Sermon (Feb. 27/Transfiguration Sunday) by Rev. Robert McDowell

     Transfiguration Sunday is one of the extra special Sundays on the church calendar but it often goes unnoticed. It serves as a bridge between the weeks following the Christmas season and the beginning of the Season of Lent.

     And maybe that’s the whole point of this Sunday on the church calendar because it reminds us of how easy it can be to miss the holy moments that happen in our daily lives.  Take Moses from our Old Testament reading for example.

     This is the story of when Moses went up a mountain and the Lord gave him the Ten Commandments to present to the people. So, he goes back down the mountain and our scripture reading is quick to point out that Moses didn’t know that the skin of his face was shining because he had been talking with God.

     And so when Moses makes it down to the people, they were afraid because this doesn’t look like the same Moses who had left them. This was a Moses whose face was now radiating the glory of God. And when Moses discovers that he now looks very different, he needs to put a veil over his face just so that the people would no longer be overwhelmed.

     During this long global pandemic, there have been many times when I have not recognized many of you who I know very well but our masks have made it difficult to recognize each other. I remember one time I got out of my car in a grocery store parking lot and I saw one of you wearing a mask, and I thought you were someone else. I called you by the wrong name! Masks have made it difficult to really see each other.

     A couple of months ago, one of our church members said to me that even though she knows that wearing masks has been an important way to help stop the spread of the virus, that it’s also made it difficult to really see our true selves. Our masks can hide our expressions to varying degrees and this church member said how it’s bee challenging to get a sense of how the other person is doing. This church member has reminded me of how important it is to really see each other beyond just a surface level. 

     And so, when the Israelites first saw Moses coming down from the mountain, they couldn’t help but to see that he had truly been with the Lord because his skin was shining. The people could see that Moses had encountered the living God. 

     What does it mean for us to see God’s presence in our daily lives? What does it mean for us to see each other? And for that matter, what does it mean for us to see ourselves and who we are deep down in our very being? This is what Transfiguration Sunday, this obscure Sunday on the church calendar invites us to do each year. It invites us to open our eyes and see ourselves, each other, and the presence of God at work in our lives.

     Let’s begin with how we see ourselves. How we see ourselves can have a significant impact on our attitudes as well as our actions. 

     You may have heard the story about the Episcopal Priest who went to the Harley Davidson dealer to buy a motorcycle. 

     The salesman came out to the parking lot, noticed the man admiring the bike, and said: “that there bike is the most powerful piece of machinery you’ll ever be seen on. It goes from zero to 60 in 5.8 seconds. Jet black fuel tank, chrome muffler, raised handle-bars. Can’t you see yourself, flying down the road, hair on fire, every woman’s head turning as you go by?” What sort of work do you do?” the salesman asked. 

     “I’m an Episcopal Priest.”

     “Oh,” the salesman said, now with a disappointed look on his face. “Forget about what I just said because this motorcycle is also known to be the safest, most practical bike we’ve got on the lot. It comes with two helmets and free riding instructions.”

     How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself through the eyes of the assumptions of what others may expect you to be or do you see yourself for who you truly are, a child of God?

     I have a friend who says that if only we would remember our baptism more often, this would be a game changer in how God wants us to see ourselves. When Jesus was baptized, a voice from heaven said, “You are my child, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

     For various reasons, we sometimes forget this very basic truth that is revealed in our baptism. We are God’s children. We are all beloved by God. And God is pleased with us.

     I believe that our weekly benediction that closes every worship service is related to the meaning of our baptism. Every Sunday, we are reminded of who we are when we say, “You are a blessed, beloved, and beautiful child of God. There are no exceptions, asterisks, or loopholes.”

     Or, if you’re not baptized, no worries because we are told in the first few pages of the Bible, that each one of us has been created in the image of God. Each one of us. Again, no exceptions, asterisks, or loopholes.

     And when we think of who God is like, descriptive words like loving, patient, generous, forgiving, kind, compassionate, and holy come to mind. And just to think that we are all created in the image of this God who is described in this way! This is who we have been created to be.      

     This is what it means to be fully human. This is who we are. Do you see this? If you do, that’s great because that is who God has created you to be. If you don’t see this basis truth about who you are, that you have been created in God’s image, then I would encourage you to reflect on this until you do. You are a blessed, beloved, and beautiful child of God. There are no exceptions, asterisks, or loopholes. 

     And, this morning, I want to ask you how you see others. I think this has been more challenging over these past several years, just because of the widening political and theological polarization that we have been experiencing. It’s not easy to see beyond the different labels that we attach to each other.

