July 12 2020 Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23 “Leaders: Working the Crowd” Pastor Hines

It’s been 15 weeks and we continue to believe that together we can overcome this contagious coronavirus. Together we can do great things. God has not forsaken us nor forgotten us. Are you blessed in spite of it all today? Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times, Yes! We are blessed. Let us turn our hearts to the message of the day.

It is nice to be popular. Have you gotten your 15 minutes of fame that supposedly everyone in this world gets? Some people enjoy popularity more than others. Can you imagine being a singer or actor, people chasing after you to get a closer look, to be with the real thing as opposed to the glimpse you get in the movies or from the internet? 

They want your autograph while you’re having dinner in a restaurant or they want to take a selfie or take home the cup you drank out of as a souvenir forever.

If you were famous, would you drop your fur coat on the floor of the stage like Aretha franklin or smile for the cameras until your cheeks hurt?

You may have been popular enough in middle school or high school not having to worry about a date to the prom or being picked last for team sports. Popularity is just one reason we may want to be with someone.

Sometimes we want to be with one another just because we are Christians, we share wholesome values and expect to uphold high standards and to be treated with love and respect at all times.

The 13^th chapter of Matthew tells us that Jesus left his house and went to the beach and such a great crowd gathered around him that he made space for himself, got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. It is safe to assume that at least two of the disciples were with him acting as security guards.

Jesus worked the crowd. He used his popularity to share the word of life to those who appreciated him.

 

Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Senior Minister Emeritus of the Riverside Church, a multicultural, interdenominational church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, served there 18 years. During that time, I heard him preach a sermon that I will never forget. It was entitled “Use What You Got.” He taught that we should use our gifts, our talents, our gender, our opportunities and whatever we have in order to draw people to the God in us!

Jesus took advantage of the moment as the crowd was happily gathering to tell them many things in parables. We are like Jesus. We all have attractive gifts and talents, and we all have wonderful opportunities that we can take to share the word of God through our testimony and the good example of our lifestyle.

Our lifestyle bears fruit and many notice that fruit. Many are nurtured by our fruitfulness, particularly those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Part of being a Christian is growing in Christ. We grow with the help of each other’s fruitfulness.

When it comes to spiritual fruit, the more the merrier! In our Monday Meditations, the question was raised as to whether churches are experiencing the power of the resurrection.

 If not, what can we do to experience more of the power to heal and to overcome evil with good? Of course, the answer is to surrender our lives daily to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Sometimes we do not care about whether God approves of what we say and do. 

There are many examples in scripture where it was said of nice people, that they loved the praises of men and women, more than the praises of God. We live for the praise and popularity that our friends and family shower on us. 

First and foremost, we need God’s approval, and we know God has our best interest at heart.

When we share our love and our lives with others, we are also planting seeds that, with love and care, will help others to grow and prosper. When we plant seeds, we always hope to get a lot for our efforts. At the same time, we know as verse 21 tells us,  some of our best efforts never take root, and some of our greatest achievements that have taken years to come to fruition, may not last nearly as long as we want them to or think they should.

We need to pause and take that reality in…. Some of our best efforts never take root, and some of our greatest achievements that have taken years to come to fruition, may not last nearly as long as we want them to or think they should.

We plant seeds, we nurture them, but we are not in charge of all the results. That is a hard reality to accept. There are so many factors involved in how things turn out. It is impossible for us to control them all. If we all do the good we are supposed to do, the chances of results that are good and holy increase.

A young mother sent me a video exemplifying the power of our good example. The video shows a mother saying to her son, “Make a circle with your fingers and put it on your chin, like this.” Again and again, she said, Make a circle with your fingers and put it on your chin.” Again and again, the little boy did exactly what she did but not what she said. The lesson was so clear. Children pay more attention to what we do than to what we say. The quality of our care makes a difference in how seeds grow and mature.

It is not easy to be good. Sometime we even have to spend time thinking and praying about what the good and right thing to do is. It is not always obvious.

There are many temptations along the way that can distract us. The Wall Street Journal had an article about how scientists are trying to understand how the coronavirus gets us off guard. When they set the coronavirus to music they see a pattern in how it moves to trap us.

