January 22 2017 “Baby Boats” Isaiah 9.1-4 *Matthew 4.12-23

January 22 2017 “Baby Boats” Isaiah 9.1-4 *Matthew 4.12-23 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

One of the most inspiring book titles I have seen is “If you want to walk on water, first you have to get out of the boat”. It fits this morning’s scripture.

As we begin this new year, most of us have big hopes and dreams in our hearts. We dream of good times, good days, and good results. When we are not dreaming, we, perhaps are dreading! We are worrying. Though we know, worry is worthless. It can’t change the past, the present or the future. It just wastes this moment in time. [slide# 1 worry is worthless…]

Isn’t it better to dream than to dread? Of course. There are days when we barely have our heads above water. [slide # 2 baby in water] We learn from many Bethel wise ones, to keep our eye on God, not on our circumstances. We learn to keep flowing in love and flowing in excellence, rather than stay stuck like a stick in the mud. We learn.

In our leadership training and visioning workshop yesterday, Ann Hoffman and Terrie McKinley opened the meeting with reflections on a training they and other members participated in a few months ago. The two of them reminded us that we need to stop and pray and ask God to tell us what to do in order to be the church.

Through the years, thanks to Sonia Kulp and countless others, Bethel has been a church with many missions. Even when Maggie Shick was treasurer and reported that the balance was 25 cents, even when Janet Long passed the hat at Council meeting in order to pay a fuel bill, Bethel was a mission church. What a legacy, what a witness to the power of God to live in our hearts so we did not give up, what a way to humble ourselves and offer ourselves as living sacrifices to our God.

With all that we have done, God is speaking to our hearts and asking us to listen. We are being called to new places. We may meet new faces, but there is no need to worry. God is with us as God has always been.

There may be nagging situations in our lives that we may see as too small to bring up in prayer. As this month’s sermon series indicates, we can ask God’s help even if we take baby steps, use our baby spiritual gifts and as we will hear this morning, get out of the baby boat. if something is big enough to worry about, it is big enough to pray about! It is a good thing to put everything in God’s hands and watch God work!

God is calling us to get out of the boat so we can experience God’s power in our most desperate and deepest and insecure places. [slide # 3 Get out of the boat…]

It is a good day when we can do what two brothers, James and John did when Jesus called them. Verse 22 says “Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.” [slide # 4 immediately] That’s a good day.

Sometimes we hesitate, procrastinate, and pontificate for days, months. We may fear the worst when we get out of the boat. [slide #5 alligator]

It may be some time before we are able to sing sincerely that song:

I have decided to follow Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

Though I may wonder, I still will follow;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

Though none go with me, still I will follow;

No turning back, no turning back.

This song are the words spoken by a man who converted to Christianity in India in the late 1800’s.  After a revival in Wales England, English missionaries spread the gospel in his village in India. This was no easy mission since the Indians were deep into the ungodly culture of things like head hunting.

No matter what culture we are a part of, there are likely some ungodly traditions and unholy ways that have, at some point, captured our hearts and our imaginations. [slide #6 boys on capsized boat] Following the footsteps of Jesus, we are led away from evil to a place where we are saved from our sins. [slide# 7 Jesus grabbing hand of one sinking]

No matter what you are worried about today, you can get out of that boat. Whether your worries are big or whether they are small, do not think about how deep or treacherous the waters may be. Keep your eyes on God [slide# 8 glasses]

This week one of my devotions told about a couple who had planted a beautiful flower garden and the blossoms were absolutely gorgeous .[slide#9 flowers] The husband said, “Let’s take a picture.” “Oh we can do it after lunch,” said the wife. As they were eating, a flash storm came through and the garden was decimated except one or two blossoms that reminded them of how beautiful the garden was.

This incident shows time can run out. We do not have forever to do something good. When God calls us to serve, we need to listen because we do not want to miss being a blessing or getting a blessing.

As always, God has great things in store for our church, our family, our community and even, believe it or not, our country. But, if we want to walk on water, and to follow in the footsteps of the one who can take us to a better place, a holy place, a kinder, gentler nation, if we want God’s power in our most desperate and deepest and insecure places, we just may have to get out of the boat. [slide # 10 boat], it’s time to listen and to move when God says “move”. Amen. [slide#11 Jesus walking on water]

January 15 2017 “Baby Gifts”

January 15 2017 “Baby Gifts” Isaiah 49.1-7, *I Corinthians 1.1-9 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Apostle Paul was a very traditional Jew. [slide # 1 Jew with prayer cloth etc. ] Like most males he was raised to protect himself and his family, using force if necessary. Paul did not have a gun, but he probably carried some type of weapon. He would fight ferociously for his God-given rights and he would fight fearlessly for his faith. Paul was as fierce as his Maker. Paul was also ingeniously gentle as God is. His letter to the people at Corinth brought out the best in him.

