A New Way of Thinking - repreach 2/28/99

May 27, 2018 Year B John 3:1-21 Repreach of 2/28/1999 Trinity Sunday – Sunday After Pentecost A New Way of Thinking Children’s Sermon Exegetical Aim: The meaning of the church’s doctrine of the Trinity. Props: Flip cards with math problems and a marker to mark the answers. Two of the flip cards should have the following: 1+1+1= and Father+Son+HolySpirit= Lesson: Good Morning! (response) We are going to do a little math this morning. I am going to show you a math problem and you tell me the answer. Are you ready? Here is the first problem. Show them the first flip card. What is 2+2? (response) Ok, now let’s look at another problem. What is 5+3? (response) That one was a little tougher and now we are going to do a hard one? Are you ready for a hard one? (response) What is 13+12? (response) Let’s take a look at one more and now we are going to add one more number to the problem. This will be the hardest one of them all. Here it is. What is 1+1+1? (response) This one is hard isn’t it? (response) Are you sure? Look at it again. Are you sure you have the right answer? (response) What if told you that the answer is not 3. What if I told you that 1+1+1=1? (response) You don’t believe me? (response) Ok, let me show you another math problem and this one is a little different. This is a church math problem. You might call it holy mathematics. Here is the problem. What does Father+Son+HolySpirit equal? (response) Give them time to assimilate this question. Repeat the question to reinforce the lesson.Does it equal 1 God or 3 Gods? (response) The answer is One God. Use your fingers to count out the Godhead as you explain or use the flash card:You see we as Christians worship God the Father, who is in heaven, and we worship God the Son, who came down to us as Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit, who has come to us and is near us and fills us even now. We worship Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That’s hold up three fingers three persons right? (response) Here’s the tricky part. Even though God is three persons, he is One: 1+1+1=1 when we speak about God. What do you think about that? (response) Application: This morning we are going to read a story about Nicodemus and how he got a little confused. Jesus told him that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were going to help him be born again. God, all three of them, were going to help Nicodemus start his life all over. He was going to be given the chance to see life in a new way. How can a person start all over again? Just as if he was a little baby starting all over? How can that be? (response) I think it has something to do with this holy mathematics. Hold up the 1+1+1=1 card. If 1+1+1=1 in the church then other things must be afoot here that we don’t understand. Like grown up men and women being born again, and the Holy Spirit filling our hearts with God’s goodness, and the kingdom of God right here all around us making us all one body of Christ. As you continue to grow up remember this holy place and remember that in the church show the card again it is God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--all One of them, who are at work. Strange things happen here that are too wonderful to describe and too mysterious to understand. Let’s Pray: Lord the wind blows where it wills and so does your Spirit. Blow upon us and give us birth again. Amen. ChristianGlobe Network, Inc, , by Brett Blair John 3:1-21 Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus and Nicodemus 3 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew,[a] it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.” 4 Nicodemus asked, “How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?” 5 Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 God’s Spirit[b]blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?” 10 “Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things? 11 I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony.12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Human One.[c]14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One[d] be lifted up 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.17 God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son. 19 “This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil.20 All who do wicked things hate the light and don’t come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. 21 Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.” Footnotes: a. John 3:3 Or from above b. John 3:8 Or wind c. John 3:13 Or Son of Man d. John 3:14 Or Son of Man Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible There are two brothers, the mother gave birth to one at two oclock, and she had to other an hour later, yet they are not twins, how can that be? Today in honor of Trinity Sunday, we are going to deal with riddles, the riddles of life, the riddles of what it means to be a Christian. Those are the riddles that a wealthy, prominent citizen names Nicodemus struggled with. They were so difficult for him that he couldn’t sleep and had to come to Jesus in the middle of the night. The answers that Jesus gave confused him even more. Jesus gave a birth riddle, much like the one that I gave. Jesus told him that in order to have eternal life, you must be born again. But how can someone be born again? Do they have to go back into their mother’s womb a second time? How can two brothers be born at the same time and not be twins? There is an answer to both, but to come up with it – you have to think in a new way. Let us first try and think through Jesus riddle. As you read through the gospel of John, you will notice that Jesus loves to play this trick all of the time. Someone with a question, like Nicodemus will come to Jesus with a question, Jesus will answer with a a saying this is hard to understand. The person will get even more confused and go off on a tangent, and Jesus will answer them again, this time with an even harder saying and the will leave Jesus, more confused than they came – but forced to think in a new way. I don’t know about you but that happens to me a lot, I go through life confused, but trying to stay focused. You see the problem here is that Nicodemus is a left brain thinker. Our left brain loves to process information. Left brain thinkers like clearcut memorized rules. Nicodemus was a pharisee, and a pharisee’s job was to make up thousands of rules for the Jewish people. They determined what the law meant. A pharisee judged their goodness and self worth based on how they were able to go throughout a normal day without breaking one of these laws. The good news for us Christians is that the gospel is a right brain activity. The gospel is more about images, not words. The gospel intentionally breaks all of the rules, and