Sunday Pastoral Prayer (Jan. 12/Baptism of the Lord Sunday) Athens First UMC

[Each year for Baptism of the Lord Sunday, the Holy Spirit invites us to renew our baptisms. People came forward to our baptismal font, touched the water, and took a smooth stone from the font. It’s always encouraging to see people of all ages come forward especially children with their families. For the sermon that includes Pastor Robert’s most memorable baptism he has ever officiated, click here.]

God of renewal, cleansing, transformation, and new life, thank you for the presence of your Holy Spirit in this place. Like a dove, you have descended upon us in a most powerful and very real way. 

 

For some of us, your Holy Spirit has reminded us of just how much you love us and call us your beloved. 

 

Maybe there are others who are finding it difficult to let go of past regrets, past hurts, things we could have done better or differently, and your Spirit fell upon us taking away that heavy weight that has been burdening us for so long.

 

And I wonder as I offer this prayer, if any of us might have felt a tug or even a push to respond to a new calling that you have in mind for us. A calling that would take us our of our comfort zones and lead us into a new direction of faithfulness.

 

Or perhaps there are those of us who are still sorting out what your presence here means for us and we just need to let things settle in our hearts.

 

For all of these possible responses to the descending of your Holy Spirit on our church this morning, we give you thanks for this holy moment and for your presence here in this place.

 

More than ever, the world you created and love so much is in need of Holy Spirit filled people who are willing to step out in faith and work for peace where there is war, hope where there is despair, justice where there is injustice, love where there is hate.

 

O God, send us forth from this place, white knuckles and all, to be your visible expression of love and welcome in all of our encounters. Lead us into the daily disciplines of our faith that would continue to fan the flames of our spiritual renewal and awakening. 

 

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

 

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Sermon (Jan. 12/Baptism of the Lord Sunday) by Rev. Robert McDowell

     Before each chapel service, my seminary president, Dr. Leonard Sweet, would greet us from the pulpit with these words, “Good morning, church!”  I always thought that was a great way to begin a worship service.  Reminding all of us of who we are.

     We are the church of Jesus Christ.  And this must mean something to us, otherwise we wouldn’t be here this morning.  This is who we are. It’s what we do.

     After the birth story and the story of the wisemen in Matthew’s Gospel, we don’t hear from Jesus again until he comes to John to be baptized.

     Baptism.  We read this scripture passage and we wonder why on earth, Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, would need to be baptized.    

     Even John has problems with this because he tells Jesus, “I think we might have this backwards.  Aren’t you supposed to baptize me?” And then Jesus tells John why he was right the first time.  Jesus wants to be baptized so that he will be able to fulfill all righteousness.

     Baptism, for Jesus, isn’t primarily about getting cleansed from sin, since he was totally sinless. For Jesus, it was more about fulfilling all righteousness. But what does that mean? The word, “righteousness” has a heaviness to it. What does it mean to fulfill all righteousness?

     The word, “righteousness” isn’t so much about you and me being moral and nice people who do good things for others, although that is an important dimension of it.

     Righteousness, according to the Bible has a far richer meaning.  It means to live in a covenant relationship with God in which we participate in God’s kingdom of love, justice, equality, and healing for our broken and hurting world. God’s righteousness is about making this world new again the way it was always meant to be. That idea of God’s righteousness is so much larger than our more individualist understanding of that word.

     So when Jesus offers us his personal life mission statement at his baptism by saying that he has come to fulfill all righteousness, he is saying that he has come to launch this massive Kingdom of God mission in our world. That’s the larger meaning of what it means to be baptized. 

     A lot is at stake when we are baptized. Baptism is the beginning of allowing God to have his way with us.  Baptism is a sign of how God wants you and me to let go of our white knuckled grip on our world views, our biases, our assumptions, and where we allow God to have his way with us. In other words, baptism is not for the faint of heart. If we feel a little hesitation about being baptized, that’s actually OK because it is a big deal. 

     The most memorable baptism I have ever conducted was early on in my pastoral ministry.  I was to baptize a six year old child.  I remember meeting earlier that week with the parents and their child in the sanctuary to explain the meaning of baptism. This six year old was just old enough to understand some basic thoughts about baptism, and so I tried my best.

     I have found that it always helps to actually show the child the baptismal font and show them the water so that they know a little of what is going to happen. And so, I had this six year old boy come up to see the water, and I explained that I would put some water on his head. He actually seemed very excited about this whole baptism thing.

