Why Me? – Pastor Hines

 

Why Me? – Pastor Hines

May 1, 2022

 

If we haven’t asked the question, “Why me?” we have most certainly wondered why something unpleasant was happening to us. We have most certainly figured we did not deserve the problems we have and we’ve wondered why those who deserve it did not get the problems instead. We have witnessed riches and power in the hands of those who abuse and misuse good things and they certainly have done nothing to deserve it. Others may lose riches and power and even their lives when they have worked long and hard in all the right ways throughout their lives to get it. Don’t we hate that we are not in control? We are not in charge of anyone’s life. We can barely take care of the 80% of our life that we may be in charge of. The things that many of us can control such as our diet, our attitude, and our day-to-day choices may be the things that we may not be anxious to control. Instead, we may make choices that our doctors and therapists and family members do not recommend.

 

Even if we don’t deserve all the good we want, we still want it, and if we don’t get it or we get something we don’t want, we still may ask, “Why me? Why is it that what I want and long for is not happening. Why is the opposite happening? Why me?”

 

The Apostle Paul believed that God wanted him to get rid of the followers of Jesus. I am not convinced that Paul was listening to the voice of God at that time. It is good to, often, if not always leave some space in our conversation with God to listen.  Sometimes God guides us in a way that we have not gone before. Sometimes God guides us in ways that surprise us, even perplex us. We need to listen.

 

The followers of Jesus Paul was persecuting might have wondered, “Why me?” We’re trying to do good just like you are and you are making it legal for us to lose our lives and go to jail.” The answer of course is that God has a purpose and a plan for everything that happens to us. If God brings us to it, God will bring us through it. It is good to be careful, to be full of care and caution in living this life, knowing that God is in the midst and will never leave us.  

 

On this Native American Ministries Sunday I ran into a book recommended by a Native American called First White Frost. While there are many heroes among Native Americans, the book tells of the failures and successes as United Methodists worked to incorporate indigenous people into the church. We’re learning to take care.

 

Psychotherapist Tifini Dilworth has heard the views regarding Native Americans and alcoholism. However, she notes statistics that challenge the idea that Native Americans have the higher rates of heavy drinking, binge drinking, and that their children are at higher risk for suicide and self-destructive behavior. She raises questions as to whether some ideas function as stereotypes because she cites statistics indicating that there is less than a 1% difference in the levels of heavy drinking and other Americans.

 

Our Conference is actively working to support all people, especially those who need it most when they need it most. There is a Pow Wow in Pottstown at the riverfront today  (May 1) from 10-4. There are plenty of books, videos, and documentary that tell the stories that connect us to one another when we are ready.

Here is one I heard this week. Haley Turning Heart has a linguistics degree from Dartmouth College, She created a Yuchi language immersion school in 2018 that became a model and now draws visitors from around the world. A lifelong United Methodist, she is a former United Methodist Women’s president at Pickett Chapel in Oklahoma (an historic Yuchi church), and a former member of the UMC’s General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR).

Language is important. When we spend time in a place that does not speak the language we speak, we understand. Ms.Turning Heart is a blessing to the church.

The Apostle Paul, whose Hebrew name was Saul and his Latin name was Paul, was an important religious leader. He was an official member of the Pharisees. Pharisees ruled in similar ways to Church Councils, making important decisions regarding ongoing religious work and workers. Like our Councils and Conferences, there were disagreements between the Pharisees and the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection, that’s why they were sad you see.

 

All religious leaders and authorities have to exercise the utmost care not to be the cause of the sufferings of others. Why? Because causes for suffering are so intricately woven and biases so thoroughly baked into our hearts and our organizations that it is worth the effort for all of us to praise God every hour and repent every day. Doing so helps us to be careful and avoid the results of carelessness and neglect.