you do not have to follow any prescribed daily ritual in order to be called a Christian. We are saved by grace. So I have another riddle for you- If you can answer this one, then you are truly a Christian. How many animals did Adam and Eve put in the ark. Well if you are awake and paying attention and actively thinking – you will know that it was Adam who filled the Ark, Adam and Eve came much earlier in the story. That is the good thing about our faith, we don’t have to explain it or understand it in terms of laid out rules. Our faith is sort of like to wind blowing, you don’t have to know where it came from in order to feel its presence. All of those left brain activities like using the computer, balancing a check book, or maintaining your care are not thing that will get you into heaven. Thank God, I would not have a chance. But when you think in terms of going to your favorite concert, or taking a walk in the sun, or what you did to enjoy the coming of summer, then you are on the road to understanding the faith of Jesus. If you live life in your right brain, the part that remember feelings and doesnot need concrete answers, then you will understand what Jesus was trying to teach Nicodemus. Here is another riddle, How many birthdays does the average person in America have in a lifetime? Well I guess the answer could be negotiable. If you are only born once, then you can only have one birth day. But Christ says that we must be born again-that means that Christians have two birth days right? Well that depends on what it means to be born again. That debate could go on forever. Jesus says that the first birth is a physical birth, and the second is a spiritual birth. It is sort of like the moment when you have been trying to figure out the answer to a riddle that you have been struggling with for a very long time. It is when all of the solutins that you have been trying to come up with are exhausted, and you get an answer that you know you would not have come up with on your own in a million years. Along with the answer comes a whole new way of seeing the world. In John’s gospel, Jesu loved to speak in riddles. In figuring out those riddles, we come up with the answers to our questions ourself. We think in a new way. To be born again is to undergo such a radical change of thinking that it is like a new birth. To be born again is to have something happen to the soul that makes us a whole new person. It is a point in your conscious existence when you allow the spirit to move within you and you say Yes to God. Our passage contains one of the most familiar bible passages in the world. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that we may have life and have it abundantly. When we are open to a new way of thinking, where the spirit is flowing, then we can understand the love of God. God’s love is unlimited, unconditional, and redemptive. For God so loved the world. Even John is tempted to say that God only loves those who do the will of Jesus. But God’s love is unconditional. God loves the good and the bad. God loves all of creation. God loves political and corrupt powers, God loves corporate structures that pollute and corrupt the world. God loves all people, those we agree with and those we don’t. If God loves all people, even those we don’t agree with, then how should we respond to those people? God’s love is unconditional. For God so loved the world is a statement within itself, but it is easy for us to be tempted to finish the sentence with conditions. God will love you if you are righteous, God will love you if you study, If you don’t do what people expect of your. The good news is the God loves you in this time in history, in this world. In other words, God loves you just the way you are. God is concerned with this world and bringing all of the world in the fullness of creation. We are all a part of creation. God is not through with us yet, we are all still a work in progress. God still loves this world, and is still creating and working to make us complete. Finally the term for God so loved the world is redemptive. God loves us the way that we are, because God is working to redeem us. If we accept Christ into our lives, then our lives are open to saving grace. God so loved the world, that he acted in Christ. Those of us who follow Christ are motivated to the same compassion, hope and love are all of the world, even those things that we do not agree with. As we are a part of the body of Christ, we begin to share his love for creation and bring into the service of that love all of our gifts and talent and desires. I have another riddle for you. Frank is a night watchmen who works seven nights a week at a manufacturing plant. His boss is supposed to fly overseas on a business deal and this really bothers Frank. Frank warns his boss that the previous night he had a dream that his boss would die in a plane crash. The boss ignored Frank’s warning and left for his trip. The boss returned a few days later and was so mad that he fired Frank. The business deal turned out great, so it was not the premonition that made his mad. The key to this riddle is what you think about dreams. A dreamer is someone who is not bond by rules and laws. A dreamer is free to think of life in a new way. When we understand the love of God and how that love works in our lives, then that makes us all dreamers. Have you ever noticed that there is a time, just before you wake up, when you are bound by reality, yet you are still in a dream world, where you are free. This is the time that Nicodemus came to Jesus, in the middle of the night. You can tell from his questions of Jesus that he yearned to be free. He wanted to be free to see the world in a whole new way. He wanted to be free from his own confinement of the rules and laws that controlled his life. Jesus riddles gave him permission to be a dreamer. There is nothing wrong with dreams, unless you are a night watchman, and you are having dreams in the night. That might be grounds for being fired. Okay, I have one last one that I could not resist since today is the 28th of February. Some months have 31 days, some have 30 days. How many months have 28 days? Being that I did not ask how many months have exactly 28 days, one is not right. All months have 28 days in them. 28 days to feel the love of Christ and to spread that love to all of the world. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Jesus came into the world to give us love, a love unlimited, a love conditional, a love redeemed. How to do intend to respond to this love. Oh before I forget, let me tell you the answer to the riddle at the beginning of the sermon. If two brothers are born an hour apart, they are not twins, because they are triplets. God’s love also gives us the opportunity to see life in ways that we would have never thought of before. That is what it means to be born again. Amen. Making the Mystery Work for You - John 3:1-17 It’s Trinity Sunday: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Enough said? Don’t leave me. I promise you, I won’t deliver a lecture expounding on what belongs only in the classroom for theologues. I do want to tell you a brief story. A man in a certain parish was only seen in church one Sunday a year. No, it was not Easter. It was Trinity. One leading lay person had restrained his curiosity year after year. He could not contain it any more. He approached the man and said, “I have noticed that you have selected this particular time for your only visit to church.” “Oh, that’s easy to explain,” the man said. “I like to come on this day so I can hear the preacher get all tangled up trying to explain the Trinity!” St. Augustine came to a similar conclusion in the Fourth Century, after writing 800 pages on the Trinity. He declared that he did not understand it. This is St. Augustine’s story. As he walked along the seashore one day, he saw a small boy playing with a seashell. The boy scooped a hole in the sand, filled his shell with water and poured it into the hole. The great theologian asked the boy, “What are you doing, my son?” The youngster replied, “I am going to pour the sea into that hole.” Then Augustine said to himself, “That is what I have been trying to do. Standing at the ocean of infinity, I have attempted to grasp it with my finite mind.” Mystery! Mystery is at the heart of the universe. Why am I here? Why are you here. Why have I spent over thirty years in the Christian ministry? Why am I a husband, parent, grandfather of eight? Why are you who you are? Why have you spent your life, or why are you planning to spend, your life pursuing a certain career? There are times when it seems so natural to ask, why? in an effort to explore the deeper resources of our inner selves. When I watch the Memorial Day parades, celebrating those who gave their lives for our freedom, I can’t help asking, why? Why can’t we find a solution for war? On those occasions when I feel down or feel distressed by the turmoils of the world, I ask, Why? Why? Why? The late Cardinal Cushing tells of an occasion when he was administering last rites to a man who had collapsed in a general store. Following his usual custom, he knelt by the man and asked, “Do you believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?” The Cardinal said the man roused a little bit, opened an eye, looked at him and said, “Here I am, dying, and you ask me a riddle.” Call them riddles. Call them mysteries. There are things about life and faith we do not understand…. Why Isn't the Holy Spirit Included? A woman wrote to Reader's Digest. She wanted to tell about an experience that she had when she took a young girl from India to church with her. It was the eleven-year-old girl's first exposure to a Christian worship service. The young lady's parents were traveling on business and left her in the care of their American friends. The little Hindu girl decided on her own to go with the family to church one Sunday. After the service was over, they went out to lunch. The little girl had some questions. She wondered, "I don't understand why the West Coast isn't included, too?" Her Christian friends were puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?" She responded, "You know. I kept hearing the people say, ‘In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the whole East Coast.'" Traditional Illustration, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc Life Is Unpredictable Life is unpredictable. Full of surprises. Often enjoyable. Usually endurable. Most all of them accidental. But here and there, providential. That's because God, too, is full of surprises. Ellsworth Kalas (one of the geniuses behind the Disciple Bible Study movement), writes: "I have lived in the world of religion since before I was born, and in this long period of observation (seventy years and counting), I have learned two things for sure. First, you can't box God in. And second, we are always trying to do so." William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Making the Mystery Work for You - John 3:1-17 It’s Trinity Sunday: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Enough said? Don’t leave me. I promise you, I won’t deliver a lecture expounding on what belongs only in the classroom for theologues. I do want to tell you a brief story. A man in a certain parish was only seen in church one Sunday a year. No, it was not Easter. It was Trinity. One leading lay person had restrained his curiosity year after year. He could not contain it any more. He approached the man and said, “I have noticed that you have selected this particular time for your only visit to church.” “Oh, that’s easy to explain,” the man said. “I like to come on this day so I can hear the preacher get all tangled up trying to explain the Trinity!” St. Augustine came to a similar conclusion in the Fourth Century, after writing 800 pages on the Trinity. He declared that he did not understand it. This is St. Augustine’s story. As he walked along the seashore one day, he saw a small boy playing with a seashell. The boy scooped a hole in the sand, filled his shell with water and poured it into the hole. The great theologian asked the boy, “What are you doing, my son?” The youngster replied, “I am going to pour the sea into that hole.” Then Augustine said to himself, “That is what I have been trying to do. Standing at the ocean of infinity, I have attempted to grasp it with my finite mind.” Mystery! Mystery is at the heart of the universe. Why am I here? Why are you here. Why have I spent over thirty years in the Christian ministry? Why am I a husband, parent, grandfather of eight? Why are you who you are? Why have you spent your life, or why are you planning to spend, your life pursuing a certain career? There are times when it seems so natural to ask, why? in an effort to explore the deeper resources of our inner selves. When I watch the Memorial Day parades, celebrating those who gave their lives for our freedom, I can’t help asking, why? Why can’t we find a solution for war? On those occasions when I feel down or feel distressed by the turmoils of the world, I ask, Why? Why? Why? The late Cardinal Cushing tells of an occasion when he was administering last rites to a man who had collapsed in a general store. Following his usual custom, he knelt by the man and asked, “Do you believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?” The Cardinal said the man roused a little bit, opened an eye, looked at him and said, “Here I am, dying, and you ask me a riddle.” Call them riddles. Call them mysteries. There are things about life and faith we do not understand….

Who Put the U in United?

