http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons The weekly sermons and announcements from the Bear Creek United Methodist Church. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:20:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 en hourly 1 © webmaster@bcumc.org () webmaster@bcumc.org() 1440 The weekly sermons and announcements from the Bear Creek United Methodist Church. webmaster@bcumc.org No no http://www.bcumc.org/Photos/RSSart.jpg http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons 144 144 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/02/03/announcements/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/02/03/announcements/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:51:48 +0000 Bonnie http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2107 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/02/03/announcements/feed/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/02/03/pastors-mumblings-3/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/02/03/pastors-mumblings-3/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:54:39 +0000 Bonnie http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2104 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/02/03/pastors-mumblings-3/feed/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/26/now-is-the-time/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/26/now-is-the-time/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:04:07 +0000 johnl http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2089 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/26/now-is-the-time/feed/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/21/god-is-calling-2/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/21/god-is-calling-2/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:58:30 +0000 johnl http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2087 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/21/god-is-calling-2/feed/ 00:01:01 David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; John 1:35-51nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; January 15, 2012 There is a joke that has made the rounds in several variations.nbsp; The thrust of the joke centers on ... David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; John 1:35-51nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; January 15, 2012 There is a joke that has made the rounds in several variations.nbsp; The thrust of the joke centers on God having an annoying answering machine which directs and prioritizes the calls; For English press 1, for Spanish press 2, for Louisiana Cajun press 3, for northern Setzhuan Mandarin press 4, and so on until all the hundreds of languages are covered.nbsp; Or, there is a mental health version in which obsessive compulsive folks are asked to press 9, and 9, and 9, and 9, and... well you get the point. The joke makes me smile because it points out how absurd it would be if God operated the way we do, and what patience God must have with our human ways.nbsp; And I think it more likely that God is repeatedly calling us and getting our busy signal or our annoying answering machine which requires all kinds of special codes before we will listen, if we ever listen. In the history of our faith it is not we who first approach God, but God who comes to walk in the garden with Adam and Eve seeking their company; God who seeks out Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the prophets.nbsp; In the record of our faith it is always God that makes the first move.nbsp; It is God who picks up the phone and dials our number, then dials it again, and again, and again. Today's lesson is St. John's way of teaching us the variety of ways that God persists in calling.nbsp; The other gospel writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke, want us to know the names of the 12 disciples closest to Jesus and each of them gives us a list, though the lists don't fully agree.[1] For all of the gospel writers the number is more important than the names, because the 12 represent the twelve new tribes of Israel.nbsp; John is the only gospel writer who does not ever list the names of the 12.nbsp; Evidently, for John, it isn't important that we know the names. What John thinks is important is how these earliest of disciples heard and responded to God's call in Jesus. Though he tells only four call stories, he goes into details that the other gospel writers don't.[2] The four calls, in the order John offers them, are through a teacher, through a family member, through a direct call from Jesus, and through a friend.[3] One of the ways God attempts to reach us is through teachers.nbsp; The first call St. John identifies is that of two students, disciples of John the Baptist, who hear John call Jesus "the Lamb of God" thus identifying him as the expected messiah.nbsp; One of the two students is Andrew, the other is not named.nbsp; Both of them stay with Jesus. It is true, and continues to be true, that persons of faith instruct us on the way to follow Jesus.nbsp; Such folks might be Sunday school teachers, teachers in the school system, preachers, writers, mentors or wise folk we have come to respect.nbsp; It is through such teachers as these that God often works, hoping we will hear and learn, hoping we will say yes to his call. Another way that God can call to us is through our families.nbsp; In the second call of St. John Andrew goes to tell his brother Simon Peter what he has heard and seen; what he has found in Jesus.nbsp; It is the witness, the testimony of family that will often lead us to faith in Christ.nbsp; A beloved brother or sister, a parent or grandparent, earn our listening because we know they love us and so God uses them to call us in hopes we will answer. The third type of call St. John reports is a direct hearing from Jesus, from the voice of God.nbsp; Jesus finds Philip and says to him "Follow me."nbsp; There is something so compelling in this direct encounter that Philip leaves what he is doing, whatever his present life is, and follows.nbsp; And in following