September 11, 2016 "An Introduction To The Sacrament Of Holy Baptism"

Last week the Back of the Bulletin discussed Holy Communion, one of two sacraments observed by most Protestant denominations. Today we will get an introduction to the sacrament of Holy Baptism.

Last week we celebrated the baptism of a dear sweet lady of retirement age. You may be thinking, “I thought The United Methodist Church baptized babies. Why are we baptizing an adult?” You are correct. The United Methodist Church does baptize babies, but not exclusively. It has to do with the way that “the people called Methodists” view baptism. Our Baptismal Covenant says, “Through the Sacrament of Baptism we are initiated into Christ's holy Church. We are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All this is God's gift, offered to us without price.”

We believe that baptism is an outward sign of an inward claim that God has on our lives. We believe that, while we participate in Holy Baptism, that God is the one who is primarily active. Through baptism, we are responding to the grace that God has given us through Jesus Christ and the claim that God has made on our lives.

Because baptism is all about God, what God has done and what God is doing, it is a once in a lifetime sacrament. You have to admit, the odds are that God is going to get it right the first time and not need a do-over, so we do not “re-baptize” people in the UMC.

Also because baptism is primarily about God and not us, it is not required that we fully understand everything that there is to know about baptism prior to our being baptized. This is great news to me, because after years of study, I still don’t understand everything there is to know about baptism. So we baptize persons who are adults, infants and persons in between without administering a test to ensure that they understand  “enough” whatever “enough” means. Remember, it’s about God, not us.

The United Methodist Church accepts the Christian baptism of any other Christian denomination without a requirement to be “re-baptized”.  We also accept three different forms of baptism: sprinkling, pouring and immersion. The form of baptism is decided by the baptismal candidate or his or her parents. In the United Methodist Church, most persons choose sprinkling, but I have performed immersion baptisms.

The most important thing to remember is that Jesus commanded us to be baptized. Therefore to be obedient to our Lord, we practice this holy sacrament.

September 4, 2016 "Several Things About Communion Sunday That Just Might Surprise You"

Today is “Communion Sunday” in most United Methodist Churches in North America. There may be several things about Communion Sunday that just might surprise you. First, while other faith traditions such as the Roman Catholic church recognize seven sacraments, Holy Communion is one of only two sacraments that we celebrate (the other is Holy Baptism).

Many denominations celebrate this holy meal with unleavened bread and fermented wine, but we use what appears to be regular dinner bread and unfermented grape juice. When Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples, it was the season of Passover. The regular dinner bread during that season was unleavened matzah bread (it looks a lot like saltine crackers). But we are not Jewish and we do not celebrate Passover. The regular dinner bread that we have at our tables looks a lot like … well, regular dinner bread. It is important that the bread looks, tastes, feels and smells like bread. At a communion celebration earlier this week with our District Superintendent and some other clergy, we used flour tortillas.

I believe that Jesus used real wine in his meals. But before Dr. Thomas Bramwell Welch (yes, Welch’s Grape Juice), communion steward at First UMC Vineland, NJ, perfected the Pasteurization of grape juice in 1869, unfermented grape juice could not be stored. We use unfermented grape juice as an expression of pastoral concern for recovering alcoholics, and to enable the participation of children and youth.

So when we take the bread and the “wine,” they may be different than the bread and the wine that was served at the Last Supper, but Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The table is still the table of our Lord and Savior and ALL are still welcome!

August 28, 2016 "Empty Seats"

Often times on a Sunday morning I will look around the worship area and see all the empty seats that are just crying out for someone to worship with us, and I admit, my heart drops a bit. I see in my mind all the people who would be blessed by worshiping with us. I can almost hear their voices added to ours in singing the hymns, proclaiming our faith and reading the Psalms. I just know their lives (and ours) would be enriched if they would only worship with us. I then look around the worship space and imagine all the different circles of people that we know and I am certain that if half of them would come, we would have standing room only. And as excited as I am about the people who are faithful each week, I am also somewhat saddened by those persons who are NOT worshiping with us.

Then I remember a sign that I saw on the wall of the hallway leading to the locker rooms in a gymnasium. It simply says, “Don't be upset by the results you didn't get from the work you didn't do.” And while it is clearly intended to motivate young athletes to practice and work out, I believe this message is for the Church also. As I look at the empty seats in the worship space, I must ask myself, “Who did you invite to worship this week?” The sign in the gym challenges me, “Don’t be upset by the seats that aren’t occupied by the people you didn’t invite.” If I am to be upset by anything, it should be at my own apathy in not inviting specific people to come experience Christ in worship with me. The days of “If you build it, he (or she) will come,” are over. A million different things compete for our attention … even on Sunday mornings. Yet research continues to tell us that most people without a worship home would visit church if only someone would invite them.