Acts 2:1-21 May 20, 2018 Year B Pentecost Children’s Time…… "How is it ... that all of us hear the disciples speaking in our own native languages? (v. 8, TEV) Object: a globe. Boys and girls, today is the Day of Pentecost. This is one of the most exciting days in the year for us Christians. This is a day we remember how God did some amazing things. All of Jesus' faithful followers were in the big city Jerusalem, where Jesus had died and come back to life. They were all in one place, celebrating a day something like Thanksgiving (in their church in those days, they called it "the Day of Pentecost"). Suddenly all kinds of amazing things began to happen. First there was a loud and noisy sound like a tornado. It must have sounded like the roof was about to blow off. That must have sent shivers down everybody's back. The next thing they knew, something like fire was all over the room, right on top of everybody's head. If you could have seen it, you might have wondered if their hair was going to catch on fire. But it didn't! Nobody there knew how it happened, but they all knew that God was doing something really special. And then the third amazing thing happened. The followers of Jesus went outside where a big crowd of people were standing, because they had come to celebrate the thanksgiving festival. And these people spoke all kinds of different language. It would be something like having people from all of these countries (show them some of the countries on the globe) all coming together here in our city. They would not even understand each other, because their languages would all be different. The amazing thing that happened on that day in Jerusalem was that when all of these people, with all of these different languages, were standing together, they heard Jesus' followers start to talk to them. And the same words that came out of the mouth of the person who began to speak, could be understood by everybody there, each one understanding it in his or her own special language. Now how do you suppose that was possible? (Talk about it.) It was something like being at the United Nations, where everybody can understand the same speaker by listening to an interpreter over a little earphone. But at Pentecost in Jerusalem there weren't any interpreters. It just happened as a miracle. Actually, perhaps there really was an interpreter. The Interpreter was God's Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is invisible, but he is always with us, doing amazing things and reminding us of God's power. The Holy Spirit is still with us today, helping us to do amazing things. One of the things the Holy Spirit does is help us to take God's love to the people in all these countries you can see on the globe. That's why we send our missionaries all over the world. God wants us to tell them all about how much he loves them. CSS Publishing Co., Acts 2:1-21 Common English Bible (CEB) Pentecost 2 When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak. 5 There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages. 7 They were surprised and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all the people who are speaking Galileans, every one of them? 8 How then can each of us hear them speaking in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; as well as residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya bordering Cyrene; and visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the mighty works of God in our own languages!” 12 They were all surprised and bewildered. Some asked each other, “What does this mean?” 13 Others jeered at them, saying, “They’re full of new wine!” 14 Peter stood with the other eleven apostles. He raised his voice and declared, “Judeans and everyone living in Jerusalem! Know this! Listen carefully to my words! 15 These people aren’t drunk, as you suspect; after all, it’s only nine o’clock in the morning! 16 Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams. 18 Even upon my servants, men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will cause wonders to occur in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. 20 The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon will be changed into blood, before the great and spectacular day of the Lord comes. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.[a] Footnotes: a. Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32 Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible A small boy was intent on going to church one particular morning. He loved the attention he received from his many adopted grandparents and the cookies after church were always tasty. His sister was not well that morning and his mother said they would not be going. He begged his mother to be able to go, “Please. Please. Please.” Finally she gave in and warned him that she would hear about if he was not. She said, “I am going to ask you what the sermon was about, so you had better be listening.” Off he went and at the appropriate time he returned. His mother was very curious but waited to quiz him until after his lunch. He ate his sandwich and drank his milk in silence. Finally she asked, “What was the topic of the sermon, honey? Were you listening?” “Yes, Mom. I was listening but the sermon made no sense.” “The sermon always makes sense. What did the minister say?” “Well Mom you are going to be just as confused as I was but the sermon was on quilts.” “Quilts?” questioned the astonished mother. “I’ve never heard a sermon on quilts!” “Yes, that’s what I said, quilts.” “And what did the minister say about quilts?” “Well, all I got from it was, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get a quilt”. “You’re right dear. That doesn’t make any sense! We don’t need a quilt. Maybe they are collecting quilts for the Red Cross. They give out quilts to people who need them, you know.” “No, Mom! Everyone will get one.” Very puzzled the mother finally picked up the phone and called the minister. ”Oh, Hi Teresa, before you ask, your son sat in the front row, was as good as gold and he looked like he was really listening. You don’t have to worry about him coming alone. What can I do for you?” The mother explained what her son had told her about the sermon and the minister started to chuckle. “What’s so funny?” asked the mom. “You never know what people will hear and how they will tell others. Especially the children, but what he told you IS almost exactly what I said. I emphasize “almost”. The title of my sermon was, “Fear Not! Your Comforter Will Come.”