New Clothes for Christmas

December 30, 2012 1st Sunday after Christmas Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52 Year C New Clothes for Christmas The two best things about christmas Our scriptures for today remind us of the two best things about Christmas – Christmas break and getting a chance to wear our new clothes for Christmas. As a child, everybody gets new clothes for Christmas. Colossians 3 reminds us that if we are followers of Christ, we too should get a new set of clothes- and that it is time to take off our old ones and put on the new ones. For many families, with school aged children, Christmas break is a time of traveling to see relatives. The holidays are a time when you get to see cousins that you only see once a year. It is a time when some of the rules are suspended, you get to stay up late and spend time having fun. And since you are with family, your parents are not watching you as closely as usual. The Jesus family vacation It was the same for Jesus family. Passover was the time for family vacation. If you were able, you travelled to Jerusalem to be at the temple for the holidays. Remember Joseph’s family was in Jerusalem, even though they settled in Galilee. So it was not strange for the family to take the 65 mile trip back to their hometown for the holidays. And back then, the only way to get there was to walk. They walked as a family – the women and children in front, the men in the back because they would walk faster. They would meet up at night to camp and to sleep. A twelve year old in transition It would not have been hard to lose a 12 year old boy in that situation. He was in transition. It was at twelve, that boys no longer spent time with their mothers, they were to travel with the men. It was at this age, that they were considered a child of the promise. And they were expected to start to learn what it meant to be a person of faith. Mary thought that he was a being a man for the first time, and was with the men. Joseph thought that he was still young enough to be with his mother and his younger cousins. Only to discover that he was taken his role as the son of god seriously, and was spending time in his father’s house, doing his heavenly father’s business. The story is careful to point out that his parents took their faith very seriously, and even though Jesus know that he has a purpose from heaven, he did not disrespect his parents. He was connected to both heaven and earth. Why don’t we hear about Jesus childhood? Last week – we just welcomed the newborn Jesus into the world, and the next week in his life, he is 12 years old. Next week, we will go back to the another story of Jesus childhood. But then the next week he is over 30 years old. There are stories of Jesus childhood What you may not know is that there are hundreds of stories out there about the childhood of Jesus. There is a story which says that even in the manger, Jesus is able to speak and proclaims that he is the son of God. When the family escape to Egypt there is a story that a man is turned into a donkey – and when Mary puts the baby jesus on the back of the the donkey he turns back into a man. There is a story of Jesus at 7, a young boy teases him and Jesus uses his superpowers to kill the boy, he is playing with some clay and fashions some birds and turns them into real birds, there is the story of Joseph having to constantly yell at the young half God. Half man for using his powers to punish anyone he doesn’t like. I think I have told you the story of two robbers robbing the holy family on their way to Egypt and Mary prophesising that they would die on the cross with Jesus. These stories all lack integrity Why haven’t we heard of these stories? Because they are not stories of the Jesus we know and love. Many of these stories circulated but they never passed the test to be included in the bible. There are many stories of Jesus life that we have never heard. They don’t have the integrity of this one story of Jesus childhood. Jesus was fully human and fully divine. Jesus fit comfortably into the life of his family, as any child should, and Jesus demonstrated love, honor and respect in everything that he did. Even as a child, he was someone we could look up to and follow his ways. A Jesus who kills little children and punishes people for being sinners is not the Jesus that we know. That is why we have never heard any of these other stories. We are expected to grow from following Jesus When we look at the life of Jesus, as we go through the Christian year, half of it is a journey through the life, times and resurrection of Jesus. And half of it is a chance for us to live the lessons that Jesus taught us. Scripture has one requirement of us- that as we watch Jesus grow into the messiah of the world, that we also grow. Not just grow up – but grow in Jesus. In Luke, Jesus says that he must be in his father’s house. Luke 52 says that Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. As you h Have gone through the journey of advent and Christmas – how have you grown as a person? How have you grown in your faith? How have you become stronger in Christ then you were before? All of us should be able to answer that question. Because if we have not grown, then we have missed the point of Christmas. We have all been given a present If you look at Colossians chapter 3 – you will see that Paul is telling us that each and everyone of us has a present from Christ under the tree. it is a new set of clothes. I want to take us a little farther back in Colossians. We read starting as verse 12. But let us take a look starting at verse 5. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b]7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. In Christ you are clothed in new clothes In the olden days when you were baptized, the bishop would call you into the water and tell you to take off your clothes, your were baptized (in a white slip I hope) and given a new white robe. Paul says that when we have Christ is our lives, it is time to take off your old self and put on a new self. He ways that you need to be clothed in the virtues of God. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. If you read the old testament, you will see that all of these qualities have been attributed to God. And thus any story about the son of God would have these values also. Paul says that when we have Christ in our lives – that we are a new person, because we see life through the eyes of Christ and not someone else. When we have Christ in our lives we grow as a person, with each season, with each day. John D. Rockefeller is clothed in new life The very first person to reach the status of billionaire was a man who knew how to set goals and follow through. At the age of 23, he had become a millionaire, by the age of 50 a billionaire. Every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his personal power and wealth. But three years later at the age of 53 he became ill. His entire body became racked with pain and he lost all the hair on his head. In complete agony, the world’s only billionaire could buy anything he wanted, but he could only digest milk and crackers. An associate wrote, "He could not sleep, would not smile and nothing in life meant anything to him." His personal, highly skilled physicians predicted he would die within a year. That year passed agonizingly slow. As he approached death he awoke one morning with the vague remembrances of a dream. He could barely recall the dream but knew it had something to do with not being able to take any of his successes with him into the next world. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized he was not in in control of his own life. He was left with a choice. He called his attorneys, accountants, and managers and announced that he wanted to channel his assets to hospitals, research, and mission work. On that day John D. Rockefeller established his foundation. This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, cures for current strains of malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria. The list of discoveries resulting from his choice is enormous. But perhaps the most amazing part of Rockefeller’s story is that the moment he began to give back a portion of all that he had earned, his body’s chemistry was altered so significantly that he got better. It looked as if he would die at 53 but he lived to be 98. We too need to put on new clothes Rockefeller was a devoted Christian – was a faithful member of Erie Baptist church for the rest of his life. It was when he realized that it was time for him to be a new man in Christ that he started to change. It was when he realized that being clothed in Christ, means not just putting on new clothes, it means living a new life. it means following Christ example and living Christ. There is something under the Christmas tree for all of us. The Christ that we were preparing for has come into our lives. It is time for us to know that not only did we get what we hoped for, we need to live what we hoped for. We are to live that change we were expecting. Let love be the umpire of your life Our present is a full wardrobe of love. We have the compassion, humility, kindness and patience, but love is the key to everything in Christ. The greek literally says – let love be the umpire for everything that you do. The test of living in love There is one test for your life to determine if you are living in Christ. When you are going on about the daily event in your life- can you do what you are doing and still call on the name of Jesus? The words that come out of your mouth – can you say them, and use the name of jesus in the same sentence? If not then you are still living in the old life. It is a new day… a new time….new clothes….it is time for new way of being. Let us pray……

