Scriptures for Sunday, November 15, 2020
Judges 4
Psalm 123
1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11
Matthew 25: 14-30
In the week of our Annual Meeting, I was reading this week’s lesson from 1 Thessalonians and then I read on a little further.  This word from Paul is far better than anything I could hope to write, so I decided to lay it out here, in hopes that you will enjoy it and celebrate the way that we fulfill it:
[E]ncourage one another and
     build up each other,
         as indeed you are doing. 
But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters,
     to respect those who labor among you,
          and have charge of you in the Lord
               and admonish you;
                     esteem them very highly in love
                           because of their work. 
Be at peace among yourselves.
And we urge you, beloved,
     to admonish the idlers,
     encourage the fainthearted, help the weak,
     be patient with all of them.
See that none of you repays evil for evil,
     but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
     give thanks in all circumstances;
           for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise the words of prophets,
     but test everything;
            hold fast to what is good;
                  abstain from every form of evil.
                                 - 1 Thessalonians 5: 11 – 22
 
Thank You to all of you who showed up, and to all of you who get involved in the work of the church.  It can make us nervous and it can take up quite a chunk of our time, but the benefits are out of this world !  (ha!)
I’m writing to you on Veterans’ Day, which brings me many different kinds of thoughts.
You have probably noticed that the majority of the men who regularly attend Bethel are military veterans.  It doesn’t take much of a leap of imagination to connect those two facts.  People who have served a cause greater than themselves are more likely to go on to serve other causes greater than themselves.  It’s also a generational thing:  the younger folks are much less likely to be veterans, and also somewhat less likely to be “joiners”— to find fulfillment in group activities.  Observing this connection between being veterans and faithfulness to the church begs the question: How can our congregation be built of faithful people in the future ?
I am proud of the veterans I know, and those I have known in the past.  I love to listen to their stories and the extraordinary, hard-won life-lessons they’ve learned.  I have no doubt that sometimes our nation needs fighters to achieve good goals for us and for humankind.
At the same time, I continue to be troubled by the differences between the Old Testament message about violence and the message of Jesus and the Apostles.  In the Old Testament, it seems that God often commands His chosen people to fight—literally, physically fight— against human enemies.  But in the New Testament, Jesus goes meekly to his death and tells Peter, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”  (Matthew 26:52)  And, much more fundamentally, he tells his followers, “I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer....  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you....”  (Matthew 5:39, 44)  These and numerous other instructions in the New Testament are the reason why, in the early centuries of Christianity, Christians urged one another not to become soldiers.  But as their governments “converted” to Christianity, the church’s teaching about military service shifted.
For my part, I am thankful that many of you answered the call to serve this nation in the military.  I believe that your service has made the world a better place and accomplished some righteous purposes.
This week’s Old Testament lesson is quite a war story, though a weird one.  Deborah, a Judge and Prophetess in Israel, called a veteran named Barak, to get him to lead an army of liberation against Canaanites who were oppressing their people.  When Barak replied that he would do it only if she went with him, Deborah prophesied that “there will be no glory for you in the course you are taking....”  But Barak was OK with that.  He did his duty.    (Judges 4:6 – 24)

Scriptures for Sunday, November 8, 2020
Joshua 24: 1-3, 14-25
Psalm 78: 1-7
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
Matthew 25: 1-13

The foolish said to the wise,
“Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” 
 