“ Today is a special holiday for the church, but we don’t have to share this day with the world like our other days. No one knows what Pentecost is, I am sure that not all Christians even know what Pentecost is. And how much does a Penta Cost anyway. I got you – a Penta is a flower, and home depot likes to put them on sale at this time of year. But seriously, Pentecost is simply the birthday celebration of the church. The day the church was born. Jesus had promised that he would send his spirit to guide and comfort us. And on Pentecost, the spirit arrived. Pentecost is the festival of the wheat harvest. Jews from all over the world gathered in Jerusalem. But this Pentecost they came to understand one another, even though they spoke different languages. There was a spirit of unity and communication. In the old testament when they gathered to build Babel, God sent them a spirit of confusion, lest they get too arrogant. But on Pentecost, God reversed that spirit. Even today, we don’t speak the same language. And even in the church, we don’t always agree with one another. Pentecost is not about uniformity, but harmony. In the midst of our differences, we can still put Christ first in our lives. Our unity comes from the power of God amongst us. There is no one of us that possesses the power of God alone. Clergy need laity and laity need clergy. The musicians work with the sermon, and the pastor works with the choir. We have to understand that our unity is a gift from God, equally bestowed. The purpose of the church is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to save souls. It is the Pentecost experience that gives us the power to do that. It is the churches birthday, because it is the day when we receive some very important gifts. But the gifts are not for us- they are through us- to be given to the world. Acts 2 quotes verses from the old testament book of Joel, where God says the I will pour out my spirit on all people. For Jesus, all people meant that there were no restrictions, no qualifications. All people meant all people. Whether it was the durg addict or the church mother, the young child or the middle ages woman, the sick or the healthy, the rich or the poor. God has a heart for all people, and God is doing whatever he can to save all people. The gifts of Pentecost are there for those who say that they are followers of Christ to have the power to bring salvation to any life and to any situation. Russ Blowers is a minister who is active in his local Indianapolis Rotary club. At club meetings each week a member gives a brief statement about his job. When it was his turn, Russ said: "I'm with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have our representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We're into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. (There's not enough money to buy it.) Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn't own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead--I talk with him everyday." The church is the most amazing organization in the world! Russ Blowers The gifts of Pentecost are unity, understanding, power, purpose and inspiration. But we have to remember that the source of each gift is God. There is a pertinent dialogue in the sixteenth chapter of Judges. Delilah says to Samson: “Please tell me wherein your great strength lies” (v. 6). After three unsuccessful attempts to discover the source of Samson’s strength, Delilah renews her efforts. Finally Samson succumbs and declares his power is in his hair. You remember the rest of the story. He not only lost his hair, but he lost his strength. When we consider Christian ministry of all believers, irrespective of station or training, we must inevitably ask, where does the strength come from? First and foremost, it comes from God! “God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7). And it up to each one of us to remember – that the power in our life to truly be effective in ministry comes from our relationship with God. I asked us to wear red, orange or pink, today –because I wanted each of us to realize that the flame of Christ is personal. It is about us, our life, our faith journey. Each of us is a unique flame for Christ. We should be on fire for Christ, each in our own way. We get power through the ways we life out our faith. The representations of the holy spirit is a flame, but it is also a breath. Each and every one of us has a unique breath inside of us. Recently, I ordered this device called a spire. It measures my breathing all day long. Then it sends messages to my phone to tell me whether I am calm or tense. When it senses that I am tense, it sends a message that perhaps I should calm down and take a deep breath. Spire means to breathe. To inspire is to take a deep breath in. To conspire is to work closely with, to aspire is to hope for something better, even spirit comes from the root word spire – which is the power within each of us to live and love with God. The breath is God’s mark upon us that God has a plan for us. Even scripture says to let everything that has breath praise God. Breath, wind is an important symbol of the holy Spirit and of Pentecost. And I want to encourage each of us to use this Pentecost to look at our relationship with God and to be inspired to new life, a new mission, a renewed spirit. This Pentecost, be inspired to conspire with God and aspire to a renewed sense of mission. Let the power of God’s spirit flow through you, and have a use your gifts in order to bring salvation to God’s people. More than any other holiday in the church calendar – Pentecost is about the here and now. It is not about remembering a time in the past, it is not about what happened 2000 years ago, it is about what is happening now. Each and every year, we have to rekindle the Pentecost spirit inside of us. We have to look at what is going on inside of us and what it going on In the world. What is God calling each of us to do about it. Every Pentecost is different. Pentecost is not about what God has done for us, it is about what God is doing through us. The spirit has to be born anew, we have to be inspired anew. God says to each of us – I have given you my gifts, now I want to see what you are going to do with them. I love the message of Pentecost. This is the third and final feast of the church. We spend six months reliving the life of Jesus, the lectionary takes us through the birth of Jesus, starting with Christmas, we go through baptism and call to ministry and his journey to Jerusalem. Then we come to the easter story and the death and resurrection of Jesus, the rising of the disciples, and the ascension of Jesus. As a church we have spent a lot of effort preparing for the festivals of the church. The choir has been practicing, we have worked at decorating. And now that we are ending the graduation season, and coming to the close of the school year, it is time to pack up and take a break for the summer. So that we can rest up for the next holiday season. Actually, that is not the message of Pentecost. In every ending there is a new beginning. As one chapter of our lives close, another begins. Pentecost is not the end of the church year, it is the beginning. The next six month is not about taking a break, it is about seeing God’s vision for the new year. The first six months is about the life of Christ, the last six months is about us as the church. It is our turn to be the hands and feet of Christ. It is our turn to shine, to work, to show the world that Christ is alive and well. As Christ ascends to heaven, he does not say I am leaving you alone, he is saying I am coming to you in a new way. Pentecost is the time where we receive our power and strength to go out in the world and to make a difference. We can pack up, and end choir and end Sunday school, not to go on vacation, but to redirect our energy and attention. We can congratulate our graduates, but also ask them to think about what is next for them. How is God opening up doors, How is God leading you in new directions? How is God calling you to new challenges? The world is not coming to an end, but a new beginning. The gift of Pentecost is overcoming our differences