Sermon (August 27) “Little by Little” by Rev. Robert McDowell

August 27, 2023

     For the past several Sundays, our New Testament readings have been from Romans, which was a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians who lived in and around Rome. 

     This letter that Paul wrote is in my opinion one of the most important letters in the entire New Testament, because it not only summarizes the good news of our faith, but Paul also offers us a lot of practical information on how the church is to live out this good news. Our faith really doesn’t mean a whole lot unless we are able to actually apply it to our day to day living. 

     This letter has 16 chapters, and our reading today begins in chapter 12. Chapter 12 is where Paul’s letter transitions from describing the theology of the good news of Jesus to the more practical side of what this good news means for us. And this is why in one of the Bible translations, the 1^st verse of chapter 12 begins with the word, “therefore.” 

     The word, “therefore” signifies a transition between everything that Paul has written up this point in his letter and how this good news can make a difference in how we live out our lives individually as well as through the life of the church.  

     Paul has been telling us the incredible good news of how God loves us so much that he was willing to send us the long awaited King, the long awaited Messiah who through his life, death, and resurrection was able to free us from our bondage to sin and death. That’s incredible good news! This is why worship is meant to be a celebration. Every Sunday is meant to remind us of the good news of Easter. God has freed us from our sins! God has broken the power of cancelled sin and has set the prisoner free! 

     No wonder that Paul has spent the first eleven chapters of this letter describing this good news of our faith. He wants us to be grounded in this good news to such a degree, that we not only come to understand and appreciate what Jesus has done for us as much as possible, but so that we can also share this good news with others. 

     And now Paul wants us to spend the remaining part of his letter helping us to think about ways that we can live out this good news in community and specifically through the life of the church. So, what does Paul share with us today beginning here in chapter 12 of his letter?

     Paul wants us to know that one of the best ways that we can live out the good news of our faith is by blessing others through the spiritual gifts that God has given us. And those who have faith in Christ have at least one of these spiritual gifts. What are those spiritual gifts? Paul lists some of them here. He mentions the spiritual gifts of prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhorting, giving, leadership, and being compassionate. 

     Those are 7 of the gifts, but Paul also includes many other gifts in some of the other letters that he wrote adding up to around 20 possible spiritual gifts. If we would include the other gifts that we find in all of his letters, we can add these to the list: apostleship, evangelism, shepherding, hospitality, craftsmanship, healing, working miracles, tongues, interpretation of tongues, wisdom, knowledge, faith, discernment, administration, intercession and prayer, music, and missionary. 

     That’s a lot of spiritual gifts that God has given people in the church to live out the good news of our faith so that we can be a blessing to others. We could spend a whole worship service exploring these 20 spiritual gifts, but the important thing that Paul wants us to know here in this part of his letter is that every single person has at least one spiritual gift to offer.

     Even though we might have different spiritual gifts to share, they are all equally important for the greater good. In the last church I served, our church’s director of maintenance was incredible. He could fix anything and was so good at anticipating things that needed to get done before they would become bigger issues. 

     Every Monday, he would come to the church and slowly walk around the building and would take notes of things that needed attention. Maybe it was a small water stain in the ceiling that he would notice, the boiler making a strange sound, the parking lot stripes needing repainted, a door lock not working properly. 

     One day, I was having a conversation with him and said to him, “Todd, I can’t fix anything. In fact, I probably break half of the things that you have to repair in this building.” 

     And Todd just looked at me and said, “Well, there is no way that I would be able to do what you do as a pastor. Coming up with sermons, visiting people, leading worship services. God has given each of us different gifts.”

     And he was right, because after he told me that, I knew that this little conversation that we had about spiritual gifts would make it into a sermon someday which is why I am sharing this with you! Preachers are always looking for sermon illustrations and the perfect time to use them.

     Todd’s words to me that day kind of echo what the Apostle Paul is telling us in this scripture reading because beginning in verse 5 he says, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body, we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”

     Sounds like my church’s maintenance person knew something about this scripture reading today. It’s important for us to celebrate each other’s gifts because when we are all living out the good news of our faith by offering our unique gifts, more and more people will be drawn closer to Christ. 

     The church would be super boring if God would have only blessed us with the same spiritual gift. What if Shane Beamer would only recruit offensive lineman or only recruit running backs? That wouldn’t be much of a team. No, “Beamer ball” is having a well-rounded team where everybody contributes in their own unique ways. That’s what it means to be a team.

     That’s how healthy marriages and families work as well where each family member recognizes the gifts in the other person. That is so much better than always pointing out the things that you think are weaknesses in the other person rather than celebrating the unique gifts and talents that God has given to others, especially those gifts that we may not have ourselves.  

     Humility is vital in living out the good news of our faith and what it means to be the church. Thank God that we’re not all the same and that we have different gifts. 

     And the other side of that is for us to not downplay the gifts that God has given us like my maintenance person reminded me at the church that day. Instead of downplaying your gifts, celebrate them and offer them in humility to the glory of God. That’s what it means to be a living sacrifice, a phrase which Paul says in verse 1 of our scripture reading. 

