2 Samuel 5:1-5 and Mark 6:2-13

July 4th falls on a Sunday this year. And the Bible texts seem most fitting! The 2 Samuel reading is about the beginning of good King David’s attempt at nation building. What will Israel/Judah be all about?!

Mark tells us of Jesus’ ministry being all about “people building” in the Kingdom of God! Nations (and the people therein)and their relationship with God should always be shaped by Jesus’ teaching, healing, and saving presence. We will look at this idea of “two Kingdoms” and how they compare and contrast.

For sure, it is an ongoing challenge to be “in the world but not of the world.” Just ask any Christian who is elected to serve in public office!! Ask any Christian simply in their daily walk with the Lord!

Jesus knows us! He knew that his task would be for the “long haul” since he was dealing with weak, limited human beings in a Fallen World. The Mark passage emphasizes Jesus was “amazed at their lack of faith!” We are a work in progress where the old saying, “God’s not finished with me yet,” is very realistic. Just ask King David!

Happy July 4th and happier still that God saves and gives us freedom!

†

Pastor Barry

2 Samuel 1:17-27, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 and Mark 5:21-43

One would have to be a hermit or on constant vacation to avoid bad news, stress, and woe. And even then the hermit gets sick and the vacation might have bad weather!!

The lectionary texts all present some different challenges most of us face throughout life: loss and grief, health challenges, needs of a whole community. The Bible, once again, is realistic.

Time and time again, as we read and hear from scripture, we find ourselves looking in a mirror: “That’s happening to me. I feel that way. Where can I turn for help? How can I help?” Both Paul and Jesus address the needs of many. And, in turn, we should, in our time and place, be quick to call upon the Lord as well as step up and meet the needs of others.

It seems to me, that this is the greatness and fullness of a life of faith in the community known as church. Herein we know rough things can happen. Herein, we will find help and we will offer help.

Thanks be to God!

Pastor Barry †

Psalm 103:13 and Luke 15:11-24

Father’s Day at Kedron is a family and friends day that covers the whole range of human emotions! Mostly smiles and laughter we hope!

Our scriptures emphasize compassion, patience, and what is to come home to an undeserved welcome. And who hasn’t had that “prodigal” experience at some point in life. Most of us know the meaning of “three strikes and you are out,” but just imagine multiple strikes and yet NEVER out!?

Delann Dunbar has again creatively put together our order of worship with congregational participation to highlight fathers and family and friends. We give God thanks for her talents offered to both school and church life.

Join us this Sunday for praise and thanksgiving with celebration for those in our lives who care for us and welcome us home! Play ball!!

Pastor Barry †

I Samuel 15:34-16:13, 2 Corinthians 5:6-17 and Mark 4: 26-34

June 13th honors St Anthony of Padua. One legend that accompanies this man of faith is this story: one day on Italy’s east coast, Anthony went down to the seashore and preached to the fish. They lifted their heads above the surface of the water and listened very closely! In any age, a legend that all preachers might hope would come true for at least the members (“fish”) of their congregations!

But any sermon, should help people go to the very realistic scriptures which are compelling in themselves! Just reading or hearing the Bible has the great Spirit driven potential to cause people to “listen up” to something life changing…..or at least in-the-moment changing!

That’s the way I feel about the three scriptures listed for this Sunday. We read of the replacement for a disappointing King Saul and find it to be young David soon to be the greatest of Israel’s rulers! Then Paul writes to the church some of his most powerful remarks about the change for the better for those who trust and follow Christ. “If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation!” And Mark’s gospel shows us Jesus teaching in parables about the Kingdom of God. It grows and makes a huge impact over time! And from the smallest of beginnings!

So, each Sunday the reading of and hearing scripture has the potential to open hearts, minds, and congregations to something amazing and life giving!

Listen in once more on this June 13th and believe some Good News! It can change your day if not your whole life!

Pastor Barry †

I Samuel 8:4-22, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 and Mark 3:20-35

The sad demanding Israelites: they just have to have a King. Judges, prophets, and other leaders were just not enough. God warned them thru Samuel but gave them their request anyway. And Jesus has to contend with both Satan and the “religious” people of the day. And before the Mark passage concludes, it looks as if Jesus’ own family might be coming to ask him to “tone it down a bit.” They hear that some are saying Jesus is “out of his mind!”

So it goes: misunderstanding, conflict, struggle, and frustration. At least the scriptures are honest about how people act at both their worst and their best. And how relevant scriptures are to our current 2021. And to any generation! Struggles amongst communities, groups, families are real and require “working through.” God never gives up on sinful people and always has a word and living example of how to deal with conflict and suffering.

Sometimes we are asked “on a scale of 1-10 how bad is it?” In these scriptures it comes close to a 7-8….I think. (We haven’t reached Golgotha yet!). Yet, Paul in I Corinthians is honest about the struggle and even more affirming of blessings in the struggle and a final good outcome!

So, we should ask ourselves this week: on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most painful, where are we in our struggles both personally and in community with each other?! And are we believing God for the help we need?

A good question to bring with us to worship this June 6, 2021.

Pastor Barry †

Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17 and John 3:1-17

The first Sunday after Pentecost usually emphasizes the doctrine of the Trinity: “one God in three Persons.” Such an understanding of the One God brings together all the revelation of God Incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth as well as the full divinity of the Holy Spirit.

