Febrary 21, 2016 "How Love Protects Us"

Luke 13.31-35 “How Love Protects Us” Pastor Jacqueline Hines February 21, 2016 Scout Sunday. Second Sunday in Lent

Jesus lived a vulnerable life. People were always picking on him. You would think he was running for president. Probably none of the presidential candidates we know ever travels alone. There are no doubt people who want to shake their hands and want them to kiss their babies and listen to the reasons why they deserve their vote.

The Pharisees came to Jesus, who was no doubt surrounded by 12 disciples, and warned him that Herod was trying to kill him. That is a serious as it gets. You would think Jesus would go into hiding. Instead, he called Herod a sly fox and told him exactly where he was going and what he would be doing. “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. [slide # 1 I am casting out demons…]

Jesus did not hide because he felt secure. Love causes everyone to feel secure. To love is to protect. To be loved is to be protected. Love protects us in three ways. First love protects us in God’s presence. When we stay in God’s presence, we experience security and protection. When we go to the same places that God goes, we are surrounded by God’s presence. [slide # 2 waterfall] When we go to a place to give thanks to our God, to worship our God, and to serve our God, there is a certain security and protection that follows us there, and follows us wherever good intentions dwell.

Jesus said in verse 34, “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! “ When we know we are going against God’s will, we may not appreciate being gathered together with God like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.  The reason we have traveled to this season of Lent is to get ready for God to gather us, to smother us under the wing of God’s love. [slide # 3 gathered with Jesus]

We are protected in God’s presence. Secondly, we are protected in prayer. Episcopalian Bishop Tutu once said that as he challenged the political powers of his day, like Jesus did, he experienced the prayers of God’s people as a wall of fire separating him from the enemy.  [slide # 4 wall of fire]  Many animals fear fire. Fire can be a threat. Prayer is a threat to evil. Prayer is our protection.

A blind lady left her senior center apartment early one morning as she did every day to walk down and pick up her mail in the lobby. She approached the elevator and felt a presence, like an arm, holding her back from entering the elevator. She tried again and felt the same sense that she was not to go into the elevator. She believed God was trying to tell her something, so she returned to her apartment. Later she discovered that the elevator shaft was open, and she would have stepped into an empty hole. Prayer is a source of protection.

Joel Osteen tells the story of how his father could not get his trunk open one day. It was loaded with boxes for the food pantry. The trunk was stuck, stubborn, and refused to budge. Finally, he realized he had not prayed and asked God for help. So he said a little prayer and those around were kind of chuckling. He tried to open the trunk again, and still nothing happened. He walked away perhaps to get some tools, and suddenly they heard a click and the trunk opened up on its own.  [slide # 5 praying hands]

We do well to begin the day with prayer, end the day with prayer, and pray throughout the day. You may say as one person mentioned some time ago. “Pastor, I prayed about my spouse, but my first marriage was a nightmare.” Prayer is our conversation with God that evolves and becomes clearer and richer with time, just as it does when we talk with one another. In many conversations things just click and we completely understand where each of us is coming from, and we are filled with joy and happiness. God’s love helps us to even understand one another perfectly clearly when are speechless and our thoughts are jumbled up.

There are times when even loving conversations can get frustrating; we may feel we are not heard, or that God does not care or that someone else does not care. So praying every day gives us a new opportunity to let God do a great work in us, protecting us from the ravages of Satan. It is important to keep the conversation going!

Love protects us in God’s presence, in prayer, and finally, love protects us in God’s peace! God’s peace is protection.

A 17 year old finally got his driving license. He took his mother to work in a car that a friend loaned her for the day. It was a stick shift. He dropped his mom off and his little cousin jumps into the front seat eating potato chips. He approached the driveway to his house and decided to hit the gas since there was a steep slope.  That was a bad idea. The car stalled, the brakes locked, cars could come at any moment from the busy street on the left or from the two lanes behind him.

The car started sliding backwards and slowly hit a wall instead of a couple oncoming cars. His cousin, with eyes ready to pop out of its’ sockets, was still eating chips, only a little faster than before. The car got a big scratch along the side.  He spent the whole day scared and terrified, thinking about the mess he made.

