From The Pastor

Brothers and sisters,

It is incredible to think that Advent is already upon us! This coming Sunday, November 27th is the first Sunday of Advent. It is the first Sunday that we begin to turn toward the manger and anticipate the arrival of the Christ child. And so, as this season begins, I wanted to take some time to describe the various services we will be having this year as part of our celebration and anticipation.

The first special service we will be having is this Sunday, November 27th during morning worship! This will be our annual Hanging of the Greens service. This is a service that is designed to formally finish up the decorating of the church for Advent and Christmas. Through readings, responses, and prayers we will meditate on all the various symbols we adorn the church with each year.

The second special service we’ll be having this year is our Service of Lament on Wednesday, December 14th at 6:30 PM. The Service of Lament is designed to be a time when we come together as a church family to acknowledge that some of us are carrying grief into the holidays. For some, this is their first Christmas without a loved one. For some, there may be a lot of strain on their relationships. Others may be feeling a sense of anxiety, depression, or both. At this service, we will carve out time and space to be with our brothers and sisters to remind them that they are always loved and that we, their church family, are willing to help them bear their burdens.

Then, on Sunday, December 18th at 5:00 PM, we will be having our special musical service, “God Bless Us, Everyone!” Kathryn, the choir, and all our wonderful musicians here at Hope Valley have been preparing and practicing for this service for weeks now and it promises to be a joyous service of singing and celebration! In addition to all the beautiful music, we will be having a reception after-ward as a time of fellowship as we enter the last week of Advent.

Next, we will be having our yearly Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion Service on Saturday, December 24th at 5:00 in our sanctuary. This is also a wonderful service as we come to perhaps the most exciting night of the year! It is a service where we come and declare our joy and gratitude for the message of Christmas—that God came and dwelt among us. Be sure to bring your family as we take communion together and light candles to celebrate the joy of Christmas.

Finally, the next morning—Christmas morning!—we will be having morning worship at 11:00 AM in our sanctuary. There will be no Sunday School that morning, but we will take time to come together and worship God as a church family. And, to the parents reading this, if your child needs/wants to bring their favorite present with them to worship that morning, they are more than welcome to do that!

I am looking forward to this next month of worship with you all! I’m looking forward to the time spent in fellowship as we anticipate, once again, the birth of Jesus and the reminder of God’s promise—that God will always be with us.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,
This past Sunday, November 6th, was All Saints Sunday. We took time to remember, honor, and celebrate the lives of those Christians who came before us. We took time to remember the things they taught us and the good times we had with them. If you were here on Sunday or you tuned in to the livestream, you heard me us that phrase, “those Christians who came before us” a lot. And you also heard me talk about those saints teaching us things. But as I thought about this past Sunday, I realized that I really didn’t share many of the things I had been taught over the years from the saints within my own life. So, if you’ll indulge me for a bit, I figured I’d share a few things that Sunday got me thinking about.

The first thing that hit me after the service was when I walked back into my office and saw my certificate of ordination. I was ordained by my home church, FBC Goldsboro, and so the names of the folks on my ordination council are people I have incredibly fond memories of. My youth Sunday School teacher’s name is there—she was, and still is, the definition of warmth, kindness, patience, and hospitality. She also makes, hands down, the best sausage biscuits!

Bob’s and Bill’s names are on there. I remember the steadiness of their faith and their dedication to serving the church however they could. I worked with them a lot building handicapped ramps for folks all around Goldsboro and Wayne County. They embodied James’ belief that faith without works is dead—and their faith was very much alive! I also remember that Bob has a sweet tooth and Bill liked to “pay” me for my volunteer work with a McDonald’s cheeseburger and a Diet Mountain Dew.

There were also three pastors on my ordination council, though only two signed. Scott and Glenn’s names are there, my youth pastor and senior pastor, respectively. To write what they have meant to be personally would take far too many Illuminators to be practical. The first pastor I ever interned for, Alan, also sat on the council—he is the unsigned pastor, simply because he called in from Georgia to be a part of it. Those three taught me more about my faith, myself, and what it means to be a pastor, than I will probably ever fully understand. And since there seems to be an unspoken food theme in my recollections—Scott never turns down Thai food, Glenn loves country cooking, and Alan is a sandwich connoisseur!

