THE DRIVEWAY UP TO OUR HOUSE, THE PICTURE ON THE COVER OF MY NEW BOOK

 HUCK ROLLING THE THE GRASS AT HIS HOUSE

MOMO AND JOHN HOWARD (HUCK) HAVING A PRIVATE MOMENT

GOD INTERRUPTS

      As I read these verses from the prophet Jeremiah in 33:14-16, I keep hearing the word promise. The prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah, Micah, writers of the Psalms, and even Moses tell of a promise; the promise of a deliverer. I am convinced that Advent is really all about God’s fulfillment of a promise; a promise not only made to the Jewish people, but you and me, and to all of his people wherever they are found.

      And then, maybe we can look at Advent in another way, as an interruption of the routines of people’s lives. Have you ever wished for something to happen in your life, not something bad, but just something to break the routine and the humdrum of daily living? In Advent, the church celebrates a God who keeps promises, who cares about his people, who wants to be with them, and puts into action his love. We also celebrate a God who hears the cries of his people as he told Moses at the burning bush. Moses’ routine life as a shepherd was interrupted by a God who needed a messenger. So we celebrate a God who hears, intervenes, and interrupts. That is our great hope. A God who searches us out, who loves us so much that he cannot leave us alone; so he interrupts our lives, not only at Bethlehem, but in many other times and places. Jesus Christ, whose advent we celebrate in this season, is the great, loving, divine Interruption.

      God, in his incessant desire to be near us and to bring us to himself, from time to time breaks into the life of the individual and into the life of the church. There are times when the Holy Spirit is sent to disrupt our comfortable routines, to give us new directions, convict us, and refresh our faith walk. This is called revival. Revival starts within the hearts of people who see the need of intervention and renewal. Revival starts with prayer. God can then come and interrupt what we have been doing and how we have been thinking and replace it with a new “Order of Worship.”

      This is what happened at the first Advent. Paul wrote in the letter to the Galatians in chapter 4 that after 400 years between the Old and New Testaments, God interrupted  human hopelessness and discouragement, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who are under the law, so we might receive adoption as children.”  When the fullness of time had come, God intervened, and interrupted so that his people would have hope and salvation.   

      So our lives, which are closely regulated by the clock and the calendar, must realize that here we are once again at the season of Advent. If you follow the church calendar, you know that Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year. It is the beginning because God in the fullness of time sent his Son, Jesus. God stepped in and interrupted the flow of human history. God began, once again, something new.

      The Advent season is proof that God is a God who loves us enough to interrupt our lives and show us a better way-the only way. God interrupts in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” Here we are plodding down our comfortable way of life, creatures of habit, and getting by on our own just fine, we think. And then, in a place we do not expect, in a way we do not expect, in God’s own time, God comes. God is born among us, as one of us, in a form we do not expect. It happened in Bethlehem, and it can happen in the heart and life of each of us today.

      When God’s grace intervenes in our life, we must be prepared to receive it. “Surely the days are here when the Lord will fulfill his promise.” Let this be the Advent in which God’s interruption changes our life.

Rev. Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, December 1, 2013

THE HOUSE CLEANING

      In “The Principles of a Methodist Further Explained,” John Wesley said, “Our main doctrines, which include all the rest, are three—that of repentance, of faith, and of holiness. The first of these we account as it were, the porch of religion; the next, the door; the third, religion itself.” (The Works of John Wesley, Volume VIII, Zondervan Publishing House, 1959; page 472)

      Since Wesley and Methodism is all about the grace found throughout scripture and strongly expressed by Jesus, the imagery of the “house of salvation” makes sense through the eyes of grace. Prevenient grace, grace that makes it possible for us to see our need for God, brings us to conviction and the porch of the house. Justifying grace, grace that allows us to ask for forgiveness and to say yes to God, opens the door, invites us in, and makes us a member of God’s family. Sanctifying grace, grace that reminds us that God wants every room of our house to be cleaned out and under his control, makes it possible for us to live a life that is holy and acceptable to God.

      Soon after we become believers, we begin to see things in our words, thoughts, and actions that are not Christ-like. We need a spiritual “house cleaning” if we are to imitate Christ.

      Joanna Weaver, in her book, “Having a Mary Spirit,” provides a list of undesirable “clutter” and sins, which we must ask God to cleanse from the “rooms” of our heart.

      Jealousy (You are all you get to be—enjoy it!)

      Regrets   (You cannot undo mistakes, so learn from them.)

      Shame    (If you have asked God to forgive you, accept that forgiveness)

      Blame    (Stop pointing the finger at everyone else)

      Gossip    (If it cannot be said in front of the person, do not say it)

      Fear        (Stop and pray before fear takes hold)

      Envy       (Learn to want what you have)

      Lies         (Disregard the habit of half-truths, exaggerations, full-fledged    

                        deception)

      Complaining (Do not nurse it or rehearse it…disperse it)

      Ingratitude  (Look for things to be thankful for---tell someone about it!)

      Careless words  (Ask, “Does this really need to be said?”)

      Laziness   (Do one thing today that you really do not want to do.)

      Greed     (Give something you love away.)

