This Sunday is celebrated in worship by many congregations as The Baptism of Our Lord Sunday. We have little in our Bible that tells us much about Jesus’ childhood and teen years. And we have quickly covered that! In the last two Sermons we looked at Jesus around age 12 learning AND teaching in the Temple. “Growing in wisdom and stature.” And we saw him as the Holy Child visited by the Wise Men from the East. That’s about it for Jesus as child, youth, young adult in the New Testament.

But, now….. With the Baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan, the life of Jesus moves with story after story and parable after parable. Teaching and healing! His ministry is underway in a big way…all the way to Calvary…Tomb…and Resurrection. THIS is now the Greatest Story!

I hope to not get caught up in the history of how Christians have differed in emphasis on baptism but we will take a brief walk down history lane. Then we will be asked to Remember Our Baptism as is fitting for us Wesleyans! I hope for the End Result to be utter confidence that God has demonstrated love toward us in an “outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.”
Since YOU are “the temple of the Holy Spirit” receive this blessing:

“Christus Mansionem Benedicat”

Pastor Barry

Many of us are at an age when we go into a room in the house, stand in the middle for a moment, and ask, “now what did I come in here for?” Yes, looking for something but can’t remember what it was!

Sometimes, the journey of faith is like that. Years of coming to church and suddenly you ask, “now what was it I hoped to find today?”

This Sunday is Epiphany Sunday and the scriptures are all about searching….and the sought for subject of the search is…..revealed!

Isaiah tells us the Light will come and we will see! Paul says in Ephesians that the hidden “secret” has been revealed. Matthew reminds us to search and follow the light to where it leads.

Sure enough, whatever “room” we enter….if we wait and search and look….we will find. The “room” this Sunday has both Word and Sacrament for your search. Come and see, come and you will find~

Blessings,

Pastor Barry

I hope everyone had a Blessed Christmas Day! For some, it will have rated a “near 10!” For others, for many reasons, not so Merry and maybe exhausting. It seems good when Christmas falls on a day in which the NEXT day falls on a weekend (!) or on a day of “rest” or a vacation really begins! At least the hope for many is a day a lot quieter with less volume and perhaps less time in the kitchen~

Nevertheless, the Christmas “spirit,” the Christmas Faith continues and never “let’s up.” It continues and is emphasized in a number of ways:
1) Some will celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas followed by Epiphany on January 6.
2) Some will continue visitation, letter writing, and card sending.
3) Some will be renewed and determined to “increase in wisdom and (spiritually) in stature.” In other words…..keep growing in the faith.

Our texts for this Sunday are about growing. Of course, part of growth requires “rest” so hopefully you will find some rest before many of your routines return. Well-deserved rest, perhaps, for parents and church leaders! Still, even as we rest, we grow.

See you this Sunday as we hear about the growth of young Samuel, Jesus around age 12, and the congregation at Colossae.

Merry Ongoing Christmas!

Pastor Barry

If ever a Season was given for singing, it must be Advent-Christmas! Singing in anticipation for the One who was promised, who has come amongst us, and who will return in glory! And is always with us in the Eternal Now!

So, this Sunday will be dedicated to singing the Faith! Our choirs and congregations will hold forth in word and song.

For most, such singing has accompanied us our whole faith journey. Often we have taken it for granted….but on our best days it comes out of us as a hum or a whistle or full-fledged voice! We listen up also when hearing Christmas sung by Johnny Cash or Carrie Underwood or Bing Crosby or Willie Nelson or Adele or Whitney Houston or….well….name your favorite!

See! You started to listen or sing again O Holy Night or Silent Night or I Heard the Bells on Christmas well….you name your favorite.

This Sunday we will join the company of the saints (in the making!) and listen to and join the singing of the faith…at Christmas time.

Peace on earth to you!

Pastor Barry

Well…….There goes Paul in Philippians 4 saying essentially, “Don’t worry…be happy.” (Or is that a song title from 2011?). And Jesus in Luke 6:46-49 says, “We need to put his words into practice or….else the house collapses!” How realistic are these two? This is still the Age of Anxiety and probably Fear and Worry and……”Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!”