     Christian author and speaker, Brian McLaren was asked what helps him to stay in a loving relationship with family members and friends who have very profound political and ideological differences than his own. When Brian was asked this question on a theological podcast I was listening to at the time, I remember writing down his answer because I really appreciated his response.

     He said, “I have learned to just say to people that I disagree with in the most loving, gracious, and genuine way that I can, ‘I just see it differently.’”

     Isn’t that a great response! Of course, this assumes that we’ve truly listened to the other person. But this response is concise, to the point, genuine, but also true to what you believe. No need for arguments. No need for passive/aggressive behavior. We simply say, “I just see it differently.”

     One of the ways that we can help people who feel unheard, ignored, and brushed aside is to truly listen to them and affirm them by saying, “I want you to know that I see you. I hear you.” 

     John Wesley, the founder of Methodism was known for how he encouraged those early Methodists to ask each other the question, “How is it with your soul?” That question invites us to see beyond what is going on the surface, and go deeper in how how we are really doing emotionally, relationally, physically, and spiritually.

     If we truly want to see others, that’s a great question to ask. “How is it with your soul?” My District Superintendent asked me that question this past summer in the height of the pandemic. He really wanted to know how I was doing. 

     In addition to seeing ourselves and others, Transfiguration Sunday is also a time to see and recognize God’s presence in our daily lives. Now, you probably won’t have the same experience as Moses did who had spent six whole days with God on a mountaintop. And you probably won’t have the same experience as the three disciples, Peter, James, and John who witnessed Jesus being transfigured and radiating God’s glory right in front of their eyes. These were literally and figuratively mountaintop experiences.

     Even if we may not have mountaintop experiences like the ones in our scripture readings today, God is still present in holy and mysterious ways. We refer to these as thin place moments, those moments where heaven and earth overlap reminding us of God’s presence.

     The Apostle Paul writes in our scripture reading from II Corinthians, “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord.” What are those veils that are keeping us from seeing the glory of the Lord?

     Some of these veils include the veil of a modern-day world view that has squeezed out any notion of the holy and mysterious. There is also the veil of our own daily preoccupations that can prevent us from seeing how God is at work. 

     Another veil is the veil of simply not giving ourselves time to reflect on the events of our lives to see how God was present. I like to refer to these as “delayed thin place moments” because it’s only in retrospect that we see how God was present in the people and situations we encountered.

     Whether we recognize God’s presence in real time or upon reflection, it’s amazing what we can see when we remove the veils that would keep us from seeing the glory of the Lord.

     Several years ago I was part of a team of people who led a weekend youth retreat at the church I was serving. On that Saturday morning, we led the 25 or so teenagers up to the sanctuary. Once everybody was seated in the first pews, one of the leaders told everybody to bow their heads in a time of silent prayer. 

     Well, the mistake this adult leader made was to tell the youth to bow their heads because they ended up missing the first five minutes of a very moving mime skit that some of our other leaders had put together and were acting out in the front of the sanctuary. 

     Since the skit was in silence, the youth didn’t know that it had started and we as leaders didn’t realize that the youth still had their heads bowed toward the floor in an attitude of prayer. I still laugh when I think about that memory. 

     On this Transfiguration Sunday, let’s not miss seeing the glory of God. Let’s see ourselves as God’s blessed, beloved, and beautiful children of God. Let’s see others as people created in the image of God. And let’s be open to seeing God’s mysterious and holy presence at work in our daily encounters.

     And as the Apostle Paul says, may we all see the glory of the Lord.

I See You!

Sermon Discussion Questions

Exodus 34:29-35; II Corinthians 3:12-4:2; & Luke 9:28-36

February 27, 2022

All three of our scripture readings refer to the glory of God that shines upon us. When Moses came down the mountain after having spent time with God, we are told that the glory of the Lord shone around him. Likewise, when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, the glory of the Lord shone around him. The Apostle Paul writes about having unveiled faces and being able to see the glory of the Lord.

Describe in your words what this “glory of the Lord” might have looked like to the people of Israel when they saw Moses and the disciples when Jesus was transfigured in front of them. 

Transfiguration Sunday is a time to reflect on what it means to see God’s glory shining in ourselves, in others, and in our daily lives. Seeing God’s glory shining in ourselves, is to see that God has created us in his loving, gracious, and redeeming image. Our weekly benediction reminds us to see ourselves in this way when it speaks of “being a blessed, beloved, and beautiful child of God.”

Share how you see yourself and what a difference it makes when we see ourselves as God sees us.