     Now, as a pastor, I have faced challenges here and there. Budget deficits. Controversial issues. Relational conflicts. But nothing had prepared me for what I was about to encounter that morning in worship. 

     The first indication that I knew something might go wrong was when the six year old didn’t want to come forward with his parents when it was time for the baptism. He had his arms turn into spaghetti, you know what I mean? He made his arm really loose making it really difficult for his mom to lead him to the front of the church. So she had to pick him up. Miraculously, they made it to the baptism font but he was squirming and crying for dear life.

     Knowing that I was working with very limited time, I buzzed through the baptismal questions as if I was an auctioneer at a sale. “Brothers and sisters in Christ: Through the Sacrament of Baptism we are initiated into Christ’s holy church. We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price.”

     Buzzed through the baptismal questions at world record speed. As I began to dip my hand into the water, the six-year old managed to make his escape by running back to the pew where they had been seated.

     With my hand still dipped in the water, I looked at the mother and she looked at me.  And I quietly asked her if we should maybe try this later, maybe we could sing a hymn or something.

    I just want you to know that I have never seen a more determined look on the face of a mother in my life.  She calmly walked to the end of their pew where her little boy was now seated. As she reached her hand toward his hand, he made his way toward the other end of the pew, past his grandparents who were from out of town and seated in that same pew.

     Before the mom could make it to the other side, this little boy wiggled away from grandma and grandpa and darted down the middle aisle toward the back of the sanctuary. Did I mention how determined this mother was? God bless her. This mother runs at full speed down the middle aisle, catches up to him just before he was about to leave the sanctuary. She scoops him up in her arms with such gracefulness that we could all tell she had probably done this many times before, and brings her six year old boy back to me and to the father.

     She looked at me and said, “Sorry about that.” And I proceeded to baptize this six year old boy in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

     This is why I believe in infant baptism. It’s so much easier.

     That memorable baptism has given me a deeper understanding of what is involved when we let go of our white knuckled grasp on the old to make room for the new thing that God wants to do in us. To be baptized is to take on Jesus’ personal mission statement which is to fulfill all righteousness.  To care about the things that Jesus cares about.  To do what Jesus wants us to do. To be open to God’s transformative grace in our day to day living. 

      I often wonder if that six year old little boy has any memory of his baptism that day. It sure has left an impression on me, reminding me again and again, to let go of my white knuckle grip and allow God to continue to shape and mold me into the person he is calling me to be.

     Fulfilling all righteousness by being part of Jesus’ mission in offering God’s healing, restorative, and redeeming gift of grace in our broken and hurting world is not for the faint of heart. Our baptism will remind us of this mission again and again. 

     It will challenge us to let got of our white knuckled grip on the things that keep us from being faithful to Christ. It will prompt us to respond to God’s calling to leave our comfort zones and step out in faith in ways we never imagined all for the sake of God’s kingdom and the fulfilling of all righteousness. It will force us to rethink our long held beliefs because we are now marching to the beat of a different drummer. The kind of righteousness Jesus’ has in mind will always challenge and transform us.

     There is a famous tapestry from the 11^th century which depicts the invasion of England by William the Conqueror. Bishop Odo, who was William’s brother is portrayed in this scene as prodding the troops forward with a large spear. The Latin inscription on this tapestry says,“This is Bishop Odo comforting his troops.”

     The old English word, “comfort” is from the Latin phrase, “with strength.” It has the meaning of putting courage into someone.

     I wondering if that’s some of the meaning of what it means to be baptized. In our baptism, God comforts us by giving us a courage within to be the people we are called to be and to be part of that large scale renewal of the world.

     No wonder there are times when we want to dart out of the sanctuary because deep down we know that change doesn’t come easily. We wonder what this new life in Christ will mean for us. We want to be part of this wonderful mission of Jesus, but our our white knuckles won’t seem to let go of the safe and familiar. 

     I was told that I cried at my baptism when I was just a few months old. Baptism isn’t for the faint of heart. And yes, there are times when I don’t want to let go of my tight grip and be open to the new way that God wants to work in and through me.

     Today, we are invited to renew our baptism. To let go so that we can be part of Jesus’ mission of bringing transformation to our community and world. To let go and be intentional in having a loving faith, a learning faith, and a living faith as we each seek to live out here at Athens First. 