Most of the folks on my ordination council are still with us. Bill has gone on to glory, but I love that I have gotten to know all of them. I am grateful for the things they taught me and the good times I’ve had with each of them. And as I sit and think about all the wonderful things God has done for each of us, I really do believe that stitching Christians together as a family is one of God’s greatest ideas.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

By the time you’re reading this article, I will no longer be in the state of North Carolina. As you all know, I’m on vacation this week and my friends and I have traveled out of state for one of the most interesting trips I’ve taken in a while! By the time you read this, I will be in Salem, Massachusetts, just a couple days before Halloween.

As a history buff and a nerd for all things religious studies, I’m incredibly excited to travel to a place where every street has a history, every building has a story, and every name has a past. I’m also excited to be there just a few days before Halloween simply because I love Halloween and Salem is a place that leans into the wonderful weirdness of that holiday. It leans into the air of mischief and mystery that Halloween brings with it. And, from all I’ve read about the town, it is this incredible blend of the old and new. You can walk down one street and find a wax museum that recreates the people involved in the Salem Witch Trials. Walk down another and you’ll come to the House of the Seven Gables, made famous by Nathanial Hawthorne. Turn the corner, though, and you’ll find yourself in a run-of-the-mill Starbucks or a CVS. Salem’s past and present intersect in a fascinating way.

Now, obviously Halloween gets a lot of fanfare each year. As of 2021, Halloween was a $10.1 billion industry in America, with $1.9 billion being spent on candy alone. Stores deck themselves out selling various spooky products and decorations. But there is a church holiday the day after Halloween that doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

All Saints Day happens every year on November 1. Halloween’s modern name is derived from its original name, All Hallows Eve—that is, the day before All Saints Day. And in the past, All Saints Day was a day of the year in which churches would honor the lives and the faith of Christian martyrs, the saints, who had come before them. In modern times, though, we tend to use the word “saint” to describe any person of faith.

That means that All Saints Day has grown into this holiday where the church takes time to remember those Christians that have come before us. It is a day when we deliberately take time to consider the ways that the Christians we have known in our own lives, before they passed away, have shaped and molded us. It is this beautiful expression of the way that God calls all kinds of people from places all over the world to be a family of faith. It reminds us of their love for God, their neighbors, and for each of us. It is a beautiful holiday where the church’s past and present intersect in a faithful way.

Typically, churches celebrate All Saints Day on the first Sunday after November 1 and so we will be celebrating on November 6 this year. The families of our church members who have gone on to glory have been invited to join us for a special service that Sunday. You are invited as well. Come on November 6 and support our brothers and sisters who have lost someone. Come and share with them a fond memory of their loved one. Come and remind them that you are available to them if they ever need anything. Come and be a part of this tradition that links us with those saints who have gone before us, those saints who live among us, and those saints who will come after us.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

It’s that time of the year again. One of my favorite local events has come back to town and I’m excited to get to go soon. Growing up in North Carolina, this event was one that I went to constantly either for school field trips or for church youth outings. To this day, I’m the one that always gets my friends together and sends out the text, “Ok, so when are we going?” Y’all, the State Fair is back!

Now, I will say this, I am a more subdued State Fair visitor. I’m not into all the crazy rides with the pi-rate ships flipping upside down or rides like, “The Zip-per,” which is just a monstrosity! I’ve never understood the desire to go on the ride that uses centrifugal force to push you against the wall. I guess folks are curious what the spin cycle on their washing machine is like?

Instead, I go to the fair to take in the atmosphere, check out the submissions of artists and farmers from all over the state, and eat as much crazy food as I can! Every year, there’s a new lineup of things you never knew could be fried (might I recommend the Fried Key Lime Pie Bites!). Every year, there’s at least one thing I hear about that I think, “I’ve got to try that.” And this year, thanks to a local Instagram account I fol-low, I know what I’m looking for. It’s the Korean Corn Dog by Golden K Dog. It’s a chicken sausage with mozzarella cheese and fried like a corn dog. French fries are added to the batter, then it’s rolled in Flaming Hot Cheetos, drizzled with nacho cheese, and served with a side of spicy mayo. Sign me up!