Seeing God’s glory shining in others means that we see that person a blessed, beloved, and beautiful child of God as well. In the sermon, Pastor Robert shared that one of the ways that we can see beyond the differences that often divide people like political beliefs and worldviews is simply to respond to others with, “I just see it differently.” This honest and simple response can help us to truly see the other person while holding on to our own beliefs and opinions. 

Share how you see others and what a difference it makes when we see others as God sees them, as people created in the image of God. 

Seeing God’s glory shining in our daily lives means that we see God’s presence at work in the situations and events that we encounter.

Share how you have experienced God’s presence at work in a recent situation or event in your life. What helps you to recognize God’s presence in your life?

Online Worship (February 27/Transfiguration Sunday) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

February 27 

(Transfiguration Sunday)

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (February 23) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

Season of Lent Sneak Preview!

Sermon (February 20) by Rev. Robert McDowell

     There are some common phrases in the Bible that set off alarm bells for me and today’s Gospel reading has one of those. Jesus says to the crowd, “But I say to you…”

     Whenever we hear those words, we know that Jesus is going to offer us a challenge. And in this case today, the challenge relates to forgiveness and loving our enemies.

     Last Sunday, our Gospel reading had the words that precede these challenging words. It’s where Jesus offers all of those blessings and woes. “Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh.”

     Jesus was preaching some good news there. But today, those blessings turn into a challenge to us. “But I say to you…”

     This phrase kind of reminds me of what parents might say to their children. Children don’t usually like it when they hear their parents say, “I know your friends are allowed to do that, but that’s not going to happen here.” 

     Or as Jesus puts it, “But I say to you…”

     What follows is the challenge that Jesus offers us in what it means to be one of his followers. Jesus says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you o the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

     We have a tradition here at Athens First that after the Gospel reading concludes, the worship reader looks out at the congregation and says, “This is the Word of God for the people of God,” and our response is, “Thanks be to God!”

     I noticed that I was a little more hesitant to respond with those words this morning. Jesus has just told us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, and we’re supposed to say, “Thanks be to God!” Well, I’m proud to say that I did say those words, but I didn’t do so as enthusiastically as other Sundays.

     To be honest, today’s Gospel reading with Jesus’ very challenging words to us makes me hesitate because I don’t know if I’m up to the task.

     I mean, do you find it easy to love your enemies? Sure, I believe in forgiveness, but I also don’t want to be treated with disrespect. And what if someone is spreading false information and hatred? I’m not wired to be loving in those moments, trust me!

     Here’s a perfect example. While I was working on this sermon, I checked Facebook and one of my Facebook friends had a post that included blatant misinformation that was mixed in with some really, really bad theology. 

     But actually, it wasn’t the person’s post that got under my skin, it was the many comments to that person’s post. Those comments were filled with even more misinformation and bad theology in my humble opinion.

     It reminded me of the frustration one of our church members was experiencing and she said to me, “Robert, is there some sort of Gospel of Hate that I don’t know about because it seems like a lot of people follow that instead of a Gospel of Love.”

     I was so tempted to respond to that Facebook comment but today’s Gospel reading prevented me from making such a futile error. My heart was saying, “Prove them wrong!” but my head was saying, “Don’t do it! You know it won’t help. People are going to believe what they want to believe.”

     Another church member and I were talking about a similar kind of thing on how to respond to people who believe things that just aren’t true. And so I asked him, “What helps you to not get into these futile arguments when you feel your blood pressure rising?”

     And he said something really interesting. He said, “I just listen to them.” And so I asked him, “Well, does it work?” And he said, “no.” But he said that people just need someone who will listen and that you care enough to listen. 

     He also said something else that was really interesting. He said that sometimes when you just let people talk, you can hear what their real concerns and fears are. But we don’t know unless we just learn to listen.

     If people like this church member are taking Jesus seriously when he says to us, “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you,” maybe I should pay more attention to my own sermons! It’s one thing to preach about following Jesus, it’s a whole different matter to actually follow Jesus.

     Jesus says, “But I say to you.” “But I say to you, Robert.” 

     I think of examples of people who have said, “challenge accepted” when hearing these words of Jesus to love your enemies and do good to those who hate you.

     The first one that comes to my mind is from near where I grew up in south central, Pennsylvania. You may remember that back in 2006, a gunman entered a one room Amish school house in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and ended up killing five girls between the ages of 6 and 13 and then also killed himself.  It was just an awful, awful tragic news story.

