Search this site

The people who stood by to watch Jesus’ crucifixion would say that nothing good happened on that infamous Friday. They had watched the cruel and unjust treatment of Jesus, first at the hands of the Jewish leaders and then at the hands of the Romans. He was beaten, spit upon, and humiliated, but he made no reply. He hung in the hot sun with the agony of spikes through his limbs and the weight of his body squeezing the air from his lungs. One doesn’t have to embellish the story because the reality was gruesome enough. What good could possibly come from such an act? The disciples, except John, stayed away from Golgotha and hid themselves behind locked doors. Good Friday? Not on your life, for it was the worst possible day for the followers of Jesus. He had begun with so much promise and now he was dead. All things do work together for good for the ones who love God, but sometime the good is not immediately visible. In this case it took three days and the disciples still had their doubt. When the women returned from the empty tomb with the message of Jesus’ resurrection, they were accused by the disciples of carrying “idle tales.” The men on the road to Emmaus continued their skepticism. Thomas, the disciple, did not believe that Jesus was indeed alive until he saw the wounds. The physical presence of Jesus removed all doubt. What’s good about Good Friday? Nothing without the resurrection. On this day good triumphed over evil and love was victorious over hate. All that John the Baptist meant by Jesus being the “lamb of God” was realized on that fateful day we call “Good Friday.” The goodness of Good Friday can only be seen through resurrection eyes. #goodfriday #sundayiscoming #aplaceforgrace

It is an understatement to say that life as we know it has been drastically changed. In a very short time, the old normal has become the new normal. During this time my family moved from being together for a baptism to having our daily lives restricted. Our jubilation turned into concern for the whole world. Most of our St. Andrew’s family has had similar experiences. As a church family we have gone from worshipping together at St. Andrew’s to worshipping via live streaming, from meeting physically with children and youth to sharing virtual experiences. This has been the experience of most, if not all other churches. However, the new normal must not stand. God has not forsaken us, and we must not forsake Him. With the strength and courage that only God can give we will face every day with confidence. We will have peace and hope because we know to whom we belong, and we still have each other. Can some good come out of this chaos? Sensitive hearts will grieve for the families who have lost loved ones, while words of praise will be said for those who have been on the front line fighting the virus. Joy will return when the victory is won, and it will be won and then we can again embrace one another with Christian love. But why wait? No, it isn’t the same, but we can embrace one another with words of kindness, concern, and love. Why not use this “down time” to seriously communicate with God and others we know and love? There are many ways to reach out to others. We are all familiar with social media. Why put off doing what your heart is telling you to do? What is God saying to you? After all, all we really have in this world is God and each other. Love may not be able to cure the coronavirus, but expressions of love and concern can go a long way toward helping us deal with it. This is one of the “goods” that can come out of this chaos. As the coronavirus quickly changed our lives, so Jesus discovered how quickly His circumstances could change. On Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd, but by Friday he was being jeered as the crowd called for his death. On Sunday he was being treated like a king, but on Friday he was treated like a criminal. Crucify him, the crowd said. His time on earth was coming to an end. He was completing His mission in the face of hate, anger, and persecution. Could any good come from this? Yes, if we listen. The last prayer of Jesus before going to the Garden of Gethsemane was about unity and love. At least three times he asked the Father to “let them be one as you and I are one.” May God help us in this difficult time to also focus on unity and love. It is the good that may come from the chaos. We will get through this because God is in it with us, not as a spectator, but as a participant. The new normal will not stand. I know this because God’s got this. #godsgotthis #goodfromchaos #aplaceforgrace

