When the Breeze Won’t Let Us Stay the Same

Lent Devotion by Rev. Melissa Hinnen

Park Slope United Methodist Church

Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"

John 3:1-17

Witness a sacred meeting
     ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​under the cover of darkness.
Honest conversation flows. 

Murmurs of curiosity and confusion rise up,
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​punctuated by inflections 
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​of questions answered by questions. 

Do you hear the breeze 
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​that stirs up the familiar scent 
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​of punitive earthly laws?
Is there another way?

Possibilities emerge
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​during divine encounters.
The atmosphere shifts.
Winds of change refresh creation with
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​showers of restorative justice.

Will you resist transformation
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​like a wailing newborn
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​yearning for comfort of the womb?
Or will you taste the sweet fruit 
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​of God’s liberating love for the whole world
 ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​to be born again through saving grace?

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Rev. Melissa Hinnen

is a United Methodist ordained elder in the NY Annual Conference. Since 2019, she has served the Park Slope Brooklyn Community through her appointment with Park Slope United Methodist Church. She also coordinates the Good News Cooperative Parish in Downtown Brooklyn, NY in partnership with Heart of Life UMC.  She regularly writes 100 Word Sermons and posts them online at https://greatermessage.substack.com/. 

Park Slope United Methodist Church is a Brooklyn-based, justice-seeking congregation rooted in radical welcome, community, and social transformation. Located in the heart of Park Slope, they are a diverse, family-friendly church committed to inclusion across race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and life experience.

At Park Slope UMC, faith is something lived together. Through worship, study, service, and shared life, they build relationships across generations and engage both their neighborhood and the wider world with a commitment to equity, dignity, and care for the most vulnerable. As an LGBTQ-affirming congregation, they seek to embody Christ’s love without barriers, welcoming all on their journey.