Tuesday, April 23, 2019

April 21 2019 Butterfly Wings Rising Again


April 21 2019   Acts 10.34-43 “Butterfly Wings…Rising Again” Easter Sunday Pastor Jacqueline Hines
We have arrived at another Easter Sunday. We are here not just because we are inspired by the 18 billion dollar industry with spending on new clothes, food, and candy. It is the Sunday of the East, - East - er. We are reminded that the sun rises in the East. And this season of spring is the time when the dawn of daylight is longer than the dark of night. [slide #  1  dawn]
It is a blessing that we have arrived at another Easter Sunday for once again, it is dawning on us that the days of our lives are longer than the nights, that the light of our life is greater than the world’s darkness. [slide # 2  Jesus leaving the tomb]
Spiritually speaking, much of the Easter light on this day, stems from the life and the Resurrection of Jesus. Easter light has been blessing and influencing all of our lives for over 2000 years.  [slide # 3  Light of Jesus from tomb]
You understand the deep meaning a culture can have for us humans if you mourned this week while watching the fires of Notre Dame. [slide #  4 fire] Anyone been to Notre Dame? If so, you were among the 12 million people of all faiths, even no faith who have gathered for centuries to witness its breathtaking beauty and to soak in the comfort of something that withstood two world wars, a coup, a revolution, and more. We have a human need to see our legacy matter and to remember that great things are possible if we dare to appreciate a living God and those on whose shoulders God gives us to stand and reach the stars!
That Cathedral was begun in 1160 and almost finished 100 years later. [slide #  5  cathedral] It took a hundred years! Five generations. Nine hundred years later, the Cathedral of Notre Dame remains in our hearts. Napoleon the first was crowned there in 1804. [ slide #  6  Napoleon crown ] The Magnificat was sung there in celebration of the liberation of France from the Germans in 1944 with the help of US General Patton. There have been prestigious funerals and baptisms there. And, of course, it was a symbol of God’s majestic love for justice after Victor Hugo – whom the French honored by putting his picture on money [slide #  7 Hugo pictured on French money] became a refugee fleeing from France to Belgium during Napoleon the third’s reign of terror. From a mansion in his time of exile, [slide # 8  Hugo mansion] Hugo wrote The Hunchback of Notre Dame – which he intentionally and vividly described the beautiful Gothic architecture [slide # 9  rose window Cathedral] In his writing of Les Miserables, he captured the misery of those suffering economic hardships, of hunger, and the insults of those who had no sense of lack and no pity for those who did.
Hugo’s writings inspired others to revolt and rebel, to take over the Bastille’s prison weaponry, dethrone and execute the king and queen, while 40,000 were sent to the guillotine.
History reminds us that Easter is surrounded by an all-too-human story. One might reason that the crucifixion of Jesus in the first century at the hands of priests is more sinister than the neglect of peasants in the streets of Paris during the nineteenth century. One might ponder that the speed and ease of the French guillotine is better than the slow, suffocating death on a Roman cross. The human story never changes. The madness never ends. From Colorado’s Columbine to California’s human traffickers – of which the US is the number one customer of cruelty, the madness never ends.
Our blessing is that Easter never ends either. God is always stirring hearts somewhere, someway. [slide #  10 gold cross in Notre Dame] In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, God brought some people together from various unsettling circumstances, just as we gather together this day. Peter told the crowd in verse 36: You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.
How ready are our ears to hear God speaking in our most urgent and desperate times and situations? How much faith in the concept of peace in Jesus Christ can we muster when our blood pressure is rising? How can we reconcile the fact that Jesus IS Lord of all, when he didn’t even save himself from the cross?
The answer is Easter. Easter is our day to celebrate the fact that Jesus rose from the grave and reminds us that there is always a season when the days are longer than the nights.
Peter continues talking to the crowd saying: [slide #  11 God raised him…]
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
Easter is our time to celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead just as he said he would. We too are chosen by God to witness the reality that he who was dead is now alive. As we eat and drink together, and serve our family, friends, and neighbors as God gives us strength and wisdom, Jesus says he himself is with us - even when there are simply two or three of us.  Then we begin to see that the nights may be long, but there is much more daylight than there is darkness.
We can testify that we have seen God working in our lives and working in the world. We have heard God’s voice speaking truths that have set us free, that have healed us, that have saved us.
So Easter really is here today. Easter really is in your heart and my heart. We can truly say that God is good and God is great and we thank God for doing great things in our lives. We can say that we believe in the resurrection power of Easter, even during the night. We know firsthand that joy really does come in the morning even after there has been weeping during the night like Psalm 30 tells us.
As a community, whether our faith is great or small, we have brought Easter to the world around us that is searching for truth and light. We have brought Easter faithfully to our families, our friends, and to our neighbors near and far. We bring Easter to Bethel as we celebrate today.
This year is our 175th anniversary, and in spite of the many changes, renovations, struggles and transformations [slide #  12 butterfly]  Easter rises with high expectations at Bethel because Jesus lives in us. For 175 years, he was alive in your mothers, your fathers, your grandmothers, your grandfathers, sisters, your brothers, uncles, aunts, your cousins, and your friends.
They all made their contribution to building a beloved community that has been sustained through eight generations as well as building the building. The eighth generation installed an elevator and made some welcoming renovations as you see. God only knows what vision God will give to the ninth generation. Whatever it is, it is sure to prove once again that the days are longer than the nights because Jesus became the light of our world as he rose from the dark grave, just like he said he would. [slide # 13  in memory…wait] Amen. [slide #  14  because he lives…]


