Sermon (Jan. 28) “Teacher Man” by Rev. Robert McDowell

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

January 28, 2024

     How can one ever underestimate the influence of a good teacher?

     Who was your 1^st grade teacher?  I’ll start.  My first-grade teacher was Mrs. Maddox.  Go ahead and turn to someone near you and tell that person the name of your 1^st grade teacher.

     Just in case you were traumatized by your 1^st grade teacher and have blocked that person out of your mind, turn to a different person this time and share the name of your 5^th grade teacher.  Go ahead.

     My 5^th grade teacher was Mr. Smith.  The first male teacher I ever had.  Besides wearing more cologne than any man should ever be allowed to wear, Mr. Smith taught me that you should be excited about learning new things.  Of all the teachers I had in elementary school, he seemed like the one who had the most passion for teaching.  I remember wanting to be just like Mr. Smith. 

     How can we ever underestimate the influence of a good teacher?

     Frank McCourt, who wrote the book, Angela’s Ashes and then his second book, “Teacher Man,” had a 30-year teaching career in New York City’s public high schools beginning in the late 1950s.

     Frank McCourt became a great teacher and had a positive influence on his students because he was able to find ingenious ways to motivate them to learn.  

     To help students appreciate writing in all forms, he had them read cookbook recipes while other students played music in the background.  To help them to be better writers, he had them write critiques about the school cafeteria as well as restaurants in New York City.

     He tells of his second day teaching in 1958 when a fight broke out and one of the students threw a sandwich in anger.  To calm the situation, he simply picked the sandwich off the floor and started eating it much to the surprise of his students.

     In one of his chapters, he writes about a time that he took 20 to 30 rowdy teenagers to a play there in New York City.  He writes that it was one of the most challenging things that he ever had to do to get those teenagers safely to the play and back to the school.

     One of those girls, who was one of the more difficult young students on this field trip, ended up having such a positive experience, that it later changed her life.  All because of a teacher who was willing to go above and beyond his duties to help students explore and learn new things.

     In his book, Frank McCourt makes the observation that in America we don’t value teachers like people do in the countries of Europe.  I think he’s on to something.  

      Never underestimate the influence of a good teacher.

     So, it shouldn’t surprise us in the least to read in our Gospel Lesson this morning that one of Jesus’ first miracles happened to be while he was teaching in a synagogue.

     Jesus wasn’t known as a Priest or a Reverend.  People called him “Rabbi” or “Teacher.”

     And there he was one day, early in his ministry, teaching away right there in the middle of a worship service.  Wouldn’t you have loved to be a fly on one of those walls that day?  

     What was he teaching?  What did Jesus tell the people?

     I don’t know, but it must have been really good, since Mark tells us that the people were astounded at his teaching, because he didn’t teach like the scribes taught.  Jesus taught with authority.

     At a farmhouse retreat center in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1984, I sat in utter astonishment, as Dr. Paul Schaeffer was teaching on the Book of Acts.

     Dr. Schaeffer, or Paul as we often called him, was leading a spring retreat for the college students of the Philadelphia area.  I already knew that he was a brilliant man who could speak a thousand words a minute, but it was at that moment of his teaching, that I really began to feel a tug on my heart about entering the pastoral ministry.

     Here was a man who had a doctorate in the History of the Reformation and who knew the Bible backwards and forwards, but who also had the wonderful ability to teach the Bible to college students in ways that we would understand and apply it to our lives.

     I was drawn to him.  And I felt God calling me into some kind of teaching ministry.

     Ten to fifteen years ago, I got motivated to track down this wonderful teacher, pastor, and scholar.  Figuring that he was no longer at the same church in Philadelphia, I discovered that he was now the Chairman of Religious Studies at Grove City College located in western Pennsylvania.

     I must have caught him in between classes when I called him on the phone that day, because he indicated that he was in a bit of a hurry.  But I had just enough time to tell him that he was one of the reasons that I felt a calling into the pastoral ministry.  

     How can we ever underestimate the influence of a good teacher?

     About thirteen years ago in Maumee, Ohio, which is a suburb of Toledo, I was sitting in the bleachers during a baseball game, minding my own business when these two giggly girls who looked to be somewhere in their early teens sat a few rows down from me.

     After about an inning, one of the girls happens to turn back to get my attention, and she says in this giggly voice, “Are you Mr. McDowell?  Are you Mrs. McDowell’s husband?”  

     By the look on her face, I could just tell that my peaceful late afternoon was about to change dramatically.

     And the one girl says, “Oh goody.” And immediately, both of them moved on up a few rows to sit next to me. I was afraid that was going to happen.

    And the one girl says, “Oh my gosh.  Mrs. McDowell is our teacher.  And we just love Mrs. McDowell.  We just love how she is so organized.  She has a container for everything.  For paper clips.  For books.  For pens and pencils.  We want to be just like Mrs. McDowell.  What is it like to be her husband?  Is she the same way at home?  Does she keep everything in its place there too?  

