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Hope Mills UMC 2003 Pastor's Notes December 2003 An Advent Musing It was September and the weather was still warm and humid. The garden center at Wal-Mart had been transformed into a Christmas Shop. It seemed somehow incongruent that Christmas things would already line the shelves but so it is. Even though the retail season of Christmas starts in September the liturgical season of Christmas does not start until December 25. Yes I know that people have a longing and yearning for Christmas to come. We eagerly anticipate the festive time of decorations and parties. But the problem is that we are in a rush to get to the yuletide carols that we miss out on something very significant for Christians. What we miss out on is the season of Advent, which is that time of waiting and looking for God to break into the darkness of our world with light of eternity. The custom of observing the season of Advent is very ancient. Sometime around the year 480 St. Perpetuus decreed that a fast be observed from November 11 until Christmas. Eventually Advent was established as the four weeks before Christmas. On the Christian Calendar Advent begins the Christian year. It is a time of prayer and preparation. One of the symbols that we use during Advent is the Advent Wreath, which has four outer candles, and one is lighted each week. The first Candle is the symbol of hope. Although Advent begins in the darkness of winter there is a candle of hope burning in the darkness. (Isaiah 9:2) The second candle is the candle of peace as we look to the promise of “peace on earth.” (Isaiah 9:6) The third candle is the candle of joy because there is are tidings of true joy coming to the world in the arrival of the Messiah. (Luke 2:10) And the last candle is the candle of love because the coming Messiah will be the expression of God’s love for the entire world. (John 3:16) As you and I walk these dark days of Advent with longing and yearning in our hearts let us take the time to reflect on the real meaning of this season of expectation. Let us allow the seeds of hope, peace, joy, and love to be planted in our hearts and lives. In so doing we will truly prepare our hearts for his coming. “Behold I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:7)NOVEMBER 2003 November is a month that has many meanings for people. For some people November means Thanksgiving and family gatherings. For others November means Veteran’s Day and the memories of their days in the military. For still others it means elections, the triumph at the end of the long road of campaigning or the recognition of defeat and thoughts about whether or not there will be a next time. Finally, for some folks November means leafless trees, colder weather and gray skies as fall turns into winter. But November is one of those months that stirs something within all of us. We need to be stirred, not to action necessarily, but to thought. Perhaps if we allowed our hearts to be stirred this November we could hear the whispers of God speaking to our inner being. God is calling all of us to a closer relationship with him. Thomas Chisholm captures the nature of God’s eternal nature when he writes, “Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; there is no shadow of turning with thee; thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not; as thou hast been thou forever will be.” (UMH 140) You see the reality of this God that never changes is that he is relentlessly in pursuit of his children to bring them into an intimate relationship with him. “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.” (2 Corinthians 5:19) In God’s November there is no end to the trail of campaigning. God has declared no armistice in the war against sin. But God does celebrate a Thanksgiving for every person that comes home to God. “Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7) Let the Holy Spirit start a stirring in you this November and by November 27 you really will have something to give thanks for! October 2003 Clear blue skies; cool autumn breezes, and the pastel colors of the leaves all make October a special time. It is not yet winter but summer has obviously gone. There is something about October that I love. It may be because October is the month of homecomings and family reunions. I have fond memories of family gatherings in Rockingham when I was child. There was always excitement in the air to blend with aroma of home cooking. Those were special days. It may be because I am preaching homecoming at my home church in Aberdeen. My mind goes through the file of so many memories that being home conjures up for me. But I suspect that the real reason is that October is a pause between the unsettling rush of September and the hectic chaos of November and December. It is a time in which we can sense in the beauty of the season the finger of the creator at work. God is saying to us – “Look at the world I have created for you.” No artist can capture the grandeur of God’s creation. It is to be experienced and celebrated as a gift. Just as God created this world of wonder and beauty he also created a new world that is his Kingdom. It is a world where God rules. It is a world where sorrow is shared and comfort is freely given. It is a world where sins are forgiven and lives are changed. It is a world where God himself makes his home with us. It is a world where divine laughter and celestial praise can both be heard. It is a place where the least and lowest, the forgotten and the outcast, the