Glory to the Newborn King

Christmas Eve Service December 24, 2012 Isaiah 9:2-7 Luke 2:1-20 Year C The expectations of the couple waiting for a baby I am sure when the couple found out that they were expecting, they were overjoyed. When they discovered that their first born would be a boy, they waited in anticipation. And as they raised him, they already knew that he was destined for greatness. They never knew that the government would be on his shoulders, they never dreamed that some people would call him wonderful counselor. They never guessed that people would celebrate his birthday the world over. Obama was a special baby His birthday, August 4th is certainly a date that lives on in history, and Barack Obama has certainly achieved great goals by becoming the most powerful leader in the world. But of course he is not the baby that we gather to honor on this special night. Every baby is special The coming of every new baby into a family is a wonderful occasion. Every child who comes into the world – is a special child in the eyes of God. Every child has a special purpose for their time on earth. Jesus is more than a baby in a manger The Lord Jesus Christ whom we exalt at Christmas is not just a baby in a manger. He is not a character in a children’s story. He is far more. The first time he came, he came veiled in the form of a child. The next time He comes, and we believe it will be soon, He will come unveiled, and it will be abundantly and immediately clear to all the world just who He really is. The first time He came, a star marked his arrival. The next time He comes, the whole heavens will roll up like a scroll, and all the stars will fall out of the sky, and He himself will light it. The first time He came, wise men and shepherds brought Him gifts. The next time He comes, He will bring gifts, rewards for His own. The first time He came, there was no room for Him. The next time he comes, the whole world will not be able to contain His glory. The first time He came, only a few attended His arrival – some shepherds and some wise men. The Next time He comes, every eye shall see Him. The first time He came as a baby. Soon He will come as sovereign King and Lord. (Autoillustrator.com, CHRISTMAS) We should all know the story of salvation On this night we retell the story of Jesus’ birth because it is an important story for us. It is a story that combines heaven and earth, it is a story where the rich and the poor come together, where darkness in our lives encounters the light, where our despair can meet our hope, and we can know that whatever challenges we have in life, if we have God in our lives, they come to make us stronger, not to hold us down. It is important to tell this story of salvation each and every year, because sadly there are so many people in our world who don’t know the story – and who don’t know the real gifts of Christmas for us. A Russian Orphan’s version of the story In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments, and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program occupied the orphanage. A Christmas story from their experience has been circling the globe since 1994. It was nearing the holiday season, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square cut from yellow napkins I brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following the instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away when she left Russia, were used for the baby’s blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy’s manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy’s manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately—until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, “And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay.” “I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn’t, because I didn’t have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I keep him warm, that would be a good gift. “So I asked Jesus, ‘If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?’” “And Jesus told me, ‘If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody every gave me.’” “So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him—for always.” As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him; someone who would stay with him—FOR ALWAYS. This story came by email with no source given. Isaiah 9 says that a child has been born just for us, just for our lives, just for our struggles, just for our salvation. Obamas time will come and go, but Jesus time will be forever. His gifts are for us and for all who come after us. And if we are able to receive those gifts, we will stay with Jesus forever. Jesus came to the earth to be a ransom for many who chose to live in sin, to provide an example of what it means to live a righteous life, to bring salvation to our dark lives, and more importantly to give us eternal life. How do we accept that gift? What does it mean to us tonight. The baby on the alter You can see that I have found a baby to put on the altar, to represent the newborn king coming into our lives. I am going to have to find someone to build me a manger for the baby. But I put him in a moses basket. And a receiving blanket instead of swaddling clothes. The legend of the swaddling clothes Of course the swaddling blanket it a lot bigger that a receiving blanket. There is a tradition that when a family was traveling – the swaddling blanket was made out of gauze. The gauze was used to mend the wounds of those who were hurt. If someone died, they could also be wrapped in gauze. It was used to take care of the community. Lay your burdens on the child Luke says that the baby was wrapped in swaddling clothes, scripture eventually says that he was bruised for our iniquity. He took our wounds, our hurts, our sins upon himself, so that we can heal. Tonight, I am going to invite you to once again write your hurts, your struggles, your wounds on a piece of swaddling cloth and put it in the basket. Knowing that there is no pain that Jesus cannot bear for us, there is no healing that God cannot do. As you put the piece of cloth in his bed, no that God hears your prayers, and that this baby has to the power to heal and make life all better. Let us listen to this carol during this time of prayer… THIS BABY IS FOR YOU Pastor and author Richard Foster writes about genuine, joyous giving. "Giving with a glad and generous heart has a way of rooting out the tough old miser within us. Just the very act of letting go of money or some other treasure does something great within us."1 Such genuine, joyous giving awakens us to the true message of Christmas and reminds us of God's free, unconditional gift of Jesus to us. God generosity toward us in Christ opens us up to new possibilities of being generous with others. It was like a beautiful tale from a storybook. The young couple had found each other and began their marriage together full of hope and anticipation. It all seemed so perfect. They were happy, with good jobs, a nice home, and a loving relationship. In time, they celebrated the incredible joy of the birth of their first and only child. They were loving, caring, and devoted parents. Life seemed rich and complete. They were a family. Then the unthinkable happened. The beautiful little baby who had filled their lives with so much joy died suddenly. Their lives turned from hope and joyful anticipation to numbing emptiness and pain. They were devastated and agonized over their loss and wondered what they could have done to prevent such a senseless tragedy. Life no longer seemed complete. Instead of the excitement of new beginnings they were consumed by endings, darkness instead of light, as they struggled to hold their fragile love together. It all seemed hopeless until a simple knock on their door changed their lives forever. There at the door, stood a Native man holding a small baby. He reached forward, handing the child to the couple. "Here, this baby is for you," he said and then he left. I still feel my tears as I think about th It all seemed hopeless until a simple knock on their door changed their lives forever. There at the door, stood a Native man holding a small baby. He reached forward, handing the child to the couple. "Here, this baby is for you," he said and then he left. I still feel my tears as I think about the young Native mother who gave her own baby to fill the lives of the grieving couple. Native people call it custom adoption. For me, it is much more. It is the ultimate gift of love. Christmas is our celebration of God's ultimate gift of love. God saw our pain, our devastation, our hopelessness, our brokenness, and our fragile love and he loved us so much that "...he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Jesus is God's ultimate gift. "Here, this baby is for you."2 "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us." Jesus, the greatest gift of Christmas--for you, for me, for everyone. Amen. (1 Cited from: Clergy Talk, December 1998 (Sequim, WA), p. 11. 2 Cited from: Lee Barry, "This Baby is For You," in: Come Let Us Adore Him: LAMP 1995 Advent Devotions, p. 30. From a sermon by Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson, Christ is the Greatest Gift, 12/20/2010 )

A Quantum of Solace

December 23, 2012 Micah 5:2-5 Luke 1:39-45 A Quantum of Solace 4th Sunday of Advent Year C Not used to the presence of women Rear Adm. George J. Dufek, Naval commander of Operation Deepfreeze, tells this story of the day two airline stewardesses arrived on the only commercial plane ever to land in the Antarctic: “The girls, ravishing in furs, were being wined and dined in the McMurdo mess hall. But I noticed there were some men missing, and I walked around the base to see what they were doing. I found them sitting glumly in their quarters, smoking, drinking coffee and obviously resentful. Their reason? They wanted to be able to say that, from the time they left civilization until they returned they hadn’t seen a woman!” —National Geographic Not a lot of women in our story of salvation We wont have that problem when we read the book of Luke. When you read the story of salvation, it is primarily a story about men, told from a man’s perspective. Even from the beginning, sin came into the world –Adam was created first. And when eve convinces him to eat the apple of sin – he tells God it was not him, it was the woman that you gave me. And all throughout the story, women have taken a back seat in the story. Paul says that women should be silent in church- if you have a question in church, just be silent, and ask your question at home. Women are not allowed to be teachers in church. It is as if man is saying that women messed it up, so they should sit back and let the men take care of making it right. Luke focuses on the faith of women We can be grateful that not all men feel that way. Throughtout this year, you will notice that Luke goes out of his way to make sure that we see the contributions that women make to the story of salvation. He goes out of his way to explain that it was women who were the first witnesses to the resurrection. He points out that it was a woman who washed Jesus feet in preparation for death, when the men felt it was unnecessary. And it is only Luke who tells the story of the role women played in bringing the savior into the world. It is Mary who recognizes the plight of her people and who get the message from the angel that she will have a chance to turn the tables. And today we hear the story of Mary and Elizabeth as they come together to celebrate the new life that they are bringing into the world. Both pregnant – they come together. And even though Elizabeth is older, she blesses Mary and the baby she is carrying. They both know that the world will change. Pope John Paul said the he felt that every pregnant mother is a lot like Moses. They understand that with this birth, they are bringing in a new world, but they may never see the full implications of that world. We are all expecting And it is that time of expectation that we all stand on this last Sunday before Christmas. We don’t know how the world would be different – but we are ready for a change. We want it, we expect it, we pray for it, but by the time it comes, we may never see it. But we have prepared the way for the future and for our children. That is what it means to have faith in what we cannot see. We have heard the story of John the Baptist preparing the way – and now we see that even in the womb – the babies know about their purpose – and their relationship they will have with one another and with God. When we know that a baby is coming, we spend so much time getting ready for them, making space for them in our lives, wondering what life will be like when they come to us. But we never think about what it will be like from their perspective, how are they preparing their way for us. What are their expectations. What do they think about coming to our world? Legacy – man looking outside to expect freedom A woman tells the story of a man, who dreamed of freedom and a new life in his country of china. He wrote many documents on freedom. When the government discovered that he was writing these documents against communism. They literally locked him inside of his office. He was totally closed off from the world and made a prisoner in his own house. His family could send in food and water, but they had no access to him. The government had even put boards on his window, so he could only see through the thin slats in the boards. But everyday – he looked out and he would see a kite flying. It was his son, communicating with him. Telling him that even though they could not be with him, they still thought of him. They still loved him, and that there was still a place in their lives for him. It was that small connection – that helped him endure his imprisonment, until he was finally freed and could be with his family again. It was that kite that was his hope and anticipation of what his destiny would finally be. We have spent 4 weeks preparing ourselves for Christ to come anew in our lives. As we look in the world, we are clear about what we are expecting, what we are needing, what we are waiting for to change. Just as the faithful man watched that kite, and couldn’t wait to be freed, what if Christ is watching us, and looking forward to coming forward in our lives. What if Christ is just as excited about coming into our lives as we are in coming in ours? What if Christmas is our meeting place of heaven and earth. Where we get the chance to see God’s love hope joy and peace in us. The faith stories of women We as women spend so much of our time looking as the examples of men of faith. today we learn a lesson from women of faith. There is a educational campaign – called a a virgin, a queen, a harlot, a slave and a purpose. It points out the stories of women of faith in the bible, Mary, Esther, Rahab, and Hagar. All women who had a key role in the story of salvation of God’s people. We are all Mary Today we are reminded of the purpose of Mary, Mary;s faith in salvation and her willingness to be used. This Christmas, let us like Mary – respond to God’s opportunities in our lives, be willing to work with God to bring the change we pray for, make the promises of God real in how we live our lives, and most importantly – know that we have the spirit of God inside of us – waiting to be a blessing to all of the world. James Bond lessons The four themes of advent - hope, love joy and peace – those are the things that God will bring into the world with the birth of Christ. I have tried to tie those 4 lessons with 4 lessons from James Bond. First Sunday we stood at skyfall, second we remembered that as children of God we are shaken not stirred, third- we were reminded that there is power in the water, and today ‘s theme is quantum of solace. Our Quantum of Solace In many of James Bond’s movies – they got permission to use the title of the story – but couldn’t tell the story. And I just thought that was a good title. The theme song of the movie says that in order for you to truly live and be happy you have to have a quantum of solace, you have to find the place of your serenity. Our quantum of solace is in Jesus Christ. Malachi says that the coming savior is our source of peace. Michael Card (musician and author): “All we could ever imagine, could ever hope for, He is. ... He is the Prince of Peace whose first coming has already transformed society but whose second coming will forever establish justice and righteousness. All this, and infinitely more, alive in an impoverished baby in a barn. That is what Christmas means--to find in a place where you would least expect to find anything you want, everything you could ever want.” May you be prepared for the coming of your savior – may he be the true source of your joy, peace, love and hope. Amen.