Now, you may be wondering why I’m talking about the State Fair and particularly why I’m talking about a corn dog covered in Flaming Hot Cheetos. The answer is simply this, I love the creativity of the State Fair. It is a place where all different kinds of people from all different places all over this state come together to show off their talents and their interests. You can go into one section of the fair and see the largest produce you can imagine, cared for diligently by farmers here in NC. Go to another building and you can find local cake artists recreating scenes from Charlie Brown or creating a pastoral farm scene or making a Hocus Pocus themed cake. In another part are pumpkin carvers. In yet another part are musicians. And then, yes, there are the wildly creative food vendors.

What it reminds me of is the vast creativity of God. We were shaped and molded by a God who created all kinds of landscapes, land-forms, animals, birds, fish, reptiles, etc. And we are called, in our own unique ways, to be creative as well. We are called to use the gifts and talents God has given us in creative ways. Sometimes to spread the Gospel. Sometimes to reach out to our communities. Sometimes just to bring others joy. So, if you go to the State Fair this year, I’d encourage you to take a few moments and just take in all the wonderful creativity surrounding you. Whether you are there for the rides, the gargantuan produce, or the crazy food, take in the joy of it all.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

As you all know, earlier this month we had our yearly Deacon elections. Three new deacons were chosen: Cameron Packer, Leigh Bigger, and Lucy Woodell. These three responded to the call God had placed on them and have agreed to serve as leaders here in our church. I’m grateful!

For both Cameron and Leigh, this will be their first time serving as Deacons, meaning that we will need to have a Deacon Ordination service soon! To me, this is always an exciting service. It is a wonderful time for us as a church family to come alongside some of our brothers and sisters, affirm the call God has given them, and encourage them as they begin their service. Ordination services are also wonderful opportunities for all of us to remember the ways that God calls each of us to serve, both within the church and within our communities. God has given all of us such incredible gifts and ordination services in particular do a wonderful job of celebrating those.

So, as part of the ordination process, I’m encouraging everyone to write letters, cards, or notes to Cameron and Leigh. You can write down what gifts you see in them. You can write down words of encouragement for the work that lies ahead of them. Maybe you want to write down fond memories you have of them or with them. Maybe you want to write something to them that will make them laugh. Whatever you feel you’d like to say to Cameron and Leigh, I would encourage you to write it down so we can present it to them when they are ordained on Sunday, October 23 during morning worship. These cards and notes will serve as constant reminders to them of the love their church family has for them.

I’m looking forward to this service. I’m looking forward to welcoming Cameron and Leigh onto the diaconate. I’m looking forward to the ways we will come around them and affirm their calls to leadership. Please be sure to pray for them as they start this new ministry. And please be sure to bring a personal note or card for them on or before Sunday, October 23rd!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

As I write this article this morning, I am still in the midst of processing the news of the day within the world of sports. Roger Federer is retiring from tennis. After twenty-four years, over 1,500 matches (with an official win/loss record of 1,251-275, as of today), and twenty Grand Slam titles, Federer is walking away from the game. Federer was a game-changer, literally innovating new strategies, shots, and ideas on the court. He was known for being a wizard on the court, able to hit shots that defied the laws of both physics and geometry. He is widely considered to be the greatest tennis player of all time, aka the GOAT, and I would agree with that. And he’s retiring.

Now, that means that the next few days will be filled with reflections of Federer’s career on sports chan-nels. And, more likely than not, his legacy will be talked about during all four Grand Slam tournaments next year, particularly at Wimbledon where Federer was especially dominant. You’ll hear folks have the GOAT conversation over and over. But then you’ll probably also hear folks ask some form of this question, “What is tennis going to do without Roger Federer?” or “What is the future of the sport, now that Federer won’t be here?” Some folks will say, “It’ll be fine,” and they’ll point to all the young tennis players coming up in Federer’s wake. But others will wring their hands and argue that the future is scary and uncertain now that Roger won’t be competing.