Corinth was a very worldly place. No doubt you could find all kinds of moral filth and ungodly activity going on in Corinth. Corinth was a nasty place. It had to be hard to get anything good done in Corinth, for many Corinthians did not share the same values as Christians and Jews.

First of all, Paul looked different than other Corinthians. [slide # 2 Jew with prayer cloth -duplicate of slide # 1] When he worshipped, he wore the precious and sacred symbols of connection to God. The phylacteries were little black boxes worn on his head and wrapped around his biceps. They contained scriptures reminding him to stay strong in God. The prayer shawl symbolically covered him in God’s presence and the tassels on the four corners were to remind him of God’s commands wherever they went on the four corners of the world, so they would not, as chapter 15 of the book of Numbers says, ‘prostitute themselves by chasing after the lusts of their own hearts and eyes.’

Jewish traditions have evolved through the years [slide# 3 Jewish feast] whether it be with a wig for convenience [slide# 4 wig wringlets] ,  yamakas that include praying women [slide # 5 woman wearing yamaka] or high fashion for the Jewish youth. [slide # 6 black hat]

Of course, some traditions are more noticeable or controversial than others. Having conflicts around how people look has always been a challenge for humanity. When I taught in the Baltimore school system, a Sikh was teaching down the hall. [slide  # 7 Sikh with red turban]

His Sikh [slide # 8 sikh] tradition was developed thousands of years ago in India. Their guru leaders believed in the unity of human kind and regular meditation to center the soul for service. The Sikhs were instructed by their spiritual gurus to never cut their hair, so they should wear a turban in order to protect their hair. The turban became such an important part of their faith in God that even when they fought in the British army or rode bikes in the city, they fought hard for the right to wear turbans as their spiritual protection instead of helmets for their physical protection.

This teacher I saw in Baltimore was a Sikh, not a Muslim, but the sacred turban he wrapped around his head [slide # 9 toddlers wearing turbans] reminded the children of the kufiyah that Muslims like Osama Bin Laden wrapped around their heads. [slide # 10 Osama Bin Laden] Whenever the children saw the Sikh coming, they would run in the other direction, screaming and terrified. The Sikh was gone in two days, and hopefully, found another place to do good work without being misunderstood and rejected or persecuted.

In a place like Corinth, there is always someone who seems odd to others. There is always some politics or conflict or opinion about what people do and how they do it! We may decide to accept or reject someone for a million different reasons. Whether we accept or whether we reject, we do well to do our best to be led by the Holiest of Spirits.

In the best of times, we get to know and understand others better when we work with them or live with them or worship with them. When we become familiar and knowledgeable, we can make better decisions about how to relate to them.

In the worst of times, we are concerned, even afraid. We want to accept all people, but something real may be holding us back. It is then, as at all times that we want to make use of all the spiritual gifts God has given us, even if our gifts are itsy bitsy baby beginner gifts. Paul says in verse 7 that the Christians in Corinth were not lacking in any spiritual gift. That means that they had learned to develop their gifts. [ slide # 11 verse 7…] and they could make the most of every situation that was before them.

God gives us gifts to make the church strong, to make our families strong, and to make our communities strong. God guides us in opportunities to use our gifts wisely. [slide# 12 basketball court]

The church in Corinth was well equipped and willing to do great things for God. They were prepared and ready to do and say and serve wherever God needed them. [slide # 13 pushing a wall in place] They heard God’s call and were careful to think before they acted. They could not just rely on a knee-jerk reaction. They could not hide behind their fears and prejudices. They had to talk together [ slide# 14 in conversation] and think together [slide # 15 thinking – bulb] as well as pray together [slide # 16 several at altar] in order to be the blessing God had in mind, in order to weather the storms, in order to be a source of healing and deliverance when needed.

In every church and every family and every community there is much that is needed to be done and much that is needed to be said and much that is needed to be served.

At Bethel we are known for gifts of teaching, generosity, encouragement, and helps. Our weekly giving indicates that there are several who obey God’s direction to tithe and give special offerings. We have nine Christian education classes from infants to seniors and one more adult class was announced last week, making ten.

