Sermon (September 24) “The Sting of Grace” by Rev. Robert McDowell

September 24, 2023

    One summer, I was trimming the grass around one of the trees in the back yard, when I felt this sting in my leg.  I didn’t think too much of it.  I was wearing shorts and figured that a little stone had hit me in the leg, so I kept mowing.

     But then I felt another little sting on my leg and then another one.   And I thought to myself, this is ridiculous.  And that’s when I realized that bees were stinging me.  I guess they were under the ground around that tree, and they were letting me know it. 

     I wonder if the disciples felt like they were getting stung when Jesus told them this parable of the workers in the vineyard.  Jesus’ parables sometimes have a sting to them.  Just when you think you have Jesus all figured out, he tells a story like this one, and he leaves you confused, upset, angry, and frustrated.  You just got stung by grace.

    The good bible commentaries will tell you to just accept the ambiguity that is present in parables such as these and to allow the sting of the story to linger with us. The not so good commentaries often try to rationalize these stories to help us ignore their sting.        

     Well, anyway, here’s the parable.

     Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like this…Once upon a time there lived a landowner.  And this landowner who operated an impressive vineyard, got up really early one morning to hire some workers to give him an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.  These workers saw this as a pretty good deal, so they headed out to the fields.

     For some reason, this vineyard owner goes back to the marketplace (it’s now around mid-morning) and he notices some guys just standing around and he says to them, “Hey, if you’re looking for work, I’m in need of some strong backs for my vineyard.  If you work out in the fields for the rest of the day, I’ll pay you whatever’s right.”  And off they go to join the other workers who have already been out there since the crack of dawn.

     This owner does the same thing at noon and at 3 o’clock.  Both times, he notices more guys just standing around without any work to do and he tells them the same thing.  “If you work the rest of the day in my fields, I’ll pay you what is right.”  They jump at the chance.  And so, the noon group and later the 3 o’clock, group move alongside the early and mid-morning workers who have already broken a great big sweat out there in the hot sun.  

     And then 5 o’clock rolls around – it’s almost the end of the workday.  The owner makes yet another trip into the marketplace to look for workers, and sure enough, there’s a few more, and he tells them that he will pay them what is right if they are willing to hurry up and work the final hour or two.

     Evening comes and this vineyard owner tells his manager to give each group their pay for the day.  And they all come in from the fields.  And I can imagine that the early morning workers are thinking that they are going to get their pay first since they were there all day.  That’s how these things usually work.

     But no.  The manager first calls the 5 o’clock workers to get their pay.  And the kicker is - they are each given a full day’s wage for working only an hour or two.  What a surprise for them!  How lucky could they be - to have been standing in the marketplace just at the right time and at the right place, for this vineyard owner to have spotted them, and then to receive a full day’s wage for just a small amount of work.   

     Here they thought they were going to have to split a 6-pack.  But now they have some real money to cover some expenses. 

     This manager then calls the 3 o’clock, the 12 o’clock, and the 9 o’clock workers forward and they too receive a full day’s pay for less than a full day’s work.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

     And then the crack-of-dawn workers step up to the manager, thinking that they are going to get more than what they had agreed on earlier in the day.  “We’ve been breaking our backs in this hot sun this entire day – Who knows how much more he’s going to give us.”

     And when we get to this point of the parable, we are thinking, “Hey I like this story, Jesus.  This is a story about having a good work ethic.  These guys who have been out in the fields the entire day, will surely get time and a half pay.  This is a story about working your tail off and getting an extra reward for it.”

     Nope.  We next read that the all-day workers got the same amount that everybody else got.  Even those one-hour losers. You just got stung!

     But they’re not willing to take the money and go home.  They’re not going to go quietly.  And so, they push aside the manager, and storm over to the vineyard owner who hired them in the first place, and with sweat dripping from their foreheads, they angrily point to the one-hour workers who are going down the road with a wad of bills and they are saying, “This is no way to run a business.  Give us what belongs to us.”

     And the owner calmly explains, “Guys, there’s been no wrong done here.  You were OK with this amount when I hired you this morning.  Just take your money and go home.  And by the way, ‘it’s none of your business what I give to the other workers.  That’s my business.’”

     Jesus – where did you get these parables?  What kind of message are you trying to send?

     When I was in college, I worked 3^rd shift at a plastics factory during the summers and the holidays.  My usual 8-hour night would have me sitting on a metal stool with no back support by a hot factory press.  And about every 45 seconds, the operating press would open and drop a really hot plastic part down into a bin.  I would then trim the plastic part and put it in a box.   

     It was the most monotonous job I have ever done but I ended up making a pretty good hourly wage to help me during my college years. There were some nights though, where I thought the shift would never end. Plus, it was so hard to adjust to sleeping during the day.  

     So, as I think about this parable of Jesus, I can’t help but to wonder how I might have reacted if the company had workers come in that last hour of my shift and then on pay day finding out that we all get paid the same amount! 

     Thinking about this parable, can you imagine what these workers who had been under the scorching heat in the vineyards all day must have felt?  Sweaty, tired, body aching, bugs, dirt, - what kind of boss is this who treats everybody as if they worked the entire day?

     This parable has a sting to it.  There’s no way around it.  I don’t blame the all-day workers for being upset.