child and the childlike will be included. It is a place where the proud and arrogant will find themselves humbled. It is a place where there is love for all. As we enjoy the October pause let us consider the beauty of this world that God has created for us but let us also remember that we haven’t seen anything yet! “See the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe ever tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3 - 4 September... ..is harvest time, the time when the corn is harvested, the sweet potatoes gathered, and the cotton picked and sent to the gin. Historically in agrarian communities, where agriculture was a vital way of life, the harvest was a time of great expectation. People came together to help each other with the chores of the harvest. I have heard many tales of some of the occasions when neighbors would share the work of the harvest and then celebrate afterwards. Fairs were always scheduled at harvest time so people could show off their choicest produce, livestock, crafts, and canned goods. However in our world where seasons generally mean only a change in weather, sports, or seasonally available products we have lost some of the joy of the harvest. Did you know that Jesus used the harvest as a metaphor for people who are unsaved? Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 9:37) There are so many people in our world who do not have a relationship with Jesus. While their lives may be filled with many things, as they try to find some meaning, purpose, and happiness in life, they are largely empty people on the inside. Have you thought about the fact that the “Bill of Rights” guarantees all Americans the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” but it cannot guarantee them happiness? While happiness may be the consuming pursuit of all humanity it is not necessarily realized in their lives. The news is filled daily with stories about the trials of men who killed their wives, of children dead from abuse, of corruption in high places, and of the pandemic violence of our society. It is altogether ironic that the “so called” most civilized culture in the world is also the most destructive and violent. But all those things point to how great the harvest is. People need Jesus in their lives. Recently I have seen some stories about some famous athletes and celebrities who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and how it changed their lives. Friends it is harvest time. You are I are called to be laborers in the harvest. Grab your sickle and lets get to work. “But I tell you look around you, and see how fields are ripe for harvesting.” (John 4:35b) AUGUST Some people forget their wedding anniversaries but I will never forget mine. On a late summer day, as a soft breeze made leaves dance in the brilliant sunlight and the church’s snowflake glass windows seemed to be extraordinarily beautiful, I stood at the altar before a church full of family and friends as my lovely bride came down the aisle to me. Although it has been 25 years (August 26) since that memorable day it is permanently etched on my heart and mind. It hardly seems possible that Barbara and I have been married that long. Where does the time go? Life moves so fast we often forget those significant moments of orientation and reorientation of our lives. When the children of Israel were about to enter into Canaan Moses told them to always remember the story of what God had done for them. It is when we forget the significance of those moments that our lives begin to suffer. When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses he began by stating “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.” Why is that we forget the really important things? Perhaps it is because we are so busy, so rushed, so involved, so distracted. Every time I look at my wedding ring I remember that I am married. Every time I look at a flower I remember that God created all things. Every time I look at the cross I remember that Jesus died for me. Some years ago I ran across a little poem that goes like this:
The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, “Remember your creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come…” I will remember that he was there at Calvary, he was there when I knelt at an altar to give my life to him, and he was there when I took that beautiful young woman into my arms and pledged my love to her. Have you been forgetting anything lately? JULY July is always a hot month. The sweltering heat and oppressive humidity usually causes us to take refuge in swimming pools or air conditioning. We have learned how to cope with the heat by avoiding it altogether or using to our advantage. It can be destructive if we are foolish or beneficial if we are smart. But the heat is there. I have heard people say, on some of the most oppressively hot days that it was as hot as the fire of Hades. Did you know that the New Testament used the imagery of fire in two ways? It is used to describe the work of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16, Acts 2:3) and the fire of judgment (Luke 12:49). It seems that wherever the Holy Spirit’s fire is; the fire of judgment is not far behind. The Holy Spirit’s fire is the fire of zeal and energy. It is the fire that burns away the impurities of our lives, cleans away the debris of our own failures, and opens new paths into an unknown future. The fire of judgment comes behind to consume that which has not been purified, that which has resisted the fire of grace and