Finally, the time came to face his mother. He walked up the driveway. At the same time his mother comes out of the house. She looks at him, not with anger, but with compassion.[slide # 6 forgive others….]

Having lived longer she wisely said these words: "It’s ok son, We’ll get it fixed! That’s what money is for." He was relieved of his dreaded burden of guilt and shame and his mind was filled with peace. Surely, he felt surrounded and protected by peace. No doubt he could make better decisions and be ready to protect others with the same peace that he had received.

Love protects us in God’s presence, in prayer, and in God’s peace. Let’s connect to God’s love to love today. [slide # 7 plugs.] Amen.

February 14, 2016 "How Love Feeds Us"

February 14 Deuteronomy 26.1-11, *Luke 4.1-13 “How Love Feeds Us” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Luke tells us that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, a loving spirit. Jesus’ love for God and for God’s people made a difference to all who came to him. That is why we worship, because we are loved, because Jesus makes a difference in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones. [slide # 1 What a difference… ]

This season of Lent is our time to draw closer to the God of this universe. If there are 365 days in a year, using the 40 days before Easter (not counting Sundays) is about a tithe of our time. Tithing is a wonderful standard. [slide # 2 tithing time]

When we use our time to exercise spiritual disciplines, we are truly blessed. We are truly ready for God to use us to be a blessing in ways that may be small or great.

During last week’s Leadership Training and Planning workshop, we had a list of several spiritual disciplines and we put smiley faces on every spiritual discipline that we had exercised in the last 8 months. [slide # 3 smiley faces ] We were to put X’s on those disciplines that we had not exercised in the last 8 months.

There were about 20 of us and we had 100% smiley faces on spiritual disciplines like studying, worshipping, seeking spiritual guidance, worshipping, and praying. A few could not wrap their minds around simplicity, solitude, and meditation so there were some X’s there.

Then there were plenty of X’s on the spiritual discipline of fasting. Even though fasting has been a part of the biblical and Wesleyan-Methodist tradition from the beginning, most of us don’t think about fasting much.

There are many ways to fast. One of the most powerful fasts that I have done is a two hour fast with no solid food. Whatever we offer God with a heart of reverence, will be accepted. [slide # 4 red heart with smaller heart] The longest tradition of fasting that I notice at Bethel is our Maundy Thursday sacrificial soup dinner we partake of before the Maundy Thursday communion and hand-washing service. [slide # 5 bowl and towel] This partial fast is still a fast that pleases God and deepens our faith.

Jesus fasted in the wilderness. Fasting helped him to focus on getting through his wilderness experience. He fasted, in order to find strength to resist the many temptations that the devil put before him. Fasting, like every spiritual exercise, stretches our spiritual muscles and stretching brings strength. [slide #6 man stretching]

You have probably heard the story of a little boy who was standing near an open box of peanut butter cookies.

"Now then, young man," ... said the grocer as he approached the young boy.

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing," replied the boy: "Nothing."

"Well it looks to me like you were trying to take a cookie."

"Oh you're so wrong, mister, .... I'm trying not to take a cookie!"  

[slide # 7 little boy looking at cookies]

Like Jesus, we all have our conversations with the devil. We go back and forth, back and forth, weighing the cost of taking any opportunity that is designed to destroy us instead of build us up.

From experience, we all know what works best to help us make it through our wilderness. Books are written that offer one tried and true method after another. We read our Daily Bread and think about what we might give up for Lent. We may even think about what we can take up and offer in the way of some service during the Lenten season.

Whether we give up or take up, we can remember that our God is not looking for us to get a better method. God is looking for us to be a better people, a people prepared fulfill God’s purpose and plan. The spiritual disciplines make us a better people. And, we all want to be better! We all want to get out of the wilderness as soon as we can, as smoothly as we can.

We can imagine that the little boy salivating over that peanut butter cookie was not a happy camper. In fact, for most of us, not getting what we want when we want it, is crying time. Fasting is for those crying times. [slide # 8 face down]

Fasting is for those who are ready to shed real tears. Fasting is a time to weep with those who weep, to mourn with those who mourn.