     But we’re supposed to make sense of this parable, aren’t we? Why does Jesus tell us these kinds of counter-intuitive stories.

     Here’s my take for what it’s worth.

     Jesus is trying to wake us up on this Sunday morning and point us to a God who is ridiculously and irrationally, gracious, generous, and loving toward all people, especially those who we think deserve it the least. And sometimes the only way for Jesus to get through to sensible and fair-minded people is to tell these crazy stories that have a sting to them that force us to rethink who God is.  

     God is ridiculously gracious, generous, and loving toward all people. 

     This vineyard owner went out of his way to shower blessings on as many people as possible.  And he did such a good job, that he ended up ticking off the all-day workers.

     Here’s the takeaway for today. Grace is not a rational concept.  What’s rational is to keep everything fair, equitable, make everything proportionate.  That’s rational.  But grace is not rational.

     Grace is embarrassingly generous and many times, disproportionate.

     This is a parable to help us see who God is. This is a parable that has a sting to it. 

     I had the wonderful privilege to serve early in my ministry, as an Associate Pastor at a large United Methodist Church.   Fresh out of seminary and newly ordained, I was one of three full time pastors on staff.  

     Toward the end of my first year there, it was the beginning of the month of December, I received a check from the church for over $1,000.  This was in addition to my regular paycheck.

     I didn’t understand why I received this extra check of over $1,000, so I went to the Senior Pastor.  And he said, “It’s yours.”  And I said, “But why am I getting this?”

     And he said, “Well – like I told you when you came on staff, the three of us put all of our honorarium checks into one fund and then we divide it up three ways at the end of the year.  And that’s your third.”

     And I said, “Well I understand that.  But I’ve only been with you for six months and since I’m new here, I’ve only received one honorarium check of $50 to put into that fund, and here I’m getting a check for over $1,000.  That’s not fair to you or to Dan because you both did all of the work.  I can’t accept this.  It’s not right.  The two of you should divide up that fund.”

     And I’ll never forget this. This Senior Pastor looked into my eyes, and he said to me, “You don’t understand grace, do you?” 

     Here I had put a measly $50 into that fund, and yet I was receiving way more than I deserved. Way more.  It just didn’t seem right.  And I will never forget his words to me, “You don’t understand grace, do you?”  I thought I did, but wow, did I have a lot to learn. 

     Grace is not easy to understand.  In fact, I’ve given up trying to understand it.  I think that it’s one of the things that if you think that you understand it, you probably don’t.

     This parable from Matthew 20 is just one parable among many in which we are blown away by God’s generosity.  

     We just can’t avoid the sting of grace if we are serious about following Jesus. 

     We feel the sting of grace whenever we forgive those who have sinned against us.  I feel this sting every time I pray the Lord’s prayer.  “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.”  Forgiving is one of the hardest things in the world.  It doesn’t make sense, but it’s the way of Jesus.

     We feel the sting of grace when we are painfully reminded that we still have so much more to learn about grace.

     We feel the sting of grace when Jesus starts meddling with our concepts of economics, fairness, and justice. How dare Jesus to be messing with my politics, my worldview, and how I have interpreted the Bible all of these years. I know what the Bible says. Don’t confuse me. 

     We feel the sting of grace when Jesus reminds us to show mercy toward those who don’t think like us or act like us or have the same values like us.  Jesus calls us to love all people, not judge them or criticize them.

     And then there’s the sting of grace whenever we are reminded of the price that Jesus paid for our sins by dying on a wooden cross 2,000 years ago on Good Friday.  As Jesus hung on that cross, he said “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

     And here’s the hot take for today. We don’t always have to figure Jesus out. We don’t always have to explain what he might be up to in telling these stories. These parables, as unsettling as they may be, are meant to push us out of our comfort zones where we never stop asking questions about our faith. 

     Several years ago, Penny and I were in the middle of a Sunday School class of young adults, mostly couples.  And one of the class members said, “Um, would somebody explain the concept of grace to me?  Because I just don’t get it.”

     After class, Penny and I spent the next several minutes trying to explain the meaning of grace to him.  And after our long discussion, he said, “I’m sorry but I still don’t get it.”   

     And then I thought, maybe he does get it, but he just doesn’t know it.  Here is someone who has trouble believing that God can be that generous, that merciful, and that gracious.

     Maybe he does get it – maybe even more than any of us do.

Sunday Pastoral Prayer (September 24) Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

September 24, 2023

Gracious God, we are thankful for your amazing grace. Thank you for your amazing grace that saves us from our sins. Thank you for your amazing grace that comforts us. But we also thank you for your amazing grace that sometimes stings us and makes us uncomfortable. 

 

May we never reach a point where we have your amazing grace all figured out. And so, when the math of your grace just doesn’t add up according to our calculations of what is fair and unfair, remind us that it’s also not fair that you would save a wretch like me.

 

Today, we especially pray for those who do not feel worthy of your love or even know that you are a loving God who loves the world so much that you gave your only Son. May the way we live out our faith during the week always be a reflection of your amazing grace that is available to every single person we encounter. 