April 14 2019 Sliding Into Sabbath Mode


April 14, 2019 Palm Sunday “Sliding into Sabbath mode” Pastor Jacqueline Hines
Like sliding onto home plate, keeping a Sabbath is something to cheer about! [slide #  1 at home plate ]  Americans have gone way out of line and off base with frantic activity. We don’t sleep enough for trying to burn the candle on both ends. We are busier than a one armed paper hanger! A member told me this week, I am too busy to tie my shoes.
The Lenten season is a reminder to slow down at least long enough to ask God for help and guidance. We need to know what is going on in life. If we do not talk to God, we miss some very important information. We miss some very important blessings.
God talks to us through the scriptures and today the message is “Remember….remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy.” Here is our reminder that our spare time, our down time, our non-working time, should be holy.  Our God tells us to remember. [slide #  2 REMEMBER]  
Have YOU ever been forgotten? You made arrangements to meet someone only to find out that they forgot all about you. Perhaps it worked out but in case it did not work out you may have felt rejected. Has the shoe been on the other foot? Did YOU forget someone? Did it slip your mind that you were to be at such and such a place at such and such a time to do whatever? It can feel bad to be forgotten and it can feel even worse to be the one who has forgotten someone. We don’t want others to feel devalued, dismissed, or less important because of what we do or don’t do. [slide #  3  heart and string on finger]
We don’t like the feeling of forgetting someone or being forgotten and we have several ways to remind ourselves. We have calendars and alarms and strings around our fingers or sticky notes. We do many things that help us remember something important that we do not want to forget.
The Sabbath is so important to God that God tells us to remember it and to keep it holy. Remember, when you are not working to make a living, it is still God that provides your time and that time is to be used to bless and not curse. That time God gives us is to be used to bear fruit of the Holy Spirit, not unholy Spirits; to bring life, not take life; to shine light, not create darkness. Remember the Sabbath…to keep it holy! [slide #  4  Remember the Sabbath]
My seminary professor taught us that the Sabbath is personal for each of God’s children. He testified that he feels most rested and close to God when he is on his knees in the garden, with hands in the dirt and the beauty of nature all around as he partners with God to grow something good. The Sabbath is about you and God being together, finding joy and delight in one another’s presence, and spreading that joy to those around you.
The Sabbath can look completely different from one generation to the other. It may look like dressing up in silk stockings and neckties and ironing your Sunday clothes on Saturday night instead of Sunday morning. There was a time when one dared not be caught in the driveway washing your car or hanging up laundry or grocery shopping. Nowadays it is common for grocery stores to be open 24/7 and nobody judges you if you mow your lawn on a Sunday, organize a soccer tournament or go to the theatre. Nobody!
Every culture and community interprets God’s will differently regarding the Sabbath and each culture and community makes decisions that may not look like those who have gone before them. Bishop Peggy Johnson [slide # 5  Bishop Peggy] said in the town hall meeting in Reading a few weeks ago that things are always changing. She gave as an example, women were not allowed to be ordained before 1956. Or, at one time the Book of Discipline asked total abstinence from alcohol. Today it mandates that the consumption of alcohol be in moderation. She expects that gay marriages will be allowed sometime in the future. Others declare that we just spent months fasting and praying for an answer and when God gave “no” as the answer - some did not want to hear it. We will all answer to God for ourselves. I am not in a position to condone nor am I called to condemn anyone in the LGBTQ communities. Still, hate or rejection is not an option. We will all answer to God for ourselves.
Things change. Opinions change, rules change, cultures change and communities change. God’s love remains steady and we have no excuse for our love for one another to not remain consistent as well; because the Holy Spirit is within us to unite us in love and unless we reject the Holy Spirit, we have access to the power of God’s love. [slide #  6  unites us]
The Sabbath has changed through the years, but it is still God’s time, a time to ‘reflect on God’s goodness, rest in God’s love, reconnect with God’s spirit, and replenish our physical and spiritual strength.’ (Jerry Watts)
Reflecting on God’s goodness helps us to do good, and to be good. Reconnecting with God’s spirit energizes and restores us so that we are refreshed and refreshing like the morning dew. If we take time to rest in God’s love we flow in God’s peace and patience and pardon. If we take the Sabbath and spend time with God we will likely have less time and energy for looking for love in all the wrong places.
Compared to the other of the Ten Commandments, we can see that the Command to take a Sabbath break is just as high on God’s priority list. All ten of the commandments are for our good in the short run as well as the long run. Not heeding God is reckless! [slide #  7 reckless]
Never let it be said of us that we worship our work, work at our play and play at our worship. As we cross the threshold and enter the church, we are aware consciously or unconsciously that what happens here does not happen everywhere. If you have eyes to see and ears to hear, you know that what happens among God’s people is a God thing, and every God thing is a great thing.
Playing at worship may have been the problem that the Sadducees and Pharisees had. You’ve read about the good things Jesus wanted to do, heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind, do a little rehab on a man whose hand was atrophied. They forbid Jesus to do good things on the Sabbath. And when he did it anyway, they got him good, or rather, bad. They were led by their rules rather than by the Spirit.
One source says they were so rigid and hard hearted and hard on others when it came to Sabbath rules:
They believed that absolutely no work could be done on the Sabbath, and they added many of their own laws, rules, and interpretations to make sure that no work would be done… They believed that medical attention could only be given on the Sabbath if a life was in danger. If a woman was in labor, it was iffy if they could help. If a wall fell on a person, they could move enough to see if the person was alive or dead, but could not move the body or help until the next day. You could not attend to a fracture. You could not pour cold water on a sprained hand or foot. You could bandage a wound, but you could not use ointment. In short, you could only keep it from getting worse. You could not make them better, that would be work.
This rigidness also extended beyond the medical sphere. You could not prepare meals on the Sabbath. Scribes could not have a pen on nor tailors a needle! That could lead to work! In the Maccabean Wars, soldiers would not fight and defend themselves on the Sabbath, and they got slaughtered![ …Jesus had to break their law to do God’s will.] To them, man was made for the Sabbath. (Nickolas Kooi) but, Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for humans, not humans for the Sabbath.
For a few years, the Holy Spirit guided me to a special season of prayer and meditation from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. every morning. [slide #  8  three a.m. prayer] The time quickly became a delight, but at first it was an adjustment. Instead of praying, I found myself nodding off. I set alarms to wake up every few minutes in case I fell asleep. I was afraid that I might miss a miracle or a healing or an insight in building up the kingdom [slide # 9 wall of prayer] I also did not want to be like the disciples who fell asleep when Jesus asked them to stay awake in the Garden of Gethsemane. Setting lots of alarms was my way of being faithful and disciplined and taking control of my blessings.
But, instead of a sharp rebuke, I experienced a gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit to stop setting those alarms in order keep myself awake. [slide # 10 gentle Jesus near stream with lamb]   Such gentleness was reinforced when I heard someone say that the same thing happened to them. As they were spending time in prayer, they would fall asleep sometime and they too grew to understand that God is not trying to be a drill sergeant, but a companion and a lover of our souls. Did not Jesus say that his burden is light and his yoke is easy? [slide #   11  awake] I soon adjusted and was able to stay awake and years later it was just as much an adjustment to stop that three hour prayer time as it was to begin it.
We may be living in a time when culturally and spiritually we do tend to worship our work, work at our play and play at our worship as if our relationship with God is insignificant. Still we should be able to hear Jesus calling us. Tenderly calling us as the song declares, lay down your weary head lay down, and lean upon the everlasting arms.
Those who knew the voice of Jesus and longed to run into the presence of the divine, could sing the loudest Hosannas of all! [slide #  12   hosanna] They were shouts of longing and hope and dependence on God.
It is in our time of Sabbath rest – our special time as a child of God to spend time in God’s presence that we hear important information, that we see the way that we should go, and that we touch the hem of his garment and are made whole. May our Sabbath be all of that and a bag of chips! (as they say in the city) [slide # 13  …bag of chips] Amen. [slide # 14  remember]     [slide # 15  don’t forget]