Fasting is a time to shed tears of repentance, to be sorry – sorry for our sins, sorry for the words, behaviors, and attitudes that have been less than pleasing to a God who finds ways to bless us in every one of our situations.

Fasting is a time to feast on the word of God, [slide # 9 hand ] to taste more consciously the love of God, to set aside a special time to be with our Divine Valentine. Fasting is a time to cry out and shout from the mountain tops the depths of God’s love for us, and how seriously we take each step of faith that deepens us in that love. It is a love we have grown to trust as the songwriter reminds us:

 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,

How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,

Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!

O for grace to trust Him more.

Let us continue this Lenten journey by God’s grace exercising the many spiritual disciplines we have in mind, whether or not we are experiencing a wilderness. Robert Frost’s poem inspired me recently, especially when I think about how comfortable a wilderness full of temptations can become sometimes:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

We may do our spiritual exercises of meditation, prayer, study, simplicity, solitude, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance, or celebration. We may even exercise fasting. Whatever we do in this season, may the love of God enfold us, [slide # 10 valentine sun] may we partake of every word that comes from the mouth of God, may Heaven feed us ‘til we want no more. Amen.

February 7 2016 "How Love Transforms"

February 7 Exodus 34.29-35, * Luke 9.28-43 “How Love Transforms” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

This week the Lenten season begins. We will go to Brownback’s UCC church and worship Wednesday with the Union of Churches on Ash Wednesday. [slide # 1 Ashes on forehead] In the back of our minds, we are sincerely intending to change for the better. We have good intentions.  We not only have good intentions, but we make special efforts during the season of Lent because well we know that “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Fortunately for us, we do not need to be perfect. We do not need to be perfectly good. We just need to take God seriously and surrender our lives every day.

After Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he came up strong as WE have many times come up strong. After his 40 days in the wilderness, scripture tells us Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit.[slide # 2 filled with the Spirit] He was heavily influenced by a Holy Spirit. When I was finishing seminary, I had a glass of wine with friends and a week later, one of them talked about the things we said that we would not normally say. Evidently we were talking under an influence that allowed us to lower our standards. It was not us talking, it was the wine talking.

After Jesus was tested in the wilderness, just as we test ourselves during Lent, he was filled with the Spirit, so when he spoke he was under the influence of that which is holy. The Holy Spirit raises us to a higher standard that we could not reach on our own. [slide # 3 excellent standards]

We have all felt the good, warm, and tingly feeling of doing the right thing. A few weeks ago we appreciated the feeling of successfully completing the fall Sunday school curriculum, whether we were teacher or a student in the three adult and 7 children’s classes. It was exhilarating to watch all the love that was poured into the Collins family to make a warm reception after the loss of Alice’s sister-in-law. It felt good to return to worship in this sanctuary after a week of being snowed in. The Holy Spirit feels good because the work of the Holy Spirit in us is a work of love, and love feels good. Most of all, love helps us grow and change and blossom in beautiful ways. [slide # 4 blossom]

Jesus was changed, transfigured when he gathered with his disciples. Right before their eyes he was transformed in ways that the disciples could not even put into words. All of their senses were heightened as they watched Jesus’ face. It looked brighter. Sometimes you can see in the face of a woman that she is pregnant before she even knows herself. Divine activity on the inside of us can change the way we look on the outside. There is a ripple effect. Things happen one after another. Even Jesus’ clothes were spectacular. The disciples could not help but check him out. And they even saw the ancient heroes, Moses and Elijah. [slide # 5 transfiguration]

After that, a cloud from heaven came and overshadowed them, enveloping them in love, but it was uncomfortable. It was unusual and intriguing. Then after that they actually heard the voice of God saying ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’  [slide # 6 listen to him] The ripple effect continued the next day; a father came to Jesus with a boy who was in a mess and was under the influence of demons, so much so that he was convulsing. It was pitiful. It was horrible.

Miraculously, the boy was healed. The demons left and the boy was returned to his father. Would that every sad story had a happy ending. If we follow the life of Jesus in this story, we see three things that help to bring a happy ending to our saddest stories.  