      Self-Pity   (Cry for five minutes if you must, then blow you nose and

                        Move on.)

      Lust        (Eliminate the I-must-have-it-now desire for people and things.)

    

       Paul writes in 2Corinthians, “Let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete purity because we fear God.”

Rev. Tim McConnell Long’s Chapel UMC, November 24, 2013

HUCK TAKING A BATH IN THE KITCHEN SINK AT GRANDPARENTS' HOUSE
ON THE PORCH LAST SUMMER PALYING IN HIS POOL
TRYING ON GREAT GRANDADDY'S OLD FOOTBALL HELMET

ENOUGH FAITH TO BE FAITHFUL

      In the first ten verses of Luke 17, Jesus continues to tell his disciples and us what he expects from his followers. He sets the scene by bringing up two connected teachings.

Jesus said, “In an imperfect world with imperfect people things, which cause people to sin, are bound to happen. But make sure that you are not the one who causes another person to sin. Woe unto a person who willingly becomes a stumbling block to another.” Paul echoes Jesus’ words when he says that there are things he could do or say, but chooses not because it might cause someone to sin. Are we sensitive to the weaknesses of others? Jesus warns against any behavior of ours that might “trip up” or cause someone to compromise his or her beliefs, or maybe even turn and follow Jesus no more.

      Then Jesus says, “If someone within the body of Christ, within my church, sins against a brother or sister, there should be a spirit of forgiveness.” Our sins are ultimately directed toward God, but most often carried out toward one another. Luke has Jesus saying we should forgive seven times in a day, Matthew says seventy times seven. The idea is not the quantity but the unconditional quality of the forgiveness—the genuineness and the sincerity.

      So Jesus brings up two important spiritual practices. Do not be the cause of someone sinning. Even if you feel you are entitled to do a certain thing, or to give your opinion, Jesus says to be careful, you may cause someone to become weak. You will be accountable for their compromise. Then Jesus says we are to be willing to forgive unconditionally and without limit. If we expect God to forgive us, we must forgive each other.

      The disciples hear Jesus and immediately connect these two responsibilities of discipleship with the need for faith. They do a quick faith check and make an obvious request to Jesus. “Increase our faith.”

      The disciples realized very quickly that they did not have enough faith to fulfill these two teachings of Jesus. It is interesting that the disciples did not ask for love or understanding, they asked for faith. They realized that they would need faith in God to help them be sensitive to the needs of others; to lay aside the things they liked to do if it has the potential to harm others. They also realized that they would need much faith in God to forgive, as Jesus wanted them to forgive. They would need faith to make the connection between God’s forgiveness of them and their forgiveness of others. They did not think they had enough faith to do any of this, so they asked Jesus to give them more.

      Jesus is quick to respond. He tells them that all they need is faith the size of a mustard seed. It is not the amount of faith that is important; it is the strength in that tiny seed. It is all about the awesome things we can do if we use the faith we already have, and as we use it, its strength increases and we find ourselves trusting God with the things concerning our faith walk that we never thought possible before. That gift of faith can even move us into a more intimate relationship with Jesus, a relationship of complete surrender to his will.

      If we are going to be people who are sensitive to the spiritual needs of others, people who practice forgiveness, and people who are true servants of God, then we need to be people of faith. It is not great faith that we need, but mustard seed faith in a great God. Even the tiniest peephole in the window of faith will give us access to power in our daily walk like we never thought possible. And that power can used to uplift our brothers and sisters, encouraging them, showing them a holy example, and forgiveness, even seven times a day.

      This may sound like radical talk, and it is, but it is also Jesus talk. Maybe we have been as guilty as the disciples were by asking for our faith to be increased when we have not been using what we have. So Jesus looks at us in our weakness, our hesitancy, and fear of the unknown and says simply, “You have all you need. You have been given enough faith to do what I expect you to do. You have enough faith to be faithful.”

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, November 17, 2013         

GOD WINS

      Followers of Jesus have been let in on a secret, yet it is an open secret, open to all who will acknowledge it. This special open secret is, in the end, when all is said and done, when the last tick-tock of time has sounded, God wins. That “end of time” knowledge should tell us that we are to live in the present as different people, as people who are expecting Jesus to return to earth, as people who know the expectations and requirements of eternal life, as people who are hopeful and confident in the Jesus story because we know the end of the story. At the completion of history, we will experience the fulfillment of God’s promises of a new heaven and new earth, and we can be a part of it.

      In Isaiah 65: 17-25, we find the prophet predicting a day when there will be “new heavens and a new earth.” He tells us there will be peace and rejoicing for the world. All that is wrong with the world will be set right by the intervention and intrusion of a judgmental, yet loving God.

      In Luke 21, we hear Jesus warning his disciples and us not to try to predict when he will return and set up his kingdom. We do not know the details of the “end times” or what the future holds, but we can live with the confidence in the present age because we know that God holds the future. Throughout all of Jesus’ teachings about the “end times”, he focuses on living holy and acceptable lives here in the present so that we will be ready for what ever the future may hold. The present age, with all of its tribulations, is a time to bear witness to the loving purposes of God, because now is a time filled with grace and opportunity for repentance and outreach to others.