Over the past few weeks, I've seen, heard, and read Psalm 46. Last week JC preached on it, and the Bishop shared it as a closing prayer to clergy across the conference. It is one of my favorite scriptures because it inspires me to find peace and create peace in moments of crisis. It reminds me of the mysterious and tremendous power of God. God's presence on earth shakes the mountains and troubles the seas. God is the one that destroys the objects and obsessions of war and declares that He is the God of all. It shows God’s love of God’s people, God’s city, and all those who made up the nations (once at war), so that all that is left is God and people. It is funny, but that is where I hang my understanding of John Wesley's image of God. He described it as our being in full relationship with God. In the scene painted by the psalm, I come to see that more clearly. By the end of the psalm, humans are merely in God's presence with one another. That must be an exciting place. In some way, that must be what holy solitude is. Our feelings of separation are all too real for us at this moment. There are gripping anxieties, and fears to be in public, touch doorknobs, or even be in the presence of others. The concern for health, following the expertise and guidance of our medical and health professionals, is essential, but it can lead to loneliness and despair for many. I am inspired by my wife, who hosts virtual coffee dates with friends and family. Everyone is feeling the effects of isolation. I am a social person, so I have been struggling with social distancing, but the cost of going to public spaces for human interaction is too steep, and there are many other ways to fulfill that need. Her actions gave me pause to think about my needs and worries as a person and a disciple. This time of social distancing is a time in which we can discover something about ourselves and one another. Now is a time where we can practice solitude, a time of spiritual spring cleaning if you will. It is a time to lay out those fears and anxieties we harbor in our heart of hearts and listen to how God wants us to grow. I have learned that my business of being a pastor has affected my spiritual practices. With this unstructured time, I am remembering the importance of art, literature, and cooking as sources of my joy and catalysts for prayer and scripture reading. With the extra time for prayer, I am seeing my limitations and seeking God's hand in those areas. Also, I remember that I am a person who needs to spend more intentional time amid God’s natural creation. Tending to those spiritual practices is unraveling knots of stress and offering me a more flexible and creative mind when working alongside you all in ministry. Spiritual solitude can sound like an odd practice to undertake. To some, it may seem like an ancient monastic (monk) practice that would have no space in modern society. I would point you to Henri Nowen’s small book The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry . He describes solitude as the furnace of transformation. Without it, we are yet slaves to our society and the selves we fashion to fit into it. Solitude is a place of the struggle (against that false self we create) and the encounter with the loving God. In scripture, we see Jesus go into the wilderness and be tempted. He was tempted with the needs of the body, with power, and with grandeur. We can relate to those same motives in our lives today. Unfortunately, it can be a ground of identity for some. Sometimes we can strive to be the most powerful, the most relevant, the perfect mother/father, or the most excellent pastor. We can quickly lose the self that God created in the pursuit of excellence. Jesus rejects those temptations and finds his identity in God. Jesus is no less relevant, compelling, or grand, as we see in the rest of the gospels. Jesus is humble and seeks to live fully with God. The challenge is knocking our idols and ideals off the sacred places in our hearts and minds that are reserved for God. It is to be fully who God created us to be. It prepares us to be vulnerable and face our greed, anger, lust, fear, or whatever else and turn to God for transformation. In a practical sense, what does that mean? Perhaps, if you are like me, you have forgotten something in your daily prayer and devotional life. Or maybe you are struggling with following God's prompts in your personal life. Whatever it may be, God is present always to love and guide you. I encourage you to read through the Lenten devotional that the church put together. There are lovely focusing prayers to help you in this practice of solitude. Music is another powerful tool that allows us to meditate on scripture. You may have noticed the beginning of many psalms include instructions that hint that they were sung in worship. I encourage you to share psalms, hymns, and other music that comforts or inspires you with others this week. May you grow in surprising ways during this time. May you be filled with inspiration to act on those things you discover. And may those actions bring connection, hope, kindness, and grace in this time of social distancing. Here is a psalm, a hymn, and a song! I hope they bless you. Psalm 121 Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown – Charles Wesley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfVUGob7Uvw Hand of God – Jon Bellion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYdmI0o3XNQ I hope to see you online Sunday at NINE45, or 11:15 for worship. Blessings upon you, and I cannot wait to see you! Blessings Pastor Garrett #Lent #sacredspace #solitude #socialdistancing #hope #godmoments #aplaceforgrace #placeoftransformation

God makes a proposal in II Chronicles 7:14 that needs our reviewing and action.  It says; “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  This promise supports the mission statement of The United Methodist Church, which says we are to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The season of Lent calls us to recognize that sin is destructive in many ways, but it doesn’t have to be. Many, if not most, of the world's problems are the result of men and women being alienated from God. Jesus has made it possible for all humanity to again be reconciled to God by his death on the cross. It was John the Baptist who recognized Jesus as “the lamb of God.” John’s listeners would know the lamb is the dominant sacrificial victim offered up for the sin of humanity. Jesus said of himself that “the son of man came to give up his life for the ransom of many.” The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, “through Jesus God chose to reconcile the whole universe to himself, making peace through the shedding of his blood upon the cross to reconcile all things whether on earth or in heaven, through him alone.” Christians know the truth of the above. In 2 Corinthians we are told that “God has reconciled us men to himself through Christ, and he has enlisted us in this service of reconciliation.” We have been given responsibility for making disciples which, if successful, will lead to the healing of the land. This is the promised result of humbling ourselves before God, praying, and turning from any wickedness. #aplaceforgrace #lent #lambofgod

One of the most powerful things that I have ever encountered is stories. Stories help us glimpse the world in new and imagined ways. They help us imagine a world in which we may hope, provide for us a cautionary tale, or allow us to experience the world from a point of view we may never be able to. With today being Valentine's Day, it is fitting to think about love stories. This subject has captured the imagination of countless authors and readers throughout history. Love is often a motivator for characters in stories, driving them to do incredible acts for better or for worse. Whether it is romantic love, like those romance books one may find in the grocery store, or deep, knotty love, that you may read about in Steinbeck novels, it is an integral part of human experience. Sunday, we will focus on how Jesus loves, but it fits us to think and pray on who Jesus loves just the same. Scripture provides numerous examples of God interacting and guiding His people in the ways of love. As we approach Lent and Easter, we will think intentionally of how far God has gone because of His love for us. Jesus provides for us specific teaching on this when he gives the sermon on the mount. For two chapters, Jesus outlines the bounds and expectations of the kingdom of God. He gives the disciples, and us by extension, the mission that we are to measure our actions. Jesus clarifies and deepens the disciples understanding of who is blessed, their role in the world, Jesus' mission, their understanding of anger, sexual relationships, divorce, oaths, revenge, acts of mercy and justice, and the maintenance of spiritual life (Matthew 5:1-7:21). Jesus describes the various people who are blessed. Many of those groups relate to us, some not so much, but Jesus mentions them for a reason. Jesus connects them to the hope given by the Kingdom of God and wants to join us to one another. In several ways, Jesus touches on each of the people as he makes his way through the sermon on the mount, challenging us with compassion, mercy, and action. The question becomes, who are the people that we are to love? To be honest, it is everyone. Scripture highlights several groups of people that would make the people of Jesus' day stop and think, "Wait, love them? They are savages! They are dangerous. They spread disease. They hate the God we worship and us!" (Luke 10:25-17, Hosea 1:1-11; 3:1-5) I know that in our world today, people use these same words to describe others. Jesus teaches the disciples that they are to love the poor, meek, lonely, the oppressed, and those who oppress. In other words, Jesus instructs the disciples to love everyone. This does not make loving everyone easy, nor does Jesus give us concise bullet points on how to make this happen. It would be hard to love those who oppress you, those who smear you with insults. It is hard to remember to love those on margins, unless they are at the forefront of our minds. It is hard to love those who are poor and avoid the temptation of pitying them. My suggestion would be to listen to their stories. In my recent adulthood, black history and the stories of African Americans have become dear. People ask me now and again, "Why is it always about race with you?" With some thought, reflection, and prayer, I can say with assurance that it is the space of the table that I am. On one hand, I see that race has and will continue to have an impact on my life whether I like it or not. On the other hand, I see it as a responsibility to speak early and often about it because there are millions of brothers and sisters who do not have that opportunity or will ever. There is a book that I read every February to remind me of my responsibility to keep my ears open to hear the cries of the needy. Howard Thurman has a small book called Jesus and the Disinherited . Thurman speaks of the ways that his community (African American) copes with their lot in American society. Written in 1949 Thurman describes how his community survived, the wounds and baggage they all carried, and the challenge of Jesus' love in their lives. This book is essential not only to people of color such as myself, but to white Americans because it gives voice to the impact and consequence of their actions as well. To be heard and recognized is significant for people who are usually not. It matters especially to those who historically have not had a voice. So, this is an encouragement and reminder of our communion confession to hear the cry of the needy. My prayer is that with open ears and compassionate hearts, we will not fail to be an obedient church. One significant story that resonates with our African American brothers and sisters is the Exodus story. The people of God are enslaved and oppressed by their Egyptian rulers. The generation at the time cried out, seeking relief from the lot that they had been given. And hearing this cry God calls upon Moses, the first prophet, to tell God's people that he has heard them and will rescue them from their oppression. God listens to the people and saves them. (Exodus 1:1-11:42) This community can identify with the feeling of having their back against the wall and looking for something that would bring them hope. Hearing the stories of people begins to bridge the gap between differing experiences. There is an opportunity to form an understanding between two seemingly disconnected people and change the way they treat one another. It is not an instantaneous effect mind you, but with enough patience and persistence, friendships form. The fostering of love between people is part of the mission of the Kingdom of God. Love is that emotion that drives humanity to the most considerable lengths, nobleness of causes, and the neckless of actions. Our culture fixates on love. It is mostly romantic, but we must understand that love has a deep and complex history. It goes farther than the romantic feelings that February 14 would have us believe. As pleasant as chocolates, red roses, pink hearts, Valentine's cards, and fancy dinners are, we as Christians have an example of the most reckless and humble love in the person of Jesus Christ. Being a practical part of the faith family, Methodists have historically sought ways to embody that love. That love is not easy and left for our thoughts and convictions; we as faithful people will misstep and not love one another as God loves us through Christ. Things that help us include the stories in scripture that remind us of the type of love we are to show and to who we are to show that love. The love from God challenges our pride and the questionings of our heart's priorities. This love says to love the whole of the person, the positive and the negative, the things we adore, and the things we revile. This love is a hard one because it requires so much effort and intention. It is relatively simple, but sharing our stories of faith, struggle, injustice, joy, and hope are the first steps of reconciliation. Much like our prayers, we do not receive instant transformation. We are called to a life of transformation through small incremental changes and growth. It can be painful at times to share, embarrassing, or hurtful wounds with one another. (Galatians 6:2) But it is the awesome and radical love that Jesus offers that leads to healing and reconnection. Whose stories have you yet to hear? I hope to see you on Sunday at 8:15, NINE45, or 11:15 for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via Livestream. Blessings upon you, and I cannot wait to see you! Blessings, Pastor Garrett #chosen #discernment #holyspirit #blackhistory #howardthurman #sharing #godmoments #aplaceforgrace #placeoftransformation #radicallove

