We are on the eve of our Methodist conferencing once again. Gathering in Annual Conferences around the world some 10 million still under the Methodist “umbrella!” 54,212 pastors and 42,195 congregations in the USA, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Each conference will worship, ordain, send forth in service both lay and clergy, memorialize the saints triumphant, celebrate missions and outreach, and pray a lot!

However…..our common Lectionary scriptures for Sunday worship before conference remind us how BAD we can be, how fallen we are, and how great a salvation we have received! King Ahab, Jezebel, and us! Paul included! And a sinful woman in the house of a hypocritical Pharisee who invited Jesus for a meal!

The Bible stories and teaching are really about us only a few thousand years or so removed. Maybe we are not THAT bad but we do need to look In the mirror after every reading of scripture!

And so we will look in the mirror, so to speak, while at Brentwood UMC, this coming week for Annual Conference . We will see Saint and sinner, forgiven and freed people all together because of God in Christ!

Thanks be to God! See you in church being the church throughout the week!

Pastor Barry

On June 6th many will honor the memory of those who landed on the beaches in Normandy to begin the final purge of Nazism from Europe. Sacrifices were made by thousands.

On June 9th one of the greatest English writers, Charles Dickens, will be remembered in ceremonies and tributes on the anniversary of his death in 1870. He had just returned from an exhausting tour of America. He famously said in the opening line of a Tale of Two Cities, “It was the worst of times, it was the best of times.”

Just as D-Day June 6, 1944 was “the worst of times and the best of times” our scriptures reflect that very feeling. Here Elijah the prophet goes hungry, is fed by Ravens provided by God, then later fed by a poor widow. The widow’s son dies and cries out to Elijah who raises the son from death.

In Luke, Jesus acts with compassion upon a widow whose son has just died. And in Galatians, Paul tells of his highly unexpected conversion and radical transformation over a period of 3-14 years (depending on how you count!).

In these Biblical accounts we hear the echo of Dickens….”the worst of times, the best of times.” Faith is the path we take to go from Promise through Pain until we arrive at Fulfillment. Let us encourage one another this week in the Faith! The path is terribly hard at times but God will provide!

Pastor Barry

This weekend and this Monday we Americans will observe Memorial Day. We will remember and honor those in our Armed Forces who died in service to their fellow citizens.

Most of us will remember our family and friends who served and were always at risk of being “in harm’s way” for the sake of others.
So, I can’t help but remember my four uncles who served overseas during WW ll. One was wounded and bore his wounds for the rest of his life. They all four were loyal churchmen.

The United Methodist Church has always pointed to the Prince of Peace while recognizing the inevitable conflicts and necessities of living in a fallen world.

Our scriptures for Sunday worship highlight two soldiers of the occupying Roman army of first century Palestine. In fact, they are highlighted due to their faith in spite of their being initially seen as “invaders” and non-Jews. But, never are they criticized for their military role in society.

War and peace and Jesus. Jew and Gentile and Jesus. These stand before us even today as we honor so many of all faiths on Memorial Day. The church stands also to help all find their way to the Prince of Peace in a world of suffering and conflict.

†Pray unto the Lord†

Well, one week has gone by after ending last week’s sermon on an appeal to the Christian virtue of “curiosity” or the growth of the Christian by means of asking questions. Now this Sunday I take upon the task of giving a brief Summary of Christian Faith. No questions were asked for this Summary, but the timing seems right! This Sunday is Heritage Sunday followed by Aldersgate Day on Tuesday (remember when Wesley’s heart was “strangely warmed?”). Then we have a week of Laity Fellowship at Blackman (Monday night) and Pancakes at Fellowship (Saturday night).

So why not have a Summary of our Faith this Sunday?! Those inclined toward Christian curiosity will be excited! A daunting task and I plan to make it brief and to the point! Something you can remember and turn around and repeat to others!
Wish me …….no, you can’t say “luck!” You actually can’t “wish” either! Instead you pray and you say, “God help him…and us also!” And then you “step out in faith” believing you will be helped!

You have a whole week to go “stepping!”

See you Sunday!
Pastor Barry

Can you use one hand to count the number of congregations you have been a member of? Or participated in? I knew only one congregation until I was 18. Therein, was laid a foundation for me, I believe. Since 18, however, I would need 10 fingers and a few toes to count the number of congregations I have been a part of! And through 42 years of those I have NOT been a member of a congregation exactly, but rather a “clergy member” of an Annual Conference of United Methodists!

But…..back to you. How many have YOU participated in? Were you in one that was a new “mission church” or new church start?! Or were you active during a building campaign?
Were you “out” of church for a while and then “came back?”

Our spiritual journeys are as diverse as the languages spoken on the Day of Pentecost for the Church in the book of Acts chapter 2. The Spirit has been “poured out” v. 18 on you and the many and, thus, the Church still lives!

