May 22 2016 "Peaceful Vision"

May 22 2016 (Trinity Sunday) Proverbs 8.1-4, 22-31, *Romans 5. 1-5 “Peaceful Vision” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

A new acquaintance of mine works as a cashier in a grocery store. For the last year or so, I would see her in the store and we would make small talk, laughing and chatting about anything and everything. One day she was glowing, beaming, and smiling brightly. I asked, and of course, she had finally met the perfect guy. A few weeks later, she was looking pretty distressed and weary; I thought the worse; she never mentioned that guy again.

The hope of love brought her a lot of joy and peace. I could see it in her face. On more than one occasion, I have gently invited her to join me somewhere anywhere so she could see close up the faith that Paul talks about in the 5^th chapter of Romans. He says it is a faith that justifies us, that makes us acceptable in a place where we long to be acceptable, to be at ease, to rest, to have peace. [slide # 1 dove of peace]

If we go to see the Eagles play, we will not be able to get past the gate unless we have a ticket. [slide # 2 Philadelphia Eagles] It is not acceptable to climb the fence in order to watch the game. We cannot run past the security guard and into the stands in order to watch the game. It is not acceptable. We will be justified or acceptable when and if we have a ticket. Then we can watch the game in peace. [slide # 3 Eagles fans in the stands]

Faith makes us acceptable to be in a place where we want to be, where we were created to be – in the presence of God and Godly people. [slide # 4 green peaceful scene]

Since we are justified by faith we have peace with God as verse 1 says. [ slide # 5 peace with God] Everything we do takes some faith. To sit in a chair takes faith that it will hold us. Pursuing an education or job training takes faith that step by step we can accomplish that goal. Putting our lives in the hands of a God we cannot see, takes faith that there is a God who will love us and take care of us, that God is closer to us than our next breath, that we are loved and precious in God’s sight.

Why not decide to believe and put our faith in action? Faith justifies us and gives us peace with God. Peace with God is a good thing. Where can you find peace in this warmongering world accept with God? Every time we hear of a plane going down, the first thing that comes to mind is a terrorist that is at war with us or a lost soul that is at war with his or her self.

When we see our friends sad and despondent, we often realize that they are at war because of some conflict in their home or on their jobs. They may have had their feelings hurt real bad or maybe they are digging in their heels after feeling justified in hurting someone else’s feelings real bad. In either case, the peace and joy seem to have vanished from their faces. We believe God is our source of peace. [slide # 6 God our source of peace]

This week our General Conference [slide # 7 General Conference assembled] held in Oregon has been in the international news. It has not been very peaceful.  General Conference meets every four years to review the Book of Discipline  – [slide # 8 Book of Discipline] the official, legal manual of the United Methodist Church. The ten day meeting in Oregon was full of worship services and important meetings involving 864 delegates from around the world – South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. There were 432 laity and 432 clergy voting on important issues involving reproductive right, relations with Israel and human sexuality.  Not everyone spoke English. Several used earphones to hear translators. [slide # 9 delegate booths wearing earphones]. Can you imagine going to a ten day conference needing a translator? [slide # 10 delegate with earphones]

The proceedings were held in the backdrop of many protests – some silent, some not so silent. There were “Black and All Lives Matter” protests. Supporters of the LGBTQ community, representing lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and questioning persons shared their views. [slide # 11 LGBTQ gathering] More than 100 clergy and clergy candidates in the U.S. and one in the Philippines came out as gay. Our Book of Discipline says that homosexuality is contrary to Christian teaching. As we struggle as an international church, we have plenty of anxiety, grief, and distrust as we try to speak the truth in loving ways and to be at peace with everyone as much as it depends on us – as the scriptures guide us.

International news reporters shared rumors that the United Methodist church would become the untied and divided Methodist Church this week. But, instead of splitting with rancorous arguing and debating about whether to affirm or disaffirm various LGBTQ motions, the majority vote was to move forward spending the next four years in serious prayer, confession, and compassionate conversation in order to resolve as many issues as possible before the next General Conference in 2020.

Compassionate conversation may help those who experience the language of the current Discipline as “contradictory, unnecessarily hurtful, and inadequate for the variety of local, regional and global contexts.” 

That vote for prayer and conversation was not unanimous, but hopefully, it will bring some unity and unity brings peace. God’s vision is for us to have peace in our hearts, in our homes, in our communities, our countries, and our churches.

Not all of General Conference was focused on protests and heated debates. Twenty-nine missionaries were commissioned to bring good news to other lands and serve God’s people [slide # 12 kneeling for commissioning]

In one of the many sermons at General Conference, the bishop from Sierra Leone John K. Yambasu, a former missionary, [slide # 13 bishop Yambasu in pulpit] called God’s people to pray and work to dismantle the “demons of poverty, injustice, racism, war, disease, hunger and all forms of inequities in our world.”