 

We also pray for the many prayer requests that are on our hearts and minds this day. For those who are ill and facing medical challenges, surround them with your healing grace. For those who are feeling lonely or marginalized, extend to them your compassionate grace. For those who are facing a difficult decision and in need of direction, send them your guiding grace. For those who are are grieving the loss of a loved one, send them your consoling grace. And for those who are celebrating a joy in their life, send them your thankful grace. 

 

Your amazing grace is all around us; in the cooler temperatures of autumn, in the display of pumpkins outside of grocery stores, and in fields that are getting closer and closer to the harvest season. And this is why we began our worship today by singing, “To God be the glory, great things he hath done!”

 

We pray this in the name of Jesus 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.

Sermon (September 17) “Defining Moments” by Rev. Robert McDowell

September 17, 2023

   Our Old Testament reading this morning is one of the most famous stories in the entire bible. This story of how God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt by parting the Red Sea is an incredible story of new life and freedom. Some bible scholars have said that this story is as critical to the Old Testament as the Easter story is to the New Testament.

     I would call this story of the parting of the Red Sea as a defining moment for the people of Israel. Without God freeing the Israelites from slavery and leading them through the wilderness and eventually into the Promised Land, they would not have been able to be the people of God.   

     This was a defining moment for them because the rest of the Old Testament refers to this story of freedom again and again as a way of reminding the people that God had saved them. Many of the psalms celebrate this story of freedom in their psalms.

     Every time that we hear that long Great Thanksgiving prayer before we receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we are reminded of this Exodus and Red Sea story when we pray these words, “You delivered us from captivity.” 

     This parting of the Red Sea story not only reminds us of this defining event, but it also invites us to celebrate that it was God who saved Israel from slavery in Egypt. God was the initiator in delivering the people from slavery. Of course, we also have The Ten Commandments movie that starred Charleston Heston and Yul Brynner. 

     Since this parting of the Red Sea story was such a defining moment for the people of Israel, it reminds me of how important it is to reflect on other defining moments both in history and for us more personally.

     My undergrad degree was in history, and I love reading about history to this day. I’m one of those weird people who saves important historical dates in my calendar so that these events from history will pop up in my calendar each year.

     For example, since Penny and I live near Lake Murray, we’ve read a lot about the history of when that lake was made back in 1927 and then completed in 1930. I remember first reading about William Murray who was the engineer who oversaw that massive project. 

[William S. Murray (August 4, 1873 to January 9, 1942) & Lake Murray, South Carolina]

     When it was completed, it was the largest man-made reservoir in the world. I read about William Murray and noticed that his birthday was August 4^th, so I put his birthday anniversary in my calendar as a little way of staying in touch with some local history. 

     So, this past August 4^th, Penny and I went to dinner at a restaurant that was overlooking Lake Murray and I noticed another couple sitting at a table near us and they were enjoying their meal while looking out at the lake. It was a beautiful evening. 

     I just couldn’t help myself, so, I turned to this couple and said, “Did you know that the name of the engineer who created this lake back in 1930 was William Murray?”And then I got really excited and told them, “And today is his birthday! He was born in 1873 so I think we should raise a toast to William Murray and thank him for this lake that we’re enjoying tonight!”

     And the funny thing about that brief conversation? They didn’t seem all that interested! They just said, “oh, ok.” The whole time, Penny is looking the other way feeling bad for me. It was kind of an awkward moment. I just think that history is important for us to remember especially the more defining moments that have happened in the past. 

     Like today for example, which is the 161^st anniversary of the Battle of Antietam, which was a Civil War battle that was fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland and to this day, remains the bloodiest day of battle in American history claiming almost 23,000 casualties. The three-day battle at Gettysburg would claim more casualties than any of the other battles, but Antietam is known for the most casualties in one single day of fighting.

     Every year on September 17, I just know that this is the anniversary of that significant battle during the Civil War which ended up being a defining moment for the North because it helped Abraham Lincoln, just five days later to issue a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation that would take effect later on January 1^st. 

     Defining moments.

     Just six days ago, we observed the 22^nd anniversary of 9/11. Some of us can remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard about those terrorist attacks on that Tuesday morning. I remember getting ready to go to the church that morning for a weekly staff meeting when the news broke out on TV.

     During that staff meeting, our staff spent time in prayer for our nation and our world. And during our meeting, we were also able to think through what our church could do to reach out to our community following this devastating news. So, we decided to put a sign out by our church’s front entrance that invited people to come in and pray. 

     We recruited volunteers to be available if anyone wanted to talk or if they wanted to sit in silence. And we gave each person a small sheet of paper that included appropriate bible verses as well as some prayers to use as a guide and take with them. I was so proud of our church for responding in the way they did to that terrible tragedy. 

     Defining moments are times that can lead us to turn to God for strength and comfort and share God’s light in our community, especially where there is so much fear and worry. 

     And that’s because we are a people of faith who are shaped and informed by our defining moments like the Exodus story when God rescued the people of Israel from slavery and led them into the Promised Land, and like the Easter story where we celebrate the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. 

     Speaking of the 9/11 anniversary, soon after the terrorist attacks, I found out from my church’s lay leader that her brother who had worked in one of the Twin Towers was one of the 2,753 people who were killed when the two high-jacked planes crashed into the towers. 

     Every 9/11 anniversary, Barbara posts a tribute on Facebook to not only her brother but to all who were killed by those terrorist attacks.