On the other hand, what about the very First Century with the Romans, the crazy Nero and Persecutions and prisons and…..martyrdom!

Yet, the Christian faith and practice survived and survives (somehow) today! A faith that forgives and gives mercy when we continually CANT seem to live out the life that both Jesus and Paul offer to us and say “it is possible.” Possible to have the “peace of God” Phil 4:7.

I rejoice in Advent for the Promise held forth in Christmas! In spite of terrorists, politicians, distress, sickness, and Death! In spite of my own unbelief and half-heartedness! I rejoice! (Help each other when it is hard to do! BE the “present all gift wrapped” to one another!) God bless and hold on! “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid” Isaiah 12:2).

Advent Blessings!

Pastor Barry

In the movie Casablanca, the local police Captain Louis Renault utters the memorable line, “Roundup the usual suspects,” after the Nazi Major Strasser has been shot. One of the memorable movie dramas of the Nineties was The Usual Suspects where five career criminals meet in a police lineup and then come together for more crime and a twist of an ending!

The phrase “usual suspects” can be used as well in ALL of our texts for Sunday. The prophet Malachi lists several bad behaviors in 3:5 and John the Baptizer rails against those who have certainly “missed the mark” in both religion and society.

On the other hand….. Paul gushes over another group of “suspects” guilty only of love and growing in the grace of God in this letter to the “saints” at the church in Philippi.

Our Advent season has many “suspects” even today and we will look at which “groups” we can have some concern about and which “groups” we can congratulate! Of course, there may be a bit of BOTH in all of us! But, the whole drama ultimately points to the One who calls all to the gift of New Life at Christmas and declares forgiveness on all suspects from the Cradle to the Cross!

Pastor Barry

Here’s hoping everyone had a calm and relaxing Thanksgiving Day. Thanks to all who were perhaps not as calm and relaxed since they were preparing food and table! Let’s hope the weekend will be more restful for you!

And here’s to hoping most of you did not have a lot of family “drama” around the table or in the den! Drama in the sense of tension and at worst conflict! There is enough to go around in the rest of the world, much less in the home!

The scriptures speak to the drama surrounding both Advent Season which in turn speaks to our present salvation and that final salvation which is yet to come.
And the conflict, drama, and tension which inevitably has to come before Heavenly Peace on Earth arrives.

What’s just as amazing is Paul’s expectation in I Thessalonians 3:9-13 that WE can be “strong, perfect, and holy” while getting through the conflict on our way to Peace. It’s a promise we should hold onto and this Sunday we will hear and see (in others) the potential for that to keep happening!

God Bless! See you soon!

Pastor Barry

I suppose every Age of Mankind has been full of drama, conflict, and urgency. Fights, wars, violence, intrigue. On the other hand, most people do what they can to lead a life which has these elements at a minimum! A lifetime as peaceful as possible! Yet……..deep down, as we age and mature, we become increasingly aware of how fragile life and a goal of peacefulness can be.

After our District Ministers’ Meeting at Manchester First, there was much discussion about the worship we enjoyed together that morning. The scriptures were anticipating Advent as were the three preachers who shared meditations. And the hymns and congregational responses were joyous. All came together to make for faithful worship….and lively discussions over lunch at Coffee Cafe in Manchester!

One of the questions that emerged from the meditations was, “Could Mary have been stoned to death for her pregnancy if Joseph had divorced her?” I previously thought that the likely outcome was a shaming and a life of poverty as a single mother. Was it legal to execute a pregnant woman?” How might the Teachers of the day handled the matter HAD Joseph followed the permissible law?

It made for my “digging into” scripture later and a great sense of all the preachers thinking hard and maybe differently about Mary and the Law as we approach Advent in a few weeks!

The question before all of us is this: when we hear and see and respond to our scriptures IN COMMUNITIES OF FAITH is anything different? How might the actual difference be an increase in faithfulness and discipleship? A difference that anyone might notice!?

Let’s be about this question this Sunday. Mark tells us about a widow who gave all…out of her poverty. What might be different when this is heard?

Blessings as you pray your way toward Sunday!

Pastor Barry