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on this page. To e-mail Rev. Earl, simply click on the link that is part of
his signature following each message."Rev. Earl's Musings" is a regular feature prepared for friends and members of St. John's United Methodist Church in Lutherville, Maryland, by its pastor, Rev. Earl E. Mason. The current issue can be found on the "Message" page of St. John's web site as well as in the printed church newsletter, "The St. John's Story." This page of recent "Musings" offers the opportunity to pause and reflect on the issues raised.
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January 2000 Musings
Dear Members and Friends,
We are beginning a new millennium. As I am writing this at the end of the old millennium, I have no way of knowing if any of the computer or terrorist fears associated with the start of the new millennium will take place. Of course, if you are reading this, the post office must still be working
As I cannot predict the future, I will take a few moments to reflect on the past. At the end of the first millennium, year 999, the big concern was, if it would mark the time when the Lord would return. As the angels said when Jesus ascended into heaven, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11) Jesus said of his own return, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." (Matthew 24:27)
Since the last millennium, much has happened scripturally speaking. The nation of Israel was reestablished in 1949, the communication systems available today has allowed the gospel to go out to all nations, and we hear of far more wars and earthquakes than we ever could mentally digest. All this could be seen as fulfillment of prophecy about the end times. So we are waiting, as it says in our United Methodist Book of Discipline . . . "until he return to judge all men at the last day." (Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules, Article 3) As this will come, according to Jesus, at a time we least expect, I do not wish to further explore prophecy as to when it will be. To me, the question for the next millennium is the same one Jesus asked almost 2,000 years ago as recorded in Luke 18:8 ". . . when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth?" Of course, the personal, bottom line is when the Lord returns (or we go to the Lord) will he find faith in us.
I heard it said long ago that "if Christianity became a crime, would they find enough evidence to convict you" or as Jesus said, "Also I say unto you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God; But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God." (Luke 12:8-9) The point is, that until the Lord's return, there is much work to be done here. There are many hurting people out there. There is an emptiness inside that many feel, that cannot be filled except the Lord be there.
he great joy, hope, and peace we find in worship is something many have not found. The closeness we have found in God, who is our sure anchor in time of trouble, is something many have not experienced. I believe the hope we have in Jesus Christ is the only real hope this world has. We as followers of Jesus must care for those in need both spiritually and physically, as long as we are able or until our Lord's return. It may make no sense to some but it is our joy to do this.
Yours in Christ's Service,
March 2000 Musings
Dear Members and Friends,
As many of you have noticed, much is happening here at St. John's United Methodist Church. Thanks to the Trustees, we have newly painted rest rooms and fixed floors. Plans are in the works to replace the Fellowship Hall ceiling (the old tiles occasionally give out and fall) and paint the walls. New drapes have been donated and should arrive soon. The United Methodist Women are looking into purchasing some new chairs. Thanks to volunteers, we are looking to paint the kitchen and hallways (call the office if you are interested in helping.) We also finally have hot water in the men's room downstairs.
There are other changes that are a little harder to see, yet even more profound. We had 15 persons go to Leadership Days, sponsored by our conference and tremendously popular with 1200 that attended the session in our area. Those 15 members came back excited about all the opportunities and ideas they received there. Some of these have already been implemented.
Another exciting happening is the FaithQuest Bible Study. Over 30 members of our congregation have joined this 18-week journey of spiritual transformation that has the potential of impacting not only individuals but also the church and community we serve. It is possible to still join this journey as the demand was so great we started a third class on Sundays from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Lent (the six weeks before Easter) starts March 8, Ash Wednesday, with two special services here.
This is a traditional time of sacrifice, repentance and change. This as you can see is not something limited to Lent. Hopefully, Lent will bring an even deeper awareness of what is possible with the Lord's leading here at St. John's UMC. If you have not been here for a while a lot of inactive members are coming back. We really would love to see you and let you catch the excitement of what the Lord is doing here and through St. John's congregation. Also if we have not met and you need to talk, please feel free to call. I am your pastor. I would like to be your friend. If you live out of the area, let us know what the Lord is doing in your life and where you are worshiping.
Yours in Christ's Service,
April 2000 Musings
Dear Members and Friends,
As Bishop May (our United Methodist Bishop for the Baltimore-Washington Conference with about 225,000 United Methodists under his care and leadership) shared, in most families there is not the same enthusiasm for Easter as there is for Christmas. What a loss!
The coming of Christ celebrated at Christmas is important. We relate to it in part by looking back to our own birth. Easter doesn't look back. It looks forward but not the forward of a special birthday. It is looking forward to our own death and beyond. It is having hope because of one event and a promise our Lord made in John15 . . . "I go to prepare a place for you." This literally changes everything. As we would say in our FaithQuest Bible study, it is a new paradigm. Such a new way of looking at things that life will never be the same. Death no longer has power over us because we can see beyond it to life eternal. We can live in that eternal life.
How can things, that wear out, rust or can be stolen, consume us? We don't have to run like a dog chasing its tail, with our goals always just out of our reach or even worse if we obtain our goals. Then we find they did not give us any lasting joy, hope or peace. These best come from daily living in eternity with Jesus. Which of the problems of life that rob us of the joy, hope and peace the Lord wants to fill us with, really matter? How many of these problems will matter ten minutes after we are gone? How important will the person cutting us off in traffic, or the bad review from a boss be to us in just a thousand years?
We don't need to allow this world to upset us when we live in eternity. Some problems we face will still remain yet the Lord will also help us with them. This is enjoying and living in eternity. With Easter we don't have presents to buy or decorations to put up. We need simply to take in the tremendous heighth, breadth and depth of what the Lord has given us. The entire Easter story has so much. The joy of public adoration on Palm Sunday yet knowing how quickly public respect can change. On Thursday, we remember Jesus' fellowship with friends at the last supper yet knowing that one who ate with them would betray him. On Friday, we remember his humiliation and death. Jesus died not just for the sins of the world. He died for you sins, your nastiness, your failures, your mean spiritedness, etc. He took it all to the cross with him that day, so that by faith in the forgiveness of God through his son Jesus, we should not be weighed down by sin and failure but lifted up by faith.
Easter is our victory over death and life. This year please don't miss any of it. If you are too far away to come here to St. John's, then share it with your brothers and sisters in Christ where you are. Every week here seems to be better than the last. Come, share, don't miss out on all of the Joy, Hope and Peace that can fill every part of your being in eternity with Jesus Christ in the here and now.
Yours in Christ's Service,
May 2000 Musings
Dear Members and Friends,
For the church, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are at the center of history. All things prior to Christ's death on the cross can be seen as leading up to that great event. It was here that the brokenness of the world and the separation that it felt from God were healed. In Christ's death he overcame the sins of the world and our sins too.
We no longer need to be separated from God because we are not perfect enough to merit his love. We know his love is so great that he is willing to accept all who want to be his followers and to be a part of his kingdom. The kingdom of God has no end, and not even death can keep us from it. Christ overcame death that Easter morning and witnessed in a new and powerful way that he is truly the Son of God and all power has been given to him. Because of his resurrection, we too have our hope for a new and abundant life no longer limited by this world or its values, or even death. As the church has responded for almost two thousand years to the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, so may each of us respond in our own life to the constantly renewing power that is in Christ Jesus.
It is, after all, our response to Christ that makes Easter a continual experience of newness in our lives. Easter Sunday has again come and gone, but because of the existence of Christ in our daily lives, Easter has not passed us by.
Yours in Christ's Service,
June 2000 Musings
Dear Members and Friends,
The people had gathered from all over the world to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. For many, it was a once in a life time experience. Some had come through dangerous land routes and others on small ships where the danger was drowning instead of robbers.
They came to remember God's deliverance of his people out of slavery in Egypt over 400 years before. They came to remember a physical deliverance and were told of a spiritual deliverance. The Messiah had come. The Lord had died on a cross but was not angry at them. He loved them. He came back to show death was not the end. The people could rejoice, for once the cross had a happy ending. People still need physical deliverance from imprisonment such as drugs and alcohol and the Lord can give it. People also need spiritual deliverance. June 11 marks the day of Pentecost found in Acts 2. Spiritual deliverance came at Easter and it was manifested in the lives of the believers on Pentecost. We are not bound by our past mistakes.
Are you as close to God as you want to be? How much joy, hope and peace do you want? Worship can lift your spirit whether it is with the choir and organ of the traditional service or the band in the contemporary service. It can be the joy that anchors our lives for the week to come. Passover marked physical deliverance. Pentecost marked spiritual deliverance. Christ offers you both.
Yours in Christ's Service,
Summer 2000 Musings
Dear Members and Friends,
Recently at our Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference meeting of over 730 United Methodist Churches in our area, our bishop shared his goals for the next four years.
Bishop May's top ten priorities are church growth and evangelization, ministry to and with youth, stewardship education and development, the conference's partnership with Zimbabwe, care for the aged, ministry to and with persons addicted to substances, recruiting and training persons for pastoral ministry, witnessing for justice at every level of government, expanding the role of laity as mission disciples and through vocational guilds, and reducing the administrative overload of pastors and superintendents.
This inspired me to think about my personal goals as pastor of St. John's United Methodist Church for the next 10 years. There are only three. First, to care for the persons of St. John's remembering the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to Peter after the resurrection when he said, "Feed my sheep." To me this involves preaching, counseling, visiting, teaching, and any number of other areas working with the people here at St. John's. Second, to follow the Lord's lead. This to me means following what the scriptures say and the Holy Spirit directs. It also means to take advantage of the gifts and talents the Lord has given us for the furthering of the work of the Lord.
For example, many years ago, while visiting in the hospital, a man said to me that he felt the church that I was serving ought to have a boy scout troop. I agreed knowing that it wasn't really going to happen. Then the man said, "I have the skills and background and would like to lead the troop." My response to that was, "Now we have a scout troop." This is not anything I would have attempted to establish but it was easy to see this is what the Lord was leading him to do. Third, to reach out in the name of Jesus Christ to the world around us. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement in the seventeen hundreds said, "The world is my parish."
A pastor is paid not for the work done but to free him or her up for the work to do. Reaching out in the name of Jesus Christ involves missions and outreach. The scripture passages in these areas are far too numerous to list (it would take pages). Suffice it to say, if we do not do this, St. John's may be a great place to be, but we will not be the church of Jesus Christ. These are my goals. Now, what is the Lord calling YOU to become and do in your life?
Yours in Christ's Service,
October 2000 Musings
Dear Members and Friends,
While driving through a valley one day, I saw some trees growing in small cracks in an almost solid stone hill. I would not have expected anything to grow there. I know, in time, the roots of the trees will cause the cracks to widen, and slowly this seemingly almost solid stone will become more and more covered with trees.
The Lord does a similar thing with people who may at first seem so hard hearted, no love could grow there. Yet, the Lord can change the lives of almost anyone. It may be as slow as the growth of the roots of a tree in a crack in the rocks, or as quick and dramatic as an earthquake. Of course, while trees can grow in rocky places, they do much better in rich soil. The same is also true of our spiritual lives. I believe St. John's provides that kind of spiritual soil to anyone who will avail themselves to it. I think most of us will agree it can be a pretty rocky world out there.
This was true as well in Jesus day too when he said, "Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest." St. John's can be a place of shelter, rest and growth, as we grow together in the Lord.
Yours in Christ's Service,
November 2000 Musings
Dear Members and Friends,
From 1590 to 1607 a group of Christians, who wanted to worship God a little differently than was proscribed by the Anglican Church in England, formed a new congregation of about 100 people.
This is not uncommon here today, yet in England back then it was illegal. They fled to Holland and eventually migrated to America, where they established the Plymouth colony. They lost over half their number that first winter in 1620 to starvation and disease. They suffered a lot to worship the Lord but few quit and returned home. They must have had tremendous faith and commitment to do what they did. They had to take worship very seriously to go to so much trouble.
Far removed from this, when I was a missionary for a brief time to the small war torn west African country of Liberia, they saw our coming as a sign of hope. They even placed our teams' pictures on the front page of the national paper. If the missionaries were returning maybe this cease fire, as partial as it was, might hold. In the evenings, persons would gather from surrounding villages to our backyard for Bible study.
As 7:00 p.m. would approach, we would close the study as there was a curfew after which persons caught out of their village were usually shot on the spot. Our efforts to close the study each evening always met with the same objection. "No, we want to study the Bible. We will sneak back. We won't get shot." Of course, we never wanted that responsibility and dismissed anyway. What commitment these persons had who were trying to find out about Jesus.
While there are many such modern day examples of faith, most seem very distant to us with the freedom to worship the Lord as we have come to enjoy. Yet somewhere along the line something happened in this land of religious tolerance and freedom. We went from "It doesn't matter what church you go to, it is all the same God" to "It doesn't matter if you go to church."
Faith to me is a pilgrimage not something we achieve and move on to other goals. If one wants to be close to the Lord, it takes being ‘intentional' about it. There is no other way. If we only think about God when we see a beautiful sunset or in some momentary crisis, concerns of the day will soon drive those thoughts away.
There are three ways I know to grow in the Lord, no make that four.
It is like a four-legged table. Our faith rests on all four and to have less makes our faith wobbly or unstable. I know this is not possible for some because of illness, work or other problems. God knows what we can do and never holds us responsible for what we truly cannot do. I ask for your prayers for a religious awakening in this country and around the world.
Your brother in Christ's Service,
December 2000 Musings
Many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Bethlehem. There I saw the cave that was used as a stable that precious night so long ago. I learned from our guide that many pilgrims coming at Christmas leave disappointed. With the various traditions that exist around the world, it doesn't look like Christmas in Manger Square.
The guide explained "we do not decorate because it is being here that is important." It is very easy to get caught up in all the activity and obligations while losing sight of the spiritual side of Christ's coming at Christmas and into our hearts.
As we share in the Christmas season, let us prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord. There are Christmas specials on television, cards to write, decorations to put up and people to see. There is much to do.
Let us also take time to let the Lord into our lives. Read the Christmas story in Matthew 2 and Luke 2 (read Luke first). Take time to share in the worship of the Lord and the many special programs of Christian fellowship. Reflect on the Christmas story and the importance of being part of Christ's family.
He came not just for the world. He came for you.
May the Lord be with you during this holiday season and may the joy of His coming be renewed in your heart and soul.
Your brother in Christ's Service,
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