 

These days are delicate, demanding care. One of our audio team volunteers works in the field of technology and has had projects with people in the Ukraine. Now he has no idea where his Ukrainian colleagues are or how they are. WBYN radio station mentioned a Christian calling the station from a bomb shelter in Ukraine. War is hell. We have to be careful how we maneuver as Christians and what we say and how we pray whether we are in a time of peace or war. We want to avoid unnecessary damage. We want to minimize the hurt and pain. Fast is slow and slow is fast. That is, moving too fast can have the results of a bull in a China shop. Taking our time and paying attention to details can make things move as speedily as possible.

 

I received a letter from Chester County that said the license number on my voting ballot application did not match the Department of Transportation and my ballot may not be counted. That letter gave me the creeps. It was stressful. I want to be careful in how I react and respond as a Christian.

One of the oldest religious authorities is the Vatican in Rome led by Pope Frances or Jorge Mario Bergoglio a Brazilian. He speaks seven languages. He rules Vatican City. It’s the smallest state in the world with 110 or so acres and a population of 825. I was surprised to know that the Vatican has three jail cells. One has a priest prisoner who was convicted of possessing and sharing child pornography, just as United Methodists ministers are also serving time at this moment.

I was also surprised to hear someone say that many poor people stand outside the Vatican, begging.  The Vatican is not responsible for all the needs of the world but hopefully, they are doing what they are supposed to do with care.

 

Paul thought he was doing his best when he rejected the followers of Jesus. He rejected Christians just like Methodists rejected those who drank alcohol, those who were gay, women in the pulpit and people of color beyond the balcony. Methodists have split, divided, and waged war over our differences when God clearly calls us to unity….which does not happen without the Holy Spirit working in our lives. Receiving the Holy Spirit that unites us will cause us to grow in righteousness, in missions, in love with Jesus and his people.  

 

Jesus confronted Paul on his way to Damascus to get rid of as many of Jesus’ followers as he could. The confrontation was dramatic and shocking. He was blind for three days and dependent on others to lead him around. While he may have wondered why all this was happening to him even though he was convinced he was doing the right thing, Jesus asked Paul, “Why me? Why are you persecuting me? Soon after Paul humbled himself and started praying, listening, learning in a new way. He surrendered his life and became one of Jesus’ followers like the very ones he was bent and determined to wipe off the face of the earth.

 

Paul acted before he humbly prayed. Now we know it is important to humble ourselves and pray before we act.  The answer to “Why me?” leads us to praise God every hour and repent every day in order to ever so carefully discover and fulfill God’s purpose and plan. May it be so today and always. Amen.

“Receive the Holy Spirit, Today!” April 24, 2022 Pastor Hines

 

“Receive the Holy Spirit, Today!”

April 24, 2022

Pastor Hines

Have you ever received a gift? We all have our stories of holiday gift exchanges. Google has dozens of funny stories of re-gifting where people give you a gift that you gave them the year before. It even has the personal note you wrote in it as proof. One man said his friend wasn’t thinking when he gave him a kitten knowing he was getting ready to move across country with his girlfriend.  

Gifts are given for a variety of reasons. Gifts can be incentives, rewards, bribes, pay back, signs of mutual affection, and reminders of the love and care we have for one another. Scripture often refers to the Holy Spirit as a gift. Jesus loves us and gives us spiritual gifts that help us to live abundant lives. Our creator father-mother shapes us tenderly before we were in the womb and we become gifts to each other, the Holy Spirit abides in us to help us bear good fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (or generosity), faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Verse 22 says Jesus breathed on the disciples and said these words, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

A gift is given when it is received. Have you received the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Jesus was a gift to us and to all humanity. Not all of us are able to share our wounds like Jesus did. Most of us hide our wounds and cover up our scars, but in verse 27 Jesus showed them the nail prints in his hand and the gash from the spear that was thrust into his side. As one of our Lenten devotionals by abuse survivor Linda Crocket noted, Jesus was abused. He suffered at the hands of sadists, people for whom the suffering of others inspired celebration and brought a satisfied smile to their faces.

Jesus came to bring the good news of God’s love. He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He didn’t have to do it but he did. Didn’t you come today for the same reasons, to be the good news, to share the love that overflows from your life? You did not have to do it, but you did.