     (Oh kid, you have no idea. You have no idea!) 

     We just love Mrs. McDowell.  She loves to read. She’s like read every book ever written!  We love to read, too. We love Mrs. McDowell. Tell her we said hi. Tell her we’ll see her tomorrow in school.”

     And these two girls proceeded to talk to me non-stop for the rest of the baseball game.  They wouldn’t even pause to take a breath.

     How can we ever underestimate the influence of a good teacher?

     I think of so many people who have taught me the Bible from a very early age, from Sunday School teachers to my grandmother who gave me bible quizzes after school each day. Thanks to their teachings, I became very familiar with the stories in the Bible.

     When I went to seminary, the professors helped me to understand the Bible in an even deeper way. They taught me the importance of understanding the historical context when reading the bible, knowing a little about Hebrew and Greek, the original languages of the Bible and how it’s not always easy to translate it into the English language because words can have a variety of meanings.

     They taught me the different kinds of literature that we find in the Bible, why there are two back-to-back creation stories in the Book of Genesis that are very different from each other, why there are four gospels and not just one, why the same story appears in different books of the Bible and sometimes have conflicting details.

     And to be honest, at first, a lot of this was unsettling to me because it wasn’t quite the way my grandmother taught me the Bible or the way my Sunday School teachers taught me the Bible. 

     I’ll never forget what one of my seminary professors said to all of us during student orientation. He said, “Think of yourself as a brick building. During seminary, you may feel like you are exploding, and bricks are flying everywhere because you are going to be intellectually and spiritually challenged, but eventually, those bricks are going to be put back and you are going to have a much stronger and well-rounded faith as a result of it.”

     He was so right. I am extremely thankful for my parents, my grandmother and my Sunday School teachers who taught me the stories of the Bible at an early age. Without them, I wouldn’t have had a spiritual foundation on which to build. 

     And I’m equally grateful to teachers and professors later in my life who have challenged me to dig under the surface of those scriptures that I knew by heart. Some of those scripture passages have taken on a whole new meaning for me and I’m still seeing things in new ways.

     I think as we mature and grow, we begin asking questions about the Bible like how do we reconcile all of the violence that we find in the pages of this book where in some cases, even God’s own people are commanded to wipe out a whole group of people? 

     And other questions like, where does our modern understanding of science fit into how we read the Bible and how do we decide on what commandments are meant for today, and what commandments were meant for that time period?

     While it may be tempting to duck from these complex questions about the Bible and our faith, my experience is that these questions can lead to a deeper and more meaningful faith. When we remain in our own theological bubbles in how we interpret the Bible, it can lead to spiritual atrophy and complacency. 

     I have always said that if you ever need to be reminded that there is more to learn about the Bible and your faith, all you have to do is teach a confirmation class where junior high youth will ask you all kinds of uncomfortable questions about the Bible and the Christian faith. That can be an opportunity for the teacher and the student to learn together. 

     But what’s the point of all of this again? It’s important to never underestimate the influence of a good teacher. 

     Mark says that things got even more interesting while Jesus was teaching in the synagogue.  He says that “Just then, there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?’”

     Worship got interrupted and the real test of Jesus, the Teacher Man is on the line.  Is this man truly a teacher sent by God?  Can this man truly back up what he has been teaching?

     Jesus, not one to back down from an opportunity to bring healing, commands the unclean spirit to come out of this man and after a few cries, the unclean spirit leaves him.  And just like that, he was healed.

     Now, remember, that even before this miraculous healing, the people were astonished at Jesus’ teaching.   Imagine what they think of Jesus now.  And we are told that they were all amazed.  

     This Teacher Man is something other.  This Teacher Man brings healing.  And as you read through the Gospel of Mark, you see many more moments like this, where Jesus heals people and makes them whole again.

     I wonder if this isn’t the whole point of teaching, of studying, and of not settling for easy answers. Good teachers are like good dieticians who help us to have a healthy spiritual life in which we are always growing, always learning, and always receptive in being the people God has called us to be. 

     Perhaps St. Mark is calling us to lift up special prayers this week for those who are involved in the wonderful and exciting ministry of teaching.

     It’s a ministry that astounds us and can even usher in healing and new life. Allow your life to be changed and transformed by this Teacher Man, this Son of the Living God.

     Why?  Because you just can’t underestimate the influence of a good teacher. 

Sunday Pastoral Prayer (Jan. 28)

January 28, 2024 Pastoral Prayer

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

God of wisdom and knowledge, thank you for teachers and professors who have been a positive influence in our lives. Thank you for parents, grandparents, Sunday School and bible study teachers, youth leaders, and pastors who have not only imparted information to us, but who have also challenged us to be open to perspectives and understandings that are very different than our own. 

 

Bless our schools, colleges, and places of learning as they seek to prepare their students to use their skills and abilities to help make this world a better place. May the seeds of knowledge that they plant today, lead to even greater blessings in the years to come. 