As a rule, good human relationships don't just happen. They may begin with a chance encounter, but they continue with effort. Not that it takes work, but it does take some intentionality from each party. Relationships must be pursued. Often it takes time and effort to become good friends. This is also true for a church family. Just being members of the same church does not mean we have close relationships with others. When trouble comes, and it will come, it is our church family who supports us with love, prayers and maybe a covered dish. Building relationships takes effort and the best building blocks are love, respect, compassion, acceptance and patience. The bonding agent that holds the blocks together is faith in Jesus and each other. How well do you know others in the church? I'm working on that. When trouble comes are you comfortable with sharing it with your church family? Are you in a small group where you can share your heart? If your answer is yes then praise God for the closeness you have established with others. May we all be generous with our building blocks of caring and loving so that we are the family of God at St. Andrew's. #buildingrelationships #aplaceforgrace

I visited in the home of an active church member in Jacksonville, Fla. She said that she had been in the church over 25 years but did not feel like she belonged. Others may not have agreed with her but that was her perception. To ask someone if they belong to a church is a good way to start a conversation. One chooses to worship and serve God in a particular church and this usually leads to a sense of belonging. One cannot experience the joy of belonging unless one is involved in the worship and ministry of his/her church. The sense of belonging naturally follows the investment of one's time and resources. One of the heartaches of the church is to realize that some members will become inactive and lose their sense of belonging. These drift away. What can be done to help these persons to "belong" again? Have you made a phone call or text? Perhaps a visit would be helpful. It isn't enough to just wait for these children of God to decide to come back. Jesus sends us to get them. Give creative thought to what might be done at SAUMC to insure that all members know they belong. It is not only our joy but our responsibility. We want everyone to say of St.Andrew's, "that's my church." #belonging #aplaceforgrace

The season of Epiphany began on January 6 and has as its theme mission and outreach. The Magi found the new born king. God has manifested himself in many ways but most supremely in Jesus who said "if you have seen me you have seen the Father." God continues to be manifested through those who have found the Christ and surrendered to Him. The United Methodist Book of Discipline reminds us that our function is to help others to know Christ personally and to live their lives within their relationship with God. This affirms the Biblical teaching that every Christian has responsibility for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of others. As we enter the year 2020 may the vision of every group related to St. Andrew's focus on this responsibility. Please talk with God as to how we/you can do this. How will you help others to know Christ and to grow in their faith? Epiphany reminds us to share Jesus with others, but that sharing cannot be mandated; it arises from a heart of love and concern. My prayer for the New Year is that God will be manifested in your life and mine. To God be the glory for great things he is doing. #epiphany #aplaceforgrace