We can all see places in our life where we have been blessed, and blessed abundantly. As Christians, our life is rooted in Jesus and all the good he represents. Those whose life is rooted in someone or something other than Jesus may be rooted in money or rooted in their mind’s ability or rooted in -  as a song says, “the pleasures earthly things afford.”

Jesus offers us the gift of the Holy Spirit. First, he breathed on them. He was close enough to them to breathe on them. Breath and wind are symbols of the Holy Spirit moving and living in our lives. None of us would argue against the idea that breath is life? The breath you just took and the one that will come next is a sign that you are alive. Breath is a blessing, it is a gift. Who can live without it? As Christians, we know that without the Holy Spirit moving in our lives, we are on spiritual life support. Our condition is critical without the Holy Spirit.

My mother had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease otherwise known as COPD. Every breath she took was hard work. Those with asthma also labor with every breath. Asthma has increased dramatically. We see more children with asthma than ever. Millions around the world are impacted. Some of the effects have to do with our environment.

It is wonderful that our United Methodist Book of Discipline begins with the Social Principles - a declaration to take care of the earth. This includes being responsible in regards to water, air, minerals, soil, plants, animals, climate stewardship, outer space, food safety and food justice.

Of course, not all United Methodists agree on the policies to make something good happen. We differ on abortion and sexuality. There have been heated discussions on fracking. Fracking is good business and income for some. Almost two million U.S. wells have been completed using the fracking process, producing more than seven billion barrels of oil and 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. At the same time concerns are raised because hydraulic fracking injects chemical-laced water to break up the shale and allow natural gas to escape into the shale to push out the minerals. Environmental groups protest because of the negative impacts on the quality of water, soil and air. It’s a hard call when people depend on the process to feed their families.  

There is no path that is without its pros and cons. There is no way to make every decision that is perfect and without some controversy. The best thing we can do is to pray and follow God’s guidance. In this world with its uncertainty of disease and distress, I want all the good gifts Jesus has for me. And, out of gratitude for God’s loving care and knowing everything about Jesus is good and leads only to good, I want to walk and talk with him. I want to be close enough to hear him whisper in even a still, small voice as he breathes on me and invites me to receive the Holy Spirit. How about you?

One of my favorite hymns is Breathe on Me, Breath of God

1.    Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

2.    Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

3.    Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

4.    Breathe on me, Breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.

 

It was evening when Jesus breathed on the disciples. The door was locked because they were afraid because hose who crucified Jesus were hoping to kill his disciples, too. The disciples were afraid, but they had each other. They were afraid, but they were together. We can relate. We know there is power, peace, and protection in being together. We know what life is like when evening comes. We too are afraid for our health, our children, our vulnerability to war and violence, our future, but we are together.  

Right now, Jesus is with us in THIS room. Like Thomas, we are close enough to see, if not touch his wounds. Wounds are real. Many have them. His words “Peace be with you,” are music to our ears. Every breath comes from him. His is a gentle breeze that calms our fears. Our hearts are warmed. With every breath we take we have an opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit.

There are three good reasons we should accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit provides light for us to see as evening falls. Second, the Holy Spirit shows us when to lock the doors. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit gives us joy for the journey as he did for the disciples in verse 20 which says they were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. If you need light to walk in the ways of truth and love, if you need direction when you are afraid, if you need some joy for your journey, do this one thing today – say “yes” to receiving the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Run to the Tomb, Before the Cock Crows” - April 17 Easter Sunday

 

“Run to the Tomb, Before the Cock Crows”

Pastor Hines

April 17, 2022

What a great day! We have made it to Easter. We have reached our destination. It is a day to celebrate new life because we know that Jesus has been raised from the dead. How can that possibly be? Some might ask. In John Wesley’s sermon entitled On the Resurrection of the Dead he answers the question saying. ‘Our God who forms us from mere dust of the earth is certainly able to make us alive again from dust. God can distinguish and keep unmixed from all other bodies the particular dust into which our several bodies are dissolved, and can gather it together and join it again, how far so ever dispersed asunder. God can form this dust, so gathered together, into the same body it was before. God is infinite both in knowledge and power.’