 

Forgive us for whenever we fall prey to the illusion that we have nothing left to learn and help us to become more like the people who were listening to Jesus and were astounded by what he had to say. May we each have those moments when we are astounded to learn something new about ourselves, about others, and about the issues that we are facing today. 

 

We also pray today for those who are in need of your wisdom as they are seeking your guidance in making an important decision, as they are going through a time of transition, as they are preparing for a future job and career, as they are wondering how best to use their time in retirement, and as they may be discerning how best to respond in a situation where there has been a broken relationship and conflict. 

 

O God, we are never done learning and growing in our faith especially as we face the many complexities of life. And whenever we can’t find the words to pray, remind us of these words that you taught your disciples to pray…

 

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 (January 21) “The Good News of the Good News” by Rev. Robert McDowell

January 21, 2024 Sermon

“The Good News of the Good News”

Rev. Robert McDowell

     A family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks. If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other claimed the volume needed to be turned up. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom and gloom pessimist.  

 

     Just to see what would happen, on the twins' birthday, their father loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist's room, he loaded with horse manure.

 
     That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him sitting amidst his new gifts and crying bitterly. 

     "Why are you crying?" the father asked. 

     "Because my friends will be jealous, I'll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff, I'll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken." answered the pessimist twin. 

     Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. "What are you so happy about?" he asked.

 
     To which his optimist twin replied, "There's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"

 

     Some people can be positive in any situation!

     I think it’s interesting that the first four books of the New Testament that tell the story of Jesus are called, “Gospels.”  The word, “gospel” literally means, “good news.”  The story of Jesus is a story of good news.  Our faith is a good news faith.

     And really, the entire bible is one big story of how a loving God who created this world is bound and determined to rescue it from sin and death.  The bible is a story of good news.

     In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus begins his ministry by proclaiming this good news.  And notice that Jesus isn’t saying that this good news is something that will only be for the future.  This good news has already been launched in the here and now.  Listen to the past and present tenses from this verse.  Jesus says, “The time IS fulfilled, and the kingdom of God HAS come near.”

     This is the good news of the good news!  The good news is that the good news is already happening!  And it has been happening because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  Can you think of any gooder news than that?  J  Pardon my grammar!  The good news is that the good news is already happening!

     Where do you see the good news of the good news at work?  Where do you see the good news of the good news in your day-to-day living?

     We live during a time where there seems like there’s nothing but bad news.  Mass shootings seem like a common occurrence, increasing poverty, negativity abounds in politics, the threat of nuclear war – the list goes on and on.  You can see why somebody would choose to be a pessimist instead of an optimist.

     But the good news of the good news is that God’s kingdom has already come near.  The signs of God’s grace surround us in any given moment even in the midst of the struggles, pain, and difficult transitions that we face in our daily living.

     Jesus certainly knew how difficult life can be sometimes.  Mark tells us that just before Jesus began to announce the good news of God’s kingdom, that John the Baptist had been arrested.  By referring to this sad event, Mark wants us to know that in the midst of life’s struggles and disappointments, there is hope.  The kingdom of God has come near.

     Speaking of transitions, just think about Jesus calling those first disciples.  They were fishermen.  In Israel, fishing was often a family business going back several generations, even centuries.  And Jesus called these two fishermen to leave not just a hobby, but their livelihood, their family business of being fishermen in order to follow him.

     When you have a family business that has any history to it, there’s an expectation that this will carry on with the next generation if possible.  And here, these disciples were willing to say goodbye to the world as they knew it.  I can’t think of a more daring step of faith.

     When you read this scripture, you wonder if Mark wasn’t also thinking about Abraham from the Old Testament.  Like the fishermen in Mark’s Gospel, God called Abraham to leave what he was doing, his home, his whole way of living in order to follow God into an unknown future. 

     Over the years, I have had young people from my various congregations serve in the Peace Corps. Stephanie was one of those young adults and her assignment took her to Botswana, Africa.  I think it’s incredible for young people like Stephanie to make this huge commitment and help others in a foreign land. 

     In her work in the Peace Corps, Stephanie was helping to stop the spread of AIDS through the medical clinic in her village.  I remember meeting Stephanie when I first became pastor of her church.  She was teaching Sunday School for the High School youth.

     Stephanie shared with me about her decision to leave the comforts of her home and her familiar way of life. She said that there were times when she questioned if she made the right decision to serve in this way.  But then she said, “You only have one life to live so you better make sure you are living it to the fullest.”

     When she shared those thoughts, it reminded me so much of the disciples and how Jesus called them to leave everything and follow Him.  The good news isn’t just something that’s way out there in the future.  It’s also breaking into this present time.  As Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is at hand.”

     Even in the midst of life’s transitions, God is with us.  This is the good news of the good news.

     Several years ago, I received a text message on a Saturday night from someone who was a member of a previous church I had served. He wanted to know our worship times because he wanted to attend worship the next morning at the church I was serving. And so, I responded with our worship times and gave him directions.