[Scene of 2006 Shooting of 5 Amish Girls, Lancaster, PA]

     In a story for NPR about this shooting, sociologist Donald Kraybill said, “I think the most powerful demonstration of the depth of Amish forgiveness was when members of the Amish community went to the killer’s burial service at the cemetery. Several families, Amish families who had buried their own daughters just the day before were in attendance and they hugged the widow, and hugged other members of the killer’s family.”

     The Amish families extended forgiveness to the family of the shooter including the man’s wife, now widow. One Amish man held the shooter’s father in his arms for an hour offering comfort to him. The Amish community even permitted the widow of the killer to attend the funeral of one of the victims so that she would be able to offer her deepest condolences. 

     I remember really struggling with this response and feeling that this offer of forgiveness was too soon and that more time was needed for this community to grieve. But then I read a statement from one of the Amish fathers who said that we all need to remember that the man who killed their children had a mother and a wife and soul and now he’s standing before a just God to answer for what he had done.

     “But I say to you…” Challenge accepted!

     Another example of loving your enemies comes to mind. And this is related to the Westboro Baptist Church that has sadly become famous for being hateful toward anyone who doesn’t believe the way that they do.

     Known for their hate speech against atheists, Jews, Muslims, Gay and transgender people, and numerous denominations, this small Kansas church of about 70 members and founded by Fred Phelps continues to travel to places around the country to spread their Gospel of Hate.

     But out of this hate-filled church, comes this story of one of their own members, Megan Phelps-Roper, daughter of founder, Fred Phelps. She had grown up in the Westboro church and was their church representative on Twitter. She would post messages about the church’s doctrine and would use hate-filled language in her tweets.

     As you can imagine, that led to a lot of reactions to her messages of hate, but there were some Christians on Twitter who responded to her tweets not with hate but with love. These Twitter responses to her tweets eventually led her to leave the Westboro church because she realized that there was a better way of living out the Christian faith than what she had been taught to believe.

     In 2019, she released a Memoir, “Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope.” She also is on the speaking circuit telling about her experience in moving from a Gospel of Hate to a Gospel of Love.

     “But I say unto you…” Challenge accepted!

     These stories of love and forgiveness give me hope especially whenever Jesus sets the bar high in how we respond to others, especially to those who seek to do us harm. 

     But it’s not like Jesus doesn’t show us what he expects of his followers. At the end of the Luke’s Gospel we are told that as Jesus was hanging on the cross he prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus life was one of love and forgiveness.

     Jesus says if you want to be my disciple, do good to those who seek to do you harm. One of my favorite prayers is one that I pray every Monday morning for my daily devotions. It’s a simple prayer, a rhyming prayer. It goes like this:

     “Dear Lord Jesus, help me to do the things I should, to be to other kind and good, and in all I do or say be more loving everyday.”

     And when I think of Jesus challenging words to us, I also think of these lyrics from a song that asks the question, “Are you tough enough to be kind?”

     Are you tough enough to be kind? I think that’s really what Jesus is asking us here in our Gospel reading for today. Are you tough enough to be kind? Are you tough enough to be one of my followers and love your enemies and do good to them? Are you tough enough to not judge others? Are you tough enough to forgive those who have hurt you?

     And may we all say, “challenge accepted.”

Challenge Accepted!

Sermon Discussion Questions

Luke 6:27-38

February 20, 2022

Last Sunday’s appointed Gospel reading included Jesus’ words of blessings upon the crowd. Just after Jesus’ offers these words of blessings, he now offers very challenging words to us about loving our enemies and those who would do us harm. Read Luke 6:27-31.  “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you o the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not which old even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; Do to others as you would have them do to you.” 

What is your initial reaction in hearing these words from Jesus? Why do you think Jesus offers us these challenging words?

In Jesus’ day, the Roman authorities would have been viewed as “the enemy” because of their occupation of Israel. They would have also associated the word, “enemy” with anyone who sought to hurt or harm them.

Think of people who “get under your skin.” It could be people who have sought to harm you or others  physically, emotionally, or spiritually. How do you respond in these situations? What does it mean for you to love those who are seeking to harm you or others? Remember that to do harm can include spreading misinformation as well as other harmful acts.

Pastor Robert shared two examples of people who sought to show love to their enemies. These include the Lancaster, PA Amish community who showed love to the widow and family of the man who killed five young Amish girls back in 2006. Even in the midst of their own grief, they found ways to show love. The other example is a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church which is known for their homophonic and very hate-filled speech toward others. Christians on Twitter responded to her hate-filled rhetoric with words of love and kindness. This led her to leave the church and write a memoir, “Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope.”

Share other examples where you have seen people accept Jesus challenge to love their enemies. 