All matter, whether dead or alive has a vibration. Scientists assign each vibration in the virus to a musical note that is long or short, high or low. Each virus makes a different song. You can go online and hear the sound that the coronavirus makes. It is a sweet, alluring sound that draws you in, invites you to come closer and closer. It tempts you with a pleasant, intriguing layer of sound with a plan to destroy you and satisfy itself.

Hearing the patterns of coronavirus as sound gives scientists insight into some options that can be developed when the virus pauses or spikes. This scientific methods reminds us of times when darkness does not allow us to see, so we rely on the patterns of what we hear or feel in order to maneuver our way to success.

Beautiful sounds and beautiful things invite us, and tempt us. Still, we need to be mindful of the patterns of the behavior behind them. Some of the most popular songs and voices may not lead us to places we need to be. We need to know what the deal is. One multicultural trainer in our conference reminded us that there are times when, as she says, “We choose not to know.” It is then that we know we have given in to a certain temptation. We choose not to know that something is not right.

We learn what is right when we keep our conversation going with God. We are work I progress. We have to think as well as pray. We won’t get it right every time. That is why it is good to seek the Lord diligently, serve God faithfully, and obey quickly. We do well to praise God every hour and repent every day in order to stay on track.

That is how we become that good soil Jesus talks about in verse 23. That is how we become one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”  We are not in charge of the increase, but we can do our best to be good, and for that we need the power of the Lord to help us.

Let us pray: 

God, you call us “Dear Ones” for that is who we are to you. Thank you for loving us and helping us. We come with hearts open and ready to receive the power we need to love you and to love each other with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our strength! For, we know that there is nothing greater than love. We pray as you taught the disciples.

 Our father who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 

Benediction: No prayer, no power. Little prayer, little power. Much prayer, much power.

Next week we continue our focus on leaders and the concept of weeding in Matthew 13.

If you would like to make your contribution to the ministry and mission of Bethel, the website is  Bethelumchurch.com 

Or you can send to 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City, Pa. 19475. God bless you! 

We are closing with a selection of  Closer Walk with Thee  by Donna Pick]

July 5 2020 Communion Meditation outdoors in the pavillion during the pandemic

July 5 2020 Communion Meditation

Pastor Jacqueline Hines - Bethel UMC Shick Shack

As we come faithfully to be together, we are inviting the Holy Spirit to move within us and through us and around us. In times like these we need a special touch from God, especially since we are being careful about who and what we touch. We used to use touch as a way to show love, affection, and positive regard; now those pleasantries are withheld as a matter of life and death!

Dr. Fauci our infectious disease specialist hopes that we would give up our custom of handshaking forever. Can you imagine that? One expert said recently that handshaking is critical to our interpersonal communication because in just one touch of the hands, we communicate tiny bits of information about our positive regard and care for one another. The electro-chemical reactions in our skin and our nonverbal signals, from our grip alone, speak volumes in one moment that would otherwise take weeks to communicate to each other. At the same time, some educators are even saying that it is worth the low risk to send our children back to school in spite of the virus, not only for the sake of a better education, but for their psychological wellbeing.

In order to make up for the lack of tactile stimulation, a therapist says we should massage our ear lobes. The earlobes have nerve endings that extend throughout the whole body. So when we rub our earlobes we release lots of stress, and less stress means a calmer mind and healthier life.

It can be stressful trying to find things to do when we can’t do what we want to, or we have to learn new things like Zoom. We are exhausted and even depressed and anxious by having to make new and different decisions all day long because of the pandemic. Mental hygiene has becomes just as important as handwashing.

God has blessed America. We are the land of the freer than many and the home of the brave. We can worship. We can be the CHURCH. Someone asked this week, “Do we have to have communion?” I answered, “No, we don’t have to have communion. We want to have communion.” Thank you Jean D. for suggesting that we do it every month in the Shick Shack.

As we commune at the table and beyond, we find hope and help and healing. We receive God’s touch on our lives and we develop ways to touch one another’s lives as the Spirit gives us wisdom and opportunity.

As you commune this morning, in a moment of silence, give thanks to God for the many ways God has been able to use you to touch someone’s life, to bring about a good change, to lend a helping hand, to heal a heart, to comfort a soul, to forgive, to make someone smile. (Moment of silence)

Now, are you ready for God to touch your life? What is it that you need? That you desire? Name it silently in your heart now, whether it be understanding someone or something that makes no sense to you, or you need justice, or you want wisdom to make an important decision. You may need one of the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness-generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control. Whatever you need, whatever you want, you can find it in the house of God, among the family of God, just take a moment to talk to God as we feast in God’s presence and in the presence of God’s children. God hears you! God loves you! (Moment of silence)

Scripture Reading – *Matthew 26.26-30 Trish Richards

The table is set!