      When Jesus talked to the people about his kingdom, he was referring to a spiritual kingdom made up of the body of believers, those who believed in him and followed his teachings daily. We sing a hymn from time to time about this kingdom. The chorus tells us, “For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noon day bright, and Christ great kingdom shall come to earth, a kingdom of love and light.” Jesus’ kingdom can be found in the heart of every believer. When we pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are inviting Jesus to set up his kingdom now in our hearts and lives.

      Just as those ancient people in Isaiah and Jesus’ time looked around at their world and saw that it was not the world that God intended for it to be, we too look around at the lives of our neighbors and our own lives and say there must be a better way. Can this world go on the way it is going? Can it ever be restored? Can the world that God made so good, ever recover what it has so carelessly squandered? Is there any hope for humanity?

     Maybe this is all about hope, because it is on the basis of hope that we are called to be faithful to God in the world. We are called to live now on the witness of a certain future. Because we have hope, and faith, that God will not leave the world the way it is, frees us to be his people, frees us to light candles in the present darkness of sin, knowing that finally the darkness will be vanquished! God wins now, and he wins throughout eternity!

       Jesus’ kingdom is not some future mystical creation that he will someday create. Jesus’ kingdom is now. Jesus did not come here just to get us ready for the next world, he came into this world to transform us into people through whom he could do his work in this world. He is creating now. He is creating disciples, transforming lives, and shining the light of salvation into a dark and confused world.  God invites each of us to become a part of his future kingdom today.

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, November 10, 2013

SURPRISING EXAMPLES

 

      I think that occasionally, maybe more times than we realize, Jesus will push us to look beyond our familiar boundaries. Sometimes he will cause us to look beyond our circle of friends, our small groups, and the congregations who gather each Sunday in our churches. Jesus then focuses our attention on the persons who live on the margins of our somewhat exclusive world, those on the outside of our normal mindset, and in a surprising move, uses one of “them” as an example for us.

      That is just the way Jesus operates, one way in which he reveals his purpose for us. And at the same time, it is Jesus’ way to remind us that he is Lord over all things and that his kingdom extends beyond the boundaries we have created, even beyond the boundaries of the church.

      The Gospels of Luke and John give us three of these surprising examples, which come from persons outside of the comfort of the “church.” All three of these examples given by Jesus involved Samaritans, who were definitely on the margins of Jewish culture and religious life.

      Luke gives us the familiar story of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus told in response to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” A traveler had been robbed, beaten, and left to die out on a deserted road. Soon, a priest and a church member walked by, but chose to ignore the desperate man’s needs. But Jesus tells us that a Samaritan, an outsider, came by and “had compassion” by providing complete care.

      John, in chapter four of his Gospel, tells a story of Jesus going out of his way to pass through the “out of bounds” territory of the Samaritans. There he meets a woman at a well, who accepts Jesus’ offer of living water and eternal life. A revival breaks out in an unlikely place because Jesus used an outsider to tell the “good news.”

      The next story again comes from Luke. Jesus chose once more to go through Samaria, and there he met ten lepers who begged for healing. All ten were healed, but only one came back to Jesus and gave thanks. Luke said that the one who came back was a Samaritan, an outsider. 

      The Good Samaritan becomes the practical example of how we are to “love others as our selves.” Jesus used the sinful woman at the well to show us how we can be transformed into powerful witnesses for him. And the one grateful leper who came back to thank Jesus is our example of how our thankfulness should overflow into worship.

      I wonder what the disciples thought when Jesus used one example after another of people from the “margins” to teach God’s way. Were they as surprised as we are today when Jesus does the same to us? How often are we surprised when God shows up by focusing our attention toward someone outside our “boundaries,” using that person as an example for our good?

      Sometimes “outsiders” remind us of the purpose of the church. They should remind us of God’s mission to all people wherever they may be found. And just maybe, we can remember that at one time we too were “outsiders,” yet someone came to us.

      As the early disciples were sent forth to witness, Jesus used Samaritans to witness to his own disciples. As we go forth into our world, let us be expectant and eager for Jesus to teach us in the same way. Let us not be surprised when Jesus uses “outsiders” from unexpected places to teach us powerful lessons.

Rev. Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, November 3, 2013

WHO IS THIS PERSON?

 

      Luke is a wonderful storyteller, and how I love to hear the stories of Jesus, over and over again. We learn who Jesus is and who God is by hearing and reading these stories. The Jesus story for today is found in a series of miracle stories. These stories reflect who Jesus is and how he can work in our lives.

      In one of these stories, Luke tells how Jesus was asleep in the boat when a storm came up. The terrified disciples woke Jesus up, who immediately calmed the storm. The disciples asked an eternal question, “Who is this man that the wind and waves obey?”

      In the very next story, the boat lands on the opposite shore, and Jesus begins to answer that question of who he is. Who Jesus is begins to unfold; he is the one who heals both body and spirit, who gives new physical and spiritual life, the one who takes an out-of-control sinner and changes him/her into a disciple who is on a mission to tell others the story.