April 7 2019 The Joy of Finally Finishing


April 7 2019 Fifth Sunday in Lent “The Joys of Finally Finishing” Pastor Jacqueline Hines
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This is the word of the Lord to us, today: “Do Not Despair”. [slide #  1  do not despair!]   We need to continually hear God’s word to keep our chins up because we are so often tempted to keep our heads down in despair and disappointment because of the dire needs and distress that may be a part of our everyday experience.
We must remember not only that our God is God of our present but our God a God of our future. Jeremiah 29 encourages us with these words of God saying, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  [slide #   2  I know the plans]
If God is leading us into a bright future, then the words that Andre Crouch’s cousin Danniebelle Hall sang are inspiring: This is not the time for giving up, it’s time for holding on. This is not the time for looking back it’s time for being strong… when you started running this race, you were given a job to do. Who knows if you turn back now somebody may fail who’s depending on you.” [slide #  3  Danniebelle Hall]
Our text this morning from Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for every season. You heard the scripture telling us clearly that God wants us to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we live; moreover, it is God's gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil."
Children like to pile blocks together and build a fort or a house. They also appreciate knocking them all down and building something new. [slide #    4  child building]  Whether we are working to build or working to rebuild, there is joy at the finish line. We eat a good meal and sit back in satisfaction when it is over. At the same time, we get ready to “build” the next meal and work until our joy is complete as the work of building is complete. Either way, in God, it is a joy to be finished because we then have the joy of beginning again. God is a God of our hope, coming and going.
We all know it is not possible to be happy and worry at the same time. So why not choose to be happy, to eat and drink as God provides and to enjoy the various jobs that God give us. Why not hold on to happiness as long as you can. You remember that catchy song from the 80’s sung by New Yorker Bobby McFerrin [slide #  5  Bobby McFerrin]  in his made up Jamaican accent: Don’t Worry Be Happy. It was the first acapella song to reach number one on the Billboard top 100 chart, a position it held for weeks. Though we might be concerned that such songs allow us to deny or escape our troubles, there is a season, a moment that we do well to hold on to happiness and enjoy life in spite of our frustrations. [slide #  6  holding onto Jesus]  it does not matter what is going on around us. What matters is that Jesus is with us and will never leave us. [ slide # 7   leaning on Jesus] Rejoicing in the Lord refreshes us and strengthens us to bear every burden and to triumph in every trial. Can I get an “amen”.
McFerrin sings:
“Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy
 Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The landlord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no [body] gal to make you smile
Don't worry, be happy
'Cause when you worry your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy.