The Power is in the Water

Harriette Cross Englewood United Methodist Church Rust Memorial United Methodist Church December 16, 2012 Isaiah 12:2-6 Luke 3:7-18 Third Sunday of Advent There is Power in the Water Year C The history of John the Baptist I spent my vacation watching James Bond movies. I was never much into the movies until this year. One of the things that I learned, was that James Bond was not much of a Christian. And up until this new movie, there was not much of a chance that he would be. I actually hesitated to continue my series, because in many ways, that lifestyle contributes to the sickness of our society, and its numbness to violence. James bond likes to drink, and gamble. And there is really a lot of violence in the movies. James bond is the alter ego of the author – Iam Fleming, who was very intentionally not a Christian. But his lifestyle may change in the coming years, because they have run out of Ian fleming stories, and now have to write the stories from scratch. But one of the reasons that I continued to watch the movies, was because of the symbolism of who James Bond is. And there is a lot of very subtle symbols in the movie. But the one I was most interested in, was James bond’s relationship with the water. And in every james Bond movie, there is always a lot of water. But it is as if he gets energy and strength whenever he falls into the water. In his last movie, he is shot on a moving train, he falls into the river, and the river bed literally pulls him in and he come out well again. Whenever he had a fight, you know he has the upper hand in the water. In one movie his girlfriend drowns underwater, but he is underwater just as long as she is – but is okay. And in another movie he is buried at sea, a submarine takes him in and unwraps his body – and he is fully dressed in uniform and starts commanding the ship. There is something about the water that gives him super powers. Hmmm. What was even more fascinating to me was that I was able to find research on other symbols in the movies, but no one had anything to say about the water – when you can tell that there is a very intentionally relationship there. So the best I can tell, there must be power in the water. James Bond represents the strength and power of the british nation, and the best explanation that we can come up with is the Britain claims it empire, by its ability to sail the seas to far away places. In order to do that – they had to in some way conquer the water. They believe that in order to conquer the waves, their Navy had to have a special relationship with the sea. So James bond has that same relationship. I still say, that the power is not in James Bond – but the power to heal, to cleanse, to make whole is in the water. Ultimately, there is power in the one who made the water and who does have control of the water. Take a look at the power of water in Genesis If you look back at the creation story in the book of genesis – it says in the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Water was present before creation. As you continue to read the story, all of creation comes out of the water. God creates order, out of the chaos of water. Water is an important part of God’s creation, and of who we are as children of God. John the Baptist and water Perhaps that is what led John the Baptist in his ministry to lead people back to the banks of the water. When you life has become chaotic and sinful, perhaps what there is to do, is to go back into the water- and repent- turn back to God, to who god created you to be. Diamonds in the water A jeweler gives, as one of the surest tests for diamonds, the water test. He says: “An imitation diamond is never so brilliant as a genuine stone. If your eye is not experienced enough to detect the difference, a simple test is to place the stone under water. The imitation diamond is practically extinguished, while a genuine diamond sparkles even under water, and is distinctly visible. If a genuine stone be placed beside an imitation one under water, the contrast will be apparent to the least experienced eye.” There is power in the water, for you and for me too. When we get to the baptism that Jesus offers – we will see that there is even more power in the water. The water has to power not to drown you, but to save you. But today, John makes it clear that the time is not here for that yet. We are preparing for the day and waiting for the messiah to come. But in order to stand before God, we have to pass through the waters of repentance. The brood of vipers And even John was surprised at the response that he got. Normal people in his life, people who disrespected him, who ignored him, who knowingly did what was wrong. There were many people who wanted to turn their lives around. Who wanted to live a life in relationship with God. You brood of snakes, how can you have to nerve to be saved. Many of them asked what must they do to be saved – and the answer was simple – do what is right. Scripture says don’t take more that what you deserve, leave some for others, don’t make a profit off of others, and don’t threaten others, be satisfied with what you have. James Eckard makes an ethical decisions In the 70’s the Eckard drugstores were the biggest chain in the country. Eckard was not a Christian, but he had a Christian friend. He had no intention of living a Christian life, until one day he listened to his friend. He came to understand what God expected of him – he came to learn truly what was ethical behavior. And he realized that his drugstores were buying into the glamorous lifestyle of do what you want. People could come into the store and at the front counter buy penthouse and play boy magazines. He sold so many magazines that he was making 3 million dollars a year. But after he has stood by the waters and been cleanses by god - he decided that it was not right to sell the magazines. I love god enough to give up three million dollars. But it didn’t stop there – he called all of the other drugstores and convinced them to stop selling the magazines also. You cant go to the drugstore chains to buy inappropriate magazines anymore. That was the power of one man’s repentance. Through his repentance, doing what was right before god was more important than making money. In this advent season, John reminds us that the first step to preparing our hearts for salvation, is to stand on the waters of repentence, and to see our glory shining as God intended. In order for us to get to the joy of the season. We have to stand before God and take an honest toll of ourselves. Our sins, our vulnerabilities, our weaknesses. And turn them truly over to God. When we subject ourselves to god’s judgment, we also have to subject ourselves to God’s mercy. God’s strength to give us a better life. A heart changed by God is a heart that brings forth fruit. How does god need to change your heart- sometimes we don’t realize until we see our selves in the reflection of the waters of repentance. What does it mean to live in a way that is truly pleasing to God? You have to pass through repentance to get to salvation William Willimon, Chaplain at IDuke University, says that John the Baptist reminds us of boundaries we must respect and gates we must pass through. At Duke, Willimon reminds the students, "If you are going to graduate, you must first get past the English Department. If you are going to practice law, you must pass the bar. If you want to get to medical school you must survive Organic Chemistry." Likewise, "If you want to get to the joy of Bethlehem in the presence of Jesus, you must get past John the Baptist in the desert." The word from John is "repent," which means "about-face" or turning 180 degrees. Joy in the presence of God In this third week of advent, that is our focus on joy. Joy is not the absence of trouble, it is the presence of God in our lives. And more importantly the presence of god in our actions. And the realization that even for the most seasoned Christian, that there is a difference in what we do , when with god, then without God. We must never forget that we were made in the image of God, and not in the image of humans. Who we are should reflect God. Joy is what we are chosen for to serve god, and joy is what we have to give to others. The joy of being a child of god. Regal water In the chemistry class we learned how acids act on different substances. In the course of our experiment the professor gave us a bit of gold and told us to dissolve it. We left it all night in the strongest acid we had, and tried combinations of acids, then finally told him we thought gold could not be dissolved. He smiled. “I knew you could not dissolve gold,” he said, “none of the acids you have there will attack it; but try this,” and he handed us a bottle labeled “Nitromuriatic Acid (Aqua Regia).” We poured some of its contents into the tube that held the piece of gold; and the gold that had resisted so easily all the other acids quickly disappeared in the “royal water.” The gold at last had found its master. The next day in the classroom the professor asked, “Do you know why it is called Royal Water?” “Yes,” we replied, “it is because it is the master of gold, which can resist almost anything else that can be poured on it.” Then he said, “Boys, it will not hurt the lesson today if I take time to tell you that there is one other substance that is just as impervious as gold; it cannot be touched or changed, though a hundred attempts are made upon it. That substance is the sinful heart. Trial and affliction, riches and honor, imprisonment and punishment will not soften or master it. Education and culture will not dissolve and purify it. There is but one element that has power over it—the blood of Christ the Saviour, the aqua regia of the soul.” There is power in the water. There is power in the baptism water of jesus. There is power in what Jesus has in store for us. during this advent season, we must remember john’s words – I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come and baptize you with the holy spirit. Repentence, a honest look at who you are, and a honest look at who you can do, and a willingness to see yourself as god sees you. A life in relationship with god will change you, and change the world. But it starts with repentance. With a new actor, and a new writer, and a new era I have faith that one day, James Bond will turn his life around and give his life to Christ Maybe there will be change in our world But here is a practical application. John the Baptist was concerned about the politicians, the supervisors, those in charge. He wanted them to make good decisions and to hold god accountable in our decisions. May our politicians will make decisions about guns that will prevent all of these shootings. But in the midst of tradgey, Mister rogers said that his mother always said look for the helpers, those who know that change come first with them. Change in the world comes with you and your repentence. Be one of those helpers….but I have even more faith in you. Time to Act Once the eminent philosopher John Dewey found his son in the bathroom. The floor was flooded and he was mopping furiously trying to contain the water in that room, keeping the damage to a minimum. The professor began thinking, trying to understand the deeper ramifications of the situation. After a few moments, the son said, "Dad, this is not the time to philosophize. It is time to mop!" Baptism is our statement that we are ready to stop philosophizing and ready to start mopping. Zig Ziglar reminds us that the largest locomotive in the world can be held in its tracks while standing still simply by placing a single one-inch block of wood in front of each of the eight drive wheels. The same locomotive moving at 100 miles per hour can crash through a wall of steel reinforced concrete five feet thick, but it must be moving first. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.sermons.com Blessed Are They Who Find Christmas… Blessed are they who find Christmas in the age-old story of a babe born in Bethlehem. To them a little child will always mean hope and promise to a troubled world. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the Christmas star. Their lives may ever reflect its beauty and light. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the joy of giving lovingly to others. They shall share the gladness and joy of the shepherds and wise men of old. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the fragrant greens, the cheerful holly and soft flicker of candles. To them shall come bright memories of love and happiness… The rest of this illustration, as well as many additional illustrations and sermons for this week, Advent and Christmas can be accessed at www.Sermons.com. —King’s Business I was once invited to a luncheon where thirty or forty Christians—ministers and laymen—were gathered together for discussion of a certain problem of Christian work. A well-known layman was asked to return thanks before the meal. I have heard the blessing asked hundreds of times, but suddenly my attention was aroused. The man who was praying said, “We thank Thee for all these gifts, for our food, for our water … ” I do not know what else was said in the prayer, but that thought gripped me. Thank God for the water … I have asked the blessing before thousands of meals, but that day for the first time, I thanked the Lord in spirit and in truth for common ordinary water, and for the Living Water. I then began to think of other common things for which we never thank God, and began thanking Him. —Donald Grey Barnhouse —Reformatory Record A customer talked overtime on a long-distance call from a pay telephone booth. Even with my friendly reminders, he refused to deposit his overtime coins. Instead he slammed down the phone, irate and verbally abusive. A few seconds later, he was back on my line--somewhat calmer. "Operator, please let me out of the phone booth--I’ll pay, I’ll pay, just let me out!" The customer mistakenly thought I had control of the phone booth’s doors and had locked him in! He gladly paid the overtime charge and with my advice gave the booth door a hefty kick to free himself. -- Lillian Pearsall, Moravia, N.Y. "Lite Fare," Christian Reader. (Copied from Bible Illustrator) Story of Eckard

