Sermon (May 17/Ascension Sunday) “Good Night & Good Luck?” by Rev. Robert McDowell

May 17, 2026

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

     Several years ago, Penny and I saw the movie, “Good Night & Good Luck.”  It’s a movie that tells the story about the CBS newscaster, Edward R. Murrow, who in the 1950s, stood up to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s accusations of people being involved in communism.

     I found the movie very interesting, but I must say that I was bothered by his send off phrase that he would use after every news episode, “Good Night and Good luck.”  I don’t know about you, but I’m in need of something more than just luck.

     In our scripture reading this morning, Jesus shares final words with the disciples before ascending into heaven.  I’m sure it was an emotional and tearful moment.  They had been through so much together over a three-year period and it was now time for Jesus to leave them.  Jesus didn’t tell the disciples, “good luck” as he was being lifted from their presence.

     No.  Luke tells us that he lifted his hands and blessed them and he continued to bless them as he ascended into heaven.

     Of all the elements of a worship service; including the music, the sermon, and the prayers; there’s one element of worship in particular which sometimes gets forgotten and that’s the benediction.

     My first pastorate was as a student intern. The Senior Pastor was on vacation one Sunday and had invited a guest pastor to preach on that particular Sunday.

     My job as the student intern was to welcome this guest pastor and assist in the worship service such as handling the prayers and the scripture reading.  Before we went into the sanctuary for worship, I asked this visiting pastor if he would like to offer the benediction when the service was over.

     And he said to me, “No.  I really think you should offer the benediction.  That’s something that the congregation should hear from you.”

     I’ll never forget that brief conversation which was over 40 years ago, and since then, I have tried to never take this last piece of the worship service for granted.

     What really is the benediction?  It’s a blessing upon the congregation as they prepare to go forth to live out the good news of Jesus Christ during the week.

     The idea is that every Sunday morning when we come to this place for worship, we receive a blessing from Christ.  Or to put it another way, you and I receive a blessing at the end of worship so that we can in turn go into our community to be a blessing to others.

     The Apostle Paul reminds us that the living out of our faith has nothing to do with luck and has everything to do with who Jesus is. 

     His prayer of blessing upon the Church of Ephesus is that…

 “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.”

     Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, Luke tells us that Jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures.  And specifically, he explained again the meaning of his crucifixion and resurrection and told them, “You are witnesses of these things.  And once you receive the Holy Spirit, you are to proclaim this good news.”

     Jesus didn’t leave the disciples with luck.  His plan was to make sure that they would continue to live out his ministry by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit which they would soon be receiving.

     Instead of luck, Jesus is offering to each one of us the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide, empower, equip, and comfort us as we live out our faith.

     When we say “good luck” to someone, it sounds very passive as if there’s nothing that they need to do to achieve their goals. But when we offer a blessing on someone to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct them in their life, God can do some amazing things through them.

       I was having lunch with a member of a church in the same community where I was serving as pastor. We were getting to know each other and he shared how the Holy Spirit had guided someone in his church to start a really creative but simple way to connect the church with the community.

     He said that this member got approval from the church to build an outside basketball court for people in the community to use. But he said it wasn’t just about building an outside basketball court. The idea was to initiate relationships with people in the community who would would use it.

     To help with this, they intentially place a basketball on the court during a time of the day when young people are walking by the church so that they will be more likely to start playing.  And then this church has someone watching all of this and when that person sees a young person or a group of people gather on that court, that church member goes and starts shooting baskets with them with the intention of getting to know them and to build relationships. 

     As these positive relationships are formed, they begin to bring their friends and family members to the church.  Because of the blessing of the Holy Spirit, this creative new ministry has become a bridge between the church and the community.

     When Jesus left the disciples by ascending into heaven, he also offered a blessing upon them to allow the Holy Spirit to empower them to be intentional in sharing the good news of Christ with others.

     I notice that Jesus didn’t give the disciples a detailed strategy on how to go about being his witnesses.  He pretty much left that up to us to figure out.  God gave us minds to think these things through and the Holy Spirit to empower us to carry forth his mission.

     He doesn’t want us to depend on luck to fulfill His purposes.  He wants us to participate with him and to share in the joy of sharing the love of Christ in our community and world.

     Ascension Day is an opportunity for us to receive Jesus’ blessing to carry on his ministry here on earth even though he is not physically present with us. We don’t have to rely on luck, thank goodness for that!

     Jesus’ blessing upon us is to await the coming of the Holy Spirit who will guide and empower us to be a blessing to others.

     As you go through your week, think back to this moment when you received this blessing from Jesus. Know that he is sending you the Holy Spirit who will enable you to do more than you can ever think, dream, or imagine.

     And this would be a good time for me to close out this sermon by personally saying to each one of us.

     Good day and God bless!

Sunday (May 17/Ascension Sunday) Pastoral Prayer

May 17, 2026 (Ascension Sunday)

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

Thank you Lord for your shalom and for your blessing on this Ascension Day. Thank you that we do not need to rely on having good luck in living out our faith because you have given us everything we need to be your faithful disciples.

