Holy Hump Day (August 31) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

Previewing a New 

Fall Sermon Series!

Sermon (August 28) by Rev. Robert McDowell

 

     For this month of August, we are focusing on our appointed Old Testament readings from two of the major prophets, the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Jeremiah. They are known as “major prophets,” not because they are more important than the other prophets that we find in the Old Testament but because of the length of the books about them.

     For the first two weeks of August, our focus has been on the Prophet Isaiah who provided two messages from heaven for us, “Do Good,” and “You Can Get Through This.”

     Last Sunday, we were introduced to the Prophet Jeremiah, who like Isaiah lived during a very challenging time for the people of Israel. When God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet, the northern Kingdom of Israel had already been taken over by the Assyrian Empire. And now, the Babylonian Empire is threatening to take over the southern kingdom of Judah.

     When God called young Jeremiah to become a prophet, his response was “Ah, Lord God” which was basically another way of saying, “You can’t be serious, God!” But God promised young Jeremiah that he would be with him and give him the messages from heaven to share with God’s people. The message from heaven last week was God telling Jeremiah, “You can do this!”

     Today’s scripture reading which comes just a chapter after God called Jeremiah to become a prophet helps us to understand why Jeremiah was so reluctant to say, “yes.”

     And if he thought that God would redshirt him his freshman year as a prophet, that ends quickly when God tells Jeremiah here in chapter 2, “here’s the first message I want you to deliver to my people. The message I want you to deliver is for them to remember who brought them here.”

     God doesn’t waste any time because there isn’t any time to waste. In fact, chapter 2 is just the beginning of several messages of judgment that God will be giving Jeremiah to share with the people. This will go on through chapter 6! Nothing like jumping in with both feet! 

     As you might imagine, these messages of judgment are not going to go over well. And since our month long series on Isaiah and Jeremiah is ending today, here is some of what happened to Jeremiah for sharing these messages of judgment like the one we have from today. 

     During his time as a prophet which lasted for a span of almost 60 years from 627 BCE to 570 BCE, Jeremiah was arrested, placed in a prison, and lowered into an abandoned cistern left to die. 

     This is what you get for telling the people to repent of their shallow and superficial worship and for their lack of social injustice in not taking care of the poor and those in need. People do not usually like it when they get called out for their sins.

 

     But these messages from heaven weren’t just to call them out for their sins but to invite them to renew their covenant with God by remembering who God is and who God was calling them to be. 

     And this leads us to today’s message from heaven, the first of several judgments that are designed to help the people of God get back on the right track. And that message is for the people of God to remember who had rescued them from slavery in Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. Jeremiah was inviting the people to remember that it was God who formed them to be God’s chosen people. 

     In today’s scripture reading, Jeremiah is reminding them that it was the Lord who had brought them from the land of Egypt, and out of slavery, and into this plentiful land. But over the years, they had forgotten along the way. Their forgetfulness of who God is and what God had done for them is why their worship had become shallow and empty and it’s why they are no longer caring for those who are oppressed and vulnerable. And when that happens to one generation, it can easily spill into the next generation and the next.

     Keep in mind that Jeremiah is delivering this message of judgement to a people who are living several centuries after God had rescued the people from slavery in Egypt. Not to make any excuses for their empty worship and lack of social justice, but have you ever noticed how easy it can be for us to forget all that God has done for us as time goes by?

     This is why when we read several of the Psalms, many of them are simply reciting all that God has done for the people of Israel. They will tell the story of how God saved the people from Egypt and led them into the Promised Land so that they would become God’s people and be a blessing to the world. Today’s message from heaven to remember who brought you here is doing something very similar. It’s to remind us of all that God has done for us.

     This past Spring, I was on a zoom meeting with other clergy and during one of the break-out sessions, someone mentioned a resource that educators and schools use that is known as 40 Developmental Assets. It lists 40 building blocks for healthy development that help young people grow up to be healthy, caring, and responsible people.

     Half of these developmental assets are external and the other half are internal and these include support from others, empowerment, boundaries, and constructive use of time. Let me read off the 40 developmental assets. Here they are:

     Family support, positive family communication, other adult relationships, caring neighborhood, caring school climate, parent involvement in schooling, community values youth, opportunities for youth to have roles in the community, service to others, safety, family boundaries, school boundaries, neighborhood boundaries, adult role models, positive peer influence, high expectations, creative activities, youth programs, religious community, time at home, achievement motivation, school engagement, homework, bonding to school, reading for pleasure, caring, equality and social justice (sounds like Jeremiah’s message for today!), integrity, honesty, responsibility, restraint, planning and decision making, interpersonal competence, cultural competence, resistance skills, peaceful conflict resolution, personal power, self-esteem, sense of purpose, and positive view of personal future.

     These are the 40 developmental assets that researches have identified as key building blocks to help young people be successful. 

     The more assets that someone has, the less likely they are to engage in a wide range of high-risk behaviors. They are also more likely to engage in positive and thriving behaviors like succeeding in school, helping others, maintaining good health and overcoming adversity. Having these assets in place does not mean that everyone will have a healthier and more positive outlook on life, but it does increase the chances of a better life for that young person.

     I share all of this with you because we often forget the building blocks that we need to be the people who God has called us to be. This is Jeremiah’s message from heaven for us today. He is calling on us to remember who we are, what God has done for us, and who we are called to be. 

     After this person shared a summary of these 40 developmental assets with us during that zoom break-out session, he then said something that has stuck with me these past several months. He said, “As I looked over these 40 assets, I realized that the church can be that place where we provide over half of these basic building blocks for our children and youth.” 

