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The Alpha and Omega – In January we began a year-long journey through the Bible with Genesis, and today and next Sunday we end with readings from Revelation. Today’s reading comes from the first chapter where the visionary, John, reports on his encounter with the risen Jesus. The book of Revelation is and has been controversial through the millenia with some people citing it to predict the coming of the apocalypse as a punishment. It helps to know some of the historical setting, and it was a time when the Roman empire had Judah, both Jews and Christians, under its control. These visions helped the occupied peoples know that God was still in control. But how does that relate to us? As the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, it is assurance that no matter the current circumstance, God is in control, and, as we say in our Affirmation of Faith, “We are not alone.” It also helps to know that much of God’s work needs to come through our own actions of love and justice.

Continuing our journey through the Bible, this week’s reading is from the epistle of James with a particular focus on James 1.19-20 where the writer, writing to a congregation that has apparently had some conflict, cautions them to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.” It is a caution appropriate for our era of social media and political division and a teaching that sounds like one Jesus might have given. Anger can be controlling and certainly divisive. We each get angry from time to time, but we need to notice when that happens and analyze why we are angry. We need to use prayer, love, and a spirit of joy and hope to quell our anger, and we need to listen to one another with prayer, love, and a spirit of joy and hope. We can practice listening in prayer, listening for God to speak.

Continuing our journey through the Bible, this week’s reading is Paul’s letter to Philemon, a letter filled with familial terms, and it is clear that the focus of the letter, Onesimus, has been a slave of Philemon. Although we don’t know how or why Onesimus is currently and has been with an imprisoned Paul, it is clear that Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon. Onesimus has become a convert to Christianity, and Paul encourages Philemon to receive the former slave as a brother, to learn from him, to grow with him. In many ways the entire ministry of Jesus can be seen in this letter, and Paul’s appeal to Philemon calls us as a church to live a life of love.

Continuing our journey through the Bible, this week’s reading is from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. In this letter, Paul is frustrated with the church he had helped to form in Galatia. They were largely Gentiles, but apparently some Jewish had moved in and demanded that those in that church obey the Jewish law, including such things as circumcision. Paul says it is not about earning God’s love through obedience to laws but accepting God’s grace. Sometimes an inner voice tells us we’re not worthy, but Paul insists we are free from such burdens: “You are called to freedom!” It isn’t a matter of whether we deserve to be a part of the church, but that we accept the God-given grace and are thus relieved of such burdens as whether we are worthy. As Methodists, John Wesley spoke and wrote extensively about types of grace, so that in Methodism, grace is in our DNA. The question for us is how to respond to God’s grace given freely to us.

A God Ever Faithful – This is the Sunday we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of our church. One of the things we are doing through this 150th year is reading through the Bible and, on Sundays, taking our scripture readings from the books of the Bible in sequence. Today we are looking at a passage from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, which is a little out of order, but it applies to our own church in that Paul is writing to a church that has taken the journey seriously and, in Paul’s mind, will be faithful to that journey. The church at Philippi was founded somewhat unusually for that day, but its congregants have been faithful, and Paul is full of praise for them. West End, too, has had some struggles along the way, but has worked through those with inspiration and design. West End is a congregation that has shown that although individuals can be flawed in various ways, God’s appointment, grace, and strength can build community through such individuals, and thus a church can be a major part of the

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from 1 Corinthians. Rev. Shannon Baxter, our Pastor of Congregational Connection, is preaching. The text is Paul’s familiar comparison of the community of the church to the members of the body, an analogy that can surely be understood by anyone. Historically, the Corinthian congregation must have had need of such encouragement to come together as one body, with each given unique gifts, not for the benefit of that person, but for the collective benefit of the group, the congregation, so that the Corinthian church would become what it was meant to be. For us, this means realizing that our individual gifts should be identified, received and used in humility and that we are incomplete without the gifts of others.

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from Romans, the first of the letters of Paul. Romans is a multi-layered and intricate letter. Much of the first part of the letter is about God’s grace through which all are welcomed. Then in chapter 12, Paul says, “Therefore” and begins to write about how this oneness in the body of Christ affects how we treat each other. He describes it as a “living sacrifice” that prompts us to surrender ourselves to the grace of God daily. Through this Paul says we are transformed and renewed. He warns us not to be “conformed to this world,” which challenges our own certainty, the resistance to being open to having our minds changed. World Communion Sunday is a recognition that we need God’s grace as do all others, and we are all invited to the table, to come with uncertainty and openness to being transformed.

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from Acts, a book that chronicles the early days of Christianity. Our focus is on Barnabas, who plays a minor role in Acts. His character is all about support and encouragement. We may recall that Saul (later Paul) was initially intent on crushing the belief in Jesus until his conversion on the road to Damascus. When Paul went back to Jerusalem to join the Christian movement, the leaders there rejected him because of his previous actions. It was Barnabas who encouraged them to accept the converted Paul. Perhaps if Barnabas had not encouraged Paul and encouraged the Christian leaders to accept him, we might not have had Paul as a major character in early Christianity. In part of today’s reading, Barnabas convinces Paul to come with him to Antioch, and the two of them prompt the growth of the Christian community there. Who in our lives has encouraged us? Are we ready to take on the role of one who encourages, much as Barnabas did?

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from the Gospel of John. Early in this gospel, Jesus tells the disciples he will be leaving them, but in this passage Jesus describes himself as the vine and those around him as the branches, telling them that if they “abide in him,” they will have joy, peace, and love (even if he is not physically with them). It is a strong message to us, too, that if we put ourselves into his presence, even if he is not with us physically we will experience that presence in joy, peace, and love. We must realize Jesus is talking with “them” rather than with an individual, and that sends us a message of the importance of community – when we are connected as community through Jesus we bear fruit. In a sense of gardening, we can understand that God chooses to nourish the world through us.

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from Luke in which Jesus heals two people from very different segments of the community. The writer of Luke seems to have an interest in “the great reversal,” in which, for example, the downtrodden are elevated and those of privilege are taken down. These two healing stories in Luke 7 reflect in the realm of Jesus the equality of a centurion and a widow, whose stations in society are not at all the same. The two stories also comment on two stories in 2 Kings that involve the prophets, Elisha and Elijah, respectively. For us, it demonstrates the gathering of God’s people into a worshiping community, the church, where everyone is welcome at the table and is subject to God’s grace. We, as the church, need to realize how central this was to the ministry of Jesus, and how our own behaviors should reflect that.

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading of the familiar story of the healing of the demoniac. In this story, Jesus retreats to Gentile territory, which is unusual for him and makes us wonder whether he knew about this man and intended to go there. The man is clearly out of control and is relegated to “the tombs” away from people. When Jesus arrives, the man asks “What have you to do with me?” But in the end, the demons are exorcized and the man is healed. He asks Jesus to take him along, and, surprisingly, Jesus declines, telling the man to go back to his people and tell them what Jesus has done. So the story ends up not just about curing the man, but about his re-integration into his people. It should teach us something about pursuing those in need, those rejected from society, and healing them and reintegrating them into community.

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading of the familiar parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, a parable that appears only in Matthew. In many ways it is shocking because it seems so unfair. The worker who worked all day gets the same pay as the workers who came on the job later, even the same pay as the worker who arrived at the end of the day. It seems economically improper and unfeasible, and in the story the one who worked all day grumbles about it. But he was given his due, and it was the choice of the farmer to give everyone, even those who came late, a day’s pay. Paying attention we realize that it’s God’s economy. Those of us who have been committed to God all of our lives are no more welcomed or rewarded than those who arrive at the last minute. Knowing that should prompt us to be more grateful than grumbly, and it should encourage us to be inviting and welcoming to those who come later. We remember that Jesus in many cases dined and associated more with the people of lo

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from Matthew as we begin the New Testament. Our guest preacher is Bishop Ken Carter, currently the bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference, and the text is the familiar encounter when a lawyer tests Jesus by asking him the greatest commandment. Matthew is not the earliest of the Gospels, but it does have the most connections to the Old Testament, frequently quoting the Hebrew scriptures and seeing Jesus as the new Moses. In addition to the response of Jesus to love God and love one’s neighbor as oneself, Jesus says that all of the other commandments hang on these two. There’s a structure. John Wesley, too, had a structure, to be made holy through one’s life, and thus the title, “Methodist.” Wesley’s vision of striving for perfection was based on loving God and one’s neighbor. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus frequently says, “You have heard it said, but I say . . .” by which Jesus is calling us from a focus on the law to move toward l

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament in our Protestant Bible. We’re using Malachi as a lens to examine what we’ve learned about the character of God to this point. Malachi is speaking to the people after they have returned to Jerusalem from exile, and, yet, they are not following God as they should. Malachi speaks out against the people for various things, like neglecting the least and most vulnerable. But Malachi also offers a word of hope as God calls the people back, telling them that if they follow God they will have another chance. Throughout the scriptures we’ve read, the people have repeatedly turned away from God for which there are consequences, but God does not turn away from them, encouraging them to return. Malachi assures the people that God will always be there for them, and they are always called to return. As with those ancients, God is not finished with us, and we must open ourselves to God.