     As we sing hymns together, come as you feel led by Jesus and remember your baptism. Come up the middle aisle. You are invited to touch the water in the baptismal font as a way to remember your baptism and take one of the small stones in that font as a reminder of this day of renewal.

     This is a day to let go of our white knuckle grip and step out in faith in being part of God’s in-breaking kingdom of love, justice, and redemption. 

     Come as you feel led and let’s sing together.

A White Knuckles Grip

Sermon Discussion Questions

Matthew 3:13-17

January 12, 2020

On Baptism of the Lord Sunday we take time to reflect on Jesus’ baptism and the meaning of our own baptism. 

If you have been baptized, do you remember or have others shared what that moment was like? Maybe nervous, or anxious, or excited, or happy? Share any memories you may have when you were baptized.

There are several important theological meanings regarding the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. These include 1) New Birth. 2) Forgiveness of sins. 3) Initiation into the church family. 4) The Presence of the Holy Spirit. 5) We are claimed by God. It’s important to remember each of these meanings because we sometimes only focus on one of them at the expense of the others. 

Which of these five meanings of baptism stand out for you? Which ones are less familiar?

We only recommend the need to be baptized once because we believe that baptism is primarily about God making a covenant with us. Since God is the one who makes the promise, instead of being baptized again, we are called to renew our baptism. Baptism of the Lord Sunday offers us the opportunity to renew our baptism by remembering God’s covenant and promise that we belong to him. 

What are some ways that you can remember your baptism and celebrate God’s claim upon you as his beloved child?

In his sermon, Pastor Robert shared that the original English meaning of the word, “comfort” means “to give strength.” Baptism is a sign of God “comforting” us by giving us the strength to live out our faith. Living out our baptism in being part of God’s in breaking kingdom of love, justice, equality, and righteousness for a broken and hurting world is not for the faint of heart. 

How does God give you strength to remember your baptism and live out your faith on a daily basis?

Close your time by offering this baptism renewal prayer that was shared in Sunday’s worship service:

Beloved God, who calls us together in love, we ask that you would encourage us to take a step of faith today as we remember our baptism and as we renew our covenant with you. Forgive us for when we have gripped tightly on our old ways of living instead of participating with you in offering your healing and redeeming love for the world. Embolden us to be the people you have called us to be. In your mercy and love, we pray. Amen.

A Brick by Brick Way Forward for the UMC

Just a few weeks ago, we were holding candles singing, “All is calm, all is bright.” How quickly the mood of Christmas Eve has shifted to a not so calm silent night following the breaking news of a possible split in the UMC denomination over LGBTQ issues.

I wonder if this shift in mood was similar to other moments in our denomination’s history like when they received word of a proposed split in 1844 over the divisive issue of slavery. And let’s not forget other controversial debates that our Methodist ancestors have had over issues such as divorce and the ordination of women. For that matter, reading the New Testament and early church history always reminds us that a shortage of controversial issues is usually not a luxury for people of faith. Where there are Christians, there will always be disagreements.

When I arrived at seminary, my hopes were high. To be honest, I was wondering what an academic institution of higher learning would offer someone like me who already had a strong biblical faith. My “all is calm, all is bright” assurance of my faith was suddenly rattled by the remarks of one of the seminary professors at our first day of orientation. 

This wise New Testament scholar offered us this analogy which I continue to remember to this day. 

He said, “Think of your faith as a brick building. Our job at the seminary is to blow up your building and then help you reassemble the bricks so that you will leave from here with an even stronger and more well-rounded faith.” 

I remember shaking my head and thinking to myself, “Yeah. Whatever. Don’t be messing with my bricks. They’re fine the way they are.”

It was only a few months into my first year of seminary, that I began to realize the importance of that brick building analogy. Not only was I being introduced to a variety of biblical and theological perspectives that l never knew even existed, but I was also meeting other seminary students who represented a variety of faith experiences and backgrounds so different from my own. Professors were challenging our long held assumptions and had the audacity to make us think and rethink and then think again! That professor at orientation was right. My faith was beginning to blow up brick by brick. I was not in the mood to sing “all is calm, all is bright,” because I was feeling unsettled, anxious, and even angry at times. I’m not sure when I started to finally begin feeling like the bricks were starting to get reassembled, but I remember leaving seminary with a deep appreciation for that experience as difficult as it was at times.