     I think he’s right as I have been reflecting on some of our church’s ministries:

     Sunday worship, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, confirmation classes, Food/Fun/&Fellowship events, our Chancel Choir, our Bell Choir, opportunities to serve in the community like our monthly Athens First Saturdays, our Growing Tree Pre-School, summer mission trips, Thirst Testimonial & Potluck Events, our scouting program, Kappa Phi, small groups. 

     These are all ways for not only our children and youth but for all of us of any age to be the church together and grow in what it means to have a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith. We are helping one another to remember who brought us here and what God has done for us.

 

     Jeremiah’s message from heaven for us today is timely in this new school year. I have always felt that here in Athens, the end of August is really our New Year as we begin a new rhythm of the school year together. On January 1st, we might make some New Year’s resolutions, but really it’s around this time of year where it feels like a new beginning whether we are in school or not.

     This is a great time of year to make some New Year resolutions that will help us to remember who brought us here in what it means to grow in our faith.

     Let’s make some Loving Faith ministry resolutions as we grow in our love for God and one another through Sunday worship, through small groups, and through other ministries that help us to have a Loving Faith.

     Let’s make some Learning Faith ministry resolutions as we grow in our understanding of our faith and who God is through Sunday School and bible studies.

     And let’s make some Living Faith ministry resolutions as we grow in living out our faith and serving others through our monthly Athens First Saturday Blessing of the Community, through our weekly Monday Lunch, and through several other serving opportunities in which we are invited to be a blessing to others.

     A couple of months ago, Penny and I hosted the McDowell family reunion. It was the first time we were together as a family since the pandemic started. We came from all over the country to be together as a family.

     We did all the family reunion type of activities like playing yard games, grilling out, going swimming, and catching up with each other. But we also spent a lot of time sharing stories of parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts, as well as other family members who were an important part of our lives.

     If you would conduct a study to see how many of those 40 developmental assets were part of our lives growing up, it would be close to all of them. We were all so blessed to grow up in such a loving and caring family. That’s what makes our family reunions so much fun! It gives us an opportunity to remember who brought us here and who we are.

     In a way, every Sunday morning is a family reunion for us as the church. We gather from all over each week to remember what God has done for us and who we are as God’s people. And yes, our gatherings often include food, sharing, games, and fellowship.

     This is why we need the prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Their messages from heaven are to remind us that we have everything we need because we are part of God’s family. 

     So remember the messages from heaven that Isaiah and Jeremiah have given us during this month of August:

     To do good because God is loving and good. To remember that with God’s help we can get through any challenge we may be facing. To remember that we can do anything with God by our side. And to remember what God has done for us and that it is God who has brought us here to be his family together.

Messages from Heaven: Remember Who Brought You Here

Sermon Discussion Questions

Jeremiah 2:4-13

August 28, 2022

We are in the final part of a 4-week sermon series on the theme, “Messages from Heaven.” This series is based on our appointed Old Testament readings from Isaiah and Jeremiah. The primary purpose of prophets in the Old Testament was to relay messages from God to the people of Israel. To understanding the prophets in the Old Testament (there are 16 of them!), it’s important to know when God called them to serve as prophets. Isaiah and Jeremiah lived when Israel was a divided nation (the northern kingdom of Israel & the southern kingdom of Judah.) Both of these kingdoms would end up in exile (Israel in 722 BCE and Judah in 586 BCE.) Because of this very volatile time in Israel’s history, God called upon Isaiah and Jeremiah to speak timely messages from God to the people to help them remain faithful and not lose hope. For this final week of our series, the message from heaven is from Jeremiah which was for the people of God to remember who brought them here.

Share how God has helped you to be where you are today in your faith journey.

Pastor Robert shared the 40 developmental assets that help young people to grow up to live productive and healthy lives. The more of these that are present in your life, the more likely you will be able to succeed and lead a productive and happy life. These include: family support, positive family communication, other adult relationships, caring neighborhood, caring school climate, parent involvement in schooling, community values youth, opportunities for youth to have roles in the community, service to others, safety, family boundaries, school boundaries, neighborhood boundaries, adult role models, positive peer influence, high expectations, creative activities, youth programs, religious community, time at home, achievement motivation, school engagement, homework, bonding to school, reading for pleasure, caring, equality and social justice (sounds like Jeremiah’s message for today!), integrity, honesty, responsibility, restraint, planning and decision making, interpersonal competence, cultural competence, resistance skills, peaceful conflict resolution, personal power, self-esteem, sense of purpose, and positive view of personal future.

As you reflect on this list, which of these have helped you the most in your own life?

Jeremiah’s message from heaven for the people of God was to remember that it was God who brought them out of slavery and into the Promised Land. It’s important for us to not only reflect how God has blessed us with developmental assets and opportunities which have led us to where we are today, but to also continue to grow and mature in being the people God has called us to be. We seek to do this by growing in having a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith. 

As we begin a new school year, what are some specific ways that God may be calling us to grow in our faith through:

Loving Faith Ministries (Loving God & Others) 

Learning Faith Ministries (Learning about God & Our Faith) 

Living Faith Ministries (Living Out Our Faith by Serving Others) 

Offer this prayer from Sunday’s worship service as you seek to remember that it is God who brought you here and that God will continue to help you grow in your faith:

O God, thank you for the prophets who offer us messages from heaven. Thank you for today’s message from Jeremiah who reminds us of who brought us here. We are here because of your grace! We are here because of your love! We are here because of your goodness! Without your steady guidance, saving grace, and patient love, we would not be here in worship together. Forgive us for when we forget to thank you for your presence throughout our lives. To you be given all honor, glory, and praise. With grateful hearts, we pray. Amen.

