Have you ever heard a song and realized that it doesn’t make any sense to you…or that it changes the whole way you look at something?

I had that experience last week, I was sitting in my yard under a tree rocking a baby in my arms.  I was thinking about what it would feel like to hold my own child.  What it will feel like to hold my very own nieces and nephews on my lap and I started singing a Spanish lullaby!

What scares YOU?

Duermete baby, duérmete ya

Que viene el cuco y te llevara!

Duermete baby, duérmete ya

Que viene el cuco y te comera!

It’s funny because after a while, she decided to sing the song with me…except she changed the word cuco to monstro.  And as I thought about this week’s sermon I realized that this simple baby’s cantico, this lullaby was filled with some really scary images.  But maybe that is just us Latino’s that teach our children fear…

So, I thought about my favorite English lullaby and ummm it’s not just us,

Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock

When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall

And down will come baby, cradle and all!

Wow, isn’t it amazing how from birth we were taught to be scared, to be frightenend.  The songs that “they” used to sing us to sleep were full of really scary images…and actually even the Christ we served was used to frighten us…

Help me create a list of how “OTHER’S” used God/Christ to scare us (I’ll start):

1. God will only help those who believe
2. That was a punishment from God…
3. You must not have prayed hard enough…
4. Etc.

Granny’s Angel, by Nicole C. Mullen I invite you to listen to a song with me…don’t worry I have the words in English and Spanish so you can listen and understand…

HAND OUT THE VERSES…

I got nervous thinking that God doesn’t have step-children or grandchildren…or friends of a friend or coworkers of the Pastora!  I was happy on the one hand ‘cause I am one of God’s children, but after the relief I got kinda nervous that there’s nothing I can do to “help” someone else become saved and sanctified.

Let us read together, Acts 2: 36-47 (MSG):

Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?”

Peter said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.”

He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!” That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.

Then I decided to change my weekly prayer to a petition for revelation, and some of you who were in Bible study were there for the moment that it finally hit me!!

Let’s continue reading, Acts 3: 1-10 (NIV):

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.

Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.

When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.

Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

 All we can do is pray.  Prayer is Faith In Action, it is not just faith, and it is not just action.  Prayer is Faith in Action.

The beggar didn’t have faith.  He stood at the temple day in and day out, but he didn’t have faith to pray for himself or for his issues.  He didn’t even have faith in a guy named Peter or his friend named John, how could he have faith enough to walk?

Well, the beggar needed the faith of Peter and John (which came from time lived in prayer) and they needed the actions of Peter and John (which came from human sense, if the man has never stood upright, he’s going to need help getting up).

Together these three men grew their prayers, into faith, and their faith into action!

And that’s what we need more of, we need less of the fear of God and more of the love of God!

That’s what granny was talking about, the song says that she cried out to God:

“Lord Jesus, help my baby boy ‘Cause he

ain’t doin’ the things that he’s supposed to,

“Lord Jesus, it would bring me joy

To see him live to be someone who loves you”

Faith in action:

“Lord Jesus, help my baby girl

do the things she knows that she’s supposed to”

“Lord Jesus, it would mean the world to me

To see her live to be someone who loves you”

This week your homework assignment is to think of some of the way’s you’ve been taught to Fear God and find ways to LOVE through that fear!

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If you would like to listen to the song: Granny’s Angel by Nicole C. Mullen

Following is my Spanish translation: El estaba parado en la esquina otra vez Mientras ella oraba para que Dios perdonara sus pecados y de nada, dos pulgadas de plomo un misterio, ¿cómo la bala perdió su cabeza?

Pero abuela gritó: “Señor Jesús, ayuda a mi niño porque él no está haciendo lo que esta supuesto,” sí, sí entonces gritó, “Señor Jesús, me traería alegría verlo vivir a ser alguien que te ama”

No puedes vivir bajo la protección del Angel de Abuela, ya como que es tiempo que tengas tu propio No puedes vivir bajo la protección del Angel de Abuela, Porque qué vas a hacer cuando abuela no este.

Estancada en tráfico a las 8:45 Shirley comienza a maldecir, que fatal el accidente aquí al lado sin compasión porque ella no se da cuenta que si hubiese llegado mas temprano, hubiera sido su vida.

Pero esto es lo que sucedió Abuela gemía, “Señor Jesús, ayuda a mi niña hacer las cosas que ella sabe que se supone que aga” Entonces exclamó: “Señor Jesús, significaría el mundo verla vivir a ser alguien que te ama”

No puedes vivir bajo la protección del Angel de Abuela, no no ya como que es tiempo que tengas tu propio No puedes vivir bajo la protección del Angel de Abuela, Porque qué vas a hacer cuando abuela no este.

Todos hemos sido un poco culpables de vivir en las oraciones de alguien de tiempo a tiempo A veces es la oración de tu Mamá.A veces es las oraciones de tu Papá Y a veces las oraciones de tu Abuelita.

Pero la verdad del asunto es que Dios no tenía hijastros no tiene nietos, sólo hijos e hijas así que aquí estoy para hacerle saber que no puedes mantener viviendo bajo la protección del Angel de otro porque es tiempo que tengas uno propio.

No puedes vivir bajo la protección del Angel de Abuela ya como que es tiempo que tengas tu propio No puedes vivir bajo la protección del Angel de Abuela, Porque qué vas a hacer cuando abuela no este Te pregunte que vas a hacer, piénsalo. Que vas a hacer cuando abuelo no este.