Having said that, it still requires an act of faith and a lifetime of Bible and theological study to even come close to understanding how One can be Three! Our third President Thomas Jefferson was an ardent student of the Bible and Christian faith, but just could not accept the idea of the Trinity. And he had difficulty accepting the divinity of Jesus!

We can applaud Jefferson’s grand contributions to our country’s founding and to the fashioning of democracy but he is less helpful as a Bible scholar and theologian! Even so, he tried to understand and apply that understanding to his personal faith and national interest.

Sunday we will worship God as Trinity and ponder the mystery of our Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Our understanding of God will always fall short of our capacity to use reason, but we will always be about praise and thanksgiving believing that ultimately God is love and THAT we can follow from the cradle to the grave! Sometimes we just have to “sing our faith,” walk the faith daily, and humbly pray for wisdom in our seeking the things that matter most, the ultimate meaning of our lives.

How fitting that Trinity Sunday falls on Memorial Day weekend. A civic holiday in which we honor those who offered the ultimate sacrifice for our common good. God as Trinity is intimately involved in our humanity, knows the death of a Son, and goes on to support us in our losses and griefs as the Advocate, Counselor Spirit!

Amen and Amen!!

Pastor Barry †

Psalm 104:24-34, Acts 2:1-21 and John 15:26-27

You would have to use some imagination (as well as reading the histories) to get a grasp of the establishment of our congregations Locks Memorial and Kedron back in the early 1800s! The birth of two Methodist churches on the Tennessee frontier. A Pentecost of sorts for the people whom God called to worship and minister in this part of middle Tennessee. And to this day, they worship and serve the people in the name of God.

Any church survives and thrives by being given both the “gifts of the Spirit” and the “fruit of the Spirit.” On the first day of Pentecost Jesus bestows the Spirit on His Church with the expectation it will have the God-given power to continue till the End of Time as we know it.

And this has been the case with the witness of Locks and Kedron over the generations. And alongside hundreds of other Methodist congregations in our District and Conference. And we also share and observe the ministries of numerous other denominations in our community. In spite of alarming reports of church decline, we still see the work of the Sprit in our lives. Where would any of us be without the Spirit?!

Sunday we will celebrate the birthday AND anniversary of the Church and congregational expression of the Church. We are in an Age when the Church takes on many forms and identities. Nevertheless, it won’t be the Church if the Spirit’s fruits and gifts are absent. Let us pray for the Spirit’s presence wherever we walk by faith and live as the Church!

Blessings!

Pastor Barry †

Psalm 1, I John 5:9-13 and John 17:6-19

In my absence on May 16, Bill Smith has graciously agreed to bring our message in worship. Bill has been a certified Lay Speaker for a number of years. Lay speakers are often called upon on short notice to fill in for pastors due to illness, unexpected circumstances, vacations, etc. They have opportunities to preach in churches throughout the district and even the conference. But they are often underutilized so I am glad Bill has “stepped up” to fill in.

His lectionary texts speak of our having a confidence in our God who “watches over the way of the righteous” (Psalm 1) and “protects us from the evil one” (John 17). The counter point to this caring God is the rough, fallen world of sin we are caught up in. Bill will help us hear with renewed confidence that God cares and is not forsaking us even in the difficult year(s) of 2020-2021.

Pray for Bill and our worship leaders for May 16. The Word WILL come to us in word and deed in our time of worship and we can go forth from our sanctuary with reassurance that God is able!

Blessings upon all in their coming and going, rising up and lying down, and finding their way in the world. Be a disciple for the sake of the Gospel transformation of that world!

Pastor Barry †

Proverbs 32:25-31 and I Corinthians 13:4-7

We will honor and celebrate Mothers and their kind (and their kindness!) this Sunday. Delann Harris Dunbar has put together a creative Order of Worship for the congregation.

We will sing mainly from the Cokesbury hymnal and hear several poems read. We will hear of the strength of Mothers from our scripture and our experiences.

From Proverbs we will hear of the labors of family and community committed women. From I Corinthians we will hear of the characteristics of love. The examples before us are remembered and celebrated.

Bring your gratitude for those in your life who work and care for the wellbeing of others. We will give thanks to God!

Pastor Barry †

Psalm 22:25-31, Acts 8:26-40 and John 15:1-8.

Phillip, one of the first deacons in Jerusalem, has already been busy enough when he is summoned to the desert area between Jerusalem and Gaza. Phillip has been in Samaria and was heard by a sorcerer Simon Magus. Successful witness! The evangelist deacon could use a break perhaps. Not now though. Phillip gets up and goes again. Now he meets another non-Jew from Ethiopia. One who is ritually unclean as well as an assistant in that royal court. Another successful witness!

Perhaps the point for us is to be ready “to get up and go” when we listen to God’s call on our life. It might not be to Samaria or the wilderness, but could be anywhere in Middle Tennessee! For many with limited mobility or local responsibilities the “get up and go” might take the forms of :
•earnest daily prayer for others
•calls, letters, email, texts of care for others
•financial support for ministries and missions
•the use of personal talents offered to a wider population
•a willingness to meet and converse with very different people from oneself.

And, still, not to rule out one’s getting up and going to places one never quite imagined: short term missions, District and Conference opportunities for witness, world missions (!).

As our John text reassured us we are attached to the Vine of Jesus Christ as God’s Branches. We will always have God’s full support wherever we are called or sent.

How much like Phillip are we? A good question to ask this Sunday. And very likely the week ahead will have opportunities to bear witness to others in word and deed.

Be the branches too!

Pastor Barry †