Online Worship (August 28) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

August 28

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (August 24) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

Looking Ahead to the

Fall Pastor’s Zoom

Bible Study!!!

Sermon (August 21) by Rev. Robert McDowell

 

     For this month of August, we are focusing on our appointed Old Testament readings from two of the major prophets, the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Jeremiah. They are known as “major prophets,” not because they are more important than the other prophets that we find in the Old Testament but because of the length of the books.

     For the first two weeks of August, our focus has been on the Prophet Isaiah who provided two messages from heaven for us, “Do Good,” and “You Can Get Through This.”

     This week, we are introduced to the Prophet Jeremiah, who like Isaiah lived during a very challenging time for the people of Israel. When God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet, the northern Kingdom of Israel had already been taken over by the Assyrian Empire. And now, the Babylonian Empire is threatening to take over the southern kingdom of Judah.

     Today’s message from heaven is “You Can Do This!” It’s a message that is connected with when God calls young Jeremiah to be a prophet.

     Based on Jeremiah’s reaction to God in this story in which he basically says, “Ah, Lord God, but I’m only a freshman and I’ve just arrived here on campus,” we can assume that Jeremiah is fully aware of the uncertain future that awaits him. Why wouldn’t God pick someone else with more experience for such a time as this?

     Even though we all know how this back and forth between God and Jeremiah is going to go… this story just never gets old.

     “Yeah, yeah, I know, you’re a freshman and you haven’t even been to the Involvement Fair yet, but I’d like you to sign up for something that will be the adventure of a lifetime. You’re just the person I have in mind to shine some light in this darkened world.”

     “You can do this, Jeremiah. Don’t be afraid for I will be with you to deliver you.” 

     “Wait, what do you mean, ‘deliver me?’ That doesn’t sound very promising!”

     Just imagine what was going through Jeremiah’s mind as he was thinking about all of this.  Fear, uncertainty, questions, lots of questions. Lots of questions.

     Even though Jeremiah is young, he knows that he is living during a very troubling, turbulent, and uncertain time during Israel’s history. Israel is a divided nation. There are times when they are faithful to God but there are also times when they fail to be God’s people. And this leads to very devastating consequences where they become vulnerable to the surrounding empires. 

     Jeremiah knows that this calling from God will not be easy. He will need to have a a solid grasp of the geo-political realities that face him. He will need to quickly develop thick skin especially when there will be times he will need to share words from God that the people will not want to hear. This will be a difficult road for him to navigate. 

      I’ve shared with you before how as a college student I attended a spiritual retreat where it was this same scripture reading from Jeremiah that I realized God calling was calling me into the pastoral ministry. Up to that point, everybody knew that God was calling me into the ministry: my parents, my brother, my friends in college, my home church.

      Everybody except me knew that God was calling me into the ministry. And the reason that I was the last one to know was because I didn’t feel equipped to become a pastor. I felt there were other people God could have chosen instead of me. Why me?

     This Jeremiah reading was turning that question upside down, “Why not, you?”

     Why not you?  God was telling Jeremiah, “If you are feeling inadequate to take this on, just remember that I will be with you every step of the way. And if you’re wondering what messages from heaven you are to speak to the people, I’ll give you the words to speak. I will put my words in your mouth.”

     That’s what did it for me. When I read that, I realized that God was calling me to go into the ministry. 

     A smile always comes to my face when I see this appointed scripture passage coming up on the church calendar because this is the scripture that unlocked my fears and uncertainties about responding to God’s calling in my life. I am Jeremiah in this scripture reading.

     “But God, I’m only….” “But God, what about…” “But God, what am I going to say…”

     “Jeremiah, Robert, whatever your name may be, Do not be afraid for I am with you to deliver you. I have put my words in your mouth.”

     John Ruiz is a United Methodist Pastor and a hospital chaplain. He shares the story of when he served three small churches along the Ohio River. While he was there, he enjoyed spending time by the river and he would bring his black lab with him. 

     One day, as he was sitting on a rock and looking at the beautiful river, he watched a huge barge approaching. And as he watched it, a light bulb went off in his head. He noticed that something was pushing the barge, not pulling it.

     He grew up hearing stories of tugboats, but this was different. That large barge was being pushed, not pulled.

     He mentioned this observation with the people in his church who had grown up by the river. They explained to him why you must push the barge and not tug the barge to navigate the river. 

     If you are tugging, then the pilot is frequently looking backwards, and you could easily get stuck in the mud if you are looking backwards while navigating the Ohio River. Pushing the barge means the pilot has their vision forward. This is what helps them to navigate the twists and turns that are necessary during the journey on the river. 

      When God tells Jeremiah to not be afraid, that he will be with him, and will give him the words to speak, he is a lot like that tugboat that pushes us forward so that we can focus on what is ahead. 

     This image of a tugboat reminds me so much of how God’s grace is often described. God’s grace is what propels us forward and leads us in the direction that God is calling us to go.

 

    William Wilberforce was a devout Christian and member of the British Parliament from 1780 to 1825.  He is best known for abolishing the slave trade and slavery itself in all the British territories.  

     He can trace his calling to May 12, 1787.  Sitting under a large oak tree, a friend challenged him by saying, “Wilberforce, why don’t you give notice of a motion on the subject of the Slave Trade?  You have already taken great pains to collect evidence, and are therefore fully entitled to the credit which doing so will ensure you.  Do not lose time, or the ground will be occupied by another.”  

     Wilberforce’s response is not recorded, but he later declared in old age that he could distinctly remember the very knoll on which he was sitting near Pitt where he made his decision.

     It took William Wilberforce 18 years to get his motion to abolish the slave trade passed. 18 years. And then just four days before his death, Parliament finally passed a motion to end all slavery in the British territories.  A year after William Wilberforce died, almost one million slaves were set free from the evil force of slavery.

     One of the reasons why Wilberforce didn’t give up during those long 18 years was because of a letter of encouragement that he received from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.  Wesley wrote that letter of encouragement just before Wesley died.

     Here is what Wesley wrote to him: “Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God?  O be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of His might, till even American slavery, the vilest that ever saw the sun shall vanish away before it.”

     When God called Jeremiah to be his prophet, he assured him, “Do not be afraid for I am with you to deliver you.” When God calls upon us to make this world a better place, God also provides tug boats that push us forward so that we can see the way ahead as we live out God’s calling in our lives. Sometimes these tugboats take the form of letters of encouragement, prayers of support, and a church family that is here to surround you with God’s love and guidance.

     I know that commencement addresses are usually only given at the end of a semester and not at the beginning of one. But today, I’d like to close with these words from the commencement address that Professor Mike Sweeney offered at the 2019 May commencement ceremony here at Ohio University.

     Mike was a beloved professor and was a faithful member of this church, serving as our Leadership Board chairperson during our recent building renovations. Mike died this past January from cancer but even right up to when he passed, he continued to encourage and cheer me on during our visits together. Mike was one of my tugboats here at Athens First. His encouragement and support were invaluable to me especially during those early years.

     The line that often gets repeated from Mike’s 2019 graduate commencement address is his quote from Bob Dylan, “You’ve gotta serve somebody.” 

     And the “take-away line” from that quote was when Mike told the graduates, “Find a way to make your life count for others and it will count for you.”

     Today’s message from heaven from Jeremiah is to not be afraid, God will be with you and will give you the words to speak to make this world a better place. Find a way to make your life count for others and it will count for you.

     In short. The message from heaven for each one of us today especially as we begin this new school year is…

     You can do it!

Messages from Heaven: You Can Do It!

Sermon Discussion Questions

Jeremiah 1:4-10 

August 21, 2022

We are in the 3rd of a 4-week sermon series on the theme, “Messages from Heaven.” This series is based on our appointed Old Testament readings from Isaiah and Jeremiah. The primary purpose of prophets in the Old Testament was to relay messages from God to the people of Israel. To understanding the prophets in the Old Testament (there are 16 of them!), it’s important to know when God called them to serve as prophets. Isaiah and Jeremiah lived when Israel was a divided nation (the northern kingdom of Israel & the southern kingdom of Judah.) Both of these kingdoms would end up in exile (Israel in 722 BCE and Judah in 586 BCE.) Because of this very volatile time in Israel’s history, God called upon Isaiah and Jeremiah to speak timely messages from God to the people to help them remain faithful and not lose hope. For the 3rd week of our series, the message from heaven was meant for Jeremiah himself. “You can do it!”

As you continue to reflect on last Sunday’s message from heaven which was “You’ll get through this,” share a time from this past week where you felt God helping you through a challenging situation. 

This week, our focus is on Jeremiah who was living during a time when the Babylonian Empire was threatening to take over Judah, the southern kingdom. When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, his response was, “Ah, Lord God!” In other words, “Can’t you find someone else?”

When have you felt ill-equipped to take on a new task that God had in mind for you? How was your response similar or different from Jeremiah’s response?

John Ruiz is a pastor who served 3 small churches along the Ohio river. During his times by the river, he learned that the barges were being pushed and not pulled by tugboats. The reason for this which he later discovered from members of his churches was that this is what helps the pilot to look forward and not backward making it easier to navigate the river. This illustration is to remind us that when God calls us to a certain task, God encourages us to keep our eyes looking forward.

Share some people who have been like tugboats for you keeping you moving forward to help you reach your goals.

Pastor Robert shared the example of William Wilberforce, an 18th/19th century member of British Parliament who felt called by God to overturn laws to help end the slave trade. It took him 18 years to get his motion to abolish the slave trade abolished. A year after Wilberforce died, one million slaves were set free. One of John Wesley’s last letters was to encourage William Wilberforce to not give up the fight to end the slave trade. 

Who is God calling you to encourage to not give up and to keep moving forward in making a positive difference in our community and world?

In his 2019 Ohio University commencement address to the graduates, Dr. Mike Sweeney, a member of our church told the graduates, “Find a way to make your life count for others and it will count for you.” When God calls us to a certain task like God did for Jeremiah, it’s important for us to remember that we can do it with God’s help. Offer this prayer that was part of our Sunday worship service:

O God, thank you for the prophets who offer us messages from heaven. You have called our names to follow you, but too often, our fears and worries drown out your voice. We forget that you are a God who is more than able to give us what we need to accomplish your purposes. Why would we ever doubt your ability to strengthen, guide, and equip us for what you have called us to do? In you, we renew our hope and trust. Open our ears to hear your message from heaven for us today. Amen.

Online Worship (August 21) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

August 21

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (August 17) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

Welcome Back, Bobcats 

& Water Bottle Give-Away

Sermon (August 14) by Rev. Robert McDowell

     For this month of August, we are focusing on our appointed Old Testament readings from two of the major prophets, the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Jeremiah. I say “major prophets,” not because they are more important than the other prophets that we find in the Old Testament but because of the length of the books about them.

