Baseball

July 20, 2025
Acts 2:42-47
“Baseball”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Baseball”. This message is part of an ongoing series titled, “The Power and the Glory”. We will be reading from Acts 2:42-47 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 23.

Call to Worship Psalm 23
Leader: The Lord is my shepherd
People: I shall not want.
Leader: He makes me lie down in green pastures;
People: He leads me beside still waters;
Leader: He restores my soul.
People: He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Leader: Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
People: I fear no evil, for you are with me;
Leader: Your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
People: You prepare a table before me,
Leader: In the presence of my enemies;
People: You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Leader: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
People: All the days of my life.
Leader: And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
People: My whole life long.

Questions for Further Reflection:
When Luke tells this story, he emphasizes the communal aspect of church.
Why is community so important for church members?
Why is church community so important for outsiders?

Halftime Recap

Brothers and sisters,

It’s been a while since I’ve done a recap article here in the Illuminator. In the past, I’ve waited till the end of the year to write about some of the things we’ve done over the previous twelve months. We’re a little over halfway through the year, so this week, I want to remind you all of some of the things that we’ve done in the last few months.

One of our biggest projects was back in April. We participated once again in Operation Inasmuch, a week of service that seeks to live out Jesus’ observation in Matthew 25:40. We put together care packages for struggling people here in Durham. We made Thinking of You bags for members in our church who can’t come as often as they’d like. We cleaned up around our church, making the space more hospitable to everyone who comes through.
One of the projects for Operation Inasmuch was a planned trip to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC. The original volunteer day had to be rescheduled, but we still had folks go and sort food for the disadvantaged in our area. In fact, that project was so popular we have another group going in just a few days!

In May we hosted Jordan High School students as they took their AP tests, providing them a safe, quiet, consistent space to take these tests. All the teachers involved spoke highly to me about our facilities and about the church members they interacted with. It was a great way to be a good neighbor!

In June, we took a church trip to the North Carolina Museum of Art to take in the gifts and talents given to artists by God and to ask ourselves questions about our faith. And, of course, we also started our Super Saturday Adventures for the summer, providing the children in our community with a place to come and learn and fellowship with other people. They’ve learned about God’s love for them in Creation. They’ve learned about God’s love for them in difficult times. And they will continue to learn about God’s love on the 26th of this month!

We’ve done a lot over the last few months and there is even more to do in the coming months! God makes a lot of promises to us in the scriptures. One of them is that, as servants, we have a lot of work to do! But the other wonderful promise God makes is that work will be good, fulfilling, life-giving work. Let us continue to serve our God, draw closer to each other, and be a light for our neighbors!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Cookouts

July 13, 2025
James 2:14-26
“Cookouts”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Cookouts”. This message is part of an ongoing series titled, “The Power and the Glory”. We will be reading from James 2:14-26 and our Call to Worship comes from Proverbs 22.

Call to Worship Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 16, 22-23
Leader: A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
People: And favor is better than silver or gold.
Leader: The rich and the poor have this in common:
People: The Lord is the maker of them all.
Leader: Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
People: And the rod of anger will fail.
Leader: Those who are generous are blessed,
People: For they share their bread with the poor.
Leader: Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
People: Or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
Leader: Do not rob the poor because they are poor,
People: Or crush the afflicted at the gate;
Leader: For the Lord take up their cause
People: And will exact life for life.

Questions for Further Reflection:
James is very clear in this passage — faith without works is dead.
What are some things you can do in your everyday life to show your faith to others?
How can you show them you care?

Fireworks

July 6, 2025
1 Thessalonians 5:15-24
“Fireworks”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Fireworks”. We will be reading from 1 Thessalonians 5:15-24 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 118.

Call to Worship, Psalm 118:1, 21-26, 28-29
Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
People: His steadfast love endures forever!
Leader: I thank you that you have answered me
People: And have become my salvation.
Leader: The stone that the builders rejected
People: Has become the chief cornerstone.
Leader: This is the Lord’s doing;
People: It is marvelous in our eyes.
Leader: This is the day that the Lord has made;
People: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Leader: Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
People: O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
Leader: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
People: We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Leader: You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
People: You are my God, I will extol you.
Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
People: For his steadfast love endures forever!

Theology of the Savannah Bananas

Brothers and sisters,
Last week, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to answer a simple question: can a banana play baseball?

Jokes aside, last week I went to D.C. to attend a Savannah Bananas baseball game with friends. The Savannah Bananas are an exhibition baseball team that travels around the country and plays a different kind of baseball in various stadiums. Basically, they’re like the Harlem Globetrotters, but baseball. The Bananas play against other exhibition teams and place a heavy emphasis on entertainment. For example, the first out of our game was a pop-fly to left field. So, the outfielder just put his glove up and caught the ball, right? Not this guy. He caught the ball mid-backflip and did a “superhero landing”. Beyond that, there were dance numbers, a toddler race, a pitcher on stilts, and more!

But there’s one thing the Bananas emphasize above all else—the fan experience. Banana Ball (the version of baseball they play) is focused on making sure fans never get bored. There’s a two-hour time limit—no 12-hour, 24 inning games here! Bunting is outlawed (you’ll be thrown out of the game if you bunt). Walks are wacky (after ball four, every player on the team must touch the ball). And if a fan in the stands catches a foul ball, it counts as an out! The team will go into the crowd during games to celebrate with the fans and sometimes a fan will be brought out onto the field to participate in the shenanigans. But one other thing caught my attention about their love for their fans.

Scrolling through Instagram after the game, I saw a video on how to try out for the team. They emphasize four major things with the first three being pretty obvious: high-level baseball experience, entertainment ability, and social media presence. But the fourth I appreciated. In the video they say, “The name of the organization is Fans First Entertainment. That means you will never big league a kid who wants your autograph, you will always put the fans first, and you will always be a good teammate.” I mention that because I appreciate the humility the Bananas project. In less than ten years, they’ve become this phenomenon with appearances on SportsCenter, games on ESPN, and sold out stadiums all over the country (they sold out Bank of America Stadium, where the Panthers play, twice—meaning 150,000 people over two nights!). And yet, the philosophy is still, “Fans first.” We heard that a lot last Saturday—how grateful they were, how much they appreciated us being there—and it shows.

Humility is something that we Christians ought to know something about. It is a major point in our theology and our understanding of our relationship with God. We believe that we ought to be humble in the presence of the Lord, acknowledging our dependence on God for all things. We ought to be humble in the presence of other people, believing that they have some-thing to teach us, some gift to give us. We believe that we are saved because Christ himself, God in the Flesh, was willing to humble himself enough to come to earth, live among us, suffer death on a cross, and still seek redemption and reconciliation for all of us. To be Christian is to be humble. It is to think of the needs of others first and figure out what we can do to meet those needs. All of it in the service of our God, who loves us more deeply than we could ever imagine.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

When the Fire Burns Out

We look forward to joining you in Worship, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Our guest speaker, Isabel Packevicz, will bring the message, “When the Fire Burns Out”. We will be reading from 1 Kings 19:1-18 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 85:8-13.

Call to Worship, Psalm 85:8-13
Leader: Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
People: For he will speak peace to his people,
Leader: To his faithful,
People: To those who turn to him in their hearts.
Leader: Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
People: That his glory may dwell in our land.
Leader: Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
People: Righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Leader: Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
People: And righteousness will look down from the sky.
Leader: The Lord will give what is good,
People: And our land will yield its increase.
Leader: Righteousness will go before him,
People: And will make a path for his steps.

Making a Name for Ourselves

June 8, 2025
Pentecost Sunday
Genesis 11:1-9
“Making a Name for Ourselves”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Making a Name for Ourselves”. We will be reading from Genesis 11:1-9 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 104.

Call to Worship, Psalm 104:24, 27-30, 33-34
Leader: O LORD, how manifold are your works!
People: The earth is full of your creatures.
Leader: These all look to you to give them their food in due season;
People: When you give to them, they gather it up;
Leader: When you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
People: When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
Leader: When you take away their breath,
People: They die and return to their dust.
Leader: When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
People: And you renew the face of the ground.
Leader: I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
People: I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
Leader: May my meditation be pleasing to him,
People: For I rejoice in the LORD.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, the people of Babel try to “make a name for themselves.”
What does it mean to you to “make a name for yourself”?
How might that lead you away from God?

Bulletin for Sunday, June 8, 2025

Creativity and Hope

Brothers and sisters,

I’ve mentioned this a few times now, but I’ve been thoroughly enjoying a fantasy book club I joined earlier this year. We meet at a bookstore in Chapel Hill once a month and we talk about the latest fantasy book the leader of the club has chosen. Five months in, I’ve enjoyed all of the books we’ve read — some definitely more than others.

Well, last Thursday, I went to chat with the other book club members about a book called City of All Seasons. It’s a very new book, having literally come out this May, that is co-written by two respected fantasy authors. The novel is set in the island city of Fairharbour and is told through the perspectives of two cousins, Jaime and Esther Pike. Sounds simple enough, until you learn that, because of tragic circumstances that happened decades earlier, the cousins have been separated since Fairharbour exists in two different, overlap-ping dimensions. Jaime’s Fairharbour is stuck in eternal winter and is governed by the oppressive Doormen. Esther’s Fairharbour is stuck in eternal summer and is terrorized by the paranoid Fenestration.

The plot of the book surrounds Jaime and Esther’s attempts to communicate with each other and unravel the mystery of what happened to split Fairharbour in two. And it’s the way they communicate that I want to write about a little bit. See, Jaime and Esther are both tinkerers who learned how to make things from their uncle, Pawel. They communicate with each other by creating new, interesting things that recall their shared childhood, slipping these to each other at places where the two Fairharbours bleed into one an-other (in other words, Jaime finds places not covered with snow and puts his object there, knowing Esther will find it, while Esther finds little patches of snow and places her creations there, knowing Jaime will find them). Their creativity, their connection, and their hope of reuniting keeps them going and does, eventually, help them figure out what happened to Fairharbour all those years ago.

What I appreciate the most about this story is the connection the authors make between creativity and hope. When we create something for someone else, we draw on our knowledge of them and we make something that we believe will bring them joy. We make something that reminds them that they are loved. And I would argue love and joy naturally lead one to hope. As Christians, isn’t our hope tied up in the idea that God loves us deeply? Is our hope not defined by the joy God gives to each of us? To be able to build connections with other people is to create com-munity and a sense that we can do great, wonderful things. If we will place God in the center of it all, we will find that creating and connecting with others connects us more fully to God.

So, over the next few weeks, I would challenge you all to create something for someone you love. Maybe it’s a craft. Maybe it’s a meal or a special dish. Maybe it’s creating a day where the two of you spend time with each other doing something you love. Regardless, think about them and their joy, and create something that sparks it.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

P. S. There is a review on the cover of City of All Seasons that calls it, “Deeply different, strange, and fascinating…” Rarely has a review so quickly encapsulated a book. City is deeply atmospheric and moody, with just enough plot to call itself a novel.

Power From God

We look forward to joining you in Worship, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Power From God”. We will be reading from Luke 24:44-53 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 93.

Call to Worship, Psalm 93
Leader: The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty;
People: The Lord is robed, he is girded with strength.
Leader: He has established the world;
People: It shall never be moved;
Leader: Your throne is established from of old;
People: You are from everlasting.
Leader: The floods have lifted up,
People: O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice;
Leader: The floods lift up their roaring.
People: More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
Leader: More majestic than the waves of the sea,
People: Majestic on high is the Lord!
Leader: Your decrees are very sure;
People: Holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, Jesus tells the disciples that power will come to them from God.
What are the keys to understanding the power God gives each of us?
How can we use that power to lift up our neighbors?

Bulletin for Sunday, June 1, 2025

Stand Up

May 25, 2025
Sixth Sunday of Easter
John 5:1-9
“Stand Up”
Rev. Benjamin J. Wines

We look forward to joining you in Worship this Sixth Sunday of Easter, starting at 11:00AM in the Sanctuary. Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “Stand Up”. We will be reading from John 5:1-9 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 67.

Call to Worship, Psalm 67
Leader: May God be gracious to us and bless us
People: And make his face to shine upon us,
Leader: That your way may be known upon earth,
People: Your saving power among all nations.
Leader: Let the peoples praise you, O God;
People: Let all the peoples praise you.
Leader: Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
People: For you judge the peoples with equity.
Leader: Let the peoples praise you, O God;
People: Let all the peoples praise you.
Leader: The earth has yielded its increase;
People: God, our God, has blessed us.
Leader: May God continue to bless us;
People: Let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, Jesus heals a man who’d suffered for years.
Why is his question to the man important?
How does Jesus’ power dispel despair?