Our members who work on the Compassionate Care Team [slide # 17 Team] are extraordinary, exceptional, and out of this world when it comes to providing a ride, a meal, an act of kindness, or a word of comfort, and a whole lot more. Our Board of Trustees spends countless hours and dollars from their own pockets to maintain our parsonage and sanctuary. [slide# 18 many working around building] If they were not true servants, our church just might look abandoned like this one. [ Slide # 19 abandoned church] or fallen down, like this one. [ slide # 20 fallen church building]

It is a mystery to me how our Audio [slide # 21 audio…] and Finance Teams [slide# 22 keep calm…finance team] find the time and resources to do what they do every single week. God is pleased! We work hard and we work with exceptional excellence and diligence. We are blessed to serve and those who are just beginning to think about using their gifts, even if those gifts seem small, I encourage you to act boldly. Just go ahead and reach out and start asking God how to go about blessing others with your gifts. We will all be stronger as a result. [slide # 23 stronger together]

When we all do our part, whether great or small, we bring light where there is no light. We need lots of light in the church. The story is told of the old days when churches were lit with lanterns. The church had as much light as each member could bring. If you did not show up, your corner of the sanctuary was noticeably dark. [slide # 24 lanterns at pew]

We need the light of God’s word and will in our path. [slide # 25 white path] There are many things that we need to see. We need to see how to be gentle and careful when someone is going through something. We need to see how important every little blessing is to keeping the church strong and faithful. Every little prayer, every little kindness, matters. The more of God we have, the more light we have to see and appreciate the great work God is doing among us. [slide # 26 lit green path]

So as we go forth, let us stay in the light of God’s love, let us shine, shine, shine [slide# 27 shining light] and use our gifts boldly so until they sparkle! [Slide # 28 blue sparkling light] Amen. [slide # 29 seeking all servants]

January 8 2017 Isaiah 42.1-9, *Acts 10.34-43 “Baby Steps”

January 8 Isaiah 42.1-9, *Acts 10.34-43 “Baby Steps” Baptism of the Lord  Pastor Jacqueline Hines

The book of Acts is a little history of the Church in the very first century. Because Bethel has a church historian in Mike Osiol and Dorothy Hall [slide # 1 Bethel Historians…] and several others, we have written documents of names and events of church activity generation after generation. This is good. Our church history informs and encourages us.

In this tenth chapter of Acts, we read that Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, was invited to speak to a group of believers. Peter began his sermon by saying, “‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” [slide # 2 global family]

Peter preached this sermon in a city known for its great aqueducts and its convenient, seaside sewage system. This city was called Caesarea, [slide # 3 Caesarean aqueducts] named after Augustus Caesar, which reflects the power of Roman politics. In fact, the person who invited Peter to preach was a Roman army sergeant named Cornelius. [slide # 4 Roman soldier] Cornelius was a good man. Scriptures tell us that he had great respect for God, gave generously to people in need, and prayed constantly.

Cornelius, no doubt  found a lot of support for his faith in the city of  Caesarea for Caesarea was not only an important political city, but at certain times in its history was an important religious city, even as much as Jerusalem -70 miles away - was. Priests and rabbis would no doubt gather there for conferences and religious courts and fulfilling administrative duties just as our church has its special offices today in Valley Forge and D. C. and Tennessee.

Caesarea was also a port city. [slide # 5 Caesarea port] A wide variety of travelers came there from different parts of the world. [slide # 6 hands on globe] There were men, women, boys, and girls who spoke all kinds of languages and had interesting or sometimes disturbing customs. Christians would come to Caesarea to share the gospel with them and invite them to participate in the Christian culture.

I grew up in a small town in Connecticut with neighbors who were Jewish, who spoke Polish, Italian, Ebonics, and Greek. It was a blessing to get along as well as we did. We were civil to one another. It is hard to accept the fact that even civilized communities can deteriorate into selfish and hate mongering mobs. That is why we must watch as well as pray.

The fact that a preacher like Peter known for speaking the controversial message of Christ, [slide # 7 finger pointing crowd] was invited by a religious soldier like Cornelius of the Roman army that crucified Jesus, to come to a city as diverse as Caesarea, was a God-thing and a God-thing is always a good thing, no matter how uncomfortable it is. [slide # 8 man with hands near face]

Peter told the crowd regardless of where you were born or where you live, if you do right, you are acceptable in the eyes of God. Verse 36 says that Peter was preaching “peace” in a time when there were so many opportunities for disagreement and cultural conflict. Peter had courage. [slide # 9 get comfortable with being…]

As scary as some conversations and confrontations can be, if we neglect to seek God’s help in facing our fears or remembering the least, the last, the lost, we put ourselves at risk along with our families, our communities, and our churches. Neglecting to do all of God’s work is like neglecting maintenance on our bodies or our homes. We cannot afford to do only the work that is comfortable and convenient. We have to have balance.