and working together in a new way, to develop new projects. It is realizing how easy it is to misunderstand one another even though we are right next to each other. It is realizing that even when we are tired and on our last leg, it is not our strength that will pull us through, it is the strength of the Holy Spirit within us. He Lives In Me Right Now! Norman Neaves some years ago told about a teacher asking the students in her fourth grade class to name the person they considered the greatest person alive in the world today. Their responses were varied and interesting. One little boy said, “I think it’s Joe Montana because he led the 49ers to all those Super Bowl wins.” A little girl said, George Bush… and still another named Oprah… and on and on it went with the students mentioning a wide variety or celebrities. But then it was little Donnie’s turn. Without hesitation Donnie said, “I think it’s Jesus Christ because He loves everybody and is always ready to help them.” Mrs. Thompson smiled and said, “Well, I certainly like your answer, Donnie, because I’m a Christian too… and I also admire Jesus very much. But there’s one slight problem. I said the greatest living person… and of course, Jesus lived and died almost two thousand years ago. Do you have another name in mind?” I love the simple, innocent, confident, wide-eyed response of little Donnie. He said, “Oh no, Mrs. Thompson, that’s not right at all. Jesus Christ is alive! He lives in me right now!” That’s the good news of our faith and the message of Pentecost… God is with us right now working from the inside out, giving us the Breath of Life, the Fire Power of Commitment… and the Peace That Passes All Understanding. James W. Moore, What Do You Do With Such A Gift? Amen. You Are in the Spirit It's like the story of the shark and the whale. Both were swimming in the sea when the shark swam up to the whale to engage in conversation. As they swam along, the shark said to the whale, "You are so much older than I, and wiser too. Could you tell me where the ocean is?" The whale responded, "The ocean is what you are in now." The shark would not believe it. "Come on, tell me where the ocean is so I may find it!" The whale repeated, "The ocean is here, now; you are in it." Unbelieving, the shark swam away searching for the ocean. The moral of the story, I believe, is this: don't spend too much time looking for God because the Spirit of God is here in the now of your life, dwelling within you, within me, within this community. And that truth is nurtured in prayer. Susan M. Fleenor, The Indwelling Spirit of Pentecost ________________________ Control A wealthy family from Massachusetts used to take a month's vacation every summer to the coast of Maine, taking their maid with them. The maid had an annual ritual at the beach. She wore an old-fashioned bathing suit, complete with a little white hat, and carried enough paraphernalia to stock Wal-Mart. She would settle herself on the beach, cover every inch of her exposed flesh and journey down to the water's edge. There she would hesitate while taking deep breaths and working up her courage to enter the icy-cold water. Finally, she would daintily extend one foot and lower it slowly into the water until she barely had her big toe submerged. Then she repeated the act with the other foot. Then, having satisfied her minimal urge for a swim, she would retreat to her chair and umbrella and spend the remainder of the vacation curled around a book. I'm afraid that may be a parable of our Christian commitment. Are we afraid to give in to the Pentecost experience, fearful that we might lose control? That's what it is really all about, isn't it? Control. We want to be in control. Well, if Pentecost is to do nothing else, it should remind us that we are not in control, not even - or perhaps I should say especially - of ourselves. Randy L. Hyde, Time to Deliver Passing the Peace There is a true story related about a church in the Pacific Northwest, who much like us, has a time during the service for passing the peace of Christ. This is a time when they greet one another, and their guests, with handshakes and hugs, and kind words of welcome. Nobody thought much about the weekly ritual until the pastor received a letter from a man who had recently joined the congregation. The new member was a promising young lawyer from a prestigious downtown law firm. He drafted a brief but pointed letter on his firm's letterhead. "I am writing to complain about the congregational ritual known as 'passing the peace,' " he wrote. "I disagree with it, both personally and professionally, and I am prepared to take legal action to cause this practice to cease." When the pastor phoned to talk with the lawyer about the letter, he asked why he was so disturbed about sharing the peace of Christ. The lawyer said, "The passing of the peace is an invasion of my privacy." And, in the Pastor’s response to this man, we find the truth of the Christian life. He said, "Like it or not, when you joined the church you gave up some of your privacy, for we believe in a risen Lord who will never leave us alone." And, he said, "You never know when Jesus Christ will intrude on us with a word of peace." Jeremy Rebman, So Send I You The First Fruits of the Spirit Do we have the first fruits of the Spirit? Can someone coming into our door to visit for the first time recognize these traits in us? Love ¬ do we love each other, and do we love those who are different from us? Do we love and welcome visitors, no matter who they are? Do we try to make their acquaintance, so that we can love them? Do we put their comfort above our own? Goodness ¬ Peter tells us (2 Peter 1:5) to support our faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge. Our salvation is the result of God's goodness. Likewise, other persons should benefit as a result of our goodness. Our mission work should clearly show our faith in God's goodness. Peace ¬ Is there peace between us, and peace within us? Can someone tell by being with us, that we have a peaceful soul, based upon God as the source of all that we have.? Faithfulness ¬ Is our steadfastness to Christ's church based upon an enduring loyalty that is true to God, no matter how we feel about the pastor, the district, the conference, the women's group, the organist, or any other facet of our organization? Gentleness ¬ Do we exhibit care and protection for all of God's creation? Are we gentle with the environment, with each other, and with ourselves? Joy ¬ Do we look joyous to the outsider? Do we feel joy inside? True joy in being a child of God should be able to override all unhappiness and bitterness we feel, and should be reflected in our total involvement in our worship. Kindness ¬ This action word can be directed outwardly or inwardly. Do we show compassion and generosity to others and ourselves? Patience ¬ How many of us are willing to let others (and ourselves) come along at each one’s own pace? How many of us can forgive seven times seventy? Self-Control ¬ This is one of the hardest, and may include all of the others. This requires an inner discipline only manageable with the grace of God's Spirit to sustain us in our trials. Do we constantly pray for help in this area, and constantly call on God to help us? If not, we should. Jane Shepherd, Is The Spirit Here? All Together A while ago, there was a special on the PBS channel about three families who lived on the prairie. It was an experiment to see whether or not 21st century families could live the way people lived in the 19th century. Their mission was to plant crops, raise animals and prepare themselves for the upcoming winter. At that point they were evaluated and then returned to their normal lives. Following the experiment they were interviewed and everyone commented on how much time they spent together. Since there was no television, radio, telephone, cars and all the modern conveniences, everyone said that they were together constantly. That created a need for them to learn how to really live in their togetherness. It was a real challenge for them and for some it actually caused them stress, since being together was not something they were used to. In today’s world it is almost impossible for families to get together. We are extremely mobile, living great distances apart and our busy schedules give us little quality time when we gather together. The windows are small and frequently someone or something has to be sacrificed. People are in a hurry, going in a hundred different directions. They’re trying to make ends meet, often living in a state of chaos and confusion. Consequently people feel empty, lost or bored and for some, life has no purpose or joy. What happened at Pentecost was the result of the faithful being "together in one place." Keith Wagner, Let’s Get Together The End Is the Beginning The end of the gospel of John always sends us back to the beginning. Every ending always implies the beginning of something new. On December 31st, the last day of the year, we celebrate the beginning of the New Year. Pregnancy ends with the delivery of a baby, and a new life begins—for both the parents and the baby. When you finish High School, you enter a new world of college or work. Jesus’ death on the cross was an ending, but it was also a beginning. Pentecost is the last day of the Easter season, and it is also celebrated as the beginning of the church. Carla Gorrell, Looks Like a Conspiracy ___________________________ The One Who Builds the Kingdom "In our day too, the Spirit is the principal agent of the new evangelization. Hence it will be important to gain a renewed appreciation of the Spirit as the One who builds the Kingdom of God within the course of history and prepares its full manifestation in Jesus Christ, stirring people's hearts and quickening in our world the seeds of the full salvation which will come at the end of time." Pope John Paul II, "On the Coming of the Third Millennium" An Amazing Organization Russ Blowers is a minister who is active in his local Indianapolis Rotary club. At club meetings each week a member gives a brief statement about his job. When it was his turn, Russ said: "I'm with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have our representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We're into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. (There's not enough money to buy it.) Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn't own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead--I talk with him everyday." The church is the most amazing organization in the world! Russ Blowers Consecrate that Trumpet to God While preaching a revival in Florida, a man told me that, as a young man, he had played with Artie Shaw's band. His father had been a concert pianist, but neither of them knew the first thing about Christian music. One day the young man was invited by a friend to play his trumpet at a huge Billy Sunday evangelistic crusade. He did it, and then, at the close of the service, as he stood there watching Billy Sunday pray with those who had responded to the call, the great evangelist looked up, saw him, came over to him, and said, "Young man, have you consecrated that trumpet to God?" "I had no idea what he was talking about -- consecrate. So when I shook my head, Billy Sunday took me to an old wooden folding chair, laid my trumpet on it, put his hands -- one on the horn and the other on my shoulder -- and prayed and gave us both to God." Then the man continued, "And you know, Barbara, it made a difference. It made a difference the way I played that trumpet and it made a difference in me!" The Holy Spirit does make a difference. He makes a big difference! Let him fill you today. Drink deeply of this Divine New Wine. There is no telling what he will do for you, with you, and through you!" Grapes of Wrath Or Grace, Barbara Brokhoff, CSS Publishing Company he Ability to Hear Communication, an ability to hear, to know what other people "are getting at" and "where they're coming from," has got to be one of the chief characteristics of the effective pastor. I want to be a good communicator, a skillful preacher. Yet before that, I know that I must be a good listener. As someone has said, "A preacher must listen for six days a week -- listening to God and to the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the congregation -- for the right to speak one day a week." I agree. Yet our modern world has also shown us how difficult, how very, very difficult, it is to hear. A number of years ago, Deborah Tannen, wrote, Why I Can't Hear You. It was a book about the difficulty of communication between women and men. Men and women speak different languages, says Tannen. When men are trying to say, "I need you to help me," they say it in ways which women can't hear. Likewise, when women say, "Give me some space; I need to be more independent for awhile," men get the message all messed up and hear something else. Add to this gender-gap, the gaps in our communication due to differences in economics, education, race and class, what hope is there for us ever to understand one another? The story we have read today, the story of Pentecost, is a story about hearing. Remember the Genesis story of the Tower of Babel, that time when the original "one language and few words" of humanity was disrupted forever by the profusion of languages and speech? Some believe that this Pentecost story is meant to signify a gracious reversal of Babel. William Willimon, How Can I Hear You? “You never know what people will hear and how they will tell others. Especially the children, but what he told you IS almost exactly what I said. I emphasize “almost”. The title of my sermon was, “Fear Not! Your Comforter Will Come.”“ Pentecost is a story about the power of God to bring about transformation and new life. Pentecost is the story of a promise fulfilled. In preparing the followers for his departure, Jesus had promised that the people would receive an advocate, a comforter. Pentecost is a story wrapped in mystery. It is the story of a time when the presence of God was felt in wind and fire, which are common biblical metaphors for the presence and power of God. As common as they are in the biblical story, when they happen they always have an element of awe, mystery and fear. These occurrences are hard to nail down, hard to describe, hard to understand and impossible to control. Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I: But when the trees bow down their heads, The wind is passing by. Translating that into the spiritual realm, we know that we cant see God, but if we know what to look for, we can see signs of God’s presence and God’s action.