Let us pray: Oh God in whom we put our trust, thank you for wrapping your arms around us, for guiding us to this moment to remember that we are your children and a part of the family of Christians all around this world, and around this communion table.

Bless us now as we remember that Jesus took bread and broke it saying, “Take and eat. This is my body broken for you.”  He took the cup and told the disciples to “Drink all of this. This is my blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.”

Thank you that you came to save us from our sins even when so many could care less. You forgave them and us and all who did not know that they needed to be saved and delivered from evils within and without.

**Joan Spiece and Trish Richards – Communion Stewards

(Confirmands Jackson and Lucas and brother Max Starner are available to help as needed)

We receive the body of Christ broken that everyone would find healing.

We receive the blood of Christ poured out that we would find not only life, but abundant life.

We pray as you taught the disciples:

Our father who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 

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Benediction: Once again, we have been touched by God. Go and touch the world!

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July 5 2020 "Leaders - Gentle and Humble"

July 5, 2020  Matthew 11.16-19, 25-30 “Leaders: Gentle and Humble” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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After 14 weeks of quarantine we are grateful for an opportunity to have communion, to remember that God so loved the world that he gave us his only son.  

And, whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. We believe in him. We study his word.  We talk the talk. We walk the walk by God’s grace. We share the good news and invite others, welcoming them as part of the Kin-dom of God. We anticipate Heaven and eternal life, though with just a few glances into the future, we can only imagine what Heaven will be like. I John chapter 3 verse 2 says, “What we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him.

Though we are not gathering face to face, we are still remembering, we are still communing with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and with one another. We are still the Church. We are still the beloved community. We are still bringing our financial offerings to continue the mission and ministry. We are still offering ourselves daily as a living and holy sacrifice, pleasing to God.

On this communion Sunday, whether or not the table is physically set, we are, as always, feasting in the awesome presence of the Lord. We remain connected to one another, united as one body in Christ. Isn’t that awesome!

Let’s listen to Donna’s rendition of Just A Closer Walk with Thee. (on YouTube version if not here)

The Christian life means we are all one family in God. 

We gather together in order to encourage one another, support one another, bless one another. We want to keep one another on the right paths, comfort one another in times of sorrow, heal each other’s broken hearts and wounded bodies. We are here to exchange pleasantries, share spiritual gifts and offer words of appreciation. As the family of God, we build one another up because daily life can wear us out and break us down.  

We come together as often as we can in every way we can – phone, email, snail mail, Zoom, Facetime, and texts. Some have even gathered in their cars in parking lots!

We expect something good and positive when two or three of us gather to fulfill God’s purpose and plan. Our founding father John Wesley had a good and positive experience when he decided to keep the faith.  

John Wesley, his brother Charles, and a couple other guys boarded a ship on its way to America to spread the gospel in Georgia October 14, 1735. If planes were available in the 1700’s he probably would have taken a plane instead. It must have been a long and tedious nearly 4 month trip, but what made it worse was that the two years he spent on the Georgian mission field was not a success at all, according to what was expected.

There were lots of conflicts and few converts to show for their efforts. His brother Charles was so disappointed and distracted and spent so much time being sick that he went back home in 6 months. John began to feel that his relationship with God was very shallow. He became so discouraged and depressed. He felt ashamed and humiliated in the presence of the Moravian Christians whose faith was fervent and genuine. They were calm and singing God’s praises even when the ship was being tossed in a terrible storm and they didn’t know if they would live through it. 

During those two years in mission, John also fell in love with Sophy Hopkey but she married someone else, which left a bitter taste in the preacher’s mouth. Somewhere along the way, she came for communion and he was brought up on charges because he refused to serve her.

In spite of setbacks, Wesley eventually inspired revivals in England and may have even raised the social consciousness to such a level that England was spared the riotous revolution that the French went through. 

We are blessed to be the United Methodist Church today because he paved the way, even though it was a very difficult journey. Some days, it is still a very difficult journey. Yet, there are always victories to celebrate.