     Just before our service that next morning, I met Mike at the front entrance of the church. You just couldn’t miss Mike because he was wearing a very bright pink polo shirt that morning. Mike always wears something pink because it was his wife’s favorite color.

     They’re house was decorated in pink. They even had beautiful pink plants all around the front of their house.

     Mike’s wife died during my time at that church. In fact, that was my last funeral before moving to my new church. I’ll never forget that funeral because Mike wore a bright pink blazer to his wife’s service.

     During my sermon at his wife’s funeral, I said that because of Mike and Wanda’s strong faith during Wanda’s fight with cancer, in my mind, pink was now the new color to symbolize the good news of our faith. In fact, this is the pink tie that I bought the day before the funeral to wear in loving memory of Wanda. 

     And so, it was not surprising at all when I spotted Mike wearing a pink polo shirt when he attended worship at my new church that Sunday morning. We hugged and had a brief conversation before the worship service began.  

     I said, “Mike, since today is All Saints’ Sunday, I’m thinking of your wife, Wanda and her strong faith.”

     Mike was taken aback. He said, “Today is All Saints’ Sunday? I didn’t know that.” Tears welled up in his eyes. He looked at me again and said, “All Saints’ Sunday. Hmm.”

     I could tell that Mike was experiencing a God moment. It just so happened that he picked that Sunday out of the blue and it ended up being the perfect Sunday for us to reconnect and for him to remember and give thanks for Wanda’s life and receive Christ’s healing love in an unexpected and holy way. 

     The good news is that the good news isn’t just something for us to receive in the future. It’s always available to us in the present moment, especially when we have a heavy heart and we are in need of comfort.

     Several year ago, I pastored a church that got hit by a tornado. When I arrived as their new pastor, they were still in the rebuilding phase and holding their Sunday worship at the local High School.

     It was a very difficult time for that congregation.  Before the tornado hit the church, they had just completed a one million dollar building expansion.  The tornado destroyed a lot of the new addition. And the congregation was faced with yet another stressful rebuilding project.

      A member of that church wrote this journal entry about her experience during that difficult time in the life of our church. Here is what she wrote about that time when her church was going through that difficult and stressful time:

     “I am discouraged and sad.  Our church was hit by a tornado several months ago. Much of the building was destroyed; the rest was badly damaged.  It will take a year to rebuild. Everyone pulled together through the clean-up and the start of the rebuilding.  

     Now, six months later, the weariness of living with construction has hit.  We’ve had flat tires from nails in the parking lot, and the strains of meeting in a dozen places around town have worn our spirits thin.

     We are caught in a conflict over the reconstruction – should we rebuild what we had or redesign for future needs?  We have differing hopes, a deep sense of loss, and competition for inadequate space. 

     Fierce disagreements among people who hold different priorities make this a tense and ragged time.  I am beset by ugliness and conflict.  I find myself in tears, wanting to run away from it all.  I desperately want God to gather me up like a sobbing child, hold me against his shoulder and comfort me.

     As I sit in the living room, the cat climbs onto my shoulder, snuggles down and purrs.  I let go of fears and strife and I settle into the peaceful joy of cat-cuddling.

     God gently whispers into my ear, ‘This is how I love you.’

     My anguish diminishes as I understand; as painful as this is, it will pass.  I am not alone.  I am in the embrace of God.”

     For Barb, she was able to embrace the good news of the good news even in the midst of the rubble and the chaos.  She was reminded of God’s love for her in a moment when she needed it the most.

     Barb eventually included this entry in a book she wrote called “Road Grace.” And the wonderful outcome of that rebuilding process while I was there as their pastor was that not only was the church able to rebuild, they ended up having enough insurance funds leftover which they ended up donating to a neighboring church that had also been hit by that same tornado. 

     Our Gospel reading tells us that as Jesus begins to share this good news that the kingdom of God has come near, he calls on some fisherman to drop what they’re doing and follow him.  “Repent and believe in the good news,” he tells them.  And they followed.

     Jesus’ announcement of the good news isn’t only for those fishermen.  It’s also for the woman whose church had been hit by a tornado and was facing the stress of rebuilding.  It’s for the widower who wears pink polo shirts and who misses his wife.  It’s for the young woman serving in the Peace Corp. It’s for the optimist AND the pessimist.

     It’s for anybody who needs to hear these words, “Now is the time! The Kingdom of God is here.”

Sunday Pastoral Prayer (Jan. 21)

Sunday Pastoral Prayer

January 21, 2024

Gracious God, thank you for the good news of the good news. You invite us to receive the good news of your salvation right now, in this moment. Not tomorrow. Not next year. But right now! Now is the time!

 

And so, we take these next moments to receive anew the good news of Jesus’ saving grace and redeeming love. 