     This church member loves the Lord, her church, her country, is very patriotic, and believes in justice. But she also is a woman of tremendous faith.
     It’s always been amazing to me that she hasn’t allowed this terrible terrorist act to turn her into bitter person. Instead, a year after her brother died, she and her family traveled to an impoverished community in Mexico to build a home for a needy family in loving memory of her brother. 

     This is how she responded to 9/11 and that defining moment in her life.  Instead of anger and bitterness, she used her faith to help find new ways in making this world a better place.

     This story of the Red Sea is a story that can help us to live out our faith, because it reminds us of not only how God saved the people of Israel from slavery, but of how God used Moses to help lead the people to freedom. These defining moments that we read about in the Bible are not just stories of how God can bring life out of death, but of how God includes us in the process. We all have a part to play in helping to make this world a better place, a place where there is peace, justice, goodness, and love.

     God called Moses from the burning bush to lead his people to freedom and Moses was reluctant to do so because he felt ill-equipped for the task, but God told Moses that he would give him the words to speak. And God did by having Moses stand up to Pharaoh who had refused to let the people go.

     And notice that even here in the Red Sea story, Moses isn’t just a bystander. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea which led the Lord to push the sea back, turning it into dry land for the God’s people to escape. 

     Maybe we can look at it this way: As people of faith, we are shaped by defining events that we find in scripture like the parting of the Red Sea and the Easter story. We are shaped by these defining moments that we read about in scripture so that we can in turn allow the defining moments that happen in our lives to be opportunities to share God’s healing love with others.

     And one last thing about 9/11. Several years ago on a 9/11 anniversary, it was a weekday, my brother called me on the phone to let me know that he was at that very moment, driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and was just a few miles north of where United Airlines Flight 93 had crashed there in western Pennsylvania. 

     We then began to reflect during that phone call on how the 9/11 anniversary has a different feel as each year passes by. And here he was so close to where that plane had crashed and where there is now a memorial.

     It was a sobering moment as we both thought about his location during that phone call. But then my brother said something that I will never forget. He said, “But isn’t it something how Jesus’ death on the cross and then his resurrection that happened 2,000 years ago is also something that we are called to remember as people of faith.” He said that what Jesus has done for us has its own unique and enduring quality to it.

     He’s so right! I’m so glad that we aren’t just left with the defining moments of history like a bloody battle that happened on this day 161 years ago, or terrorist attacks that happened 22 years ago. We’re not just left with anniversaries of heartache and pain. 

     We as people of faith also have other defining moments that offer us hope because of what God has done for us. A God who parts Red Seas and frees us from our bondage to slavery and sin. A God who leads us through the wilderness of our lives and into the Promised Land where we can find rest and be at home with God. A God of resurrection who raises us up to new life.

     These defining moments are more than just anniversaries to remember on a calendar each year. They are what remind us of the good news of our faith and the hope that God is calling us to share with the world. 

Sunday Pastoral Prayer (September 17) - Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

September 17, 2023

Thank you, O God, that by your hand, you lead us. This is such a blessed thought for us to remember as we worship together today. 

 

You lead us when we are facing a defining moment in our lives. You lead us when we are uncertain and in need of direction. You lead us when we are tempted to choose sin over faithfulness. You lead us when our hearts are broken and weighed down with grief. You lead us when we are in need of healing. You lead us when on an early weekday morning, we pray for the names on our church’s prayer list. 

 

By your hand, continue to lead each and every one of us to be the people you have called us to be. 

 

We lift up to you the brokenness and pain that we see throughout the world, especially in places like Morocco and Libya where there has been so much destruction, loss and death as a result of an earthquake and flood waters. By your hand, continue to lead our United Methodist Committee on Relief as they respond to these places of great need.

 

Thank you for our time of worship this morning where we have been reminded that it was by your hand that you parted the Red Sea and rescued your people from 400 years of slavery and then led them to the Promised Land. And it is by your hand that you sent Jesus to die on the cross and rise again to free us from sin and death. We are so grateful for these defining moments in scripture that lead us to offer you our worship and praise. 

 

By your hand, lead us now to pray these words that Jesus 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.

Sermon (September 10) “When Methodists Meet” by Rev. Robert McDowell

    

September 10, 2023

        Maybe you have heard of the phrase, “When Methodists meet, they eat.”

     This reminds about the story of teacher who asked the children in her class to bring a symbol of their religion to school the next day. They were learning about different religions.

     The next day in class, the first little boy tells the class that he is Jewish. And he said that his symbol was this menorah which he showed everyone. And he said that they light it to celebrate Hanukkah each year.

     The next student to share was a little girl. She stood up and said that she is Muslim, and she showed them her prayer mat that they use each day. 

     The next student got up and showed everyone a glass serving dish. The young student told the class, “I’m a Methodist which is why I brought this casserole.”

     When Methodists meet, they eat. And on Sundays, we also try to make it to the restaurants ahead of the Baptists.

     Today, I also want to talk about something else that Methodists are known for which is when Methodists meet, they will disagree about something. 

     I remember hearing a Methodist friend of mine who was known to be a little cynical say, “Do you know what the definition of a good church committee is?” 

     I said, “no, what?” And he said, “a good church committee consists of three people, but only one of them can make the meeting.” Now, that is cynical!