     Speaking of football analogies which I like to include this time of year with the start of the football season, I remember reading about Mike Singletary, the All-Pro linebacker who played for the Chicago Bears back in the 1980s and was part of their Super Bowl win in 1986.

    He was a member of a church in the Chicago area during his playing days. He asked his pastor if there was anything he could do to help serve the church, but he wanted to keep a low profile. The pastor said, “Well, there is something that just might be the perfect way for you to serve.”

     He went on to tell him that every week when the custodian vacuums the sanctuary following the worship services, the vacuum cleaner cord gets caught on the pews and the custodian has to always stop and straighten out the cord. He said, “How would you like to be the person who holds up the vacuum cleaner cord?”

     And this ended up being a very practical and humble way for an all-pro linebacker to serve in his church. I always think of this story when I happen to come across an unsung hero doing these simple but very needed acts of service. Every act of service in the name of Christ; great and small, seen and unseen, is what helps us to live out the good news of our faith. It’s how we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. 

     Noted preacher, Rev. Fred Craddock shared this thought about offering our spiritual gifts in humility. He says, “We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table and saying, ‘Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.’

     But the reality for most of us is that the Lord sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 bill for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. And so, we do the little things like listening to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, “Get lost.” We go to a committee meeting. We give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home.”

    Craddock goes on to say, “Usually, offering ourselves as a living sacrifice isn’t all that glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory, but it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little throughout your life.”

     Good words for us to think about.

     I love the first 11 chapters of Romans. Those chapters offer some of the best news we’ll ever hear. If you are ever having a bad day and in need of some good news, by all means, read Romans, chapters 1 through 11, especially some of those verses we have heard the past several weeks here in church during the scripture readings. 

     Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That’s really good news!

     Romans 8:28 – “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” That’s also incredible!

     And probably my favorite verse of all in those chapters, Romans 8:37-39 – “In all these things we are more than conquerors though him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Those are incredible words of good news and hope!

     But if you want to live out your faith in very practical and meaningful ways, refer to these last chapters of Paul’s letter, chapters 12 through 16. And then, in humility, offer the unique spiritual gifts that God has given to you.

      And little by little, we can change the world!

Pastoral Prayer (August 27) - Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

August 27, 2023

O God, we give you thanks for this day of the week where your church can gather and offer prayers for those who are on our hearts and minds this day. And so, we lift up to you the joys and concerns that we have shared as well as those that are on our prayer list. 

 

Thank you for this time in our worship service that always reminds us to be still and know that you are God. Take our distractions, our mental to do lists, our worries, our fidgetiness, and our clumsiness with silence, and replace all of that with your peace that passes all understanding. (SILENCE)

 

We pray that this same peace would surround all of those who we lift up to you in prayer. For those who are recovering from illness, suffering from chronic pain, grieving the loss of a loved one, facing a difficult decision, getting adjusted to a new school year, facing stress at work or at home, feeling lonely, or who may be in need of guidance and assurance, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

 

We pray for the homeless, the marginalized, those seeking employment, and those who are facing food insecurity. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

 

We pray for your peace to be with leaders in our community, in our nation and throughout our world that they would be guided by wisdom, compassion, and justice. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

 

We pray for your peace to be with our District Superintent, Rev. Fran Elrod and with our Bishop, Jonathan Holston as they provide spiritual leadership for the South Carolina Annual Conference. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.

 

And last but not least, we pray for ourselves, that you would increase our capacity in having open hearts, open minds, and open doors to becoming more like Jesus in all that we say and do. Help us to be aware of the spiritual gifts you have given to us and to use them in such a way that others may see your love in us. Little by little, take our lives and let them be consecrated Lord to thee. We pray this in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray together… 

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

Funeral Sermon (August 24) by Rev. Robert McDowell - In Loving Memory of John Alexander Seaber

[Photo Above: Oak Grove UMC Cemetery]

John Alexander Seaber Graveside Sermon

August 24, 2023

Oak Grove UMC

    For anyone who has visited the Holy Land, one of the highlights of that experience is to visit the Garden Tomb site that is located in Jerusalem. Most bible scholars would agree that this is probably not the actual location of Jesus’ resurrection, but it does have a lot of similarities to the description of it that we find in the gospel accounts.

 

     Visually, it is stunning because the setting of that empty tomb has a beautiful garden that is filled with all kinds of colorful and well-maintained plants. So, just by scanning over the landscape of this holy site, it really does help you to feel like you are right there at the empty tomb with Mary when she encountered the Risen Christ.  

 

     The hymn, “In the Garden” which was played for us a little bit ago is a hymn that is based on the Easter story when Mary visited Jesus’ tomb. As I mentioned, that was one of John’s favorite hymns as it is for many of us as well. In a survey of favorite hymns, “In the Garden” ranked #5 which is saying a lot because in the hymnal here at Oak Grove, there are over 600 hymns from which to choose!

