From The Pastor

Brothers and sisters,

Last night (Monday), I watched the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. And, to be honest, it was not a particularly compelling half of basketball. To be even more honest, these Finals were not particularly compelling. Boston quickly took a 3-0 lead in the series (you have to win 4 games to win the Finals), with Dallas avoiding the sweep by winning Game 4 in Dallas. But teams that fall down 0-3 in a seven-game series in the NBA are now 0-157. Boston’s victory was never really in doubt

The part of the series that was more compelling came in the world of sports media. See, Boston has two high-level superstars that sports talk show hosts love to pit against each other. They are Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The narrative you usually hear is something like, “Tatum is obviously the best scorer and the overall best player, but Brown is the leader and on any given night, he can be Boston’s best.” If Tatum has a great game, you’ll hear breathless segments about how that affects Brown’s overall value to the Celtics. Or if Brown has a great streak of games, hosts will ask questions like, “Does this negatively impact Tatum’s basketball legacy?”

Well, last night, a tremendous amount of fuel was about to be added to the fire. During the Finals, an award is given out for “Finals MVP”—the most valuable player in the Finals. Finals MVPs are a big deal and so players really do want to win it. Leading up to last night’s game, pundits were arguing over who should win it—Brown or Tatum. They were arguing over whether or not this would cause a rift in Boston. Should Jaylen Brown get it because he’s been better in the Finals or should Tatum get it because he’s been better throughout the season? They were ready, regardless of who won, to use it as a talking point come Tuesday morning.

Jaylen Brown won Finals MVP. And when he won, he smiled a moment, looked over at Jayson Tatum, and, when given a microphone, immediately said, “It was a full team effort and I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime, Jayson Tatum. He was with me the whole way, we share this [award] together.” Brown knew what others would do with his award—use it against his teammate—if he didn’t nip it in the bud.

It honestly reminded me of the many times that Paul counseled early churches that the only ways they should be competing with each other was in building each other up. He despised the way the Corinthians tried to weaponize the name of the person who had baptized them, as if Christians are divided into teams. He pushed back hard against Peter’s hypocrisy when Peter was willing to eat with one group of Galatians until a different group showed up. Paul understood that the mission of God’s church is accomplished when everyone works together. It was never about which disciple gained more glory. It was always meant to be about people hearing that God loved them. That’s it. Church is meant to be a full team effort, shared by brothers and sisters in Christ who are with each other the whole way.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

Last Saturday, May 18th, our church hosted a community yard sale. The preparation took months as folks brought in gently used items to sell. Over the last two months in particular, Robin and I would get at least one phone call per week letting us know that someone was coming with a trunk full of stuff for the yard sale and asking if we’d help them unload it. We always did and I appreciated the time it gave us to get to talk with you all and hear the stories behind some of the items you donated.

In addition to those months of build-up, the week before the yard sale was itself a busy, but good time of fellowship. The Wednesday and Thursday before the sale were particularly fun days to be at the church because there was so much buzz, so much energy surrounding what was going to happen on Saturday. And so much good, faithful work was done by all the volunteers who came out those days—moving, sorting, organizing, and pricing every single item that had been donated.

In addition to the yard sale itself, we had a bake sale that benefitted Hope House. So many people in our congregation baked so many wonderful treats and sweets for that sale, which ended up bringing in $300 to continue to support refugees and their families. People also chipped in with snacks and finger foods for the volunteers so that we never had to worry about breakfast or lunch—the church had us covered!

At the yard sale itself, I saw so many people getting excited for the things they had found. Children were walking out the door with stacks of children’s books, along with some toys. Parents were walking out with armfuls of clothes for themselves or their kids. Place settings, picture frames, furniture, and the sorts of random things one only finds at a yard sale walked out as well.

I also saw church members enjoying being around each other and being around the community. We ran into people we knew from previous ministries we’d worked on together. We connected with people over shared interests and the items that go along with those interests. And I saw church members reconnecting with each other after not seeing each other for a while.

And, once the sale was over and the boxes had been packed, a local non-profit organization in need of items for their own clothing closets and community centers came in and took everything away in order to keep blessing our community. That connection was made simply because one of their leaders saw our sign on Thursday and had the initiative to come and ask if we could work together on this.