That song may have its history, [ slide #   8  Don’t worry…]  but between you and me, it came right from the wisdom of the book of Ecclesiastes. The sage says - I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God's gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil." — Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
There are at least three ways to enjoy the benefits of submitting to God’s inspiration for us be happy and stop worrying. They are number one -to worship God, [slide #  9  worship with heart inside the word] number two to give thanks to God, [ slide #  10  give thanks] three to praise God. [Slide #  11  praise God]]  When we worship and give praise and thanksgiving to God, something happens. The atmosphere within us and around us changes for the better in real and abiding ways. Our worship brings the sunshine and makes the clouds take cover. Our praise melts troubled hearts in the same way that a smile warms up a room. Giving thanks to God multiplies the fish and the loaves and increases the loved ones who can join us at each table. Some of you may have one of those dining room tables that has a section in the middle where you can add a piece and make the table wider so more people can fit around the table. It is true, the more the merrier – even when we are getting to know and appreciate one another.
Worship with praise    [slide #   12  dancing] and thanksgiving creates a rhythm and dance and song that erupts and overwhelms our troubles  [slide #   13  why should I…]   and makes what seems impossible, possible. [slide #  14  possible]
As we think about all the challenges we face day by day and we see others facing day by day, it is easy to sink into a pit of despair. [slide # 15   don’t give up…]  But, in this season, God’s season, the word of the Lord to us is “do not despair.” The God who loves us – each and every one of us - wants to gift us with hope no matter what we are doing and no matter what we are dealing with. In this Lenten season let us remember to worship our God [slide #  16 hand raised in worship] to thank our God [slide #  17 thanks] and to praise our God [slide # 18  praise] and whatever we do, when we finally finish, we can have joy, knowing that there can be joy as we finish a job that builds up God’s people and God’s purpose as well as beginning whatever comes next.  Joy is God’s gift to us. [slide #   19 …plans Jeremiah..]  We can accept it.   [ slide #   20   be joyful…]   We will need it in this journey. Amen.  [slide #   21 …thank God for you]





Monday, April 1, 2019

Room for the New Ones to Relax March 31 Youth Sunday Fourth Sunday in Lent


Room for the New Ones to Relax Luke 12:29-34 5th Sunday in Lent Pastor J Hines March 31, 2019 Youth Sunday

The world is full of lively crowds. We appreciate seeing families enjoying themselves on sandy beaches. [slide # 1  beaches] Theatres hold crowds of the mesmerized being entertained. [slide #  2  theatres ] Musicians appreciate a crowd for concerts. Stadiums and stands are filled with enthusiastic sports fans. [slide # 3 sports fans]  Even churches see a greater crowd on Christmas and Easter. [slide # 4 crowded churches]

Though fewer and fewer people are going to church these days, there are so many people lined up to volunteer to so Christian deeds and show compassionate care as they share their precious time and unbelievable dollars even to strangers. You may remember in 2012 Karen Klein the 68-year old suburban Rochester New York school bus monitor who was verbally abused by four seventh-grade boys. [slide #  5 Karen Klein] The world was outraged as they witnessed videos of her being taunting with profanity, insults and threats. Around the globe, people responded with so much love and compassion as a way of bringing her justice. She was able to retire with the $700,000 that she received, and the boys were expelled, sentenced to 50 hours of community service, and they apologized.

People are so amazing and kind and people want justice. Of course, we humans can be easily tricked. In November of last year, homeless veteran Johnnie Bobbitt conspired a tear jerker of a scam with couple Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure. [slide #  6  three scammers] Conscientious people gave 400,000 dollars which the scammers misused for luxurious cars and such. What a reminder for us to always do the right thing and to pray about everything, to keep a conversation going with God, lest we too be tempted. Good news and not so good news is a reminder for us to respond in ways that are models for the little lives that watch what we do more than what we say and the little feet that follow in our footsteps. [slide #  7  footprints]

Fewer people may be going to church but when you go through King of Prussia we see the casino parking lot is so crowded, [slide #  8 casino] packed from one end to the other. Now that sports betting is legal in several states, there is 10 billion dollars in profits to be made. The case for legalization of marijuana also brings a crowd of profiteers and scammers. New England Patriot’s 77 year old billionaire owner Robert Kraft [slide #  9  Kraft] was caught in the type of human trafficking  sting that affects women and girls around the world to the tune of millions. To our shame, the United States is the number one customer. In the news this week was the story of high school girls who discovered a list that rated several girls on their looks. Instead of retaliating, the Bethesda, Maryland high schoolers decided to meet and educate their peers in ways that can increase their sense of self-worth and dissolve the demeaning of humans. 

As the church, we also have to pay attention to our values and worth. The Global United Methodist Church is no doubt worth billions. [slide # 10 stained glass dollar sign] We crowd our ways with good and righteous work. Our Eastern Pennsylvania Conference alone has a budget of about 10 million. Three million dollars was budgeted to have our special General Conference in Missouri which included Methodists from around the globe. Our Global Connection is taken very, very seriously. We invest in healthy, holy, adult dialogue. We believe the treasures of the kingdom are not just about the worth in dollars. Jesus encourages us to have real treasures — He says heavenly treasure, holy treasure is a treasure that never runs out. No thief comes near there, and no moth destroys. Jesus encourages us to gather to ourselves treasures that do not rot away in a basement, a building, attic, or storage bin. Treasures that are not thrown away on luxuries as others suffer.

Our true treasure is in building the family of God. It is about using our talents and our gifts and our resources and doing what God calls us to do and trusting that God will provide something good for us as well as for those to whom God sends us.

Without our relationships with the Central Conferences outside the United States in Africa and Europe and the Methodist affiliated churches in South America, Asia and elsewhere, our mission would not include medical care for babies suffering from the Zika virus in South America, nets to prevent mosquito bites that cause malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, or clean water to prevent blindness cause by polluted water in the Congo, or trained counselors to help traumatized children in Iraq like 13 year old Hana who is among 3 million persons displaced and running for their lives because of Isis. She has been gone from her home since the age of nine.

Methodist churches outside of the United States [slide #  11   crowd ]  may have more members and their churches may be crowded and growing by leaps and bounds but they may be, as our Kenyan missionary John has noted, 100 years behind the US in the development of an infrastructure – that provides the basics of clean water hospitals, schools, agriculture, military, and roadways.

