June 2024 - Heaven and Hell – Do We Believe?

One of my friends, shared this story shared in the Easter Sermon by their pastor.  I searched the internet to see if I could find who originally wrote the story, to no avail.  It was quoted in many blogs, church websites, sermon illustration databases, and YouTube.  So, I don’t know the author.

“In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?” The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.” “Nonsense” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?” The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.” The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.” The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.” The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one has ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.” “Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.” The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?” The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.” Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.” To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear her loving voice, calling down from above."

Everything I know about Hell, I learned from Dante’s Inferno.  The Bible says very little about Hell.  The Bible only says a little bit more about Heaven, in terms of a life after this life.  But using the story above, as a springboard for conversation, what I realize is that I know what Hell is.  It may be darkness, silence, and oblivion, as much as it could be the fiery fires that Dante suggests.  In either case, it is the absence of God.  If Hell is the absence of God, then Heaven is the presence of God.  And as Jesus told his disciples, the Kingdom of God comes near to us all the time.  Or as the one twin expresses.  We are surrounded by God.  We are of God.  It is in God that we live.  Without God, this world and we would not and could not exist.  And sometimes, when we are silent and we focus to really listen, you can perceive God’s presence, and hear God’s loving voice, calling.

Come to Worship!  Let’s listen for the voice of God together!

Blessings!

Alan

May 2024 - Taking Time to Be Holy

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
abide in him always, and feed on his word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
forgetting in nothing his blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like him thou shalt be;
thy friends in thy conduct his likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
and run not before him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
and, looking to Jesus, still trust in his word.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
each thought and each motive beneath his control.
Thus led by his spirit to fountains of love,
thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

These words penned by William D. Longstaff around 1882 still speak to us today.  In fact, as busy as it seemed to Longstaff in 1882, I think he’d be amazed at how the “world rushes on” today.  Today as I write this, there is a rummage sale going on at the church and I am caring for last things before I leave to attend the United Methodist General Conference.

As I read through the words of this song, I realized that all of us need to be careful about the busyness of our lives be it at a rummage sale, a general conference, a hospital room, work, home, church, play, or anywhere else.

We need to make sure that we are taking time to be holy.  As your pastor, I cannot be holy for you, nor can you be holy for me.  Each of us must make sure that we take the time to “be calm in thy soul”, to give ourselves over to God that each thought and motive are under control of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  We are called to abide in Christ and open our hearts so that Christ may abide in us.  We need to feast on God’s word.

We need to feast on God’s word; we need to gather together as God’s family and share in worship of God together; we need to gather in Bible study that the depth of the word may be discovered and unfold in our lives.

As we follow the Lord, as we allow God’s Spirit to lead us to the fountains of love; we will find ourselves ready for that day in which we meet God face-to-face.  But between now and then, let us discover Christ within each other already at work.

I look forward to when I see you again!

Alan