 

     Just as the Garden Tomb site in Jerusalem helps people to get a geographical feel of what it must have been like on that first Easter morning in encountering the Risen Christ, the hymn, “In the Garden” offers a musical way for us to be reminded of Jesus’ resurrection. 

 

     Verse 1 says, “I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses. And he walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own; and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”

 

     This is the good news that was an important part of John’s life. It’s why he and Alta have given so much of their time and resources to this church. When we offer the church our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness as it says in our membership vows, it helps us to live out this good news of our faith that Jesus is risen. 

 

     The family was telling me all of the ways that they were involved in the church, like providing food for fund-raiser meals, making needed repairs of the building, and faithfully attending worship services every Sunday. John and Alta were quite the team. I understand that they have been married for 66 years. And what a family they have! 3 daughters, 4 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. You are all truly blessed!

 

     One last thing that I’d like to share about the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. The best part of that visit is that you get to go inside that tomb. And the wonderful thing is that it is empty. And just before you leave to go back outside, there’s a a sign that says, “He is not here for he is risen!”

 

     This is the good news of our faith even as we stand here in this cemetery today. Death does not have the last word because we have a Risen Savior.

Obituary

John Alexander Seaber, 88, of Blythewood, died on Sunday, August 20, 2023. Born in Columbia, SC on April 6, 1935, he was a son of the late John Alexander Seaber, Sr. and Verona Legwin Seaber. Mr. Seaber was a 1959 graduate of Clemson University and longtime member of Oak Grove United Methodist Church. Following his graduation from Clemson, Mr. Seaber worked as an Engineer and later as a salesman in construction and oil supply industries. His most fond memories were made with his beloved family or supporting the Clemson Tigers and Atlanta Braves. He was an avid Gardner, lover of animals, and anything that supported his desire to be outside under the sunshine. Later in life, many of his days began with his wife, and eventually his grandson, Jim, as they spent every morning at Lizards Thicket for breakfast. 

Survivors include his wife, Alta Blume Seaber; daughters, Donna Seaber Raines (Eddie), Joan Seaber Graddick (Jimmy); and Karen Seaber Morrison (Benjie); grandchildren, Jenny Raines, Kaitlin Loveless (Reid), Jim Graddick (Kaelah), and Jarrett Wilson (Whitney); great-grandchildren, Griff Loveless, Gini Loveless, James Graddick, and Hope Wilson. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Jim Seaber; and sisters, Ellen Seaber and Lydia Hawthorne. 

The graveside service for Mr. Seaber will be held at 10 o’clock, Thursday, August 24th, at Oak Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery, 1801 Cedar Creek Rd, Blythewood, SC 29016. The family will receive friends on Wednesday evening from 5 until 7 o’clock, at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia. 

Serving as pallbearers will be Eddie Raines, Jimmy Graddick, Jim Graddick, Benjie Morrison, Jarrett Wilson and Reid Loveless. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 3810; or to the charity of your choice.

Sermon (August 20) “Amazing Technicolor Grace” by Rev. Robert McDowell

 

August 20, 2023

    The 1972 musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” which is based on the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis has been performed in more than 20,000 schools and theatre groups throughout the world. My church performed this musical when I was a teenager. 

     Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music and Tim Rice provided the lyrics of this musical that tells the story of Joseph who was one of twelve brothers. Our Old Testament reading which we will get to in a moment comes toward the end of this story about Joseph and his brothers. 

     The title of the musical is taken from a coat of many colors that Joseph’s father, Jacob had given to him. As you would expect, this favoritism of Joseph doesn’t go over too well with Joseph’s brothers. 

     Whenever they would see their brother wearing this special coat, they would become even more jealous. And did you catch the little detail that this coat had sleeves?  In Bible times, you were somebody special and set apart if you had sleeves. It was understood back then that anyone with long sleeves would not be expected to do manual labor. 

     So, you can imagine what the family dynamics were like for Joseph and his brothers? Not very good! In fact, we are told that after their father gave Joseph this special coat, they hated him and could not talk peaceably with him. 

     If that wasn’t bad enough, we are told that Joseph told his brothers about a dream he had. And he told them how he dreamt that they were all binding sheaves in the field when his sheaf rose up and stood upright while his brother’s sheaves gathered around and bowed down to his sheaf. 

     Uh, Joseph, some dreams are best if you keep them to yourself. And please don’t tell them about the other dream you had about your brothers. Please don’t. Oh, no. He already started.

     So Joseph tells them this second dream where the sun, the moon, and the elven stars were bowing down to him. 

     Hmmmm…. Wonder if it was just a coincidence that there were eleven stars and Joseph has eleven brothers? Guess how that went over with the boys?

     I am reminded of a tongue in cheek comment that the famous comedian, Jerry Lewis said about being a celebrity. He said, “People hate me because I am a multifaceted, talented, wealthy, and internationally famous genius.” That sounds like something Joseph would have told his brothers. 

     Who says that the Bible isn’t fun to read? Reading this story, you wonder what Joseph was thinking and for that matter why daddy made it obvious who his favorite son was. The bible often reads like a reality TV show. Joseph just doesn’t get it. But remember. He’s only 17 at this early point in the story. Maybe we should cut Joseph some slack. But for sure, his brothers aren’t ready to do that. They become even more jealous of him.