But the wise replied,
“No! there will not be enough for you and for us;
you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.”                                                     -Matthew 25: 8 – 9
Last week in ZOOM Sunday School, we were reading in John chapter 13 about Jesus tenderly washing the feet of his disciples.  The question came up, Why is that story only found in John’s gospel ?  It seems to be so important, when Jesus commands the disciples to do the same for one another, and to love one another.  Why are the four gospels so different from each other ?  They all share some things in common with each other, but each one also includes a number of stories and sayings that are unique to itself.
Since Advent, last Fall, we have read a lot of Matthew’s gospel.  This gospel has a peculiar kind of Jewish focus, with emphasis on ways that Jesus’ life, ministry, and sacrificial death fulfill the ancient Jewish prophecies.  And, as I pointed out in a sermon, recently, sometimes in Matthew (for example, Matthew 22:1-13), we hear stories or parables from Jesus that have a more bitter, un-godly tinge to them.  
This week’s gospel lesson is that story of the wise and the foolish virgins, Matthew 25:1-13.   This story has some themes in common with stories Jesus told in Luke’s gospel (21:6-36), and with warnings that Jesus gives in various parts of John’s gospel, but its tone is much more stark than the others.  Jesus is talking to the crowds in Jerusalem about destruction which would take place in the future, and how faithful people should prepare themselves to be on God’s side when all things get sorted-out.  Over the centuries, preachers have interpreted the “oil” for the lamps as the grace which God imparts to His people. 
So, on the surface of the story Jesus told, it appears that the ‘wise virgins’ are being harsh toward the ‘foolish virgins.’  Does Jesus mean that God’s prepared people should be cold and rude to the unprepared people around us ?  Is it right for us to tell them, “Go, get your own oil !”
The real-world truth is, there is no substitute for each person getting grace directly from God.  A Christian may graciously reach out to some desperate soul in an attempt to help them be ‘saved,’ but the One who ‘saves’ is not the Christian: rather, it is the Christ.  He is the “Oil Dealer,” the only One Who can supply what you need.  The best that a Christian can do is to effectively connect the other person to the heavenly “Oil Dealer,” the God of Grace.
The old song put it this way:
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning !
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray !
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning,
Keep me burning ‘til the break of day !
 
So here we are, in the wake of a national election, wondering how things will be sorted-out.  What does the future hold for our nation, for our Commonwealth, for our community ?  We Christians are supposed to be the ‘wise virgins,’ un-stained by the world, spiritually prepared to go into the Bridegroom’s house whenever the moment may come.  How are we doing ?  Are we as nervous and up-shook as the worldly people around us ?  Or are we well-oiled and serene, confident that the Oil Dealer has supplied our need ?
In our local congregation, we are also at a moment of decisions, with our Annual Meeting coming, this Sunday.  With the onset of the Corona Virus Disease- 2019, we ‘punted’ our Annual Meeting from the third Sunday in May to the second Sunday in November.  Our meeting this week will lack some of the trappings we have come to expect: everyone gathered, close together, in one room; the remnants of a pleasant little meal in our bellies; the satisfaction of being face-to-face with our church’s elected leaders, to get answers to questions and to make fresh suggestions; and more.  We will be missing some saints who cannot be among us in the flesh at this time.  And it’s November, for heaven’s sake, not May!  Talk about a time change !  This is ridiculous !
All the while, the Bridegroom is still on His way, to open the door and lead us into the wedding banquet.  How can we ever be ready ? 
Let us pray for God to give more grace.
... [w]e will be with the Lord forever. 
Therefore encourage one another with these words. 
                                 - 1 Thessalonians 4: 17 – 18

Scriptures for Sunday, October 18, 2020
Exodus 33: 12-23
Psalm 99
1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10
Matthew 22: 15-22

The folks who sat patiently in their cars in the Bethel parking lot in the rain to experience worship, this past Sunday, narrowly missed hearing me sing these four verses [as I had forgotten to bring the words outdoors with me]:
 Come, sinners, to the Gospel feast;
Let every soul be Jesus’ guest.
You need not one be left behind,
For God has bid [invited] all humankind.
 
Sent by my Lord, on you I call;
The invitation is to all.
Come, all the world!  Come, sinner, thou!
All things in Christ are ready now.
 
His love is mighty to compel;
His conquering love consent to feel,
Yield to His love’s resistless power,
And fight against your God no more.
 
This is the time, no more delay!
This is the Lord’s accepted day.
Come thou, this moment, at His call,
And live for Him who died for all.
 