Living in this world, we experience things that we could never ever dream of. With our own eyes, we have seen technological advances and medical miracles. At the same time, we have seen unbelievably insane and evil behavior coming from humans. There has been a cacophony of catastrophic weather and a virus that won’t let go. We know, now more than ever, that anything is possible – good or evil. So when we see that the tomb is empty, we believe it. When we hear that the disciples did not believe Jesus when he said he would crucified, buried and on the third day he would rise again, we also understand that sometimes even the faithful have little faith.

Early in the morning, while it is still dark, we can hear the footsteps of the women coming to the tomb. We can smell the sweet fragrance of the pounds of spices they carried. The blinding light of the angels that greeted them catches our eyes too. That stone that was sealed to guard the tomb may not have been moved by human hands but by holy angels. We believe in miracles.

It is our faith in the resurrection power of God that makes us run to the tomb. It is our faith in the resurrection power of God that makes us sing Charles Wesley’s great hymn in the present tense. Christ the Lord is Risen TODAY.  

Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high,

Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply,

2 Love's redeeming work is done,

Fought the fight, the battle won,

Death in vain forbids him rise,

Christ has opened paradise.

 

Yes. We have made it to our Easter destination! But, getting here was quite a journey. At the Last Supper Jesus washed the disciples feet. At that time, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me? If you do, feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, feed my sheep. Peter declared his willingness to do all that was asked even to the point of sacrificing his life for Jesus, but Jesus said, ‘not so fast Peter, that’s a nice thought, but before the cock crows tomorrow morning, you will disown me.’ Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves.

In spite of betraying Jesus, Peter would be running to the tomb to see him. By the grace of God, Peter grew and became a man of solid rock faith. Fifty days after the resurrection he was preaching with boldness. Upon him the church was built. Max Lucado says that in just a short time, Peter went from being a wimp to being a warrior. We too are standing on that firm foundation called the Church and we have done so since 1869 (153 years). That is no small thing. We are a global church of many ethnicities and nations, many languages, and many missions to the poor and oppressed in places that cannot even be named for the protection of many who are being persecuted.

The women knew best of all that the journey from the cross to the tomb was about a mile. Many travelers may have been nearly 100 miles from home for the Passover Holiday. But, the distance from the cross to the resurrection was less than a mile, reminding us that sometime death is not very far from resurrection. Either way, these folk were like we are today. Sometimes their faith was very much alive. At other times they had serious doubts and demanded a sign. They grew in love, just as we do.

Years ago I read a book that asserted that smokers trying to kick the habit relapsed an average of five times before they were successful. Relapse is very much a part of developing good behavior. As we pray, Jesus will speak to us the truth of our limits, not to condemn us but to save us. If we continue following the path that Jesus sets before us, if we continue growing, we will love Jesus so much that we are willing to feed his lambs, take care of his sheep and even feed his sheep.

Every day we journey toward Easter in order to be with Jesus. May we continue to run to the tomb like all disciples and may we do so before the cock crows. Amen.  

 

Maundy Thursday Reflections

 

Reflection – “Demon Down!”

Jesus is so wonderful and extraordinary.  He welcomed this gentleman who had so many demons. Those demons caused the man a lot of problems. For a long time, he was homeless, he was screaming like a maniac because he was a maniac and if that wasn’t scary enough, for a long time, he wasn’t wearing any clothes.

The fact that this was happening for a long time is an important detail. Terrible things that happen for a long time are usually hidden behind closed doors. Terrible things that happen for a long time are kept in the dark. I knew a woman who had episodes of mental illness. She walked naked outside her apartment, to the delight of her young male neighbors. As far as I know, it only happened one time. That is a blessing. This man that knelt at the feet of Jesus represents the demonic torture that is endured behind closed doors and in the dark, and often for a very long time.