He said, ‘ I know through and through what poverty is. I have slept with it, and I have woken up with it. … Countless times, I went to bed without food….I wrestled with poverty as a missionary….as a bishop….I now live side by side with poverty and misery…millions struggle to survive in this world every day, so it is urgent that we engage one another, talk to one another whether we are red and yellow, black and white, poor and rich, haves and have-nots, gay or straight, bisexual or homosexual, and polygamists. We need to shake up the church and pray God will give us sleepless nights until we can look each other in the face and see each other as brothers and sisters…if we think we can fix this without prayer, we are only fooling ourselves.’ [slide # 14 non violence training]

We all need God’s peace. Somewhere in our lives, yesterday, today or tomorrow there are situations and circumstances where we need God’s peace to makes us acceptable, at ease, and rested. If we think we can fix those situations and circumstances without believing and trusting, and without humbling ourselves in prayer to God, we are only fooling ourselves. [slide # 15 hands joined] May we go in peace to pray for peace and make peace in our hearts, in our homes, in our churches and in our countries.  Amen. [slide # 16 Go therefore]

May 15 (Pentecost) “Fiery Vision”

May 15 (Pentecost) “Fiery Vision” Psalm 104.24-34, 35b, Acts 2.1-21Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Most of the time, our lives are rather ordinary and calm. We enjoy quiet times. [ slide #1 water dock] When life is calm, we become rested and rejuvenated. The seasons of peace allow us to build and prepare for times that can may be unsettling. [slide #2 turbulent water]

Somewhere in this world this morning, there may be loud, unsettling noises. Someone may at this very moment be hearing what early Christians heard on the day of Pentecost – what verse 2 tells us was the “sound like the rush of a violent wind.” [slide #3 a sound like the rush… ] Someone, somewhere could be hearing that same sound at this very moment.

The sound may be filling a whole house as it did THAT Pentecost day. It was a rushing sound. In the Greek “ a rushing violent wind” means a wind that is carrying, rushing, and enduring. It was a wind that was carrying a burden that needed to be intentionally managed according to God’s purpose. It was a wind that moved with urgency, rushing to announce and produce God’s plan.

At this very moment in this world, someone may be able to perceive that God’s Spirit is rushing and enduring whatever must be endured like an ambulance or firetruck [ slide #4 ambulance ] endures the traffic, seemingly recklessly, or violently through streets. [ slide #5 firetruck]

All this happened on the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost was a legal feast day, a holiday, a day to celebrate and enjoy, to bring lavish gifts to the altar; today we dress the altar in red. [slide #6 red balloons] It was a day to give thanks for the bountiful harvest of wheat – there was no thought of famine, no fire, floods, and no fear this day. It was to be a day of relaxation; they marveled at the latest profits of the quarter; they had planted, and watered and weeded their crops; they began to harvest and pick and store the grain, package and cook and share.

Pentecost was a day to put your hair down, put your feet up, get out the music, clap your hands and thank God because God had blessed them and helped them through the circumstances of the season; they were celebrating that God had helped them through the thick and the thin, and that God would always come. [ slide # 7 dove]

Pentecost was on every ancient Jewish calendar; it was 7 weeks, or 50 days after Easter, which is the Jewish season of Passover. Today, May 15th it has been 50 days since Easter which was March 27^th.

Today in the Judeo-Christian tradition, we are celebrating the feast of Pentecost! As in every Sunday, we have gathered together on this day to give thanks for our bounty, to acknowledge that God is God and we are not. We are the sheep of God’s pasture. We follow because we know we will be able to lie down in green pastures, and we will be led beside the still waters until our souls are restored. We know this. [ slide # 8 lamb in Jesus’ hands ]

On the day of Pentecost, Christ’s followers heard the sounds of a mighty rushing wind throughout the house. But that was not all. Some saw tongues of fire. [slide # 9 fire overheads] Others heard their own language being spoken by Galileans, who were foreigners. It can be surprising to discover what language God’s children around the world can speak.

I went to Bank America in Connecticut. I was the only customer for the moment and there were two young men working as tellers. I asked the one young man, who looked like he might be of Latin descent, if he spoke Spanish so I could practice, and he said, “No.” While the other man who was African American chimed in, “But, I speak Spanish.” He had worked for the government in Russia and India and could speak several languages. My jaw dropped in surprise and I confessed the stereotype that was planted in my brain.