 

We receive anew your forgiveness because we don’t need to allow regrets to define us. We receive anew your hope because cynicism has been getting us nowhere. We receive anew your joy because sorrow has been weighing us down. We receive anew your direction and guidance because we have run out of energy in following dead ends. We receive anew your gift of salvation because this alone is what breaks the power of sin and death. 

 

O God, thank you for the good news of Jesus and for this moment when we are invited to say, “yes” to you! 

 

Today, we pray for those who for those who are in need of some good news in this moment. Those who are facing health and medical challenges. Those who have recently lost loved ones. Those who are facing a time of transition in their lives. Those who are feeling discouraged and wondering what the future holds. Those who have been waiting and waiting and waiting for their prayers to be answered. 

 

Thank you for reminding us today of the good news of the good news. Your heavenly kingdom of love, justice, and mercy isn’t just something for us to look forward to in the future, but it has already begun through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus!

 

It is through his name, that we 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 (January 14) “Name Calling” by Rev. Robert McDowell (Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC)

Sermon by Rev. Robert McDowell

“Name Calling”

January 14, 2024

    Another pastor and I were at the airport and sitting at the gate waiting to board our plane when I think I heard these words over the loudspeaker: “Robert McDowell, please come to the desk.”  Since it was noisy in our gate area, it was difficult to hear the words clearly.  

     My friend was seated next to me and so I asked him, “Did my name just get mentioned over the speaker?” And he said, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they said your name.”

     Just then, there it was again, but it was still kind of difficult to hear.  I looked at my friend and I said, “I think I heard my name again.”

     So, I went over to the person behind the desk and asked her if she called my name.  And she said, “No sir. It wasn’t me.”  And I said, “But I think someone called my name and I just want to make sure that everything is ok.”  She again assured me that my name wasn’t announced.  

     She told me to check with security which wasn’t that far from our gate, which I did. And they said they hadn’t called my name either.  I checked to make sure that I still had my wallet and my car keys which I did.

     When I got back to the gate and sat down next to my friend, I said, “I’m positive that someone was calling my name.” And he said, “Yeah, I know.  That’s really strange.”

     I never did find out why I heard my name called in that airport.  It’s still a mystery to me.

     Does it make you a little nervous to think about the possibility that right now, even in this very moment, God just might be calling out your name?  It can be a little unsettling when we think our name was called and we’re not entirely sure who called for us or why. 

     I say this because of our scripture readings for this morning.  In the Old Testament, we read about the young boy, Samuel who was under the care of Eli.  One night, Samuel hears his name.  I wonder if when he heard this voice that he didn't just pull up the covers and hide under the sheets.

     But then he thought.  "Hey wait a minute.  Maybe Eli called my name.  Maybe that voice that sounded like it was right above my head was really Eli.”

     When we're scared, that's what we do, don't we?  Look for a good reason why we're hearing voices.  So, Samuel jumps out of bed and runs as fast as he can down the hallway hoping that Eli will say to him, "Yes.  That was me you heard.”  But no.  Eli says, "What are you talking about Samuel?  I didn't call you.  Go back to bed.”

     I'm guessing that Samuel didn't like that answer from Eli.  Can you imagine poor little Samuel?  I don’t think I’d want to go back into that room after hearing voices!

     Maybe you heard of the story about the little boy who couldn't sleep because of the loud thunderstorm one night.  He woke up crying in the middle of the night and his mom came to his bedroom.  And he was holding the covers close to his chin and with his voice shaking, he said, "I want you to sleep with me tonight, mommy.”

     And his mom said, "Oh, you'll be alright sweetheart.  I need to sleep with your daddy."  After a short pause, the little boy said, "The big sissy!”

     If I would have been Samuel in that situation, I would have said to Eli, "Let's see you go into that room and see how you like hearing your name called in the middle of the dark night with all of the other spooky sounds.”

     But Eli just sends Samuel back to his room.  And when he gets to his room, and probably just praying that he wouldn’t hear anymore voices, there it was again!  “Samuel.  Samuel.”   

     So he jumps out of his bed again, runs down to Eli’s room, and Eli tells him for the 2^nd time, “Little Sam, go back to your room.  It wasn’t me.  Just go to sleep.”

     Well, as we’ve already heard from our scripture reading, Samuel went back to his room after hearing his name called out for the 2^nd time & then a 3^rd time.  And it was after this 3^rd time that the wise elderly man of God, Eli, realized what was going on.  

     God was calling Samuel’s name.  And so, this time, Eli does a very wise thing.  He simply tells Samuel to go back to bed and this time, if he hears that voice again, to say, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”

     Isn’t this one of the best things that we can do for one another in the church?  To help each other not only hear God’s calling, but to respond to God’s calling.  We need each other to listen for God’s voice because hearing our name called out in the middle of the night can be a scary thing.

     Listening and responding to God’s call might cost us something.  Later on in Samuel’s life, he will realize the high stakes that are involved in saying yes to God.  Such is the life of a prophet of God.