As we focus on this Lenten season to relax, slow down, and declutter, we are remembering to make room for quality quiet time with God. We are remembering to make room for each other, [slide #   12  acceptance – puzzle piece] and especially on this youth Sunday, we desire to make room for the new ones – the ones who walk in our footsteps. We want them to lie down in green pastures and find rest for their souls. We want to help them see that the only way to really rest is to be righteous; the only way to really relax is to be righteous. Space for new ones makes a stronger church, makes a growing church, a loving church.

Dr. Marcia Mcfee notes that as a society, Americans on average are now living in three times more home space than in the 1950’s. And no matter how much more space we live in, we tend to fill it up. In fact, we now have a 2.2 billion square foot personal storage industry. Cheap labor, 24/7 access to online ordering and an attitude that the resources will never run out have contributed to an insensitivity to the amount of stuff we have and the rate of speed we turn over the stuff we have. And besides the literal clutter we accumulate, our lives are weighed down with “shoulds” and expectations that hold us captive to the frantic pace we live and mounting debt we accumulate. Dr. Mcfee hears God’s call to come and find a less crowded way to live…

The ones new to the Christian journey, [slide #  13 children on a journey] the young, need less stuff and more spiritual and emotional space to relax. Spiritual and physical space lets us be a stronger church, a growing church, a loving church.

A family researcher determined that the average family gets just 34 minutes a day together ‘undistracted’ – time where they feel they actually bond together and catch up without gadgets or routines getting in the way. Though that number rises during the weekend, the general idea is that more space to be together is needed. Making more time and more connection leaves more opportunity for the work of the Holy Spirit.
That is why church gatherings can become so life-giving and so holy, like our Youth Sundays [ slide # 14  let youth be heard]  and our Bethel Brunches that we have today and special dinners planned for Saturday April 27th.

I close with one of the most marvelous scriptures that reminds us that our treasure should be in God. Isaiah chapter 30 verse 15 says ‘In returning to God and resting in God, we are saved, and in quietness and confidence in God, we find strength.’ When we make room in our lives to be with God, we make room for each other to relax, especially for the new ones in the journey [slide # 15 adult and child] They can enjoy God no matter what the state of the world or the church is.  We are then a stronger church, a growing church, a loving church. Amen.[slide # 16 hands on globe]






Lots of Help to Get the Job Done Third Sunday in Lent March 24 2019


Luke 10:38-42 “Lots of Help to Get the Job Done” Third Sunday in Lent March 24 2019 Pastor Jacqueline Hines
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Luke tells the story of Jesus’ travels. He entered a certain village where Martha and Mary and Lazarus lived. [slide # 1 Mary and Martha] It is interesting that Luke calls it a certain village because the gospel of John just comes right out and tells us that Mary and Martha lived in Bethany with their brother Lazarus. Is it coincidence or is it poetic that Dr. Luke leaves out the name of the city Bethany which could mean “house of figs” which are delicious. [slide # 2 figs] Bethany also means “house of affliction” [slide #  3 tears] which is not at all delicious.
If leaving out the name of the city has poetic meaning, perhaps we can wonder if the point of the story is to fill us with anticipation and wondering whether the end of the story will be delicious or not. [slide # 4  Bethany means…]
Nevertheless, it is important to note that Jesus was welcomed there. He was welcome in the house of Mary and her sister Martha. He was treated like royalty and accepted as a prince. Welcoming is a wonderful thing. Everyone does not welcome Jesus. Everyone does not want to be in the presence of Jesus. Welcoming is a wonderful thing. Jesus goes where he is welcomed. [slide # 5 welcome in your home? ]
Martha was doing a lot of work cooking from scratch. Even if she had servants to help, it was still a lot in those days. Martha was doing all the work, Jesus was doing all the talking and Mary was just sitting there…doing nothing. That made Martha mad. But Martha did not take her complaint to her sister Mary. Martha complained to Jesus.
We all know, the best communication happens when we talk to one another instead of talking about one another. When we talk about one another, we set up a triangle, we live on the edge of gossip, we hide so we can hurt until we are healed and learn to face each other and take full responsibility for our own feelings and behaviors. Dialogue makes the weak strong and the strong, stronger!
Martha should have talked to Mary instead of complaining to anyone else. On the other hand, the best thing we can do when we have a complaint against someone is to first talk to Jesus. Jesus is a good exception to the rule.
Having a little talk with Jesus gives us comfort and guidance during a troubling time. [slide # 6 little girl talking with Jesus]  It is sort of like that old advice when you are really, really upset about someone, write a letter to that person and tear it up. It is good to think about upsetting matters long and hard before doing something rash.