So who would you like to see in worship? Who hasn’t been to worship in a while? Who has struggles in their lives and needs the grace, love and hope that Jesus Christ offers. “Don’t be upset by the seats that aren’t occupied by the people you didn’t invite.”

August 21, 2016 "What is a blessing?"

Blessing. What is a blessing? Typically we ask a blessing on our meal before we eat. But were you aware of the fact that there are sixteen blessings for persons contained within The United Methodist Book Of Worship? And this doesn’t include benedictions or blessings that are a part of other services such as a wedding. There are also complete liturgies for blessing of animals and blessing of a home.

It seems that many of us have lost the concept of blessing, even though the scriptures and our Christian heritage is rich with blessing. Beginning in the first chapter of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we find that God blessed “the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind.” Did I mention that this was on the fifth day and that people weren’t created until the sixth day? Blessing is older that humanity! Throughout the Bible we find blessings and persons asking for God’s blessing from Noah through Jesus Christ himself. My favorite benediction is a variation of what is known as the “Aaronic Blessing,” “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26 NRSV)

I have stopped telling people to have a blessed day. It occurred to me that we have no control over whether our day is blessed or not. So if I tell you to have a blessed day, you can hope for blessing and strive toward it, but ultimately, whether your day is blessed is not for you to decide. Rather when I bid you farewell, I will much more frequently tell you, “Now go and be a blessing to someone!” This is almost always achievable. And oddly, when we are a blessing to someone else, we often find our day blessed.

And today as we ask God’s blessing upon our students, teachers, administrators, we reclaim this concept of blessing. We don’t grant the goodness and favor ourselves. Rather we ask Holy God, the giver of all good things, to impart divine protection, guidance, wisdom and favor upon them.

So may Holy God help our students  to grasp hold of what they need to know and learn. May the Lord give them the aptitude for understanding and wisdom. May they become well versed in every branch of learning, gifted with knowledge and good sense, and be quick to understand. May they realize and understand that they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them. May they dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty. May the Lord always be their refuge and  their fortress. May they always trust in the Lord, their God. May no evil shall befall them, neither shall any plague come near their dwelling. May God grant angels charge over them to keep them in all their ways. May God bless them with long life, satisfy them and show them God’s salvation![1] And may they be a blessing to someone.

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[1] Adapted from “10 Back-to-School Prayers for Your Kids” Today's Frugal Mom™., 01 Aug. 2014. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.

August 14, 2016 "Worship Leaders"

When we think of worship leaders, we often think of musicians, the Pastor and other people who do things at the front of the worship space. How often do we think of greeters and ushers as worship leaders? Most studies agree that a visitor to worship will decide within 10 minutes of arriving whether or not they will return. Notice that this is not within the first 10 minutes of the sermon or even the first 10 minutes of worship, but the first 10 minutes after arriving in the parking lot!

Assuming that this is true, most visitors have decided before the first word of the sermon is uttered, sometimes before worship even starts. The image that visitors get of the church begins before they even leave their car. Is the building well maintained? Is it accessible? How do other worshipers look? Are they excited or do they look like they just want to get this over? As people go in the door, is there someone to welcome them? Does someone point out where the restrooms are, where the nursery is? Do people invite them to sit with them and talk with them? All these things happen or not before the very first note of the prelude is struck on the piano.

So while music and the sermon are important parts of worship, your part is the most important. Do we arrive on Sunday mornings expecting to have an encounter with God or are we just going through the motions? For those of us who have the gift of hospitality, do we talk only with our friends, or do we seek out those persons whom we may not know, even if they are long time members? For those of us who are more introverted, do we at least meet the people sitting by us in worship and get to know them by name? Do we wear our nametags so that people who may not know our names (e.g. Pastor Brad) can get to know us?

We are not all called to be musicians or give the children’s message or preach a sermon. We are all called to meet with our risen Lord and Savior on a daily basis. Hebrews 10:25 tells us, “Don't stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.” So look around at the worshipers around you. What can you do to encourage them? How can they encourage you? Face it, you are a worship leader!