In the end, the yard sale raised about $1,800 for our church’s capital campaign fund. That in and of itself is wonderful! But I’m also still buzzing over what an overall good day it was. Good work was done in a faithful way to bless our community. That good work brought us all together with friends old and new and connected us with other brothers and sisters in Christ working on behalf of our community. God is good, y’all. All the time, God is good.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

I’m in the midst of moving apartments this week, which means my nights have been filled with organizing my stuff, packing boxes, and, most importantly, looking at things and asking myself either, “Do I really need this?” or “What did I buy this for?” One of the more obscure things I’ve found was a VCR to DVD converter I bought years ago with the intent of converting our copy of the “Star Wars: Special Edition” trilogy into DVDs. You may be asking, “Why?” Because I have strong opinions on some of the changes made between the “Special Edition” and the DVD editions that came out years later. By the way, I never did convert the movies, but I still had the converter.

I bring that up not just to further establish my credibility as a nerd, but also because I’m always struck by the memories that different items can bring up. I remember buying that converter because of how much I loved the “Special Edition.” There are certain cooking utensils I have that I look at and think, “I remember when someone gave that to me” or “Oh, I remember the recipe I bought these for—that did not work out!” And there’s almost always a smile on my face as I do that. It sounds a little sentimental, but these things end up telling a part of my story.

Last week, during Bible Study, we talked about Psalm 98 and the image of God as one who remembers. The first part of verse 3 reads, “[God] has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness.” Throughout the scriptures, the people of Israel in particular talk about God as one who remembers. God knows their story. God cherishes them and God cherishes the stories they’ve shared together. You’ll notice as well that the Israelites will go out of their way to create monuments, to create items that tell the story of their relationship with God and their commitment to each other.

But one of the truly wonderful things about God is that God is always looking to make new memories with people. That extends to all people, in all places. God is always speaking into people’s lives, affecting their stories, and weaving them into God’s own story. There may not always be special items to commemorate those moments, but the presence of God is ever-present in the lives of each of us. I hope that you can take some time this week to reflect on special moments in your own life: be those family moments, good times with friends, or important occasions in your own faith. Take the time to consider them, to remember they are a part of your story, and to look for the ways God is woven into your own story.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

Last Friday, Taylor Swift released her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department. Since the album’s release, the internet has been ablaze with reviews and hot takes. The album has already set multiple records—most Single-Week Vinyl Sales, most Single-Day Spotify Album Streams, most Single-Day Spotify Song Streams, and more. By just about every metric out there, Taylor Swift and The Tortured Poets Department are winning.

The thing is, this album is raw. Swift writes about heartbreak, shattered dreams, and mistakes. She also sings about the ways the music industry hurts those in it. So far, one of my favorite songs has been, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” The song tells the story of Swift’s ability to compartmentalize her emotions, pushing through the real pain she’s going through to be the persona of “Taylor Swift—Pop Star” the people want to see. The song starts with Swift singing in slow, breathy tones about how she wants people to perceive her “having the time of her life/There in her glittering prime,” but she admits that the persona is a lie. Then, with a quick “one, two, three” the chorus intrudes on Swift, demanding the persona come out to sing. Somehow both peppy and melancholy, you can hear her singing the lyrics with a practiced smile, “Breaking down, I hit the floor/All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, ‘More’/I was grinning like I’m winning, I was hitting my marks/’Cause I can do it with a broken heart.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like there’s a lot of that happening these days—folks grinning like they’re winning, hitting their marks, all to conceal broken hearts. And while I understand that part of life is learning how to function even when going through difficult times, it seems to me that church ought to be a place where folks can find rest. Church ought to be a place where we can genuinely say to people, “There are no marks to hit here. If you want to celebrate, we’ll celebrate; but if that’s not where you are right now, that’s fine too. There’s still a place for you here.” At its best, the church can be a place of healing where people are told that they are beloved by God and by God’s people, no matter what. But there’s one final layer to the song I want to briefly touch on.

At the very end, the chorus is done. Swift is coming off stage and she speaks to the listener, but her tone is uneven. She sounds like she’s losing it. The practiced smile is cracking. She says, “You know you’re good, I’m good/’Cause I’m miserable/And no one even knows!” But then her voice snaps into an exhausted, but threatening tone as she says, “Try to come for my job.” She recognizes that this back and forth, between her real pain and the persona she’s made for herself, is hurting her. But she can’t let it go. It’s how she’s learned to deal with the world. In her mind, if she loses the persona (even though it’s killing her), she loses every-thing. So just try to take this from her. It’s a real feeling. It is a raw depiction of what can happen when reality and expectations clash.