Charles Wesley published this poem, along with twelve other verses I’ve omitted here, in 1747. 
I understand that it may feel unnerving, to be addressed as “sinners.”  I hope you understand that, from God’s point of view, we are all sinners, except that through the love of Jesus He graciously chooses to forgive our sins.  And this invitation in this poem is to not only come to be forgiven, but mainly to come enjoy the presence and abundant hospitality and generosity of God— a feast!
 
I want to give you a heads-up about the Old Testament lesson for this week.  It contains some difficult and probably contradictory sayings, which I feel we would all do well to ponder.  Specifically, we will be considering Exodus 33:12-23.  In my sermon, last Sunday, I touched on the fact that Moses had been up onto the mountaintop with God seven times, by the time we got into the middle of Exodus 32.  What was he doing, up there?  Exodus tells us that God spoke to him there (Exodus chapters 19 – 34).  Moses went up that mountain to meet with the LORD for the ninth and last time in Exodus 34:4-29 when he made and wrote on the stone tablets the laws of God. 
The thing that bothers me and countless Bible students, down through the past three thousand years or so, about the story of Moses is, Did he actually see God, or not ?  Why does Exodus 33:11 say, “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one man speaks to another,” but Exodus 33:23 God says, “you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen” ?  And the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy which tell stories of Moses contain numerous other examples of this contradiction.  Check out Exodus 24:9-11 !
The desire to see God’s face is deep and widespread across the world.  The old Negro Spiritual says,
                            If I could I surely would
                                  stand on the rock where Moses stood.
—  that is, to see God, up close. 
When we come together for Worship, there is a yearning to see God’s face as well as each other’s.  That’s one reason it seems so strange on a Sunday morning, to look out at cars in the rain with their windows rolled up: can’t even see the human faces.
May we somehow see the face of God ?
In Exodus, just before that ninth and final trip Moses made up onto the mountain, the LORD said to him, “you have truly gained My favor and I have singled you out by name.”  (Exodus 33:17)  Immediately after this, Moses sought and received permission to “behold Your [God’s] Presence.”  Wow!  If that’s the key to being allowed to see God, can the rest of us receive permission, too ?
In our lesson this week from 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul says to the people in that church, “we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that He has chosen you....” (verse 4)  Paul went on to say what the Thessalonians had done right: “you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead— Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming." (verses 9-10).  In the same way, God chooses us.
Also, in 1 John 4:12 we read, “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us.” 
I believe this is the key to seeing God.

Dear folks,
I am sorry if you have been missing finding new articles here.  Each week I write, but it gets published through the US Mail and by email.  I don't know if anybody even looks at this space.  If you do, you can make a comment or send an email through this website.

The Scriptures for this Sunday, July 19, 2020 are 
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
Genesis 28:10-19
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Have you had enough of this ?
Are you ready for it to be OVER ?
(You can fill in the blank— whatever “this” is— but I bet I have an inkling of an idea, what you may be thinking of….)
Join the club ! — a club that includes St. Paul and Jesus Christ and all the great prophets and heroes of the Bible.  They often talked about The End.  They used a variety of different expressions when they referred to it, but they kept coming back to this subject.

Scriptures for Sunday, May 3, 2020
Psalm 23
Acts 2: 42-47
1 Peter 2: 19-25
John 10: 1-10

Doggone, it!  I always love to spend Good Shepherd Sunday morning with you-all in church.  Good Shepherd Sunday rolls around each year on the fourth Sunday of Easter.  Each year, the gospel lesson for this Sunday is a different “sheep and shepherd” message of Jesus from John.  This year: John 10:1-10.
Like many of you, I’m impatient, fenced in like a sheep in a sheep-fold because of the virus threat.  I want the sheepdog, er, virologists with God’s help, to defeat the vile germ and leave us safe and free.  And I don’t want the sheepdog to punch the clock with the wolf at the end of the workday and go home, to come back another day to do it all over again.  I WANT THAT VARMINT, er, virus, EXTERMINATED WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE, ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Sam Sheepdog, Ralph Wolf
created by Chuck Jones for Warner Bros., 1953

But this week I read the Scriptures again and realize, again, that real life has always been more complicated, and frustrating, than a Looney Tunes short.
1 Peter 2:25 : You were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
It seems that we live in a universe where there is a Shepherd and Guardian: however, in this universe, it is up to us “sheep” to keep choosing to follow and stay with our Shepherd and Guardian through a long series of threats and challenges. 
 