The same shock came when I met a Russian woman working to get a degree in Baltimore City Community College. She was also fluent in Spanish. We’ve met Asian friends whom we might expect to speak Chinese, but who speak fluent English without any accent at all. It is a good thing to see with our own eyes and to hear with our own ears that God is weaving us together in an awesome and beautiful tapestry! [slide # 10 tapestry   ]

The sound was so loud on the day of Pentecost that a crowd began to gather around the house. If it were a scary sound, they probably would have run the other way. If the saw signs of a destructive wind, they probably would have scattered, but instead of running away, they were moving in, trying to satisfy their curiosity and see for themselves exactly what was going on in that house where they were fellowshipping.

Verse 4 tells us that they were filled [  slide # 11 full water glass  ] with the Holy Spirit and spoke as the Spirit enabled them. [slide # 12   three languages] They were filled – the Greek word for filled is pletho – meaning filled and fulfilled. From the Greek we get the word plethora, meaning abundance.

If we know what it is to have our belly filled, we also know what it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. A full belly does not stay full for long. It is constantly digesting and moving forward. Spiritually and physically we are constantly taking in and letting go.

If we want to be spiritually fit and healthy, we must take in the word of God, fellowship with the people of God, do the will of God, and let go of that which does not please God.

If we want to be full and fulfilled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, (generosity), faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, we must take in God’s word – through songs, sermons, teachings, readings and meditations. We must fellowship with God’s people in worship, gatherings, events, projects, missions, phone calls, prayer, social media and every way possible.

If we want to be fulfilled in God’s presence we must enter God’s presence by doing God’s will. If we want to be satisfied in this life that God has given us, we must let go of that which does not please God. We must put whatever does not please God in a furnace of fire [ slide # 13 fire   ]  and allow God’s urgent flames to purge it from our lives.

This is the Day of Pentecost. Today, may we hear the sound of God’s mighty rushing wind. May we understand God in our own language and may our lives be purged and our burdens carried carefully to their destination, until we are filled, fulfilled, and satisfied in the presence of God and the people of God. [slide # 14 dancing children] Amen. [slide # 15 spirit of Pentecost]

May 8 (Mother’s Day) – “Light Vision” Psalm 97, *Acts 16.16-34

In the sermon series I have preached from the book of Acts – two weeks ago - we preached about Peter’s vision – a sort of day-dream that directed him to eat non-kosher foods, symbolizing God’s will for Peter to accept and welcome all of God’s children, not just his Jewish brothers and sisters. The next week we looked at a vision apostle Paul had during the night, where a man asked him to come to Macedonia and Paul went, believing God was directing him to preach and teach in Macedonia.

In this morning’s scripture, we find Paul in prison where a lamp light enabled him to glimpse a vision of the spectacular work of God.

Last week we left Paul down by the river side praying and preaching with [slide # 1  riverside] Lydia and her friends[ slide # 2 Lydia]. They knew about Jehovah God, but Jesus’ death and resurrection were new ideas for them. Paul was there to give them the good news of a savior.

While he was in Macedonia, he encountered a few ungodly people and situations as we all will from time to time. He was in the city of Philippi of Macedonia, where God had sent him through a night vision, and he came upon an ungodly spirit. Verse 16 says there was a slave-girl being used to make money for her masters. Even today, there are young girls captured to make money. This girl – somebody’s daughter – was making them a lot of money as a fortune teller. Verse 16 calls it a spirit of divination. The spirit of divination is a deceptive spirit that pretends to have what can only come from God.

Only God gives us truth naturally and supernaturally. God speaks to us through dreams, visions, prophets; God works to get a message through to us using our senses, our friends, our families, our situations, even our problems. When someone claims to get supernatural truth using their own ideas, the scriptures calls it the spirit of divination as in a divining rod that detects precious gold. The scriptures call it witchcraft when we gather for séances, Ouija boards, talking to the deceased, examining animal livers, using voodoo dolls, psychedelic drugs, hypnotic trances and such.

The bible warns us that such activity can stir up a storm of evil that might be distressing and destructive. If we are not content with the answers God gives us through prayer, worship, and fellowship with Godly people, then we need to talk to God about that. If our discontentment leads us to consult a psychic, or someone or something other than the God of the universe, we could be better of showering ourselves with chicken grease and walking into a pen of pit bulls.  [slide #3 pitbulls]

We well know that all that glitters is not gold. Scriptures tell us that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. There are lights shining in this world that call us down an evil path, like the world’s red light districts, bar lights, shadows of street corner lights where evil deeds are consummated. Mostly though, as one wise person said, “Nothing good is on the streets after midnight.” Oh, how we need God’s light to point us in the direction of a healthy life. God mothers and fathers us so we will grow up, and not be forever like toddlers who turns their attention to whatever is bright and colorful at the moment, [slide # 4 toddler] or a kitten that is totally distracted by any old ball of yarn that moves. [slide # 5 kitten and yarn]

Paul had words [slide # 6 arguing] with this fortune-teller’s greedy entourage – whose mothers were probably outraged at their indecent behavior. And Paul helped the girl – somebody’s daughter - to release her spirit of divination and witchcraft. The devil lost his hold on her and the ability to make money in that way disappeared.