love. Several years ago they had a tremendous wildfire in California, which cost the lives of several people who refused to evacuate and instead tried futilely to save their homes from the raging inferno. It seems to me that our lives are that way. God offers us the fire of the Holy Spirit to inspire and empower our lives. But more often than not we are clinging onto the things of this world that we have come to value the most. But the fire of judgment is consuming fire. Too many people have to get severely burned by the fire of judgment before they wake up to reality. This could have been prevented if they had only allowed the fire of the Holy Spirit to burn in their hearts first. Jesus speaks of the fires of Gehenna, which was the landfill for Judah, where a fire was continually burning. This word is generally translated as hell everywhere it is used in the New Testament (Matthew 5:22). But everywhere it is used Jesus is speaking about those who refuse the fire of the Holy Spirit. On these hot days we need to allow the Holy Spirit to burn in our souls, to clean us up, to help rid us of all those things that would hinder the work of God’s Spirit in our lives. As an anonymous hymn put it, “the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design, thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.” (UMH 529) JUNE On June 17, 1703 a baby boy was born in the Rectory or parsonage of Epworth Church in Lincolnshire England. He was the 15th of 19 children that were born to Samuel and Susanna Wesley. They named him John. On one occasion the rectory caught fire and John who was only 5, was rescued from the fiery flames. He would thereafter consider himself “a brand plucked from the burning.” Like his father before him John Wesley became an Anglican Priest. However his restless soul and searching faith led him to a great personal moment of spiritual awakening. It happened on May 24, 1738, at a Prayer Meeting on Aldersgate Street when Wesley felt his heart “strangely warmed.” In his attempt to reform the Church of England he founded a movement called the “Methodists” so called because of their methodical ways of spiritual discipline. The movement exploded across England, and then across the Atlantic to the Colonies, thanks to the sacrifice of the “Circuit Riders.” It was once remarked that, “you can outrun civilization but you can’t outrun those Methodist Circuit riders. They will show up wherever you go.” This June 17 marks the Tercentenary or 300th anniversary of John Wesley’s birth. John Wesley’s once said, “I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form or religion without the power.” We should regard Mr. Wesley’s fear with due regard. We need to regain those “methodical” spiritual disciplines, that fervent zeal for God, and that burden for ministry to the world that characterized the early Methodists. Let us celebrate Mr. Wesley’s birthday by committing ourselves to his vision. “Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Thank-you Mr. Wesley for our heritage, may God help us to be worthy of it! MAY One of my High School classmates called me recently to tell me that they were planning a 30th reunion for our class this summer. Can it really be thirty years ago this year that I walked across the stage and received my High School Diploma? Where has the time gone? I was so busy with college and graduate school, serving churches, getting married and raising a family that the time passed so quickly. It is amazing how quickly time seems to pass when you look at it retrospectively. In a few weeks another group of young people will graduate from High School and College and begin new lives. Commencement means both the end and the beginning of something. Time passes quickly in the church as well. It is hard to believe that I have been here almost three years. So many wonderful things have happened in those three short years that I am overwhelmed. Yet I know that you and I haven’t seen anything yet. The Holy Spirit is at work in wonderful ways in this church. I want to ask you to join me in praying that God will inspire and raise up servant leaders for our church. There are so many ministries that we can do. We can reach out to the unchurched in Hope Mills. We can do more nurture and membership care. We can renew our ministries for children and implement ministries for older adults. But we need servant leaders for ministry to happen. Time is passing and our busy lives make it pass oh so quickly. Let us commit ourselves to serving God so that we will not have any retrospective regrets. John Greenleaf Whittier has rightly said, “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: it might have been?” We also need to remember what the Psalmist said, “So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” (Psalm 90:12) And if there is anything the church truly needs it is wise and compassionate hearts.APRIL “The deadline is up, we are at war.” The President’s words hung over us like a thick fog in the early morning. They are ominous, they are troubling, and they are for foreboding. Living in a military area like Cumberland County we are keenly aware of this situation. These are our families, our husbands and wives, our sons and daughter, our mommies and daddies, and our friends and neighbors. These are good, caring, dedicated people who are asked by the country to serve to stop a threat to the world’s safety. They go courageously into harm’s way leaving their families and friends safe at home safe at home. As I think about these brave men