Our Methodist/Wesleyan faith encourages us to always be moving onto perfection, to always be learning, growing, stretching, tearing down, and reassembling our faith brick by brick. One of the tools that John Wesley taught us to use in this process is the quadrilateral where we approach scripture through the lenses of tradition, reason, and experience. Tradition is what informs us of how the church over the centuries has grappled with various issues of faith. Reason reminds us of the importance of using critical thinking and rational thought in our approach to faith. And experience opens us up to new perspectives of how God is at work in the world through the eyes of others. Approaching our faith in this way reminds us that we are always a work in progress. We are always learning, discovering and experiencing the Bible in ways that connect to the world in which we live. 

Over the past few years, I have been on an intensive journey in rethinking my biblical/theological understandings regarding LGBTQ issues. 

Applying the Wesleyan quadrilateral has been a process of my faith getting deconstructed but along the way, those same bricks have been slowly coming back together to form an even stronger building.

One of the key growing pains for me in this process has been acknowledging that while the Biblical authors were inspired by God, they were also writing during a particular time, a particular place, and to a particular people who were living in a particular context. All of this needs to be weighed alongside of today’s 21st-century understanding of same-sex orientation vs. what they knew about same-sex relations in ancient times. This is similar to how the creation stories in the book of Genesis are not meant to be based on 21st-century science but based on the science and cultural setting of their day.

Looking at my faith through the lense of experience has also led to a deconstruction/reconstruction in my faith regarding LGBTQ issues. Statistics reveal a much higher rate of suicide for teenagers who are gay vs. those who are straight. Suppressing how God has created you and feeling like you always have to hide who you really are is never healthy and life affirming. When the religious community in which you participate tells you that you are a sinner if you are gay or that you are not worthy to be married to a same sex partner or be considered for ordination, that toxic spiritual environment leads to feelings of dehumanization.

My experiences in getting to know the faith stories of people in the LGBTQ community who love Jesus with all their hearts have been painful to hear. For example, a couple of years ago, I was listening to an interview with Trey Pearson, the former lead singer of the popular Christian band, Everyday Sunday. Here’s one of their popular songs.

During the interview, Trey was talking about what his life has been like since he publicly came out as gay a couple of years ago. It was so sad to hear his story and even sadder when he said during the interview that a concert his band was supposed to give in the community where I serve as pastor was canceled because he had recently announced that he was gay. 

During this interview, he said how his band needed to break up over a long and successful career because Christian venues which are mostly evangelical no longer wanted them to perform. The good news is that Trey has started a new solo career touring around the world to provide a safe space for the LGBTQ community. During the interview, they played the song, “Hey Jesus,” from his new CD. I cried as I listened to it because it is his personal prayer to Jesus since he has come out. 

A few days after I heard his interview, the Holy Spirit started working on my heart to contact Trey and see if he would be able to perform that song at my church the Sunday before the special General Conference last February.

Honestly, I didn’t know how my congregation was going to respond to his story of faith and the singing of his song, but he received a standing ovation of appreciation. It was so moving! It was one of the top worship experiences in my thirty plus years of pastoral ministry and I will never forget it. 

I recently caught up with Trey to let him know of the positive ripple effect that he helped to start just by coming down to share his journey of faith with us. 

My biblical and theological understanding has changed over time because of these kinds of biblical perspectives and experiences.  Like my professor said, my carefully constructed brick building of faith will get knocked down from time to time. 

About three months after last year’s special General Conference, I was feeling very discouraged, irritable, confused, and angry toward my denomination. The bricks of my faith had been thrown everywhere. I wondered how they were going to get reassembled. 

Our church decided to develop a welcome/diversity statement to help people know that we are an inclusive church. Some people have joined our church because of that statement. We are also seeing a more diverse group of people attending our services and church events. I was starting to see a few bricks getting reassembled!

And then one day, the Holy Spirit reminded me of how important the benediction at the end of a worship service is. It’s that final reminder before leaving worship that we are each loved by God. I wrote the first part of that benediction and included a line from a benediction found in our UMC marriage ceremony liturgy. I smiled at the irony of using our own denominational liturgy to arrive at a different theological conclusion regarding the LGBTQ community. We now say this benediction together after each service.