During his spiritual crisis, John Wesley confessed his need to be converted, even while he was trying to convert others. He was so disturbed by his lack of spiritual depth that he was going to give up preaching forever. He spoke to his Moravian friend Peter Böhler who talked him out of giving up. Peter’s mission in Georgia with black slaves, Native Americans as well as whites took a different turn from the Wesley’s. The Moravians were put out of Georgia, but they traveled to Pennsylvania, forming Moravian communities in Nazareth and Bethlehem. Our own Amy and Carl have roots in the Moravian churches and they share rich memories.

The Moravian encouragement worked out well because John Wesley went forward and shared the gospel with a prisoner and the prisoner was instantly converted. That one soul built John’s confidence and he began to search the scriptures in a new way. He boarded a ship back to England on December 2, 1737. 

Though he was still feeling the sting of not doing great things in his ministry, he went to church in Aldersgate England on what we now call Aldersgate Sunday, May 24th, 1738. 

Roman gates were built there around the year 200. Gates bring to mind the Watergate and Sheep Gates that surrounded the city of Jerusalem. Ancient gates were walls that designated political territory and wards like townships with politicians in charge. The gates walled off protection and directed the population where to go and not to go for certain purposes.

Aldersgate was also the name of the street where the Bishop’s chapel was located. It was there when listening to a reading from the book of Romans that John had a deeply spiritual experience. He said his heart was strangely warmed. He felt the blessed assurance that his sins were mercifully forgiven and Jesus would save him.

He got that experience when communing with other Christians as we are today – whether or not we have actual bread and grape juice. It was customary for Wesley to actually have communion at every worship service possible and Wesley did the same in America. Our Bishop encouraged it a few years ago, but culturally, it has not caught on for most of our United Methodist Churches.

It takes a certain humility and gentleness to remain a part of the family of God. When we are down, we gently lift each other up. When we are hurting we humbly care for one another. We rejoice with one another and we weep with one another. We shine our light when someone is in a dark place. 

We want our hearts to light the way for ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our world. We want to remain as fervent as a flame 

We want to be on fire for Jesus. We gather to rekindle hopes and dreams and godly desires, to satisfy our hunger and thirst for righteousness – for living right, to submit and surrender to the work of the Holy Spirit helping us to bear much fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (generosity) , faithfulness, and self-control. In order to overcome any evil in this world, we come together to be filled again and again with goodness and mercy, to be aflame 

for God’s sake.

You would think that everybody and anybody would want to be a part of the wonderful family of God. Not so. Jesus described his generation like children on a playground. Not everyone wants to play. Not everyone wants to play on a certain team. In verse 17 he says “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance…”

Not everyone shows compassion when you fall and skin your knee on the playground. “We wailed, and you did not mourn.”As children of God, we learn who is with us and who is against us. Our Creator reveals the truth to our humble hearts and we do well to treat the truth and to treat one another gently. That is not always easy to do when we are having uncontrollable spasms of hate and fear or when we have gone apoplectic with greed or guilt. Remember, the most important reason to gather and feast in the presence of our wonderful God is to be more like Jesus, to be purged of attitudes and ideas that are not like him, to have our cold hearts warmed again.

So instead of doing what we want to do, we take on the yoke of Jesus, like cattle when they are plowing a field for harvest. For his yoke is easy and his burden is light. The clergy collar we sometime wear is a symbol of that yoke, that commitment do go where we are led. Not every Christian needs to wear a clergy collar, but we all need to symbolically wear the yoke.

If we have allowed ourselves to be yoked, we experienced the truth that Jesus is humble and gentle as he says in verse 29 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.”

In our best moments, we yield ourselves to Jesus, we humble ourselves, we gently approach one another, offering ourselves as an offering, giving ourselves over as a sacrifice for the sake of those to whom God sends us.

Someone shared a story of gentleness and humility that they heard on Fox News. 

Politics aside, the niece of Martin Luther King, Alveda King, trained in peaceful protests, told how her home was bombed and burned. A restless crowd gathered wanting revenge and rioting. Alveda’s father jumped on top of his car and cried out to the people, “If you want to hit somebody, hit me. I am safe, my family is safe…go home.” They were trained to put their troubles in God’s hands.