      In Luke 8:26-39, we find this strange story with many odd twists and turns. Jesus casts many demons out of a man. The demons go into a herd of hogs, and the hogs drown themselves in the sea. The townspeople hear about all this, come and find the formerly wild man sitting calmly at Jesus’ feet—a student learning from Jesus. They are afraid and ask Jesus to leave.

      But then the story takes another interesting turn. As Jesus was getting into the boat to go back across the lake, the healed man wanted to go with Jesus. However, instead of saying “Follow Me,” as he usually does, Jesus said to the man, “Go home, and tell what God has done for you. Go home to those who so long ago turned you out. Go home to those from whom your sickness has separated you. Go home and tell your story. Go home and witness what God has done for you in your healing.” In other words, stay here and follow me at the same time. And the man does just that. He does not just witness to his family and relatives, but “proclaims throughout the whole city” what Jesus has done for him.

      Bishop Wilimon tells of his recent visit to the area across the Sea of Galilee where this story took place. This region is now in the country of Jordan. They visited a little church, which they were told had been there for many, many centuries. The people in the surrounding area had gathered all those centuries to worship Jesus. The bishop wondered, “Is this the church that was created because of the healing of the wild man in the story? Were disciples made and a church begun because of the willingness of the man to follow by staying and telling his story?” I think it was.

      What happens to the man in this story is not just about a remarkable healing, it is about salvation. It is about attitude and behavior changes. It is about God’s love being placed into a person’s way of thinking and acting. And that person becomes so different from who he/she was before, that it attracts attention. So different that some people are afraid of the change in his/her life, some cannot understand it, some are skeptical, and some want to know more about it.

      So who is this man Jesus? He touches, forgives, heals, and sends us out on a mission, his mission. However, we cannot serve and tell a story that we do not have. We must experience his healing hand. Jesus has shown up, he is here. Jesus can send us out with a story. Let us claim this story as our own.

Rev Tim McConnell Long’s Chapel UMC, October 27, 2013

LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST

      In the last few verses of John 9 and in the first half of chapter 10, we find a rare sermon preached by Jesus. It is rare because it was directed primarily toward the Pharisees. They had asked Jesus a question, which had opened the door for this unusual sermon. We should never ask Jesus a question unless we are prepared for a very honest and sometimes exposing answer.

      As we read the words of Jesus, we begin to see where the Pharisees fit into the picture, the role of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and the church as his sheep. We can visualize this peaceful scene that Jesus gives us in these verses. There are green pastures, the safety of the shelter for the sheep, and the Good Shepherd who goes before the sheep. There is an intimacy between the shepherd and the sheep. They know each other by name. The relationship is personal. Then Jesus reminds us that things are not always as they seem. There are thieves and outlaws, false shepherds, and those who are trying to destroy the flock.

      When Jesus looked at the Palestinian countryside, he saw the peaceful sheep, the green pastures, and some of the people loving one another as he had intended from creation. However, Jesus also saw the hunger, oppression, sin, and violence in a world that had rebelled against the very person who had made all things possible. Yet, almost surprisingly, in the middle of all this Jesus spoke of the abundant life, a life lived to the fullest.

      I find it interesting that a sermon about thieves, outlaws, and wolves trying to scatter the sheep in the church, and directed to the hypocritical Pharisees, would have a promise of something so precious as life. We find this promise in verse 10, “I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.” This is the picture of the church and the life Jesus promises each of us if we are in his flock—a promise even for those outside. Jesus brings life, not just eternal life, but life lived to the fullest now.

      Jesus is our example of how we can live the full life today in the middle of pain, disappointment, sin, and evil. Jesus moved through this life reaching out through the suffering and lostness of humanity, rebuking the evil, ministering to the pain, and giving people hope and a taste of the abundant life—the same life each of us can live today. So you see, it is all about Jesus. It all begins with Jesus. This is what Jesus said he died for, “I came so they (you and I) could have life—and have it to the fullest.”

      Jesus lived and died to give us this gift of abundant life, so how do we go about receiving it? We see the need to change direction in our lives, the need forgiveness for past sins, and the need to start down the path of discipleship with Jesus. But that is only the beginning. The next part is the “following” part, the “imitating Jesus” part. We begin to realize that there is left in our life a root of sin, from time to time we act unchristian, and we know that there must be more that God has to offer us than what we have. So we ask God to take a certain habit away, to prune away a particular behavior, and as God takes away those undesirable traits in our life, we ask him to fill those spaces with his love, his “likeness,” and his presence. It is then that we find ourselves becoming more and more Christ-like as we give up more and more of our self.

      I believe this is life lived to the fullest, the life God intended for each of us, and the life for which Jesus died. This is the life that we can claim today.

Rev Tim McConnell Long’s Chapel UMC, October 20, 2013

BLAMING THE HOLY SPIRIT

      In the tenth chapter of Acts, Luke tells a story that shook the very foundations of the early church. The Holy Spirit had come and had begun to work in the lives of the disciples and the newly formed church. Up to this point, the church was centered primarily in Jerusalem and made up of a large majority of Jewish Christians. There was a strong feeling among the members of the early church that Jesus had come to them, the only chosen people on earth. 