I learned this when I prayed about a woman who did me great harm. I decided I was going to give her a piece of my mind. I was so so so happy when I felt in my heart that the Lord was giving me the direction to go, not that day, but two days later. I thought to myself, wow – God is on my side and will certainly give me the words to say to get justice. However, when the day came, I had lost all my steam. I felt totally different. I was no longer upset, and I was ready to let the whole mater go. I thanked God because I could not afford to give away a piece of my mind and if I had, things probably would have gotten worse instead of better. Because it is easier to forgive than it is to forget, it is wise to talk to Jesus about everything.
Martha was not at all happy with her sister. When siblings are upset, it can get pretty tense. Martha pulled the male authority card on Mary. She pulled the rabbi “Master, do you care card on him…you’re a rabbi, you’re supposed to care. You said you care, but do you really care. [slide # 7 nobody cares sign]
Have you had those days when you questioned whether someone cares about you? They may be a brother, sister, mother, father, friend, or doctor. When our expectations are not met, when our situation is critical, things may happen or not happen and we may wonder who cares about us.
Jesus did not answer Martha’s question about whether he cared. It was a question that he had already answered. It was the same question Methodist minister and songwriter Frank Graeff asked in 1901 - Does Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth or song. As the burdens press, and the cares distress, and the way grows weary and long?
The answer comes in the chorus: Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief; when the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares. [slide # 8 Jesus caring]
The songwriter’s confidence that he is loved and cared for, no doubt, came through personal experience and a personal relationship with God. We all know that relationships take time, intentionality, and work.
Mary was accused of not helping her sister Martha in a critical time, but Mary was very busy, too. She was busy getting to know Jesus. Mary was where she was supposed to be. Mary was nurturing her relationship with Jesus. Mary had chosen the better part. Mary knew that there was just as much value – if not more - in spending time with Jesus as in getting all those chores done.
As children, when someone asked a question, we might have answered, “That is for me to know and for you find out.” When Mary asked Jesus if he cared, I imagined that Jesus’ silence was essentially sending the message: that is for me to know and for you to find out.
That is what faith is. Faith is finding out the many ways we are beloved and cared for. Faith is spending time with Jesus so that we learn beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus loves us. When we have a relationship with Jesus, we may not appreciate our circumstances, but we will know we are loved. [slide # 9 faith] We may not take pleasure in our situations, but we will know Jesus delights in us. We may not understand why bad things happen to good people like us, but we will still see countless blessings that are being poured into our lives and we will always find ever so deep in our hearts an attitude of gratitude and a song of praise for the wonder of God’s glory. [slide # 10 faith – mountains]
Martha was distracted by many things. Jesus helped her by telling her about herself. It has been said that the definition of a friend is someone who gives you feedback. Jesus is a friend who tells us about ourselves, who helps us see ourselves as others see us, who helps us see where we need to work on ourselves and become stronger Christians.
Mary, on the other hand was focusing on her relationship with Jesus. Jesus helped Martha by telling her the truth that being with Jesus is a top priority and instead of complaining when others are with Jesus, she should be celebrating. Spending time with Jesus makes the world a better place and helps us to get our chores done, too. [slide #  11 Mary and Martha]
The blessings that come in our relationship with Jesus are not given to us by the world. We do not need to be insecure, nor do we need to compete with others because the blessings that come in our relationship with Jesus cannot be taken from us.
I felt particularly blessed this week. I have always aspired to have a very neat desk like my graduate school statistics professor. It never seems to work for me. So last week, as I often do, I cried out to the Lord, “Help me Lord to at least get rid of some of this clutter.” I had also misplaced a very important set of numbers for a report that was due. So I added to my prayers, “Lord help me to find that sheet with the numbers so I can finish my report on time.”
So I carefully went through four piles on my desk and still no numbers after an hour of searching and sorting and tossing unneeded paper into the recycling bin. Suddenly it occurred to me that what I was looking for was not on my desk but it was in the bag where I stored my computer. I concluded that God tricked me so I could at least go through that pile on my desk and be the answer to my own prayer.  
So Mary spending quality time with Jesus had all the help she needed in Jesus to get anything done. [slide # 12 Jesus…all we need] Martha got a lot of help too, even if it wasn’t the help she was looking for. We too have all the help we need to get a job done well! All we need to do is have a little talk with Jesus. Tell him all about our troubles, our dreams, our hopes and learn from him. He will show us the way and help us to get the job done. Jesus is all we need. Amen.  [slide # 13 Jesus and children]