     This week, our focus is back on the Prophet Isaiah. Last Sunday, I offered some historical context about Isaiah to help us understand why God had called him to be a prophet.  

     Isaiah lived during a time when Israel was a divided nation, which consisted of Israel in the north and Judah in the southern region of Israel. During Isaiah’s time, the Assyrian empire took over the northern kingdom in 722 BCE.

     Over 100 years later in 586 BCE, the Babylonian Empire would take over Judah in the southern region and send the people into exile for the next several decades. It’s because of this very turbulent time in Israel’s history that God called upon people like Isaiah and Jeremiah to serve as prophets and give them messages to help God’s people face these difficult times.

     Last Sunday, the message from heaven that Isaiah delivered to the people was to do good by helping others, especially those who were the most vulnerable. Isaiah was calling out God’s people who were faithfully worshipping God but they were not matching their words with their actions. Isaiah specifically told them that they needed to learn to do good.

     One of the things that we emphasize here at Athens First United Methodist Church is to not only love God through worship, but to also live out our faith through service. It’s not meant to be either/or but both/and. This is why our discipleship strategy is for each person to have a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith. 

     If we have a loving faith where we are faithful in worshipping every Sunday, but then fall short in living out our faith during the week by doing good and blessing others, then we are not really being the people God has called us to be. All three of those parts of our faith are equally important; having a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith.

     Today’s message from heaven from the Prophet Isaiah is that it might take a while but we’ll get through whatever challenge we may be facing. And sometimes those challenges can feel overwhelming. 

     As I was preparing for the sermon, one of the articles that I read about this scripture reading from Isaiah, chapter five said, and I quote, “This scripture is a chilling text to preach.” And it’s because it is offering a message we might not want to hear at first. This message from heaven is why prophets were known to not have many friends. They didn’t only say it like it was, they used very descriptive images to drive their point home.

     In this scripture, Isaiah is using the metaphor of a vineyard for the people of Israel. What a wonderful metaphor, right? Listen to how chapter five begins, “Let me sing for my beloved and love-song concerning his vineyard.”

     Now, in my mind, I can picture a vineyard with all of these beautiful grape vines. The grapes are ripe and they are ready to be harvested. This is the image in verse 1. We’re also told in verse 1 that this vineyard is located on a very fertile hill and that the person who is overseeing this vineyard has done all of the hard work to help it be a fruit bearing vineyard.

     Isaiah wants the people of God to see themselves as this wonderful vineyard that has been planted and carefully maintained to bear much fruit. But listen to the end of verse 2 where the caretaker of the vineyard was expecting there to be a large yield of grapes but instead it only had wild grapes that could not be used in the harvesting. 

     And the next verses of our scripture reading become really chilling when Isaiah says how the caretaker of that vineyard who after all of that hard work decides to shut down the entire vineyard and not even try to maintain it anymore. This vineyard owner did everything possible for that vineyard to be successful, and was now just going to shut down the entire operation. 

     Here is what the vineyard caretaker ends up deciding to do according to Isaiah: “I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.”    

     And then we have the last verse of our Isaiah reading where Isaiah spells all of this out for us. He concludes by saying, “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness but heard a cry!”

     Notice that Isaiah mentions that the vineyard is referring to both the house of Israel and the people of Judah who as we heard earlier would eventually be sent into exile by both the Assyrians in 722 BCE and the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

     This is a tough message from heaven that Isaiah is delivering because he is saying that because of the ongoing failure of God’s people to be who God had called them to be, that there would be no choice but to cut them off from the land that God had given them. 

     Can you see why not many preachers would choose to preach on today’s appointed reading from Isaiah especially with the way it ends?  Is God really saying to God’s people, “Hey, I’ve done everything I can to help you, and because you still refuse to bear good fruit, I’m just going to stop trying and let you go into exile. You’re going to lose your homes and you’ll be sent away.”

     So spoiler alert. Isaiah will have other messages from heaven to help Israel and Judah when they are in exile and then when they return from exile. But that’s for another time. Today is about the harsh reality that we sometimes face in life.

     In one of my previous churches, we discovered that the church treasurer had embezzled a significant amount of money over a ten year period. I had only been at the church for a few months before this came to light. 

     Once we discovered this, we had to notify the police, get a full audit of the finances of the church, report it to the insurance company, and then go through the legal process.  It was one of the most painful experiences in all of my years of pastoral ministry. 

     After the embezzlement had been made public, I got a call from Penny while I was still at the church. She said that my picture had just been on the Columbus 5 o’clock news along with a picture of our church in the background. It was one of the top stories in Central Ohio that day. 

     Later that week, I remember shopping in Target. And as I was standing at the end of one of the aisles in the store, I could overhear a couple of people on the other side of the aisle talking about my church. They weren’t from my congregation because I could hear them asking how any church could allow something like that to happen. My heart sank as I overheard their conversation.

     Due to the nature of the embezzlement, we also had to let go of several staff members which led to an even greater amount of stress on our church. It was a very discouraging time in those first six months as pastor of that congregation. This church which had been a very strong and active church was now limping along because of this challenging time.

     I called another pastor in our conference who had something similar happen at his church while he was pastor. I asked him for his advice in what I should be doing to help keep the church together during that difficult time.