     I was thinking of that definition of a good church committee when I started reading and reflecting on our Gospel reading for today. Here in Matthew, chapter 18, Jesus addresses the issue of disagreements that people can have with each other in the church. But he also offers us some ways to find resolution with those disagreements.

     Here in our Gospel reading, Jesus takes it another step further by helping us to find resolution when we not only disagree with each other, but when we also hurt each other in the process. 

     Jesus says that when we feel like we have been offended by somebody in the church, that we first need to tell everybody about it on facebook so that our friends can take our side.

     No, that’s not what Jesus tells us to do. Jesus says that it is better if we just talk to that person about it. What a novel thought! Going to that person directly helps us avoid those triangles where we include other people who really don’t need to be included. 

     You’ll notice that after Jesus tells us to first talk directly to that person, that if there is still no resolution and depending on the issue at hand, that’s when you should include a third party. And if that doesn’t help restore the relationship, and again, depending on the offense, then the last resort is to have the church help to bring resolution. 

     But for today, I want us to focus on going first to that person before including other people. This can be a touchy topic, I know, but I think it’s important to think about healthy ways to resolve relational conflict. 

     Several years ago, I attended one of the best continuing education events that I have ever attended and it was about this delicate issue of how to handle relational conflict. And they were pretty much saying the same thing about the importance of first having a conversation directly with that person who you feel may have offended you.

     The presenters of that seminar said that as we already know, there are healthy ways and there are also unhealthy ways in dealing with conflict. And here is what they shared at this seminar. Now, I had to pay a lot of money to attend that event, so you are getting this information for free today. You’re welcome!

     So, the first thing they shared at this seminar in dealing with conflict is to as Jesus tells us to do in today’s scripture reading to first go and share with this person how you felt that you were hurt or offended.

     And when you share your feelings with that person, it’s so important to use “I statements,” like “I am feeling frustrated” or “I was disappointed when you,” or “I felt angry when you did what you did.” Those kinds of “I statements.” 

     And they said that what we tend to do instead of using “I statements” is that we use “you statements.” “You statements” would be when we say to someone, “You make me so mad” or “You are making me lose my patience,” or “You are frustrating me.”

     Those are examples of “you statements” that aren’t very helpful because all that does is put the other person on the defensive by saying “you” instead of taking ownership of your own feelings by using “I statements.” “I feel this way.”

     So that’s the first thing. Use “I statements” instead of “you statements.”

     By the way, I share this information on conflict resolution whenever I offer premarital counseling to couples. We spend a whole session on this topic. We talk about healthy ways to share feelings with each other, especially when we feel offended by what the other person did or didn’t do. 

     But I also talk about the importance of sharing encouraging and uplifting words with the other person on a regular basis because we can easily forget to take time to do that. So, sharing our feelings of appreciation and love for the other person is vital in having a healthy and happy relationship with someone. These are what we cover in pre-marital counseling.

     I have had many couples after they have been married for a while thank me for sharing this information with them before they got married because it has helped them to have open and honest communication with each other, a key ingredient in having a healthy relationship. 

      During this continuing ed seminar, they also talked a lot about what to do if you are on the receiving end of someone sharing their feelings with you. 

     And they said that the best way to respond to someone, is to first of all, be a good listener and just let them share their feelings with you. It all starts there. And that means to not interrupt them or become defensive. 

     I know, this seems impossible to do because our tendency is to become defensive right away. Sometimes we do the “fight or flight” response technique which isn’t the healthy way to find resolution with the other person. 

     That’s why the first thing is to just be a really good listener and not interrupt the other person. Let that person share their thoughts and feelings with you. 

     They even said that to help you not get defensive as the person is sharing with you is to imagine that you are holding an umbrella in your hand and to pretend that the words they are sharing with you are like rain drops that are falling around you but not hitting you directly.  

     I kind of like that image. Just let the rain drops fall around you. You’re not ignoring the person’s words, but those words aren’t hitting you directly. Instead of thinking of it as criticism, think of it as information that is important for you to hear. Just let the person share. Be a good listener and don’t be defensive.

     Here is the really difficult thing about not being defensive as someone is sharing with you. Even if you feel that you have been misunderstood by that person or they don’t have the full context of what happened, don’t be defensive. Give that person the space to share their feelings with you. 

     And during the seminar, they shared to not just be a silent listener but to let the other person know that you are actually listening to them. So maybe say things like, “I didn’t know you felt that way” or “I appreciate you sharing this with me” or “thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

     And then here is the real challenge in all of this if you are the person on the listening end of the conversation. Resist the temptation to share your side of the story until that person is ready to hear you. 

     I know, I know. This feels really impossible. That fight or flight approach is usually our go to defense mechanism. But it’s actually the way of Jesus. 

     Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, and to not see each other as adversaries but as brothers and sisters in Christ. And if it’s a situation that is a non-church conflict, to remember that the other person was also created in the image of God whether they are part of a church or not.  

     I also think of our Romans scripture reading for today when the Apostle Paul says how the commandments in the Bible can be all summed up with one word, “love your neighbor as yourself.”

     Loving our neighbor is by offering unconditional love toward each other and seeking all measures to stay in relationship with that other person and finding reconciliation. We also pray this every Sunday when we pray The Lord’s Prayer together. “Forgive us our trespassers as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.”