Quiet Waters - Second Sunday in Lent March 17 2019


March 17 2019 “Quiet Waters” Psalm 23 Pastor Jacqueline Hines Second Sunday in Lent

For many of us, it takes a lot to be led by someone other than ourselves. Being led can often feel like being forced. We often resist being led by someone or something besides ourselves. Being forced against our will can lead to trauma and violence at worst and passive resolve and irritation at best. One of our Bethel caregivers was explaining to me that the person she cares for is in an end stage of disease. Their muscles resist every move one tries to help them make.
Resistance can be a good thing when we are in an exercise program. There are bands [slide # 1 exercise bands] designed to help us increase our resistance. There are isometric exercises whereby our muscles are strengthened when we repeat the motions of resistance. However, when we are caring for someone and they resist going in a certain direction that contributes to their health and well-being, then we have trouble.
Foundry UMC is located in Washington, D.C. [ slide # 2  Foundry UMC]   At Foundry they teach resistance for social justice. The pastor is Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli [ slide # 3  Pastor Ginger] author of Sacred Resistance [slide # 4  Sacred Resistance]  The church has been in existence since 1814 on 14th and G street near the White House. In 1904 Foundry relocated 13 blocks away. Our 19th President Rutherford B. Hayes abolitionist and lawyer, [slide # 5  President Hayes] attended Foundry in the 1870’s with his wife Lucy. Lucy was known as Lemonade Lucy because she refused to allow the service of alcohol in the White House [slide # 6  First Lady Lucy] (she also started the annual White House Easter Roll as a result of her love for children. She also loved animals and cared for persons with disabilities and mental health challenges.)  The Hayes family lived a life resisting evil and making the devil run. That is hard work and we need regular rest if we are doing hard Christian work.
It is good to partake of some quiet time on a regular basis. It strengthens us to do what God has called us to do. There are a number of you who have pools or swim often or enjoy a home at the shore. Water is known to transform us and make us tranquil. Dentists have found that if they have an aquarium in the waiting room, patients become calm when they see the fish swimming with ease in the water. Certain medical procedures may come with sounds of trickling streams of water. Parks and camps often highlight their crystal clear streams and lakes and make sure there are benches and fragrant trees and butterfly bushes to encourage the public to spend time beside the still waters.
Jesus leads us beside still waters. We are led because we are loved. We are led because the ways of peace and stillness and quiet require the power of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is not natural, it is supernatural.
We need the Holy Spirit to work in us and help us to access the quiet we so urgently need. We need it when we our souls and our lives are restless. It is hard to rest at night when God is leading us one way and all day we are going another way. [slide # 7 right way…] Sometime the still waters become still only when we let go and let God, when we confront our demons and ask God to help us get rid of them. God is so faithful to give us, day by day, the vision, strength and guidance we need to resist evil in our hearts, in our families, in our churches, in our communities. God is so faithful that it only makes sense to follow God. The songwriter claims, “Where he leads me, I will follow. Where he leads me, I will follow. Where he leads me, I will follow. I’ll go with him, with him, with him all the way.”
We can trust our savior to help us, to minister to us, love us, to bless us, to serve us. [slide # 8  Jesus carrying baggage]  We are sure to be more comfortable when lying down in green pastures if we first bring our burdens to the Lord and leave them there! [slide # 9  large backpack]
Nina Simone a preacher’s daughter [slide # 10  Nina Simone] growing up poor, aspired to be a concert pianist. Systems of poverty or anything we may lack does not stop God. Nina was an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist and activist. Her range of music included classical, blues, jazz, folk, R&B, gospel and pop. Nina attended Julliard School of Music in New York with the help of her supporters. She then applied to Curtis Institute but was rejected. She thought her talent was overshadowed the politics of the 1960’s. Curtis gave her an honorary degree after she died in 2003 at the age of 70. In spite of the odds against her, she was blessed.
When the Lord is our shepherd we shall not want. God provides. [slide # 11  God provides] God guides. We can trust God because God is good. What is it that you need today? Trust God. Talk to God. Nurture a relationship with God?
We are often in a hurry to tell God our needs and wants. God is also in a hurry to answer all of us children. We know this when we not only speak but when we listen to God. God speaks to us in dreams, visions, through the voices of family and friends. God speaks to us through circumstances and when we experience God as silent, we can do what the bible tells us. We can think about who God has already been to us and what God has already said to us. Sometimes, God’s silence suggests that God wants us to think about what God has said on a certain subject before.
It is important to be still and listen to God. [slide #  12 be still…] If you do not have a quiet time set aside to listen to God during the day, you may be missing out on some very important information. The doctors do not know everything. When we are under medical care, we need to hear from God. The bankers do not know everything. When we open our wallets, we need to hear from God. God’s word is a lamp at our feet. God’s word makes our paths brighter no matter how great the darkness or how hard the journey [slide #  13 on knees in prayer…yoke]
I have told the story many times of years ago a woman asked me for a few dollars to get her through the month. I told her that I had nothing to spare, but I would pray for her and if the Lord gave it to me, I would give it to her. At the end of the day, the Lord gave me some money, and I gave it to her, but I discovered that I did not want to give it to her. I wanted to keep it for myself. God answered her prayer. She got the money she asked for, but I got a whuppin’ from the Holy Spirit!
When God reveals great wisdom to us, our faith is built up, we are learning how God loves us and the many ways God guides us. In God’s presence, we are filled again and again and again with the precious Holy Spirit.
No matter how much we know, we do not know everything. We need to pray about everything and we need to be still and listen until we hear what God has to say.
Like any conversation, we mishear, we misunderstand. Like any relationship, we give and we take. We miss the mark. We negotiate the negotiables and we learn to accept the non-negotiables.
It is in learning to be led by the Holy One that we find rest and peace and life everlasting. [slide # 14 God’s way… the best…]We not only learn that God’s ways are different from our ways. We learn that God’s way is the best way. Amen. [slide # 15  be still…God…battles]