Here is a prayer that can help us to remember and accept Jesus’ challenge of loving our enemies. It’s a simple prayer that rhymes.

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to do the things I should, to be to other kind and good, and in all I do or say be more loving everyday. Amen.

Online Worship (February 20) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

February 20

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (February 16) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

Some Biblical Humor

To Brighten Your Day!

Sermon (February 13) by Rev. Robert McDowell

     One of the things that I love about the Christian faith is that it has a personalized dimension to it. When Jesus calls people to follow him, he calls them by name. Just before our appointed Gospel reading for today, Luke tells us that Jesus had been on a mountain all night to pray.

     And when daylight comes, we are told that Jesus named his twelve disciples. And what I find interesting about this is that Luke is careful to let us know each of their names. 

     Names are important. Someone once said, “the sweetest sound is hearing someone speak your name.” We are not just someone in the crowd. We each have a name. Just like we have unique finger-prints, we also have unique personalities, backgrounds, experiences, hopes, longings, and dreams.

     God knows us by name. God knows us in a very personal way.

     After Jesus names his twelve disciples, we are told that Jesus gathers with a great multitude of people from the surrounding regions. He then offers them personalized blessings.

     “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when the exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.”

     These personalized blessings provided them with comfort and hope. It’s a wonderful thing to receiving a personal blessing from God.

     In June of 2012, my two sisters and brother were able to be with our mom the week that she passed away. She spent her last weeks in my brother’s home where she received hospice care. We were able to let mom know how much we loved her during those days with her. 

     During those last few days with her, we had a hymn sing. My brother played the hymns on the piano and we sang to her. It was such a holy time to sing to her, to pray with her, and to let her know that we were there by her side.

     She passed away early on that Sunday morning. We were all emotionally drained. Later that morning, I decided to go for a run on a bike path that was nearby. Before I went on my run, I asked God to give me a sign, any sign that would reassure me that I wasn’t alone in my grief. 

     Only ten minutes into my run, I noticed a woman walking toward me on that bike path with her son. Her little boy looked to be a 1^st or 2^nd grader. And as I got closer and closer to them, I could see that this little boy was looking at me the whole time as I was running.

     And just as I got to them, the little boy smiled and said loudly for me to hear, “God bless you!” 

     As I gradually ran past them on the bike path, I looked back at them and said, “God bless you as well!” They smiled back at me.

     And as I continued my run, a smile came to my face because I realized this was God’s answer to my prayer earlier that morning. God was personalizing a blessing just for me through the words of that little boy on the bike path.

     “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”

     This past fall, I opened an email that had this note of blessing from our District Superintendent, Rev. Mark Chow. It was totally out of the blue and it lifted my spirits that day.

     Here is a portion of that email:

     “Dear Robert, thank you for being a faithful and willing servant of the Gospel. I deeply appreciate your efforts in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in your congregation, community and beyond. I am honored this day to lift you in prayer for continued strength, courage, and boldness!” 

     He goes on to share all of the personal ways that our paths have crossed over all the past several years in ministry throughout the West Ohio Conference. And then he concludes with, “May God’s grace and peace surround you.”

     What is incredible about our District Superintendent is that since he started in his new role last summer, he has been spending each Sunday morning worshiping in a different church in our district and we have 160 churches! And every time he visits a church, he always offers an encouraging word and a prayer of blessing to the pastor of that church. I know that these personalized blessings from Mark mean a lot to the pastors and churches of our district. 

     I think of our Korean congregation who gather here for worship in the chapel every Sunday afternoon. They not only lift us in prayer on Sundays but also when they gather here every single morning in this same building at 6 AM. So if you ever wondered why you are feeling blessed on any given day, it might just be because someone from the Korean congregation was already praying for you early in the morning. 

     A couple of months ago, a United Methodist Church from Illinois sent me an email letting us know that they prayed for us earlier that day. I responded with a blessing upon their congregation as well. They didn’t give a reason why they chose to bless our particular church that day, but it was nice they thought of us.

     Every single morning, I go through a little prayer routine where I pray for members of my family and then I pray for our church community. I pray for the various ministries of our church, the special prayer requests in our congregation, and I always pray for our upcoming Sunday worship services, that through worship we would all be drawn closer to God and with one another. 

     And then of course, as part of our Sunday worship together, we always have our closing prayer of blessing where we are reminded that each one of us is a blessed, beautiful, and beloved child of God. That is the last word of our worship service, and that last word is a blessing to each one of us from God.

     When Jesus offered his blessings upon the crowd in our Gospel reading, he was reminding them of God’s special care for them. 