     I’m thinking that Jesus gave us this prayer because he knows that it’s not easy to be one of his disciples. This is an example of how living out our faith in our day-to-day living can often feel counter intuitive. But Jesus invites us to work at it every single day.  

     Working at having healthy and authentic relationships requires a lot of self-control, patience, humility, and unconditional love.

     How many of you watch the Hallmark Channel, especially those Christmas Hallmark movies? Have you ever noticed that the story-line is always the same? 

     Two people who don’t hit it off right away but you can still tell that they really like each other and you know that it’s just going to be a matter of time before they will become a couple, like maybe a half hour into the movie.

     But near the middle of the movie, one of them does something that is hurtful toward the other person and a lot of times it’s just a misunderstanding. But then toward the end of that Hallmark movie, they end up getting back together again. Why? Because one of them takes the initiative to share their feelings with the other and the relationship is eventually restored. Happy ending!

     As much as I don’t enjoy watching these movies, maybe we can learn something from them even though the fake snow in these movies is really obvious. And what we can learn is that for relationships to be healthy and long-lasting, it’s important for us to provide a safe space for each other where we can share our feelings and be good listeners. 

     But this isn’t just true in Hallmark movies. It’s also true in marriages, and in our relationships with others at work, in school, in the community, and here in church. 

     The challenge is to not give up on the other person who has offended you. 

     The challenge is in being willing to share “I statements” with each other. 

     The challenge is not becoming defensive when someone shares their thoughts with us. 

     John Wesley, the founder of Methodism once said, “Though we cannot think alike, may we not all love alike? May we not be one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences.” I have always appreciated that quote from John Wesley. 

     Which brings me back to what I said earlier. What are Methodists known for?

     When Methodists meet, we eat.

     When Methodists meet, we will probably disagree with each other, but may we also be known to be of one heart, and specifically, strangely warmed hearts.

     And the good news of our faith is that this is possible, because as Jesus tells us in our Gospel reading today, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.”

Pastoral Prayer (September 10) - Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

September 10, 2023

This is a time for us to share any prayer needs including joys and concerns as well as any updates to our prayer list.

 

Lord Jesus, thank you for your presence with us today. You said that if two or three are gathered in your name, you will be there in our midst. Thank you for coming by here this morning to remind us that we are your people and we belong to you. 

 

Thank you for coming by here so that we can experience peace which passes all understanding. Thank you for coming by here to strengthen us for any challenges that we may be facing in our lives. Thank you for coming by here to hear our joys and concerns that we lift up to you, knowing that you are more than able to surround each and every prayer need with your healing presence. 

 

Thank you for coming by here to offer us forgiveness for the intentional and unintentional ways that we have failed to be your disciples this past week. What a joy it is for us to hear those words, “In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.” Thank you for coming by here where we can grow in what it means to have healthy, honest, and loving relationships within our church family, with our families at home, with friends, and with the people we see throughout the week.

 

Even as we sing, “Kum Ba Yah,” we also know that you were already present with us when we woke up this morning. As thy hymn writer says so beautifully, “Today, I awake and God is before me, At night as I dreamt, God summoned the day; For God never sleeps but patterns the morning with slithers of gold or glory in grey.”

 

And so, we thank you for your presence especially during those times when we are not aware of it. Even now, we hear your invitation to each one of us to pray the words you 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.

Pastor Robert’s “Favorite Hymns” (Beulah UMC, Monthly Social Gathering)

September 5, 2023

Beulah UMC, Monthly Social Gathering

Topic: Pastor Robert’s “Favorite Hymns”

     Thank you for the opportunity to share with you today. I spent some time brainstorming possible topics that would be interesting. 

     I didn’t really want to preach at you because you get that on Sunday mornings. And since I’m still the new pastor, I was thinking that this might be a good time for Penny and me to share a little bit more about who we are.

     Now, I knew that you probably wouldn’t want to spend an hour looking at our most recent vacation pictures, although how fun would that be?? I also knew that as much as some of you may be dog lovers, you probably wouldn’t want to look at all 1,000 pictures of our two westies, Blu and Tipsy. 

     So, I kept coming back to what would be a good topic to share today, and that’s when I thought of just how important music and the hymns of faith are to us. And as a pastor of several congregations over the years, I have discovered again and again just how important the hymns of the church are to all of us in our faith journey. 

     This past spring at the church I recently retired from in Ohio, I led a memorial service that was held at the church for a member of our congregation who had died suddenly from a heart issue. She was only in her early 60s and was part of our church’s bell choir. In fact, she died two days after she had practiced with the Bell Choir. 

     And like I always do, when it was time to plan the service, I met with the family to see what they would like me to include. Now, there are times when families simply want the pastor to just go ahead and plan the service, but this family had a lot of ideas of what they wanted me to include.

     And it was at this meeting with Erin’s family, which included her now widowed husband, their daughter who is in her mid 20s, and Erin’s mother and brother-in-law, that they wanted the service to reflect Erin’s very strong Methodist faith. Erin’s father is a retired United Methodist pastor, so Methodism was in Erin’s blood from an early age. Erin’s husband shared how much she loved the hymns of Charles Wesley, so the entire service included several of those hymns. 