Rest - First Sunday in Lent March 110 2019



March 10 2019 first Sunday in Lent    Matthew 11:28-30 “Rest” Pastor Jacqueline Hines+++
As we continue our journey of Lent, we have the hope that by intentionally studying God’s word and walking in God’s way, our spiritual life will show signs of growth and development. What does spiritual growth look like for you? [slide # 1 spiritual growth] Is it the ability to participate in worship doing what ministers do? Is it going on a mission trip, or doubling your tithes to give 20% of your income instead of 10%? Can we see that we have grown spiritually when we are nice to our kids or sweeter to our spouse or is it when we have forgiven ourselves, and set up clear boundaries to make ourselves safe?
[slide # 2 cousin Marjorie] I have a little cousin who is a social worker. She posted a helpful saying regarding personal boundaries on Facebook that said, “I set boundaries to respect myself, not to offend you.”
Healthy congregations are made of healthy Christians, so borrowing from the United Methodist criterion for vital congregations we can ask ourselves as individuals  #1 are we filled with the Spirit, #2 are we making disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit, #3 welcoming all people, #4 serving in justice and mercy ministries, #5  getting other Christians to work in mission and outreach, #6 affirming gifted, empowered, and equipped lay leadership and clergy, #7 participating in small group ministries and #8 supporting strong children and youth ministries. These are signs of health and vitality in churches as well as in individuals.
Like growing a garden, growing a church or growing as a Christian can be hard work. Nurturing spiritual growth can be tiring at times. God has a way of helping us do the work. God also revives us with blessing upon blessing and celebration upon celebration. Indeed the joy of the Lord is our strength. Our modern society encourages us to work like machines, mass producing results, faster and faster in shorter amounts of time. How often have we heard someone say on their job, they downsized personnel and expected everyone else to take on more work in the same amount of hours?
More than ever we are afraid for our lives. Mass shootings, race wars, men with suits and ties who’ve traveled the world are in prison alongside drug dealers who like Jesus, never traveled 30 miles away from home. We exhaust ourselves with safety plans, putting guns in our night stands and
locks on our doors. Women are in a struggle to be safe and to avoid hitting the glass ceiling in their careers with the 63% lower wage gap between them and men for the same job. Experts say it will take 202 years to close the gap. John tells us that Kenya in some ways is 100 years behind us in development and their struggle to survive. We just help them get water in their school in Kenya. [slide # 3 Bethel Kenya] At the same time, could Rev. Moses get heart surgery in Chester County for a mere $13,000? No, costs begin at $40,000. With the crazy cost of living, we sometimes wish we could go back a hundred years? [slide #  4 Rev. Moses] Several of us have already answered the invitation to help pay for his surgery as he races against the clock for his life.
We need rest after dealing with the rat race of life. [slide # 5 rat race] When God guides us, we are always given opportunities for rest and revival. The world is ruthless and cold hearted when it rules.
Rev. Dr. Marcia McFee has a PhD in worship. [slide # 6 Marcia McFee] She has provided the inspiration for our Lenten series in the next 6 weeks entitled “Busy: Reconnecting with an Unhurried God.”  [slide # 7 Busy: …reconnecting] In her online worship resources, she shows the image of a relaxing chair near the seashore, reminding us as we remember to slow down and be fully present with God. You will see that chair throughout the course of this Lenten season.
Slowing down, gives us a better chance of growing spiritually and soaking in the wonderful presence of God that blesses us beyond all we could ever ask or think. Jesus invites us to come to him, to slow down, to be still and know that God is God, to rest and revitalize.
In this age of technology we get more done and the world rewards our productivity. Experts say that Americans check our cell phones from 80 to 300 times per day. We take pictures, get directions, answer phone calls, respond to texts, and ask Google all kinds of questions. Dangerously so, we may experience the phone as perfect. The phone is often more accurate than our friends and family. The phone is immediately available and a more constant companion than humans. Oh, how we are tempted to demand good things and to demand that they be constantly and immediately available.
Several years ago when I went to a diner on Thanksgiving Day, it was full to capacity with families of all ages and sizes. I could not help but notice a table of 8 where each person had their head in a cell phone. It’s been years later, and preoccupation with our phones has become the norm. With all that blue light exposure and energy expended for social media clips, we need a rest and probably a couple walks around the block to get the knots out of our necks and the ear worms out of our brains. Every generation, no matter what the predominant occupations and recreational activities, needs to find ways to shift gears from work to leisure, to sleep and to rest as a part of staying healthy.
Pediatricians tell us that it is normal for a newborn baby to sleep from 14 to 17 hours in a day. [slide #  8 sleeping baby] The main reason is for their brain to grow and develop properly. Sleep experiments have shown that when a persons is sleep deprived, they may become very, very distressed. Many of us, for various reasons, go about our day deprived of sleep.
Our text from Matthew is a message especially for those who are tired from a long day on the job, those who are not sleeping through the night for worrying, and those whose applecart has been upset by unexpected, unpleasant, and unsettling circumstances. Jesus’ invitation is for any of us when we are carrying heavy burdens, when we are exhausted and driven to distraction.
In such times, Jesus invites us to come, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, that is, who have heavy burdens to carry.” Are you carrying a heavy burden today? Jesus invites you to come. Is the global church carrying the heavy burden of trying to live together in peace? Yes we are. It is time to hear his voice and come. Is your family member or friend in trouble? Hurting? Grieving, lost, forsaken? Hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Come.”  
How do we handle Jesus’ invitation? Do we open it up and excitedly mark our calendars with a time to meet with Jesus and bring our heaviest burdens? Do we rip the invitation up and put the invite into the recycling bin? Do we toss it into a pile of things to deal with at a more convenient time? Do we mutter our disappointment about what happened the last time we brought our heavy burdens to the Lord? Recently a sister in the Lord told how she prayed and prayed day after day to avoid a certain medical condition. She prayed for a miracle; instead she got a mess. She was mad and sad and believed God had forsaken her.
I knew exactly how she felt. I was prompted by the Holy Spirit years ago to pray for someone who I believed was headed for trouble, but I did not know exactly what kind of trouble. I prayed like I have never prayed before. I prayed in the morning. I prayed in the evening. I begged God. I bargained with God. I fasted and prayed. When the person I prayed for got very sick, I felt totally betrayed by God, even though God had only invited me to serve and pray. God had not promised that my prayers had magic powers or that by praying I could guarantee a particular result. Still, I was so upset that God had not met my expectations that I refused to pray. For three days, I turned my back on God, but after three days, I had to go back to my time of prayer. I had to stop blaming God for not answering prayers in the way that I demanded. The person is alive and well today, but I had to accept that God was God and I was not. The truth can be a heavy burden. The truth can keep you awake at night.
It is during such sleepless nights that we hear most clearly Jesus’ invitation:  ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. If you want rest, go to Jesus. [slide # 9 Jesus invites]
After accepting Jesus invitation and finding rest, [slide # 10 yoked oxen] Jesus then asks us to take on a yoke. A yoke is serious business. Once you are in a yoke, you cannot come out of it quickly or easily. The clergy collar is a symbol of being yoked to Christ. [slide # 11 clergy collar/shirt]
Jesus says 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
There is no way to get around hard work and hard times in this life. Why not go through with one who cares and has all we will ever need. Like Bob Dylan sang, in this world no matter who you are, “you’re gonna serve somebody. It may be the devil it may be the Lord, but your gonna serve somebody.”
The Lenten season is our reminder to bow down low and come to Jesus with all of our heart, and all of our mind, and all of our soul. If we gotta serve somebody, it might as well be Jesus. Amen. [slide # 12 serve Jesus]