Shaken not Stirred

December 9, 2012 Second Sunday of Advent – Love Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 3:1-6 “Shaken not Stirred” Year C James bond and shaken not stirred (make and shake a glass of water…) Shaken, not stirred… that is how James Bond likes his drinks. In the first James Bond movie, Bond and a woman are the guest of the villain, Dr. No. Dr No invites him to dinner, and offers Bond a drink…shaken not stirred. Every movie since, that is his drink of choice….shaken not stirred. You see when you put the ice in your water, and you shake it up – the ice gets a chance to evenly distribute on every part of the water. If you just stir the water, you miss some spots, and the water is not as cold. God’s people shaken…… Shaken, not stirred. It works for water, but it also works for God’s people. If we are going to truly use our faith, and be the most faithful, sometimes in life, we too have to be shaken, but not stirred. Going through the trials and tribulations in life on the outside, and yet standing firm and complete on the inside. Shaken by life, but with our souls not stirred. Shaken a sign of God’s salvation The bible is full of examples of God intentionally shaking the world around us. the bible speaks of earthquakes as a sign of God’s presence in our lives. When Jesus was dying on the cross, scripture says that the earth shook. When the disciples came to witness the resurrection, scripture says that the earth shook. Revelations says that when there is a new heaven and a new earth – the birth pains will begin with the earth shaking. God likes to shake things up. Isaiah that says that the bottom will become the top and even there it wont stop. Advent a time of shaking Advent as we await the coming of Christ is a time of God shaking things up. Not just on the outside, but on the inside. We prepare our hearts and souls for God. We have to find within ourselves what is most important. Experiment of couples juggling too much There was as advent experiment – where couples were asked to stand on stage and to literally juggle some important symbols of life – 10 couples were given a wedding ring, a soccer ball, a tablet computer, a crystal vase, a cup and a saucer, and a cross. As you can imagine, as the couples lined up and started juggling, you could hear broken glass, and bouncing balls everywhere. Every couple dropped these symbols as they tried to juggle them all at one time. That is the sound of the beginning of advent – the sound of chaos and broken glass. The sound of God shaken up our symbols, our priorities, our beliefs, our hopes and our dreams. But there was one couple that did not drop the things that they were juggling. They realized that they couldn’t keep everything in the air – so they took some time to prioritize what was most important to them – their faith – the cross, their children – the doll, and the wedding ring. Everything else had to be put aside. Most of the things that come to us that shake us – is God’s way of telling us that we cant have everything, we cant do everything, we cant be everywhere – so we have to be forced to pick what is really important to us – and focus just on those things, and let everything else fall to the ground and breaking. Being shaken up is a sign of God’s love. It is a sign that God plan for salvation is working full speed ahead. Whenever God has plans for us, first God had to prepare us to fulfill those plans. God’s plan is always for salvation God’s plans is for justice, God’s plan is for a terrible, hopeful newness of life for ourselves and for those around us. But before he can begin the new plan, he was to wean us from the old plan. He has to purify our hearts from the old sin, in order to realize the new salvation. The story of John the Baptist Second Sunday of advent is a the Sunday when we hear the story of John the Baptist – the messenger of Christ – who tells us to prepare the way for the lord. Clear away all of that junk that we hold inside. He reminds us that we are all sinners and that we need to repent of our ways. Scripture says that he went into the countryside proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Sin is failing to take responsibility In a world that does not like to take responsibility for its own actions – repentance is to take responsibility for your actions and your choices. If you watch television, the world is full of people who don’t take responsibility for their actions. A woman cheats on her husband – but it is not her fault – it was how she was raised, it was her husband’s fault. A man steals a radio – but he was tempted by all of the ads that said that he needed a radio, or that he saw that all of his friends had one, so he thought he should have one too. And when we witness others in the world not taking responsibility, we do the same. The bible says to love your neighbor- but how can we love people who are not friendly, God asks us to pray daily – but how can we pray when the people around us think that we are crazy, Jesus says to go and make disciples of all nations, but how can we evangelize when no one wants to hear what we say. We are supposed to tithe, but that is hard when there are so many other bills to pay. Someone once said that if there is a statue of liberty, then there should also be a statue of responsibility. Because where there is freedom of choice, there is responsibility for making that choice. God’s grace is a place of great liberty, God’s grace is a place of taking great responsibility. But in a world obsessed with freedom, it is so easy to get caught up in sin. God gives us a choice to sin God has no policeman to pass around and grab us by the neck and say you must read your Bible, or you must go to Church, or you must give to Missions. When God created man, He made man superior to all other creatures. He gave man the power and privilege of CHOICE. Up to now the Lord respects that privilege. He will not force us. With that privilege of Choice, goes the terrible responsibility of abiding by the results or consequences of our choices. God may not have police, but he does have messengers like John the Baptist, who constantly warn us to repent. To turn around, when we sin to be prepared for God to shake things up. The consequence of making poor choices is God’s judgement in our lives. That message is that you have gone far enough, now it is time to turn back around and go the other way. God’s judegemet is our facing what we have done, as well as what we have left undone. Things falling apart – in many ways is our cleansing our hearts so that the holy spirit can come in and make us right again. The washing machine and the holy spirit Does anyone know what that piece in the middle of the washer is called? The part in the middle that moves back and forth and shakes the clothes back and forth? What is that called? I’m going to call it an Agitator…. What is the purpose of the Agitator? As far as I can tell, it sole purpose is to cause havoc for the dirty clothes… it’s there to shake and separate the clothes from all the dirt and grime and money that may be in or on the clothes, right? It makes sure that the clothes are shaken, not stirred so that we can used them again. As soon as we are saved, the Holy Spirit moves into our hearts, but He doesn’t have our heart to himself… there’s still a lot of things in there… the main one being our own selfish desires…even though we have been saved from our past sins, there still remains some things of the world that we are still fond of… these things of the world have a way of attaching themselves to us like dirt on clothes… they can stain us, they seemingly won’t come out. The Holy Spirit, being Holy….His nature doesn’t allow Him to live in a dirty environment, so He begins to gently and lovingly, He begins to agitate, to shake… to convict us of the things that need to leave our heart…. You see God wants us to be filled with His Spirit… and only when we come to a place in our lives where we are willing to remove all the dirt…can we truly be Filled with His Spirit. Until then, many times our spiritual life fills like we are in a washing machine…. The Holy Spirit constantly, because He loves us so much, constantly agitation within us, convicting us of the things that need to be removed from our lives…. The truth is it is God’s will for all to be filled with the Spirit…. But it’s your choice… it’s up to you… If you willing to surrender every area of your life… every area.. Past, present, future… habits, control, finances, family… everything that means something to you…. Total surrender What is god shaking up in your life What is God shaking up in your life? How has God positioned you to maybe make a difference for someone? Is your job or relationship in trouble? Are your kids or your parents having difficulties with transitions to new stages of life, or circumstances? Are the terrors, or politics, of this world getting you discouraged? Or is death or illness in your family changing everything for you forever? This story reminds us, once again, that when your world begins to shake, it may be because demons are being cast out and captives are being set free. Trust God to show you what to do next. The promise of advent is that the Holy Spirit will disrupt business as usual in our lives, in our church and around the world. We can trust that God will help us find ourselves, in a place to receive God’s love, and bear witness to that love, no matter what. Thanks be to God for this Good News. God is cleansing you so that he can prepare you God’s plan for salvation for the world begins with a plan of salvation for you. God is preparing you for your part. God is shaken your soul, so that you can be purified and prepared. During this advent may we all be shaken, but not stirred from our faith. let us pray…… Faith like Job’s cannot be shaken because it is the result of having been shaken. C When was the last time you were shaken to being stirred? (Probing Question) Two buckets of water were mentioned in the Bible. Do you remember what Pilate did when he had a chance to acquit Jesus? He called for a bucket and washed his hands of the whole thing. Matthew 27:24: "When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’" But Jesus, the night before His death, called for a bucket and proceeded to wash the dirty and dusty feet of His disciples. Which one will you use?