     And since Erin was in the bell choir, the bell choir wanted to play an anthem in her memory at the memorial service. And for this bell choir piece, they played an arrangement of the hymn, “Here I Am, Lord” which was the last piece Erin practiced with the Bell Choir two days before her unexpected passing. 

     During the memorial service, the bell choir members left a space behind one of the bell choir tables empty that would have been occupied by Erin. And so Erin’s two choir bells sat silently on that table during the anthem. It was one of the most memorable holy moments I have ever experienced, a powerful symbol of how important music was to Erin’s faith. 

     I share this with you because this is just one of many, many examples of how important the hymns of faith are to us. 

     My older brother, also an ordained United Methodist Pastor, recently retired as the Director of Music at our home church in Pennsylvania. We both were raised in that church and so the Methodist hymns of faith have always been an important part of our lives.

     Penny also attended a Methodist Church in Pennsylvania where she was raised and so music has been a big part of her life as well. I will often ask her opinion on using a certain hymn for worship. My rule of thumb in selecting hymns is to pick hymns that will reflect the main theme of that Sunday worship, but they also need to be singable. That’s when you get into that gray area in choosing hymns. 

     Have you noticed that there are some hymns in the hymnal that are just hard to sing? And even though I want to broaden our horizons in selecting hymns that might not be as familiar, I also don’t want worship to be a struggle because that can be distracting. 

     So having said all of that, during our time together today, I want to share with you some of my favorite hymns and Penny will share a couple of her favorites as well. And then at the end, I would also like to give you an opportunity to share any of your favorite hymns and maybe why there are your favorite hymns. 

     By the way, since we Methodist preachers tend to move from church to church, just for fun, I jotted down some hymns one day that would be inappropriate to include on a pastor’s last Sunday at that church. My list was similar to David Letterman’s top 10 list that he used to do. So here we go…

     The 10^th most inappropriate hymn to sing for a pastor’s last Sunday at a church is… “Hail Thee, Festive Day.”

     The 9^th most inappropriate hymn for a pastor’s last Sunday… “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice.”

     Coming in at the #8 most inappropriate hymn for a pastor’s last Sunday… “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.”

     #7 most inappropriate hymn? “Nobody Knows the Trouble I See”

     #6 – “The Strife is O’er, the Battle Done”

     The 5^th most inappropriate hymn to be used for a pastor’s last Sunday… “He Never Said a Mumbalin’ Word”

     Coming in at #4 is the hymn, “Rock-a-Bye, My Dear Little Boy”

     The 3^rd most inappropriate hymn for a pastor’s last Sunday – “Filled with Excitement, All the Happy Throng”

     The 2^nd most inappropriate hymn – “When the Church of Jesus Shuts It’s Outer Door”

     And the #1 most inappropriate hymn to include in a pastor’s last Sunday at a church?  Drum roll, please…. It’s the hymn, “Move Me, Move Me”

     Ok, let’s get a little more serious now. 

     Back in 2010, the United Methodist Church conducted a survey of United Methodists inviting them to share their favorite hymns. Over 1,500 people of a variety of ages responded to the survey. 

     And by the way, there are 677 hymns in our United Methodist hymnal so when we are talking about a top 20, this represents a very small collection of hymns in the hymnal. 

     Here are our top 20 hymns beginning with the most favorite hymn and working down to the 20^th favorite hymn:

1) Here I am Lord 2) How Great Thou Art 3) Amazing Grace 4) Hymn of Promise 5) In the Garden 6) Lord of the Dance 7) It is Well with My Soul 8) Be Thou My Vision 9) Great Is Thy Faithfulness 10) A Tie! Blessed Assurance & Because He Lives 11) The Old Rugged Cross 12) Holy, Holy, Holy 13) O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing 14) Spirit Song 15) Victory in Jesus 16) Pass It On 17) What a Friend We Have in Jesus 18) Christ the Lord is Risen Today 19) Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore 20) A tie! Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee & Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

     So, for me, it’s not helpful to think of hymns in terms of “favorites” because I love them all and a lot of times, one will speak to me more than another because of whatever I may be going through at the time. 

     Another part of ranking the hymns for me has to do with their attachment to a significant event in my life. In other words, if that event didn’t happen where that hymn became helpful to me, then I don’t know that it would have been one of my favorites. Our experiences can often lead us to having a hymn be more meaningful than others.

     With some of those thoughts about hymns, here are my top 5 hymns and a brief explanation why these are my favorites even though I don’t like using that word, “favorite.” At least for today, September 5, 2023, these are my top five hymns beginning with #5: 

     #5 – “Joy to the World” – So obviously that’s a seasonal hymn sung during Christmas but for me, there is something so powerful about singing that hymn at the end of a Christmas Eve service. 

     #4 – “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” – This is also a seasonal hymn which I always, always include as the opening hymn on Easter Sunday. And it’s a Charles Wesley hymn as well! This hymn also made it into the top 20 of the favorite hymn survey. 

     #3 – “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” – Another great Charles Wesley hymn! Also, it is the 1^st hymn in our hymnal. It’s such a great hymn of praise and thanksgiving. 

     #2 – “Lift High the Cross” – The reason this hymn is so meaningful to me and is #2 on my list is because it is connected to a couple of powerful memories in my life separated by only a couple of weeks. 