At its best, the church can be a place that says to people struggling with these kinds of internal struggles, “You don’t need to put on a persona here. You can be you. All that we ask is that you bring your authentic self.” God has made each of us to be wonderfully, uniquely ourselves. The only expectation God places on us is that we love one another. No personas. No crowds cheering on breakdowns. Just a community of believers.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

In just about ten days, our church is going to begin a week-long commitment to missions in our community. That commitment is know as “Operation Inasmuch,” taking its name from the story of the sheep and the goats in Mat-thew’s gospel. When Jesus told the sheep that they had helped him in so many ways, they asked, “Lord, when did we see you this way? When did we do these things for you?” And Jesus replied to them, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40; KJV). Thus, we are going to be giving back to our community in several different ways during the week from April 21st through April 27th.

On Sunday, the 21st, the children of our church will be decorating and assembling bags of treats and goodies for the bus drivers at Parkwood Elementary School to show our appreciation for all they do. Those bags will be delivered on Friday of that week so that the bus drivers get to start their weekend knowing that there are some in their community who love and appreciate them.

On Wednesday, April 24th, at 6:30 PM during our usual Bible Study time, the adults of our church will also be assembling bags, but these will be different. These will be bags filled with useful items to give to folks experiencing homelessness in our community. Basically, these bags will be filled with some basic supplies that people who spend all day in the elements may need: bottled water, band aids, sunscreen, ponchos—as well as some snacks. Once those bags are assembled, we will make them available for folks to be able to pick them up and carry in their car. You’ll be encouraged, then, to give out those bags to anyone you see in Durham who needs a blessing. As part of that, we are asking folks to bring in supplies for those bags—the list of needed items is printed in the Operation Inasmuch announcement in this newsletter. So, if you can come out on Wednesday the 24th and pack bags, we’d love to see you! If you aren’t able to help pack bags, you can bring in items that will go into those bags!

Then, on Saturday, April 27th, we are planning to have volunteers go to the home of one of our church members and do some yard work and light repairs. If you are interested in helping with that, please be sure to sign up in the vestibule. If there is a specific type of yard work you’d be willing to do or a specific tool you can bring to help, you can list that next to your name as well. Once I’ve got an idea of who all can help, we’ll coordinate a time with the church member we’re helping and finalize what we’ll be doing that day.

Also, starting Sunday morning, April 28th, we will begin a month-long collection drive for supplies for our Hope House. There are several needed items listed in the Operation Inasmuch announcement in this newsletter. This collection will run through the month of May.

To top it all off, on Sunday, April 28th at 5:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall, we will be having an Ice Cream and Dessert Social with a missionary in India whom our church helps sponsor.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Obviously, this Sunday is kind of a big deal for us Christians. This Sunday, March 31st is Easter Sunday, the day on which we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It is the day on which we celebrate the fact that the tomb was empty because the one in it had triumphed over death. Easter is arguably the biggest Sunday of the year for churches, with only the Sunday before Christmas coming close to it.

In many Christian traditions, Easter Sunday is not the end of the celebration of Easter. Many other traditions and denominations celebrate what’s known as Eastertide. Basically, Eastertide refers to the seven weeks between East-er Sunday and Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the twelve disciples. It is a time of celebration as we remember the days that the resurrected Jesus spent with his disciples before ascending into heaven.

Here at Hope Valley, we celebrate Eastertide to a certain extent—keeping the paraments white in the sanctuary, singing Easter-inspired hymns through those seven weeks, and singing “Alleluia” in our offertory response each week. But this year, I wanted to emphasize the idea that Easter Sunday was not the first miraculous day in Jesus’ ministry. Too often, we Christians skip from Jesus’ birth to his death and resurrection, leaving out huge chunks of his life and ministry along the way.

This year, I want us to spend Eastertide looking at many of the other miracles Jesus performed during his life. Each of the miracles we’ll look at point toward the incredible nature of the resurrection. They help to predict it and pre-pare the people and the reader for what will happen at the end of Jesus’ life. So, over the next seven weeks, we’re going to take a look at these miracles and see just how they inform our understanding of the resurrection. We’ll see what Jesus was preparing us all for in this, “Season of Miracles.”

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

The last half of March is going to be a wonderful time here at Hope Valley Baptist Church. I want to be sure to touch on just a few of the things we have coming up!

First, during morning worship this coming Sunday, March 17th, the former pastor at my home church, Dr. Glenn Phillips, Jr. will be preaching for you all. Glenn is the pastor that I most remember growing up in Goldsboro. He is the one who baptized me, catching me when I slipped and fell as I was coming back up out of the waters. He and Scott, my youth minister, helped me discern my call to ministry. Most recently, he is the one who preached at my mother’s funeral. He is a truly good man and I am excited for you all to get to hear from him on the 17th.

Then, on Sunday, March 24th we will be celebrating Palm Sunday and participating in the 2024 CROP Walk. During morning worship on that Sunday we will celebrate the arrival of Jesus in the Holy City, though we will also take time to remember what a whirlwind of a week he would have—triumphal entry on Sunday, crucifixion on Friday, and resurrection the next Sunday. After that service, starting at 2:30, the Durham CROP Walk will celebrate its 50th anniversary as people from all over the city and county come together to march in solidarity with those struggling with hunger. It is a wonderful opportunity to gather with members of our wider community and remember that we can do incredible things together.

The rest of that week, we have our two special Holy Week services. On Wednesday, March 27th at 6:30 pm we will be having our hand-washing service over in the sanctuary. The hand-washing service is designed to remind us all of Christ’s simple assertion—that he came to serve, not to be served. By taking that time to wash and dry each other’s hands, we imitate our Lord. Then, on Friday, March 29th at 7:00 pm, we will have our Good Friday service, again in the sanctuary. Good Friday is always an interesting day in the Christian calendar. On the one hand, we mourn the fact that Jesus was killed. On the other hand, we hold on to hope, knowing that there is a resurrection awaiting both him and us. So come out both nights and worship with our church family.

Finally, on Sunday, March 31st we will come together to celebrate Easter once again! On that Sunday, we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and the fulfillment of God’s promise to both Jesus and us—that all who believe do not come under judgment, but pass from death into eternal life. In addition to our usual celebrations, we will also be celebrating the baptisms of two new members of our church! Mark your calendars for that Sunday—to celebrate Christ’s resurrection and to welcome a new brother and sister in Christ into our church!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

I have a random story to tell you all this week, but I hope that it can serve as a reminder of the opportunities we all have to make faithful connections. My story starts with me and my friend, Adam, deciding that we wanted to go to the ACC Tournament this year up in Washington, DC. We made the plans and bought the tickets all in one night. So, when you see that I’m on vacation in a couple weeks, you’ll know where I am!

That raised an issue for me though: I bought all my Carolina clothes when I was in undergrad, which was longer ago than I think! So, this past Sunday afternoon, I had to go to Franklin Street to restock my closet ahead of the tournament—emphasis on the “had to” part! I went through several stores, including walking all the way down to Student Stores on cam-pus, and came away with a good assortment of t-shirts and a nice new Carolina sweatshirt.

Now, when I bought that sweatshirt, the cashier assured me that it was a unisex XXL. When I got home and tried it on, I found that it was not! If I stood perfectly still with my arms down by my side, it barely covered my torso and only about 80% of my arms. I don’t know if you all know this, but at athletic events, you rarely stand perfectly still with your arms down by your side! As popular as crop tops have become, I decided that maybe they were not the look for, you know, the Reverend Benjamin Wines.

So now, I legitimately had to go back to Franklin Street to return this sweatshirt and buy a new one! So, Tuesday night, I went to Franklin Street, strolled up to the store, and found that they had closed early that day—so now I have to go back to Franklin Street a third time for one sweatshirt! Not to be defeated, I went to a couple of other stores and found a sweatshirt that I liked at The Shrunken Head Boutique—an institution! As I was checking out, the cashier and I started chatting.

She is currently a sophomore at UNC and is a double major in, of all things, neuroscience and religious studies. I told her that I had majored in religious studies at UNC and so we chatted about some of the professors there—turns out we had some of the same ones. I told her that I was a minister and asked if she was considering ministry and she said, “Not primarily, but I’m keeping my options open.” So I asked her, “What led you to both neuroscience and religious studies?” And she responded by telling me that she loved science and medicine and wanted to help people, but that sometimes science can get so focused on helping the person’s body, they for-get about the person themselves. She wanted to bridge that gap.

As it happens, Duke Divinity School partners with Duke’s School of Medicine to teach classes on exactly that—bridging the gap be-tween “patient” and “person.” So I told her about the program and encouraged her to look into it. She told me she would and then finished ringing me up. As I left we laughed and said, “What are the odds we’d run into each other and have this conversation?” And if you just consider random, generic “odds”—it’s pretty low. But I happen to believe in a God who can use a decision to go to the ACC Tournament, a closet full of raggedy old clothes, and an ill-fitting sweatshirt to bring people together.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

By the time you’re reading this, Valentine’s Day will have come and gone. Flowers will have been bought, expensive dinners paid for, and chocolates exchanged (though remember that these days are known as “70% Off Chocolate Days”). Every year, there’s always a big to-do about what a person is going to get for their significant other, but there’s also a big to-do about folks rejecting Valentine’s Day.