Standing at Skyfall

December 2, 2012 Luke 21:25-36 Standing at Skyfall First Sunday of Advent Year C Theme of skyfall for advent God’s words of wisdom come to us in many unexpected ways and in unexpected places. My theme for advent came to me in late September, driving in my car, when I first heard to theme song to the new James Bond movie – Skyfall. This is the end Hold your breath and count to ten Feel the earth move and then Hear my heart burst again For this is the end I've drowned and dreamt this moment So overdue I owe them Swept away, I'm stolen Let the skyfall When it crumbles We will stand tall Face it all together At skyfall, what does that mean? Where is skyfall? Is that a planned event? Chicken Little gave us sky fall – when a rock fell on her head, and she went to tell all of her friends that the sky was falling, she saw it with her own eyes, she felt it , and the king must know that the sky is falling. We all know the moral of the story – the sky is not falling, chicken little is driven more by her fears, than what is really going on, and she is able to convey her fear to everyone else and they all run for their lives, just based on what chicken little said. Skyfall is real The title of my sermon this morning is standing at skyfall. In the story – we all know the sky did not really fall. But I think that in our lives there are times, when the sky does fall, when our world comes to an end. I think that there really are days that we can stand and look at the broken pieces of our lives, and know for sure that the world had ended around us. As a matter of fact, I can guarantee you, there is a skyfall in every life. Have you watched the news lately? The politicians are talking about the financial cliff – the point at the end of the year when all that we have worked so hard to achieve will fall apart unless the politicians come to some sort of agreement. And then there was the announcement last month that all of the united methodist cokesbury stores would be closing, just as borders and many other bookstores have done in recent years, people just are not going to the store to buy books anymore, since amazon will send you any book you want right to your front door. And the one that I had to laugh at this month, the closing of the hostess plant. People all over the world are in a panic because they wont be able to buy twinkies anymore – it is the end of an era. What is so funny to me is that everyone is so upset about not being able to buy twinkies anymore - whereas if twinkies were something that people actually bought on a regular basis – the company wouldn’t be going out of business. The world has changed since we were kids, we now know that twinkies are not healthy for us, not only do they make us fat, but that crème in the middle – that stuff doesn’t go away – it last longer than most of us will be alive. That cant be a good thing to put in our bodies – it is okay for them to go away. The whole premise of the movie skyfall is that the world that we live in is falling apart before our very eyes. The enemies that we used to be afraid of – don’t exist anymore. The way we used to do business is gone, they understandings that we had in life have evaporated, and all of us in many ways are still stuck in a world that doesn’t exist anymore. Our world is literally falling apart around us – we are standing at skyfall. But you know that one that gets me the most – is the death of the church. People arent coming to church anymore, not to worship at least. They will come for what we offer them for free – but don’t want to hear anything about Jesus. We are not attracting our your people, and our young families. In today’s world Sunday is not the day that you come to worship, Sunday is your free day to stay at home and do what you want. Even in giving, I have received all kinds of letters from all kinds of good organizations that ask for our money – money that used to go just for the church. It as if the world doesn’t need church anymore – things are not getting better, things are getting worse. We are not attracting new members, and those who are the most faithful are dying off. How much longer before the church falls in the same category as the twinkie, and the bookstore, and the concept of james bond – not much longer if we look at the signs of the times. Christians are literally standing at skyfall. As a matter of fact, we always start advent at skyfall – at the despair of the world, at the hopelessness of the situation, at the end of the world. Jesus always reminds us that the world is coming to an end. That the endtimes will be a time of distress and confusion. That we will go through many tribulations. The bible says that no man knows the time or the hour, but we as Christians have been predicting the end of the world since the last time jesus walked the earth. And just like the stuff in the middle of the twinkie, we are still here. Still standing on the edge. I wanted to show you a clip from the movie skyfall, but even the trailer advertisement was so full of sin and bad language, that it was not a good idea for church. But long story short- James Bond is fighting a villian on the top of a train, one of is fellow agents shoots at them both and hits james bond. He falls into the water and the spy agency assumes that he is dead. It takes him awhile to come back to work. When he returns – his boss ask him where the (expletive) has he been? He says he was enjoying death. One of his colleagues ask why didn’t he just stay dead. It had to be much easier then facing reality. You know I think that there are a lot of us in church – we are a lot like James Bond. When the world as we know it is falling apart- it is easier for us to choose to die with it, rather than stand in the miracle of resurrection. I knew that I had to go see the movie skyfall, when the villian tells James Bond that everyone has to have a hobby – and he asks what is your hobby – James Bond responds resurrection. Wow – coming back to life, after you have died – resurrection. For Jesus resurrection wasn’t just a hobby – it was a way of life. and following Jesus means that resurrection is a way of life for me too. Advent reminds us that Jesus was not just born once, but that Jesus was born twice. "Jesus Christ was born twice. The birth at Bethlehem was a birth into a life of weakness. The second time he was born from the grave – the first born from the dead – into the glory of heaven and the throne of God." It is that second birth that makes all of the difference in the world. And it is that second coming that we await in advent. In the meantime – we wait, we survive what life brings at us, we move forward in faith, we await our resurrection. We don’t have any more control over our death, then we do our life. if taxes go up at the beginning of the year. We will just have to find a way to pay them. When the world falls apart – we find a way to face it. The end of the world as we know it is no big deal. Advent reminds of that it is time for us to give up the comfort of our world, and be prepared to start all over again. For the faithful the world ends every year at the beginning of advent, and we are asked to stand and wait for a new year. Every beginning starts with the end. Sometimes my world does not end every year, sometimes it is one day at a time. Where everything that I worked for falls apart and I have to start all over again from scratch. I like the ways Adele puts it Skyfall is where we start A thousand miles and poles apart Where worlds collide and days are dark You may have my number, you can take my name But you'll never have my heart Let the skyfall (let the sky fall) When it crumbles (when it crumbles) We will stand tall (we will stand tall) Face it all together In Luke 21 – Jesus is predicting the end of the world. He says that we should be able to look at the signs of the times and see it coming, and to know that this generation will not pass away until it all happens. Jesus reminds us that the end of the world is a scary thing for those who don’t know Jesus. But for those who know god it is a time for us to sit and to wait. To prepare and to have hope. Hope in hope is useless. Hope in Jesus, in the power of resurrection is what matters. Resurrection is the work of God, not us. The church may very well go the way of the bookstore and the twinkie if we are not careful. But God’s word is like the crème in the middle – it never goes away. Scripture says heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. The message for advent is for us to be alert at all times, praying that you have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the son of man. We are the lights of the world During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives: On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought." Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we're to be lights as we watch and wait. Resurrection is the work of god. The work of the people of God is to watch, wait, and promise to live in the light. Is the church dying? Is the work of God’s people finish? If we have breath, and the world still has sin, I think not. Let us pray, and this advent let us prepare – for the world to begin anew – with the coming of Christ into the world….. A. J. Gordon was the great Baptist pastor of the Clarendon Church in Boston, Massachusetts. One day he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy replied, "I trapped them out in the field." "What are you going to do with them?" "I'm going to play with them, and then I guess I'll just feed them to an old cat we have at home." When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, "Mister, you don't want them, they're just little old wild birds and can't sing very well." Gordon replied, "I'll give you $2 for the cage and the birds." "Okay, it's a deal, but you're making a bad bargain." The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon wa lked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ's coming to seek and to save the lost -- paying for them with His own precious blood. "That boy told me the birds were not songsters," said Gordon, "but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, 'Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!'" This is Advent. And the message of these times is the song of those wild birds… TELL THEM OUT LOUD Scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer once said "The best way to send an idea is to wrap it up in a person." The theological word for all of that is incarnation, meaning "in the flesh." Jesus was the incarnation of God. Jesus was the way that God sent His "idea" to humanity; there was and is no better way! Like the little girl who said, "Some people couldn't hear God's inside whisper and so He sent Jesus to tell them out loud." From Stephen Sheane's Sermon "God With Us" How many observe Christ’s birthday! How few, his precepts! O! ’tis easier to keep holidays than commandments. — Benjamin Franklin A. Years ago an interesting sign was seen hanging in a store window during the Christmas season. The original message stated, “Let’s make this the best Christmas ever.” Underneath, some perceptive person had scribbled a legitimate question: “How will we top the first one?” God has promised an event that will easily overshadow the events that surrounded the first coming. B. Anyone who knows the history of the Adventist church knows that our founders started out believing they knew when Jesus would return. As they studied the prophecies of the Word of God, they became convinced that His return was imminent. When it didn’t happen as expected – that day we mark as the Great Disappointment on October 22, 1844 – many began to doubt and fall into discouragement. It was a few weeks after the Great Disappointment that William Miller wrote these words to the discouraged Advent believers: “Although surrounded with enemies and scoffers, yet my mind is perfectly calm, and my hope in the coming of Christ is as sure as ever…. I have fixed my mind upon another time, and here I mean to stand until God gives me more light. – And that is To-day, TO-DAY, and TO-DAY, until He comes, and I see Him for whom my soul yearns.” I can remember one late winter’s day when I was about 7, my grandmother had taken a cousin and me to the grocery store. When the shopping was done and the brown paper sacks were in the car, we headed home. On the way, grandma had to stop off at another store for a few minutes, so my cousin and I stayed in the car. Well Grandma took more time than she thought, so what was about to happen was all her fault. Back then, they put prizes in laundry detergent boxes as an incentive for people to buy. Well, we had two giant boxes of soap because Grandma bought everything in bulk. Well I had discovered that you could pop the ashtrays out of the doors in the back seat and when you looked down into them you could see a big black hole. So, we popped both ashtrays out, opened both boxes of soap and began to pour in the soap. Before we knew it, the boxes were empty and we had a nice little coffee cup and a nice little salad dish. It was then that we realized what we had done. I know that we have not been together long, but trust me on this: There is no way to make a soap box look and feel like it ‘s never been opened once you’ve poured all the soap down an ashtray hole in a car! It was all Grandma’s fault anyway! You can get into a whole lot of trouble while you wait! Especially if there is no purpose in your waiting. Quote: Andrew Murray: The official, dictionary definition for epiphany is “to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." However, we better understand the word as suddenly “getting” something. We jokingly call “aha” moments an “epiphany.” When my son realized that he really did have to take out the garbage everyday or lose privileges... that was an “epiphany.” When high-level executives were indicted in the last few years for “cooking the books” and when they realized they were not above the law—that was an epiphany.