He desperately needed Jesus because his life was being torn apart. After all, that is the devil’s mission, to kill, steal, and destroy anything good and Godly that is in our life. The mission of the diabolical is not only to separate us from God, but it is to divide communities with violence, and to tear families apart at their root. Diabolos means to divide, to separate. It means to do so viciously. Jesus sent the demons down a steep bank making it hard for them to return. Has something dark and dirty been happening for a long time in your life or the life of someone you know? If so, Jesus is
stepping ashore at this very moment. He can handle all the craziness there is to bear. Jesus can knock demons down, down for the count, down and out. Fall at his feet today. Amen.

Reflection – “Mad Martha!”

I like to eat at home because eating out means eating high calorie foods, rich sauces and mounds of super-sized portions. I remember a season when I did not have a lot of money to eat out at fancy restaurants even if I wanted to. My prayer partner fantasized often about being rich and famous though she wasn’t quite there yet. She had plenty of money. Once when we went to our favorite restaurant, she did not hesitate to order an appetizer and eat it in front of me. I could not believe she refused to share even though I was not in a position to pay half the cost.

We’ve all been there. It is common to get as mad as Martha when we don’t get what we want or need or feel entitled to. The feelings just pop up, but not out of nowhere. Feelings pop up from a reservoir of hurt and pain.  When we spend time at the feet of Jesus that hurt and pain will subside day by day, year by year. Mad Martha would learn this when she went to Jesus. She did not get the help from Jesus that she was asking for. She did get the guidance she desperately needed.

Now more than ever we witness the shocking results of being mad: road rage, cars being driven into an innocent crowd at high speeds, an increase in domestic violence, strangers knocking out Chinese people on the streets blaming them for Covid-19, and senseless murders over money. How many of you have seen the video of actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars? These are desperate times that call for desperate measures. Every solution for desperate situations can be found at the feet of Jesus!  Go there if you want to find real peace. Amen.

 

Reflection – “Cloak Catch”

In Jesus’ day, cloth was hand made from animals and plants. It was much more a big deal than it is today with clothes that are machine made and machine washed. Even today, there are certain things that may cause a sweater, for example, to shrink or stretch. Jesus is warning us just like the tags on clothes warn us what to do and not to do to have our clothes fit right. The rule was don’t sew a new patch on old cloth. Animals and plants wear differently than today’s polyester. The rules are different today. At the same time, pouring wine into an old, used wineskin would be like putting wine into something as thin as a brown paper bag. The Message version makes Jesus’ point this way: “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”

It’s not so much about the new mixing with the old; it’s about learning the new rules to get good results for a new day.  The synagogue leader operated with new rules. Even though his daughter had died, he humbly knelt at the feet of Jesus. He knew that Jesus would bring life in one way or another.

One of my classmates at Eastern College was raised in the Pentecostal church and she was very accustomed to what they called dancing in the Spirit. On a bus trip with our college gospel choir called the Angels of Harmony, she was grieving over the death of her beloved Godmother. Her loss weighed heavy on her mind. I went to look for her and she was alone behind the bus, dancing and crying at the same time. Later she explained that as she was praying, talking to God about her loss, she had been overcome with a Spirit of praise and thanksgiving that put dancing in her feet. It was God’s way of holding her and comforting her. Even in the midst of death, somehow, someway, Jesus brings new life.

As Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with oil of spikenard from her alabaster box, she did so in a culture where women and men were separated more often than not. We see this separation even in religious communities, thousands of years later. We may see it among Islamic, Sikh, Orthodox Jewish, Coptic Christian, Amish; many Hindu and some Buddhist worship centers. Their old rules work for them.

 A woman dared to catch Jesus by his cloak, by the hem, the edge where the anointing oil ran down to represent God’s healing presence and power. She defied the rules. She boldly used new rules. It had to cost her something emotionally and culturally.

The oil on the hem of Jesus garment and the oil in Mary’s box was priceless. The oil of God’s healing presence and power means we pay by giving up our pride and humbling ourselves by decreasing our will and letting Jesus’ will increase in our lives. As the song suggests, “We don’t now the cost of the oil in each other’s alabaster box. We don’t know what it costs each of us to be followers, to be healed and helped, but we do know being with Jesus is worth more than anything and anyone. Amen.