      But God had different plans for these leaders of the early church, and he began with Peter. God used his Holy Spirit to change the thinking and the hearts of these men and women so that the story of who Jesus is and what he came to do for all people could be told beyond Jerusalem. It is with this mindset Luke gives us the story of how the Holy Spirit can and will intrude upon the lives of people in order for God’s purpose to be fulfilled.

      The story that changed the direction and thinking of the leaders of the early church is found in Acts 10. In the first scene of our story, we meet Cornelius, a Roman army officer. Cornelius, a believer in God, has a vision in which, the Holy Spirit tells him to go find a man named Peter who will help Cornelius move beyond the first step of believing in God, to a personal relationship with a Jewish man named Jesus.

      Meanwhile, Peter also has a vision in which he is shown all kinds of animals, many of them unclean, and told to “kill them and eat.” Kosher Peter refuses saying,“What?! I don’t do that “unclean thing,” Lord! We Jews can’t do that!” And God said to Peter, “What I have made clean and pure, you should not call unclean.” Peter is bewildered by this vision, especially when it happens three times. Divine emphasis!

      When the two men finally get together at Cornelius’ house, they compare their visions and decide it is time for a prayer meeting. But first, Peter is asked to preach to this diverse congregation. He begins, “I’m really beginning to learn that God does not show partiality to one group of people over another. He does not play favorites. As long as each person worships the true God through the revealed person of Jesus Christ, he/she is acceptable to God. No matter social or economic level, skin color, nationality, or language, God accepts all who go through the cross of Jesus. I know Jesus is real because we heard his teachings, saw his crucifixion, ate and drank with him after his resurrection. So we are determined to carry out his command to share his story with all people.”

      This is a story about the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church by changing people. The Holy Spirit brought Peter and Cornelus together into the same church, two very unlikely people. Peter’s eyes were open to the endless possibilities of those outside the walls of First Church Jerusalem. And Cornelius’ hunger to know Jesus as his personal Savior was satisfied. We have the Holy Spirit to blame for the outcome.

      Just as God spoke to Peter to get up and go, he speaks to us. Yet, sometimes we cannot see the infinite possibilities because we are looking at ourselves. There are new things to be done, visions to be carried out, and hungry people to be brought into God’s kingdom. God wants us to stir up the good that is left in the world and tell the Jesus story to all the people we can, in all the ways we can. Peter found out that the gospel story about Jesus was to be shared. It is a universal story to be told in all languages. All are invited to become full members of the family of faith. And we have no one but the Holy Spirit to blame.

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, October 13, 2013

TOUCHED BY THE SPIRIT

      We can see from the words that Paul writes in Galatians 5:16-18, that he wanted his readers to see the conflict between God’s Spirit and sin. “I say be guided by the Spirit and you won’t carry out your selfish desires. A person’s selfish desires are set against the Spirit, and the Spirit is set against one’s selfish desires. They are opposed to one another, so you shouldn’t do whatever you want to do.” That war takes place within the souls of all human beings and the evidences of that conflict can be seen in how we behave and respond toward God and other people.

      When God’s spirit comes into our lives, we know it and so do those around us. There is proof of a change, change in how we look, act, think, and treat other people. We begin to see evidences of a change in our behavior toward God and spiritual things. We do not just become more “churchy,” but begin to have a strong desire for “God things.”

      If we claim to have been forgiven of our sins, claim to have returned home from our wanderings away from God, and have received the Holy Spirit, then there should be evidences. I want to share with you some of these evidences of the presence of the Spirit in the life of a believer. Each one relates very closely to our personal walk with God.

      The first evidence is that a Spirit-filled believer will have an appetite for spiritual things. Paul writes in Romans 8:11 that the Holy Spirit will raise our spirit from the dead. We will come alive spiritually. Our spiritual appetite will increase, while we begin to have less and less interest in the things of the world.

      Another mark of a Spirit-filled believer is the desire to pray. We will have a longing to communicate with our God who loves and cares for us so much. When we love people, we want to be near them, to talk to them, and to feel their presence in our lives. The spiritual desire to pray silently, continually, and in the presence of others is strong evidence that we have allowed the Holy Spirit to fill our souls with God’s love.

      The desire to associate with other Christians is another evidence which can be seen in the daily walk of a Spirit-filled disciple. This certainly can be done by attending church, but also by seeking out the fellowship of Christians in our work place, school, neighborhood, and as we go through the work and play of each day.

      A Spirit-filled Christian will also show a strong longing to share with others what Jesus is doing in his/her life, while also sharing spiritual knowledge in a way that encourages others. This evidence is perhaps the one that speaks the loudest concerning the transformation in our lives by the Holy Spirit. We should seek every opportunity to witness by simply telling how we came to know Jesus by sharing our story. The way we tell our story and live it each day can make a difference.

      One of John Wesley’s preachers rode into a town in England to visit and hold some meetings. He had been there several years before and remembered how wicked the people had been, even assaulting him, before running him out of town. Cautiously, he looked around, and to his surprise, he saw a change. The people welcomed the preacher, gave him a place to stay, and eagerly listened to his message. Puzzled by the change, the preacher asked one of the townspeople, “What has caused this dramatic change in the appearance and behavior of the people?” The person answered, “A man named Wesley passed through and we have never been the same since.”