     And so, one day, Joseph approaches his brothers from a distance and they are just fuming as they see him wearing his amazing technicolor dreamcoat. One of them sarcastically says, "Here comes the dreamer."  So that’s now the new name they have given their spoiled brother, “dreamer.” And they don’t mean that in a good way. 

     So as dreamer boy walks toward his hard-working brothers, one of his brothers says, "Hey, guys, this is our chance to kill Mr. Dreamer." Things are escalating quickly. 

     And this story goes from bad to worse.  There's a glimmer of hope when Reuben begs his brothers to not kill Joseph. He suggests that they just throw Joseph into a cistern that doesn't have any water.  

     When Joseph arrives to greet them, the brothers strip him of his long-sleeved fancy robe and they throw him into a pit.  And how they managed to eat lunch after all of this, I will never know, but while the brothers were eating, they noticed a caravan of people on their way to Egypt.

     That's when they decide to sell Joseph to this traveling group for twenty pieces of silver.  So, Joseph officially becomes a slave and is sent off to Egypt. 

      A little side note. I’m the youngest of four siblings and my brother and two sisters said how as the youngest, I sometimes got preferential treatment. Penny has told me there is a reason why parents sometimes do this for their youngest child, and it has something to do with not wanting their baby to grow up. Well, at least my brother and sisters didn’t throw me in a cistern and sell me off into slavery. But back to the story.

      The brothers grab Joseph’s fancy robe, dip it into some blood of a goat, and make up a story that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.  Their father, Jacob is devastated upon hearing this news and grieves the loss of his youngest son, Joseph. Meanwhile, the band of travelers arrives in Egypt and Joseph is sold to one of Pharaoh’s officials.

     This is where the sermon probably needs an intermission because this story of Joseph is only halfway over at this point. Oh, it gets even more interesting!

     So,instead of taking an intermission break, I’m going to speed the story up a little bit so that we have time to focus on the part of the story that we heard read for us from our Old Testament reading this morning.

     So, to make a long story short, Joseph ends up being separated from the father he loves for the next several years, and his father, Jacob, thinking that his son is dead, grieves the loss of Joseph every single day. 

    The story continues. And here are the cliff notes. Joseph, who is now in Egypt gets falsely accused of sexual assault by the wife of a high-ranking Egyptian official and Joseph gets thrown into prison.  Things continue to go from bad to worse for Joseph because he helps one of his fellow prisoners escape by interpreting this man’s dream, but after this fellow prisoner is released, that guy does nothing to help Joseph get out of prison. He doesn’t return the favor and Joseph remained in prison. 

     But things finally turned positive for Joseph when he is able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream which leads to his eventual release from prison, and he is even appointed by Pharaoh to a very important position which is to oversee the land of Egypt. 

     Through his interpretation of dreams, Joseph is able to prepare Egypt so survive a famine. And this brings us to our story for today when Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to seek relief from that same famine even though they aren’t Egyptians. 

     Here’s where the story needs to slow down, because our story today from Genesis chapter 45 is one of the most emotional stories in the entire Bible. It’s like the long anticipated last episode of the series for this long reality TV Show  that we have here in the Book of Genesis. The ratings for this final episode are going to go through the roof. 

     Joseph’s brothers have come to Egypt to receive help during this massive famine, and they don’t recognize that the Egyptian official they are meeting with is the brother that they had sold into slavery several years ago.

     This is a golden opportunity for Joseph to finally get his revenge on his brothers for leaving him for dead and selling him off as a slave. What are the odds that his brothers would be meeting him face to face after all of these years?

     The musical about the life of Joseph is called, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” but maybe a better name for that musical would be “Amazing Technicolor Grace” because instead of revenge, Joseph embraces his brothers. He tells them all that had happened to him since that time they sold him into slavery and then he tells them, “So it was not you who sent me here, but God.”

      He then tells his brothers that he will provide food for them and their father. Our scripture reading concludes with Joseph weeping and embracing his brothers. 

     The story of Joseph is a a story of how God’s amazing grace can help us to choose forgiveness over revenge, love over hate, and reconciliation over bitterness and resentment. There’s a song that has this wonderful line in it that comes in the form of a question and that question is, “Are you tough enough to be kind?”

     When every part of you wants to seek revenge or be bitter, or get back at someone, this story of Joseph reminds us to ask the question, “Am I tough enough to be kind?” God enabled Joseph to be tough enough to be kind when he encountered his brothers after all of those years.

     Are you tough enough to be kind?

     In 1993, a young white woman named Amy Biehl, a Fulbright scholar who was working with poor communities in apartheid South Africa was violently murdered by four black youth. Amy’s parents, despite their incredible grief and anger at losing their daughter were able to come to understand that the bigger picture of the systemic evil of apartheid had created the conditions that led to the personal evil of their daughter’s murder.

