Pastoral Prayer (Nov. 12) Athens First UMC

[Our church hosted a West Ohio conference event at our church on Sunday afternoon. Pictured above is our Bishop Gregory Palmer presiding over the Sacrament of Holy Communion in our beautiful sanctuary. This is the first time the Bishop has been in our remodeled building and he was very impressed. Since our church is centrally located in our Foothills district, we often host district and church events like this. This means that several of our church members and staff were willing to give up their Sunday afternoon to serve as greeters, work at the registration table, set up rooms for break-out sessions, run audio/sound, provide and set-up the communion elements, accompany the hymns, and provide direction signs around our building. Thank you, Athens First UMC for being a gracious host for this event!]  

O God, in these darker days of the year, you want us more than ever to shine your light in our community and world. You are calling your churches to be the glowing candlesticks of your love and mercy. We are all your acolytes who are called to take your light into our community and world.

Thank you for the many ways that our church was a like a candlestick this past week where we were able to shine your light of love like the college student who donated brand new winter hats, like the choir members who went to a nursing facility to lead a hymn sing for a dear member of our church, like the great response we had to our Angel Tree Christmas present outreach, like the businessman who had our winter clothing professionally dry cleaned at no cost, and like the many volunteers who will be providing hospitality for a conference event this afternoon here at our church.

Thank you, O God, for the many ways that our church is lighting the way here in our community. We want to be a church that doesn’t miss out on your unexpected arrival. We want to be a church that creatively finds ways to poke holes in the darkness.

On this Sunday as we think about churches being candlesticks in our darkened and broken and hurting world, we lift up our neighboring churches as they light the way for people in need. We also lift up to you the 160 United Methodist Churches in our Foothills District, and the 1,000 United Methodist Churches in our West Ohio Conference as we shine your light in Toledo, in Cincinnati, in Marietta, and everywhere in between. We pray for our District Superintendent, Rev. Dennis Miller and our Bishop, Gregory Palmer as they provide caring leadership in helping our churches in our unified mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our world.

On this Veterans’ Recognition Weekend, we also thank you for those who have served and who our currently serving in the military. Thank you for their service to our country.

We pray all of this in the name of Jesus who invites us to pray for a better world even as we pray together, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Sermon (Nov. 12) by Rev. Robert McDowell "Lighting the Way"

    I am proud to say that for most of the weddings I have officiated, they have started on time. If the wedding invitation says that the wedding will begin at 4:30, it will begin at 4:30, or within a minute or two.

     This all works great when weddings are held here in our church, but all bets are off when weddings are held off sight. Try as I might, it’s really difficult to start on time when I’m leading the show off site.

     For example, I’ll go looking for the mothers and remind them that they need to be ready to be seated about five minutes before the service. Once they are in place, I tell them, “It’s super important you stay right here so please don’t wander off.” Two minutes later, the mothers are nowhere to be found.

     I conducted an outdoor wedding on an island along the Pacific Coast a couple of years ago. It was a very beautiful setting. It was in the afternoon and it was beginning to get uncomfortably hot.

     I am standing next to the DJ who is supposed to begin playing the processional music. It’s time for the wedding to begin, and this DJ is still plugging in his sound equipment.

     The people who had already been seated were looking back at me wondering what was causing the delay.

     I politely asked the DJ when he would be ready and without a care in the world, he says, “I’m getting there. Just a few more things to plug in.”  I said, “What? The wedding was supposed to begin several minutes ago! We’re waiting on you!”

     So we stand there for another ten minutes. I could feel the sweat dripping down my back from the heat of the pounding sun. Heads are still turned toward me wondering what’s going on. Finally, the DJ finished plugging in the last cord and he begins the processional music.

     After the bridesmaids process forward, I motion for the people to be seated and I attempt to speak into the microphone. It wasn’t working. Since I really didn’t want to lead the whole service by shouting at the top of my lungs, I tried to get the DJ’s attention to let him know that he needed to do something.

     He didn’t notice me because he was too busy rolling up an incredibly long extension cord for some reason. Finally, he realizes that I’m trying to get his attention and he waves me on to just go ahead with the service.

     And so I scream out the opening words of the greeting and then invite one of the family members to read a poem.

     Just when she started to read the poem which nobody could hear since she didn’t have a microphone, the DJ awkwardly sneaks up behind me and hands me a different microphone. I feel relieved that I won’t have to keep shouting for people to hear me.