     And he said, “I know that you’ll do your best through this, but brace yourself because you’re probably going to lose half of your average worship attendance over this.” I remember thinking to myself at the time that we probably wouldn’t lose as many people as he said we would lose based on what happened at his church. But he ended up being pretty close. The last words that he shared with me over that phone conversation were, “I know I’m not telling what you want to hear, but trust me. You’ll get through this. You’ll get through this.” He was giving me a message that helped me to brace for the difficulties that awaited me. 

     It felt a lot like the message from heaven that Isaiah was sharing with the people of Israel. You are meant to be a very fruitful and growing vineyard, but this is going to be a long season before you will be able to produce ripe grapes again and not wild ones. We had to go through a period of briers and thorns. 

     Even though I didn’t want to hear the hard reality of what our church would be facing, it did help me to know that it would take a lot of time, a lot of church informational meetings, a lot of prayer, a lot of encouragement, and a lot of healing before we would be able to regain our strength as a church. 

     Another pastor friend of mine said these wise words to me which also reminds me of our Isaiah scripture reading this morning. He said, “You know, Robert. Sometimes our churches need to be pruned back in order for growth to take place. Think of this as a season of pruning.” 

     Well, to make a long story short, that season of pruning finally ended after a long period of time, like about three years. We became a stronger church through that crisis. Over that time, our worship attendance increased to where it was prior to that crisis. Our financial giving returned to former levels. And we found new ways of serving our community. It’s hard to keep a good church down. We got our vineyard back. 

     Sometimes the message from heaven is that you’ll get through this even though things may look pretty bleak right now. Maybe you or someone you know is facing a very difficult time right now where no relief appears to be in sight. You’re stuck in a moment and you can’t get out of it.

     I was talking to someone a couple of months ago about a job they lost because the company went under. She said that at the time, it seemed like the end of the world. But then with a big smile on her face, she told me how she is now at a job that she likes even more so it all worked out for the best.

     When you’re all tangled up in briars and thorns, it can be really difficult to see a brighter future ahead, just like the Israelites who were facing exile and a very bleak time in their history. But if grapes could grow there before, than there’s a good chance that they can grow again.

     Isaiah’s message from heaven for us today is that no matter what challenge or crisis we may be facing, we can get through this especially with the encouragement, prayers and support of each other. 

     This season of pruning might feel like it will never end. But remember, you’ll get through this. You’ll get through this. The vineyard will once again yield a harvest of grapes.

Messages from Heaven: You’ll Get Through This!

Sermon Discussion Questions

Isaiah 5:1-7

August 14, 2022

We are in the 2nd of a 4-week sermon series on the theme, “Messages from Heaven.” This series is based on our appointed Old Testament readings from Isaiah and Jeremiah. The primary purpose of prophets in the Old Testament was to relay messages from God to the people of Israel. To understanding the prophets in the Old Testament (there are 16 of them!), it’s important to know when God called them to serve as prophets. Isaiah and Jeremiah lived when Israel was a divided nation (the northern kingdom of Israel & the southern kingdom of Judah.) Both of these kingdoms would end up in exile (Israel in 722 BCE and Judah in 586 BCE.) Because of this very volatile time in Israel’s history, God called upon Isaiah and Jeremiah to speak timely messages from God to the people to help them remain faithful and not lose hope. For the 2nd week of our series, Isaiah’s message from heaven to the people of Israel was, “You’ll get through this!”

Share something good that you recently did for someone. Share something good that someone did for you recently. 

This week’s message from heaven is also from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah compares Israel to a beautiful vineyard that was once very fruitful, but because they had forgotten the Lord, they were now being threatened by the Assyrian Empire who were seeking to take over their land. They had lost their fruitfulness and using the vineyard metaphor, their land was now overrun with thorns and briars. It was in this challenging time of Israel’s history, that God gave Isaiah this message from heaven to share with the people: “Even though you are facing a very challenging time, you’ll get through this!”

Share a time when you were facing a difficult time in your life and your received encouragement that you would get through this.

Pastor Robert shared a time in his life when a pastor friend reminded him that he would get through a difficult time that was facing a church he was serving. Someone had embezzled money from the church and it led to a lot of people leaving the church because of it. This pastor friend reminded him that he would get through this. It took three years, but eventually that church was able to bounce back from that very difficult time. Another pastor friend reminded him that sometimes the church needs pruning in order for it to become even more fruitful.  

Share a time when you experienced a pruning situation in your life that helped you to become a stronger person. 

Isaiah’s message to Israel in our Isaiah, chapter 5 reading is a difficult one because Isaiah is sharing the hard truth of what they are facing. The image of a fruitless vineyard wasn’t just to show them that their situation was dire. It was also to help them see that with some pruning, they will be able to be God’s fruitful people again.

Share a time when like Isaiah, you encouraged someone who was facing a difficult situation. Why do you think it’s important that we remind each other that no matter what challenge or adversity we may be facing, with God’s help, we can get through this and become even more fruitful?

Pray this prayer from this past Sunday’s worship service:

O God, thank you for the prophets who offer us messages from heaven. Today, you are reminding us that you have created us in your image. You have planted us to flourish and grow. We confess that instead of turning to you for our true identity, we allow other people to determine who we are and who we should be. Prune us and remove the thorns and briars that keep us from flourishing and bearing fruit in your name. We want to be the people you have created us to be! Amen and Amen!

Online Worship (August 14) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

August 14

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (August 10) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

What Is So Wonderful about Wonder?

Featuring a Special Guest 

Sermon (August 7) by Rev. Robert McDowell

  

    Today, we begin a new four week series on the theme, “Messages from Heaven.” 