Paul and Silas wound up in jail for healing the girl and messing up their business. He knew he was risking jail time when he confronted the evil. Paul reminds us of the story of Adam LaRoche [slide # 7 Adam LaRoche] White Sox first baseman who retired a few weeks ago when his 14 year old son  was not allowed to come to work with him. Adam also put his life on the line by going undercover to help authorities find young girls captured and enslaved for profit. One wrong move and he could have been pushed off a building or worse.

One wonders who God might be sending to rescue the sex slaves on route 30 or that bar we hear about in Spring City. One wonders how much money they make every day and every night, or what the girls and their mothers are praying for. One wonders.

The Apostle Paul knew he was putting his life on the line when he confronted these evil people, but he also knew good would come out of it. That’s why they were singing and praying as they sat in jail according to verse 25 [slide # 8 singing and praying…]

Suddenly they felt an earthquake. Earthquakes have always been common in that area near Greece where Paul was on his mission. There are lively volcanoes and fault lines that cause tremors. Wednesday the internet reported no earthquakes in the area that day, but two had occurred in the past 7 days, 7 in the past month, 175 earthquakes in the past year.

The earthquake hit the jail where Paul and Silas had been dragged. It was strong enough to break their chains. Has God ever used an earthquake to break a chain that was holding you down? The earthquake was strong enough to tear the doors off the hinges and wake up the prison guard who knew that if the prisoners escaped, he would be killed by order of the Roman Emperor, and his execution was sure to be cruel and sadistic.

This guard was like Maria Toorpakai from Pakistan – author of A Different Kind of Daughter - who pretended she was a boy in order to compete as a weightlifter. Later she became an internationally known squash player. [slide # 9 Maria Toorpakai] The Taliban believes women are supposed to stay isolated at home, obedient to men or be killed. Maria knew she was risking her life to be an athlete even as a girl, so she thought about carrying cyanide pills to kill herself rather than be tortured. Her father gave her a gun to kill or be killed.

The Roman guard took out his sword and was getting ready to kill himself because he thought the prisoners would escape and he would be tortured. But Paul, who had been up through midnight praying and singing hymns, was full of the Holy Spirit and cared for the life of this Roman prison guard when Paul himself was suffering innocently in this rotten hole with murderers, thieves, rapists and traitors. He was somebody’s son. Paul cried out to the guard, ‘We are all here; Do yourself no harm.’

This prison guard put his sword away, and called for a light so he could see who it was who was bringing this good news in the dark. After he saw the light, he turned his life over to God and he and his family were baptized and they began to minister to Paul who had ministered to him.

On this Mother’s Day, we know that some mother’s child always finds us and shines enough light so that we can see our way to the truth and the life that God has for us.

That mother may be like all the mothers of Bethel  who have shone their lights generation after generation. [slide # 10 mother/child hands] There are mothers like Harriet Tubman who guided 300 children of God to freedom and became active in women’s rights in the Methodist church, or Dr. Leslie Ray Matthews, [slide # 11 Dr. Leslie Ray Matthews] trauma surgeon from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, who gives his Godly 92 year old mother credit for nurturing his near miraculous work in the ICU, [slide # 12 – healing love] and my own mother, daughter of the segregated south, who led protests to close an unsafe school, whose family tree blossomed with preachers and teachers of which she became one; we graduated from college in the same year.

We need mothers whose lights are shining and when we have them, we are forever grateful. [slide # 13 Blessed Mother’s Day] Amen.

May 1 2016 “Night Vision”

May 1 2016 “Night Vision”   Psalm 67, *Acts 16.9-15 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Last week we looked at a portion of scripture where the apostle Peter had a vision during the daytime that convinced him to welcome God’s people who were not of his same Jewish descent. This week, we come face to face with Apostle Paul’s story of a vision as well. We can appreciate that God speaks to us through the written word, through the preached word, through the prophetic word, through dreams as well as through visions as we see today.