     After the poem I speak into the microphone and it has that echo effect, kind of like when baseball great Lou Gehrig gave his famous “I’m the luckiest man” speech at Yankee Stadium. 

     As I was trying to say the next sentence, I was hearing my previous sentence because of the echo. This was turning out to be a very memorable wedding.

     As I was reading the scripture lesson and sounding like Lou Gerhig, a big gust of wind came out of nowhere, knocking the microphone stand to the ground and making a very unpleasant popping sound. I stopped reading the scripture and picked up the stand and continued.

     “OK, nothing else can go wrong, can it?” I thought to myself.  When it came time in the service for the couple to share their vows, I realized that because of all of the commotion, I had forgotten to have the father give away the bride which should have happened near the beginning of the ceremony.

     That poor father of the bride was forced to stand with his daughter for at least fifteen minutes longer than he should have. In football language, we call it, “icing the kicker.”

     But that’s not the most interesting part of this memorable wedding. The most interesting thing was that I was conducting this wedding for my nephew and my whole family got to watch me in action. I assured them that things go much smoother back in Ohio.

     In our Gospel reading this morning Jesus tells a story about another wedding that didn’t go so smoothly.  Jesus tells us that half of the wedding party missed out on the long awaited wedding celebration because they didn’t bring enough oil for their lamps.

     In Jesus’ day, it wasn’t uncommon for the wedding reception to be held in the middle of the night. There was a custom for the bridesmaids to carry lamps that would provide a beautiful torchlight processional for the wedding couple. The problem was that you never knew when the groom might arrive for the wedding to begin.

     In the case of this wedding, half of the wedding party didn’t bring enough oil for their lamps. While they were at the nearest Wal Mart to buy some more oil, the bridegroom arrived to begin the wedding. When they made it back, it was too late. The wedding had already begun and the door was closed to them.

     This story is actually a parable that Jesus told to help his followers think about a future heavenly wedding when Jesus, the bridegroom will return to take his bride, the church and set up God’s kingdom here on earth.

     This is a story that is meant for us. We are the wedding party waiting for that great day of celebration when Christ will come again and will make all things new.

     We are the ones who are patiently holding our burning lamps in our darkened world. And since we do not know the exact time this heavenly wedding will begin, we will need to always have enough oil so that are lights will be shining throughout the night.

     This is a parable about lighting the way. In what ways can we offer the light of Christ in a world that is often in darkness?

     Robert Lewis Stevenson, best known for his adventure story, Treasure Island was in poor health during much of his childhood and youth. One night his nurse found him with his nose pressed against the frosty pane of his bedroom window. "Child, come away from there. You'll catch your death of cold," she fussed.

     But young Robert wouldn't budge. He sat, mesmerized, as he watched an old lamplighter slowly working his way through the black night, lighting each street lamp along his route. Pointing, Robert exclaimed, "See; look there; there's a man poking holes in the darkness."

     This is who we are called to be, people who poke holes in the darkness. We are to keep our lamps burning until Christ comes again. Like the candles on our altar, we are to keep on lighting the way.

     Many of us have stories to share of when God helped to light our way along our faith journey.

     A church member told me of a time when his wife was at OSU Medical Center and was facing surgery. It was during the week of her birthday.

     During the day of her birthday, she told her husband that the pastor from church had stopped by to visit her. She said that this young lady came with a portable organ and played happy birthday for her along with some other spiritual songs. She said that it was so wonderful that the music calmed her down and renewed her spirit.

    After she shared this with her husband, he went to the nurse who was assigned to her and asked if anybody had visited his wife that day. The nurse said that as far as she knew, nobody had been by to visit his wife that day.

     To this day, he still doesn’t know who stopped by to visit her that day in the hospital on her birthday. What is the Lord? Was it an angel? He will never know for sure.

     He still thinks about that time in the hospital when God sent someone to sing happy birthday to his wife. God’s light poked a hole in the darkness that day. It was a day he will never forget.

     Someone else has shared with me about a time of spiritual darkness that he was going through in his life. He had always viewed God as someone you could never please and so he always felt distant from God.

     He attended a spiritual retreat and a kind nun offered him words he will never forget. She told him, “Be gentle with yourself.” She invited him to look in his bible and write down all of the verses where it referred to God being gentle and loving.

     After he found several of these verses, he slowly came to a new understanding of who God is. God is a God of gentleness and compassion.

     Whenever he has the opportunity, he likes to share his new understanding of God with others. He offers the words from a Charles Wesley hymn which is based on Matthew 5:15. Jesus says, “No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.”