     I think of the twelve disciples of Jesus and how they responded to his call to come and follow him.  Little did they know that the road of discipleship would lead them to a wooden cross on a hill called Golgotha on which the one who had called their names to follow him would die, but it would also lead them to an empty tomb of victory.

     When Martin Luther King Jr., heard God call his name to become a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, I wonder just how much he realized the danger he would face in responding to this call. Here he was with a wife and a young family.  So much to lose.  And how much would be gained?  

     In his pursuit of nonviolent means to bring racial equality to all of our country, he was arrested, his home was bombed, and he was subjected to personal abuse. 

     Over an eleven-year span from 1957 to 1968, Dr. King traveled over 6 million miles and spoke over 2,500 times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action.  He also led massive protests in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world providing what he called a coalition of conscience.

     He is perhaps most remembered for the peaceful march which he directed to Washington, D.C. which consisted of a quarter of a million people and at the end of that march he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

     During the evening of April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in Memphis, Tennessee.  Even though Dr. King was killed by a bullet that night, his dream for equality lives on.  His dream for a just America and a just world lives on.  

     Did you know that Dr. King’s dream is rooted in God’s dream? A world where there is no hatred. A world where there is no hunger, no injustice. A world where all people are treated with respect. A world where medicine is available to all people. A world of hope. A world of promise. A world of God’s love.A world of forgiveness. A world where all things are made new. 

     Can you imagine such a world?  This is the world that God has intended from the very beginning.  This is the world that God is calling you and me to build and reclaim for God.

     And God does this by calling each of us by name. It might not be an audible voice in the middle of the night as it was for Samuel, but God does call out our names to come and follow Him and make a difference in the world. To bring hope where there is no hope. To bring light to where there is darkness. To build a better world. A just world.

     Several years ago, I had a conversation with a young man who was visiting a friend in the hospital. The person he was visiting was in the same hospital room of the church member that I was visiting. 

     I noticed that he was reading a bible and so I said to him, “It looks like you’re a person of faith.” And his eyes lit up as he told me a little of his faith journey and how he had been baptized in his early teens.

     He said that when he got older, he kind of let his faith slide, but now he was really close with the Lord.  

     And then he told me something really interesting.  He said, “You won’t believe what happened to me this past summer.” He went on to say that he was driving down the road when he said that he felt that God was calling out his name.  

     He said, “It was the strangest thing. I could tell that God was trying to get my attention. It was like God wanted me to stop at a church somewhere. But I kind of shrugged it off and kept driving. And I drove past this little church.   But the more I drove, the more it became clear to me that I should have stopped at that church. And so, I turned the car around and went back to that little church, but the only person that was there was this painter. He was painting the outside of the church building. And I asked him if the pastor was available.”   

     And he said,“You just missed him. He left.”

     “And so, I was pretty down because I felt like I missed out on something big that God wanted me to do.  I got in my car and kept on driving down the road when I felt God calling me again. And this time, I could sense that God wanted me to cash a check that I had in my wallet and give $20 of that check to somebody who really needed it.”

     You should have seen this man’s eyes light up as he continued his story. He said, “I know this all sounds far-fetched, but honest to God, this is exactly what happened to me that day. After I cashed my check, I got in my car and started to leave when I noticed this handicapped woman and her son on the sidewalk along the road. And I could tell that God wanted me to help them.”

     “And so, I stopped at the next parking lot and parked my car. As soon as I got out of my car, this little boy had already run up to me. Without even saying a word, this little boy gives me this big hug and says…He says to me… ‘Thank you for helping us. Thank you for helping us.’”

     “As I was being hugged by this little boy, I kept asking myself, ‘How did this little boy know that I was going to help them?’ And I gave this boy’s mother the $20 and I said to her,‘I believe God wanted me to give this to you. God bless you.’”

     After he told me this incredible story, this man paused, looked right into my eyes and said, “If that isn’t strange enough, after I got in my car and drove away, I felt that the Lord was telling me to tell a pastor about what had just happened. I felt it so strongly. And come to think of it, you are the first pastor that I have told this story. I think you’re that pastor.”

     I just kind of smiled and nodded. And I thought to myself, “Here’s someone who truly believes that God called his name, and somehow I got drawn into his story.” And now, guess what? You have all just been included in this guy’s amazing story. 

     But isn’t it true, that we often become part of each other’s stories as we listen and respond to God’s calling in our lives?  

     We all get swept into this story of God calling Samuel’s name. Our name is called. We’re nervous and we’re scared.  The stakes seem so high. And we’re left with a choice.  

     Do we dare follow this God or do we hide under the covers?    

Sunday Pastoral Prayer (January 14) Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

Sunday Pastoral Prayer

January 14, 2024

God of surprises, open our ears to hear you call our name. Whether it be in the middle of the night like Samuel or in the middle of the day, teach us what it means to hear your voice. And when you do call our name, remind us that you are inviting us to be included in your story where you are drawing people into a closer relationship with you.

 

Today, we lift up to you the people and situations that are in need of your love, your healing, your guidance, your wisdom, and your strength. You know what each person needs far more than what our limited understanding allows. Even in this very moment, may those who are in need of you this day, hear you speak their name, reminding them that your grace is more than sufficient to care for their needs. 

 

Just as you called upon young Samuel to respond to your calling so long ago, we also lift up to you the young people of today. We pray for our schools and our teachers in the important work of providing a safe place for them to grow in knowledge and in the skills that are needed to help them reach their potential.  In this unsteady and confusing world, may your joy and hope be kept alive in them. Reassure them that they truly are your blessed, beloved, and beautiful children of God. 

 

And on this Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, may we all respond to your call to actively work for peace, justice, and equality for all. 

 

O God, lead all of us to respond to your calling in our lives by saying, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” We pray this in the name of Jesus who calls us by name and who invites us to pray these words 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 (January 7/Baptism of the Lord Sunday) “Who Am I?” by Rev. Robert McDowell

January 7, 2023 Sermon

“Who Am I?”

     One of my favorite movies is “Bourne Identity,” starring Matt Damon. It’s a fictional story about a secretive military project of our government in which government officials change the identity of selected individuals without their full consent so that the government can use them to accomplish their military purposes.

     One of these individuals is Jason Bourne who begins to have flashbacks of who he really is. When the government discovers that he is beginning to remember his past identity, they do everything in their power to kill him to protect their highly secretive project from being leaked to the public.

     It’s one of my favorite movies because not only is it filled with action and suspense, but it also deals with a very basic question of life that we all struggle to understand. That question is, “Who am I?”

     Someone once said that if you don’t know who you are, someone will tell you. That’s why it’s important that we know who we are. 

     Comedian Lily Tomlin once said, “I’ve always wanted to be somebody, but I see now I should have been more specific.”

     In the book, The Mask Behind the Mask, biographer Peter Evans says that actor Peter Sellers played so many roles he sometimes was not sure of his own identity. Approached once by a fan who asked him, “Are you Peter Sellers?” Sellers answered briskly, “Not today.”

     When God created human beings, we were created in the image of God. And when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River to begin his ministry, a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

     Whenever we celebrate a baptism, it’s God’s way of reminding us that we have a very special identity. We belong to God. We are God’s sons and daughters.

     Regardless of how bad of a day you had, the good news of our faith is that we can know our identity. We belong to God!

     This is why Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. It wasn’t because he sinned and needed to be forgiven by God. Jesus’ baptism confirmed his identity as God’s Son. 

     I wonder how many times Jesus thought back to his baptism especially when he faced adversity and challenges. Right after Jesus was baptized, Matthew tells us that Jesus was sent into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. It was in the wilderness where he faced the temptation to accept a different identity.

     Since Jesus knew who he was and what God had called him to accomplish, he made it through that wilderness experience. If anything, it provided even more confirmation of his true identity.

     During the week before his death, the leaders of the temple challenged Jesus. They demanded to know by what authority he was doing these things. Do you remember how Jesus answered them? He indirectly referred to his baptism and he told them, “This is why I do what I do.”

     And when Jesus cried out from the cross, “It is finished,” I believe that he had his baptism in mind because he knew that he had totally lived out his identity and fulfilled the mission that God had given him to do. Jesus was able to be who he was and do what he did because God had claimed him for this special purpose at his baptism.

     If that’s true for Jesus, then I think that’s true for us as well. As we go through our day to day living, we can be pulled in so many different ways. Our culture is more than willing to tell us who we are if we don’t already know who we are.

     Tara Woodard Lehman is a Christian blogger who has many thought provoking articles. She’s also a Presbyterian pastor and former chaplain at Princeton University. In one of her articles, she tells about a conversation she had with a college student who was spiritual but was very suspicious of organized religion.

    He asked, “I mean, I get why you’re into being spiritual and helping people and everything, but why bother with church? I just don’t get that part. Do you really think you need it?”

     He went on to describe how irrelevant the Church was. In his view, all the Church once provided can be found elsewhere in secular life. 

     From community service projects to book clubs; from outreach to the poor to potlucks; from meditation groups to support groups; he described the many other places that provide much of what the Church used to and occasionally still does provide.

     As Tara reflected on this student’s honest question about why bother with church since you can do pretty much the same types of things in other places, she offers this thoughtful response.

     “After giving it much consideration, I’ve decided that there is at least one very good reason why I need Church: I have a really bad memory.

     It’s true. I have a terrible memory. Especially when it comes to remembering who I am as a child of God. Especially when it comes to remembering what God has done, and continues to do, in and through Jesus Christ.

     I forget who I am. I forget who God is. I forget God’s epic story of redemption and liberation and renewal and beauty and hope.

     I forget. A lot.

     On top of that, there are a gazillion other demands and voices that are vying for my attention all the time.

     So, I admit it. I get tired. And I get distracted. And more often than not, I forget.

