One of the great hymns of the church- “O God our Help in Ages Past”- has a line in it which says: “Time like an ever-flowing stream bears all who breathe away…”

I guess many of us think about time this time of year as 2009 fades into 2010. Whenever a year passes, we say things like: “time and tide wait for no one,” or “time sure flies when you’re having fun.”

When you’re young time seems endless, the future is spread out in front of you. When I was in first grade, our teacher asked us to think about what we would be doing in the year 2000. I remember thinking: “Will I live that long? Will I be able to do anything if I do?”

Shaun Connery was being interviewed on late night television. He told about filming a movie deep in the hinterlands of Scotland. Every day he said: “I would rise up early and have breakfast. My limousine driver would meet me out front and I would get into a temperature controlled car and ride a few hours to my destination. At the end of the day, I would get back into my car and ride back to my motel.”

He said: “Every day I noticed an old man. On my way out he was walking, and on my way back in he was walking back.”

He said: “I asked my driver to stop one morning and I asked the man if we could give him a ride. I told him that we would pick him up in the morning and take him to where he wanted to go and then on the way back we would pick him up and take him home.”

The man said: “No…” Connery said: “Why not?” The man said: “What would I do with all that time?”

Connery said that he and the man were living in two different worlds. I was living in a fast time, moving as fast as I could get to where I was going. The man was living a step at a time.

The truth is that when we get older time doesn’t go faster really. It’s still 24 hours a day. But, it sure seems to go faster, doesn’t it?

Last Sunday, I used Paul’s letter to Galatia as my text: Chapter 4:4-7. Paul says: “In the fullness of time, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law…”

In the fullness of time means when the time was right, when the time was ripe, as ripe as a peach on a tree, God sent forth his son. We would say that when Jesus was born it hardly seems like the right time. But, some theologians say that the time was ripe in that Rome had built roads to everywhere in the known world to enhance trade. Even sea routes were regularly travelled to import and export goods.

The time was right for the Gospel to be spread throughout the world.

In a day or two, many will gather in Time Square to await the coming of a new year. Many will not think much of the meaning of time.

Our culture, in fact, teaches us that if time is to have meaning it must come from us. Time is something to be manipulated and planned out. Our faith teaches us that if time is to have any meaning at all, it must come from God. God has plans for us that we do not yet know.

Only God knows the times. Time is a gift to be lived, not frittered away. In our time, God sent forth his son to claim us as his children.

Happy New Year!
Dave Nichols

We watched the movie: The Nativity Story. About 70 or so people came. Children, youth, and adults all came. And, when it was over, we all had wet eyes. It is one of the most moving movies on the Christmas story that I have ever seen.

It is beautiful in its simplicity, just like the Christmas story itself. A young mother, a really young mother and an older Joseph are married. Their marriage is arranged, as all marriages are arranged back then. Mary and Joseph both see angels and hear them speaking. Mary is pregnant, “with child” as the King James version says it.

Her would-be husband is astounded at it. Her parents are embarrassed. The community gossips and points. Still Mary maintains she has done nothing wrong.

In the middle of it, an order comes from Caesar that everyone should return to the town of their origin to register for the tax. Joseph and pregnant Mary start out; she is riding a donkey. He is walking, leading the donkey.

There’s a wonderful scene when they get to Bethlehem. Mary is just about to give birth. In desperation, Joseph carries Mary in his arms from door to door asking for a place to stay. An innkeeper tells them that he only has room in the cave, where the animals lodge.

Within minutes, Mary delivers the baby Jesus and Jesus is laid in a manger. Heavenly visitors have proclaimed to the shepherds that Jesus the Savior is born. Astrologers from the east arrive after months of tracking a star.

The whole thing ends with Mary and Joseph running to Egypt to escape the furor of Herod. It’s a simple, wonderful story of love and hate, of violence and peace, of suffering and joy.

One person said that they had forgotten just how hard people back then had to live. But mostly it was the simplicity of a mother expecting a baby and a husband remaining faithful. It was the simplicity of a God who comes into the world, not by going down to capital city, nor to the religious and political leaders, but to Bethlehem to a simple couple.

The God whom we worship and adore is just the kind of god who makes his appearance in the filthiest place in the world, in the place where animals lodge. Every baby is a miracle, but this baby is Savior of the world. This one is the Redeemer in flesh.