     Here are the words from this Charles Wesley hymn:

     Not for ourselves the light of grace

     Didst Thou on us bestow,

     But for the whole benighted race

     Thy darken’d house below:

     The candlesticks Thy churches are,

     The Spirit in them design’d

     Thy truth and goodness to declare,

     To lighten all mankind.

     And then this person goes on to share that all churches are God’s candlesticks designed by the Spirit to declare God’s goodness and to lighten all humankind.

    Someone helped to light the way for this man’s darkness and now he is seeking to light the way for others.

     Weddings are too important to miss. That’s why Jesus offers us this wedding parable from our Gospel reading this morning. We are to be ready for when Jesus, the bridegroom arrives so that we will be able to greet him and share in the great celebration of God’s kingdom.

     So let’s plan ahead for this future heavenly wedding. Let’s keep our lamps burning brightly so that we can light the way for the coming of Jesus, the King. Let’s bring plenty of oil for our lamps so that we will always be ready.

     We need to keep our lamps burning, not only because we want to be ready for the wedding. We keep our lamps burning because we are called to light the way for people who are facing darkness in our community and world.

     We are called to be an eternal flame for others until Christ comes again. Our burning lamp might be the only opportunity for someone to find their way out of a dark time in their life.

     I got to talking with someone who had just started attending church. I asked him what he liked about our church. In my mind I was hoping he would say something about the carefully crafted and inspiring sermons that are delivered with amazing eloquence week after week after week.

     I was taken off guard by his answer. He said, “Do you know what I like most about worship here? I love when the acolyte goes to the altar and takes the light out of the sanctuary. That always reminds me that I am to take the light of Christ with me and share it with people outside the church.”

     Wow. That’s an interesting perspective from someone who is new to the church.

     I think this is what Jesus is saying to us in this wedding parable. Don’t ever leave this place without taking the light of Christ with you. We are called to light the way.

     You just never know when the bridegroom might return.

Lighting the Way

Small Group Questions

Matthew 25:1-13

November 12, 2017

Jesus' parable of the bridesmaids who missed out on a wedding because they ran out of oil for their lamps is to encourage us to keep holding the light of Christ for a world that is in darkness.

Share a recent time where you were able to shine Christ's light for someone who was experiencing a time of darkness.

Pastor Robert shared these words from a Charles Wesley hymn that refers to the church as a lighted candlestick. Read these words and share what they mean for you.

     Not for ourselves the light of grace

     Didst Thou on us bestow,

     But for the whole benighted race

     Thy darken’d house below:

     The candlesticks Thy churches are,

     The Spirit in them design’d

     Thy truth and goodness to declare,

     To lighten all mankind.

The bible often uses the metaphor of a wedding to describe how heaven and earth are meant to be joined together to become one. In the context of Jesus' wedding parable, we are to keep our lamps lighted so that we don't miss out on that future hope.

What helps you to not lose hope and keep holding your lamp of God's light?

A new person to the church commented that his favorite part of the worship service is watching the acolyte take the light from the altar out of the sanctuary because it reminds him to take Christ's light with him after worship.

List some ways that you might shine Christ's light this week? 

Pastoral Prayer (Nov. 5/All Saints' Day) Athens First UMC

[All Saints' Sunday is the annual day on the church calendar where we remember those of the faith who have gone before us. We read nine names of our members during the prayer time, lighting a candle and ringing a bell after the reading of each name. (See names below.) We also lighted a tenth candle in memory of others who have enriched our lives and helped us to become more like Christ. Notice in the picture above that the word "Alleluia" is conveniently below the ten candles. We sing, "Alleluia" for all of the saints who have gone before us and who are now with God in glory. Here is the link of the sermon.]

We are heirs of a wonderful annual tradition in the church to observe All Saints’ Sunday, which is a time for us to remember and give thanks for those in our congregation who have passed away since last year’s All Saints’ Sunday.

All Saints Sunday has two very important dimensions. On one level, it’s a time for us to continue the grieving process. On another level, it’s a time for us to remember that we are surrounded by what the bible describes as a great cloud of witnesses and to hold fast to the promise and assurance that one day all of God’s people will be reunited in God’s glorious kingdom.

As the Roll of the Victorious is read, our hearts are full of thankfulness as we remember and honor these dear loved ones. Their names are printed alphabetically in the bulletin.

Family and friends of each loved one are invited to stand as their names are read. You may be seated after the bell for your loved one is rung.