Jesus, Philip discovers the truth of Jesus' life changing, life giving, message and relationship with God. There are moments in our lives when a reading of scripture, a ... Sermons webmaster@bcumc.org no No http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/13/announcements-2/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/13/announcements-2/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:02:14 +0000 Bonnie http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2078 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/13/announcements-2/feed/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/03/arise-shine-for-your-light-has-come/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/03/arise-shine-for-your-light-has-come/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:06:45 +0000 Bonnie http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2069 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2012/01/03/arise-shine-for-your-light-has-come/feed/ 00:01:01 David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Isaiah 60:1-6nbsp;nbsp; January 1, 2012 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover ... David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Isaiah 60:1-6nbsp;nbsp; January 1, 2012 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. As a junior in college I agreed to be a guinea pig in an experiment of the psychology department. A grad assistant gave me a pair of glasses to wear, led me into a room, sat me in a chair and closed the door. Everything went pitch-black. The room was absolutely dark. And it was also apparently soundproof because I couldn't hear anything. I sat still waiting; hoping my eyes would adjust and hoping for some further instruction. But the room never got any lighter and no instructions came. After what seemed a long time, a very small light appeared in front of me. It was so dim I wasn't sure if I was seeing it or imagining it. After a time the light began to move like it was floating in front of me up and down, from side to side, in an irregular pattern. Then it faded out. I watched and waited in the darkness. Again the light appeared. This time it was off to the side, wandered around for a while and disappeared. And again I sat in darkness waiting. A third time the light appeared, wandered in front of me and disappeared. The grad student came back. I asked if there had been a light and he acknowledged that there had been. I asked if it had floated around and was told that the light was on the lens of the glasses and had remained stationary. Turns out the experiment was about how I (and others) respond to the disorientation of absolute darkness and that almost everyone becomes so disoriented that they lose track of what is up, down and sideways. I later learned that is not just the eyes but the whole body that, without light, becomes disoriented. Folks who walk around in dark rooms report inclines that don't exist, odd-shaped wall patterns, and so on. Some folks become so disoriented they think the chair is moving, even tilting. You can get a sense of this if you have ever flown in thick fog. Pilots must trust their instruments because they cannot trust their own senses. Or if you have ever spent a couple of days on a boat and then tried to walk on land, or even just stand still with your eyes closed. The body has lost track of which way is up and sways side to side. In time the blind can, for the most part, adjust to a world without light. But even the blind, once disoriented, have a dickens of a time getting right with the world again. Perhaps this is why light is such a powerful metaphor for us. Without some light in front of us we lose track of not only our bodies but our lives, our hope and our future. The Isaiah passage we read today comes from a time of great darkness for the people of God. In the sixth century B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah and deported King Jehoiakim and his family to Babylon. When Jehoiakim's Uncle Zedekiah later led a revolt against Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar lay siege to Jerusalem, destroyed the city and the temple, and deported the survivors to Babylonia as slaves. Isaiah 56-66 is written 60 years, or two generations, later. Those who lived in Jerusalem and had worshipped the Lord in the temple are dead. The prayers, songs and rituals are being forgotten. One of our great Psalms from that time is a lament of the Judeans in Babylon: By the rivers of Babylon - there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion[1] On the willows there we hung up our harps. For our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"[2] Isaiah calls God's people to remember their history and to remember their faith. He reminds the people in great darkness that the light of the Lord ... Sermons webmaster@bcumc.org no No http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/28/no-other-god-but-our-god/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/28/no-other-god-but-our-god/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:10:27 +0000 johnl http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2064 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/28/no-other-god-but-our-god/feed/ 00:01:01 David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; John 1:1-14nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; December 25, 2011 John says, "And the Word became flesh and lived among us..." nbsp;What can that possibly mean? How does ... David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; John 1:1-14nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; December 25, 2011 John says, "And the Word became flesh and lived among us..." nbsp;What can that possibly mean? How does a word become flesh?nbsp; The "Word" is a translation of the Greek Logos.nbsp; Logos means much more than a collection of sounds to be spoken or read.nbsp; The Logos is the will, purpose, design and logic of the universe.nbsp; It is natural law and moral law.nbsp; The Logos explains everything.nbsp; When the Logos becomes flesh it is God's purpose, meaning and design become human to live as one of us, and with each of us; become flesh to dance in joy with us and to suffer with us, even to die in suffering that we might live in grace. That God chose to be born as one of us is as great a wonder as God choosing to die for all of us.nbsp; What is very likely our earliest Christian hymn, recorded in Paul's letter to the church in Philippi, says it this way: Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.