Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Revelation 22:13 The Lord is a great God who says, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” *Hymn 268 Crown Him with Many Crowns Prayer of Confession Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things to your well-beloved Son, our Lord and King, grant that the people of earth, including ourselves, now divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his gentle and loving rule, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The Lord’s mercies never end. They are new every morning and sure as the sunrise. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. Your sins are forgotten. Be at peace. First Reading Psalm 150 Time With Our Young Disciples Scripture Reading Matthew 25:31-46 The Morning Message I have two questions for us to consider today: 1. Do you choose to live in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ…or not? 2. How can you make your choice real? I confess that this is not an original idea, but one I heard during a presbytery meeting. I ask these questions, because, we have come to the end of the liturgical year, the very last Sunday. Advent, preparing for the birth of Christ, begins next week. As we move through the months, we meet Jesus at the mileposts of his life- his birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension. Then comes Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the early believers and the Church was established. Kingdomtide, or Ordinary Time, follows Pentecost and brings us to today. When we get to this Sunday, Christ the King, or Reign of Christ, we are called on to consider the year we’ve traveled, how we have related to Christ, and how we have exhibited his kingdom on earth. Christ the King Sunday also makes us stop to consider our concept of time. The time is surely coming for Christ’s second Advent, though we do not know the day or the hour. But we do know this: time moves forward and our time on earth is finite. We have experienced that in painful ways this year. Christ the King Sunday may mark the end of the church year, but it does not mark the end of our challenges. The war in Ukraine continues, the mayhem in Israel/Palestine rages, and their people suffer new atrocities daily. The news from Charleston and Washington doesn’t always inspire confidence. Every trip to the grocery store gets more and more expensive. There is need all around us. But, there is good news. While the past three holiday seasons have come with warnings about travel and the dangers of large gatherings, we aren’t hearing that so much now. The Harklesses are happy. We saw two out of four for Thanksgiving. It’s like filling up at the emotional fuel station. And we need that. Like many of you, our family has had some challenges this year. That word that strikes terror in all of us, cancer, struck us this year, too. We are reminded of how fragile life is and that death is inevitable. There is nothing like being in the embrace of your loved ones to be reminded that through it all we are family and love is our creed. So, here we are. Christ the King Sunday, the feast day that celebrates the fact that, earthly rulers come and go, and even at the height of their power, they only rule over a very small part of the created universe. Their reign is time-sensitive. It will end. But, Jesus’ reign is eternal and cosmic in its proportions. His platform doesn’t change and there are no maps to tell us who is and who isn’t in Jesus’ district. We all are. Jesus’ realm is founded on the principals of justice and integrity-where those who live according to the values of the Kingdom will feel at home- and those who do not will find it an alien place. Christ knows us, all of us, no matter our circumstances. And Christ knows that how we live our lives, day in and day out, shows what kind of person we are. In this text, Jesus identifies people based on their actions, how they live out their days on this earth. Those who do the tasks of Kingdom living-feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned are acting as though they are ministering to Jesus himself. This shouldn’t have been earth-shaking news. This is what they had witnessed Jesus himself doing. Jesus also said that when they, or we, refuse to help a person in need, we are refusing him. This was a surprise, too, but, it shouldn’t have been. Jesus was teaching, or re-teaching-a fundamental rule of kingdom-living: We are the body of Christ. We are united with him- in life, death, and resurrection. What we do, one for another, builds up, enriches, and heals the body. What we fail to do, when we fail to serve as Christ serves, weakens and diminishes the body. Jesus is a king unlike any ruler of this earth. For which we can truly thank God. Jesus is not a despot who orders his subjects to be at his beck and call. A tyrant who wields insults and inflicts pain to intimidate and control. Nor does he abandon or betray his people. Ever. No. Jesus, is the king who throws open the doors of his dwelling-place and invites us all in. Jesus welcomes us into the fullness of his life. A life that could compel the friends of a paralyzed man to cut a hole in the roof of a house so he can be lowered into Jesus’ presence. To follow Jesus is to sign up for a life of spiritual adventure. Christ the King Sunday asks us if we will choose kingdom-living in the year ahead? It asks how will we use the gift and limits of time? This time question has created a sense of urgency for me. A few days ago I learned that a friend of long-standing has been diagnosed with dementia. At a time in life that most of us expect to be enjoying retirement, playing with our grandkids, maybe taking that dreamed-about vacation. This husband, father and grandfather is losing his memory and losing touch with reality. Instead of more time together, this couple is separated. They don’t live together at this point. This is for his safety and security, and his family’s peace of mind. They are devastated. He has some precious grandkids but I don’t know if he is even aware. All this makes me very sad but it prompts me to do whatever I can to be present in the lives of my loved ones for as long as possible…to share moments special and mundane…to make memories, to celebrate milestones…to comfort one another when life turns hard, and it will. What were your highs and lows this year? How did you cope with the lows? How did that affect your faith? Are there changes you want to make in your life? What steps are you taking toward that? What can you do for others, to advance the kingdom? How will you use your time? Will you know the joy of a peaceful heart, deep peace that comes from God? I think we know how 2023 ends. What we don’t know is what the future holds. But we know who holds the future. And we know who holds our hand. *Wellspring of the Gospel *Hymn 802 The King of Love My Shepherd Is, verses 1-3 *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p.35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns The Sacrament of Communion Great Prayer of Thanksgiving and the Lord’s Prayer O God, the first and the last, our beginning and our ending, hear our prayers on this Christ the King Sunday. Remind us that our true citizenship is in your kingdom and empower us to seek your love, justice, and mercy in all we do and say. Grant us courage to speak out against any hatred, prejudice, or abuse of power that seeks to harm others. Inspire us to work toward a fuller image of your kingdom here on earth, where all are treated with respect, where none go without life’s basic necessities, and people of all races, religions, and circumstances are welcomed and valued. As we review these last days of the church year, may our good intentions be blessed and may we be granted grace where we failed. We pray for those who are need of healing and wholeness this day, those in our fellowship of faith, and those we name in our hearts. (pause) As the days turn colder and darker and winter illnesses threaten, strengthen us to persevere. While we certainly miss our departed loved ones in this season, comfort us with your presence and remind us that we are all members of the Communion of Saints, past, present, and future. We pray in Jesus’ name and for his sake, saying, Our Father…Amen. Distribution of the Elements Prayer After Communion Blessed are you, O God, Maker of all things, through your goodness you have blessed us with these divine gifts of loaf and cup, and the gifts of ourselves- our time, our skills, and our possessions. Strengthened by this holy meal, use us and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with love, all to the glory of your name. Amen. Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication God, our Alpha and Omega, for all gifts, seen and unseen, and for all the hours and days of the year completed and the one yet to be born, we give you thanks and wait for the blessing of each new dawn, rising in resurrection power. In Jesus’ name and for his kingdom. Amen. *Hymn 802 The King of Love My Shepherd Is, verses 4-6 *Blessing Through every season of every year, may God’s blessing be upon you that you may be strengthened to do your part in advancing Christ’s Kingdom. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Psalm 100 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come into God’s presence with a song. Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and God’s courts with praise. Give thanks to God, bless God’s name. For the Lord is good. God’s steadfast love endures forever; and God’s faithfulness is sure to all generations. *Hymn 367 Come, Ye Thankful People, Come Litany of Thanksgiving For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea. We thank you, Lord. For all that is gracious in the lives of people, revealing the image of Christ. We thank you, Lord. For our daily food and drink. We thank you, Lord. For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve. We thank you, Lord. For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play. We thank you, Lord. For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity. We thank you, Lord. For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and peace. We thank you, Lord. For the communion of saints, in all times and places. We thank you, Lord, and give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be praise and glory, with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. * Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me as I Am Assurance of Pardon First Reading Deuteronomy 8:1-18 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 12:13-21 Morning Message *Hymn 37 Let All Things Now Living *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Gracious, God, your gifts are unending. The smallest of seeds can produce great blessing. With thankful hearts, we offer our gifts and our lives to you that they may bring hope and promise to a world in need. In Jesus’ name and for his realm. Amen. *Hymn 643 Now Thank We All Our God *Blessing John F. Kennedy On this day, let us gather in sanctuaries dedicated to worship and homes blessed by family affection, to express our gratitude for the glorious gifts of God; and let us earnestly and humbly pray that he will continue to guide and sustain us in the great unfinished tasks of achieving peace, justice, and understanding among all men and nations, and ending misery and suffering wherever they exist. Go now in peace, to love and serve the Lord. Amen. Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Come and worship, you who love the Lord with all your heart, and with all our souls, and all our minds, and all our strength. Come into the community of God’s people and worship with the neighbor you do not know: the stranger seeking welcome, the hungry, the homeless, the hurting. Come, and worship, you who love the spirit of the law, and the One who showed us how to live in kin-dom. Prayer for Veterans Holy and loving God, we give you thanks for the veterans among us, those living, and the saints who have gone before. Thank you for their service and sacrifice. We thank you for those now serving and ask your protection over them and their loved ones. Guide us, Lord, as we seek to love our neighbors who are veterans and deal honorably with them. Heal all brokenness and bring us together as your people. Lead us to work together toward your promised reign, when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and neither shall we learn war anymore. Amen. *Hymn 336 We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing Prayer of Confession O God, Rock of our salvation, you give children to the barren, and strength to the feeble. You exalt the poor and lift up the needy. We praise you from morning to night, yet we build walls that separate us from you, from one another, and from the world. We place stumbling blocks in the way of goodness and truth. We are led astray by promises of earthly desires. We confess our failings, and seek solace in the source of our joy, Jesus Christ our Lord. Guide us in our efforts to encourage one another, to work together for good in the world you made, and to prepare for the coming day of the Lord. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me as I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Our hearts are sprinkled clean with the water of God’s love. Through salvation won for us by Jesus Christ, God assures us that we are forgiven, absolved, and released from the sin that binds us. Alleluia! Amen. First Reading Psalm 78:1-7 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading Matthew 25:1-13 Morning Message I have been singing an old spiritual all week: Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, keep your lamps trimmed and burning, keep your lamps trimmed and burning, the time is drawing nigh. In these simple lines, you hear and feel an urgency. Something very significant is anticipated and you wouldn’t want to miss it. Rev. Janet Hunt offers this story from her childhood. I think it gives us a glimpse of what is meant by this parable. “I was in third grade. Our classroom was on the second floor. There were two entries into that classroom. The one we normally used and the one we used for recess. The one we used for recess was actually an old iron fire escape. Without a key, the door only opened from the inside. It was afternoon in the fall of the year, and we were outside for recess. Normally, I would have been playing with friends in my own class, but the second grade class was having recess at the same time that day. My sister, Martha, was in that class and I got to playing with her. When I looked up again, my class was gone. Now ours was a new teacher, and no doubt, she was still learning how to best corral the energy of 40 eight and nine year olds. Her method for gathering our attention and signaling it was time to go back to our lessons, was to stand in the middle of the playground and hold one hand in the air. We were to make a single file line in front of her and she would lead us inside. I was not the first one to miss it. In fact, just a week before two boys had gotten busy and had not looked up at the right moment. When they realized they had missed it, they went around to the school’s front doors and came in. She sent them back outside and ordered them to sit at the top of the fire escape steps until the end of the school day. That day was my turn. I ran as quickly as my nine year old legs would take me to the top of the stairs. I peered through the window to see my classmates taking off their coats and hanging them on their assigned hooks. I saw our teacher tell them to ignore me…not to open the door to let me in. By the example of others, I knew it would do no good to enter by another way. I was something like those foolish bridesmaids we hear about today. And so I sat on those top steps and waited until the end of the day and I was finally let in. I was told to sit down at my desk where our teacher told me to make up the work I had missed. I will never understand her surprise that by now I was choking back tears. I offer this now because it ends in a similar way to the parable Jesus tells today. Recalling my third grade experience of being locked out helps me test the point Jesus offers now. But here is my struggle with the words before us today. While the words of the parable end with Jesus telling his listeners to “keep awake,” my sense is that is not really his point. At least not in the way we might normally understand it. For as the story is told, both the wise and foolish girls fell asleep. So it seems to me that “keeping awake” must not be that of a third grader keeping her eyes glued to her teacher so as not to miss her silent signal. But this keeping awake does have to do with being prepared…always aware that the end of “recess” is right around the corner…that the bridegroom could come at any time.” I agree with her statements. In that way, the waiting has a joyful and life-affirming purpose. That does not seem to be the objective of the new third grade teacher, who was conducting her class in a way that turned punitive if one missed her hand in the air. Jesus is expected…even if he is delayed. And somehow our living should reflect that. I confess, this is a subject on which I rarely focus. Life is good and life is short. I have always known the love of Jesus and the grace he has lavished on me for over sixty years…through good times and bad…through tragedy and heartache, and yes, in times of temptation and sin. I don’t doubt his presence today. I think very little about the eschaton, or the second advent of Christ. But, each and every Sunday, we stand together and profess our faith that points to a realm beyond this one, where the whole creation is redeemed and we shall see our Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face. So, what do Presbyterians believe about “end things?” This is a very complicated subject and the topic of prolific volumes of Christian thought through the ages. In an attempt to simplify things, the Presbyterian Mission Agency offers this explanation: “The Jesus story is also our story. That Jesus died, was raised, ascended into heaven, and sits on God’s right hand, prefigures our own story. We will follow him. This means our confessions often describe the future of individual Christians by how they tell the story of Jesus. In the earliest confessions it is understood that we are destined, when we die, to follow Jesus into God’s presence. If there is a Presbyterian narrative about life after death, this is it: When you die, your soul goes to be with God, where it enjoys God’s glory and waits for the final judgment. At the final judgment, bodies are ae reunited with souls, and eternal rewards and punishments are handed out. As the Scots Confession notes, final judgment is also “the time of refreshing and restitution of all things.” The core meaning of the Greek word for faith is “trust.” Each section of one of our contemporary affirmations, A Brief Statement of Faith, begins with the words, “We trust.” As we trust God with our present, we can trust God with our future. A friend of mine was born and raised in a Jewish family. He was faithful. When he went to college, he met a young woman who was Christian. He eventually came to claim the Christian faith himself. He told me that he went to tell his beloved mother that he was becoming a Christian. To which his mother simply said, “Then you be a good one.” I believe that our call is not to fully articulate what the end times will look, sound, or feel like, but to trust both the present and the future to God, a God that would never leave you quivering on the fire escape. *Hymn 314 Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness (Christ, Be Our Light) verses 1-3 *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 314 Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness (Christ, Be Our Light) verses 4 and 5 *Blessing Go out in peace, for the Lord has heard your prayers. Do not allow anyone to lead you astray. Hold fast to the hope you have claimed. Continue to meet together, encouraging one another and provoking one another to put love into action. And may God be your rock of strength. May Christ Jesus usher you into God’s presence. And may the Holy Spirit write the laws of love and life upon your hearts. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