O God, we lift up to you these saints by name, who have faithfully lived and died:

Virginia Belsho

Kathryn Ellis

Donald Gilmore

Carolyn Grippa

Betty Hawlk

Miriam Henderson

Jean MacKinnon

French McCormick

Virginia McNabb

We will light one more candle this morning. It is in loving remembrance of all others who have blessed us in so many loving ways. Thanks to their Christ-like example, we have a stronger faith and a closer walk with God. We haven’t said their names aloud, but we say their names silently now in our hearts. Let us remember with grateful hearts all those whom we have loved. Their lives brightened and changed this world.

God holds all of us in his great arms of mercy. Let us offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all the saints who have gone before us:

Almighty God, we thank you for all the saints who have faithfully lived and died and who are now with you in your glorious kingdom. We especially thank you for those we have just named and for how they have been a blessing in our lives. We also pray for family members who have made a special effort to be here in worship today to remember their loved ones. Remind us that you are our loving shepherd who comforts us, especially when we have heavy hearts.

Most of all, on this All Saints’ Sunday, we give you thanks for the good news of our faith that points us to a time when there will be no more mourning, sadness, pain or injustice, and where even death itself will be defeated once and for all. To you O God, be all honor, glory, dominion, and power, now and forevermore.

And now with confidence as the people of God, let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to say together, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Sermon (Nov. 5/All Saints' Sunday) by Rev. Robert McDowell "Can You See It?"

If you look on the screen, you’ll notice a drawing. 

     What was the first thing you saw in the drawing?  How many of you first saw a vase?  How many of you first saw two people staring at each other?

     Let’s put another picture on the screen and tell me what you see? 

     How many of you see an elderly woman?  How many of you see a young woman?  When our family looked at this picture together, it took me several minutes before I was able to see the young woman.

     For those of you who want more time to look at these pictures, I’ll have them posted on my Nikos blog later today.

     Sometimes, it’s a challenge to see a particular picture when in reality there is more than one picture for us to see.

     Our scripture reading from the book of Revelation invites us to see things in a new way.  The word “see” or a variation of that word is used four times in just six verses.

     The disciple, John in describing his heavenly vision begins by saying that he saw a new heaven and a new earth.

     He then tells us that he saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven.

     A loud voice focuses on the importance of seeing by saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals.”

     And Jesus, the one who is seated on the throne says, “See, I am making all things new.”

     The Book of Revelation is appropriately named.  It is a revelation of God’s final victory when heaven and earth will be made new.  The word “Revelation” comes from the word, “reveal.”  John is revealing a new world that has been made possible through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  John is helping us to see the world in a new way.

     Just a few months ago, many of us, if we had the special kind of glasses, were able to look up to see the rare occurrence of a solar eclipse. Here in Ohio, we weren't in the pathway of a total solar eclipse, but it was around 87%, I believe. 

     On the day of the solar eclipse, I was at the house working on my sermon. I think it was in the upper 80s that day, hot and sticky. The full eclipse was supposed to happen around 2:30 that afternoon. My next door neighbors had invited me to join them if I wanted to borrow their eclipse glasses so that I would be able to see it. 

     I politely said, "No, that's Ok, but thanks."

     Well, as it was getting closer and closer to 2:30, I began to regret my decision because I could tell that it was getting a little darker outside. It was also getting a little cooler, like ten degrees cooler. I began to wonder what the sun looked like as the moon was beginning to overlap it's magnificent light.

     Since I didn't have the special glasses and I didn't want to bother the next door neighbors, I went back to work on my sermon, thinking that it was a missed opportunity.

     Guess who called me that very minute when I was feeling left out? Penny! She was at a school meeting that day and they had let out early so that they could see the solar eclipse. Someone had given her the special glasses to see it.

     She said, "Hey, I was able to see the eclipse here at the school and I have the special glasses. Do you want me to bring them to you so you can see it?"

     I said, "Oh, don't go to any trouble for me...but I guess if you really want me to see it, sure!" She said, "I'll be there as soon as I can, because it's going to be over soon."

     So, Penny gets to the house and I am waiting in front of our garage door! I don't want to miss seeing the eclipse!

     Penny jumps out of the car, hands me the glasses and well...I'll let this photo tell the story.

     Friends, Penny made sure that I didn't miss seeing this very rare and awesome experience! It was so cool! I got to see the bright orange light shining around the shape of the moon. I was like a little kid taking all of this in!