     Amy’s parents eventually even hired two of the young men who killed Amy to work in a foundation they set up in their daughter’s name. The Biehl family has writtten and spoken extensively on the need for forgiveness, grace, reconciliation, and restorative justice in our communities and world.

     Now, for sure, forgiveness and reconciliation are not an overnight process. We don’t want to sugarcoat this because relational healing often takes time. Sometimes reconciliation does not come until both parties are in a better place where it is less likely for additional harm to be done. Those types of situations require extra care, patience, and prayer. 

     But the story of Joseph invites us to see beyond our hurt and anger to what the real issues are that lead to the pain and suffering that we have experienced. Are we tough enough to be kind?

     And there are also times where we may do as much as we can to seek reconciliation and forgiveness, but for whatever reason, we still do not experience the emotional and relational healing we so desperately want and need. God knows our heart. God knows that we are doing all that we can do in these more complex situations. Sometimes we don’t get the fairy-tale ending we are seeking. 

     If you think about it, the Joseph story has a lot of parallels with the life and ministry of Jesus. I can’t help but to see a parallel between Joseph and his eleven brothers and Jesus and his twelve disciples.

     Joseph’s brothers got 20 pieces of silver for their betrayal. One of the twelve disciples ended up betraying Jesus in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. 

     Joseph’s brothers stripped Joseph of his coat of many colors, and the Roman soldiers stripped Jesus of his robe and then led him away to be crucified.

     Joseph ended up forgiving his brothers for all they had done to him so many years ago. Jesus forgave his disciples and willingly died on the cross for the sake of the world even though those closest to him betrayed and denied him when he needed them the most. 

     This is why we sing the hymn, “Amazing Grace.” It’s because God’s grace is amazing. I would even say that it is amazing technicolor grace!

Sunday Pastoral Prayer (August 20) - Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

August 20, 2023

O God, thank you for your amazing technicolor grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. How sweet the sound that can lead us to forgiveness and reconciliation. How sweet the sound that can make us tough enough to be kind. O God, thank you for your amazing technicolor grace!

 

We pray for our world to be filled with more of your grace. Where there is division, anger, conflict, injustice, and revenge, fill us with more of your amazing technicolor grace. 

 

Where there are misunderstandings, relational brokenness, hurt feelings, and envy, fill us with more of your amazing technicolor grace.

 

For those who our on our church’s prayer list and other joys and concerns that are on our hearts today, fill them with more of your amazing technicolor grace.

 

We continue our prayers for the people in Maui who have lost so much from the devastating wildfires. May they know of your grace, especially through the relief efforts that are providing needed supplies and resources. 

 

Thank you for your grace with the start of a new school year that offers new possibilities for us to learn and grow in our faith. May all of us be your students and your disciples through the reading of scripture, daily prayers, and by serving others. We have so much to learn in what it means to have a growing faith.

 

As we reflect on our past week, we can see how your amazing technicolor grace filled our lives; like when Penny and I were driving home this past Tuesday evening, heading west, and for that entire 40-minute drive, we got to see one of the most spectacular sunsets we have ever seen. Thank you for these holy moments when your amazing technicolor grace is on full display. And may it always be on full display in each of our lives for we pray this in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray together…

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

Sermon “Angels Watching Over Me” (August 13) by Rev. Robert McDowell

August 13, 2023

     Our Old Testament reading is the story of when the Prophet Elijah experienced God’s presence just when he needed it the most. He was probably at the lowest point in his faith at the time because he was running for his life. 

     Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab wanted him captured and killed because Elijah had dared to stand up to them because they had been worshipping the gods of the Canaanite religion rather than the God of Israel. 

     Our scripture reading begins with Elijah exhausted from running and he comes upon a broom tree to rest for a while. A broom tree is a symbol of loneliness because it thrives best in isolated areas where the land is very dry and where there isn’t a whole lot of growth and vegetation around it.

     This is where Elijah finds himself under this tree. He is thoroughly spent. He has been faithful in living out his calling as God’s prophet, but that calling has come with a heavy price. Elijah, now hungry, weak, and dejected, tells God that he just wants to die. 

     One of the things that I have learned during my years of pastoral ministry is that it’s OK and a healthy thing to admit to yourself and to God when you have reached that point where you feel spiritually depleted, empty, and tired. I think that’s hard to admit for some of us because we also believe that our faith can help get us through any situation. And while that’s true, it doesn’t mean that we need to pretend that everything is OK. 

     The road to emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual healing and renewal can begin when we give ourselves permission to say that we’re not OK. This is what the prophet Elijah is doing here in our scripture reading where he reaches his breaking point.

     Elijah tells God that he can’t do this anymore and he then falls asleep under that broom tree. I love beautifully worded and well thought out prayers, but I also love prayers that are spontaneous and quickly get to the point.  “I just can’t do this anymore, God,” Elijah prays.

     But notice that it was soon after this prayer that Elijah’s healing began. We are told that as Elijah was sleeping under that broom tree, an angel of the Lord touched him and gave him something to eat. Sometimes the burdens we carry can consume us so much that we forget to take time to take care of ourselves.

