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]