I say all this because these conversations always happen whenever a major sport star retires (prepare for all them again on ESPN in a few years when Lebron James retires). And every so often, I hear these kinds of conversations within churches. “What is the church going to do now that (insert famous leader’s name here) is step-ping down?” Or, “What is the church going to do in the face of (insert new cultural trend or shift here)?” And I do understand the concern that undergirds these questions. But I am always supremely confident that the church will rise to the occasion. Why? Because while leadership may change, cultural shifts may occur, new technologies may change the way we interact with each other, God does not change. God remains faithful to us. And so I am convinced that if we will remain faithful to God, the church will be fine. We will find new ways to engage with people, new ways to spread the Good News, new ways to let folks know they are loved. All because God will continue to love us and care for us through it all.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

I wanted to take a little time this week to talk about what our Town Hall Meeting is about this coming Sunday. We’ll be meeting over in the Fellowship Hall at 3:00 to have a discussion about our vision as a church and how we want to accomplish that vision together, with a special focus on how we want to fill the opening we have on staff now that Amy has stepped down as the Minister to Children and Families.

The idea for this kind of a meeting originally came from the Personnel Team’s discussions about how we wanted to go about searching for someone to fill Amy’s position. I was working with the team on this and we started asking ourselves some questions. What are the needs the church has? What are the hopes for our church’s future? What is the mission God is calling our church to? What kind of minister would help us live into that calling?

As the Personnel Team and I pondered those questions, we began to take the first steps to organize this first Town Hall Meeting. And it was in talking with other church leaders that the idea of discussing the church’s vision came up. Where do we see Hope Valley going? How do we want to get there? What kinds of programs would we hope to see in the future? Who would be the best kind of leader to come on staff and help us carry out that vision?

These are some of the questions we’re going to ponder together as a church family. I think this discussion on Sunday will be really productive. It will give us an opportunity to dream together and imagine what our future looks like here at Hope Valley. I hope you’ll make plans to be here. Come with your ideas. Come with your hopes. Come with an open heart and mind. If you cannot make it this Sunday, please pray for these discussions. Pray for discernment as we seek God’s will for our church.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

As I’m writing this article, the church is decorated for Vacation Bible School. The sanctuary is decorated with trains, mountains, trees, and a giant water tower. The choir room has been transformed into Ananias’ house for Bible stories (though that will change each night!). The fellowship hall’s windows have been painted with a train that is chugging on to a wonderful time! All of this in preparation for our adventure on the Rocky Railway, where Jesus’s power pulls us through!

I’m excited for the next four days of VBS as we come alongside these children and talk to them about our faith in God and the simple, but profound truth that Jesus can bring us through difficult times. I do want to add just one layer of shading to that theme. Part of the amazing power of Christ, the wondrous love of God, is that God is with us through these difficult times. Our faith tells us that not only does Jesus have the power to pull us through, he has the will to stand with us in the face of adversity. The presence of God is always with us. You’ve heard me say this before, but it always bears repeating—there is no problem, no crisis, no challenge that can scare God away. Nothing.

This week, pray for the children that are coming to our church. Pray that they would have fun, that they would make new friends, and that they would hear and remember that they are loved deeply by God. Pray for the volunteers. Pray that we would be able to encourage these children in their faith, that we would have ears to hear them and words to say to them. Pray for our feet and knees and backs, that we don’t shuffle into church on Sunday like zombies. Most of all, pray that God would be glorified in all of this and that God’s kingdom is served by this VBS.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Over the last few weekends, I’ve been spending a lot of time in some of our local art museums. Art museums interest me for a few reasons. One is simply that they are wonderful places to slow down and spend time thinking—about life, about faith, about what I’m going to eat for supper. Another reason is just that it is always amazing to me to go to a place where you can be surrounded by so much talent. The time and dedication these artists put into their work, not to mention their command over their tools and materials is inspiring! Finally, I love being surrounded by so many stories from so many different people. Whether the artist is telling their own story, telling their version of a familiar story, or speaking to some truth that is difficult to put into words, it is always incredible to me. I love the way the artists are willing to share themselves with people.