     The angel of the Lord then appeared a second time and encouraged Elijah to get up and resume his journey. And notice that we are told that after Elijah ate and drank, that he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

     By telling us this little detail about 40 days and 40 nights, the biblical writer is reminding us of another of God’s servants who long before Elijah, also spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mt. Horeb and that person was Moses. 

     And so, in addition to the Lord providing Elijah with food and drink to regain his strength, we are reminded of Moses who the Lord had strengthened as well in leading God’s people through the wilderness and into the Promised Land.

     Life can be hard and sometimes the burdens that we carry can become too much. Like Elijah, we too can reach a point along our faith journey where we are depleted, tired, and discouraged. But the good news of our faith is that God is more than able to renew our strength. 

     In the church I was serving a couple of years ago, there was a Sunday where I didn’t think that I would be able to lead the worship services that morning. In all of my years of pastoral ministry, this had never happened to me where I felt that emotionally drained and tired. 

     For the past couple of months leading up to that Sunday, I had been carrying a personal burden that had taken its toll. It was one of those burdens where you do what you can in the situation and you pray about it over and over again, but nothing seemed to be helping. I was feeling very empty and depleted. 

     The weight of that burden on my shoulders was so heavy. I was praying over and over again for God to give me strength just to make it through that Sunday morning. One of my church members who was there early, greeted me. He knew me well and he could tell that I wasn’t myself and he asked me if I was OK.

    At first, I simply said, “Hi, and that everything was OK,” which is what many of us typically do. We like to keep our cards close to the chest so to speak when it comes to sharing our feelings. We say that we’re OK when we’re not really Ok. 

     But this time was different because I couldn’t hold back the tears. I knelt down on the floor and as I was crying, he kept saying to me, “It’s OK. I’m here for you. It’s OK.” After several minutes and hearing him say, “It’s OK. I’m here for you,” it was like this huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. The burden didn’t go away, but the weight of it that I had been carrying on my shoulders did, because thanks to this angel sent from God, I placed it at the foot of the cross. 

     After spending the next half hour composing myself and wiping away the tears, I was able to then lead the worship services that morning because I felt a peace that passes all understanding. Thank God for the angels that the Lord sends our way, just when we need them the most. 

      That God intervention was the beginning of some much needed healing in my life. Not only did God provide me with the right person at the right time, but God also led me in the weeks to come, to receive support from a couple of other trusted angels who continue to offer me confidential prayer support and encouragement along the way.

     Elijah was able to continue his journey with God because of his prayer where he admitted to God that he wasn’t OK, and because of an angel that the Lord sent to him to help him regain his strength and receive some much needed encouragement. But our scripture reading doesn’t end there.

      Renewed and strengthened, Elijah continues his 40-day/40-night journey, and he arrives at Mt. Horeb where he finds temporary lodging in a cave. And this is where the Lord tells Elijah to come out of the cave because he was going to reveal himself to him. 

     God first sends a mighty wind, but surprisingly, God wasn’t present in the wind. The Lord then sends a powerful earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake either. Then, the Lord sends a fire, but the Lord wasn’t in the fire. 

     It wasn’t until the Lord sends sheer silence, that Elijah was able to hear the Lord’s soft whisper. It is often in the silence that we are able to hear God and know that God is present with us. As I thought about this, I was thinking how difficult this is for us to do in our culture. We live in a very busy and noisy world. It’s not easy for us to spend time in silence. 

     I’m reminded of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral last September, almost a year ago now. I watched different parts of that funeral and at one point in the service, the Anglican Priest called upon everyone to observe two minutes of silence.

     It was such a powerful moment even with me watching all of this on TV. When is the world ever silent for two minutes? 

     During the two minutes of silence in honor of Queen Elizabeth, the video camera included the large crowd of people outside of Westminster Abbey and it was such a powerful moment to see all of these people observing a time of silence at the same time.

     That historic moment made me realize that it is possible for us to be silent. We just need to include it more into our lives.

     It’s in the silence that we are better able to hear God’s quiet whisper.

     In his book The Road Less Travelled, Christian author and psychiatrist, Dr. Scott Peck talks about the importance of spending every day in silence. He says that it’s when we spend time in silence, that we are able to give our minds and our souls time to catch up with the events of the day. Silence gives us the opportunity to pray and think. 

     Scott Peck shares how his daily routine is to spend 2 hours a day in just being silent. Two hours a day! It’s hard for me to spend 5 minutes in silence, let alone 2 hours! 

     And he says that when you spend time in prolonged silence, you begin to think about how you could have handled a situation in a more constructive way. He also says that spending time in silence is what helps us to think of better ways of handling a difficult situation that we may be facing. Spending time in silence is what helps us to not make impulsive and short-sighted decisions. And it also helps us to experience God’s presence in a very real way. 

     One of the things that I cherish most about my personal schedule is my Monday sermon planning time. I refer to these days as my Mondays with Jesus. I begin these days in prayer, inviting God to help me to listen to what God wants to say through me. 

     Sometimes it takes me a while before I’m able to shake loose from the noise of our busy world and the many thoughts, worries, and to-do list items that are filling my head. I have found that practicing the spiritual discipline of silence is one of the most challenging parts in living out my faith. I like to be doing things and I can be a very impatient person. But silence teaches me to slow down, to get in touch with my feelings, and to be open to God’s presence. 

     It’s always been kind of funny to me that we refer to people in my profession as “preachers.” “You should come and hear our preacher,” we say.

     Maybe instead of being called, “preachers,” we should be known more as “listeners” because that’s really what we pastors are called to do. We’re called to be good listeners, so that we can hear what God wants to say through us. We can’t preach effectively when we don’t take time to listen for God’s voice. Talking is the easy part. Listening… that’s the challenging part. 

     I’m thankful to God for sending us angels just when we need them the most. These angels remind us to take care of ourselves especially when we are feeling weak and discouraged. They remind us that it’s OK to not be OK because we’re human. They invite us to lay the burdens that are too heavy for us to carry and to lay them at the foot of the cross. They encourage us to observe moments of silence so that we can allow our hearts and our minds to catch up from the busy events of our day. And those angels always point us to God who is the source of our strength and our hope. 

     Thank God for angels who watch over us all day and all night.

Sunday Worship Pastoral Prayer (August 13) - Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

August 13, 2023

O God, your love does stay with us through the night, and you wake us up with the morning light. Your angels are watching over us.

 

Thank you for your angels who show up just at the right time; when we are feeling discouraged and empty, when we are carrying burdens that are too heavy for us to carry, when we are feeling drained emotionally, spiritually, and physically, when we are grieving the loss of a loved one, when we are losing hope, and when we are feeling lost and wondering if you are present with us. 

 

And help us, O God to be open to those times when you just might be calling us to be an angel for others where we can offer a listening ear, an encouraging word, a heart-felt prayer, and a safe space. 

 

During this middle of August, we especially pray for those who are going back to school, students as well as educators. We pray for your angels to watch over all who are beginning a new year of learning and growth as well as for all of us whether we are in school or not, that we might continue to grow in our faith and what it means to be disciples of Jesus. 

 

We pray for your angels to watch over each person on our church’s prayer list that they may know of your healing, protecting, and guiding presence in their lives. And today, we also especially pray for your angels to watch over the people in Maui who have lost their possessions and have been displaced by the recent wildfires.  Thank you for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, who are responding to this emergency in partnership with the California Pacific Annual Conference through the offering of needed supplies, counseling, and resources. Thank you for your angels who watch over our broken and hurting world. 

 

And O God, when we rise to start a brand-new day, and while we work and play, remind us that angels are watching over us. We pray this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and our Savior who taught us to pray together these words…

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

Sermon “What If” (August 6) by Rev. Robert McDowell

 August 6, 2023

    Author, Shel Silverstein is known for his book, The Giving Tree. But he also wrote the children’s poem entitled, “What If?”

     It’s a poem that is meant to help people who find it hard to go to sleep at night because of all of the worries that can go through our minds. We wonder, “what if” this happens, or “what if” that happens, and we just can’t turn off our minds and get a restful night of sleep. 

     His poem offers a humorous way of revealing just how irrational it is for us to allow these worries and “what ifs” to get the best of us. Here’s the poem:

Last night, while I lay thinking here, some Whatifs crawled inside my ear and pranced and partied all night long and sang their same old Whatif song:

Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don't grow tall?
Whatif my head starts getting small?
Whatif the fish won't bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?

Everything seems well, and then the nighttime Whatifs strike again!

     I remember reading an article a few years ago that was put out by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that 33% of us do not get enough sleep on a daily basis. 33% of us! I thought that percentage would be higher but it’s still a troubling statistic. 

     I was watching an interview with a television celebrity who is now a single parent of a young child, and the interviewer asked him how he was managing his busy life along with being a single parent. And his response was really interesting. He said that he is becoming more and more like his mother who he remembered as someone who was always worrying about all the things that could go wrong.

     And this celebrity said that there are many nights now where he just can’t stop worrying about things and thinking about his son. And he referred to these times as watching a carousel of worries go round and round and round. I thought that was an interesting way to describe how we can allow our worries to get the best of us. A carousel of worries.

     The good news in all of this is that our appointed Romans scripture reading for today offers us a way to not allow the carousel of worries to get the best of us. This last part of Romans chapter 8 is one of my favorite scripture passages in all of the Bible.

     In this passage, the Apostle Paul does what the poet, Shel Silverstein does with his poem, “What If?” He lists a bunch of things that can lead us to worry and fear. Paul’s list includes worries like “hardships, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword.”

      Like Silverstein, these lists do not include every single thing we may worry about, but they offer us a wide spectrum of things that can rob us of a sense of peace in life. I’m sure that given some time, we could all add more specific things to these lists.

     I think it’s good to be able to name those things that keep us up at night. What are those things that keep us tied up in knots? What is part of that carousel of worry that goes through our minds when trying to go to sleep at night or wakes us up at 3 in the morning?