      Can we make such a difference in the lives of others? Can others say that about you and me? They can if we have been touched by God’s Spirit. 

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC October 6,2013

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

 

      We speak much about God as our Father, the one who created us and loved us enough to send his son, Jesus. We also seem to know much about Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, through the stories found in his ministry. But the Holy Spirit, the spirit of God and Jesus, we seem not to know as well. We learn much about God from the reading and studying of the Old Testament, just as we learn much about Jesus from studying the life and teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. But somehow, we just seem to skim over the places which mention the Holy Spirit, and fail to really study God’s Spirit; therefore, we sometimes misunderstand the third person of the Trinity. In order to live as a true disciple of Jesus, to function as an effective member of Christ’s church, and to grow in our relationship with God, we must have a personal understanding of who the Holy Spirit is in our lives.

      The Holy Spirit is God, and also the voice and spirit of Jesus. And as so, he has all the attributes or characteristics of God. Just as God is omnipresent, able to be anywhere and everywhere at the same time, so is the Holy Spirit. No matter where we go, he is there. The psalmist wrote, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7) Just as God is omniscient, knowing all things, so the Holy Spirit has all knowledge. Paul writes, “The Spirit searches all, yes, the deep things of God.” (1Corinthians 2:10) It is the Holy Spirit who teaches us and takes us deeper and deeper into God’s truth as we go along in our walk as disciples.

          Just as God is omnipotent, all-powerful and sovereign, so is the Holy Spirit. We read in the book of Micah 3:8, “I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.” It is through the power of the Spirit that we can be resurrected from a sinful life and begin a new journey. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can become Christ-like and live a holy and sanctified life. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we look at other people in a different way, through the eyes of Christ. The Holy Spirit, not only has the power to change us, but can keep us spiritually clean and pure in a world that is dirty with sin. The Spirit is holy and wants us to be holy also.

      The Greek word for Holy Spirit is “paraketos.” The English pronunciation would be “paraclete.” The meaning is “advocate, exhorter, encourager, and counselor,” all wonderful uplifting descriptors. When the Bible translators tried to translate the Greek word “paraclete” into the Karre language of equatorial Africa, they ran into difficulty. How could they describe the Holy Spirit to these people? One day the translators came across a group of men going off into the brush carrying bundles on their heads. They noticed day after day, as different groups passed by with their loads of goods, there was always one man who did not carry anything. They assumed he was the boss and was supervising the others. However, they discovered he was not the boss; he had a very special job. He was there in case someone fell over with exhaustion; he would come, attend to the one who had fallen, then pick up the man’s load and carry it for him. The word for this special man was known in the Karre language as “the one who falls down beside us.” The translators had found the word for Holy Spirit.

      The Holy Spirit, the spirit of God and Jesus, will not come into our lives without an invitation. He wants to live within us, to comfort us, and to teach us. He wants to help us on our journey, but we must ask him to guide us and direct us. The Holy Spirit wants to be the “One who falls down beside us,” picks up our load, brushes us off, and walks along with us.

He wants to go before us as we witness to others about God’s love and a transformed life.

      So, who is the Holy Spirit in your life and what does he mean to you? 

 

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 29, 2013

 

SAYING YES TO GOD

      I find it easier to say “Yes” to God when things are going well and life is smooth. However, when God asks me to move out of my comfort zone and do something that is different or inconvenient, the “Yes” may not come as readily as before. God may direct me toward a new vision for my personal faith walk, or a new ministry in the church or community. Or, an opportunity to say “Yes” may arise in my daily routine. It may be at that point the “Yeses” begin to slow down.

      Yet, it is precisely during these times that our answers to God’s call should be a resounding “Yes.” After going through the discernment process and recognizing God’s voice, we should be willing to say “Yes,” even to the seemingly impossible vision placed before us.

      We have many Biblical examples of “yes” answers to God’s call to action; Noah to build the ark, Moses to lead his people, Esther to save her people, David to provide the Messianic linage, and many more. But there is one person, besides Jesus, who stands out in my mind as the ultimate “Yes” person. That person is Mary, the mother of Jesus.

      Donna Otto is quoted in Joanna Weaver’s book, “Having a Mary Spirit,” as she discusses Mary’s affirmation of her role as Jesus’ mother. “As far as I can tell, once Mary had said yes to the angel, she kept on saying yes to whatever God was doing in her life and her home. She said, ‘Yes, I’ll go to Bethlehem with my husband even though I am very pregnant.’ She said, ‘Yes, I’ll settle for a stable.’ And ‘Yes, I’ll agree to let all those grungy shepherds see my newborn.’ Much later, she said, ‘Yes, I’ll let my Son leave home to become an itinerant preacher.’ And ‘Yes, I’ll be with Him no matter what –even at the foot of a cross.’”

      “The life of Mary shows that great things, important things, always begin with someone saying yes to God, and then moving along one yes at a time.”  

       Maybe we tend to think that the call of God on our lives and saying “Yes” involves just the big events. Maybe we are thinking of Isaiah and the awesome “Here am I, send me” response. However, I believe that it is our “Yeses” to the small ordinary things that can also make a big difference in our relationship to God, our spiritual growth, and the building of his kingdom.