The Wisemen of old followed a star and found a king. What do you suppose motivated them to leave their homes in quest of a king? These people were gentiles, not Jews seeking a Messiah. Whatever prompted their coming to Bethlehem, they did not leave disappointed. The season of Epiphany, which began January 6, reminds us that God excludes no one and neither should we. We are to reach out to all persons, that they too might find the King of Kings. We do well to remember that God sent the star to the gentile Magi to show them the way to Jesus. Which star are you following and where is it leading you? Are you delighted with its direction or does it leave you frustrated? If your star is anything or anyone other than the Holy Spirit, you will be disappointed and your quest questionable. Forget the GPS, the star in the soul will give direction to those who walk with Jesus. Perhaps you know someone who is "following other stars." Perhaps you know someone who is down on life. Perhaps you know someone who runs from interest to interest but is never satisfied. If you do, then share the light of your star so that you both will find and follow the King who is Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God. "O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light." #followingastar #aplaceforgrace

by JC Powell Tim called and asked if we might meet and we did. At this meeting he told me that our District Superintendent wanted him to ask me if I would be the interim senior pastor for six months. I was surprised. The Staff-Parish Relations committee was informed and they were surprised. You, the congregation, were told of the appointment change via email and from the pulpit on Sunday morning. You were surprised. Other than Tim and his family, I guess God was the only one not surprised. Because we trust God we always receive His surprises fully expecting Him to show us what to do next. This means, for me, that we stay open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our personal lives as well as the life of St. Andrew’s. I have laughed when telling others that Pastor Emeritus means “old, worn out preacher.” Now I must eat those words. Yes, I am old, but I’m not completely worn out. I will give you my best and trust you and God for the rest. Together we, all of us, will continue to be The Church, where the light of Christ is bright and from which we all go into the world to reflect the light of God’s love and grace. Jesus said to “let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.” No surprises here. It’s what we do as children of God. #godcontinuestosurprise #aplaceforgrace

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 NRSV As the old song says, “And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain …” Maybe a little dramatic, I know. At least I am facing my final blog post. The past seven and a half years have been filled with some pretty amazing moments, some very difficult challenges, many life events of which I have been a part, and a great amount of joy. As a pastor I am privileged to be a part of so many different aspects of people’s lives. I have had the pleasure of preaching about 290 sermons, welcoming over 300 new members and over 100 confirmands, baptizing dozens of babies and a few adults, and officiating at around 130 funerals. I have been in your homes and places of business. Our kids have experienced school and youth group together—and even some graduated from high school together. It has been an incredible honor and blessing to serve as Senior Pastor at St. Andrew’s for these years. July 1 of 2012 I preached my first sermon at SAUMC entitled, “The Most Important Thing.” In that sermon I communicated that the most important thing was to fulfill the Great Commandment. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with everything you have and to love your neighbor. Well, almost eight years later I still believe that is the most important thing. Today I want to share a final thought with you as your Senior Pastor. It really is a little more than one thought. I want to share the five things I hope every follower of Jesus does. Here it goes … 1) Rejoice in Jesus! Really rejoice in Jesus and celebrate your relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the reason any Christian experiences life to the fullest. It is because of Jesus that we are saved. We are all saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. [Ephesians 2:8] Rejoice, give thanks, and praise Jesus for all that you have and with all that you have. 2) Love everyone! Seriously, everyone. Jesus said this is how everyone would know that we are His followers—by our love. [John 13:35] Express love to everyone in your life, especially the ones who love us. Love even those with whom you disagree or who are harder to love. Christ loved us and gave his life for us—this is the love we are to show to everyone. 3) Pray about everything! The Apostle Paul wrote in the verses above—don’t worry, pray. We too often get anxious, worry, take things into our own hands, or worse become hopeless. Don’t! Pray instead. Prayer is one of the most powerful things we can do as followers of Jesus Christ. In prayer we are communicating with the Creator of the universe—everything seen and unseen. Prayer is a demonstration of our belief in who God is and our faith that God will provide. 4) Live in peace! As Paul wrote, it is the peace of Jesus that passes all understanding in which we should live. This is the peace that guards our heart and mind in Christ Jesus. In John 14:27 Jesus calls this peace a gift. We need to lay hold of that gift, open it, and use it as Christ intended. Be at peace with God through your relationship with Jesus. Be at peace with others having the mind of Christ. Be at peace with the world around you remembering that God is still on the throne. If you want a tremendous resource on how to live at peace read The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict, by the Arbinger Institute. 5) Stay focused! One of the realities of life is called drift. Drift is that experience of unexpected or unnoticed movement. Like when you put your towel down on the beach and get in the water – if you don’t pay attention the current will take you away from your towel. This is true spiritually. Perhaps this is the reason the author of Hebrews told us to fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. [Hebrews 12:2] Those who follow Jesus must stay focused—fix our eyes on Jesus—in everything we do: thought, word, deed. Our purpose in life is to love God and love people, and we must stay focused to live this out. I pray that over the years you have seen me strive to live these things in my journey as a follower of Jesus. I also pray that we will all strive to live them out in the years to come. Thank you to everyone for the love, support, and friendship you have shown me and my family over the last seven and a half years. We are blessed by the time we have spent with you. I will be praying for SAUMC during the interim months with Pastor JC and for the long term with your new Senior Pastor. May God bless you all richly as you seek to lead people to experience God’s grace through a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. This Sunday I hope you will join me at our one combined worship service at 10 a.m. for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #afinalthought #aplaceforgrace

