Olive Crest United Methodist Church
7180 North 60th Street
Omaha, Nebraska 68152

Our Pastor

Rev. Debra Tompsett-Welch

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Hearts

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The Spiritual Life

May 1998

The Voice of God in Serendipity and Waiting on God.

By Rev. Michael Lee Burgess

God has been trying real hard this month to get through to me. It started while I was getting ready for last Sunday. For a while I was stuck on the sermon so I decided to pick up my E-mail and maybe even weed through some of the old stuff (as in read months old stuff so I can erase it off my hard drive). In an old letter I found a file called "A Love Story." I glanced through it and went on. But late that night, while I was trying to relax and go to sleep it came back to me and would NOT leave. I got up, subtitled the story "Do You Love Me?" and handed it out on Sunday with the Bulletin. It perfectly matched the Gospel Reading. One of our sisters-in-Christ, Angela Kroeger read it and it reminded her of an experience she had on Maundy Thursday that she had never shared. She felt compelled to write it down and offer it to us for the Olive Branch. I will finish this article by sharing it with you.

The other touch of God happened when I went to a quarterly district briefing to study the paper "In Search of Unity." They were offering copies of some of John Wesley's Sermons as resource material. It has been many years since I read any, so I picked up three. I thought to myself, "They will probably get lost before I read any, I have a huge list of 'must read someday'." But this week I kept finding the same one on the top of my desk. As I was reading, I began to understand the pain I feel because so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ are angry with each other, feeling that the "rightness" of their cause is more important than the love they have for each other. So I would like to share with you the final part of John Wesley's sermon in Schism.

19. I entreat you, therefore, my brethren, all that fear God, and have a desire to please him, all that wish to have a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man, think not so slightly of this matter, but consider it calmly. Do not rashly tear asunder the sacred ties which unite you to any Christian society.... It is a thing evil in itself. It is a sore evil in its consequences. O have pity upon yourself! Have pity on your brethren! Have pity even upon the world of the ungodly! Do not lay more stumbling-block in the way of these for whom Christ died. 20.... Never encourage, much less cause, either by word or action, any division therein. In the nature of things, "there must be heresies," divisions, "among you;" but keep yourself pure. Leave off contention before it be meddled with: Shun the very beginning of strife. Meddle not with them that are given to dispute, with them that love contention. I never knew that remark to fail: "He that loves to dispute, does not love God." Follow peace with all men, without which you cannot effectually follow holiness. Not only "seek peace," but "ensue it:" If it seem to flee from you, pursue it nevertheless. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

21. Happy is he that attains the character of a peace-maker in the Church of God. Why should not you labor after this? Be not content, not to stir up strife; but do all that in you lies, to prevent or quench the very first spark of it. Indeed it is far easier to prevent the flame from breaking out than to quench it afterwards. However, be not afraid to attempt even this: The God of peace is on your side....Do what in thee lies, and God will be present, and bring thy good desires to good effect. "Never be weary of well-doing: In due time thou shalt reap if thou faint not. (sermon LXXV, pages 409-410)

Why should we bother to do this very hard thing of peacemaking? Why should we live around error and those who think differently than we do? I found that answer in Angie's sharing, I hope it also opens you to resting in the God who waits on you with open hand and heart...

At the Maundy Thursday service, during the time of meditation, some thoughts came into mind, and I would like to share them with you.

I recently read a story about a man who invited Jesus to come live with him. He prepared the finest room of his house, and when Jesus arrived, the man took Him up to His room and said, "This is Yours! I invite You to stay as long as you like!" That evening, demons attacked the house. The man fought them off alone, while Jesus stayed in His room. The next night the demons attached again, and the man has to battle them alone again. The night after, the same thing happened once more. Exhausted and battered, the man went up to Jesus' room and asked why he did not help defend the house. Jesus replied, "You've only given this one room to me. This room is safe." The man understood, and he gave his whole house-his whole life-to Jesus. That night, Satan knocked on the door, Jesus answered. Seeing Jesus instead of the man, Satan looked bewildered, "I must have the wrong address," he mumbled meekly and departed.

I remembered this story during the meditation, and I began thinking about how God can only come into our lives if we invite Him in freely and completely. This is a very hard thing, and often I would believe myself incapable of it. I pictured my heart encased in steel plates-very rough, uneven, and encrusted with gunk, inside and out. The steel bits were all welded together very solidly, with no gaps. I couldn't let God-or anyone-in, nor myself out.

Suddenly, during that moment of mediation, a new image came into my mind. The steel barrier was replaced with an eggshell-smooth, pure, and white. Instead of an impenetrable barrier, my heart is now encased within a fragile eggshell. And I see God crouching over the eggs, patiently waiting for it to hatch. God is waiting for me to emerge into His presence-when I am both ready and able to do so.

Then my mind was filled with the picture of many, many eggs, with God watching and protecting them all, patiently and lovingly awaiting the time when each egg-each one of us, His children-will hatch. I came out of the Maundy Thursday service feeling hope. I wanted to share that hope with you. --Angela Kroeger

Your brother-in-Christ, Reverend Michael Lee Burgess

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