[1] No other God has chosen to let go of being divine in order to live as the people live.nbsp; No other God has chosen to be a baby, then a child, then an adolescent and finally an adult in order to live as the people live.nbsp; No other God has chosen to laugh and cry, rejoice and suffer to live as we live.nbsp; No other God has become human in order to die with the people.nbsp; No other God has loved as our God loves. Ramesh was a man who looked upon Christmas as a lot of humbug.nbsp; He wasn't a scrooge.nbsp; He was as kind and decent person, generous to his family, upright in all his dealings with others.nbsp; But he didn't believe all that stuff about God being born as a person. On Christmas Eve the snow began to pour down and the flurry was getting heavier and heavier.nbsp; Hearing a pounding on his front window Ramesh went to see the cause.nbsp; Below the window he saw a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow.nbsp; They'd been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter had tried to fly through his window. "I can't let these poor creatures lie there and die," he thought, "but how can I help them?"nbsp; Then he remembered the barn.nbsp; It would provide a warm shelter.nbsp; He put on his rain-coat and tramped to the barn, opening the doors wide he turned on a light.nbsp; But the birds didn't come in.nbsp; "Food will bring them in," he thought.nbsp; So he hurried back to the house for bread crumbs, which he sprinkled on the snow to make a trail into the barn. To his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow.nbsp; He tried shoeing them in the barn by walking around and waving his arms.nbsp; They scattered in every direction - except into the warm, lighted barn.nbsp; "They find me a strange and terrifying creature," he said to himself.nbsp; "And I can't seem to think of any way to let them know they can trust me.nbsp; If only I could be a bird myself for a few minutes, perhaps I could them to safety..." Just at that moment, the Church bells began to ring.nbsp; Ramesh stood silently for a while, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.nbsp; Then he sank to his knees in the snow.nbsp; "Now I do understand," he whispered.nbsp; "Now I know why You were born as one of us."[2] One more Christmas thought:nbsp; We don't really know what day or year Jesus was born.nbsp; December 25 was chosen by the Roman Emperor Constantine as the day to celebrate Jesus' birth in 336 CE.nbsp; Constantine's choice replaced several older customs in various cultures of celebrating the return of the sun to longer days after the winter solstice.nbs... Sermons webmaster@bcumc.org no No http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/19/mary-sings-our-song/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/19/mary-sings-our-song/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:01:24 +0000 Bonnie http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2059 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/19/mary-sings-our-song/feed/ 00:01:01 David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Luke 1:26-38nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; December 18, 2011 The girl at the window waits. Like all of us she sees not only the grace of the world, ... David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Luke 1:26-38nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; December 18, 2011 The girl at the window waits. Like all of us she sees not only the grace of the world, but also its poverties. There are wars that rage in the land, and in the soul of the broken, wounded and mentally ill. There is hunger, racism, sexism, and ageism. There are the inequities of the rich and the powerful. There are the tears of the dying and those who love them. The girl at the window waits and wonders if there is Christmas in her. Three thousand five hundred years ago Miriam waited and wondered. Miriam was the sister to Moses and Aaron. She was a poet and prophetess to the Hebrew people. And she was the one many believe began writing down the oral history of her people, which eventually gave us the Bible. It is Miriam who wonders, as they flee Pharaoh and the slavery of Egypt, if Pharaoh's army will destroy her people. It is Miriam who, when all hope is lost, sees that Pharaoh's army has been covered by the sea. So it is Miriam who leads the singing: Miriam: "I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and its chariot he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and the Lord has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise God, my father's and my mother's God, and I will exalt God."[1] Three thousand years ago Hannah waited and wondered. Hannah was barren for many years and tormented by her husband's first wife, who had many sons. In her despair Hannah wept, would not eat, and prayed, "O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy servant, and remember me, and not forget thy servant...." Finally Hannah had a son whom she named Samuel, meaning "he belongs to God." And Samuel became a wise peacemaker for the Hebrew people in the awful time of the Philistines. In her joy Hannah sings: Hannah: "My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in they salvation. There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides thee; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by God actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn." [2] Two thousand years ago, another girl waited and wondered. She too thought of the world's poverties and suffering. She was named for Miriam and the granddaughter of Hannah. Her name was Mary. She thinks of the news