It takes supernatural humility and gentleness to let go and let God fight our battles, give us justice, and help us in our time of trouble. Sometime we do have to speak up with a loud voice, for often silence is violence. Sometimes the Holy Spirit does call us to fight, not each other but the enemy, and the first enemy we pray about is the one “en e me.”

As you commune together, with a gentle and humble heart, you will know what time it is. Amen.

Let us pray – God give us gentle and humble hearts that we might have peace when the storms of life come our way. We pray as you taught the disciples.

 Our father who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 

Benediction – This is the day the Lord has made, go forth and put all the humility and gentleness in it that you possibly can.

Next week  

If you would like to make your contribution to the ministry and mission of Bethel, the website is  Bethelumchurch.com 

Or you can send to 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City, Pa. 19475. God bless you!

Prayer Time Meditation During the Pandemic

June 27, 2020 Prayer Time Meditation in the Grove

Prayer Time Meditation June 27^th 1-2.p.m. Pastor Jacqueline Hines

Being in a pandemic has been hard for most of us. There are definitely silver linings such as getting some things done that we may not have been able to do before – like cleaning, spending more time with family, and cooking healthier meals.

They say our environment is cleaner with fewer planes in the air and cars on the road. One lady in India said that the smog had gotten so bad in her little town that it could actually be seen inside the house.

Such is life. There are good days when everything is going along beautifully, and there are days when we want to pull the covers over our heads and say, like that song by Avicii, Wake Me up When It’s All Over.

With free will, there are days when humans make bad things happen to good people and there are days when we do things to bring about our own hardship and misery. Either way the pain of it all can make us very angry.

We can channel our anger to do great good. But, as we have seen in recent days, anger can be used to hurt and destroy ourselves as well as others.

Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho tells the story of the day he heard his mother yelling and screaming. He went to his mother. His brother was with her and his brother said her sister had just died and she was overwhelmed with grief and despair. Emmanuel saw his mother knocking herself into a wall, hurting herself because she was in such emotional pain.

A woman said once that she was so filled with anger at her mother, that it boiled over and she slapped her own face.

I was stopped at a red light years ago. I looked over at the car beside me and saw a man who kept yanking his hair in what appeared to be an act of rage. Then he began to bang his head over and over again in the steering wheel. Fortunately, the light turned green. It is alarming to see another human so upset and out of control.

Some of us are so fed up, furious, and frustrated at being told to wear a mask. So, they won’t do it, causing pain and suffering for all of us. It has been said that if everyone would just be disciplined and wear a mask, the virus would be stopped in no time at all, although Dr. Anthony Fauci says it is certainly understandable that people want to go out; he is not trying to blame and condemn anyone. He just wants us to stay well.

God wants us to stay well, too. But most of all, God wants us. God wants us to rest in the arms of love, so no matter what storms we go through, the storm is not in us. God wants us to be secure even when all around us is sinking sand. God want us to be free even when the world is on lock down. God wants us to be still and know that God is the God who is greater than the worst that politics and viruses can bring us. God wants us to have sweet dreams even while we are going through this nightmare.

One of my favorite scriptures is found in Psalm 4. Verse 8 says “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

No matter what a day may bring, may we never forget that God longs for us to be at peace and rest in the arms of love, may we keep before us the sweet dream of the day when talk of coronavirus is not part of the daily news, but simply a page in the history books where stories of victory are found. Amen.

Let us pray: Lord, we have come to feast in your presence and gather in this sacred space that you have prepared for us. We have come because you have invited us, because you love us and long for us to be at peace and to make peace where there is chaos.

For this we give you thanks and we pray as you taught the disciples, our father…

June 28, 2020 Mathew 10.40-42 “What Disciples Do with Cups of Cold Water?” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

It’s been 13 weeks since we have been quarantined. By now, we want to trash those masks and forget about washing our hands. We want to throw caution to the wind and visit our family and friends and laugh out loud and sing and hug as we have done countless times through the years.

We are not there yet. But, be of good cheer! God is still on the throne. We are still beloved. God has not forsaken us nor forgotten us. No matter what we are going through, God will provide. We will not be left empty-handed. We can say with confidence, “Hallelujah anyhow. Never gonna let my troubles get me down. When those troubles come my way, I’ll put my head up high and say, “Hallelujah anyhow!” 