      Weaver suggests that these important little “Yeses” sometimes go unnoticed.

·        Saying yes to inconvenience so someone else might be blessed

·        Saying yes to a backseat role though we are qualified to drive

·        Saying yes to doing the unseen, the unnoticed, and the underappreciated

·        Saying yes to overlooking faults and inconsiderate slights

·        Saying yes to patient listening though there is much to do and more to say

·        Saying yes to chores others should rightfully do

·        Saying yes when we’d rather say no.

      In Luke 16:10 we find these words,“ Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 22, 2013

FOUNDATION TALK

      Even as a child, I remember being intrigued by the parable Jesus tells at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. In his sermon, Jesus tells about two ways and two endings to human life as represented by two gates in verses 13, 14 of Matthew 7, and the two fruits in verses 15-20. Jesus concludes his sermon by speaking of the two foundations constructed by the two builders. One of those builders was wise and other, Jesus says, was foolish.

      Now, what stands out in my mind in this story is the fact that both houses received the same violent forces from nature. The high floods, the strong winds, and the movement of the earth around each house were the same for both. The difference between standing in the face of diversity and pressure from situations and falling down and being swept away, is the design and location of the foundations. 

      We all know how important foundations are when building houses, large buildings, dams, and bridges. Those structures must be firmly placed on bedrock in order to stand the forces of nature and the process of ageing.

      From this point, we can easily make an analogy of the necessity of early moral and spiritual rock-solid foundations in the lives of our children and grandchildren. However, many times those foundations are missing in our own lives. Perhaps, we realize that those foundations have not been cared for, and are in need of repair. Maybe, at some point, the foundations of our lives need to be reinforced or rebuilt. 

      Joanna Weaver, in her book, “Having a Mary Spirit, Allowing God to Change Us From the Inside Out,” has some important suggestions for building up weak foundations. Weaver says, “First of all, invite the Inspector. Give God permission to take you on a tour of your life. Let him look in all the rooms of your home. Unlock them all. He can give you wholeness if you give him control.”

      The next step is to shore up the foundation by establishing and maintaining a strong relationship with Jesus. This is critical, and according to Jesus, a step that cannot be skipped.

      With God’s help, “reinforce your structure by investing in the primary relationships of your life. Good marriages do not just happen: they are built. Strong friendships take time, and growing godly children requires wisdom.” We must work at life with Christ at the center.

      Weaver suggests that we have flexibility in our lives, bending and giving on non-essentials, while standing firm on the essentials of our faith. Do not ignore the warnings and dangers signs that may signal “destructive thoughts, new temptations, or disintegrating relationships.” These are God’s way of warning us of an earthquake.

     “It really isn’t a matter of if you’ll have an earthquake, but when. Christ, the Rock, will absorb the shock, and though you may sway, don’t be afraid. God will help you stand.”

      Let us claim Psalm 46:1-2 as our “foundation” promise.

Rev. Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 15, 2013

FROM GOD OR FROM ME?

     Have you ever wondered whether that wonderful idea, or maybe an answer to a decision you have struggled to make, or even an unfulfilled vision is from God, or maybe just a desire you have to make something happen? We all may at different times, even after deciding a particular path to take, second-guessed our decision by thinking, “Is this really God’s will, or is this mine?”

      If we are seeking to understand and practice the gift of discernment, maybe we can examine what Ruth Haley Barton calls “the building blocks of sound discernment practice.” In her book, “Pursuing God’s Will Together,” Barton begins by defining spiritual discernment as, “a process that takes place through the Trinity.” We must have the basic belief that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so that we can understand the teachings of Jesus and the deeper things of God, while we sort out his will for our journey. 

      The second building block, according to Barton, is the desire to respond to Christ through Jesus’ spirit. This means we move beyond intellectual reasoning and human effort to a dependency on spiritual intervention in our decision-making. “We begin to rely on the Spirit to help us learn to distinguish between willingly asserting our own wishes, to willingly surrendering to God’s desires.” 

      We also must believe deeply in the goodness of God, so deeply that we can “trust God with the things that are most important to us.” This building block allows us to hold the things we love the most, loosely, in an open hand that is outstretched to God. We must practice the belief that we say we have, that God is good; that what he says in Jeremiah 29:11 is true in the deepest part of our soul. “I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for your harm.”

      Another basic building block for the practice of discernment Barton says “is the conviction that love is our ultimate calling—love for God, love for self, love for others, and love for the world. We know that this, for sure, is the will of God.” As we seek to know God’s will, it is important to keep what love requires in front of us and foremost in our thinking.

      And finally, when God’s will is revealed to us, we must be committed to carrying out that will. This may be the most difficult step to take in the discernment process. However, Jesus says in Matthew 12:50 that if we do his will, we join his family becoming his brothers and sisters.

      Why is discernment so important to a disciple of Jesus? When we seek and obey God’s will, we are forming an intimate relationship with Jesus. We are providing the Holy Spirit a channel to work grace and transformation in us and through us into a world that is desperate for hope and a new beginning. When our will becomes God’s will, God begins to shape us into the disciples and the church he intended from the very beginning.