The first thing we see is what Jesus did in verse 28. [slide # 7 Jesus took Peter…] Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. Jesus took time to pray in community. Before we begin our Building Committee Meetings for the last two years, we pray. When we have our Council meetings, we pray. When we start the prayer chain on line, via email, we pray. When we come to this sanctuary we pray. In lots of ways we pray in community. When we pray in community, others can see a difference in us. It carries over, even if you pray at lunch time in your office, somebody will be able to see something on your face or in your heart, something that looks like peace, or love, or kindness….

The second thing that happened before the demons left the child was they were enveloped in a cloud of God’s glory. They were afraid, but they understood they were in the presence of God.

I was part of a small worship service once when the atmosphere began to change. Hearts were humbled. Words turned into quiet sighs and groans too deep for words. In one pew, someone was wiping the corner of their eyes as the tears were streaming. Another bowed their head and nodded an affirmation of haven been touched by a sense of joy. Peaceful smiles rippled form the altar to the door. Eyes were closed. My heart was filled with expectation as surely I believed the Lord was in the place and about to bless the people in ways that were not planned according to the bulletin. But, instead of waiting on God, the pastor said the benediction and quickly left for his office. He was afraid. His office was right next to the sanctuary, so he peeked out a couple times, wondering why they were not leaving, as they continued soaking in God’s marvelous presence. [slide # 8 praising God]

If we stand still, God will envelop us in a cloud of indescribable glory and we will experience an outpouring of blessings that our lives so urgently need. We will be  filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and we will begin to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (generosity), faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The Lenten season is a season to inspect our spiritual productivity, health, well-being and fitness. We want to see if there is anything in us that belongs to Satan, anything that is hindering our ability to function optimally, anything that is a threat to us and to those in our community of faith. [slide # 9 stethoscope/bible]

We take a cholesterol test or a glucose test or a stress test to gives us important information about our physical health. In the same way we have many ways to test or gauge our spiritual health. We test our lives with the scriptures and we listen to feedback from those who have proven their love for us.

In the Old Testament, the priests were authorized to administer spiritual tests, make judgments that brought God’s people justice, look for guilt that was causing pain and to look for reasons to praise and celebrate the great blessings that God had tucked into their hearts and behavior and character. Any day you choose you can make an appointment with your pastor and I will check your spiritual temperature and evaluate your spiritual health.

Once when I was a substitute teacher, the lesson that the teacher left for me was over and I decided to open the door for spiritual conversation. The children would ask me questions about their lives and I would give them my best spiritual insights as God brought them to my heart. The children were enamored.  It was a God moment. After speaking to several students one by one and everyone listening, one student looked at me and said, “Ms. Hines, Ms. Hines, “Let me do you now. Let me give you an insight.” He must have been no more than 13 years old, but what he shared was truly the voice of God. [slide # 10 youth on fire] The tables were turned, as I the teacher, became the student, and God reminded me that young people have an awesome word of God and when they are free to share it, God does amazing things in our hearts. I don’t remember the words this young person spoke, but looking back, like a cool glass or water on a hot summer day, it is not just the water that is wonderful, it is the timing, it is the powerful impact of being refreshed that stays with us days and weeks later, and gives us the hope and encouragement we need to enjoy and appreciate our God and one another as we continue this journey.

Following the life of Jesus we see a model for praying in community, we see a cloud of God’s glory, and thirdly we see Jesus receiving a father who is desperately holding onto a loved troubled by demons. It is hard enough to wrestle with the demons inside of us, but holding onto a loved one who is wrestling with demons is a whole other kind of life. It is a hard, and painful, and messy life, but when we bring our loved ones to Jesus, life changes for everyone.

When we bring our loved ones to Jesus, [slide # 11 kneeling in worship] I can’t tell you exactly what day the demon will cease to seize our loved ones, or when the loud shrieks will end or what year they will no longer foam at the mouth, and be mauled. There is no way for me to tell you when all the signs of distress and discomfort will finally come to an end. All I can tell you is that when we bring our loved ones to Jesus, life changes for everyone. All I can tell you is that Jesus will rebuke the unclean spirit, God might ask us to do something that goes against our grain,  but our loved one will be healed on earth or in heaven – because if Jesus has a hold of them, there is no way they are going to hell, hallelujah.