In the gospel of Matthew chapter 10 verses 40-42 we find these words:

Matthew 10.40-42

⁴⁰“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 

⁴¹Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 

⁴²and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

 Jesus tells the disciples that he will give a reward to those who give even a cup of cold water to his little ones, his dear ones, his precious ones. How wonderful it is that we are all precious in his sight. Every one of us!

We all enjoy receiving a reward? As parents and teachers and leaders know, giving rewards not only puts a smile on the faces of those who do good work, but rewards are an incentive and an encouragement to keep on keeping on in a good work.

There is no greater reward that comes from serving Jesus. There’s not a friend like our Jesus. As the song reminds us, No, not one! No, not one!

None else could heal all our soul's diseases, No, not one! No, not one!  

Jesus knows all about our struggles,

He will guide till the day is done; there’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus. No, not one! No, not one!

We can sing all day and pray every which way that Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to us, but we still struggle to love him and follow him. A father’s tells a story that we can all relate to.

I took my son three years old son outside while I was doing some yardwork. I was planning on trimming the hedges, so I held his hands, knelt down in the grass beside him, looked into his eyes and made sure he was listening and I slowly and carefully said, "Now, Kevin, ... you can play here in our front yard.

You can go next door ... and play in your friend's front yard.

You can ride your Big Wheel ... up and down the driveway.

You can go in the back yard ... and play with the dog ... or play on your swing.

You can go back inside ... and watch television.

Or ... You can stay here .... and watch me trim the hedges.

These are all the things you have my permission to do.

But you can NOT go ... out into the street.

It is very dangerous there.

You cannot play in the street.

Do you understand what I'm saying?"

And 3-year-old Kevin nodded his head... and said "Yes, Daddy". 

I let go of his hand ... and he ran straight to the curb, ... put one foot in the street; And then turned his head toward me and smiled,

Like all of us from time to time, we deliberately defy the one that loves us. We do what we are asked not to do.

Our heavenly father, who also mothers us, has carefully instructed us, again and again to love one another, to serve one another, to share the good news that there is a God, a king, who promised to be with us always, especially when there is no one in this world particular assigned to take care of us, as in when we lose a spouse, or our parents are no longer there for us when we are underage, or we have had for one reason or another to leave the comfort and safety of our own home and become strangers in a strange land, having to live with new laws and build new relationships.

God, being the big God that God is, has high standards for our love for one another. God’s priorities in the bible are the toughest cases of all, to take care of us when we need it the most, to love the one who is most vulnerable and likely temporarily least able to love us back.

 To whom much is given, much is required. What a mighty God we serve who can take care of us when we are taking care of those who for a season, cannot take care of themselves! We are blessed so that we can be a blessing to our families and anyone God guides us to bless.

God loves us with an everlasting love. We live in a kin-dom overflowing with blessing. 

 We live in a castle community with people who put smiles on our faces, encouragement in our hearts, and peace in our minds. God commands us to love with the same royal love that we receive. Yet, we struggle because we are human and because love is a supernatural act and every day we must submit to the supernatural and amazing work that the Holy Spirit wants to do in us. We all struggle to let go and let God. That struggle is real for all of us so none of us can think we are better than any of us. Most of all, that struggle reminds us that we depend on God for everything, all the time. We cannot live a holy, repentant life without submitting and surrendering and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us. Still, “submitting” and “surrendering” are fighting words.

The coronavirus has brought the world to its knees, and we have all been reminded that we are not in charge. Even when we are experts, we do not know it all. Even when we have succeeded in the past, we cannot guarantee future success in the same way we have always enjoyed it.  God may use an unlikely person or situation to meet a need. God can even take something meant for evil and turn it into something very good.

We need one another, no matter what we think about one another, no matter what emotions storm about in our hearts toward one another. We are designed to work together for the common good, convincing one another that we truly care.

John Wesley the founder of Methodism was convinced that he was supposed to be a preacher like his father, even before he gave his heart to Jesus. He did his level best to make money and never, ever be in debt like his father Samuel. When John was only three, his father was arrested on his way out of the church and taken to the Lincoln prison because of his indebtedness. His feet and hands were put in chains. A few feet away, there was a woman detained with her children. The only other sights were the cold stone walls and the rats. It would be months before the debt was paid off.