     For this series, we will be focusing on our appointed Old Testament readings from Isaiah and Jeremiah who God called to be prophets. In the Old Testament, prophets were people whose main task was to relay God’s messages to the people of Israel.

     Contrary to popular belief, prophets were not so much about prophesying future events. They were more about relaying messages from God about how we are to live in the here and now. 

     And so, over these next four weeks, we’re going to be looking at four different messages from heaven that God gave to these prophets to share with the people. These messages include, “Do Good,” “You’ll Get Through This,” “You Can Do It,” and for the last Sunday of this series, the message is “Remember Who Brought You Here.”

     First of all, I want to share a little bit about who the Prophet Isaiah was. God called Isaiah to be a prophet around the year 742 BCE. That’s approximately 700 years before the time of Christ. God wanted Isaiah to deliver messages to the people of Israel and specifically to the people of Judah.

     Let me stop here for a moment because in order to understand the Old Testament and the Bible in general, it’s vitally important that we are aware of the historical events of the time period in which Isaiah and Jeremiah lived.

     Let’s look at this brief Old Testament timeline and see where Isaiah and Jeremiah fit into that historical context and why God would have called them to be prophets during that time.

    So, approximately 300 hundred years before Isaiah and Jeremiah lived, Israel was a unified nation. You may remember that the first kings of Israel were Saul, then it was David, and then one of David’s sons, Solomon. Some would refer to this unified time of Israel as the golden years because Israel was one unified nation.

     But after King Solomon died, Israel divided in two and they had their own kings. These two kingdoms were known as the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The northern kingdom was known as Israel and the southern kingdom was known as Judah. 

     200 years later, in 722 BCE the Assyrian Empire took over the northern kingdom which was known as Israel and sent the people away. And then in 587 BCE, the Babylonian Empire took over the southern kingdom which was known as Judah and sent the people away. This is known as the exile because the people of the southern kingdom were sent into exile to Babylonia. 

     The northern kingdom of Israel never recovered from that 722 BCE invasion by the Assyrians. On the other hand, the people of the southern kingdom of Judah would eventually return about forty years later when the Persians conquered the Babylonian Empire and then later allowed the people to return to their homes in Israel. 

     It was during the years leading up to the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles that God called upon people to serve as his prophets to deliver important messages to God’s people. Sometimes these messages were warnings, calling for the people to repent. Other times, these messages were comforting words to remind the people that God had not forsaken them. And at other times, these messages were hopeful, pointing people to a future time when God would send a Savior who would bring salvation to the world.

     Think of a loving parent who needs to tell their child the right message at the right time based on the situation they may be facing. There are times when they might need some tough love because their actions have led to some negative consequences. There are other times when they need to be comforted and to be reminded that they are not alone when they are facing challenges and setbacks. And there are other times, when they need someone to point them to a brighter future that awaits them.

     This is why God called upon 16 people that we find in the Old Testament, at least by my count, to be prophets and to deliver the right message at the right time for the people of God. These prophets were not delivering their own messages. They were sharing the messages that God had given them.  

     In our message from heaven for today, the Prophet Isaiah is warning God’s people of the negative consequences that will happen to them if they continue to worship God and fail to seek justice and righteousness for all people. This is a tough love message.

     In this first chapter of Isaiah, the prophet refers to how the people of Israel have been offering their sacrifices and gifts to God through worship, but during the other days of the week, they were not seeking justice and caring for people in need. In short, the message from heaven for today is to not just worship God but to also do good.

     Isaiah is saying that our worship should translate into how we live out our faith throughout the week. This message from heaven for today reminds me of why a lot of people have given up on organized religion. It’s because they don’t always see Christians who attend church on Sundays living out what they profess during the week.

     Penny and I watched the recent movie, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” It’s the story of how TV evangelists, Jim and Tammy Faye Baker from the 1980s misused donor’s funds to go toward their very lavish lifestyle. As we watched this movie, there were moments when we could see that they genuinely did feel called by God and they really did want to make a difference through their ministry, but their own egos and hypocrisies brought about the downfall of their ministry.

     This movie and the telling of their story not only showed how shallow our faith can become, it also revealed how people of faith who watched their televangelism shows didn’t realize that they were being manipulated by them. The truth is that we all need to be aware of how our worship needs to go beyond spiritual cliches and shallow theology and into a deeper sense of what it means to live out our faith in authentic and meaningful ways during the week.

     And this is one of the reasons that we always offer a prayer of confession and words of assurance as part of our worship services. It’s because we recognize that even with our best intentions, we do not always live out what we confess with our lips on Sundays. We are always a work in progress. 

    A friend of mine who is a deeply devoted Christian said that he and his family attended an Ash Wednesday service one year. He said that the service had all of the components that are typically part of an Ash Wednesday service which marks the beginning of the season of Lent, like confessing our sins, receiving ashes on our foreheads to be reminded of who we are in Christ, and making a commitment to practice the spiritual disciplines like prayer and scripture reading.

     Immediately after that Ash Wednesday service, my friend said that their family went to a coffee shop. As they were sitting at the table talking and drinking coffee, someone in the family mentioned how so and so, who was at the church service that night, always gets on her nerves.

     Another family member agreed and offered a story about something that person did over a year ago that really mad him mad. Pretty soon, they all were saying all of these negative things about that person.

     After this went on for a while, my friend who had also shared some less than charitable things about that person caught himself in mid-sentence and said, “Here we are, less than an hour after attending an Ash Wednesday service. We have just confessed our sins and pledged to be more Christ-like, and here we are already gossiping about somebody in our church. Let’s change the subject.”