Just as you have blessed us before ascending into heaven, lead us to be a blessing to others. Where there is hunger, may we bless others with food. Where there is despair, may we bless others with hope. Where there is grief, may we bless others with a comforting presence. Where there is conflict, may we bless others with shalom.

 

And even in this moment, we want to be a blessing to others with our prayers. Bless those who are on our church’s prayer list. Bless our family and friends. Bless the people who live in this community. Bless our leaders and those who are in positions of authority. Bless all who are in need of you today that they too would know that they don’t need to rely on having good luck because you are a God who cares about their every need.

 

Thank you for sending us Jesus who lived, who died, who rose again, who ascended to heaven, and who gave us this prayer 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 (May 10/Mother’s Day) “What the World Needs Now” by Rev. Robert McDowell

May 10, 2026

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

    I wonder how many of us who saw this sermon title have this song playing on an endless loop in our heads right now.

     “What the world needs now. Is love sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”

     It’s such a simple melody that even I can sing it!

     It’s a song that was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and was sung by (DeeAhn) Dionne Warwick back in 1965. And what is so amazing about this song is that they didn’t think it would be well received, but it made it all the way up to #7 on the record chart that year.

      And the reason they didn’t think the song was going to be a hit is because it was written during the Vietnam War era which was dividing our country at the time. The lyrics could easily be heard as anti-war and unpatriotic.

     The popularity of this song just goes to show how much the world is longing for their to be more love despite our many disagreements and differences. Love is a universal language. This song came to my mind as I was reading over our appointed scripture readings for today because they both are appealing to our universal desire for their to be more love in our world. 

    

     In our Gospel reading, Jesus is preparing his disciples for when he would be leaving them. Of course they don’t fully understand that Jesus is referring to when he will be dying on a cross and then rising to new life. So, Jesus is offering this long farewell discourse to them, to not only instruct them but to also comfort them.

     Jesus uses the word, “love” several times in our Gospel reading for today. He says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.”

     And then a couple verses later, he tells them, “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

     Jesus isn’t just telling the disciples to follow all of his teachings and commandments. He is using this time to remind them why it’s important to follow all of his teachings and commandments. These commandments help us to remember that the whole point of being a disciple of Jesus is to know that we are loved by God, that we are to love God, and that we are to love others with God’s love.

     Another way to put it is that we are each called to have a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith. We grow in having a Loving Faith by loving God and others with our hearts through Sunday worship and through our fellowship together.

      We grow in having a Learning Faith by learning more about God and our faith with our minds by reading our bibles and books about the bible. Quick little note here – when you read a book about the bible, make sure that it is based on well respected bible scholars and authors.

     And we also grow in having a Living Faith in the way that we live out our faith by serving others with our hands through service and outreach and living out our membership vows in offering to God our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.

     All of this is what helps us to be disciples of Jesus. We are called to be growing in what it means to have a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith.

     Jesus is encouraging his disciples to keep loving, keep learning, and keep living out their faith even after he will be leaving them. And notice that Jesus also tells them that they will not be alone even after he leaves them. He will be sending them an Advocate, the Holy Spirit who will continue to help them to grow in being the loving people that he has called them to be.

     We are never done growing in our faith. I think this is what Jesus is trying to get across to the disciples. It is a lifelong journey in becoming more and more like Jesus.

     This reminds me of the old joke of the three pastors who met for lunch one day. The one pastor goes off about his problem with bats at his church. “I’ve tried everything to get rid of them, they just won’t leave.”

     The second pastor added, “We have a similar problem at our church. We’ve tried cats, sprays, noise, light. They just won’t go away.”

     The third pastor says, “Well, this is what worked at our church. I baptized them and confirmed them, and I haven’t seen them since!”

     This old joke reminds us in a cynical kind of way that our faith doesn’t end when we are baptized or become members of a church. That’s only the beginning of our walk with Jesus.

     As much as I loved my 3rd grade Sunday School teacher, I can’t imagine what my faith would be like if my faith stayed at a 3rd grade level. And actually, it would have been a disservice to my 3rd grade Sunday School teacher if I felt that what I learned in the 3rd grade was all I needed for the rest of my life.

     I also needed other mentors, and pastors, and friends, and family members to continue to guide me in my faith through my youth and college years, and into my adult years. I needed more spiritual faith formation groups to help shape me and encourage me along the way.  

     I needed bible studies that would challenge my theological assumptions. I needed to hear other Christian voices who I didn’t know even existed who helped me see the scriptures through other lenses of faith rather than simply through my limited perspectives and experiences as important as they are.

     The Holy Spirit is who will help us to continue to discover, explore, ask questions, and rethink our faith throughout our lifetime. We are never done growing in what it means to have a Loving Faith, a Learning Faith, and a Living Faith.

     It’s this willingness to be a lifelong learner that helps us to love Jesus more and more every single day. And the more that we love Jesus, the more that we will also share God’s love with those around us.

    On this Mother’s Day, I think of my mom who passed away in 2012. I definitely get a lot of my faith from her. She set the example in our household in what it means to have a loving faith, a learning faith, and a living faith.