And if our stories are like those of our elders, one of the challenges we will go through is death…  but not the cartoon variety death, where the wolf falls for a mile, goes SPLAT!!, and shows up again in the next scene.  No.  The kind of death that the world believes is final.
Like some of our elders, we know The LORD is my Shepherd, and He is with me through the valley of the shadow of death.  For good reasons, Psalm 23 is probably the most popular psalm.  We all live in or near the valley of the shadow of death, whether that’s our own death or someone we love.  We know Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.  God uses His “rod” to hit anything that would try to steal us out of His flock.  God could also use His “staff” for hitting enemies, but it has that crook at one end so God can pull us back when we’re getting dragged away from His flock.  Comforting.
Keep in mind, we and God are not attacking or resisting material, physical people or things: Our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  (Ephesians 6:12)  That is, our real enemies are spiritual forces which are trying to attack us spiritually, trying to drive us or drag us out of God’s flock. 
Please take some time to list whatever influences (think: influenza, an unseen force) may be working to separate you from God now.  What about temptations of our bodies?  For one list of these, check out Galatians 5:17-21, “the works of the flesh.”  Other spiritual forces against us include pride and aimlessness.  They can take you away!  When you discover any of these enemies messing with you, run to the Good Shepherd.  On your way to Him, you can also call your pastor (a junior shepherd who works for the Good Shepherd) and your trusted, godly friends.  We are part of God’s flock, too, and we really don’t want to lose you.
And pray to stay close to our Good Shepherd.  To some degree, that is up to each of us.  I hope it helps you to be part of the church, where we strive to be that spiritual flock, like the early church described in Acts 2:46-47, having glad and generous [or “simple”] hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.

Scriptures for Sunday, April 5, 2020
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Matthew 21: 1-11
(Christ’s Triumphal Entry)
 
Isaiah 50: 4-9
Psalm 31: 9-16
Philippians 2: 5-11
Matthew 26: 14 – 27:66
(Christ’s Passion)

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!
       Blessed is the one
   who comes in the name of the Lord!
       Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
                                               -Matthew 21:8-9
As we receive guidance from our government leaders to avoid being in crowds— usually defined as ten or more people— I wonder how God would want us to respond if Jesus came down our street today.
I see so much of our faith through the lens of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25, where he informs us that what we do to “the least of these” sisters and brothers of Jesus, we do to Jesus himself.  So in that light, we look down our street to see who is coming, and we ask ourselves, “Given the current situation, how should I treat these brothers and sisters here ?”
Probably, we don’t need to form a crowd to serve Jesus.  We may not even need to shout out archaic words like “Hosanna!” to please the Lord.  But there will be good things we can do to be a blessing to Jesus and his siblings.
By the way, “Hosanna!” is what people would shout out to leaders who they hoped were coming to rescue them and make things better— it means something like, “O save us!”  So I bet the same thought is a part of your prayers, as we live through these strange, challenging times.... 
Lord, save us!
During our current crisis, some of our neighbors have lost their livelihoods, while other people keep getting the same, fixed incomes.  Some among us are running up extra expenses or running out of necessities, while others of us find we are now able to get by with less expenditure, or we may now have a surplus of stuff that we would ordinarily use up quickly.  Perhaps during ‘normal’ times we mostly saw ourselves as helpers, but now we need more help— or vice-versa.  So we are in new territory, encountering people and events in ways we never did before.
If we were going through the springtime in the usual way at church, for the past three weeks you would have been hearing about the One Great Hour of Sharing (“OGHS”) special offering. 
As I noted above, for some of you, this may not be the time to be giving to national and international ministries, but for some of you, this might be the perfect time to do something to make a difference, while so many things seem so “out of control.”
“The OGHS special mission offering of the United Church of Christ involves you in disaster, refugee/immigration, and development ministries throughout the world.  When a disaster strikes or people are displaced or made refugees by violence or extreme poverty, you are part of the immediate response and of the long-term recovery.  Through OGHS you engage in holistic development programs including health care, education, agriculture, food sustainability, micro-financing and women’s empowerment.  Because the UCC relates in mutual partnership to churches and organizations through Global Ministries and worldwide response & recovery networks, your contributions to One Great Hour of Sharing put you in the right place at the right time for the relief, accompaniment and recovery of the most vulnerable.  You meet immediate needs and you address the underlying causes that create those needs in the first place.  Thank you for your generous contribution.”
Here are two links to videos that explain OGHS:
https://youtu.be/P9GzDb12MW4
https://youtu.be/R3P3I6EGq3c
You may donate to OGHS by sending your offering to our Financial Secretary Dianne, simply marking it “OGHS.”