The Church, Food, Prayer and Thankfulness

November 22, 2012 Joel 2:21-27 Psalm 126 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Matthew 6:25-33 Year B Connection between food and Christian living You know, as I have been reflecting on Thanksgiving this year, there seems to be this very clear connection between the Christian life and food. Everything that we do in the church seems to resolve around food. It goes even broader than that. We are a community love to eat. Whenever we get excited about something – we celebrate by eating. We might judge our wealth in life by what we have in our bank account, but when it comes down to it, we judge our happiness by how much food we have in our pantry. The book of Joel talks about how the Israelites will be repaid for all of their pain. God will restore their happiness, and they will forget about all of the pain they had in exile, but how will they know that things have been restored? Verse 24 says that the threshing floors shall be full of grain and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. Now the church potluck is not a sacrament or even an official church duty – but it may as well be, because when we celebrate, what do we do? We eat. And as Christians when we eat – we pray. In one of his sermons, Dr. Harry Ironside tells of the occasion when, as a young man, he went into a cafeteria to eat. The tables were crowded and the only place he could find to sit down was at a table across from another man. So he sat down and as was his habit, Dr. Ironside bowed his head and gave thanks. The other man glowered while he did so and as soon as Dr. Ironside had finished, the man looked at him and said, “What’s the matter with you. Is something wrong with your food?” He looked down at it and said, “No, it looks fine to me.” The fellow said, “Have you got something in your eye? Do you have a headache?” Dr. Ironside said, “No, I’m feeling fine.” The fellow said, “What are you doing then? Why did you bow your head?” Dr., Ironside said, “Well, I was just giving thanks to God for the food I was about to eat.” The man looked at him and said, “You believe that stuff, do you? That’s crazy.” Dr. Ironside said, “Sir, don’t you give thanks for your food?” The man said, “I never give thanks. I just jump right in.” Dr. Ironside looked at him and said, “Well, you’re just like my dog then. He doesn’t give thanks either. He just jumps right in.” The lesson is not about praying before a meal. The lesson is about being truly grateful to God for all of his blessings. There are basically two ways you can live your life. You can live your life with a big M and a little G or a big G and a little m. The first step to daily bread living is to get on the big G and the little m side. That’s gratitude to God for all his blessings. Someone said that often times thanksgiving is the only time that some families take the time to pray before a meal. When there should be something about food and sitting down and being thankful to God that should be automatic. Food is a part of our prayer life. Grace before meals I have heard it said that people started saying grace before meals, because there was no refrigeration, so you never knew what bacteria was in the food. But actually, grace is an important part of the Christian prayer life, because it was custom in Jewish life to say a prayer over the bread. When Jesus taught us to say the Lord’s prayer, the first point of the prayer is to give honor to God. The first prayer request of God that we have is to ask God to give us this day our daily bread. In a world were we have refrigerators, and ovens, and canned food that can last for ages, why would do we still ask God for our daily bread? It reminds us that everything we have comes from God. Everything that we have comes from God The story is told of a poor man who was given a loaf of bread. He thanked the baker, but the baker said, “Don’t thank me. Thank the miller who made the flour.” So he thanked the miller, but the miller said, “Don’t thank me. Thank the farmer who planted the wheat.” So he thanked the farmer. But the farmer said, “Don’t thank me. Thank the Lord. He gave the sunshine & rain & fertility to the soil, & that’s why you have bread to eat.” The challenge for us in life can be to be able to find God in everything in our lives. No matter how hard we work for the harvest, it is always God who plants the seeds. Bread is more than foo But Jesus reminds us that bread, is not just about what we put in our stomaches, bread is the essence of life. it is what we drink, it is the clothes we wear, the shelter we have, the education we have, it is our family, it is our wellbeing. Bread is what keeps us alive, and yet we say thank you for bread – because without enough to eat – our lives would be nothing. We could accomplish nothing else. Our response to God’s presence in our lives is always thank you. Eucharist As a matter of fact, one of the most important rituals of the church is communion. Eucharist. Eucharist literally means thank you in Greek. In greek you would say – F Harry Stowe. In modern Greek, ch is pronounced f. Say it, at least you can say you know one greek word. The most important word. If I break it down a little more – eu charist – good character. In response to what God has done for me, I wont just say thank you, I will live thank you. When I take the eucharist, I pledge that I will not just say words of gratitude, but I will be gratitude. It is not so much about thanksgiving – as much as it is thanksliving. The message of Matthew 6 is not to worry about what God will provide, but to do the will of God in your life. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you. In a sense, gratitude is an expression of modesty. In Hebrew, the word for gratitude - hoda’ah - is the same as the word for confession. To offer thanks is to confess dependence, to acknowledgment that others have the power to benefit you, to admit that your life is better because of their efforts. That frame of mind is indispensable to civilized society. I can be thankful for everything in life… ....the taxes I pay ....because it means I’m employed. ....the clothes that fit a little too snug ....because it means I have enough to eat. ....my shadow who watches me work ....because it means I am out in the sunshine. ....a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and ....gutters that need fixing ....because it means I have a home. ....the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot ....because it means I am capable of walking. ....my huge heating bill ....because it means I am warm. ....all the complaining I hear about our government ....because it means we have freedom of speech. ....the lady behind me in church who sings off key. ....because it means that I can hear. ....the piles of laundry and ironing ....because it means my loved ones are nearby. ....the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours ....because it means that I’m alive. ....weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day ....because it means I have been productive. The art of thanksliving. It is gratitude in action. It is thanking God for the gift of life by living it triumphantly. I am going to let you go, it is getting time for us to eat – to celebrate. But let it also be a day of thankfulness of all God is doing in your life and in the life of those around you…let us pray… It is thanking God for your talents and abilities by accepting them as obligations to be invested for the common good. It is thanking God for all that men and women have done for you by doing things for others. It is thanking God for happiness by striving to make others happy. It is thanking God for beauty by helping to make the world more beautiful. It is thanking God for inspiration by trying to be an inspiration to others. Principle 1: Everything you have comes from God. Principle 2: Everything that is given to you is given in trust to you. Principle 3: The blessings that you have are not given to you for your own personal benefit. Principle 4: What is given to you in trust is given that you might share it with others.

