Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lighting the Candle of Joy Hala Mosrie and Jeff Sowards *Hymn 147 The First Noel Prayer We come, O God, with thanksgiving and praise. Our anticipation grows as we approach the day of Jesus’ birth. Open our hearts that we may truly receive the gift of your Son, and know the joy of abundant life with you. Guard us from all sinful intentions and desires, so that by following Jesus, we may want for nothing but the joy of our salvation. Through Christ, who comes to make all things new. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Isaiah 43:19 God announces: “See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” God is sending his Son, a Savior, to make all things and all people new. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. Your sins are forgiven and be at peace. First Reading Isaiah 35:1-10 Time With Our Young Disciples Scripture Reading Luke 1:39-56 The Morning Message Mary’s Song Rev. Talitha Arnold says in her yard stood a rose bush. It had no business being there, in her opinion. The ground was too hard and was littered with too many rocks. It was impossible to get grass to grow, much less a rose bush. Trash piled up against the fence and people were known to throw bottles of all sorts into the straggly yard. She says the back yard of their Bristol Street house was certainly no rose garden. The rose bush had been the planting of her friend, Joan, when she and her family had moved out of the local housing project and into the small house with the tiny backyard. Joan and her husband had developed a group ministry in the inner city after they both graduated from seminary and became ordained ministers. They had moved into the projects, lived on a minimal salary, and raised their family in one of the most impoverished cities on the east coast. Because of their work and commitment, their home became a sort of gathering place, where people could come for fellowship and support, much like a church. Neighbors came at all hours of the day and night. Some were involved in community projects, and the house served as a meeting place. Others came for counsel, and some for food or a place to sleep. Talitha says the work, the ministry, was hard. Most of the population lived on the edge- on the edge of homelessness, poverty, or the edge of addiction. Racism was particularly challenging. Sometimes the needs were so great and the resources so small. There were times when Joan felt close the edge, too, and despair threatened. Talitha says she thinks that’s why Joan planted the rosebush. It really made no sense in that scrawny backyard. It was a pain to water in the summer and always looked half dead in the winter. But every spring, when it first turned warm, she would go out and dig around it. She would prune, fertilize and work the soil. And every year it gifted her with bright red roses. Whenever life or work got to be too much, Joan would go out and sit by the rosebush that had no business being there. Maybe she hoped to absorb some of its tenacity, its spunk. “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad. The desert shall rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it shall blossom abundantly.” Isaiah is a long and involved biblical text. Most biblical scholars agree that the 35th chapter of Isaiah is out of place. It doesn’t belong here. The chapters before and after are harsh and mournful. Death and desolation are everywhere. Isaiah must tell people that they had been unfaithful to God and that there were consequences to that infidelity. A foreign nation would come to overtake tem and they would be destined to live in captivity. There would be exiles and slaves, “gathered like persons in a pit, shut up in prison.” Not only will the people suffer, so will the land. Once Israel had been the vineyard of the Lord and Judah a pleasant planting. But now, Isaiah says, the hedge is torn down and the vineyard devoured. It is a wasteland overgrown with briers and thorns. Like exiled people marching to captivity, “the earth will stagger like a drunkard, it will fall and not rise again.” Isaiah 24:20 That’s the climate of the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, what is known as “First Isaiah. Everywhere except chapter 35. Here we find joy, strength, courage, streams running and fountains springing up in the desert. The contrast is so stark, it startles us. It makes about as much sense as planting a lone rosebush on Bristol Street. And this turn-around is all God’s doing. Scripture doesn’t say the people have changed or repented or reconciled with their neighbor, near or far. But, from Isaiah comes a new word and a new vision of the land that comes back to life. God will strengthen hands made weak and knees made feeble, the blind will see and the deaf will hear. Nothing in the text prepares us for this change. It just happens. Joy bursts forth like the crocus blooming in the desert. God’s joy can’t be stopped. It’s a gift. Today is Gaudete Sunday, or the Sunday of Joy. The third Sunday of Advent we pause to recognize the joy of the season. Years ago, the practice of observing the season of Advent was much like Lent. It was to be set apart for prayer and self-examination. Parties, weddings, and other celebrations were not to be held during this time in order for the faithful to focus more seriously on scripture and prayer and setting one’s spiritual life in order. We aren’t that strict about things any more, but sometimes, in our very busy lives, Advent or ordinary time, we can misplace our joy. Don’t delay joy. That’s not an original thought. I heard it on Law and Order. But it fits. I was raised in a family that valued delayed gratification. Nothing wrong with that…unless we just quit dreaming or hoping or acting with any degree of spontaneity because fulfilling those requests are always post-poned. When Talitha was still living at home, a neighbor came to their door one day and handed her mother a bouquet of flowers. “These are for you,” said their neighbor. His wife thought she might like them.” Talitha’s mother was too flustered to invite him in, but she was clearly moved by the gesture. She doesn’t remember any special reason for the flowers other than it was the summer when her brother endured a lengthy hospitalization, and her other brother was getting ready to start college. She knew her mother was under a lot of pressure, feeling a lot of anxiety, as she worried about how her family would function on her meager salary. There was no reason for the flowers but, it was the first and only time the neighbor had called on them and the only time Talitha saw anyone give her mother flowers. It was a moving experience, as she remembers the tears glistening in her mother’s eyes as she thanked the neighbor. Her mother found a vase that she filled with water and added the pretty blooms. She placed them carefully on the coffee table where they stayed for as long time. They brought her joy. For no obvious reason.. “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad. The desert shall rejoice and blossom, Like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing… They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” *Hymn 105 People, Look East, verses 1-3 *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Christmas Doxology (insert) *Prayer of Dedication Lord God, as Mary presented herself as the means through which your Son would come to earth, we present ourselves, our intentions, and our treasure, that you may use us to bring the joy of your realm ever closer to the world you have made and love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. *Hymn 105 People, Look East, verses 4 and 5 *Blessing Go now, for you are chosen and sent in the Spirit. Pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. Keep what is good, avoid every kind of evil. To all in need bear witness that the time is come when the Sovereign Lord will save his people. And may God who gives peace make you holy in every way. May Christ Jesus clothe you with salvation. And may the Holy Spirit speak through you with the good news of life everlasting. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Announcements Lighting the Candle of Peace The Napier Family *Hymn 88 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Prayer of the Day May this eternal truth be always on our hearts: that the God who breathed this world into being, placed the stars in the heavens, and designed a butterfly’s wing, is the God who entrusted his life to the care of ordinary people and became vulnerable that we might know how strong is the power of Love… a mystery so deep it is impossible to grasp, a mystery so beautiful it is impossible to ignore. May this beauty and mystery work within us, calling us to live full lives- loving, serving, and growing in grace, as we seek and extend forgiveness in Jesus’ name. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Friends, Jesus knows our hearts and our intentions. He is always more willing to forgive than we are to ask for help. With Christ’s help, our misguided steps can be corrected and turned around for good. Believe the good news of the gospel: in Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven. Be at peace. First Reading Isaiah 11:1-10 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Matthew 3:1-12 The Morning Message We lived in Middleport, Ohio, for a few years. On Main Street in a duplex that had once been the Unitarian Church. We liked to say it had been converted. It was a town of churches and small stores. The Post Office, town dentist and a couple of doctors were just down the street. We could see the elementary and junior high schools from our bedroom window. The mayor lived next door. In the summertime, a lot of families lived in travel trailers on the riverbank and when something exciting was happening, they would broadcast by CB radio, “The Delta Queen is going to come by in about an hour. Better get down here so you won’t miss it.” Sweet. Quaint. Small-town concerns and values. It is woefully depressed now, but, was a great place for us to start our family life. Entertainment was centered around the schools and churches and Little League and the Fourth of July Ox Roast, and the historical society’s Christmas Open House. Our kids were about six and one when we were walking around the neighborhood after dinner one fine night. It was our main form of evening entertainment in those days. Life in a quaint old town made for pretty pictures, but, the sidewalks were in poor condition. Roots and broken pavement made the walk hazardous in any direction. You just learned how to get around them and continue walking. We were navigating our way around the block. Per usual, Katy’s idea of fun was to do everything the hard way, so while Ed and I walked forward, pushing SB in her stroller, Katy walked backward. We kept warning her that she was going to trip and fall, but, she paid us no mind. There was an immovable and imposing obstacle not far ahead. An ancient tree, its branches wide-spread, its equally wide-spread roots just under the sidewalk, pushing up the pavement. You