The calmness of “Silent Night” turns into an unsettling period of growth and uncertainty. But through much prayer, discernment, study, wrestling, and experiences, those bricks will get reassembled and our faith will become even stronger. I see this happening in my life and in the life of our church. Praise God!

As we prepare for this May’s General Conference to make key decisions regarding the LGBTQ community who are brothers and sisters in Christ, my prayer is that brick by brick, we will find a way forward and a place where we can sing again, “all is calm, all is bright.”

Sunday Pastoral Prayer (Jan. 5/Epiphany Sunday) Athens First UMC

[Epiphany Sunday marks the conclusion of the Twelve Days of Christmas season. Members of our congregation put away the chapel and sanctuary Christmas decorations following each worship service which was the topic of the sermon. Click here. The Advent Wreath above is what we use in our chapel. Notice the short blue candle which we lit every Sunday since the beginning of December when Advent began. It deserves special recognition since it worked harder than the other candles!]

O God, we followed your light to offer our gifts to you on this Epiphany Sunday. There were times that we weren’t sure that we’d find you because it got so dark along the way. 

 

You know the challenges and hardships that we encounter in our everyday lives. You know our doubts, our fears, and our anxieties. We worry about heightened hostilities with Iran. We continue to find it difficult to have any conversation that won’t end up in an argument over politics. Sometimes, the euphoria  over a new year evaporates more quickly than we expected.

 

But just when we were thinking about returning home, we would see your light again, shining ahead of us, pointing us to where we would find you. And now that we are together in this place singing hymns, listening to your Word read and proclaimed, renewing our friendships, and preparing to receive your Sacrament, our hearts are again filled with joy at the news of Christ’s birth.

 

Thank you for shining your light so that we would be able to renew our Christmas joy and offer you the gifts of our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.

 

Thank you for shining your light so that Christmas decorations or no Christmas decorations, the joy of this season will lead us into a deeper awareness of your faithfulness and of your presence in our lives.

 

Thank you for shining your light so that we might shine your light for those who are in need of hope, love, joy, and peace.

 

And may we shine your light on the mountain and everywhere even as we pray the prayer you taught us to say together…

 

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

A Prayer for the United Methodist Church

This prayer was offered during worship at Athens First UMC on January 5 in response to the recent news of legislation being proposed for this May’s General Conference for their to be a split in our denomination over issues related to same sex marriage and ordination. For information related to this legislation and our West Ohio Bishop Gregory Palmer’s letter regarding this news development, click here.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer:

God of love, we thank you for the United Methodist Church and for our witness of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ throughout the world. We are grateful for the wonderful ways that we are a connectional church and for the opportunities this offers us to shine your light of hope, peace, joy and love to people representing many different countries, cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. You also know how difficult it has been over these past several years to be in disagreement over very important social issues that threaten to divide us. We acknowledge that within any church, there will be people who have different views.

As delegates from all around the world prepare for this May’s General Conference in Minnesota, we pray for your Holy Spirit to guide their decision-making in a way that would not only increase our witness of your love throughout the world, but also give us a way forward that would help us to agree to disagree in a spirit of mutual love and respect.

And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I pray that Athens First UMC would continue to be the welcoming and inclusive church that we are know to be. And may all of your people regardless of gender, orientation, race, or any other identifying label we may use, know that this church will always be a haven of blessing and peace, because we have all been created in your image and there are NO loopholes, asterisks, or exceptions. In humility, we offer this prayer. Amen.

Sermon (Jan. 5/Epiphany Sunday) by Rev. Robert McDowell

    What has it been? Eleven days since Christmas? Are your Christmas lights still up or have you already taken them down? And by what date should people take down their lights?

     That’s a really good question so I did a little research on this and I went to the very top authority on this topic. I consulted with Disney World.  And they tell me that they take down their Christmas lights by the first Monday after New Year’s Day which would be tomorrow.

     So, if you keep up your lights after tomorrow, you are going to be out of sync with Disney World’s schedule.  Take that for what it’s worthy.

     Actually, Disney World is pretty close to the official church calendar on this issue. According to the church calendar, Christmas is a period of twelve days beginning on Christmas Eve which means that the Christmas season ends every year on January 6 which just so happens to be tomorrow. 