     I remember a dream that I had in the wee hours of the night one Sunday morning early in my pastoral ministry. In the dream, it was time for me to go to the pulpit to preach the sermon, but for some reason I didn’t have the sermon that I prepared. And then when I tried to just start preaching anyway, my mouth wouldn’t move which isn’t a good thing if you’re a preacher.    

     You really need to be able to move your mouth up and down if you’re going to preach. I think every preacher has experienced those kinds of preacher dreams.

     The Apostle Paul is inviting us to name those things that might not be the same things that others may be struggling with in their lives but are particular fears that come our way. We’re all unique. But what we all have in common is the good news that Paul is offering us in this last portion of our scripture reading. 

     Paul abruptly cuts short his list of worries with the word, “no.” “No,” in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” 

     And then he says, “For I am convinced,” and the Greek word for “convinced” is a very strong word that means, “without a doubt” or “with absolute certainty.” For I am “convinced” that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

     Now, I don’t know about you, but this is one of the very rare times you will ever hear someone offer you a promise that can actually be backed up 100%. Don’t look for that from any politician regardless of your political party. Don’t look for that from your most trusted friend even though they may have your best interest at heart. Don’t look for that kind of promise that can be backed up 100% from any other source, except from this one source that Paul is offering to us today.

     That source is the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And if you want a visual symbol of how this promise can be backed up, just look at the cross because it was on the cross where God’s love was made known to us through Jesus’ death. The cross is the reason why we can never be separated from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

     Not even hardships, or persecution, or peril, or things present, or things to come, or height, or depth, or what were some of those other what ifs from the children’s poem? Not even if I flunk that test, or get green hair on my chest, or if nobody likes me, or a lightning bolt strikes me. Or if I tear my pants, or never learn to dance.

     No, Paul says that there is nothing in all creation that will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. So, no matter what you may be facing in your life, and it could be a very big fear or worry that seems so large that there is no hope, this is a verse that we can turn to again and again and be assured that we can never ever be separated from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

     Yes, doubts can creep in and rob us of a good night’s sleep. Worries about what the future holds can rob us of joy and peace. The “what ifs” of life can have us all tied up in knots, but Paul wants us to know that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing!

     One of the best things that we can do for each other is to pray for each other. Prayer is a way for us to remember this great promise from our scripture reading today that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

     Several years ago, a prominent United Methodist pastor was invited to preach at a very prestigious civil event that included members of congress, the President, and members of his cabinet. Can you imagine the butterflies that were in that preacher’s stomach as he was about to deliver his sermon.

     He said that his first worry was, “what if” I if trip over one of the steps leading up into the pulpit? What if I get so nervous that I lose my place? What if my message isn’t received well? All of these “what if” questions going through his mind.

     He would later say, soon after this event, that what got him through that experience was something that he remembered just before he walked up to that pulpit. He remembered that in that moment, in that very moment, he had hundreds and hundreds of people from his home church and throughout the country who were praying for him.

     And he said that it was in that moment that all of his “what ifs” went away. And in replace of that worry and anxiety, he felt an assurance that God was with him.

     Several years ago, I visited with a church member who was in ICU. Some church members heard that I was going to make a pastoral call, so they quickly got a get-well card and all signed it for me to give to him.

     When I entered that hospital room, this man had all kinds of tubes and wires connected to him. I think he only had a couple of relatives, so I knew he didn’t have a lot of family checking on him. He was pretty much all alone in that hospital room. 

     He wasn’t able to communicate with me, but he knew what I was saying during my brief conversation with him. I then gave him that card that several people from the church had signed and told him that we were all praying for him. I said a short prayer and as I was nearing the door of that room to leave, I looked back at him and noticed that he was now clutching that card against his chest. He was clutching it. 

     I would have to think that in that moment, his church family had helped him to remember that there was nothing in all creation that could separate him from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

     Nothing. 

Pastoral Prayer (August 6) - Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

August 6, 2023

 

O God, we come to you with our many “what ifs.” You know our fears, our anxieties, our insecurities, and what keeps us up at night. You know our what ifs about things present and things to come and you know our what ifs about the mystery of life and death. 

 

Thank you for reminding us today that it’s normal to have these what ifs. But we also thank you for reminding us that there is nothing in all of creation that can ever separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. For this good news, we celebrate and give you thanks and praise.

 

And on this Sunday in which we have shared our joys and concerns, we pray for those who may be struggling with “what if” questions about their health, about an important decision they need to make, about financial challenges, about family relationships, and about other difficult situations they may be facing at this time.

 

O God, you seem to know just when we need to hear it the most that there is nothing in all of creation that can ever separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. You not only remind us of this good news when we hear the scriptures read and proclaimed on Sunday mornings, but you also have given us the Sacrament of Holy Communion in which we can actually taste the good news of our faith. 

 

As we prepare to receive this holy meal together, remind us that we can come forward in confidence knowing with full assurance and without a doubt that there is nothing, absolutely nothing in all of creation that can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

 

We pray this in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray together…

 

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