I tell you all that to introduce you to our next sermon series, “Faith and Art.” The series will start on July 3 and each sermon in it will draw inspiration from a piece of art that is currently on display at one of the three major art museums here in the Triangle: the Nasher in Durham, the Ackland in Chapel Hill, and the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Each piece will be paired with a scripture passage that the artwork reminded me of, meaning that the sermon itself will be based on the scripture and the art will help to illustrate the themes of the sermon. I am not an art expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I am a firm believer that art can speak to what it means to be human. I think that can pair beautifully with the scriptures because God so consistently tells people that we are loved, that we bear God’s image, that we are precious to God. God knows what it means to be human and speaks to that experience.

One of the major components of this sermon series that I would encourage everyone to participate in is simply to go and see the pieces we’ll be talking about. Some of the pieces are huge (paintings taller than me!) and their size helps communicate their message. Some of the pieces are highly textured and the hardness or softness of the medium speaks to the artist’s ideas. All the pieces that I’ll be talking about are available in the parts of each museum that are free to the public. If you cannot make it in person, you can go to each museum’s website and look up the pieces (websites at article’s end).

All that being said, the first piece we will be looking at on July 3rd is at the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill. It is entitled, “Aligned by the Sun” and it was created by a team of artists known as Ghost of a Dream. It is a simple piece, but it has a message of unity that will go wonderfully with that first sermon. The reason I mention it now is because it is only on display through July 3rd, meaning if you’d like to see it in person, you’ve only got about two weeks!

I’m looking forward to this series and the insights into our faith we can gain through this art.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University— nasher.duke.edu
The Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill—ackland.org
North Carolina Museum of Art—ncartmuseum.org

Brothers and sisters,

It is hard to believe it, but June is upon us! The (very) high temperatures are becoming more regular and the sun is shining longer and longer each day. To me at least, it feels like Easter was just a couple weeks ago, not a month and a half! But as the Easter season comes to a close this Sunday we are invited, as a church, to contemplate the arrival of the Holy Spirit and what that arrival means for us as Christians. There are three main symbols used by the church to reflect on Pentecost and what it means.

The first symbol is a flame. Drawing on the story from Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples as tongues of fire, the church has used fire imagery to symbolize the arrival of the Spirit. The church talks about the Holy Spirit “lighting a fire” in us to go and do the work of the kingdom. You’ll hear people say they have a “burning passion” for something. Famously, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, spoke of attending a church service and having his “heart strangely warmed.” That moment renewed his faith and spurred him to continue to preach. The Holy Spirit creates a kind of energy that fire represents so beautifully — strong and persistent.

The second symbol you’ll see on Sunday is a dove. This is actually a symbol that gets moved from where it originally started over to Pentecost. The dove descending from heaven comes to us from Christ’s baptism in Matthew 3. Jesus goes down into the waters of baptism, led by John the Baptist, and as he emerges from the waters, “suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him” (Matthew 3:16). And so the dove comes to us as a heavenly symbol of the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Finally, you’ll notice a lot of red in the sanctuary on Sunday. The paraments, the scarf on the cross, even Amy’s and my stoles will all be red. On the surface, the red symbolism is pretty simple — it hearkens back to the tongues of fire. Heat and fire can be represented by the color red. But for a long time now, the color red, as a liturgical color, has symbolized a desire for justice. It has come to represent the arrival of God’s Spirit, yes, but also a church that speaks up for those whose voices are ignored. I particularly like this symbol because I think it speaks to the main point of the Pentecost story. Yes, the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples with power, in the form of flaming tongues. God’s presence is reestablished with them, but the Spirit then immediately sends them out into the world to care for people. The Spirit immediately sends them out to continue Christ’s ministry. It does not descend upon them for no reason! The Holy Spirit comes to guide them to the people who are hurting and give them power to help them.

As we come to Pentecost this year, seek the Spirit’s presence in your own life. Who may the Spirit be calling you to? How might God be calling you to help those people? Jesus’s ministry was centered around his conviction that every person was a child of God. How is the Spirit leading you to continue that ministry?

I look forward to seeing all of you on Sunday in your brightest red!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben