Advent 2020 | Day 07

SCRIPTURE:

“but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

HOPE

We recently learned that a couple of our family members got COVID. Praise God everyone was ok - but we were scared. The worst case ended up in the ICU room. He’s using a machine to help him breathe but he’s on the up and up. We were finally able to talk to him today. I’ve been wanting to talk to him for a while, not just because he’s a dear family member but because when he first got COVID, he kept telling everyone that he was scared.

And you know me. I always want to give people a pep talk.

I had one all prepared.

But before you hear the pep talk please know that I am also aware that it’s ok to be scared. I am aware that a pep talk is not always the answer. And I am also aware that sometimes the most important thing a person needs is someone to walk through their pain with them by their side. No words, just presence. And I am also aware that this verse is often taken out of context. But a verse that is taken out of context that leads to hope is always right.

But back to my pep talk. Wait one more side note: If you see me in a sad situation, I’m the kind of person who needs a peptalk. Shout out to those [enneagram] 8’s (I think).

Back to the pep talk. You see this particular person who I am talking about is one of the most devoted Christians that I know. He and his family are always in worship, volunteering, always preaching Jesus at people (for better or worse). They are true to the bone West Virginia Christians. And I love them. So when I heard that he was afraid I wanted to tell him:

“Uncle Jeff (that’s his name by the way), do not be afraid! The worst thing that you can do right now is be afraid. Your fear is going to weaken your body and your body needs to be at it’s strongest to battle this virus. Do not be afraid! This is something that you have heard in church all your life. Jesus and the angels constantly tell us to not be afraid. Uncle Jeff, you have been preparing for this moment all your life! You are such a faithful believer and now is the time to lean on your faith more than ever! Do not be afraid! Don’t even be afraid of death! The Bible teaches us that to live is for Christ and to die is for gain. Don’t even be afraid of death!”

I was finally able to talk to him today. I listened to him and I didn’t tell him everything I just wrote up above. I just listened and I prayed for him. My prayer was a more pastoral way of relating the message I wrote above. After my prayer he cried. I really do hope that he was encouraged. Uncle Jeff’s story is what I automatically thought of when I read today’s scripture. What does hope look like for a Christian who is at-risk and is in the ICU for Covid? How does a Christian who is afraid of dying - soar, run, or walk? I think it’s easier said than done.

But what is faith?
Why are we worshipping every Sunday?
Why are we so active in our local church?

Is it not to be built into people who are not afraid? I think so. We just need someone to remind us sometimes. Kindly. Gently. Prayerfully.

May you be wise with your encouragement for yourself and for others.

Advent 2020 | Day 06

SCRIPTURE:

Luke 2:8-12

COMFORT

It’s interesting how today’s reflection word is “comfort.” If you read the scripture of the day you’ll find that God went out of the way to comfort the shepherds. All of the shepherds got a special visit from an angel who proclaimed the same message to them all, “do not be afraid.”

Why did God go out of the way to comfort the shepherds? What were they afraid of?

Viewing this scripture from the lens of liberation theology will be helpful. Now the following interpretation is not historically accurate, but I am fairly certain that I am on the right track…One can make the case the reason why the shepherds needed comfort was because they were afraid of King Herod.

In Reza Aslan’s book “Zealot,” he reminds us that Jesus came to empower the poorest of the poor. Jesus was a revolutionary who wanted the farmers, and the poor land owners to rise up against Herod’s regime. Herod was taking away land from the poor for his “cause.” In a famous verse we all know where Jesus says “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s,” Reza argues that Jesus was telling Caesar to give back to the people of God what belonged to them, and that was their land. It reminds me of many of the refugees who came from Venezuela during Hugo Chavez’s early presidency.

Hugo Chavez was taking people’s land and saying that he was giving it to the poor. I recall the many stories of regular people who worked hard to purchase land to then have the government take it away in the name of “socialism.” We all know that Venezuela’s socialism quickly turned into an exploitation of the poor and a dictatorship that ruined a prosperous nation. Just ask my family.

Side Note: I have nothing against socialism, but socialism may be good on paper but in the hands of the wrong leaders it quickly turns into corruption. Ask Cuba and Venezuela.

So maybe the shepherds were afraid that King Herod was going to take away their land. Maybe they were afraid that they were going to lose the little bit that they had worked so hard for. They needed a message of comfort. They were under a regime that lead with fear, that abused it’s power, and that only made the richer richer and the poorer poorer.

But the prophecy of Jesus comforted the poor by telling them that the government would be powerless over the new Kingdom. The new Kingdom will not be fueled with hate, power and fear, but the new King will bring healing and comfort to the oppressed.The message of Jesus has always been good news to the poor. And today’s scripture is another example of that. The shepherds needed comforting, but they represented all who were oppressed under King Herod. The oppressed, working on the fields, needed to believe that God was on their side in an era where those who they were supposed to believe failed them.

How is the message of Christmas this season (and every season) good news to the poor?

I pray that this Christmas the poor would especially feel the comfort of God because of the messages we preach and because of generosity they experience from the church.One simple way that you can help the poor is by donating socks to your local shelter. Or by calling a local shelter and seeing that they need.You can also tip a little more when you go out to eat during this season. Or you can think about who needs a little extra love in your circles and go out of your way to show them God’s love. Think about the people of Wesley who could use a little extra love this season. May those who need comfort during this season experience an abundance of gifts and love from the people of God.

Let’s do our part.

Advent 2020 | Day 05

SCRIPTURE:

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

PROPHET

There’s a couple of things that I know about being a prophet. Not because I am a prophet, though I did prophesy Wesley would be canceled last year. RIP.

Here are some thoughts from memory on prophecy.In seminary we learned all about prophets. Prophets are God’s messengers. They do not always tell the future. Sometimes they do. Their message often is a message of repentance. The Bible is filled with major and minor Prophets in the Old Testament (look it up). In the New Testament prophecy is a specific spiritual gift that some people in the church have. One can also argue that the characters in the New Testament all had prophetic aspects to their ministry. There’s also a bunch of prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled in Jesus.

The most memorable lesson I learned about a prophet is that the word prophecy is also translated as burden. It was a burden to be a prophet. Most prophets did not want to be a prophet. Why? Well because the work was so hard. People didn’t believe you, people made fun of you, your life was in danger, you were viewed as crazy and most of the time the message that God had for the prophet was so counter-cultural that it challenged the powers of their time. Don’t strive to be a prophet. Let the ministry of prophecy be given to you by God. Perhaps one of the sure signs that God is calling you into a prophetic ministry is if you DON’T want to do it. Anyone who strives to be a prophet is likely just someone who likes making people mad. They like the “booos” lol. Yet, the work of prophecy is an important role of the church and many of us are called to it.

Besides the characters in the Bible, who is a prophet? Name me a couple. I can think of one right away. Martin Luther King. He believed God called him to proclaim the message of de-segregation. There were many times where he wanted to quit because he was tired of the death threats. In the end, he was killed.But the world needed his message.Today, reflect on the prophets of past and present. Those who were and are brave enough to go against the culture for the sake of the culture.Also, reflect in humility if you were like me and strived to be a prophet.Let the ministry of prophecy come from God, wrestle with it, and then when you find enough courage to (as they say in the real estate world) “do it scared,” then you know you’re on the right track.

Advent 2020 | Day 04

SCRIPTURE:

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.

Proverbs 3:27

SERVE

We just arrived in Charlotte, NC to spend a couple of days with Charity’s cousins. We left at 10:30am and arrived at about 10:30pm. It was a long 12 hours, but we are here safe and sound. It’s 40 degrees outside and we can’t wait to spend time with this side of the family. I gotta say that her cousins are some of the nicest people that I have ever met and they are not Christian. They are nicer than a lot of Christians that we have met. Shoot they’re nicer and more thoughtful than me!

The reason why they are nice is because they do the big things and the little things to make us feel special. They have always been great hosts when we stay in their homes. They are patient with us and always seem to have a special zen about them. They are generous with their food and drinks, and they are responsible parents who are great role models. It’s also the little things that they do that remind us how special they are. It’s the way that they go the extra mile that also catches by surprise.

Tonight when we arrived Cruz (and Arie) were so excited because not only did they let us stay in their house, but they bought Arie diapers, set up the guest room for us, but they also got a little gift for Cruz and Arie (Cruz is very excited about opening it up tomorrow). It’s the little things sometimes that’s the big things.

Today’s reflection word is “serve.” I first thought of the servant hearts that Charity’s cousins have. Let’s learn from them. Try and do something unexpected for someone this week. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, it can be something as small as a phone call or a little gift you got at the convenience store. I’d love to hear what you did to help someone feel special. We will be here for four days and I am confident that I am going to constantly use the words “you didn’t have to do that,” “please let me pay for that,” “thank you for being such great hosts…..”

I see God’s prevenient grace in Charity’s cousins and it’s teaching me about how I can be a better servant to others. Love you guys!

Advent 2020 | Day 03

SCRIPTURE:

Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Psalm 62:1-2

WONDER

What did God teach you when you were a youth? Not when you were a baby. But when you were a youth.

I am guessing here that the Psalmist is referring to the lessons he learned at the age that he remembers learning. Or at least as far as he can remember. What are those lessons?

For David, when he was a youth he learned how to protect his sheep from lions and bears. And those lessons prepared him for the biggest battle of his life. David also learned the lessons that a younger child learns. He was the baby after all. The Bible tells us that David was often overlooked. He was the weakling. But maybe as the weakest in strength, he actually saw God’s hand more than the ones who depended on their own strength.

Truth is that God has been speaking and teaching us throughout our entire lives. We may not understand the lessons while we are going through it but looking back we can see God’s hand in it all.God has been teaching us not only in the church, but also in every area of our life. As a parent and (future parents) we have to be careful. Because our children will learn more from their parents than they will from the church. What are we teaching them? Whatever it is that we are teaching them I hope that they can praise God for the parents they have.

I was asking Charity today to reflect on what she learned as a child. She talked about the hard work that was instilled in her from her grandmother. She talked about the tough lessons she learned at age 18 that was the darkest times of her life. Those lessons taught her enough to move away and seek a different life for herself. She talked about how her grandmother also taught her about the importance of family. There’s lessons in every stage of our life. Lessons that we learn in the darkness that God uses for good. And there’s good lessons we learn that make us even better.

Take some time today and reflect on the lessons you learned as a child if you had a great childhood. Then take some more time to reflect on the lessons that he taught you during the darkest parts of your life. And thank God for it all.

Personally, among many lessons I am thankful for, I’m glad I grew up in Miami. It taught me about culture, languages, passion, and hustle. I’m also thankful for the lessons I learned being raised by a single mom. It makes me want to be the best dad I can be and the best husband I can be. I praise God for the lessons of my youth for better for worse.

They made me the man I am today.

Advent 2020 | Day 02

SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 62:1-2

Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2

Salvation

One of the interesting things about David is that before he became a memorable King and leader, he spent a lot of time in the desert. David was often in the desert running away from his enemies.

I remember when I went to Jerusalem sitting in the bus and just seeing desert lands for miles and miles. On one stop we were told that David likely roamed this desert and stayed in the caves to rest. There’s nothing in sight in those deserts. Nothing but Oryx, and salamanders, polecats, gazelles, and foxes. David must of been scared.

What would our prayers sound like in a cave?
What would we write in our journals if we were innocent fugitives escaping the hands of a powerful regime?

For me today’s devotional gave me a new perspective on what prayer is. What if Prayer is not only a time to talk to God, but it’s also a time to remind your soul of who God is. What if prayer is sometimes about talking to yourself to remind yourself that God is going to help you again. What if prayer is a pep-talk for your soul through the power of the Holy Spirit?

I hear David here giving himself a pep talk. Remind himself that God is going to protect him from his enemies. Reminding himself with scripture that God will save him.Today or tomorrow find time to remind yourself of who God is in your life.

Write it down, repeat it to yourself. Believe it. Because it’s true. Or find time to ask yourself, “Why aren’t you finding rest in God?” Find time to see what is making your soul weary. Dig deep. Then ask yourself if you have been shaken by forces that were never meant to take your strength. David says, “I will not be shaken.” Ask yourself what step you can take to be unshakable. It’s going to involve work. Works of Piety and/or Works of Mercy.

Give your soul a pep talk. Remind it of who God is. And try and build an unshakable soul.

Advent 2020 | Day 01 Part II

SCRIPTURE:

Genesis 12:1-9
Mark 10:29-30

Journey [Part II]

When I moved to seminary it was the first time I left home. Some of you left home when you were 18 but I left home after undergrad. It’s just what Spanish people do lol. Truthfully, the only reason I left Miami was because I felt as though God called me to leave. Otherwise I would have probably stayed in Miami.

I had a hard time at first. But I always connected to the story of Abraham. I always read his story and saw it as my own story. I would constantly remind myself that I left my country (Miami is technically another country), my people, and my household because God wanted to bless me.And you know what. Even though there were many moments where I struggled, I look at my life today and I truly feel blessed.

I love living in Orlando. It’s perfect for a family.
I love the church and my friends. I love Wesley. I have a loving wife and kids who WONT LEAVE ME ALONE! (because they love me). And I have a really nice house. I grew up in small apartments in low income neighborhoods so in comparison, my house is like a mansion.

I’m blessed. And so are you.

Especially if you put yourself in Abraham’s shoes. Use this story to remind yourself that God is with you.

If you feel far from home, far from friends, and if you feel like life is changing too fast, read today’s scripture and remind yourself that God is with you every step of the way. Receive the words God spoke to Abraham as your own. Pretend it’s God speaking to you. This scripture kept me sane when I was confused.

If you notice in this scripture one of the first things Abraham faced on his journey was a famine. (verse 10) Interesting. God blesses Abraham, tells him to move to another place, and then a famine. Doesn’t seem like such a blessed life. Well, sometimes life throws famines, pandemics, unemployment…. and in Abrahams case near death experiences. It’s all part of the journey.

When John Wesley died his last words were ,

“The best of all is that God is with us.”

That’s probably what I would tell Abraham during his season escaping a famine. I’d say “Abraham, God is with you even though you’re in a terrible situation. God’s promises will come to fruition in your life. Just stay faithful.” You know something Abraham did not. We know from reading the story that God eventually did bless Abraham. He just needed to stay the course.So stay the course with this mindset. God is with you. God loves you.

God has not asked you to uproot your life to not give you everything in return tenfold. This is another scripture that I would reflect on when I was struggling in seminary. Mark 10:29-30
It’s very similar to today’s reading. Love you guys.

PS
If you are a Bible nerd, notice the similarities between Abraham and Jesus. Both fled to Egypt. Try and notice more similarities. Dig Deeper and ask the question “Why did Jesus experience a similar life to Abraham?” I can write another small devo about that but it’ll be another 2 pages or so. Until tomorrow! Love you guys and please let me know how Wesley can help.

There are three ways we can help.

1. Prayer. Please send us prayer requests.

2. Money. If you need financial assistance please don’t be afraid to reach out!

3. Conversations. Reach out if you need some encouragement!

Advent 2020 | Day 01

SCRIPTURE:

Genesis 12:1-9

Journey

Hello beautiful Wesley people. It sucks that we will be away from each other for so long. I am going to miss you. I also want us to stay connected as much as possible. We are always here for you.

I wanted to try and write a daily devotional through Advent. I got an Advent daily scripture reading from the UMC and a word to focus on for each week. That’s where the title “Journey” came from. This is a two part post. On the second post I am going to expound on the scripture for the day. Read a long with me and share your thoughts.

If you don’t know what Advent is it’s the beginning of the Christian calendar and today is the first day of advent. Advent is also the beginning of Christmas. For more information on Advent go here :

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-know-christian-calendar/

I love the idea of seeing your life in seasons. I think I’ve preached 3-4 “season” sermon series. I love seasons because it’s a reminder that every year has ups and downs.

I love listening to each of you as you prepare for Christmas. I see your moods change. It’s like more people look forward to that seasonal change because it also comes with a mental change.

It’s a dis-orientation or a re-orientation towards the joy of Christ.

Just a side note that I also appreciate the season of Lent. I appreciate lent because we reflect on the pain and suffering Christ endured, and we endure. This seasonal mindset cannot be complete without knowing that pain is part of the journey.

But it’s Christmas! Time to reflect on Hope, Peace, Love and Joy!

So….I say, sing your Christmas songs if it makes you happy! Watch your corny Hallmark movies! lol. Be happy! Let Christmas make you happy. It’s suppose to. After all it’s really the Holy Spirit working through the liturgical calendar that makes you happy. It’s God!

Question of the Day: Are you in the Christmas spirit? What brought it on? Was it a song? A movie?

For me, I felt the Christmas spirit when we decorated our refrigerator. We have these magnets that create Santa Clause and a Snowman. It’s cute. Charity’s idea. When I put those up I slowly started getting in the spirit and next thing you know I put up the elf on the shelf, Christmas lights, and I started singing “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

”What brought on the Christmas spirit for you?

June 2nd Update

AUTHOR: ERWIN LOPEZ - PASTOR OF WESLEY AT UCF

Tonight is a special night as we premiere a video we made for our seniors. We love our seniors so much and are thankful for the many ways that they have blessed Wesley. They have volunteered their time to do the beautiful and messy work of the church. They have led small groups, preached sermons, washed dishes, washed feet, witnessed and performed baptisms, made friends, laughed and from time to time roast me. All of which I am extremely grateful for. They have taught me so much as a Pastor and I know that we will be friends for eternity wherever their paths lead them.

I felt that is was also necessary for me to write a post about our current times. Our videos are pre-recorded and we did not discuss George Floyd, the riots, racism, and our current situation in today’s video. I feel a bit ashamed because I was taught at Duke Divinity school the words of MLK, the ministry of Oscar Romero and have always been inspired by gospel leaders who speak against injustice.

This is why at Wesley we have spoken against racism every year, why we share a table with people of different religions, and why we invite all people into our space and most importantly our hearts. This is why the farmworkers fighting for equal pay have served communion in churches I serve and visit us at Wesley to remind us of the struggle of our time.

At Wesley we will continue to learn, grow, and preach against the sin of racism. We will encourage our students to take peaceful action and we will strive to continue to educate ourselves on how we can be allies.

On June 16 I will be devoting the entire service to the issues of racism. We will discuss it in such a way that we will honor our theme of unity, joy and creativity during this pandemic.

Make no mistake. We are watching. We are praying. We are marching. We are learning and we will continue to do so as we always have.

I hope you enjoy tonights service and join me in honoring seniors who are actively speaking against racism and doing everything they can to be a voice to our brothers and sisters in the black community.

-Erwin Lopez

Remembering Alyssa Lewis

REMEMBERING ALYSSA LEWIS

AUTHOR: ERWIN LOPEZ - PASTOR OF WESLEY AT UCF

Alyssa with her “Big” and “Grand Big”

(From Left to Right) Christen, Chloe, Alyssa

One of my professors in seminary once said something to the effect of, “You should be so involved in your church that if something were ever to happen to you the church would feel the absence of your presence.” He encouraged the congregation to be more than a Sunday worshipper. He encouraged them to build relationships, to serve the community, to make an impact with their gifts, talents and services. I’ll never forget those words because since that day I have preached them myself. I have encouraged students to be more than a Sunday worshipper but to be a person who serves the church with their whole heart and to leave a lasting impact in their communities.

   I share this story because this is the kind of person that Alyssa was. She served the communities she was in with her whole heart. She poured herself into everything that she did and now that she is no longer physically present every community that was graced by her presence feels the deep void of her absence. She embodied the words of my seminary professor.

   I’ll never forget about how I first heard about Alyssa. She was an active participant in our freshmen ministry but she barely came to Wesley on Tuesday nights, come to find out it was because of a scheduling conflict. It seems as though everyone kept coming up to me to tell me “Have you met Alyssa?” Our leaders and her colleagues would come up to me and tell me, “You have to put her on leadership. And you have to put her on outreach. She is willing to talk to anyone and she has a huge gift for inviting people to church.” I remember she came to Wesley one Tuesday before we had our leadership applications and I told her that in order for her to be on leadership she had to attend Tuesday night for the rest of the semester consistently. That was the Spring of 2016. She agreed and respected our requirements and I promise you that ever since that day, she never missed a Wesley service.

   She attended our freshmen mission trip to South Carolina, on which I drove the 15 passenger bus for the 30 hour drive round-trip. She sat next to me for at least 16 of those hours. She was my buddy. We talked about her friendships in high school, I quickly learned about her sass as she gave me directions to our destinations, she made me laugh, she laughed at my jokes, she told me my bad jokes were bad but she accompanied me. She was my buddy that trip. She knew that I needed someone to make the long drive bearable and she was willing to be the person who kept me company. I’ll never forget that time together.

   Once she joined leadership everyone was right about her. She was committed to our ministry and had a gift for outreach. She was willing to talk to just anyone with boldness. That’s one word that most of us use to describe her. She was bold. She was fearless and she made Wesley a better place for it.

   I felt compelled to write about Alyssa because she taught our community so much. She taught us to not be afraid to invite people to church, to not be afraid to engage new people in conversation. Alyssa taught us the importance of community and I know that she valued the friendships she made at Wesley calling them not just friends, but family. She was a special girl who could become anything that she desired. She could’ve ran for president, could’ve been a doctor, she was one of the brightest people in our ministry and she possessed a gift even greater than intelligence, she had the gift of grit. She was a young lady who was strong, independent, and willing to overcome any obstacle that was thrown her way even if she was crying, crawling, or struggling through it.

   It was a blessing to be her Pastor and I wish I had spent more time with her. My family and I are broken hearted as are many of our students. But as Christians we believe that she is in a better place where there is no more suffering, no more pain, and that she is at peace with our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I have no doubt in my mind that Alyssa is in heaven because she was a faithful Christian who had a deep connection with God. She is going to be truly missed and our ministry will never forget her.

   One of my favorite songwriters wrote a song for his passing grandmother and he writes, “You’re still singing, singing your song, You’re still giving even when you’re gone.” Every time I hear those lyrics I think of Alyssa. Even though Alyssa is gone physically she is still giving, she is still singing. Alyssa has left a lasting impression in my heart and has forever inspired me to live life with more meaning.

   I believe that we each carry a little bit of Alyssa in our hearts. Every time we share her story, every time we imitate her boldness, every time we gather together and appreciate one another a little bit more knowing that life is fleeting. Every time we serve with our whole hearts we remind each other of Alyssa. Her life sang a song to the world and we will forever remember the melody and music she brought into our lives. Her song will forever live in our hearts.

Alyssa,
you’re still singing, singing your song,
you’re still giving, even when you’re gone.