*Call to Worship Holy God of wind and fire, dance through our worship today. Holy God of earthquakes and illness, share our memories, our tears of sadness and loss. Holy God of creation and new beginnings, show us again your vision of healing and wholeness and the promise of life here and in the world to come. *Hymn 326 For All the Saints Opening Prayer Eternal God, you have knit together your people of all times and places into one communion in the mystical body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant us your Holy Spirit that we may be encouraged and strengthened, seeking your forgiveness in our moments or seasons of failure, persevering in our part of faith’s course, until such time as we join the great cloud of witnesses in our eternal home. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Jesus said, “For the Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” Friends, believe in the good news of the gospel. Our sins are forgiven. Alleluia! Amen. First Reading Revelation 21:1-6 Time With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading Matthew 5:1-12 The Morning Message Saints Among Us *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p.35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Prayers of the Faithful and the Lord’s Prayer Romans 6:3-5 This morning we remember family, friends, and loved ones who have joined the blessed company of the saints in light during this church year. When we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism unto death, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life. For if we have been united with Christ in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Received into the Church Triumphant this year: Clara Adkins Karen Gold John Cooke James McTyre Joan Cassidy Anita Woodrum Eternal God, we bless you for the great company of all those who have kept the faith, finished their race, and now rest from their labor. We praise you for those closest to us whom you have received into your presence… and others we name now in our hearts… We lift our concerns for our community, our nation, and the world, that all may be supplied their daily needs and know the security of freedom, safety, and peace. We pray for those who suffer from illness and other circumstances which prevent them from living whole and blessed lives. We give you thanks for all gifts of healing and compassion offered in your name. Help us to believe where we have not seen, trusting you to lead us through our years. Bring us at last with all your saints into the joy of your home, through Christ Jesus who taught us to pray, saying, Our Father… Amen. Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 730 I Sing a Song of the Saints of God *Blessing Go out in the confidence that your lives are safe in God. Keep your hands clean and your hearts pure. Do not act falsely or deceitfully. Trust in the Lord, even in the face of death, and follow in the footsteps of all God’s saints. And may God keep a protective eye on you; May Christ Jesus show you his grace and mercy; And may the Holy Spirit give you a vision of the life of the world made new. *Postlude Prelude
*Call to Worship Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. The Holy One says, “Be still and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. *Hymn 275 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Prayer of Confession Almighty God, We confess that we have taken your commandments and turned them into rules. We have criticized those who have fallen short and selfishly proclaimed ourselves righteous. We have failed to understand the spirit of the commandments and the way you showed us to live- loving God and loving neighbors. Forgive us for turning your law into burdens and ignoring the glorious freedom from sin, gained by the saving death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Grace 1 John 4:16 God is love. Those who abide in love, abide in God, and God abides in them. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. Time With Our Young Disciples Scripture Readings Romans 1:17; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Peter 2:5; 2 Timothy 3:18; Matthew 11:29-30 The Morning Message This is a special day in the life of those churches who trace their history to the Protestant Reformation. That includes us and our Lutheran and Reformed brothers and sisters. Other Protestants acknowledge Reformation Sunday for the contributions the Reformed Movement made in the life of the Christian Church, and even influenced their own denominations. Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, comes from the faith and writings of John Calvin, whose first vocation was the practice of law in France. Calvin did much of his writing from Geneva, Switzerland. From there, the Reformed movement spread to other parts of Europe and the British Isles. This new movement gave great consideration to which form of government would be most effective for the church. Some thought the church should be governed by bishops and became the Episcopalian Party. Some believed the church should be governed by elders, and became the Presbyterian Party. Still others believed government should be conducted directly by the congregation, and they became the Congregationalist Party. The name Presbyterian comes from the Greek word, presbuteros, which means “elder.” It is used 72 times in the New Testament in reference to church leadership. Presbyterian Church government emphasizes that the leadership of the church is to be shared between pastor and session, what we also call Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders. Our strong emphasis on church government is our heritage from John Knox and the Scottish Presbyterians. I’m wearing tartan plaid today in their honor. Many of the early Presbyterians in America came from England, Scotland, and Ireland. The first American Presbytery was organized at Philadelphia in 1706. The first General Assembly was held in Philadelphia in 1789. The first GA was convened by the Rev. John Witherspoon, the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence. The Presbyterian Church is distinctly confessional and connectional. I always like to say you can’t be anonymous in the Presbyterian Church. We are family. We believe the faith that unites us is always stronger than disputes that divide us, though I have witnessed some dangerously close calls. So what is unique about the Presbyterian Church? We are distinctive in two major ways: we adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed Theology and we practice the representative form of government that values both ministers and members. What is Reformed theology? The Shorter Catechism, that many of us learned as children, says that our chief end, or primary goal in life, is to “know, or glorify, God and enjoy God forever.” Theology is a way of thinking about God and how God relates to the world God made. We affirm the holiness of the One who creates, sustains, rules and redeems the world out of love and grace. I think we see this clearly in our Sacrament of Baptism, especially infant baptism. That’s a topic that deserves a much more detailed discussion, but, here’s what I want to lift up for today: When parents present their child, the evidence of their love, for baptism, they affirm their belief and reliance on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They claim the promises of the Christian faith for their child until he or she can learn and accept them as their own. By the work of the Holy Spirit, that child is washed in the waters of baptism, received into the family of faith, marked and sealed as Christ’s own forever. He or she is surrounded by love and supported in prayer, disciplined and guided, not with threats about the wages of sin, but, in ways that echo with notes of grace, love, forgiveness, acceptance, and with an eye toward the wellbeing of all God’s children. Some of the principles articulated by John Calvin are still at the core of Presbyterian beliefs. Among these are the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, justification by grace through faith, and the priesthood of all believers. These are all good features of the faith we express as Presbyterians. John Calvin, Martin Luther, Jan Hus, Zwingli, Knox, and others, have given us a foundation upon which we can advance the Kingdom as we are called. Calvin insisted that the Holy Spirit continues to work in both individuals and institutions, transforming us, sanctifying us, and conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. The church, Calvin explains, is also in the process of changing. It is “Reformed and always reforming, according to the Word of God.” If we take a look around this sanctuary, we see evidence of Calvin’s influence. He believed that the congregation is the main choir in worship and the choir performs a supporting role. Which is why, when this sanctuary was constructed, the choir loft was built behind the congregation. There are three pieces of furniture which remain in the sanctuary for all services, though we’ve been known to allow them to be moved to accommodate special occasions in worship. The baptismal font, which is positioned close to a door from which the congregation enters, symbolizing our entrance into the family of faith. The Communion Table, to symbolize the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and to be filled with his love and grace. And to recognize our communion with all believers over time and space. The pulpit, from which God’s Word is read and proclaimed. This was a high priority of the Reformation: to make the Scriptures accessible to the people in the language they understand and use. Because this idea that the church is reformed and always reforming, we embrace the fellowship of other Christian denominations in specific ways. Today, we are called a “Formula of Agreement Church,” which joins us to the Disciples of Christ, the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Reformed Church in America. We can and have in the Presbytery of West Virginia, approved ministers ordained in these denominations to pastor our churches and administer the sacraments. We are so similar in liturgy that if we were to open a Presbyterian Book of Common Worship, the Lutheran Book of Worship, and the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, we would find nearly identical language and movements in worship. The Episcopal Church in America is not a Formula of Agreement Church, but we are very similar in theology and practice. Friends, the Word of God is living and active in the world, making all things new, in and through Jesus Christ. We are being ever-transformed by this Word. As we consider the challenges of every day life in the United States, we may think there is no hope of ending violence, or poverty, or racism, or lawlessness, or any other obstacle to peace and human progress. But our faith teaches us otherwise. Did Jesus not feed a couple thousand people with a little boy’s lunch, heal a man so mentally ill that his family banished him to live in the town graveyard? Did not Jesus raise a twelve year old girl from the dead? Did he not go to the cross, dying in our place, that we might live? Yes, our needs, the worlds’ needs, are staggering. This is the Good news: God isn’t finished with us yet. “Soli Deo Gloria.” To God alone be the glory. *Hymn 630 Fairest Lord Jesus, verses 1 and 2 *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Doxology *Prayer of Dedication We give Thee but Thine own, whatever the gift may be. All that we have is Thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from Thee. Amen. *Hymn 360 Fairest Lord Jesus, verses 3 and 4 *Blessing For all that God can do within us, for all that God can do without us. Thanks be to God! For all in whom Christ lived before us, for all in whom Christ lives beside us. Thanks be to God! For all the Spirit wants to bring us, for where the Spirit wants to send us. Thanks be to God! The blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with you today and always. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good; For the Lord’s steadfast love endures forever. Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or declare all God’s praise? Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. *Hymn 475 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Prayer of Confession O God, who alone can probe the depths of the heart, you hear the prayers of the faithful; you justify the repentant sinner. Grant us the gift of humility, that we may see our sins clearly and refrain from judging our neighbor. We make our prayer through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness God pours out mercy and grace, never giving up on us, but freeing us to live lives worthy of our calling. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel: Jesus Christ saves us from sin and sets us free to enjoy newness of life. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen. First Reading Joel 2: 23-32 Moments With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 18:9-14 Morning Message You may know that one of my favorite TV shows is Blue Bloods. At least once an episode we see the Reagan clan gathered around the Sunday dinner table hashing out the highs and lows of the week. There is a lot of mirth and sometimes, some deep and dark angst. Dinner always begins with a blessing over the meal: “Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from the bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.” Traditional Catholic table grace. If danger has come calling, if grief or loss is upon them, someone may add to the prayer that particular concern. Likewise, should there be a reason to celebrate, the prayer sounds much like a cheer. But, one night, following lively, irreverent banter, daughter-in-law, Linda, offers to say grace. “Lord, bless these sinners while they eat their dinners. Amen.” Sounds a little like the prayer of the Pharisee in our text today. “God, I thank you that I am not like those other people, those sinners.” Rev. Mandy Sayers of Elliot City, Maryland, says she had to fight the urge to think something similar when she was asked to submit a sermon to a well-respected radio program and web-site, Day 1.org. There are many famous, popular preachers who are invited each Sunday of the year to proclaim the Word of God on Day 1. She was honored to be included though she is very young and inexperienced. Feeling her Cheerios she thought for a moment, “I thank you, Lord, that I’m better than at least one of the great multitude of preachers they’ve had in their decades of amazing ministry.” But, after some self-reflection and sober thought, her prayer changed to, “Be merciful to me, a preacher.” I confess that’s where I am most weeks. “Help me, Lord! Your Word is precious and I can do harm, or through my feeble attempts, your word can inspire, enlighten, correct and challenge. Help me.” Sayers says, two men went up to the Temple to pray-one leading with his extensive resume. He’s a Pharisee, a church regular, a charter member, city council chair, faithful in marriage, raises well-heeled kids, honest, forthright, thrifty, brave, and even a tither. A church valedictorian in the making. The other fellow, the tax collector, seems to have staggered in there at the last minute. He’s in the corner, in the back row. You can bet he forgot his homework at home and has to borrow a pencil. He has little to commend him by way of righteousness. A tax collector is despised and rejected by most. Tax collectors and sinners seem to be paired in scripture like we pair peanut butter and jelly or nuts and bolts, mac and cheese. Jesus asks which one does God love most? The saint or the sinner? Let’s break it down a bit. At first, the Pharisee’s prayer seems to be directed toward God in thanksgiving, but if you look closely, it’s really a form of bragging and ridicule. The man is trusting himself for righteousness, as if to say, “Don’t worry about me, God. I got this. Send me a job to do because nobody can do it better than I can.” The Pharisee regards other people with contempt. He’s thankful he’s not like the other screw-ups and misfits. Convicts, addicts, dead beats, people who vote for the other party. Meanwhile, the tax collector is exhausted by his self-inventory. These moments of confession leave him so spent and aggrieved that he is beating his chest. He can’t even look up. The tax collector knows he is a sinner who found his way to the temple, and other than that, it’s all about God. If the Pharisee’s prayer is “I got this,” then the tax collector’s is, “I got nothing. Nothing but you, God.” Sayers says she thinks that whenever we get to the place where we realize we cannot achieve or earn our way into God’s heart, that’s when God’s eyes begin to sparkle. Because that’s when we are ready to be purposed by God. We are ready to serve, to show and share the love of Jesus with Pharisees, tax collectors, and everyone in-between. Jesus demonstrates humility over and over. He says take the last place at the banquet. If you want to be great, be a servant. Become like a child to enter the kingdom. Take up a towel and wash each other’s feet. Sayers says a few times in her ministry, she has had the privilege of going up to the temple to pray with some folks in recovery groups. Or rather down to the basement to pray. She finds it humbling and inspiring to hear the stories from those who are very clear that they need God’s help, they can’t do this on their own, that they need and want the help of their brothers and sisters here in their daily walk. Every single person is welcomed. There is coffee, hospitality, acceptance. There is love. People of all ages, pedigrees, conditions, in biker jackets and business suits and yoga pants. Whenever she is there, Sayers feels like it’s an oasis where those in attendance are able to be themselves, with no need to pretend they are anything other than the beloved children of God, freed from the endless torrent of judgment and shame, and competition, if even for a couple of hours. One evening, when the program was over, a man named Tom got out his harmonica and Chuck played the out of tune piano. “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” She wonders if, when we all get to heaven, if it may look more like that church basement than a beautiful stained-glass sanctuary. The surprise ending is this: a tax collector knows he needs God, that he is saved by God’s grace and not by his own achievement, or how well he kept the commandments. People who are saved by grace, whose hearts are broken and re-made make great Sunday School teachers, and choir members, and committee members and even preachers. They are wonderful at setting the table for Communion. They know what it is to be hungry and thirsty for the things of God. Those who are forgiven great debt can be the most forgiving. They are the ones who sit with people in the hospital waiting room or at the bedside, not counting the time, just bearing witness to the pain and fear and unknown. If they have a theme song, it’s probably more like “Standing On the Promises” than “I Did It My Way,” no offense to Frank Sinatra. Two men went up to the temple to pray…and we can see ourselves in both of them, can’t we? I’ve had some eye problems lately. Thankfully, they are being resolved. I’m going to have cataract surgery after the New Year. But, at the end of a doctor’s visit a few days ago, I was told I would have to return in a week for another exam…this time I was to to go without eye makeup for a minimum