     Tomorrow is Epiphany Day when the church celebrates when the Wise Men visited the Christ Child and offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So, if you want to get technical about it, it would make sense to box up those Christmas lights by the end of tomorrow evening. And as a side note, since we are talking about Christmas decorations, any ugly Christmas sweaters or ties should definitely be put away as soon as possible.

     One of the reasons why I think people tend to keep up their Christmas lights for so long is because this is such a dark time of the year. The presence of light in the midst of darkness can lift our spirits. So in this sense, maybe we should keep those Christmas lights up until March 8 when Daylight Savings Time begins.  Well, I think most of us know that we probably shouldn’t keep our Christmas lights up for that long. At some point, we need to put the lights away for another year.

     I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of light by reflecting on our Old Testament reading for this Epiphany Sunday. Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the people of Israel were living during a very dark time in their history.

     It seemed like they were constantly being overrun by foreign powers. Israel was in the middle of neighboring nations at war with one another. Some of these nations have taken the Hebrew children from their parents as captives.

     It’s also a time in their history when the people of Israel are beginning to give up on God because there is so much darkness in their lives. An enemy army has wiped out Jerusalem, the temple, and the once proud economy of Judah. And the tiny remnant of Israel which is holding on to dear life, continues to feel threatened with certain destruction.

     In the middle of all of this darkness and hopelessness, God sends the Prophet Isaiah to offer some much needed light. It’s in the middle of the night when Isaiah jumps out of his bed, not because he thinks he has heard Santa and his eight tiny reindeer, but because he has seen the light of God.  

     “Get out of bed, God is here!,” Isaiah tells the people. Imagine being awakened in the middle of the night with somebody shouting out the good news that…

     “Your sons will return from far away, and your daughters will be carried in their mothers’ arms again. The sight of the exiles coming home will make your face break out in a grin, your heart pound, and your eyes light up. The whole world will come riding camels and bringing gifts. People will march in from the South and sail in from the West. They will bring gold and frankincense, and they will bow down and worship in the slender or God’s light.”

     There aren’t too many times that I like to be awakened in the middle of the night. But if I was experiencing the kind of darkness that the people of Israel were experiencing during that time of their history, I’m sure that I would arise and shine if I heard Isaiah shouting out this good news.

     As we begin a new year, we might be facing the darkness as well. Maybe it’s the uncertainty of what this new year holds. Maybe it’s a medical concern or a financial need that has us in the darkness. Maybe it’s a relationship problem or a dream that has gone unfulfilled or maybe it’s another kind of darkness. 

     Our world often feels very dark. It’s seems like no community is immune from the opioid epidemic. Gun violence in our country continues to be a major problem. There is major unrest in the Middle East. People are lonely and out of work. Many are lost and are in despair.

     I received an email from somebody who was asking the church to help a young man who recently graduated from high school. He had no home, no job, and he was trying to find his way in this world. After offering some ideas on how he might get on his feet, I just said a little prayer for him that he would be able to see God’s light.

     Epiphany is a time to for us to remember that it was a light that led the Wise Men to find the Christ Child. And when they arrived, we are told that they were overwhelmed with joy. They offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

     When we encounter the light of Christ in our dark world, we too, are overwhelmed with joy. It’s this joy that leads us to offer our very best gifts in gratitude for God’s light. Perhaps this is why the Prophet Isaiah was getting everybody out of bed one night. He had joy to share and he wanted everyone to know it.

     Even though the Christmas Season is almost over, like the Wise Men we are called to offer our very best gifts so that others may find the light. And like the Prophet, Isaiah, we are called to tell all of those around us, “Arise, shine; for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

     Bob Russell, former Senior Pastor of Southeast Christian Church located in Louisville, Kentucky, once shared this story which had happened to him several years ago.  One year, he noticed that a house near the entrance of his subdivision kept their Christmas lights up long after the Christmas holiday was over.  

     This family kept them up through January and then around the middle of February, Bob began to develop a critical attitude toward this family for keeping their Christmas lights on for so long.

     But around the middle of March, Bob noticed a sign outside of this house that explained why they had kept their Christmas lights on.  The sign simply said, “Welcome home, Jimmy.”  Bob learned that this family had a son in Vietnam and they had unashamedly left their Christmas lights on in anticipation of their son’s return.

     This family knew that the light of Christ burns brightly long after the Christmas season. The light of Christ will continue to shine brightly even when our days feel like they can’t get any darker.