     Penny did for me what John is wanting to do for us on this All Saints' Sunday. He is offering us these special heaven eclipse glasses so that all of us will be able to see this awesome picture of heaven and earth coming together! 

     

     John asks us, “Can you see it?  It’s a place where God will dwell with us forever.  It’s a place where there will be no more tears.  Picture a place where there is no more mourning, crying or pain. This is the picture that John wants us to see, a world that is redeemed by God.

     John wrote this letter of Revelation to the seven churches that were located in Asia Minor. Faced with persecution and despair, these churches needed this picture of hope.

     In her excellent book, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," Betty Smith writes about a young girl, Francie Nolan, who grows up in the slums of Brooklyn.  Francie's father can't keep a steady job and her mother is forced to provide for the family by working long and hard hours as a janitor.  They barely can make ends meet.

     Life is very difficult, they live in poverty, and this little girl, Francie, seems to be in a hopeless situation.  Forced to work in a factory at an early age to help provide for the family, life gets more and more difficult for this young girl. 

     But throughout the book, there are frequent references to a tree which grows in the midst of all this poverty.  And Francie admires the beauty of this tree everyday.  It's not that this tree is that beautiful or pleasing to the eye.  In fact at the end of the book, the landlord has some workers cut it down. 

     But for Francie, this tree had an inner beauty.  Even though this tree was situated in the midst of a crowded slum area in Brooklyn without adequate water, light, or soil, it somehow was able to grow and persevere.

     For Francie, this tree represents hope and beauty in the midst of so much despair.

     This tree which gave Francie hope every day, was a big reason why she was able to make it through those early years of life and help her to eventually make it to college.  The only bad thing about this classic novel is that the author has the character, Francie going off to the University of Michigan.  But other than that, it's a pretty good book.

     Think about it.  A tree growing in the middle of the slums of Brooklyn gave this young girl the inspiration and hope she needed for a better future.

     When John shared his revelation, his picture of new heavens and a new earth with those seven churches, I have to believe that it had a huge impact on them.  I have to think that this different picture of hope is what helped them to not give up and to stay faithful as God’s people. 

     After all, isn’t that what saints are?  People who don’t know the meaning of the word, “quit.”  People who just won’t give up because they believe in a God who won’t give up.

     And so today, I thank God for all of our saints represented by these candles.  Because of them, we can see a new picture, a picture that is filled with the hope of Jesus Christ.  Can you see it?

     I have one more picture to show you.  Before we put it up on the screen, here’s what I want you to do.  I want you to stare at the center of the picture for 45 seconds.  Don’t look away during that time.  Stare at the center of the picture you’re about to see for 45 seconds.  I’ll tell you when 45 seconds are over.  After you’re done staring at the picture, I want you to immediately stare at something near you, and a new picture will take shape in your mind.

    This is the picture that will enable us to bring transformation to our community and world. 

     Here’s the picture on the screen.  Stare at the middle of this picture for 45 seconds.  I’ll tell you when 45 seconds is over and what to do next.  Ready, go!

     OK, now look away from the screen and stare at something else near you. Give this a few seconds… 

     Can you see it?

Can You See It?

Small Group Discussion Questions

November 5, 2017

Revelation 21:1-6

It's not that difficult to see the pain, brokenness, and injustice that is in our community and world. When John wrote the Book of Revelation, he could see the brokenness of the seven churches being persecuted and his own persecution for being a follower of Jesus Christ. The early Christians knew of this picture all too well. 

Share examples of pain, brokenness, and injustice that you see in our community and world. 

Like a skilled painter and creative writer, the author of the Book of Revelation wants us to see what God's glorious kingdom will look like someday. Similar to our recent solar eclipse when the moon and the sun were perfectly lined up, John wants us to see that time in the future when heaven (God's space) and the world (our space) will perfectly line up. When we keep this picture in mind of heaven and earth coming together, it give us great hope that God is not only renewing the world in our present time, but one day, will banish sin and death altogether!

Read this scripture together from Revelation 21:1-6 and no, you don't need special eclipse glasses to stare at this picture! 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the  holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals.  He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”

In his sermon, Pastor Robert shared the story of Francie Nolan, the little girl in the book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. By focusing on this tree each day, Francie was able to overcome the many challenges and brokenness all around her. For Francie, this tree represented hope and beauty in the midst of so much despair. 

Share ways that people of faith can keep our eyes focused on the Book of Revelation's picture of that time in the future when heaven and earth will be made as one and there will be no more suffering or pain in the world.