Meanwhile, right here in the Shenandoah Valley, Page One and Elkton Area United Services (EAUS) are struggling onward, trying their best to serve people who need a hand up.  You may not have realized this, but those thrift stores— in Elkton, Shenandoah, and Luray— have been the biggest source of revenue for our home-grown social service agencies.  And those thrift stores are closed now.  So, if you feel led to make a difference on the local level, Page One (35 North Bank Street, Luray, VA 22835)  and EAUS (PO Box 383, Elkton, VA 22827) will be grateful for your help. 

Volunteers are still needed, too !  “Blessed is ....”

Scriptures for Sunday, March 22, 2020
1 Samuel 16: 1-13
Psalm 23
Ephesians: 5:8 -14
John 9: 1-41

The gospel lesson got this coming Sunday is John 9, the story of Jesus and the man who was born blind.  You have probably heard this story many times through the years, as I have, along with numerous sermons on it and many repetitions of this beloved hymn based upon it:
          Amazing grace!  How sweet the sound
          that saved a wretch like me.
          I once was lost but now am found,
          was blind, but now I see.
That last line comes from the part of the story when the religious leaders were badgering the man whom Jesus healed.  Those leaders were trying to make trouble for Jesus, trying to get the man to say something that would make Jesus look bad.  But what he told them was, “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  (25)
Try reading John 9 through the perspective of the man who was born blind.  His life must have been full of problems.  Try and imagine all the different troubles.  Through many dangers, toils and snares
                 I have already come....
In John 9:2, Jesus’ disciples were speculating about whose sin led to the man being born blind.  We may be sure that they were not the first people who noticed the man’s blindness and jumped to the conclusion that somebody had done something wrong.  In our world today, we can still be too quick to play the “blame game.” 
But Jesus was having none of it.  He insisted that this man’s blindness was an opportunity to do the works of God.  And he healed the man.
          ‘Tis grace that’s led me safe, thus far,
            And grace will lead me home.”
                       †                 †                 †
Our congregation’s Moderator, Doris Viands received this item through FaceBook and felt that all of us should bear it in mind:
When you hear about “COVID 19,” remember this:
“Christ   over   viruses   &   infectious   diseases”
And when you think of “19,”   think of Joshua 1:9
[The LORD said to Joshua, ]
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
     for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Our Central Atlantic Conference Minister and Associate Conference Ministers have reached out to us with offers of spiritual, personal, and technical support during this time.  They sent me a letter (via email) expressing support for my ministry among you, and also support for our church leaders.  They fully recognize that each of our congregations holds its own autonomy, but they also remind us that we find strength in our solidarity together.  We are not alone.  Far from it.
 