     Whether you put your Christmas lights away the day after Christmas, or you’re more of a purist and you wait until the twelfth day of Christmas, or even if you wait to take them down until sometime in March, remember that the light of Christ has come.

     Long after we box up those Christmas lights, the light of Christ will continue to shine brightly through even the darkest of days. Those lit candles that we held up in a darkened sanctuary on Christmas Eve just a few days ago will continue to light our way and lead us home.

     I attended a funeral service for a loved one. It was held on a late Saturday afternoon. The sanctuary was filled and I was sitting in one of the pews.

     During the service, the song, “Out of the Dark” by Gloria Estefan was played. It had been cloudy for most of the day and just before this song was played, the sun began to shine brightly through our beautiful stained glass windows as if on cue.

     As I listened to this beautiful song and saw the sun pouring through our windows, I felt God’s presence even in the midst of our sadness and grief. The words of that song seemed to be speaking to each person in that room.

     Why be afraid if I’m not alone

     Though life is never easy the rest is unknown

     Up to now for me it’s been hands against stone

     Spent each and every moment

     Searching for what to believe

 

     Coming out of the dark, I finally see the light now

     It’s shining on me

     Coming out of the dark, I know the love that saved me

     You’re sharing with me

     As we prepare to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we come like the Wise Men to greet the Christ Child. God’s light has led us to this place where we find the bread and the cup. We are reminded that even a dark Friday gave way to a bright and glorious Easter.

     Arise, shine, for your light has come.

When to Box Up the Christmas Lights

Sermon Discussion Questions

Isaiah 60:1-6 & Matthew 2:1-12

January 5, 2020

When do you take down your Christmas decorations? How do you decide when it’s time?

Some people take down their Christmas decorations on January 7th each year because January 6 this is the official conclusion of the Christmas season. January 6th is the twelfth day of Christmas, also known as Epiphany which is often associated with the light of Christ. The Wise Men were led by a light to find the Christ Child. The prophet Isaiah uses the image of light in offering hope to the people of Israel who were living during a dark time of history when they were exiled from their homes. - “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

 – Isaiah 60:1 During this dark time of the year when the days are so short, many of us are in need of more light in our lives.

How has God been your light during the dark times of your life?

The true story is told of a couple who kept their Christmas decorations up through the month of March. The neighbors were complaining and people wondered why they were too lazy to put the lights away. They stopped complaining when one day in March, the noticed a sign in this couple’s front yard. The sign read, “Welcome Home, Jimmy!” Their son who served in the military was finally coming home after a long tour of duty.

Even though many of us will soon be putting away our Christmas lights, in what ways can the light of Christmas continue to give us hope long after the lights are put away? In what ways can you be the light of Christ for someone who is in need of hope?

Pastor Robert shared a story of when he attended a funeral at a church. It had been very cloudy and rainy all day so it was a little dark in the sanctuary when he sat down. The family had requested that the song, “Out of the Dark” by Gloria Estefan be played at the beginning of the service. It was during this song about light that the sun poured into one of the stained glass windows of that sanctuary filling the place with light. This was an example of what our church has been calling, “A Thin Place Moment,” in which heaven and earth overlap in mysterious ways in ordinary lives.

Share a Thin Place Moment that you have experienced that reminded you that the light of Christ was present in your life during a dark and difficult time.

A Message from Bishop Gregory Palmer, West Ohio Conference

[West Ohio Bishop, Gregory Palmer]

January 3, 2020

Dear Friends of Athens First UMC,

Below is a letter from our Bishop Gregory Palmer regarding legislation that is being drafted for consideration at this May’s General Conference of the UMC that will be held in Minnesota.

The link located in Bishop Palmer’s letter below can be reached by clicking here. Check back here on Nikos for details regarding the scheduled Monday, January 13 live stream mentioned in Bishop Palmer’s letter. Since “Ask the Pastor” Sunday is scheduled for both worship services on January 26, this will be an opportunity for me to share my thoughts on this proposed legislation. You are also welcome to share any biblical, theological, or church related questions to me at robert@firstumcathens.org by Friday, January 17. I will do my best to address your questions on that Sunday.

As we await this May’s General Conference and decisions that may be made regarding issues related to human sexuality, I invite us to continue to be the welcoming, loving, and inclusive congregation that we are known to be. 

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Robert

Senior Pastor, Athens First UMC