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 8, 2013   

A NEW SPIRIT

      We might describe the beginning stage of a person’s development as a disciple of Jesus, as that person’s basic belief in God as creator and sustainer of all life, including his or her own. This stage could be called the “getting acquainted” step in a growing relationship. In the next stage, we begin to become “friends” with Jesus by learning about him, accepting him as our Savior, and following him as the ultimate example for a changed life. At this stage, many of us want to stop, confident that we have “arrived” at the place that God wants us to live out the salvation story.

      However, Jesus speaks of another stage in our spiritual growth and continued relationship with him. This step involves another Person of the Trinity, the Spirit of Jesus, and leads to becoming “intimate friends” with Jesus. Jesus said in his farewell conversation with his disciples, and us, in John 14:16-17 that he would give us his spirit, the spirit of truth. That spirit would live in us and transform us into who we really should be as a disciple of Christ.

      In order for the spirit of Jesus to live and manifest himself in our lives, our old spirit must leave. We find the disciples struggling with this repeatedly as they followed Jesus during his ministry. They could not seem to give up their old selfish spirits so that Jesus’ spirit could control their thoughts and actions.

      One example, found in Luke 9, particularly stands out as a demonstration of the disciples’ self-absorbing spirit. We find that the people in a Samaritan village had rejected Jesus and the disciples. So at this point, James and John angrily wanted to call down fire to destroy the people. But Jesus said patiently, “Just look at your spirit. I didn’t come to destroy people, but to save them.”

      I hear this story and wonder, what kind of spirit do I exhibit toward others and toward God? Do my old selfish behaviors and attitudes push aside the Christ-like spirit of love, patience, and compassion? I find myself asking, “Just look at yourself, what kind of spirit was that?”  When we are living carnally, or in the “flesh,” the spirit we show does not come from Jesus, but is what 1Corinthians 2:12 speaks of as the “spirit of the world.” This is certainly not the spirit that an “intimate friend” of Jesus would have.

      So we cry out like David did in Psalm 51, “Create in me a new heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” We realize that we cannot change the old spirit ourselves, instead, we must invite the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and transform, truly change our way of living. We can be saved, not only from our sins, but from ourselves and the old spirit that keeps us bound up. We can be delivered from our lousy attitudes, our me-first thinking, and even our stubborn self-deception. We cannot do this work on our own, but God can transform us as he did the disciples at Pentecost, by filling us with Himself.

      When Jesus breathed on the disciples in John 20:22 and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he invited them and us to a personal Pentecost. That invitation, if accepted, will lead to a new spirit, a new life, and holy living.

Rev Tim McConnell, Long’s Chapel UMC, September 1, 2013           

HUNGER AND THIRST-DIVINE DISCONTENTS

      There are very few of us who have actually felt the deep, gnawing pangs and the dry, stomach-wrenching desire of real hunger and thirst. Prisoners of war, those lost at sea and the unforgiving wilderness, and the ones around the world who go to sleep each night without nourishment, day after day, can tell us about the realities of hunger and thirst. We may have missed a meal, or worked too long on a hot day without a drink, feeling the slight effects of deprivation, but even at that, only a short-lived taste of what it means to be really hungry and thirsty.

      Scripture speaks to us about spiritual hunger and thirst. I believe that at the very moment of creation, God placed within the heart and soul of human beings an insatiable desire to know him intimately and to imitate him absolutely. We find that even the presence of sin and the separation from God that sin brings, does not quench our hunger and thirst for restoration into the person God intends for us to be. There is a drawing toward God, even if we cannot identify the source, as God.

      Perhaps, this gift of the desire to know God more fully is the greatest gift that God could have given us. It is a divine gift of grace that allows us to see our need for forgiveness and a changed life. It is God’s intention that the longing for intimacy with him should intensify the longer we walk with him. The more we have of God, the more we want.

      The writers of the psalms are very clear as to the direction in which our desires should be focused. Psalm 84:2 tells us, “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” And yet another Psalm 119:145 makes this plea to God, “I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O Lord.” Jesus, in Matthew 5:6, even pronounces a blessing on those who hunger and thirst after God’s righteousness.

      This desire for the presence of God, his life changing holiness of daily living, is not limited only to personal experience. God can give us a desire to look around our churches, families, workplaces, schools, and communities for those who need the bread of life and living water. The needs are great, the harvest is ready, yet, so many times the workers are few.

      Too many times, we are content to feed our own souls, sit comfortably in our pews, with only an occasional thought about the spiritual condition of our brothers and sisters within and outside the walls of our churches. It may be time that we ask God to make us uncomfortable, to show us the places in our communities that cause him discontent, and to give us a vision to make things right in a world that has gone so wrong. Maybe we should ask God to identify to us the things that cause him “divine discontent” so that we can share those things with him.

      Are we hungering and thirsting after personal righteousness? And have we turned our attention to the hunger and thirst that others may have? Are there concerns in our community that cause us “divine discontent,” things we can help change? Let us cry out with all our heart to the living God.

Rev Tim McConnell Long’s Chapel UMC August 25, 2013