Letter to the Angel of the Church

May 6, 2018 Revelation 1:12-20,2:1 A Letter to the Angel of the Church Acsension Sunday Non-lectionary Children’s Sermon: What do angels do? Some are spiritiual, some are real, all are messengers of God. Revelation 1:12-20 Common English Bible (CEB) 12 I turned to see who was speaking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven oil lamps burning on top of seven gold stands. 13 In the middle of the lampstands I saw someone who looked like the Human One.[a] He wore a robe that stretched down to his feet, and he had a gold sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white as white wool—like snow—and his eyes were like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like fine brass that has been purified in a furnace, and his voice sounded like rushing water. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His appearance was like the sun shining with all its power. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. But he put his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, but look! Now I’m alive forever and always. I have the keys of Death and the Grave. 19 So write down what you have seen, both the scene now before you and the things that are about to unfold after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands, here is what they mean: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Footnotes: a. Revelation 1:13 Or Son of Man Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible The apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation while on the Greek Island of Patmos. He had a dream that he saw heaven, and while there Jesus gave him a vision. Jesus told him to give the vision to the new churches in Asia. It was a message of hope in times of a big struggle. Chapters 1-3 in Revelation are a series of messages that John gives to the 7 churches in Asia. He has a letter for each church. But what is interesting, John does not address the letter to the people of the church – he addresses it to the angel of the church. HMM what does that mean? Who is the angel of the church. Many people don’t like the book of Revelation, because it is written in symbolism. And a lot of that symbolism has very undefined meanings. Some believe that the angel is considered the pastor of the church, but early churches were not run by pastors, but by church councils. So some say that John is talking about the general leadership of the church. But John uses the word angel or messenger 60 times in the book of revelation, and he is always talking about a heavenly being. So the common understanding is that every congregation has a guardian angel, whose job is to watch over the congregation and the work it does for the Lord. Jesus told John to write a level to all seven angels, each angel being a separate being, with a separate personality, and each church dealing with different issues. The book of Daniel in the old testament actually speaks of this concept of every area having an angel that overseas the work of God. A pastor gave a sermon speaking about the angel of the church, and he asked the congregation if they believed that they had an angel. Someone shouted out no, we don’t have an angel, but we do have a lot of demons in the church. Actually as a United Methodist Elder, who takes a vow to ititerate, and to spread the gospel in different communities, we learn that is not true. Every church has an angel that watches over it, that protects it , that guides it , and that maintains the personality of the church. Being the new person in town, you get to know the angel of the church pretty quickly. Most of the time by accident, when you suggest something new to the congregation and you get a response. If you make a suggestion and people resist a little and say – we have never done it that way before –then you know that is just a deeply ingrained habit. If you do something different and someone bites your head off and tells you not to ever do that again, you know that you have stepped on the angels toes. I have had my head bitten off quite a few times in the last 10 months. The angel of Wilmington is alive and well, and doing her job. Angels are mentioned all throughout the bible. the greek word means messenger. Wherever there is holy work to be done, an angel always oversees that work. In the bible, God sends angels to take care of God’s children in times of trouble, to oversee the work that the church is doing, to provide when resources are lacking, to protect from danger, to reveal God’s intentions. It is interesting that when John writes to the angels of the seven churches, first he chastises the angel and tells them what they must do differently, then he gives a message of encouragement. The biblical writers learned a long time ago, that it does no good to speak directly to people and to tell them what to do, the people are not listening. Rather than giving direct orders, Jesus told parables. Stories, in hopes that as people listened to the story- they would see themselves in the story, and realize the truth for themselves. What you might hear in a story is not the same as what I hear, because we have different experiences, we are asking God different questions, and God has different intentions for us. So when God speaks, the story has to be big enough for the whole congregation to reflect and think about. That is why the book of revelation is intentionally written in symbols, and you have to spend time thinking about what those symbols mean to us. John was writing for a specific crises, but his words are timeless to apply to any situation 2000 years later. So that we could all hear the message, and to look for the angel. And to know that when we are doing God’s work, angels are with us. "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" Hebrews 1:14 As told by Pastor Glenn Gunderson of First Baptist Church of Pomona, California: A missionary who was serving in a remote area of Africa made a monthly journey to a city two days bike ride away to pick up supplies and medicine. On one of his many journeys he came across two men who were fighting, one of whom was severely injured. The missionary stopped to help the injured man. After treating him, he continued on his way. Sometime later in the village a man came to him and said, "You probably don't remember me but I was one of the men who was fighting when you stopped to help." The missionary said he remembered the incident and the man told him. "We were going to rob you on one of your trips. We knew you always carried cash and medicine and were unarmed. When we came to rob you, I had three friends with me. We saw where you camped and put your bike down, but you had 26 armed guard all around you so we weren't able to rob you." The missionary said, "That's impossible. I always travel alone and have no armed guards of any kind." The man said, "Oh yes, my friends and I each counted 26 men, heavily armed standing around you while you slept." When the missionary visited his home church back in Michigan, he related this story to the church family. A man in the congregation stood up and asked, "What time and what day did this happen?" The missionary told him the date and that it was a Saturday night. The man said, "It was night there but it was Saturday morning here. I was loading my golf clubs in my car. I was on my way to the golf course and the Holy Spirit impressed on me so heavily that I needed to pray for you that I took my clubs out of my car and called men from church and we came together and earnestly prayed for you. He then said, "I would like to ask each one of these men who prayed with me that Saturday morning to stand up. As they stood, each one in the church counted 26 men standing! Dick Innes To the angel of Wilmington, God is at work , God is leading us forward and God has plans for us – it says so in scripture. Let us pray….