This year, apparently, has been big on that, with Etsy reporting that searches for “anti-Valentine’s Day” products are up 14% compared to last year. But there’s an even bigger jump for “anti-Valentine’s Day” T-shirts—up 34% from 2023. Now, I’d be lying if I said that some of the stuff isn’t funny. Some shirts declare, “Not today, Cupid.” Others with a masked man advising folks, “Love is in the air; try not to breathe.” Perhaps my favorite, “Who needs valentines when you could have tacos?” And I get it. Valentine’s Day can feel sugary-sweet, syrupy, saccharine. It has been heavily commercialized (again, you can find chocolate for 70% off today—never pay full price!). But let me tell you one of the legends about St. Valentine, the man this holiday is named after.

According to legend, there was a Roman priest named Valentinus who lived during the 3rd century AD, well before Christianity would be tolerated within the Roman Empire. He was arrested during the reign of the Roman emperor Gothicus and was held in custody by an aristocrat named Asterius. Asterius was curious about some of the things Valentinus believed and so he would go and talk with the Christian. Valentinus told him about some of the missions other Christians had been on, spreading the good news, and converting people all over the ancient world. In particular, Valentinus talked about Christ as the “light of truth and salvation.” So, Asterius made a bargain with Valentinus—he would convert to Christianity if Valentinus could heal his daughter’s blindness. Reportedly, Valentinus put his hands over her eyes and chanted, “Lord Jesus Christ, enlighten your handmaid, because you are God, the True Light.” With that, Asterius’ daughter could see and Asterius and his entire family converted to Christianity.

It is true that the modern story of Valentine’s Day is one of flowers and chocolates and fancy dinners. It is also true that it is the story of anti-Valentine’s Day merch—with yet another shirt I saw declaring, “Ew, Valentine’s Day.” But it is also true that Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate the love that God gifts to all of us. The love that we have toward our significant others has its roots in God. The love we have for friends and neighbors has its roots in God. The love Valentinus had for God and for everyone he met was so deeply rooted in God, that even his own jailer’s daughter would be healed by it. I think that’s something to celebrate.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Ben

January is an interesting month. On the one hand, the month is best known for its first few minutes, as folks celebrate the beginning of a new year with friends and loved ones. Those first few minutes are followed up by the New Years resolutions I mentioned in my article two weeks ago. From that point on, though, there’s not a whole lot else that happens in January. The College Football Playoff happens. Everyone takes a Monday to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But beyond that, January can feel empty in comparison to the hubbub of December.

But as the staff and I have talked about January, we’ve talked about it in a different way. We’ve referred to this month as being one in which the church gets to “take a breath.” December is a wonderful month full of music and joy and celebration, but it is also a month that is full of practices, appointments, deadlines, shopping, and events. And so January comes in to provide respite and a sense of peace. It is a moment when people can breathe deeply, get back to a sense of routine, and start looking forward to what the rest of the year has in store.

I like that idea of January as a month to take a breath because there are several moments throughout the scriptures where breathing is emphasized. The first instance, perhaps the most famous one, is in Genesis 2:7. God gently holds the sculpted figure of Adam’s body close to God’s own face and breathes the breath of life into him. It is God’s breath that gives Adam life. It is not a chaotic moment—God is not beating back forces of chaos or darkness or anything like that in order to give Adam life. No—it is an intimate moment be-tween Creator and Creation.

The other moment that comes to mind happens in Exodus 3:13-14, when Moses asks for God’s name. Moses is already on Mount Horeb and has already witnessed the burning bush. He’s received his call to go and free the people from Pharaoh. He asks God, “If the people ask me for your name, what should I tell them?” God replies with, “I AM WHO I AM.” That phrase is translated from the Hebrew word, “YHWH,” or what we say as “Yahweh.” Why bring that up? Because scholars have pointed out that saying the name, “Yahweh,” mimics the pattern of breathing in and out. Try breathing in and saying, “Yah,” followed by breathing out and saying, “weh.” The breath of God, that same breath that gives life to us all, is what defines God. It is God’s very name!

So, this January, take a breath. After all the wonderful chaos of December, take this month to breathe in deeply. Take this month to slow down and appreciate all that you’ve been given. Take this month to look forward to your future, as you consider all the possibilities 2024 holds. And remember that with every breath, God is with you. That is the depth of God’s faithfulness. With every breath, God fills your lungs with life and love and peace.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben