, it is not uncommon to think of ourselves as slaves, working for car payments, our credit cards, mortgages, and other debt – some more necessary than others.

The founder of Methodism, John Wesley lived in a very poor home as a child. His father, Samuel Wesley, was the Anglican priest in one of England’s lowest-paying parishes. He had nine children to support and was rarely out of debt. At the age of two John saw his father being marched off to debtors’ prison. The banker laws of that day allowed such penalties.

We all cherish the idea of being debt free, but of all our debts we have in life, we want to be debt-free with our God. We want to have our matters settled with God. We want God to rule our financial affairs as well as all our affairs.

As a professor at Oxford, John Wesley made a lot more money than he had when he was growing up. His days of poverty were over quickly. He could afford to spend all he wanted -as one record shows - on playing cards, tobacco and brandy*. Soon, though, he was moved by the Holy Spirit and his perspective on money changed.

He had just finished paying for some pictures for his room when one of the chambermaids came to his door. It was a cold winter day, and he noticed that she had nothing to protect her except a thin linen gown. He reached into his pocket to give her some money to buy a coat but found he had too little left. Immediately, the thought struck him that the Lord was not pleased with the way he had spent his money. He asked himself, Will thy Master say, “Well done, good and faithful steward?” Thou hast adorned thy walls with the money which might have screened this poor creature from the cold! O justice! O mercy! Are not these pictures the blood of this poor maid?*

Such experiences led to his most famous teaching: “Earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.”

James preaches to the people of God in verse 6, ‘Do not dishonor the poor.’ All humanity knows what it is to be poor in one way or another. 

Did not Jesus say, “The poor you have with you always.”

The word for “poor” in this morning’s text is  Ptochos (pto-khos').

To be poor has a wide range of meanings. To be poor is to be reduced to begging, asking for help, destitute of wealth or learning, having no influence, without a place or position of honor. To be poor means to be lowly and afflicted.

To be poor also means to be without Christian values and their blessings, to be without eternal riches. To be poor can be helpless and powerless to change your situation, to be stuck, to be needy, to lack spiritual strength. To be poor is to lack anything.

 God is on the side of the poor. We especially hear this when Jesus declares, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” 

Bethel’s book club is reading a book entitled What is so Blessed about Being Poor?

We can all answer that question. What is so blessed about being poor? For, just as we are confident of God’s presence and blessings when we are enjoying an abundance of provisions or love or opportunities, whenever we are suffering or experiencing lack, we can also find God’s blessings. We can be confident that even though we do not have something we need, God never leaves us empty handed. We are still blessed in deep and abiding ways. The Laws of God are on the side of whoever is poor, whenever we are poor, wherever we are poor, however we are poor.

The news is paying a lot of attention to all kinds of laws these days. Immigration laws are stirring our hearts. We all have strong feelings and strong fears. God is on the side of the poor immigrants and encourages us to do right by those who are in need.

We felt the tension of the woman who decided she was not going to follow the law and issue a license to a same sex couple. Did God really ask her to do that? What would you do in that situation?

What does the word of God say to us when we are seeking love? Whether we look back and decide that we have made a good choice or a bad choice, God is a jealous God and insists on being our first love no matter who else we are called to or choose to love. Our relationship with God thrives when we allow nothing to come between us and our love for God.

Albert Tindley put it well in a song: Nothing between, like pride or station;

Self or friends shall not intervene;

Though it may cost me much tribulation,

I am resolved, there’s nothing between.

Just like God is on the side of the poor immigrants, God is on the side of the poor lonely person looking for love. God is on the side of the poor whoever and whatever the poor can be found.  And, God is calling us to also be on the side of the poor.

Whatever choices we make may sound ridiculous or extreme or too easy for some, but our moral and other financial choices are ultimately for God to judge. Every choice we make or every response we make to another person’s choice is ultimately judged by an all-knowing, all-loving, all-seeing God. Like Jesus, even with our best judgment, we come first of all not to judge the world, but to do whatever we are assigned to help save the world. Yes, we do need to judge

but with a right judgment, a loving judgment and a judgment that understands that God is the ultimate judge of all.

Because John Wesley saw the faces of the poor and no doubt heard the loud cries of anguish and distress that God also heard, he left us a legacy of giving that is still part of the Methodist Church today. Wesley’s journal shows his income was 30 pounds one year and his living expenses 28 pounds, leaving two pounds for the poor.

When his income increased, he still tithed, but he did not raise his standard of living; he raised his standard of giving. He dedicated himself to living simply so that others could simply live.

God is calling us to deeper depths and higher heights to be a blessing to the poor, whether they be poor in finances or poor in some spiritual manner – needing a kind word, a gentle rebuke, a warm presence.

One of the blessings of being your pastor is always hearing you talk about the many ways God has richly blessed you and hearing about the many ways you are answering God’s call to be a blessing to all kinds of people in all kinds of situations.

Scriptures say that when we give to the poor, we lend to the Lord. As individuals, we have given to the poor. As families and as a congregation we have answered the call to give to the poor, and the Lord has repaid us with interest. Our debt of love has been paid again and again. This is a good thing because Scriptures tell us to owe no one anything except to love them.

It is a very good thing for Christians to strive to be debt free in every way possible. Being debt free is a great Christian testimony when it means we are living within our means, when we are living simply that others can simply live. Debt free is good spiritual living. More importantly, answering God’s call to give to the poor, makes us debt free with God.

When we give our all, we make room for the tremendous blessings of God that God is always pouring into our lives. Amen.

 *https://pastorpeterko.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/john-wesley-on-money/