and women whom I have come to know and love I am honored to be their pastor and friend. And yet amidst this turmoil we search for hope, for a day of peace. The Messiah, who is called, “Prince of Peace,” came 2000 years ago. Why do we still have war? War is a symptom of sin. The sin of greed, power, and hate. Armies have battled this sin for millennia. But Jesus gave us the hope of knowing that a day will come when he will come to rule the earth and there will be no more war. As we pray for our military let also pray for that day when the weapons of war will be converted into tools for agricultural production. “God will judge between the nations, he will arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4) MARCH As spring begins to emerge from winter we are reminded of the changing seasons of the year. In the Church year Lent begins this March 5 with Ash Wednesday. This is the season when we emphasize the disciplines of fasting, prayer, Sabbath keeping, and discernment. The church has observed this time of reflection and introspection, of mediation and pondering since its earliest days. While Lent has largely become a private time of doing the disciplines, it is also a time for the whole church to be about the disciplines together. Lent is not a time to shrink in personal guilt and sorrow. It is rather a time to grow spiritually in our relationship with God. The disciplines of Lent invite us to see ourselves as we truly are: mortal, human, and frail, and to see God as He really is: loving, forgiving, and engaging. There is no better time than this season for you to turn from the mediocrity of religious living to the real joy of dynamic faith. And this Lent is made even more significant with a looming war, a troubled economy, and a culture now characterized by fear and uncertainty. God is waiting for you to open your heart and your soul to Him. My prayer is that this Lent you will be met head on by that great and loving God who is pursuing you to claim you for his own. “God looks down from Heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.” (Psalm 53:2) FEBRUARY Have you ever noticed how many ways we humans try to define the word love. I remember several years ago a quote from the novel “Love Story” became a very popular definition of love. That quote was, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” We have defined love as everything from a warm fuzzy to holding a hard line with teenagers. But the real truth is that love is a multifaceted word in our world today. It has so many nuances for us that it almost defies definition. People love plants, people love sports, people love poetry, and people love people. It does make you think. On the other hand Jesus had no problem defining love and did so with his actions and in his teachings. The kind of love that Jesus lived was agape, the highest form of love. It was to desire another person’s highest good. It was sacrificial, humble, and self-giving. Jesus said, “Greater love has no person than to lay down their life for another.” (John 15:13) It is so sad that the world we live in has so watered down the meaning of love that it really means so little anymore. But when we look at Jesus we can see not only the depth of love but also the real power of love. Love changes lives, heals brokenness, overcomes hate and anger, and love triumphs over evil. Someone once said that there is weapon against anything, but there is no weapon against love. Don’t settle for candy and valentines when God has so much love to show us. This February spend some time thinking about the one who loves us more than we could ever love ourselves. He proved it at the cross. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16 JANUARY Every year on New Year’s Day my mother would cook collards with ham hocks and black-eyed peas. She would always tell us that the more collards and peas you ate the more dollars you would make that year. No matter how large a portion I ate I never seem get any more prosperous. However it was always a delicious meal. We begin each New Year filled with expectations and promises. We look forward to all the possibilities that may become realities this year. Is this the year that there will be a break though in the treatment of Cancer or Alzheimer’s? Is this the year that the economy will turn around and prosperity will grow for all of us again? Will terrorists strike again this year? But we have to know that our hopes and expectations will not speed the timetable of economic, social, or scientific changes. We are assuming time that we have not been given. You see one of the greatest lessons that I have learned is that each day of life is a gift from God. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Instead our time and energy would be much better spent on working to deepen our relationship with God each day that we are given. We need to be concentrating on our prayer life, worship, study, and participation in the church. We need to be looking for all the blessings that God wants to give us. As I look ahead to 2003 in this church I look forward with anticipation to all the ways that the Holy Spirit will bless us together. I don’t think Mama really thought that collards and peas would make her any richer but she was right about one thing, if you do not anticipate your blessings you may miss them. God has many blessings waiting for you – that is if you really want them. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,” (Isaiah 61:1-2) |
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