     In keeping with the spirit of Jesus’ blessing upon the crowd in our Gospel reading for today, I wrote up some of my own personalized blessings that I’d like to offer.

     Blessed are those who can’t make it to church on Sundays because they are holding down two jobs just to pay the rent. O God, bless them. 

     Blessed are those who have felt helpless watching their loved ones die of COVID. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are the consumers who did what they could do to support the local businesses these past two years. O God, bless them. 

     Blessed are the ones who refrain from getting into political arguments on Facebook because such efforts are futile. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are Growing Tree preschool children who wave at me whenever I pass them in the hallway. They will never know how much they brighten up my day. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are our AV volunteers especially when online worship was all we could offer for several months during the pandemic. O God, bless them.

     Blessed is that unknown person who was regularly putting money into our outside prayer box to be used in support of the homeless. Whoever you are, thank you! O God, bless them.

     Blessed is our Athens County Health Commissioner who has been guiding us through difficult decisions during these past two years. O God, bless him.

     Blessed are those who live in the Athens bubble but who have not forgotten the 30% of the county who live in poverty. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are students, teachers, school administrators, doctors, nurses, grocery workers, and all essential workers. We will do our best to not take you all for granted going forward. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are those who are struggling with mental health issues. May they receive the care and resources they need. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are college students who are still uncertain about their future career. Take it from me who changed my major several times. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are the closeted who do not feel safe to come out, due to the fear of being judged by others. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are those who are bullied or victims of abuse for this is not the way anybody should be treated. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are the makers of masks, vaccines, and hand sanitizers. Who knows how many lives you’ve saved and continue to save. O God, bless them.

     Blessed are those who even when hearing a below average sermon are still able to find something in it that draws them closer to God. O God, bless them.

     When Jesus spoke to the crowd that day, there were many who were blessed by his words.  Somehow, Jesus knew what personalized blessing they needed. 

     The poor in that crowd were reminded that to them belongs the Kingdom of God.

     The hungry were told that they will be filled.

      And those who were weeping received the blessing that one day their tears would be turned into laughter.

     Not everyone received a blessing from Jesus in our Gospel reading. To those who felt blessed at the expense of others, Jesus offers woes instead.

     Woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolations.

     Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.

     Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

     Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

     John Wesley, the founder of Methodism once said that prosperity is “a sweet poison.” It can be sweet when we share what we have with others and it can be poison when we hoard those blessings that God has given us.

     I wonder if these woes are included here to remind us that we receive the most blessings in this life when we choose to be a blessing to others. No wonder the words of our doxology say, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

     May God’s blessings flow through each one of us so that others may be blessed.

     When we do that, Jesus says, “Blessed are you.”

Personalized Blessings

Sermon Discussion Questions

Luke 6:17-26

February 13, 2022

When Jesus called people to follow him and become his disciples, he called them by name and invited them to be in a personal relationship with him. When Jesus offered blessings upon the people in our Gospel reading, he was offering each of them a personalized blessing. “Blessed are you who are poor, blessed are you who are hungry, blessed are you who weep…” God cares about each one of us in a very personal way!

In what ways can this personalized faith in God make a difference in our lives? Share a time when God blessed you during a time when you were feeling alone, anxious, or in need of support.

Pastor Robert shared several people who have offered personalized blessings upon our church. Some of these include 1) A recent email from our District Superintendent who wanted us to know that he prays for us to experience God’s blessings 2) A United Methodist Church in Illinois who randomly sent us an email to let us know that they prayed for us that morning 3) Our Korean congregation who lift us up in prayer every day here at the church 4) Pastor Robert’s daily prayers for us to experience God’s blessings

What are some personalized prayers of blessing that you offer to God on behalf of others?

Pastor Robert shared several of his own personalized prayers of blessings upon those who often feel excluded, marginalized, and who are anxious and fearful.

During your own quiet time with God, try this spiritual exercise. Using the format of Jesus’ blessings from our Gospel reading in Luke 6:20-22, identify groups of people who you would like to offer a special personalized blessing. 

In addition to personalized blessings, Jesus also offered personalized woes to those who have received blessings but refuse to share those blessings with others. “Woe to you who are rich, woe to you who are full now, woe to you who are laughing now…” Jesus includes these woes to remind us that we are to share our blessings with others, not keep them to ourselves.

In what specific way is God calling you to be a blessing this week to someone who feels excluded, marginalized, and who is anxious and fearful?

Online Worship (February 13) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

February 13

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (February 9) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

My Top 6 Scriptures: Drum Roll, Please…

Sermon (February 6) by Rev. Robert McDowell

     As I’ve been reading and meditating on our Old Testament reading from Isaiah, this thought keeps jumping out at me:

     What would Isaiah’s response have been to this powerful display of God’s glory in the Temple if he would have watched this online instead of in-person? Even though our online worship services and ministries have served as an incredible blessing for many of us during this long pandemic, I think in this particular case, I’m not so sure that Isaiah would have had the same response to this majestic encounter with the divine.

     We are told that the pivots on the thresholds of the Temple shook at the voices who called out and that place of worship was filled with smoke. I know that our TVs have a surround sound option with state of the art audio and that we have several different camera angles to use when recording our worship services, but I don’t think anything other than in-person worship would come even remotely close to what Isaiah was experiencing in that holy moment!

     You’ve heard of the phrase, “you had to be there.” This definitely applies to this scripture reading today. Isaiah probably ended up telling people after trying to describe this experience with others, “You just had to be there.”

     This whole thought about in-person vs. online worship raises the question, “How does God get our attention especially when face to face ministry has been few and far between for the past several months?” We are sensory oriented human beings!

     Taste, touch, see, smell, and hear.

     For those who have been infected with COVID19 and have been fortunate enough to only have minor symptoms vs. anything life-threatening, the complaint we hear the most is losing the sense of taste and smell. Sometimes, this doesn’t return for several months after having been infected.

     As I reflect on this long global pandemic, this whole topic of how important our senses are to us has taken on a new meaning. Our faith is wrapped up in our senses in many ways. We have a tactile and sensory faith! 

     Here in Isaiah, we have all five senses at work! The face to face sight of the Lord sitting on the throne with the heavenly beings flying around the Temple. The smell of smoke filling the room. Listening to the powerful voices of praise and worship. The touch and taste when one of those heavenly beings places a live coal on Isaiah’s lips. Ouch!

     It’s interesting that the hot coal did not injure Isaiah’s tongue because he was able to continue to experience this incredible scene of the Lord’s presence. Again, I just don’t know that any of this would have had the same impact if it was online. There is just something about face to face encounters with God’s holy presence!

     Our other two scripture readings for today also emphasize the tactile dimension of our faith. In our Luke scripture passage, we have Jesus meeting some fisherman by the lake. Jesus offers them a fishing tip which leads to those fishermen catching so many fish that the nets end up being stretched so much that they almost broke!

     I know that we heard this scripture read for us earlier, but based on Peter’s response to all this, he was so moved by it that not only Peter, but two other fishermen, James and John, left everything and followed Jesus.

     This is a great story to imagine the sight of the lake, the smell of the fish, the touch of those fishing nets, and the sound of the gentle waves.

     In our reading from I Corinthians, the Apostle Paul emphasizes how in the days and weeks following the resurrection of Jesus, the Risen Christ physically appeared face to face with Peter, and then he did the same with the other disciples, and later he appeared face to face to more than 500 other followers. 

     And Paul is also careful to note, that even though Jesus had already ascended into heaven, several years later, the Risen Christ also appeared to him when he was on his way to persecute Christians.

     Our scripture readings today are all emphasizing the importance of these face to face encounters with the divine. And it’s because the Christian faith isn’t about following a philosophy. We follow a living God who is holy, relational, and who has been made known to us through Jesus and is present with us today through the Holy Spirit. 

     Every time that we receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we experience our faith through our senses. God is present through the bread and juice that have been consecrated and blessed. I have a friend who when receiving Holy Communion likes to tear a large piece of bread from the loaf because he wants to taste that extra reminder of God’s grace and unconditional love.

     The sacrament of Holy Baptism is another way that we engage our senses whenever we baptize someone in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When I sprinkle the water upon the head of the person being baptized whether it be a baby or whatever age, I like to splash my hand around in the baptism font before lifting up the water. I want all who are present in worship to see and hear the splashing water of baptism. If I do this correctly, my right arm is soaked for the rest of the service!

     When I was ordained as an Elder, one of the most powerful moments in my life was when Bishop Edsel Amons of our West Ohio Conference placed the weight of his hand upon the top of my head and said in his deep and bellowing voice, “Robert Vincent McDowell, take thou authority to preach the Word of God and to administer the holy Sacraments.”

     Whenever I prepare a sermon that I believe to be inspired by the Holy Spirit but might be controversial or make people feel uncomfortable, I will often remember the weight of that bishop’s hand upon me and his reassuring words, “take thou authority.” There are many a sermon I probably wouldn’t have preached if it wasn’t for that tangible reminder from my ordination service over 30 years ago.