Our Final Victory Over Death

November 4, 2011 All Saints Day Revelation 21:1-6a John 11:32-44 “Our Final Victory over death” 23rd Sunday After Pentecost Year B Jack defeats death One day Jack was about to go to work, before leaving he looked in on his mom. She did not look so well. Her color was off, she had not gotten out of the bed yet, and she was not very responsive when Jack talked with her. Even so, so encouraged Jack to go on with her day. She would be fine, just go on she encouraged. Reluctantly, Jack walked out of the door, down the sidewalk and out onto the street. But he noticed that there was a man, dressed in black from head to toe, with a black cape covering his face so you couldn’t see his face. And a sickle in his hand. Jack turned around to look at this strangely dressed man. He noticed that the man was heading up the driveway of his house. So Jack yelled at the man, can I help you. The man responded no thank you, I just have some business to take care of. You have some business headed that way? Jack asked. Yep said the man. No, I don’t think you have any business in this house, so you need to go on about your business. I am sorry but I cant do that said the man, I have my instructions and I have to follow them. Realizing now who this man was, Jack jumped in front of him and said I am sorry but I cant let you go into that house. As a matter of fact, Jack reached out and bopped death in the nose. Death was a little taken off guard and did not fight Jack back. Jack just kept hitting death and bopping him. Every time Jack hit, death got a little smaller and smaller. Once death was smaller even then a peanut, Jack looked around the ground and found a acorn with a hole it in. He smashed death into to acorn and ran to the beach and threw the acorn into the ocean. At last, he had victory over death, he had won the fight, and put death far away. Jack decided that he would go check on his mom to see if she was okay. And sure enough, she was up , she looked better than she had in years, her hair was done and she even had on one of the best dresses the she owned. She said that she had the energy that she had as a teenager. Her color was in her cheeks, she was really happy. She told Jack that she wanted to cook him a good lunch since he was home. She went into the kitchen to cut up some carrots, but she noticed that everytime she cut the carrot, she could cut it, it would just bounce off of the cutting board. Never mind, she would cut up some potatoes - the same thing happened. She couldn’t cut into it. By this time Jack comes into the kitchen to make sure everything is okay. Mom responds, I am having a little trouble with the vegetables, but that is okay because we need some meat. She asked Jack to go to the butcher to get some pork chops. Jack goes into town, but he notices that everyone is walking around aimlessly. He goes to the butcher shop and asks for some pork chops. But butcher tells him that he cant give him any pork chops, he could kill the pig this morning. Jack says that okay, them give me beef, the butcher shakes his head, I cant do it. What about chicken, the butcher shakes his head again. As Jack walks home he notices everyone is just walking along, everyone seems to be upset, no one can prepare anything to eat. They cant kill nothing and wont nothing die. Jack wonders what he is going to tell his mom about the meat. When he gets home he tells his mom what happens at the butcher shop, and how everyone in town is in a total panic. He also tells her- I think I know what is going on. You see, this morning I got into a fight with death. I beat death and through him into the sea. You beat death – why would you pick a fight with death – because he was at your doorstep – and you didn’t look so good this morning, so I needed to get rid of him, so that you would be okay. His mom puts her hand on her head, o my God Jack, what have you done. You cant get rid of death, death is a part of life. In order for things to live, some things have to die – that is just the will of God. how are we supposed to eat lunch if we cant get kill anything. Leave it up to my son to not only ruin lunch, but to upset the whole order of life. She looks at Jack and tells him that he has to go and make this right. How I am supposed to make this right. Death is in an acorn at the bottom of the ocean, I will never find him. Jack, I don’t know what you are going to do, but you better get out of this house right now – and do something. Jack walks out of the house, and walks to the beach and just staring at the ocean, totally at a loss of what to do. All of a sudden the tide blows in, and an acorn washes up on shore. Jack cracks the acorn open, in sure enough there is death, still smaller then a penny. Jack has to take death and stretch him out. He pulls him left and right until he is back the size of a man. He gives death back his black robe and his sickle. Death thanks Jack for restoring him, and he looks at his watch as says that he still have a busy schedule. But he turns to Jack and says, since you now seem to understand the concept of death, I wont be going to your house today. But you need to understand that when the time comes I will be back for her, and the next time she has to go with me. Jack said that he understood. When he got home, lunch was ready for him. He treasured each moment that he had with his mom. Until many years later his mom passed away. Jack is a popular character in English folktales. Jack represents the ordinary guy – he is not the smartest person in life, but he not the dumbest. He is not a good person, but he is not necessarily the worst person. He doesn’t go to church, so sometimes he has to learn his lessons the hard way. In the earlier centuries, people used to carve out turnips, and put a candle in it in order so that when Jack got lost, he would see the light and have a safe place to sleep at night. He would sleep in the turnip – today in America – people carve out pumpkins and call them Jack o Lanterns. Jack never did really come to terms with death – that is why he is roaming the earth still looking for a safe place to sleep at night – but that is a story for another time and another place. Not a story for today Today is All Saint Day – the day we remember those who have lit the path of wisdom for us, so that we could follow in their footsteps of faith. Today is the day that we remember those who were important to us, who are no longer with us. We miss them and all that they have given to our lives. We are grateful for the faith lessons that they taught us. We are grateful for the time that God allowed us to have with them. We honor the grace that God gave them in their lives, we hold onto the grace that they passed onto us. The presence of the spirit that we have witnessed in their presence. They may have experienced physical death. – but we rejoice with them that they are indeed the ones who have conquered death, and are now a part of eternal life. We rejoice in the fact that we are now connected to them in the faith that we have in Jesus Christ. Along with them we are a part of the communion of Saints. The body of Christ expands across the generations, to include both the living and the dead. The good news of Jesus Christ – is that even in the midst of the grief and pain that we feel here on earth – It is Jesus Christ who has indeed declared true victory over death. And if we live in that faith, if we believe in the power of Jesus on the cross. We may cry for now, but not forever. I want to take you to another story, another family, another attempt to save a lost love one. In John 11 – Jesus returns to the house of his friends. And Lazurus sister greets him and says – Jesus had you been here my brother would not have died. She knew that Jesus had the power over life and death. Many of us have to same words for Jesus – had you been there, this or that would not have happen. Had you been there my loved one would not have become sick, had you been there in that meeting I would not have been yelled at, had you been there that accident would not have happen, and the list goes on for us of our griefs and pains. The list goes on of prayers of things for Jesus to take care of, for Jesus to solve. True Jesus knows all of needs, he knows all of our pain. The lesson of John 11 is that Jesus did not come to spare us from all pain. Pain and grief is a part of life. Jesus came so that when we are in pain, he suffers with us. Verse 35 says that when he saw that Mary was crying and all those around her were crying he cried too. Jesus wont keep us from crying, but when we do cry he came to wipe away our tears. To give us a chance to heal, to get better and to get better. All Saints day is for the living. To acknowledge our grief and pain. To realize that just as death is a part of life, tears are a part of living also. Without the tears, there would be no healing. Without death there would be no resurrection, It is in dying that we have eternal life. In John 11:23 Jesus tell Mary – I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live. And everyone who believes in me will never die. Saints are those who believe in the words of Jesus and live. Saints are those who have faith in eternal life. that fact that he is our resurrection, our hope for new life Jesus didn’t say that we had to understand resurrection, we just have to believe in him and, our connection between those who are here and those who have passed away. Jack represents that life of the everyday person, not too smart and not too dumb, but who has to learn the lessons of life the hard way. In a way we are all a little like Jack in our lives. But if we believe in Jesus, if we believe there is eternal life beyond this one, then we too are saints. Jack needs to light of a jackolantern to show him the way. But if believe that Christ is the resurrection, we are all saints – may the light of Christ shine brightly through our lives and the lives of those we honor today. Let us pray….