     I need church, because church reminds me of everything that’s important.”

    I love Tara’s response. It’s through the church that the Sacrament of Baptism reminds us of who we are since we can so easily forget. Baptism is one of those events in life that can mean more to us long after the event than when it actually took place.

     The day of our baptism is like the day we go to the bookstore to buy a travel book about a city we will be visiting while on vacation. The book can tell us all about the places we should go and eat, but eventually we have to take the trip and find our way around.

     Our whole life is a journey that first begins at our baptism. Baptism is just the beginning of the long journey. And like most journeys, there will be challenges and struggles along the way. 

     We will need to discern when to play it safe and when to get out of our comfort zones and step out in complete faith. We will wrestle with what is right and what is wrong and what’s important and what’s not important. We will experience temptations that are very enticing and there will be times that we will question if we really are who God claims us to be. 

     Regardless of what age we may have been baptized; as an infant, as a teenager, or as an adult, baptism increases in meaning as we journey through life. God’s claim on our lives through baptism will guide us along the way especially during those times when we experience self-doubt and confusion.

     It has been said that whenever the great 16^th century Reformation leader, Martin Luther was going through a challenging time in his life that he would place his hand on his head and say to himself, “I am baptized.”  

     Whenever I go running along a path that follows a stream or a river, often times, the sound of the water going over the rocks prompts me to remember my baptism and of who I am in Jesus Christ. 

     In the movie, “The Help,” a black maid named Aibee cares for a little white girl whose name is Mae Mobley Leefort. Aibee witnesses the child being hurt over and over again by the child’s mother. Aibee decides to do something about it.

     Every day, she tells the young child in her care something good about herself. Several scenes in the movie bring us to Aibee holding baby girl, Mae Mobley, and sharing these words to her. 

     “You a smart girl. You a kind girl, Mae Mobley. You hear me?  You is kind, you is smart, you is important!”

     As soon as Mae Mobley learns to talk, Aibee is having her repeat this self-affirmation. When Aibee is forced to leave the household, she reminds Mae Mobley of these words one last time. She didn’t want her to ever forget her true identity.

     The words that Jesus heard at his baptism, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased,” were words that stayed with him throughout his ministry. These were the words that sustained him when he felt alone. 

     These were the words that helped him face opposition and adversity. These were the words that reminded him of his mission and purpose in the world.

     When we hear the words, “Remember your baptism and be thankful,” that’s how we remember who we are. We belong to Christ.

Sunday Pastoral Prayer (January 7/Baptism of the Lord Sunday) Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

Sunday, January 7, 2024 

(Baptism of the Lord Sunday)

Pastoral Prayer

O God, on this Sunday of new beginnings, be with us as we renew our baptisms and receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Thank you for this wonderful way for us to begin 2024.

 

Grant each of us a fresh start in being reminded that we are your beloved children. Whenever we forget this basic truth of who we are, may the sound of water, whether it be by a lake, a river, a stream, or even simply drawing water from the sink remind us of our baptism and that we are cleansed from our sins and we belong to you. 

 

As Christmas decorations are put away, may we never put away your light that shines brightly in our lives. May the same light that led the Wise Men to the Christ Child in Bethlehem also be our light in this new year ahead.

 

Be our light in the midst of any darkness we may face. Shine brightly upon the people on our church’s prayer list as well as the many others who are on our hearts and minds this day. Shine upon those who are facing health problems, those with heavy hearts, those who feel alone, those who have been waiting a long time for a prayer to be answered, those who are in need of a listening ear, those who are discouraged and in need of a new direction in life. 

 

O God, be our Epiphany light throughout this new year. We pray this in the name of Jesus, the light of the world who taught us to pray together saying…

 

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.

Sunday Pastoral Prayer (Dec. 31) Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

Pastoral Prayer

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Faithful God, as we reflect on this past year, we are grateful for your light of hope that guided us through the difficult, uncertain, and challenging times; your light of love that reminded us that nothing can ever separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord; your light of joy where we experienced your presence just when we needed it the most; and your light of peace that calmed us during our times of anxiety and fear. Thank you for each of these Advent Candles of hope, love, joy, and peace.

God of new beginnings, we also thank you for the Christ Candle for when the carols have been stilled, when the star-topped tree is taken down, when family and friends are gone home, when we are back to our schedules, remind us that this is when the real work of Christmas begins: To be welcoming to all, To help bring healing a world of so much need, To feed the hungry, To build bridges of trust, To share our gifts, To seek justice and peace for all people, and To bring Christ’s light to the world.

Hear our prayers this day for all who are on our hearts and minds and with those on our prayer list. We pray that your healing, guiding, restoring, and strengthening presence will be with them this day and into the new year. 

As we travel with the Wise Men to Bethlehem this week in celebration of Epiphany, may your star of wonder, star of light, guide us to your perfect light. We pray this in the name of the newborn King, Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is in his name, that we 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.