of 48 hours before the appointment to avoid any stray particles of the products affecting my readings. Seriously? Forty-eight hours without mascara? I am so self-concious about my hair loss, and absentee eyelashes, that I used to get eyelash extensions and had them refreshed about once a month. The Pharisee in me is afraid to be seen as I really am. And that’s my spiritual work in the days ahead. So, when we go up to the temple, or down the street, or kneeling beside our beds to pray, let us let go of all the vain things we carry, and bow before the one who calls us beloved, the one who made us in God’s own image, called us God’s people when we were no people, the one who, when we were in a far-off country, threw us a party and put the best robe around our shoulders, and said, “Come home.” *Affirmation of Faith A Declaration of Faith, PCUSA, 1985 We are certain that Jesus lives. He lives as God with us, touching all of human life with the presence of God. He lives as one of us with God. Because he shares our humanity, He has bound us to himself in love. We declare that Jesus is Lord. We have an advocate in the innermost life of God. His resurrection is a decisive victory over the powers that deform and destroy human life. His lordship is hidden. The world appears to be dominated by people and systems that do not acknowledge his rule. But his Lordship is real. It demands our loyalty and sets us free from all the lesser lords who threaten us. We maintain that ultimate sovereignty now belongs to Jesus Christ. In every sphere of life, Jesus is Lord. He has been from the beginning. He will be Lord at the end. Even now he is Lord. *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 36 For the Fruit of all Creation *Blessing May the God of endurance and encouragement, grant you to live in such harmony with one another that with one voice we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Go now in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen. *Postlude Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 Prelude Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship As Jesus called to Zaccheus, so he calls us. Jesus longs to abide with us: Here in this place, in our homes, at our games, in the marketplace, and wherever the body of Christ is gathered. Jesus invites us, just as we are. Let us worship God, who calls us by name, who came to seek and save the lost. Let us praise God’s name together! *Hymn 39 Great Is Thy Faithfulness Prayer Athlete’s Prayer Gregg Easterbook God, let me play well, but fairly. Let competition make me strong but never hostile. Forbid me to rejoice in the adversity of others. See me not when I am cheered, but when I bend to help my opponent up. If I know victory, allow me to be happy. If I am denied, keep me from envy. Remind me that sports are games. Help me to learn something that matters once the game is over. And if through games I set an example, let it be a good one. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Friends, God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. Never giving up on us, God’s love pursues, guides, and “coaches” us our whole lives long. God is always in our corner, ready to forgive and set us free from sin. Be at peace. First Scripture Reading Hebrews 12:1-3 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 19:1-10 Morning Message Do you remember the song? Zacchaeus was a wee little man And a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the Savior passed that way, he looked up in that tree. “Zacchaeus, come on down! For I’m ging to your house today. I’m going to your house today.” One of my kids always insisted Jesus said, “I’m going to your house for tea.” I’ve always liked Zacchaeus. He was short. Short people have some unique problems. They’re always picked last for games. No athlete aspires to be short in adulthood, unless they’re a jockey or maybe a gymnast. Short people have to learn to adapt. Can’t reach something on the top shelf of a grocery store aisle? Grab a broom from the household supply aisle and knock it down. I’m not above it. When we were still at Marshall, I had to drive Ed to the ER one day. He had fallen at a rehearsal and his ankle looked like it might be broken. The driver’s seat in Ed’s car wasn’t adjustable. He’s a foot taller than I am. I drove with Norton’s anthology of English Literature behind my back. I did what I had done all my life: adapted. Zacchaeus had probably lived a lifetime of not being acknowledged, overlooked, pushed to the back of the crowd. And since he was a dreaded tax collector, he probably endured frequent ridicule. If his temple had Bring a Friend Sabbath, I don’t know who he would invite. And I doubt he had many invitations to tailgate. But, like all short people, Zacchaeus had learned to adapt to his environment. Which is why he was up in that tree. He had a bird’s eye view of the gathering in the town square. He achieved his goal. He did see Jesus. And Jesus saw him and something unexpected happens. Pastor and author Bruce Epperly suggests in The Adventurous Lectionary, the story of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus portrays the quest for spiritual stature. Jesus is passing by but Zacchaeus can’t see him because he is short in stature. While the gospel writer is pointing to Zacchaeus’ height; he is also describing his spirit. Before he heard of Jesus’ visit, Zacchaeus had a small soul. Some commentators think he may have even cultivated a cramped spirit, focusing primarily on his occupation which had him assessing property and prosperity to the exclusion of forming healthy personal connections, friendships, and becoming invested in the life of the whole community. His small spirit allowed him to deny the pain and hardship he inflicted on others. Small in stature, Zacchaeus climbs a tree. He needs a larger vision. He needs to see Jesus more clearly. He needs a wider perspective. Zacchaeus is being called from self-focus, from that rugged individualism we Appalachians love to tout, to a broader interest in the world around him. When Jesus notices Zacchaeus, he invited himself to the tax collector’s home. Now, if Jesus called me or sent me a text saying he was on his way over to my house, I confess my first thought wouldn’t be about what a blessing this is. Nope. My first thought would be, do I cook or do I clean? So, we see, Zacchaeus isn’t the only one who needs a wider vision. The community may have been scandalized that Jesus was having dinner with Zacchaeus. His self-righteous neighbors are grumbling. He may be rich and powerful, but, Zacchaeus is a social outcast because of his profession. He is a Roman agent. Surely Jesus doesn’t want to dine with this man. But, Jesus is always surprising us, which makes some people uncomfortable and some even angry. Before we think that wouldn’t happen here, think again. This community has had its share of unpopular community officials. I don’t think we’d want to be seen with some of them. Once again, Jesus demonstrates a new way of life. Jesus’ spiritual stature allowed him to eat with sinners and women, to embrace the clean and unclean, the socially acceptable and those who were called social misfits. Jesus thinks big. He looks beyond appearances and beyond social expectations to discern God’s deep work taking place in Zacchaeus’ soul. His spiritual stature grows. He sees a larger vision of himself. He sees the error of his ways and the importance of setting things right. He makes a commitment to a higher standard in his work, work based on honesty and integrity and generosity. People were never again to be exploited, taken advantage of, but honored and respected. In this way the whole community could be transformed. Jesus now proclaims that salvation, wholeness, and healing have come to those who were thought to be lost. Salvation is about a larger perspective, a new vision of reality, and values, and maybe even vocation. The Christian faith is about conforming to those qualities we see in Jesus. Jesus proclaimed the value of every man, woman, and child. He cared about what was right and true and good for the community, for his neighborhood and the one across town. Jesus cares for the people of the middle East. We know it grieves him that innocent lives were lost in recent days in Israel and Gaza. He was always opposed to exploitation and derision, and injustice, the de-humanization of others, which is what it takes to inflict the atrocities suffered. In large part the Protestant Reformation was about these things, too. When Martin Luther nailed those 95 theses to the door of the Wittenburg Chapel, he was standing up for the people the Church had exploited. And thanks to the printing press, which came along in that era, people like us would finally be able to read the Word of God, the Bible, in their own language. Until that moment in history, Scripture was read and interpreted by clergy, and it wasn’t always beneficial to the masses. In fact it could, and still can be, twisted and contorted in devastating ways. Much more could be said about the Reformation, but, we will save that for another time. Poet Howard Thurman penned these words: Each night by bonny, sturdy lad persists in adding to his “now I lay me down to sleep,” the earnest wistful plea: “God, make me big.” And I, his mother, with greater need, do echo in a humbled, contrite heart, “God, make me big.” Current events, tragic events like what happened to our Jewish brothers and sisters can constrict our visions. Fear creeps or crashes in on us. We can become imprisoned by our desire for security, safety, and affluence and fail to remember Paul’s admonition that when one of us is hurt, all of us hurt. God is calling us to larger visions and larger spirits to match the challenges of our time. Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and so can we. God can “make us big,” And we can discover that even within limitations, no matter our physical stature or skill, we can adapt and the possibilities are unlimited. I pray that God will make our spirits big, too. *Hymn God, You Give Us Recreation (There’s a Wideness In God’s Mercy) Verses 1 and 2 Carolyn Winfrey Gillette *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Gifts of Tithes and Offering Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn God, You Give Us Recreation, Verse 3 *Blessing As we move from this place to our fellowship hall, let us give God thanks: For food in a world where many walk in hunger; for faith in a world where many walk in fear; for friends in a world where many walk alone; we give you thanks, O Lord, and go out to love and serve you. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