     My mom started out as a beautician and she and my aunt had their own beauty shop. My mom was our barber at home as well. My favorite memory was when my mom would have me sit in a chair, put the barber cape on me, and cut my hair.

     I think my mom and I had the best mother/son conversations during those haircuts. We would talk about family and friends, about school, and about our faith. I could talk to mom about anything during those times sitting in that chair while trying to be completely still for 30 minutes.

     This memory of my mom reminds me that when we take time for each other and listen, really listen to each other and share our struggles, our joys, our hopes, our dreams, our questions, and our doubts is one of the most loving things we can do for each other. It’s how we can grow in having a more loving faith.

    Christian singer, Amy Grant has shared how her faith in Christ has grown and matured over the years.

     Whenever she approaches the bible and how to understand it and apply it in her life, she uses this little prayer as a guide, “Jesus - you just narrowed it down to two things: love God & love each other.”

     And this brings us back to what I said earlier in the sermon. The whole point of being a disciple of Jesus is to know that we are loved by God, that we are to love God, and that we are to love others with God’s love. And that’s a good thing because…

     “What the world needs now more than ever is love sweet love.”

Sunday (May 10/Mothers’ Day) Pastoral Prayer

Sunday, May 10, 2026 (Mothers’ Day)

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

Thank you, O God for that beautiful solo. We’re not sure if this is our prayer to you for there to be more love in the world, or if this is your challenge to us this morning. Probably a little of both.

 

But what is certain is that what the world needs now is love, sweet love. Thank you for Jesus’ words to us today reminding us that love is the most important part in what it means to be your disciples.

Love is what builds bridges and leads to caring relationships. Love is what binds us together. 

 

On this Mothers’ Day, we lift up to you our mothers who have given us life and love. We pray for mothers who have lost a child through death, that their faith may give them hope.

 

We pray for women, though without children of their own, who like mothers have nurtured and cared for us. We pray for mothers, who have been unable to be a source of strength, who have not responded to their children and have not sustained their families.

 

Loving God, as a mother gives life and nourishment to her children, so you watch over each and every one of us.

 

And we pray that you would watch over those who are in particular need of you this day, those facing medical challenges, those who are grieving and in need of comfort, those who are in need of guidance and direction, and those who are feeling alone and anxious. May your love surround each of these persons with the assurance that nothing can separate them from your great love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

We pray this in the name of Jesus who taught us to say 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.

Discussion Questions (May 3) “A Peculiar People” by Rev. Robert McDowell

Discussion Questions

“A Peculiar People”

May 3, 2026

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that someone is described as being “peculiar?”

 

What are some reasons why it might be a good thing for you to be described as someone who is “peculiar?”

 

Our scripture reading from I Peter this morning says, “but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people…” The King James Version offers a slightly different wording.  It says that we are a “peculiar” people.

 

In what ways was Jesus “peculiar” in what he taught and how he treated people?

 

Thomas a’ Kempis was a Christian who lived during the 1400s. He wrote a Christian devotional book called, The Imitation of Christ which has become known as one of the most influential books ever written on the topic of Christian spirituality. It was one of John Wesley’s favorite books and had a huge impact in how he approached his faith. He encouraged the early Methodists to read it as well to help them in their walk with Christ. As the title of the book suggests, it encourages people to imitate Christ by living a life of love and humility like Jesus did. In a world that can promote selfishness, pride, and power, imitating Christ in our everyday lives is what makes us a peculiar people according to our I Peter scripture reading this morning.

 

What are some practical ways that we can imitate Christ in the way we relate to others and the needs of our community and world?

 

One of the reasons why the early church grew so rapidly the first few centuries was because those early followers saw themselves as peculiar people. They offered a radical new way of living that caught people off guard. For example, Tertullian, a 2nd century Roman writer reported that the Romans said this about the Christians, “See, how they love one another!”

 

 Justin Martyr, a leading Christian leader also from the 2nd century described the early church this way: “We who used to value the acquisition of wealth and possessions more than anything else now bring what we have into a common fund and share it with anyone who needs it. We used to hate and destroy one another and refused to associate with people of another race or country. Now, because of Christ, we live together with such people and pray for our enemies.”

 

Notice that in describing how Christians are a “peculiar” people, both of these quotes focus on how Christians love all people regardless of any cultural, racial, or national differences, including those who are considered enemies.

 

What stands out to you about this observation that what makes Christians a “peculiar” people is in how they treat others, especially those who are seen as different?

 

Someone once said that “your life maybe the only Bible some people ever read.” In other words, people are more likely to see Jesus in us if we are more like Jesus in how we live. Let’s close our discussion time by once again praying the prayer that we said together earlier in our worship service. This is a prayer that can help us to be the peculiar people that God is calling us to be. 

Let us pray in unison:

 

O Lord, we confess that too often the ways of the world have been our ways. We have lingered at the altars of fear, greed, impatience, and unkindness. Our actions have not been consistent with our words. We have sought salvation in unholy alliances and have brought division upon your world. Forgive us our sins and feed us with your grace that we might be a people redeemed and whole, dedicated to the way of Jesus with all our strength and all our minds and all our souls. Amen.