As we pray in community, as we stand still enough to be enveloped by God, as we bring our demons for Jesus to receive and rebuke, we like Peter, James, and John will be astounded at the greatness of God, as we have been so many times before.  [ slide # 12 God is great…]  Amen.    

January 31 YOUTH Sunday – I Corinthians 13.1-13, * Jeremiah 1.4-10 “View from the Womb” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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A few weeks ago, our youth went on a retreat. They had a good time. We are fortunate to have such dedicated Christian adult chaperones who are willing to sacrifice a weekend to nurture our children.  The whole idea of youth at Bethel makes us a little nervous because we look around and we long to see a whole lot more of them in the pews. We have done very well in nurturing our young people. Some have preached, some have given brilliant testimonies, some are working responsibly in part time jobs. We see others driving in the church parking lot, some have gone off to college and have come back to serve. Still, we would be happier to see more young people in the pews and in our Sunday School classes.

No matter who comes and goes, God has been faithful to us, and we have done our best to be faithful to God. The prophet Jeremiah paints a picture for us, helping us to understand that each one of us was formed by God in our mother’s womb. Each one of us is called to be as faithful as our God. 

This week I heard the story of a man who grew up with a birth certificate that read “father unknown, mother unknown.” It was reported that his mother was or   abandoned him as a newborn in the hallway of an apartment. He was assigned a number  - abandoned baby # 33678 and passed from one foster home to another. When he grew old, he was still trying to heal, so he wrote a song to his mother that he had never known. He expressed how she may have had a good reason for abandoning him. She may have been young, or sick, or thought this was the best situation for him and for herself. His sang how his greatest fear was that she simply did not want him.

It is our human longing to be accepted and never rejected. God makes it clear that we are precious and accepted. God speaks to Jeremiah in verse 5 what he speaks to all of us children, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;…’

God made us on purpose! God made is with a wonderful plan in mind. God made us to be useful and helpful in the kingdom of God. We learned in kindergarten that every one of us loves feels special and accepted when we have an important job to do. And, in God’s view, every person is special and every job is important.

When the teacher asks the class who wants to be the line leader, every hand goes up – oooh, oooh, oooh, I do, I do. That enthusiasm lasts until about 7^th grade. Then teachers may have to use more introspection and more psychology and refined teaching skills to get students even to do their homework. The same goes for parents who are working to help young people remain eager to serve and make excellent life choices.

As adults, God asks us to remember that we are carefully shaped in our mother’s womb, that we are consecrated, we are hand-picked, not always to be prophets like Jeremiah, but we are hand-picked for a very, very important job for which we are especially designed.

As we get older, we have had enough rejection in this world that it is more challenging to see ourselves as special and chosen even by God. We get to a point when God asks, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for me?” We tend to run in the other direction. 

Charles Stanley gave a sermon this week about why we don’t answer God’s call to serve.  He says we put off eagerly accepting God’s call because we are fearful of being inconvenienced or uncomfortable, or we ignore God’s call because we don’t want God in our finances or because our family may object.

God does not give us excuses for not blessing US, so we do well to eagerly offer ourselves to God.  We are blessed and we have no real excuse not to serve. God eagerly waits to be chosen by each of us.

Just think a moment. If you are driving and get three blocks from home and realize you forgot something important, what would be so important that you would go back home for? If you had any kind of emergency, what would you reach for first? Would you leave home without your cell phone? Would you leave home without the word of God in your heart? God treats each of us as a first priority.  God wants to be first in our lives, too. 

Our relationship with God, like all our other relationships, can lead to weighty matters.  Every day we have a choice to look at the weight in our life and stay weak, or we can work the weights and get stronger day by day by day.  

As we are working side by side to build the kingdom, and we wonder why others  are not doing what we want them to do, we need to remember to have patience and show mercy. It is said that when we make new year’s resolutions, intending to improve our spiritual lives, get spiritually healthier and stronger or get closer to God, 87%  of the time, those thoughts fade from our mind before the end of March.

We need to pray that our own strength would last until our work is done and we need to pray for the strength of others.

Like Jeremiah God gives us God’s words to speak  or to do whatever God wants done. And God gives us the strength to want to do it as badly as we wanted to do it in grade school!  Amen.