March 4 Wednesday Lenten Message Pastor Hines

Praying for Goodness Sake! Lenten Message by Pastor Hines March 4, 2020 St. Matthews UCC Chester Springs

I Thessalonians Chapter 5.1-28 (the entire chapter)

Hear this scripture lesson from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians in the city of Thessalonica as a personal letter written for every congregation in our day.

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5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, ² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵ You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.

²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, pray for us. ²⁶ Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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We do not write as many personal, handwritten letters as we did years ago. The computer has revolutionized our lives by making sending a message fast and convenient. Instead of writing by hand, erasing, and wasting that beautiful linen paper with inerasable mistakes and fussing with ink spills, today we have the phone, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and especially emails. And how we praise God for Alan Tesler who invented the copy and paste function on the computer. It has saved us hours of time and lots of money that we no longer have to spend on buying erasers and white out.

Technology has helped us to communicate faster and easier. That is great because as human beings we are always ready to get new news, and if we can get it quickly, we are all the happier. Lots of time we look forward to looking into that mailbox whether at the end of the driveway or at the top of the list of emails.

We wait and wait hoping for good news. During the season of Lent, we come to special services and wait for news of guidance on ways to get closer to Jesus. Perhaps this year you have waited for many reasons. Have you waited anxiously in front of the television set for that lottery number to be called out…or at the doctor’s office or surgical waiting room for your name to be called? It is with the same kind of urgency and longing that first century Christians of Thessalonica waited for news from their leader Apostle Paul. 

Thessalonica was a wealthy city, much like many of our areas. It was a city where Romans, Greeks, and Jewish folk lived together openly. The apostle Paul had free reign to share the gospel. Although, as can be the case at times, some protested the preaching of the gospel, threatened by the power and influence of Christians.

The Graeco-Roman Empire offered a certain peace and security in exchange for loyalty to the State which could be quite cruel and ungodly, but as we know, our greatest security and confidence come from our trust in our God who is good.

Paul loved the Christians in the city of Thessalonica and in his letter, provides pastoral guidance that is good for all Christian congregations, even ours. Christians all over the world have had God’s precious words of life preached and written and taught to them for 2000 years. God’s word has nurtured and sustained us from one generation to the next.

Most of us would agree that as Christians we mostly worship freely and without harassment. We have enjoyed decades of respect in our communities from people of all nations and stations in life. Many have appreciated our support and have basked in the sunshine of our love.  Like Jesus, we have been a light in this world. We have followed in the footsteps of Jesus, not always perfectly. We may have fallen down, but we get up and dust ourselves off, get back on track to follow the lamb back to the Cross, the emblem of suffering and shame, though that same cross leads to a powerful, undeniable resurrection and new life.

The path to the good life has not changed. Directions for good Christian living have not changed. The fact that being good Christians is a path of blessings has not changed. Just like the world needs good doctors, the world desperately needs good Christians.

None of us wants to eat a rotten apple. If you have ever searched the refrigerator for leftovers and found a circle of mold, you realize the food is no longer good to eat. We want and need food that is good. We want and need Good News.

Paul’s letter was good news to the Christians in Thessalonica who were hungry for the things of God.  I am focusing on verse 16 and 18 this evening which begins by saying Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Our gatherings of the Union of Churches are always joyful gatherings. There is no end to the warm smiles and friendly conversation that we enjoy. Our prayers are always full of earnest repentance and gratitude.  What I want us to take with us tonight is verse 17 that says: pray continually.

Paul urges us to pray continually because the day of the Lord is coming. He does not explain whether that means the end of time or he beginning of Heaven. There is room for it to mean a day of favor and blessing as well as a day of judgment. He says it is coming, so we wait.