by Rev. Garrett Rocha Considering the subject of hope, the thing that readily comes to my mind is superheroes. American culture today has a special love for heroes, as seen by their dominance in our media. They embody the virtues, characteristics, and ideals, after which we strive. One hero that comes to mind that best represents hope is DC Comics The Flash. The Flash made his first appearance in 1940 and has many introductions since then. For those of you not familiar with the hero, he has the power to harness the mysterious Speed Force, allowing him to reach speeds beyond the speed of light. He has earned the title "The Fastest Man Alive." Ever since the hero's debut during WWII, the "Scarlet Speedster" uses his power to save lives and defend those who cannot defend themselves. All between the ticks of a second. [www.dcuniverse.com/encyclopedia/flash] He arrives just in the nick of time to save the innocent from evildoers, natural disasters, and the occasional runaway train. There are many iterations of the hero, and he has had to overcome impossible odds to save the day. There is one story in which Barry Allen embodies the emotion of hope to defeat a foe that would destroy all life in the universe. When faced with an impossible situation that threatens one’s life, it is natural to want someone to intercede on his/her behalf, so everything works out in the end. In a real historical sense, our desire for intervention on our behalf is nothing new. Instead of heroes in fancy Spandex suits, people have prayed to gods of various kinds for help. Each culture and religion have its own set of folk heroes and miraculous events. The Christian scriptures have many examples of heroes and miracles that point to God acting on people's behalf to bring them through to the other side. The world is in constant need of hope and inspiration. Advent reminds Christians that the hope of the world is real and present in the world around us. Jesus embodies the hope of the Kingdom of God that can only be found in God. We see this in the way Jesus represents that promise for the people he meets. Jesus brings the hope of physical healing to the woman suffering many years of bleeding (Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-8). Jesus brings the hope of God's justice as compared to human justice, with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Consider your faith. Why does Jesus bring you hope? We all struggle with deep personal issues and sins. Jesus brings the hope of transformation beyond those limitations, beyond our ability. Give thanks to God for that help as you consider this: How can I embody that same hope for others? In the book, Almost Christmas, Ingrid McIntyre touches on the fact that Wesley was not some disconnected religious idealist. "Wesley saw and experienced the same societal problems as others, but instead of accepting them, he raised hell about them so that the few neglected others could experience hope. (p. 50)" Jesus is present and actively working in people's lives to bring personal redemption and transformation. But that work is hopeful because it is prophetic in how it points to the in-breaking of the Kingdom, as seen in works of justice and reconciliation. Advent reminds us of the hope that God is alongside us to make the world a better place. It is that hope that brings us through tough times, despair, and pain to a place of healing and empowerment. As wonderful and hope-inspiring as superheroes can be, know that the real hope of the world is in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In your prayer time and devotion, I pray that you are encouraged that Jesus is present in the struggles you are experiencing. Know that Jesus is also the present and active hope that the world is seeking after. To bring focus, in this season find the truth in scripture. Read Psalm 51 as a reminder of God's work in all people's lives as they struggle. I hope to see you on Sunday at 8:15, NINE45, or 11:15 a.m. for worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via Livestream. Blessings upon you, and I cannot wait to see you! Blessings Pastor Garrett #discernment #superheroes #theflash #dc #holyspirit #hope #justice #Advert #sharing #godmoments #aplaceforgrace #placeoftransformation #reach #renew #release