The church is like a tropical rainforest. Rainforests become balanced because they have a diversity of life. [slide# 10 rainforest]Tropical rainforests cover less than 2 percent of Earth’s surface, but they are home to more than 50 percent of the plants and animals on Earth. They can accommodate so many plants and animals because of there is so much sunlight. The church is also a place where we can find a whole lot of Son – Light, [slide # 11 Son Light] too, especially if we ALL let our lights shine. [slide # 12 heart and light]

The tropical rainforest not only provides sunlight but an overhead canopy. This canopy serves as a shelter and a shield and a refuge. [slide # 13 plant canopy] Water and food are hidden in this canopy where animals and plants find them. In the church, God is our refuge, our source of shelter, water, and food. And when God is all we have, then God is all we need! [slide # 14 Jesus hugging man]

At times, all we have may be spiritual and not physical. In other words, when we find ourselves short of food, or shelter, or water, we better have God. We better have spiritual food, and we better have refreshing rivers of life flowing from our lives, we better have established our covering care like a canopy for our neighbors and our enemies, even as we continue to work at resolving our differences. [slide # 15 hands together]

God expects great things from us as a church. We begin each journey of faith with three baby steps. [slide # 16 baby steps] The first baby step we take is prayer, [slide # 17 man kneeling] the second baby step is preparation, [slide # 18 success needs…preparation] the third baby step is prediction. [slide # 19 bright future…]

Journeying without prayer is like taking a 3 day journey without food and water, without adequate outerwear and footwear. The journey of faith can become uncomfortable without proper protection. [slide # 20 man kneeling (duplicate of slide#17)]

Cornelius and Peter were men of prayer. Prayer helped them to give to those in need. Prayer helped them to understand more clearly what God was asking them to do and where God was asking them to go. Prayer enabled them to go to the next level in doing great work and enjoying spiritual treasures of unity and spreading the good news and of working with and getting along with others in the church.

Prayer helped them to take a second baby step, preparation. [slide # 21 success needs…preparation (duplicate of slide # 18) ] Being prepared for all kinds of people is worth a million. I spent a day in a diversity workshop at Washington, D. C.’s Howard University. The title of the workshop was “One for All, and All for One.”  The focus was on relating with respect and kindness to people who are different.

We were placed in small groups where different people were “planted”. I recall a young person with a very wild pair of socks that I thought I would never ever wear. I saw another person with legs 3 times larger than normal because of a rare disease.

There was a psychologist who sat outside the group making evaluative comments, like “You left someone out.” or “You all are avoiding the issues.” The therapist was like a ghost. We were told not to respond to him directly, but to simply reflect on his professional insight.

The lesson learned in those hours at Howard University was that we are prepared for greatness when everyone has a place in our heart. We are prepared for greatness when we know and understand that everyone is worthy and everyone should be attended to with timely integrity. We are all in the boat together.

A third baby step towards God’s greatness is predicting a positive outcome. [slide # 22 bright future…(duplicate of slide # 19Growing up my pastor would often say, “Hitch your wagon to a star, and ride.” As we learn to keep our head up, we learn to think positively and to dream big. God helps us picture and predict reconciliation and forgiveness and peace that is deeper than what we have or that may not even exist yet.

It is easy to play negative situations over and over in our minds until they become a self-fulfilling prophecy from one generation to another. If we take baby steps to see ourselves, our families, our community, our church in the light of God’s love, if we dare to dream of a new version of that crazy old scene, we will see God’s will unfold. We will experience more of the healing and deliverance that Jesus modeled for us and that Peter mentioned to the crowd in verse 38….how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. [slide # 23 how he went about…]

So go ahead, picture that angry face as a happy face. [slide # 24 happy face flower] Predict that rough road as a sunlit path full of peace and happiness. [slide # 25 flowery path] See yourself doing God’s will and having the strength to help others walk in the path of righteousness. [slide # 26 helping hand] Every time a negative scene plays itself in your mind, replace it with a new version and a new vision. [slide#27 eyeglasses]

We can be the balanced church God calls us to be as we make room for all God’s children to benefit from our Son Light and the protective canopy that provides spiritual and physical food and water and shelter for those who need it. May it be so for you and me, today and forever. [slide # 28 Give God what’s right…] Amen.