If being poor wasn’t hard enough, when Samuel preached a certain political viewpoint, folks would terrorize the Wesley family, set fire to their property and mutilate their animals. (Deacon Charlie Baber)

I wonder if terrorism was the cause of the 1709 parsonage fire that occurred when John Wesley was only five years old. Despite the fact that the economy was different in the 1700’s and poverty has many faces, it is hard to think of the Wesley’s as dirt poor since at the time of the parsonage fire, the Wesley’s had a child in boarding school, father Samuel had opportunities to make more money if he were not spending so much time with his head in the books, and they had several servants to help raise their 10 children. It was those servants and neighbors who helped get all the children safely out of the house that night.

 Seconds before the roof caved in, a couple men, having no time to find a ladder, climbed on each other’s shoulders and saved John Wesley who was 5 years old by now, while his parents were in the yard praying for his soul to be saved because they believed he wasn’t going to live through the fire. It was a miracle. Believers got down on their knees and gave thanks to God who made the impossible happen. His mother Susanna who suffered burns on her legs, spread the word: This boy is destined to be somebody special. God had to have a very important purpose and a plan to save his life in the very nick of time.

By the time John grew up and became a preacher, he was no longer poor but had moved up into the higher societies of England. He had enough money to do everything he wanted to do - play cards, buy tobacco, and brandy as well as meet his basic needs. He seemed to be part of a culture of consumerism and perhaps a bit preoccupied with his will and his way and less with God’s will and God’s way, not to mention having any thought about a world of hurting people struggling to meet their basic needs.

One day his eyes were opened. He had a sort of conversion experience. He was decorating his home and had just put up several beautiful picture frames when a poor cleaning woman came to his door. It was wintertime. She had no coat, her dress was thin. He went into his pocket to give her money to buy a coat, but found he had spent all his money on his needs as well as many luxuries.

Immediately the thought struck him that the Lord was not pleased with the way he had spent his money. From that day in 1731 until the day of his death 60 years later he lived simply so that others could simply live.

It is that inspiring, Godly legacy that the Holy Spirit has guided the United Methodist and so many other churches to serve by building schools and universities to train and educate people to live life more fully for God’s sake, for their own sake, for the sake of the world around them. We spend millions of dollars to feed and clothe others and bring good news to the poor, to teach and study in order to live lives that compel others to want to love like Christians love and to be loved like Christians are loved. We serve obediently to equip churches to be satellites and saving stations that are ready to fulfill God’s priorities to anyone in need, to overcome evil with good.

We say to the world, “Come. You are welcome here. I will hold you in my heart.” Or we say, “I will go, Lord. Send me. I will go and do whatever it takes to love and cherish everybody, everywhere you send me. No matter who they are and where they come from and where they are headed. If you lead me, I will go. I will be ready to give a cup of cold water, especially to those who are living in a moment with no clean water or clean hearts around, or whose water is exposed to the blistering heat of abuse and neglect, or who have to come to the well all alone because no one wants to be with them, or who have no bucket and no rope to get water because they have been stolen. I will welcome and refresh them, if you help me, Lord.”

Are you ready to welcome everybody God sends your way? Are you ready to go to those God sends you?  Keep in mind, after all this that God does not lead everybody everywhere. There is a saying we used to say at Eastern University. “Some were sent and some just went.” Whatever the case, whatever the mission, we depend on the Holy Spirit working in our lives, in our churches and everywhere else that God is pleased to work.

We still struggle because we are human. Though we are not all that we need to be. Thank God we are not what we used to be.

So as we stop for a moment of silence, let’s open our hearts and invite the Holy Spirit to do a work in us. 

Let us pray: Oh God, we have no power to help anybody or fix anything unless you work wonders in us through your amazing love. We surrender to your love and care, the greatest love of all. We submit to your word and your will. We seek to trust and obey. We pray for the sick and distressed to find sweet relief, for preachers, teachers, leaders, and missionaries everywhere to do your will.

We pray as you taught the disciples.  Our father who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 

Benediction – Go forth and listen, for God is speaking.

During June we have talked about disciples. Next week begins July we turn to Matthew 11 to hear about “Leaders: Gentle and Humble”

If you would like to make your contribution to the ministry and mission of Bethel, the website is  Bethelumchurch.com 

Or you can send to 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City, Pa. 19475. God bless you!