In the midst of a world of turmoil and violence and change, in a world of hatred and bitterness, in a world of darkness, like our world, the Messiah is born. Listen as the baby cries in the night. There are so many babies crying on this night. But, this baby cries so that no one ever will have to cry in the night again- without hope.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

During these Sundays in Advent, we have been using Isaiah 9:6 as our focus. In this passage, it’s the eighth century. The Assyrian Empire lurks at the borders of Israel (the northern kingdom). Israel has entered an uneasy alliance with Syria in the hope of keeping the Assyrians back. But, all Assyria wants is to gobble up every small country on its way to the Mediterranean Sea.

Soon Israel will be overwhelmed by the Assyrians and Judah (the southern kingdom) will be threatened by the approaching empire. But, something happens, an act of God, and Assyria turns away. Judah will go another 150 years or so before being overrun by the Babylonians.

In this darkness, in a world that is changing rapidly, in a world threatened by empires and kingdoms, Isaiah speaks his word. Isaiah 9 foresees the coming of Messiah. A child will be born; a son given to us. His name shall be called: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The church looked back at that passage and heard Isaiah speaking his word and saw in Jesus the fulfillment of this prophecy. Jesus is: Mighty God. He is Messiah come to save the world.

Last Sunday I talked about “Mighty God” and its meaning. We know about might in this world. We think of power and strength. The word for God here is “el”, a familiar name for God in the Old Testament. We see it in the name of our church- Bethel which means house of God.

Messiah is God mighty in power, wisdom and love. You can see why those who expected Messiah did not see it in Jesus. Jesus is born in a stable, the place where animals lodge. He, who had no place to lay his head, comes to offer himself is love for the world.

This is “mighty God”. This is God’s might clothed in weakness and wonder. Isaiah was probably foretelling the coming of the king Hezekiah. But, the church looked at it and said: “More is going on here than we know.” Jesus of Nazareth born in Bethlehem is the Messiah. He is might clothed in weakness.

Every Christian knows that this is the way God does business. God does not come to live in palaces or great kingdoms. His kingdom, his reign, is present in weakness, and in suffering love.

At a recent graduation, I heard a woman from the Middle East crying out in faith and in celebration: “El,El,El”. She sang it rapidly in that high, squealing, voice which which we are familiar. We hear it on television sometimes when there is a funeral procession in the Middle East. She is crying out: “God, God, God…”

During Advent, we yearn for that Messiah who has come and will come. We yearn for his kingdom of love and light. We yearn for the one who will make true peace. To him and for him all our prayers ascend.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Everyone has commented this year especially that every year there seems to be a concerted effort to extend the Christmas shopping season. I don’t know if there’s anything concerted about it or not. I don’t mean to imply that there is something necessarily sinister about it. It’s just that every year it gets longer. This year it seemed to me that as soon as Halloween arrived we were asked to think of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas as the holiday season.

Now, I understand that merchants and shopkeepers certainly rely on the income from Christmas to support them business the whole year. And, I know many of them and they are not evil people. They are people who are simply trying to make a living.

Sunday, November 29, the season of Advent began with the lighting of the first Advent candle. Advent is the church’s way of saying: “slow down, take it all in, think, pray, reflect.”

Advent marks the beginning of the church’s year when we begin telling the story all over again. The color is purple and is about majesty, royalty, and repentance. The king is coming to visit; get ready. Make preparations. And, keep your eyes open for where he might appear to you.

I imagine that this year will be a little different for most of us. For one, we are given permission to think of this season and how to celebrate it with less concern for gifts and more concern with giving.

This year, some of my church folk, asked if we might do something to help children. We investigated and found that last year in Spartanburg County the Salvation Army had care for 1300 children’s Christmas needs. This year, they have some 3000 to care for.

So, we put out an angel tree with fifty children’s names and they were all picked the first Sunday. We got some more and people are still pulling them.

The problem for all of us is not that there is crass commercialization out there. We don’t have to wait for Christmas for that. There are always those out there who are simply out to get to your money.

The problem is when we don’t say anything more or give anything more or share anything more at Christmas so that the real story of Christmas is not displayed and preached and shared. So, pray, and love, and share, and give as you always do, all to the honor of the one who comes among us as a baby.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Say it with me: “We are so blessed.” We are so accustomed to thinking about life in a closed-fist sort of way rather than thinking of life as abundance, an abundant gift from God. And, God has not stopped giving. We are so blessed.

After the wedding of our second daughter which is chronicled earlier on this blog (I think I told you part of this before), everyone left. Everyone left except the caterer and Mary and me. We sent our younger daughter home because she had a “bug”. Betsy, the eldest daughter was there but not really into doing much. We loaded up her car and sent her home.

Mary and I finished packing up the food that was leftover. They asked me what to do with it and I said: “Throw it out…” But, Mary, who is more patient than I, sometimes, said: “No, we’ll take it with us. I don’t think she knew how much was left over. Everybody ate their fill and left and we had all this food.

Now, as a child, I learned to clean my plate because it’s a sin to waste food. I still think that but it was about 10 o’clock and we were exhausted.

We packed all the food, every last bit of it. I drove home wondering where we would put it all or what we would do with it. I drove carefully, dodging potholes, not turning too quickly until we go to the house.

There, we unloaded it and Mary finally got to eat something. Then, Mary suggested that we take the leftovers over to Miracle Hill, the homeless shelter. It was nearly midnight.

I told her to call and she did. They said to come on they’d help us unload it. We packed up the car, again, and headed out. We drove around back through the gate and they directed us to the building where about six men came to help us. In just a minute everything was gone.

I yelled out to them as we got in the car, “God bless you!” Several yelled back, “he does every day.”

I nearly cried. I asked Mary: “Did you hear that?” Here I was in whatever state I was in, and here a man, with little or nothing, said he was blessed. What right did he have to say he was blessed everyday, unless he had a great faith.

It’s Thanksgiving- family, friends, worship. For once, don’t focus on what you don’t have or what you lack, focus on this: “We are so blessed.”

Here we go. Say it with me: “We are so blessed”.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

The first full-time appointment that I served was a three-point charge (three churches). I’m trying to remember. I think the entire budget for that charge was around $60,000. And, we had among the three churches 300 members. So, every year we had no problem raising the money to meet the maintenance, and ministry needs of the churches. Staff? I was it, of course. No stewardship campaigns or appeals. We didn’t need them.

My second appointment was to one church. (You remember that United Methodist pastors are appointed to their churches by the bishop.) We had 218 members and the budget was around $60,000. Again, I was the staff and we raised all we needed. No stewardship appeals were needed.

Then, I heard God calling me to start a “new” church down in Goose Creek (north of Charleston is all you need to know). Mary and I and Betsy moved to Goose Creek where we had 8 adults and six children waiting on us to get started. You need to know, if you don’t already, that I’m a little crazy and I was very young. After six and a-half-years we had 300 members and 250 active. We met in rented space for over four years and then built our first building to the tune of $400,000. Our small congregation then assumed this and the budget. Or, should I say we tried to assume it. The average age of the congregation was 27.

We moved into the new building in June of 1989. And, some of you will remember that hurricane Hugo hit in September bringing some damage to our new building. For one month, we missed getting much in the way of offerings. Then, in December we had a record snow fall and missed two more Sunday’s offerings. Did I say they were 27 or so? Did I also say that we didn’t have any reserves or history?

With God’s help, and some radical measures we made it. Then, we moved on to Socastee UMC where we have a huge debt on a new sanctuary. I moved in and met with the Treasurer who told me that we had about $18,000 in the bank and had paid no apportionments that year. Apportionments are United Methodist mission and denominational causes. “OK”, I said.

Then, we served Clemson UMC and next I was District Superintendent for six years in Rock Hill. And, in 2006, we were pleased to be appointed to Bethel UMC in Spartanburg. Here our budget is one million plus dollars and there are, counting Day Care and After School, some nearly 30 staff members. We have two huge mission trips- adults and youth. We have great youth and children’s ministries. We have a staff second to none in providing leadership in music and worship, pastoral care, and nurture. There is so much that God is calling us to do. And, every year we are privileged to talk about stewardship as we plan next year’s mission budget.

And, what happens, the economy drops. Every church and organization and business is feeling the pinch. We have had to make adjustments as we pray for our people to get work again and our culture to return to some movement forward.

Sunday at Bethel we will be celebrating the privilege of being Christian givers and followers of Jesus Christ. No sacrifice that we make can compare to God’s sacrifice (giving) for us. As we are faithful, we imitate the faithfulness of God to us. And, we trust in all things that God will provide.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Last Sunday Nov. 1 just happened to be All Saints’ Day. All Saints’ Day is always the day after All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween). Some say that Halloween had it’s origins in Celtic pagan practice. The Celts believed that at this time of the year, the end of summer, that the spirits, both good and bad were allowed to roam the earth. The good spirits were welcomed; the bad spirits warded off. They believed that at this time of year the border between this life and the next grew thin. As with other secular holidays, the church baptized it and made it a Christian holiday called All Saints’ Day or All Soul’s Day. We, in the United Methodist Church do not worship the saints, but we do admire them. On All Saints’ Day, last sunday, we named the honored dead, those who had “died in the Lord…” Scripture assures us that living or dead we still belong to God. We had twenty honored dead. Looking over the list you might wonder about the sainthood. All of them were human beings living their lives in the service of God in Christ through the church. Several years ago, a country singer sang about his wife who put up with anything from him. He sang: “She’s a saint, even thought I know I ain’t”. To be a Saint in Biblical understanding is to be someone who reflects the glory of God in all of life. A little boy noticed the stained-glass windows in church and that there were people, images, in them. These are some of the Saints, he was told. The boy said: “I can see the sunlight through them…” That’s it. It’s not that any of us are perfect, far from it. On any given day, our thoughts and actions…well, you know, don’t you. But, as we seek to live out God’s gracious claim on our lives through Christ, we pray that someone might see the light of God through us. Do they? Wherever you are, say a prayer that God will reveal himself not only to you, but to all you meet.

 See you in Church!

Dave Nichols

Every year near Reformation Sunday we celebrate this Sunday, All Saints Sunday. Martin Luther, in the 15th century, nailed his 95 theses on the door of Wittenberg Cathedral. This was how you got something discussed. In this university community which was always considering new ideas, and novel approaches, supposedly, you nailed new ideas, or papers to the door of the church. This got you a hearing.

Martin Luther nailed up his 95 theses and started a firestorm of conversation, gossip and discussion about the church.

Sometimes I think we ought to have a way to do that, discuss things, I mean. If there were some public square where we could as a church discuss the church and our faith openly. A suggestion box is a poor substitute for honest and frank discussion.

Once a friend of mine served as associate pastor. He and the Senior Pastor asked members of the congregation to answer a survey. The main question was: what is your greatest dream for your church? They got two responses from the church. One was about my friend. It said: “Ask the associate pastor to quit smoking.” I don’t remember the other response.

My friend was depressed for weeks. They had expected dreams and visions for the church and the only thing members of the church could say was “make the associate quit smoking.” Well, that’s good advice for anyone. But, where is the great debate about the church and our faith?

You might say that that great debate is always going on. We Methodists who have open hearts and minds and doors sort of believe that there is something here worth fighting and arguing about.

A number of times in the Gospels, Jesus catches the disciples arguing. They argue about which disciple is greatest. They argue about children in church, about who will be left and right of Jesus in the kingdom. They argue about passing the peace or communion by intinction. They argue, that’s for sure. But, where is the great debate over things that really matter, the truths of our faith? Where can we talk openly, discuss freely without fear?

The possibility of meaningful discussion in the public square is passing. The culture moves more and more toward an enlightenment view of the world. The enlightenment taught us that you can talk out in the open about anything you want except religion because religion causes wars and rumors of wars. And, if you can just get people to quit talking about religion and ultimately the Christian God or Jesus, then we will be able to live in relative peace.

And, we do bear some responsibility for our part in any religious wars and violence. Our history is mixed. We Christians do take up arms against others. We have hurt and wounded in the name of God.

Much of the war and violence in the world was done by Christians who started thinking that it was alright to use weapons of violence against others. 

So, we reason that if we can just keep people from getting too heated over religion then we won’t have war. So we have this uneasy truce with our culture. We can say all we want to say about God or faith or religion as long as we do it in here. But, you can’t say it in school, or on the street, or at work, or at play; religion is a private matter. Just keep it private and everything will be well.