*Call to Worship Shine like stars in the world, holding fast to the word of life. *Prayer of the Day Lord, tireless guardian of your people, Ever-prepared to hear the cries of your chosen ones, teach us to rely, day and night, on your care. Support our prayer, lest we grow weary, drive us to seek your enduring justice and your ever-present help. Grant this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen. *Hymn 157 I Danced in the Morning, verses 1,2, and 3 Prayer of Confession Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings, and our offenses against you. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. Have mercy on us, Lord, for we are sorry for all we have done to displease you. Forgive us our sins and help us to live in your light, and walk in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. *Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Chrsit died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life is gone and a new life has begun. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen. First Reading Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Moments With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Matthew 21:33-46 Morning Message In years past, if you would drive by our house, you would have seen two un-ruly, un-pruned, wild-looking bushes on the lefthand side of our yard. If the pretty yellow blooms were gone, you may not even have recognized them as forsythia. We planted the bushes at least twenty-five years ago. They thrived. Generous yellow blooms every spring. I would clip some and stand them in my favorite Blenko vase. Those tall straight branches heralded the arrival of spring. Warm, sunny days would soon follow. Negotiations with our kids would resume about when it was time to come inside for the day, for they all loved to play outside. But, after a few seasons, when we failed to trim, rake, and clean up the ground beneath and around the forsythia, they became a mess. The branches were so long they raked at our bedroom window on the second floor. They sounded like someone scratching on the window screen when the wind whips up. One day I noticed a sweet smell coming from the direction of the forsythia, and upon inspection, realized that honeysuckle had wound its way into the bushes. And then, much to our dismay, the honeysuckle was joined by poison ivy. Like I said…it was a hot mess. And eventually, we had to remove them. It was an ordeal. It’s safe to say we know just a little about how vines and branches grow due to the neglect we’ve shown ours. To frame it in theological language, we could call this a sin of omission. We failed to adequately care for what was entrusted to us. The vine is one of Jesus’ favorite images for himself and his followers. We interpret the vine of which he speaks as a grape vine, for scripture is full of references to wine, the fruit of the vine. Jesus used this image to demonstrate the closeness of the relationship he has with his disciples. Their lives are inter-dependent, inter-twined. Jesus also uses this image to demonstrate his relationship with God, whom he calls, “Father.” I don’t know much about planting or tending a vineyard, but, from what I have learned, in order to reproduce grapes to type, a vine is grafted onto a strong root-stock so that two plants, in effect, become one. The root-stock grows deep in the ground where it extracts nutrients. Branches sprout from the main root, and in turn, this sprouts leaves and tendrils. All this growth may be a joy to behold, but if the branches are left to themselves, they will grow and grow with abandon. The growth may continue at the expense of any fruit coming on the vine. The plant is so busy sending energy and nutrients to the farthest point on the vine, it by-passes any existing fruit, essentially starving it. So, an important task of the vine-dresser is to prune, prune, prune, the vine, taking it all the way down to the nub if necessary. The energy has to be directed to the emerging fruit and not the foliage. The remaining branches that are not bearing fruit are also removed in order that the grapes closest to the vine will thrive. The first time I saw a vineyard was traveling through New York state in the dead of winter. A group of us was driving to Toronto for a conference. We passed acres and acres of grape arbors topped with thick, dark vines, silhouetted against the winter sky. You could see the orderliness of the whole system and I wondered how it would feel to watch it transform with the seasons. If we think of this in human terms, we might say that, from time to time, we, too, need to be pruned. Churches may need to be pruned. Now, this may not be pleasant, or scheduled, or expected. But, life hands us changes and challenges. We have to adapt. Preferably, we will engage in a little self-examination to inform those changes. Hopefully, we will identify our strengths and weaknesses. Maybe we will set new priorities or goals. We may examine our resources, financial and human, that are necessary for living out our call. Sometimes, we may even sense that we are being called away from an earlier purpose and into a new one. The Presbytery of West Virginia is in such a time right now. The Leadership Team is calling people together for table-talk meetings, to seek God’s direction in shaping the church’s future. We will host one such event here on October 29th. One of the mixed blessings of the pandemic was that it forced this and all churches to figure out what is essential for our lives. A week or two into the pandemic, the church where a friend and colleague of mine is senior minister, published a full schedule, 24/7, of meetings, Bible studies, support groups, Sunday School, Circle meetings, outreach plans, community engagements. They had decided early on that the show must go on. No hiccups. And it worked, for awhile. Then fatigue set in. They needed more help, more leadership. They needed more tech-savvy volunteers to keep up. They tried to hire me! Everyone was stretched to their limit. All in an effort to defy the notion that an international health crisis had the world in its tight grip. Having a full, elaborate schedule gave the church staff and congregation a sense of security, in my view, a false sense of security, that the church wasn’t affected by the pandemic. Most of us took a less-strenuous and more rational approach. Worship, pastoral care, simplified outreach, stewardship in order to stay afloat. Transitioning from traditional worship to worship presented electronically has been a big challenge. It has been a steep learning curve for me, if not for others. From what we have heard, offering an alternative to in-person worship was a good decision. The important thing, to me, is to do as this scripture text directs: abide in Jesus. One translation for the word “abide” means “to make our home with” Jesus. When we make our home with Jesus, we become intimately related. We know each other’s routines and habits. Conversation becomes more familiar and less formal. At times, there is no need for words. Scripture tells us that God knows our thoughts even before the words are formed on our lips. What has been on your mind already today? Joy? Hope? Concern? Jesus already knows. That is the product of abiding in him. In her blog, Suzanne Guthrie writes that Jesus’ teaching about the vine helps her not to panic in what can be a stressful, demanding culture, but to live into the perspective of our connectedness to one another and to the Holy One. This gospel reading of the vine and the branches “reminds me that I am not only in community with other people and that I am inseparably grafted to the vine-the source of my deep and enduring happiness and love.” Catherine of Sienna, several centuries ago, had this to say about the passage: “keep in mind that each of you has your own vineyard. But everyone is joined to the neighbor’s vineyards without any dividing lines. They are so joined together, in fact, that you cannot do good or evil for yourself without doing the same for your neighbors.” Think about that. How different would the world be if we all shared that understanding of connectedness? There is a Jewish story that says when we are created, we are tied to God with a string. When we sin, the string breaks. But, on the Day of Atonement, the angel Gabriel arrives from heaven to tie a knot in our string, putting it back together. After a lifetime of this, the string will be full of knots at the broken places in our lives. And the string will be shorter than it was when we were created, demonstrating our ever-closer relationship to God. May it be so for all of us. Amen. *Hymn I Danced in the Morning, verses 4 and 5 *Affirmation of Faith p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 720 Jesus Calls Us *Blessing Go now and continue in what you have learned and believed. Pray always, and do not lose heart. Proclaim God’s message, endure hostility, carry out your ministry fully. And may God be quick to answer your prayers, may Christ Jesus inspire faith within you, and may the Holy Spirit tutor your hearts and equip you for every good work. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship To those who are hungry, Jesus says: “Come and eat! There’s more than enough for all!” To those who are thirsty, he says: “Come and drink! It’s free for the taking!” Stop wasting your money on food that doesn’t satisfy. Come to me and you will find everything you need!” *Hymn Prayer of Confession Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. In your mercy, forgive what we have been, help us amend what we are, and direct what we shall be, that we may walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen. *Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. Be at peace with God and one another. Amen. First Reading Isaiah 65: 17-25 Time With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading John 21:15-17 Morning Message The air conditioning in my car went out last summer. It was finally scheduled for repairs, meaning Ed and I made two trips in three days to the Honda dealership in South Charleston. On our way home after picking up the car, we stopped for dinner at a place we like in Teays Valley. Ed arrived first, but, he told the hostess I may have beat him because I had a head start. Could he just walk thru the restaurant to see if I might already be there? To which the hostess replied, “Well. Do you know what she looks like?” We got a lot of mileage out of that this weekend. When we entered the sanctuary today, we probably noticed something different. The paraments have been changed to white. The Table is set for Communion, the holy meal to which Jesus calls us. We know what it looks like. Bread and wine. Simple. And profoundly filling. Food and drink were important to Jesus. The first of the miracle stories happened at a wedding in Galilee. He turned water into wine. Then he multiplied a little boy’s lunch of bread and fish to feed thousands of hungry people. We remember the poignant story of Jesus being the dinner guest at the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. After the resurrection, Jesus shows up on the beach to cook breakfast. On our scripture text, Jesus connects the act of feeding people to love. If we love one another, we show it by feeding one another. Food is important to Jesus and to us. Who remembers their high school love interest? I clearly remember one boyfriend. We had a debate one day: Which is better- to live to eat or eat to live? He argued that I seemed to live to eat, whereas, he had taken the better, higher understanding- he ate to live. I fired that boyfriend. Today Christians around the globe are celebrating World Communion Sunday, a day when we are urged to embrace the Biblical vision of unity and peace. Not as a far-off dream, but as Christ’s calling to us. World Communion Sunday is a gift of the Presbyterian Church to the larger ecumenical body of Christ. The first observance was at the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, in 1933. The Rev. Dr. Hugh Thompson Kerr was the pastor. It was from his vision that the day was set apart for the purpose of promoting peace and global witness. Years later, his son, the Rev. Dr. Donald Kerr, reflected on his father’s vision. “The concept spread very slowly at the start. People did not give it a whole lot of thought. It was during the Second World War that the spirit caught hold, because we were trying to hold the world together. World wide Communion symbolized the effort to hold things together, in a spiritual sense. It emphasized that we are one in the Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” It seems to me, we are trying to hold the world together in the 21st century. Hurricanes, fires, tornados, drought- all wreak destruction upon us. Health concerns are top of mind and have been since the early days of the Covid pandemic. My doctor says I need four immunizations this year: flu, Covid, RSV, and pneumonia. Has anyone else been advised to make sure you get your shots? We have other causes for anxiety. I’m sure I’m not the only person who was concerned that congress would fail to pass a funding bill in the past few days. They finally managed to do it yesterday, but not without causing many US citizens great fear and anxiety. Many around us have experienced job insecurity, which leads to a multitude of concerns. Food insecurity exists even here in our neighborhood, which is the reason behind the community dinners on the last Saturday of every month. Noted theologian, Karl Barth, is remembered for saying this about preaching: “Hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” Faith, apart from real life, is irrelevant. Rev. Christine Chakoian of Los Angeles says the first time she heard the gospel preached that way wasn’t at her church, but in her parents’ family room. It wasn’t from a pulpit, but a record player. It was Simon and Garfunkel’s “7 O’Clock News/Silent Night.” Silent Night is one of our most beloved Christmas carols, a lullaby that the Christ Child and the world he came to save, would “sleep in heavenly peace.” But, in this particular recording, over that carol, another sound intrudes, growing louder and louder. The voice of a reporter announces that demonstrators have been forcibly evicted from the US House of Representatives. And then the grim announcement that unless there is a substantial increase in the effort in Viet Nam, the US should look forward to five more years of war. And then the reporter signed off, “That’s the 7 o’clock news. Good night.” Christine Chakoian says she has been thinking about that Simon and Garfunkel song a lot lately, and Barth’s words of preaching advice. There is a taught tension between the Bible’s vision for the world and the world’s news. Let’s consider just a few. The Bible says: “No more shall there be the sound of weeping, or the cry of distress.” The New York Times says: “An incalculable Loss: America has reached a grim milestone in the Coronavirus outbreak.” The Bible says: “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” The newspaper says: Political Battle Erupts Over Homeless Encampment on Venice Boardwalk.” It also says that another family has taken ownership of their Habitat-sponsored house. The Bible says: “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” The newspaper says: Collateral Damage of COVID-19: Rising rates of domestic and social violence. The paper also records those Barboursville Community meals which serve a lot of folks. We find these competing truths in our own town. What are we supposed to do? On the one hand, we can see signs of God promise of peace, but violence still exists, poverty exists, disease and death exist. One way we can respond is to just look the other way. Don’t concern ourselves with social ills. Ignore the Bible. It’s irrelevant today. It certainly doesn’t compel many people to action. Judging by the inactivity in my own neighborhood on Sunday mornings, I’d say this is the prevalent attitude. But, Christians have to do better than that. We could take the eschatological approach and lean into the time to come when Christ returns to make all things new and establish the peaceable kingdom. God will take care of this in God’s good time. No worries. This approach reminds me of a high school friend of mine who decided not to apply for college admission because he believed the Rapture, or Christ’s return, was imminent. We could concentrate on our personal salvation. It is important. Jesus saves. Our eternal security is sealed. But, Jesus saves us for what purpose? What is the work or mission to which Jesus has called us? Christine Chakoian says we could set all those approaches aside and try another way- the prophetic way. “A way that lifts up God’s end game vision and at the same time, opens our hearts to let Christ make a difference now.” The churchy way to say this is “inaugurated eschatology.” The reign of Christ the King was begun through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus over two thousand years ago. His kingdom is here, but it is not here in its fullness/ We still have that to look forward to. That’s the prophetic way, the Gospel way-where God’s reign can be real, even now. Where peace is not a pipedream, where God assures that none of his beloved sheep goes hungry. Is that too naïve, too idealistic? Or is there a way to embrace that vision for the world God created and loves? Seminary Professor Fred Craddock shares this story of how the reconciliation of faith and current events came together in his classroom. At the beginning of many seminary classes, a student leads the class in prayer or shares a brief devotion. Maybe the student brings along a guitar and invites everyone to sing a hymn or chorus. This was a part of seminary education that I loved. Every lecture, every assignment, was wrapped in the Word read and proclaimed, and sealed with prayer. On this particular day the student leading devotions stepped up to the front of the class with her yellow legal pad. It had a lot of writing on it. Fred thought this could take a long time. The student spoke sofly, first in one foreign language, then another-one sentence repeated over fifty times in different languages. Fred said it was only when she spoke in German, Spanish and French, that he began to understand what she was saying. She ended in English with these words: “Mommy, I’m hungry.” And then she sat down. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Jesus asks all of us here, “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Christine Chakoian offers these thoughts to us who are even now praying about the world’s great problems and waiting in hope for the coming kingdom: “Cynicism is the fate of realists who clearly see the present, but see nothing of God’s vision for the way the world could really be. That vision is before us now: where wolves and lambs can feed together; where all of God’s hungry children are fed at the table of grace.” It takes some imagination and not a little courage to live into God’s vision. But, that is the call of Christ on our lives: to feed his sheep, so that every single one of the children of earth is fed- fed with security, fed with love… and bread. *Hymn *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Celebrating the Sacrament of Communion With Our Global Family Prayer After Communion Holy One, we have been strengthened at this table, by loaf and cup, and will live in gratitude for the dying and rising of Jesus Christ, our Savior and friend. And we will become bread for a hungering world. And we will become drink for those who thirst. And the blessed will become the blessing, and everywhere will be the feast. Amen. Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Doxology *Hymn 761 Called As Partners In Christ’s Service *Blessing This is a vision of the way it can be, the way it should be: Shouts of welcome, a joyful procession, a community celebrating Christ’s transforming power in unity. As we go out, may we hold fast to his vision of goodness, giving ourselves to God’s love, pouring it out into the world in God’s name. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Gracious God, give us pure hearts that we may see you, humble hearts that we may hear you, hearts of love that we may serve you, hearts of faith that we may live in you, reverent hearts that we may worship you, here and in the world beyond our doors, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Hymn 32 I Sing the Mighty Power of God Prayer of the Day Direct and help us, O Lord, in all our deeds, that by what is begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name, and finally. by your mercy, come to know the joy everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. First Reading Esther 7:1-6; 9-10; 9:20-22 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Mark 9:38-50 Morning Message Nah nah nah nah nah! That’s universal for: “Shame on you!” “Serves you right!” “I’m telling Mom…or Dad…or the teacher.” “I’m better than you are!” The first few verses of today’s text remind me of some over-eager kids running up to the teacher on the playground to tattle on a classmate. I’ve been on both sides of that, I confess. The disciples, eager to follow the rules of this new movement, have encountered someone performing a healing rite, in this case, casting out demons, doing so in Jesus’ name. It’s the use of Jesus’ name that catches their attention. The healer wasn’t one of the twelve, so the act wasn’t legitimate, at least they way they saw it. So, they try to stop him. Apparently they were unsuccessful and they run to Jesus. “Master, someone is practicing healing without a license!” Surely, Jesus would drop what he was doing and follow them to the scene of the crime so he could rebuke the wrong-doer. He would set the healer straight. Only the qualified were eligible to do deeds of power in Jesus’ name. All others were cheap imitations. But, that’s not what happened. Once again, Jesus does the unexpected. The shame and blame aspect of this report doesn’t grab his attention. What grabs him is that a believer has tapped into the source of power and changes the life of one who suffered. He doesn’t need to itinerate with Jesus and the twelve to be legit. He goes on to lay a pretty heavy message on the disciples. He tells them they are in the wrong in confronting the believer. Jesus calls them “little ones,” indicating they are young in the faith. The greater sin would be for the disciples to break that new believer’s spirit. Jesus says even the smallest kindness done in his name comes from a holy place. To underscore his message, Jesus tells them that if they think it’s their duty to inspect the activity of new believers, they are way off the mark. It would be better if they drowned in the sea. That’s pretty serious. He carries that further and tells them to be aware of their own sins and stop committing them, even if they have to amputate the body part involved in the sin. Reading between the lines, we can almost hear Jesus saying that there are greater challenges ahead of them and getting hung up in the trivial would only sap their strength. There’s a lesson there for all of us. In a few years, the fledgling church will be under persecution. They would have to identify and reject false religions. And they did at great peril. They refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods. The penalty for that was high. You might be forced into slavery or used for sport in the Coliseum. Or, even worse, failing to pay homage to the Roman gods might earn you the mutilation of your body in order to serve as warning to the rest of the community. Threats have always been a strong source for control. Who wants to sign up for slavery or mutilation? Not many. But, thanks be to God, some came to faith, or found their faith strengthened by those whose courageous allegiance was to Christ. I have never been persecuted for my faith. Our community is full of Christian churches. There are Jewish and Muslim houses of worship as well. As the people of God, they all do Godly work. They provide places of welcome and inclusion, free from threats. I do know someone who was persecuted for her faith, my friend, Mary. Originally from Malawi, she had come to the US for her education. She earned three degrees and became a sought-after college professor. But it was her faith that motivated her and she lived it out in joy. Church membership in Malawi came with a price. Mary and her family were Presbyterians. Her brother and father were elders, which meant that they performed all the tasks a pastor would perform here. They were responsible for the spiritual needs of a whole community. An ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament itinerated among several communities. They might see him a couple of times a year. Malawi is a poor country. Mary and her family belonged to a movement of citizens who were trying to improve the lives of the people through self-development, to get people off the streets and into respectable occupations, and to have agency in that society, to have a voice. Mary helped women start cottage industries and retail shops. Others in the family entered politics so that they might turn around a government that had oppressed the people for far too long. While she was in Huntington, Mary’s was elected Vice President of the country. Their reward was to be repeatedly attacked. Their home was burned down. Her husband died a suspicious death. She came to the states, along with some of her children and her niece. They worked hard and they came to know the peace and safety we enjoy as American citizens. And yet, they always carried a sense of duty for the people of their homeland, whose faith comes with a price. We do not face that kind of oppression. No abusive regime stands between us and our faith. We do have challenges to our faith. COVID has changed our lives, our communities, and our churches. I did a hospital visit Thursday and the sign was up once more at the entrance: all visitors must wear a mask. So, I donned a mask and carried on. I do a lot of work in the presbytery. What I hear around the presbytery is that all of our churches have lost members at a rapid rate. Naturally, that means funds take a dive, too. The presbytery has had to take steps to address these realities. The staff may be downsized. The office property has been sold. We have far fewer in-person committee meetings, thanks to the Zoom era. We will have to be intentional in our efforts to be a connectional church. That’s change and it can be hard. But it’s a far cry from oppression and suffering. The Church may change, but she will not die. The church is the body of Christ and he is very much alive. And he has a message for such a time as this. Jesus turns the conversation to the subject of salt. In the English language there are a number of expressions, idioms, referring to salt. “He is not worth his salt.” “Taken with a grain of salt.” “ Salt of the earth.” Salt is an important element. The human body needs salt. The word “salary” derives from the Latin word “salarium,” and literally means “salt money.” Salarium was the money paid to Roman soldiers. Some historians have concluded that the soldiers may have actually been paid in salt. In days gone by, newborn babies were washed with salt. Salt has an element of healing. It has been used as a disinfectant. And, of course, salt adds flavor to food and can be used in preserving it. Jesus tells his friends that everyone will be salted with fire. What did he mean? Fire is a method of purification. Precious metals come from the ground admixed with iron and other minerals. Subjecting them to fire purifies the gold or silver, separating them from the other metals. So, too, a Christian’s life will be tested and challenged but in this way, we, too, are purified. We grow in grace. The churchy word for this process is sanctification. With age and experience we draw ever closer to God in Christ. Jan Richardson is a pastor, artist, and author. She offers these words about our text today: And, so, in this season, may we give ourselves to the fire that shows us what is elemental. and sacramental. that reveals what remains after all that does not have substance or savor falls away. May we turn our eyes our ears our hands to the beauty for which we are formed and bear with grace the patterns that blossom upon us who live salted and singed. May the fire of purification reveal the Holy One in your heart. Amen. *Hymn 838 Standing On the Promises, verses 1 and 2 *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed * Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings including contributions for ECCHO and Centsability Prayer of Dedication Lord God, as we offer our hearts and our treasure, may they be used to pass on the promises of your kingdom- of hope, of peace, and of life, to all in need of your presence in their, and our, lives. Amen. *Hymn 838 Standing On the Promises, verses 3 and 4 *Blessing Go now in the power of the Spirit, that you may proclaim Christ’s redeeming love to the world, and continue forever in the risen life. Amen. *Postlude |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
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