brought to her by the angel Gabriel. This is no easy time for Mary. She is unwed. Her fianceacute; is skeptical and considers leaving her. Her family and village can hardly be expected to believe a story of angels, Spirit and God's impregnation. Mary, too, finds in herself a song to sing to God. It is a song that comes to her from Miriam and from Hannah. It is a song given to her by generations of God's servants and by God's own grace. For in Mary is to be born the answer to the world's poverties. Mary's song is a song of redemption sung before redemption has come, before the child is yet born. For Mary knows from her namesake and her grandmother that God will come. Mary:nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has seen the poverty of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for God who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is God's name. And God's mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. God has shown strength with his arm, God has scattered the proud in the imaginations of their hearts, God has put down the mighty fr... Sermons webmaster@bcumc.org no No http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/12/you-are-christmas/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/12/you-are-christmas/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:14:26 +0000 Bonnie http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2053 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/12/you-are-christmas/feed/ 00:01:01 David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp; Isaiah 61:1-3nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; December 11, 2011 When Jesus began his ministry he went to his home synagogue in Nazareth[1] and, when handed the scroll of ... David Orendorffnbsp;nbsp; Isaiah 61:1-3nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; December 11, 2011 When Jesus began his ministry he went to his home synagogue in Nazareth[1] and, when handed the scroll of Isaiah to read, he chose to read the verses from Isaiah we just read. Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. They were all looking at him. As the one who read the scripture, he was to be the first to reflect on it. After a time of silence Jesus spoke, saying, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." It was an audacious thing to say, for it was the announcement that not only was Jesus guided by the Spirit and anointed by God, but that the Spirit was upon every person in the room; that God had anointed each one there to bring the good news to the oppressed. At first they spoke well of him and were amazed at the grace of his words. Then they got to thinking, "How can Jesus be full of the Spirit and anointed by God; after all, isn't he Joseph's son?" That is to say, isn't Jesus just a person like we are people, for they did not believe that "just" people would be full of the God's Spirit. So their doubts rose to the truth of what Jesus spoke. When Jesus made it clear that the Spirit and the anointing was true not just of them, or not just of Jews, but was true of every child born, even those of another religion, and even hated enemies, they became angry and drove him out of town (not in a limo) to a cliff over which they intended to throw him. What Jesus says has been true from the beginning of time and space. The Big Bang is the first birth and it is full of Spirit and anointing. God becomes flesh in every subsequent act of creation. God becomes flesh in the birth of every baby. You are the stuff of stars and God made flesh. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon you; you are anointed to bring good news to the oppressed and to bind up the brokenhearted. We Christians have a tendency to think that Jesus was exceptional and only talking about himself as God's child. We can be heard to say; "Well, I'm not Jesus, you know." While it is true that we are not Jesus, we are made in the image of God and therefore when we look in the mirror we see Jesus as God formed the Christ in us. And when we look fully into the face of any other, we see the Christ in them. An early and foundational song of Bear Creek is "Weave" by Rosemary Crow. The final stanza and chorus go: A moment ago still we did not know, Our unity, only diversity. Now the Christ in me greets the Christ in thee in one great family. Weave, weave, weave us together, Weave us together in unity and love. Weave, weave, weave us together, Weave us together, together in love.[2] Christmas comes as a holy celebration every year to remind us that God is born with us, in us, and among us. Because this is so easy to forget, we tell the story again and again-that we and every one we meet is God made flesh; that the Spirit is upon everyone, and that together we proclaim good news to the oppressed, brokenhearted, captives and prisoners. A little Christmas story from Beverly Bartlett came my way and reminded me of how simple it is to be the Christ; so simple that in a child we see God present. It was just a few more days until Christmas in San Francisco, and the shopping downtown was starting to get to us. I remember crowds of people waiting impatiently for slow-moving buses and streetcars on those little cement islands in the middle of the street. Most of us were loaded down with packages, and it looked like many of us were beginning to wonder if all those countless friends and relatives actually deserved so many gifts in the first place. This was not the Christmas spirit I'd been raised with. When I finally found myself virtually shoved up the steps of a jammed streetcar, the idea of standing there packed like a sardine the whole way home was almost more than I could take. What I would have given for a se... Sermons webmaster@bcumc.org no No http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/09/pastors-message-3/ http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/09/pastors-message-3/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:31:58 +0000 Bonnie http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/?p=2051 http://www.bcumc.org/Sermons/2011/12/09/pastors-message-3/feed/