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from Zephaniah. In the lectionary, because of its words of hope in hard times, readings from Zephaniah come up on the third Sunday in Advent and also on the night of Easter Vigil, which is the Saturday of the tomb before the resurrection on Easter Sunday. As the Israelites found themselves in Babylon, all of us find ourselves in times of desolation, and these words are meant for such times. Notably, the subject of nearly every sentence in our text is “I” or “God,” as God makes promises to the people – it is God who brings restoration, hope, healing, power, belonging. At times we tend to rely on ourselves, but God is always with us, holding us, never forsaking us, and it is God who acts. Zephaniah calls on the people to rejoice and not fear. Some in our world use fear to conquer and control, but Zephaniah tells us to release that fear and trust that God holds us. Beyond that, Zephaniah calls us to sing with joy because God looks at us with joy

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from Jonah. The story of Jonah is one that appeals to all ages, but in some ways it is also a difficult story. Initially, God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh and give God’s word to that city. But he goes in the opposite direction, heads out to sea, and, in a storm, is swallowed by that big fish, and, in that way, was brought back to the land. This time he does go, and the Ninevites repent and are saved. But Jonah is angry that the Ninevites have been saved. This is a theme we see throughout the Bible and may experience ourselves when we are not happy about God’s mercy to others. Another Biblical example is in the story of the prodigal son when the older brother is angry. Both stories end with an invitation from God or the father of the young men, but there is no account of whether Jonah or the older son accepts that invitation. We learn that there is no end to God’s mercy, and we are invited to join God in the joy of that mercy: God loves Ninev

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s readings from the prophets Amos and Micah. Reading Amos is, in some ways, hard because it is largely gloom and doom. Amos lived in the period when the Assyrians were threatening from the north, and he was warning that the reasons had to do with Israel’s infidelity to God in their mistreatment and neglect of the poor. This can guide us into self-examination: choose what is good and reject what is evil. God rejected their worship because it was empty – they leave worship and then do not live it out. Does our worship lead to change in our lives? Micah’s words are instructive as to how we must live: Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. Both prophets then instruct us to change our lives. John Wesley at one point expressed concern that Methodists would keep the form of worship without the power of worship, which is a reflection of these prophets.

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s reading from the prophet Ezekiel describing one of a number of visions Ezekiel has throughout this massive book. The historical situation is that Ezekiel is with the other Judaic exiles in Babylon, Jerusalem having not only been conquered, but destroyed. Every aspect of their lives has been upended, and they are lost in every sense. In this vision, Ezekiel is led through the restored Jerusalem and sees, flowing from the Temple, a tiny trickle of a stream. He is led further, and as the vision progresses, the trickle becomes a stream, a river, and then a river so broad he could not cross it. But it is a life-giving river, one that enables fruit trees to grow in desert land and an abundance of fish even to the Dead Sea. In the midst of the despair of exile, this stream gives abundant life. It is reminiscent of the scene in John 7.37f when Jesus cries out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink,” then, “Out of the

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s readings from the prophet Jeremiah. In this passage we find God calling Jeremiah to prophesy when he is merely a boy. Jeremiah cannot understand why he would be called as a mere child, and, throughout his prophetic career, his prophetic tasks are often sharp rebukes of his own people. Jeremiah seems to be a prophet who struggled at times, wishing he wouldn’t have to say God’s words, but he can’t stop himself. While others were advising the king to ally with Egypt or Babylon to avoid being conquered by them, Jeremiah says they must suffer the history that God has meted out. He was, of course, greatly unpopular, and he ended up in prison. In the New Testament, the word of Jesus was also wildly unpopular. In Acts, Peter and John ended up in prison, too. Carol also describes some history of the Wesley family, and how some roles that were considered “vile” were actually God-given. There are, at times, calls for us to be unpopular and to deliver words of

We continue our trip through the Bible with today’s readings from the prophet Isaiah. The prophets were noted for putting forth visions of the world as God intended it to be. These were God’s visions, but the people were to participate in making them become reality. On this Independence Day weekend, we remember the Declaration of Independence’s statement that “all men are created equal,” and we know that meant something different then than it has meant in recent decades as, for example, when slavery was abolished and women gained the right to vote. Isaiah chapter 2 paints a vision of the mountain of God where all people assemble in love and unity. Isaiah chapter 65 paints another vision of a new creation where there is no weeping or distress, where people rejoice, and “the wolf and lamb shall feed together.” We must be infused with these visions of hope, working with God toward the realization of such a new heaven and earth, knowing that God is with us. That hope is embodied in the communion we take to