Acts chapter 16 tells us that “During the night, Paul had a vision….” [slide # 1 during the night….] In his vision, he saw a man. The man was standing, and while he was standing he was pleading, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” [slide # 2 “Come over……”]

Immediately, Paul was convinced that God was speaking to him through this vision and directing him to go preach and teach the gospel to those in Macedonia, the northern province of Greece. Some of you have traveled to Greece, by the grace of God, and seen the ancient ruins and the relics of the Roman Empire. You may have walked where the apostle Paul has walked and heard the echoes of worshipful refrains of 2000 years ago.

I have come to learn that all kinds of people hear from God. You do not have to be Christian to receive God’s direction through dreams and visions. People of all nations and persuasions have heard what they perceive or believe is the voice of God. The king of Babylon wanted nothing to do with God, but seeing the handwriting on the wall made him take notice.

Whenever I have had opportunities to ask groups of people about their spiritual experiences, I always find them speaking of at least one deep and mystical moment that speaks louder than another.

There are also those situations where persons are lured by a substantial voice that has nothing to do with our God. On Eastern College’s campus it was common to hear young people discussing hearing God’s voice calling them into the ministry or the mission field. Being a Christian school, students are very alert to hearing the call. It is a culture that is nurtured for males as well as females. That was a good. At the same time, every now and then you would hear someone confess that they grew to understand that they were not really sent into the ministry, they just went.

 It was also apparent on campus that certain students, eager to be married would allow their emotions to run away with them. So much so that the prettiest girl on campus was put on notice by several gentleman who heard God speaking to them that she would be his wife.  With time and little tender love, they came to their senses, and so it is for each of us. Hearing God’s voice is a process involving our whole self and with time and tenderness, we grow to discern God’s voice above doubt or confusion.

Paul was convinced that God was speaking to him through a vision during the night. The fact that Paul had his vision at night reminds us that night is a time when we are more ready to relax rest and perhaps in more of a position to hear the voice of God. Paul’s vision happening at night also somehow reflects the darkness of the political and religious events that can occur in every human age.

In our United States military we hear of the use of night vision glasses and goggles. God uses dreams and visions to help us see in the dark; night vision is a part of God’s battle plan for Christians. [ slide # 3 green background – night vision glasses]

Scripture tell us that Paul immediately got on a boat in Troas [ slide # 4 Map Troas Macedonia] where he was when he saw the vision. Troas was such a nice seaport area that Julius Caesar was rumored to have considered it for his capital instead of Constantinople or Rome. Paul sailed from Troas to Samothrace, a protective island that shielded boats from strong winds. Samothrace was also a place where the wealthiest Greeks worshipped. [slide # 5 Nike goddess]Archeologists were not surprised to find a statue of Nike the Greek goddess of victory in Samothrace. [slide # 6 Nike sign]

From Samothrace Paul sailed to Neapolis, a seaport town – another good rest stop -  about 10 miles from Paul’s final destination, Philippi. Philippi was a city in the Roman Province of Macedonia. [slide # 7 Map Macedonia]  One does wonder of all the places in the province of Macedonia where he believed he was called to go, why Paul decided to go to Philippi, except that it was described in verse 12 as a major city, under the rule of the Roman Empire. Paul was a Roman citizen with all the rights of the ruling party. He stayed in Philippi several days and we know that he established a church in Philippi because we see his letters to them in the book of Philippians. Being a citizen may have made it much easier, as does being a citizen in any country.

Philippi was the first church Paul established in Europe. Like many American churches it may even have been called “First Church” or perhaps it was so esteemed that it had a road named after it. In 2 Corinthians, Paul lifts up the church in Philippi as a super model of organized and generous giving. The members of the Philippian church were examples of a united people who went all the way and even had a heart to go an extra mile. God started the ball rolling for the Philippian church with a vision given to Paul.

On the Sabbath Paul went to the river to pray. [slide # 8 river] There he met a woman whose name was Lydia. [slide # 9 Lydia in purple] She ran her own business, selling purple cloth to royalty and such. She had connections in the community. If she were a member of Bethel, we would count on her to sell at least 30 hoagies for the preschool.  

Verse 14 tells us that Lydia was a worshipper of God. Her ear was perched, so the Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what Paul was saying. [slide # 10 Lydia talking]

Then Lydia invited Paul and those with him to her home. When worshippers gather together God does amazing, amazing things with us.

Whether we gather in the sanctuary, in our homes, by the river side, [slide # 11 folks gathered by riverside] on the phone, through texting, snapchatting, Instagram, twitter, Facebooking, emailing, or whether we gather with each other in solitary or corporate prayer, we can be assured that just like a river rolls to and fro, God is speaking in dreams and visions that help us ever to flow with love and to flow in excellence even in the darkest night. [slide # 12 moonlit river] May it be so today. Amen.