On the Road to Glory

Rev. Harriette Cross Englewood United Methodist Church Rust Memorial United Methodist Church October 28, 2012 Job 42:1-6, 10-17 Mark 10:46-52 22nd Sunday After Pentecost Year B On the Road to Glory The questions of life Have you noticed that the older we get in life, the more complex our questions about life become. As we go through our journey of life, we find that life is full of questions. When we were young we used to think that there was not a question that we could ask, that our parents didn’t have an answer for. And when we discovered that our parents didn’t have all of the answers, that is when we started to ask God. Of course God had all of the answers. God’s word, the bible is full of questions about life and answers to our deepest questions. Questions that we all ask, such as where did human beings come from, how did the world begin, what is our purpose in life, how are we supposed to live our lives, what is evil, how to be a righteous person in the midst of evil. We have come a long way in the last 6000 years. We have worked hard to be able to find the answers to our questions. But no matter how far we have come in life. There are certain questions that come up time and time again in our lives. The greatest question that we have is why? Why is this happening to me. Why does bad things happen, even when we strive to be good people. People who are faithful to God. Instead of giving us an straight answer, if you read the bible, God gives the answers we seek in the context of a story. Usually a story about someone’s life. They say that Job may not be the first story in the bible, but that it is the oldest story in the bible. This story was told even before the book of Genesis was written. Job is not a isrealite, Job is a foreigner who came to know God. Job intended to answer our deepest questions Even if Job is not the oldest story – it addresses the oldest question. Why does bad things happen to good people? Today are at the end of the story of Job. The man who started out with everything, who God allowed to devil to take it all away. He and his friends struggle with this. Why is this happening? Why is God standing by and letting this happen to a faithful person. Job asks, but God never gives an answer. It is in this final chapter of the story that Job answers his own question. Chapter 42 is known as the restoration of Job. Everything that he had in the beginning is restored to him. His health, his family, his wealth. But most importantly his faith in God. I want to focus on the first six chapters of chapter 42 – Job says that he repents from his need to question God about his life. He says that I now understand what I did not understand. He says that he repents. He says that he had heard of God but now he sees. He sees the ways of God for himself, and he is ready to go on with his life. I have heard it said that God is a lot like a pastor – you don’t see him all week, and then when you come to church to hear the sermon, you still don’t understand. The ways of God are always going to be a mystery. It is not ours to understand. But if by chance, in the midst of our confusion, in the midst of or questions, in the midst of our darkness, if we can come to the realization that we worship a truly wonderful God – we come to see all that we need to see. If in the midst o my pain, I am able to see the glory of God – I see it all. Helen Keller on being able to see Keller, so brave and inspiring to us in her deafness and blindness, once wrote a magazine article entitled: "Three days to see." In that article she outlined what things she would like to see if she were granted just three days of sight. It was a powerful, thought provoking article. On the first day she said she wanted to see friends. Day two she would spend seeing nature. The third day she would spend in her home city of New York watching the busy city and the workday of the present. She concluded it with these words: "I who am blind can give one hint to those who see: Use your eyes as if tomorrow you were stricken blind.' You see that is just it, most of us, all of us, go through life blind to what is really important. Most of us don’t see God for who he is in our lives. Our eyes work fine, but there is something wrong in our spirit. God is hard at work showing us the beauty of life, and for some reason we just don’t see it. That is probably why one of the signs of the messiah is that the blind will see. The lame will walk, the sick will be healed, the hungry will be fed and the blind will see. If you read the book of Mark you will see that Jesus does all of these things in order to show that he is indeed the messiah – the son of David, the son of God. In Mark 10, Jesus is on a trip to Jerusalem. His final trip to Jerusalem. He has been trying to teach his disciples, but it seems that they have a bad case of spiritual blindness. His disciples are still looking at Jesus through the eyes of the world and not the eyes of the spirit. They ask to sit at his right hand, as he greatest. Jesus has to tell them that greatness is not about honor, it is about serving. As jesus is teaching, a blind man, bartimaeus cries out and asks to be able to see. His request is granted. This is not the first story in Mark about Jesus healing a blind man. After the first healing of the blind, Jesus tells him not to tell anyone. But this story Is not just about healing the blind. The blind are able to see. Not just with their eyes, but with their spirit. Bartemaeus stays around to follow and serve Jesus. By now the secret is out. It is time for everyone to see. Not just the disciples, but everyone. Not just those who have been there all along, but the latecomers, not the insiders, but the outsiders. God’s love is for everyone. God’s glory is available for everyone to see. But sometimes, we are so caught up in our suffering that we just don’t realize it. We are all blind, we all cant see God in our lives. But Jesus says that it is our faith that makes us whole. Can’t see Jesus in the picture Pastor Steven E. Albertin told the following story. He said, in my church secretary's office there hangs a modernistic picture composed of a maze of colors and shapes. I realized these sophisticated, modern, and abstract pictures were supposed to contain some profound artistic or philosophical message, but I never was able to figure it out. It just looked like a jumbled mass of confusion. If there was a message there, I was blind to it. One day while I was standing in the office, waiting for the copier to warm up, one of the congregation's kindergarten-age boys, Adam, stood beside me and said, "Do you see what I see?" "Do you see something in that picture? I sure don't." Adam looked at me with glee in his eye, "Pastor, can't you see him? It's Jesus hanging on the cross." I stared as hard as I could, until my eyes actually hurt from staring. I wanted to believe Adam and that there actually was the image of Jesus hanging on the cross hidden somewhere in that mass of color and shapes, but I couldn't see Jesus anywhere. "Adam, I'm sorry but I must be blind. You will have to help me see." Directing his finger to a mass of color in the center of the picture, Adam said, "There, Pastor. Do you see what I see? There is Jesus, his face, his arms outstretched on the cross." And then, like an epiphany, the image began to appear. Yes, there hidden somehow "behind" the colors and the shapes was the barely visible image of Jesus, hanging with arms outstretched on the cross. "It's amazing, Adam. You have helped one blind pastor to see Jesus. Yes, I can see what you see, Adam." Steven E. Albertin, Against the Grain, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Some say that the biggest problem in the world is not so much that we live in an evil, fallen world. The biggest problem in the world is the fact that there are so many people in the world who are going through life, and their eyes are not open to see the glory of God in their lives. Everything that happens to us in life is a test. Just as the devil challenged Job’s life, the devil challenges or life. Suffering is our chance to see God in our lives. In the midst of suffering we all have a choice – we can decide to be bitter or we can decide to be better. When Job decided to get better, he started to understand his God. The story of Job shows that God didn’t come to rescue us from the events of life. God didn’t come to answer our questions. If you know the story of Job, you know that Job didn’t get God’s answers, but he did get God’s presence. He realized that God was with him from beginning to end. He also realized that he didn’t need to have the answers, he didn’t need to understand why, all he needed to do was to have faith in a God that loves him. Japanese sword illustration: It is the Japanese who have created the best swords in the world. To create these fine weapons, ancient Japanese sword makers had to create a sword that was hard enough to retain a sharp edge, but at the same time soft enough not to be brittle. Sword makers who made swords by making the steel hard found they could preserve a sharp edge. Such swords, however, were often so brittle that they would often break when they clashed in battle. Soft steel, however, was found to be not as brittle, but would easily dull and be unable to slice through armor. Japanese sword makers, therefore had to forge a sword with steel hard enough to retain a sharp edge, but at the same time pliable enough not to break in battle. What Japanese sword makers learned to do was to create a sword made of hard and soft steel. Multiple sheets of hard and soft steel are heated, folded and pummeled together over and over again. Japanese swords go through a lengthy forging process until they have up to 33,000 paper-thin laminations of hard and soft metal. Each of these layers is one hundred thousandth of an inch thick. This is all done to a very precise recipe of temperature treatment. The end result is a finely crafted weapon with extreme pliability and a blade that will retain a finely honed edge. Just as Japanese sword makers repeatedly hammer together layers of metal to produce a sword that will be strong enough to withstand breaking, so God allows trials to hammer metal into the lives of His children. Just a sword made of hard metal will easily break in battle, so the believer filled with pride will also break in adversity. It is in the forging hand of God that humility and dependence on Him are developed into our lives to create character that will triumph in adversity. The hard steel in our lives is the word of God. The soft steel in our lives is humility and a dependence on God. These are forged together in our lives through fiery trials and prayer to produce vessels that will give Him glory. We need the hard steel confidence of what we believe together with the soft steel of humility. Job’s restoration is our restoration. Job’s faith is our faith. When we decide to turn around, and see God – the lord will bless our days to come, just as much as he had blessed our past. Let us pray…. The rest of these stories are not used… D.L. Moody, the famed evangelist, told this story at one of his meetings: One evening just before Christmas, a man was walking through the streets of an Eastern city. The store windows were all beautifully decorated, and he observed three little girls intensely interested in one of them. He discovered that the girl in the center was blind, and the others were trying to describe the beautiful things in the window. “Why,” they said, “can’t you see that Teddy bear and that doll? Just look at that pretty pink bow!” But the poor little girl stood with a blank expression on her face and could not appreciate the beautiful things before her. “Now,” said Moody, “this is an illustration of the effort we Christians are making to arouse the unconverted to an interest and delight in spiritual things. The reason we can’t do so is because the sinner is spiritually blind.” Moody had scarcely concluded when a reporter was on the platform asking him where he had heard that story. “Oh,” said Moody, “I read it in one of those daily papers. I have forgotten which one.” Then the reporter said, “I’m the one who wrote the story because I was there and saw the whole thing. I see now that I’m just like that little girl, spiritually blind.” That man was converted then and there. Illustration: In fact, most Christians today perceive God like one person noted: God is a lot like our pastor. I don’t see him through the week and I don’t understand him on Sunday. Dear God, Before I finish, I want you to take care of mommy, take care of daddy, take care of my sister and my brother and please, God, take care of yourself, because if you don’t we’ll all sunk. Amen! A. Little Suzie understood a very important lesson about herself....she was totally dependent upon God. as if tomorrow you were stricken blind.' As bad as blindness is in the 21st century, however, it was so much worse in Jesus' day. Today a blind person at least has the hope of living a useful life with proper training. Some of the most skilled and creative people in our society are blind. But in first century Palestine blindness meant that you would be subjected to abject poverty. You would be reduced to begging for a living. You lived at the mercy and the generosity of others. Unless your particular kind of blindness was self-correcting, there was no hope whatsoever for a cure. The skills that were necessary were still centuries beyond the medical knowledge of the day. Little wonder then that one of the signs of the coming of the Messiah was that the blind should receive their sight… The story is told of a Sunday class that had been asked the question, ¡§in your time of discouragement, what is your favorite Scripture.¡¨ A young man said, ¡§the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want Psalm 23:1.¡¨ A middle age woman said, ¡§God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1. Another woman said, ¡§In this world you shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome this world. John 16:33-35. Then old Mr. John who was 80 years old, with head of white hair and dark black skin, stood up and said with as much strength as he could muster, ¡§and it came to pass¡¨ 85 times in the bible. The class started to laugh a little thinking that old Mr. John¡¦s lack of memory was getting the best of him. When the snickering stopped, he said. At 30 I lost my job with six hungry mouths and a wife to feed. I didn¡¦t know how I would make it. At 40 my eldest son was killed overseas in the war. It knocked me down. At 50 my house burned to the ground. Nothing was saved out of the house. At 60 my wife of 40 years got cancer. It slowly ate away at her. We cried together many a night on our knees in prayer. At 65 she died. I still miss her today. The agony I went through in each of these situations was unbelievable. I wondered where was God. But each time I looked in the bible I saw one of those 85 verses that said, ¡§and it came to pass.¡¨ I felt that God was telling me, my pain and my circumstances were also going to pass and that God would get me through it.