Whatever any day brings, we do well to pray without ceasing, to pray continually. Praying continually does not mean we wear our spiritual discipline like a straight jacket. God is not calling us to maintain rigid rules and regulations. I often remember that Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for us. We were not made for the Sabbath. I was reminded that the Sabbath is about not working ourselves to death. It is not about not ironing my blouse on Sunday. Years ago, my mother asked me to take her to the store on Sunday and I grumbled that it was the Sabbath and the Lord grumbled back in a silent yet loud voice in my heart, “TAKE YOUR MOTHER TO THE STORE.” I got the hint, firsthand.

Whenever we take a stretch of time to relax from our labors, Sometimes the Holy Spirit guides us to “loosen up” to loosen our reigns of control. I went to an engagement party and I was looking at all the delicious food and settled on celery and carrots and one of my friends a psychologist, smiled and said, “I am very careful, too, but I eat like that when I am home.” Like a good trained counselor she spoke gently to me to loosen up, relax, maintain high standards sometime, but not all rules have to be followed all the time.

Of course, some boundaries should never ever be crossed. Some rules are never, ever good to break. As Christians we learn how far we can go before we incur God’s wrath before we cause harm to others. If there is one thing we learn about our heavenly father and mothering God, it is “Don’t mess over my children!”

Praying continually means to keep the conversation going. Have you ever had a disagreement with a neighbor and stopped talking to them? It is rarely a good thing. When our children stop talking to us – or I should say – stop communicating, because sometimes we send messages loud and clear to one another in many ways –many times without words - and we fail to listen – bad things can happen when the conversation stops or is blocked (hand over ears ). Living in a house when parties are not speaking to one another is one of the most destructive family dynamics according to family therapists. It is miserable and draining and all too common. The Holy Spirit has the power and the wisdom we need to connect to one another in spite of our age or our stage. When we pray, God stirs up the gifts of the Holy Spirit within the body of Christ that can heal and deliver.

When our conversation with God stops for whatever reason, it is never a good thing. Having a continual conversation with God is the greatest blessing we could ever, ever receive.

Sometimes we don’t pray because we think God does not care. The only way we ever believe the lie that God does not care is when we are not remembering God’s word. I Peter 5.7  says cast all your cares, your anxieties, your burdens upon the Lord because he cares for you. Matthew 23.37 …he gathers us like a hen gathers her chicks… Jeremiah 31.3: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Or as the Message version puts it, "I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!  James 4.3  You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives. And as I was reminded this week that in Isaiah 43, God says you are precious and I love you.

Pillars in the faith have written songs telling of God’s great love for us. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer; Ask the Savior to help you, to comfort, strengthen and heal you, He is willing to aid you. Jesus will carry you through. I am thine o Lord, I have heard your voice and it told your love to me, and I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to thee…When we pray continually about everything, God puts a song in our heart to soothe and comfort us through the years and the tears, as well as through the bliss.

Sometimes we don’t pray because we are angry that God has answered our prayer with “no” or “maybe” or “wait.”  The bible reminds us that we should never let the sun go down on our anger. The bible also says be angry but sin not. Well, that is no fun at all! Nevertheless, it is wisdom, for anger makes us do things and say things that we often regret.

Moses could not lead God’s people into the Promised Land until he got angry enough to confront the Pharaoh for justice. But, because his anger was out of control, he was not able to enter the Promised Land.  Unchecked anger disrupts our lives with unpleasant words. Our joy is overshadowed with sadness as we witness the hurt and pain of rude and cruel behavior. Prayer can change our minds, bodies, souls, and spirits until self-control becomes a habit.

Researchers have found that the brain scans of monks who had spent 10,000 hours meditating, lit up in the way same as those who had taken LSD. Both experienced a change in their consciousness. To be sure, meditation heals the brain while LSD destroys it. It has been shown over and over that the meditation of prayer makes us less reactive, calmer, and less depressed. Prayer changes things, and first it changes us. Lent is a season of change and there is always room for improvement.

The world needs good Christians. May this Lenten season find us praying now more than ever, for goodness sake. Amen.