     This hymn was played at my father’s funeral service two weeks before I was ordained. And the banner that I used for my ordination service included the title of this hymn. 

     I thought of my dad during that entire ordination service. And it was also the opening hymn that was used during the service when the ordinands process down the aisle. That was definitely one of those “Thin Place Moments” for me. 

     And my #1 favorite hymn at least for today but probably most days is the powerful hymn, “For All the Saints.” This one didn’t even make the top 20 in the survey! 

     I always use this hymn for All saints’ Sunday which is typically the 1^st Sunday of November. That Sunday is so powerful because we are remembering all of God’s faithful people who have gone before us and their example of faith for us. That’s a hymn that always gives me goose bumps! And the lyrics are just so incredible! 

     Before Penny shares a couple of her favorite hymns, I just want to share this about the hymns of faith. The hymn writers that we find in our hymnal are some of the most creative, poetic, and gifted writers who can help us to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ. They help us to express what is often times inexpressible.

     Isaac Watts is maybe the most well known of all the hymn writers. Isaac Watts lived during the early part of the 1700s in England. And I love this story about him when he was a little boy. 

     Even as a young boy, he had the annoying habit of speaking in rhyme. He did this all the time. One day, his father who was a preacher grew exasperated and said, “Son, I am going to spank the poetry out of you!” 

     The young boy responded, “Oh father, do some pity take, and no more poetry shall I make.”

     That little boy ended up writing 750 hymns of faith. 15 of them are in our United Methodist hymnal including the hymns, “Joy to the World” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” 

     Charles Wesley who lived around the same time as Isaac Watts and who himself wrote 6,500 hymns offered high praise for Watt’s hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” He said that he would have been willing to give up all of his own hymns if he could have written just this one hymn. Many hymn scholars will tell you that this just might be the greatest Christian hymn ever written because of the depth of the lyrics as well as the melody. So just wanted to offer that shout-out to Mr. Isaac Watts. 

     Speaking of Charles Wesley, I think it’s important for us to remember that it wasn’t just his brother, John who started the Methodist movement back in 18^thcentury, England. It was also Charles who through his gift of hymn writing was able to put the distinctive Methodist theology into hymn form. So, during the week, those early Methodists grew in their faith through the singing of these hymns. 

     Our United Methodist hymnal divides our hymns into different sections that are based on Wesleyan theology and so we have hymns about Prevenient Grace; God’s grace that goes before us; Justifying Grace; God’s grace that justifies us; and Sanctifying Grace which is God’s grace that sanctifies us and continues to shape and mold us throughout our lives.

     And this is why I want to emphasize the importance of paying attention to the lyrics of the hymns and not just the melody. Both are important but I think it’s important to notice how the hymn writer has each verse of his or her hymn build on the previous verse through their use of creative poetry and use of metaphors. 

     One of my daily spiritual disciplines is to read the words of a hymn each day and I’m always amazed at how the words speak to my soul. I don’t sing it to myself because I really want to focus on the lyrics. Here are a couple of examples of hymn lyrics that have really spoken to me during my morning devotional time. 

    One morning, I was reading the verses of Charles Wesley’s hymn, “O Thou, Who Camest from Above,” and I noticed this wonderful phrase that he includes in verse 3 of that hymn. He uses the phrase “stir up.” Listen for this phrase in verse 3:  

     “Jesus, confirm my heart's desire to work and speak and think for thee; still let me guard the holy fire, and still stir up thy gift in me.” There it is. “And still stir up thy gift in me.”

     So, think about this metaphor. When Penny is cooking one of her awesome dinners, she will put in all of these wonderful ingredients and seasonings in a frying pan. And as it is heating on the stove, she’ll ask me, “Can you stir up what’s in that pan?”

    By stirring it, I’m helping to bring out all of the wonderful flavors and helping it to consolidate into what will soon be a great meal. In this fun little analogy, think of God as the one who places the gift of grace in our souls. And you and I are simply called to stir up God’s grace which is already within us. If we don’t stir it up, it won’t reach its fullest potential.

     What a great image of God’s grace! “Still let me guard the holy fire, and still stir up thy gift in me.” That’s going to make it into a sermon someday so please act surprised when I use it!

     I ran across this hymn one day that was written by a present-day Scottish hymn writer, John Bell. It’s not in our hymnal because it was written in 1989, the same year that our hymnal was published. The melody of this hymn is so beautiful, but the lyrics are also so creative and meaningful. Here are the four verses:

1. Today I awake and God is before me. At night, as I dreamt, he summoned the day. For God never sleeps, but patterns the morning. With slithers of gold or glory in grey.

2. Today I arise and Christ is beside me. He walked through the dark to scatter new light. Yes, Christ is alive, and beckons his people. To hope and to heal, resist and invite.

3. Today I affirm the Spirit within me. At worship and work, in struggle and rest. The Spirit inspires all life which is changing. From fearing to faith, from broken to blessed.

4. Today I enjoy the Trinity round me. Above and beneath, before and behind. The Maker, the Son, the Spirit together. They called me to life and call me their friend.

    What a great way to begin your day by reading and reflecting on hymn lyrics like these. May the hymns of faith continue to be an important resource in our walk with Christ.