This Sunday we celebrate the birth of the Church and the very fact that “I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together, all around the world, all who follow Jesus; yes, we are the church together.” Sing! Sing! Sing!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Barry

So, Sunday is Mother’s Day in the USA. On the way there, you pass through National Day of Prayer (5th), Ascension of Our Lord (5th), Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of course!), Nurses Day (6th), and if you insist Star Wars Day known as May the Fourth Be With You!! (Believe it or not, there is a semi-religion of Followers of The Force!).

As I been known to say, there is “something” culturally, spiritually, or nationally celebrated every day of the year. This is a mixed blessing. We can give too much status to events or people such that the First Three Commandments may be slighted or ignored. So, when we Honor Our Parents on Mother’s Day we want to be sure “honor” is the right word. No “worship” of parents allowed. No human idols! And parents should keep that in mind as well!

The bottom line here is to ENJOY and give THANKS for Family, as diverse as it may be, recognizing those who gave us birth and nurture, those who were there for us whether they be our biological mother and father or rather those who “parented us,” loved us, and stood by us in times both bad and good!

Set the table for them on Mother’s Day, The Festival of Christian Family!

Better still…come with them to worship!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Barry

The church includes all ages. And how you “feel and look” at any age! Local radio hosts were talking this week and told the joke about the 90 year old who said, “I feel like a new born baby. I have no hair, I have no teeth, and I just peed in my pants.”

Well, having considered the fellow’s thoughts…..all I can say is “that’s life!”

The church is, I believe, the current and ongoing social institution to bring all ages, tribes, and nations together with common interests and purposes regarding living life to the fullest “at all ages.” In the Acts passage, Lydia is a successful businesswoman who receives the Good News from Paul, is baptized AND her household. A household likely had ALL ages and perhaps in a wealthy persons home, servants and their children as well, people not kinfolk! Then Lydia invites Paul and Silas to stay in her home. Just like they were family! Which, in the sense of Gods family, they are all part of now! We can’t know a whole lot about the ages of the baptized nor their faithfulness over the years but we do know they all were included and off to a good start!

The church is a family with the expected age range and, well…..amazing diversity in personalities, socio-economic realities, local customs, and languages. Time and patience and prayer are required for the long run!

From the new born baby to the Ninety Year Old……Baptized and always in need of hospitality …from each other and from God!

Come celebrate Church this Sunday! You are included!

Pastor Barry

We have no lack of earthly images for the heavenly God Almighty, the One who is wholly (Holy) different from the Creation and the creatures!

It should be no other way unless you want a philosophical, logical, Transcendent only God. Most of can’t think that hard nor should we! Our God meets us where we are with words and descriptions we are familiar with. Thus, we get Good Shepherds, Sacrificial Lambs, Lions of Judah, a Mother Hen wanting to gather her chicks, and finally a duel between The Beast and a Rider on a White Horse! So much better and vital than an Unmoved Mover or Wholly Other!

Which gets us to being able to also sing! Praising God with voice and instrument. We need words that we, on earth, can relate to, not words of the philosophers and thinkers only. As we Wesleyans know, we have “a sung faith!”

This Sunday we will work with images not seen very often in our America today. Shepherds and their flocks. Would an image of the cowboy with the herd help us? That too is almost gone as is the late, great TV Western. So….we work with what we are given somewhere between the ancient text and what you see and hear in the 21st century.

It should make worship one of the best parts of your week! Pray that it be so!

Pastor Barry

We have no lack of earthly images for the heavenly God Almighty, the One who is wholly (Holy) different from the Creation and the creatures!

It should be no other way unless you want a philosophical, logical, Transcendent only God. Most of can’t think that hard nor should we! Our God meets us where we are with words and descriptions we are familiar with. Thus, we get Good Shepherds, Sacrificial Lambs, Lions of Judah, a Mother Hen wanting to gather her chicks, and finally a duel between The Beast and a Rider on a White Horse! So much better and vital than an Unmoved Mover or Wholly Other!

Which gets us to being able to also sing! Praising God with voice and instrument. We need words that we, on earth, can relate to, not words of the philosophers and thinkers only. As we Wesleyans know, we have “a sung faith!”

This Sunday we will work with images not seen very often in our America today. Shepherds and their flocks. Would an image of the cowboy with the herd help us? That too is almost gone as is the late, great TV Western. So….we work with what we are given somewhere between the ancient text and what you see and hear in the 21st century.

It should make worship one of the best parts of your week! Pray that it be so!

Pastor Barry

Some of us grew up in an age of only three TV networks: ABC, CBS, NBC. Or channels if you wish. There was also the “educational” channel. Channel 8 in my Virginia location.

Now…who can realistically count the “channels” on cable or dish? The remote is indispensable to many now!

When speaking of nets, however, there were and are some that remain the same for generations. There are hairnets, nets for games, e.g. Badminton, and, of course, fishing nets!

This Sunday we will see how “networks and nets” caught people up in the movement of God’s Kingdom and the new Reality of Resurrection! And everyone was at the mercy and initiative of God! God was setting up both networks and nets for the Beloved!

Let’s “tune in” to the right channel and “get caught up” in the right nets given to us by a gracious Creator who communicates with us and catches us for the sake of Life, the abundant Life!

Peace and Blessings until we meet again!

Pastor Barry