     My friend’s story reminds me that sin isn’t something that shakes loose that easily. It likes to cling to us. Before we know it, we are back to our bad habits where our worship doesn’t connect with who God calls us to be during the week.

     If it wasn’t for seeing the ashes on the foreheads of his family members in that coffee shop, my friend probably wouldn’t have realized that they were not being very Christ-like in that situation.

     John Wesley, the 18th century founder of Methodism emphasized the importance of both acts of piety like attending worship and acts of mercy like how we live out our faith during the week. It’s not one over the other. Wesley taught that the complete Christian has a well rounded spiritual life that includes worship as well as serving others.

     Wesley referred to worship and prayer as acts of piety and he referred to those things we do in serving others and doing good as acts of mercy. Acts of piety and acts of mercy are meant to complement one another. 

     This is exactly the Prophet Isaiah’s message from heaven for the people of Israel. Don’t just worship God, but also serve God by seeking justice and doing good for those who are in need. Both are equally important.   

      Isaiah’s message from heaven is also a warning that if we fail to see our worship and how we live out our faith during the week as equally important, we will fail to be the people God has called us to be. This is why we exist as a church, to worship and to serve.

     Our Athens First Saturday blessing of the community t-shirts have a  quote on the back of them and it was part of our opening prayer this morning. It’s a quote that is attributed to John Wesley. “Do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever we can.”

     John Wesley was once asked what it means to be a Methodist. And he said that to be a Methodist, you just need to agree to do follow these three simple rules. Do no harm. Do good. And love God. That’s easy enough to remember. Do no harm. Do good. And love God.

     Isaiah’s message from heaven is something like that. Love God through your worship but also do good by helping others throughout the week. Love your neighbors. Find ways to bless others. Let your actions match your words.

     And here is the fun part in all of this. There is so much good that we can do as we live out our faith during the week. 

     I was reading about a member of a United Methodist church in Dallas, Texas who back in 2012 started a ministry called, “The Birthday Party Project,” which is a ministry that provides birthday parties for children who are overlooked and underserved because of financial hardship. This church member along with others in her church will often go into homeless shelters to celebrate a child’s birthday. 

     Paige Chennault, who started this ministry says, “We like to say that our parties are so much more than a celebration, but they are a loud exclamation point that children matter.” This ministry isn’t just about cakes and balloons, but it’s about offering children the stability and magic they so desperately need especially when they are facing hardships in their lives. 

     I think of our many ministries in which we seek to do good in our community. Monday Lunch and what we did yesterday here at the church for our Athens First Saturday Blessing of the Community like arranging and delivering flowers to the patients at O’Bleness Hospital, preparing water bottles for our water bottle give-away later this month, giving generously to our recent special offering for the Athens County Food Pantry. There is so much good that is being done through our church!

     The Prophet Isaiah’s message from heaven is to do good and serve others. When our worship on Sunday matches our actions during the week, that’s when we can know that we have heard and taken to heart this week’s message from heaven. 

     Do good.

Messages from Heaven: Do Good!

Sermon Discussion Questions

Isaiah 1:1,10-20

August 7, 2022

We are beginning a new 4-week sermon series for the month of August on the theme, “Messages from Heaven.” This new series is based on our appointed Old Testament readings from Isaiah and Jeremiah. The primary purpose of prophets in the Old Testament was to relay messages from God to the people of Israel. These messages varied depending on the situation the people were facing. Sometimes these messages were to provide encouragement and hope. Other times, their messages were very challenging and called for the people to change their ways. Think of the prophets like parenting where loving and wise parents will offer the right message at the right time for their children depending on what they may be facing or what they have done.

Share some examples of messages that loving and wise parents might share with their children depending on their age and what situation they may be facing. What advice would you give to parents in knowing which message to share at the right time with their child?

To understanding the prophets in the Old Testament (there are 16 of them!), it’s important to know when God called them to serve as prophets. Isaiah and Jeremiah lived when Israel was a divided nation (the northern kingdom of Israel & the southern kingdom of Judah.) Both of these kingdoms would end up in exile (Israel in 722 BCE and Judah in 586 BCE.) Because of this very volatile time in Israel’s history, God called upon Isaiah and Jeremiah to speak timely messages from God to the people to help them remain faithful and not lose hope.

Why do you think it’s important to have this historical context of when Isaiah and Jeremiah served as prophets? Even though, we do not live during that time of Israel’s history, how can the messages of these prophets speak to us today? 

In our Isaiah appointed reading for today, Isaiah is calling out God’s people for their hypocrisy in worshiping God with their prayers and sacrifices but then not living out their faith by seeking justice and doing good for people in need. This is one of the reasons non-churched people cite for giving up on organized religion because they see how Christians can be hypocritical by not living out their faith during the week what they profess with their lips during worship.

In what ways can we guard against hypocrisy? 

The Prophet Isaiah’s message from heaven is to “cease to do evil and to learn to do good.” - Isaiah 1:16-17. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism emphasized the importance of doing good to all the people we can and in as many ways as we can. He also emphasized following 3 simple rules which include 1) Do no harm 2) Do good 3) Stay in love with God.

Share some examples of doing good and living out our faith during the week. 

Pray this prayer from our Sunday worship service which not only reminds us to do good but also serves as a prayer of confession for those times that we have not lived out our faith during the week:

O God, thank you for the prophets who offer us messages from heaven. We confess that we often forget to listen to your voice and heed your words. Open our ears to hear your call to rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow. Lead us to do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever we can. Amen.