The National Officers of the United Church of Christ, the Rev. John C. Dorhauer, who is General Minister and President, and Associate General Ministers the Rev. Traci Blackmon and the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson published a very thoughtful and loving general letter to the churches about coping and overcoming in the time of coronavirus.  Here are two excerpts from it:
“Even as churches are cancelling worship and moving to online services, the time to be present in our communities is upon us.  Recommended practices of social distancing offer new opportunities for us to be the church that is needed in this time.” ....
“One of the challenges of social distancing is isolation.  How do we exercise more care for one another?  This is a time to consider the ways we can show love for our neighbors within the context of this current health crisis.  Let's pray for each other.  Let's look out for one another, demonstrate care for one another, and simply check in on one another.  A phone call has great meaning and provides a lifeline for those who are alone.
“In closing, please join us in prayer.
Holy God, ever present with us, we are mindful of these times in which we live.  Uncertainty, anxiety, and fear are present among us as we listen to and care for one another in these days.  We ask that Your peace and healing presence be with us, as we pray for and hold each other in love.  We ask Your guidance and direction as we live out Your command to love one another as we are called to love You.  In the name of the one who has called us and prepared us for these challenging days, we pray.  Amen.”
​
Let’s rise to this strange occasion and BE THE CHURCH despite everything, for God’s sake.

Scriptures for Sunday, March 8, 2020
Psalm 121
Genesis 12:1-4
Romans: 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3: 1-17

The old saying had it, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”  Four days into this March, I have experienced both lamb winds and lion winds already.  I put it down to the confusion of the seasons this strangely mild Winter, most likely influenced by the changes in the Earth’s climate. 
This week I am meditating on some of the Bible’s best-loved verses, including Psalm 121 and John 3.  As with most things we treasure, these passages contain both face-value and a depth of richness and complexity that may be savored over time and be appreciated on many levels, from many perspectives.
Some of you have heard me remark before, about Psalm 121, that many people misunderstand it because of the antique phrasing and punctuation in the classic King James’ Version.  

                                             a photo of Psalm 121
                       the original 1611 printing of the King James Bible
 
I have known several people who loved Psalm 121 because  they  love mountains and hills.   That’s a nice thought, according to our present-day way of thinking, but it completely misses the psalmist’s point. 
Nowadays, living as we do in a beautiful valley rimmed by State and National Forested ridges, we tend to romanticize mountains for their wildness and natural beauty.  Reading the King James Version of verse 1, which the translators 400 years ago chose to end with a period not a question mark, feeling religious around mountains and hills might seem to be the point.
But during Old Testament times, hilltops in Palestine were sites of pagan shrines where idol-worshipers did vile things in the service of their man-made gods.  For a faithful Hebrew, to look at the hills was a challenge, quite uncomfortable.  Looking at the hills reminded Israelites that they were living in the midst of neighbors who did not share their faith in “the LORD Which made heaven and earth,” but who instead ran off to the high places to perform rituals for false gods of earth, sky, and water. 
So for the ancient Israelites, to agree with Psalm 121 meant to take a stand against putting one’s faith in the mountains and hills and the activities that took place there, a stand for the One Creator God who made all of Earth and sky.
John 3 is so deeply beloved by Christians for the doctrine of being “born again,” as well as for the favorite memory verse 16, “For God so loved the world....” 
An aspect of John 3 that I have come to treasure is Jesus’ notion of the Holy Wind.  In verse 8, the word pneuma may be translated both as Spirit and as Wind.  Think of pneumatic and pneumonia: it’s a power which is invisible to our earthly eyes but nonetheless real.  Jesus had just told the Pharisee Nicodemus that he and his fellow Jews must be “born again,” or translated an equally accurate way, “born from above.”  Nicodemus was naturally confused by these strange thoughts.  Then Jesus took the conversation to an even more mystical level, comparing people who are “born of the Wind” / “born of the Spirit” to the natural wind like we experience in the month of March, swirling and gusting and gently wafting in any direction, unpredictably and uncontrollably— that is, only to be comprehended or led by the One Which made sky and Earth.