     There are so many other ways that we encounter the living God through our senses. It might even be through a stained glass window.

     A person who is in their 20s was asked about their faith in one of the churches I served. And their answer has remained with me because this young person responded by saying, “From my early childhood years, I have always felt God’s presence by just staring at one of our beautiful stained glass windows in the sanctuary.” 

     He was referring to a window which had Jesus holding a lamb. And he went on to say that whenever he feels afraid and is in need of reassurance and renewed hope, he always remembers that stained glass window and the powerful visual of that little lamb in the arms of Jesus.

     These face to face and powerful sensory connections with the living God have an impact on us.

     I notice that Isaiah and the disciple Peter have very similar responses to their face to face encounters with God. Isaiah says, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

     The disciple Peter falls at Jesus’ feet and says, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

     These face to face encounters with the living God lead to a deeper awareness of our brokenness and sinfulness and they also serve as a reminder of the larger context of who God is and who we are.

     But also notice another way that they both respond to their face to face encounters. After Isaiah confesses his unworthiness, the Lord calls upon him to be sent out to share a message with the people. And Isaiah says, “Here am I; send me!”

     And after the disciple, Peter confesses his unworthiness, Jesus tells him and the other fishermen, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be fishers of men.” When those fishermen brought their boats to the shore, we are told that they left everything and followed Jesus.

     When we come face to face with the living presence of God, it will always lead to some kind of response on our part. Whatever that response may be, it will most certainly include a willingness to step out in faith and go to whomever God is calling us to serve.

     For Isaiah, it would be offering a prophetic and challenging word to the people of Israel. For the disciple Peter and those other fishermen, it would be inviting people to join them in following Jesus, the long awaited Savior of the world. 

     This Wednesday will mark the 64^th anniversary of the first worship service in this church building. Our previous building was completely destroyed from a fire almost three years earlier in 1955. In 1958 when the new building was completed, the new sanctuary could seat 850 people. 

     On that first Sunday of worship, not only was this sanctuary packed with 850 people, they also had overflowing seating below us in Fellowship Hall. There were so many people in worship that day, that they needed 40 ushers! 40 ushers!

     I’m just trying to imagine how loud it was in here when the standing room only crowd sang the opening hymn that Sunday morning! Even without heavenly seraphs flying around the sanctuary as Isaiah experienced in our Old Testament reading, I’m sure it was an unforgettable worship service for the people who were here that day.

     And now, 64 years later, we are worshipping in the very same sanctuary, now remodeled, with not as many pews, some new carpet, and at the tail end of a long global pandemic.

     We might not need overflow seating today or 40 ushers to take up the offering, but what hasn’t changed in these 64 years is that we continue to taste, touch, see, smell, and hear the presence of the living God in this place through the scripture readings, the prayers, the preaching, the hymns, the anthems, the liturgy, and the Sacraments.

     And this same living God continues to invite us during each and every worship service to respond by saying, “Here am I; send me!”

Face to Face

Sermon Discussion Questions

Isaiah 6:1-8; I Corinthians 15:1-11; & Luke 5:1-11

February 6, 2022

For the first several months of the pandemic, our church did not have in-person worship, only online worship as an option.

What do you see as the pros and cons of online/live-stream worship?

Our scripture readings all remind us that we have a very sensory oriented faith. In our Old Testament scripture reading, Isaiah attends a worship service in which all five senses are engaged! 

Read over Isaiah’s experience (Isaiah 6:1-8) as he worshipped in the Temple and name the ways that he was able to taste, touch, see, smell, and hear God’s presence.

Our New Testament and Gospel readings also offer a very sensory description of how people encounter the living God. In In our I Corinthians reading, the Apostle Paul writes how the Risen Christ appeared physically to over 500 people! In Luke, we have the story of Jesus helping some fishermen to catch more fish than they could fit in their nets.

In what ways do we encounter the living God (the Risen Christ) through our senses when we worship together?

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion are specific ways that we encounter the Risen Christ through our senses. The water that splashes in the bowl and is then sprinkled upon the person being baptized and the taste of the bread and juice during communion are ways that we experience God’s presence. 

Why do you think it is important to feel the water and taste the elements of communion and how can this help us to experience the presence of the living God.

Both the prophet Isaiah from our Old Testament reading and the disciple Peter from our Gospel reading offer similar responses as a result of their face to face sensory encounters with the living God. Isaiah responds by saying, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips.” Peter responds by saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

Why do you think they responded in this way? Share a time when you felt humbled by being in the presence of God.