You just can’t have people who believe things deeply running around all over the place.

It is a judgement on us that we are seen as people who are more mean and cruel than anybody else.

But, what if there were a place where we could discuss the faith openly without fear.

Sunday School was like that for me. I will never forget Ms. Gladys. Gladys taught the high school class in our church for years. One Sunday, it was in the on the tailend of the turbulent sixties. She said: “Jesus was a radical.” I got upset. How dare anyone call Jesus a radical. So, I reacted, got angry. She smiled. Another guy said that saying Jesus was a radical meant that Jesus was radically different form the people around him. Of course, she was right. Jesus was a radical. But she didn’t know then that I was growing up to be a preacher.

We have to make room for honest, frank discussion about our faith. Where did we get the notion that we all have to be alike. Surely, there are some basics of faith. That’s why we say the Apostles’ Creed every Sunday to call us back to the truths of our faith, but…isn’t it possible to find a way to talk openly about our faith?
Blessings!
Dave Nichols

I went for the first time ever to the Dermatologist this morning. My children are regulars there with skin issues going way back to acne, etc. Something came up on my face about six years ago. It didn’t hurt and I was fine with it. It’s my face, after all. But, Mary, my wife, has not been ok with it from the beginning. So, it took her around six years to wear me down. I cave much quicker on other stuff.

So, I went in this morning and took off my shirt and sat down. The doctor, a wonderful guy, came in and introduced himself. He asked why I was there. I told him my wife made me come in. He said: “Gee, I’ve never heard that before.” He’s awfully funny.

I showed him the place on my face and he found another 10 or so places just like it. He looked and said (using very scientific terms) that it was harmless “warty” stuff that comes with maturity. I said: “Oh good. I’m so glad it has nothing to do with aging.” He offered to take the thing off my face, but said it was ok with him. So, I allowed as how if it was ok with him, it was great with me.

There is a cyst on my back that he can remove if need be but it was ok too. So, I posted my results on facebook and I’ve gotten all kinds of interesting remarks. One guy says his wife tried to get his “warts” off with nail polish remover. One of my “friends” said that for insurance purposes these things are called senior acne.

There are some good things about maturity. Of course, the maturity I’m talking about has nothing to do with age. It can have something to do with age but it doesn’t have to. I’ve seen younger people with a lot of maturity. And, I’ve seen older people with the maturity of a teenager.

Jesus says: “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Perfect means something like maturity- maturity in love. If we are fortunate, we live to grow older. And, I hope with God’s help, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, that we are growing into maturity as well.

And, remember God loves us “warts” and all. Thank God.
Blessings!
Dave Nichols

Yesterday, at Bethel, thanks to Maureen King and the Senior Adult Council we had our annual Veteran’s Luncheon at Bethel. It was well-attended; it always is. The speakcer was Brig. Gen. Ed Hall who has taught at Wofford College and has been a leader in the ocmmunity for many years. He talked about what it means to be a soldier. It was moving as he talked about the soldier and the families who were part of their service. Dorothy Voss led in music from the “war” era. And, we sang, ending it all with God Bless America.

It still amazes me how many are still around who served in World War II. What a wonderful group: the greatest generation. There were people who had served in WW II, Korea, and Vietnam. I have always admired those who gave/give themselves in military service to our country.

I graduated from high school in 1970 and the Vietnam War was winding down. You remember that it ended officially in 1973. As I remember, our country went to a lottery system. Each person with a Draft Card was assigned a number based on their birthday. Those with lower numbers would be called first. I remember that my number was 50. I thought I would be called, but was not. Some of my friends went, of course. Some of them died. One good friend died in a Jeep accident.

I would have gone. My family was one that believed in duty and service. I was on my way to seminary, in my first years of college. But, my number didn’t come up. Since then, we’ve gone to an all-volunteer service method.

My churches served military people when I was in Charleston. There at least 30% of my people were active military, mostly Navy. Some were in the Air Force.

In Myrtle Beach, many were in the Air Force until the base was closed. Many others were retired military, there for the services at the base and for the beach.

Everyone prays for an end to war; the soldier prays it most. We give thanks for all those who have been willing to give themselves in service to their country.

Blessings!
Dave Nichols