had to find a way around it or your walk was sure to come to an unfortunate end. “Katy, turn around. Turn around. If you don’t turn around, you’re going to run into…” At that exact moment she turned around but it was too late, simultaneously smacking her head into the hard, crumbly bark, and saying in her five-year-old voice, “Tree.” That experience was the first thing I thought of when I read the gospel text for today. It fits. Once again, John the Baptist comes shouting his warning to anyone who would listen, “Repent! Turn around before it’s too late!” Into the beauty and busyness of this holy season, here he comes. Dressed in animal skins with insect legs stuck between his teeth. It’s tempting to try to slip past John and just focus on the sweeter parts of the nativity, but, it’s the second Sunday of Advent and John is here. And John is the last of the prophets, the last of the forerunners of Jesus. So, we must pay attention. The four gospels give us a variety of narratives about the life of Jesus.* We learned last week that only Matthew and Luke tell the story of his birth. But even they differ. Luke gives us shepherds. Matthew gives us magi. Mark and John come empty-handed to the Christmas party. The first thing they all agree on is John the Baptist. He shows up in all the gospels wearing the same clothes, shouting with the same message: “Repent. Turn around. For the kingdom of heaven is near! Prepare the way of the Lord!” It doesn’t matter which gospel you read, if you want to get to Jesus, you have to go past John. John is the last of the prophets. He doesn’t call himself that, but he fits the requirements. He is dressed like Elijah, he sounds like Isaiah, and he is standing in the water that marked the boundary between the wilderness and the Promised Land. In this way, John provides continuity, the bridge with the prophetic tradition. And that’s important, because of his message: Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise. Jesus is the branch that grows from the root of Jesse. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is here. So John may look like the prophets of old, but, he comes with a new message. Much of the prophetic tradition is mechanical in its approach. It reminds me of plane geometry proofs: If we sin, then God will punish us. If we repent, then God will forgive. From Isaiah to Ezekiel to Joel, there is an on-going theme of, “Shape up or else.” The variable is the behavior of human beings. Faithfulness or faithlessness, of Israel or Judah-but that’s not John’s message. John doesn’t say, “Repent, OR the kingdom will come near.” That would be more in line with prophetic tradition. Isaiah says, “Behold the Day of the Lord comes, cruel both in wrath and fierce anger!” Joel is more descriptive: “The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” When we hear these messages, we might come to believe that the kingdom of heaven is something to be feared, not welcomed. But, John is not announcing a threat. Nor does he say that the kingdom of heaven is a reward. What John is saying is we’ve entered a new reality: The arrival of Jesus Christ is God’s doing. We can choose to be a part of it or not, but, here it comes. Repent is a churchy word. We hear it most often at our time of confession. And, we do repent of our sins. We are heartily sorry, and ask God to forgive us and set us back on the right path. That’s what we say in so many of our Sunday morning liturgies. I had the chance to try this out on Black Friday. My daughter was in and wanted to go to the mall. Everything was ok until we got to Ulta and stood in a line that wrapped around the store. But we did it because of the great coupons we had on our phones. Only, we kept losing internet service. By the time we got to the front where we would check out, patience was wearing thin. The clerk couldn’t find Sarah Beth’s member account and then, I was told my purchase didn’t qualify for the coupons. Really? Then why was I getting emails every 20 minutes urging me to come, save my money at Ulta? Oh, it was because the coupons weren’t good on any day that ends in “Y.” And, I may have said some of that out loud. No kidding. I confess. My bad. Thankfully, John the Baptist showed up in his outfit you’d never see in Ulta, and gave me a poke which prompted an apology. There are real problems in the world. Problems that should provoke us to anger and action. Saving $4.00 on my mascara really didn’t qualify. But, repentance is more than being sorry. In the Greek, it really means to change one’s mind. Biblical scholars refer to it as reorienting, reordering, or re-centering. Resetting. Presbyterian author Anne Lamott once said that most things can be fixed if we just turn them off for a while and back on, including ourselves. I’ve tried it. My phone will reset if I turn it off and let it rest. When I turn it back on, the images that were stuck begin to respond to my touch, my connection to the internet is restored. Most of the time. Sometimes, my screen goes from shades of gray to living color. Kind of like flowers that bloom in the desert, as we are told by the prophets. To simplify it, this is John’s message: We need to stop from time to time. Take our inventory. Reset our priorities, re-order our lives. Take a different way to work or home. See something new. Let go of a pet peeve and turn your attention to a real problem you can do something about. Return to God. The kingdom of heaven wasn’t lost to the idealized past. The kingdom of heaven is not in the glorified future. The kingdom of heaven is here. The kingdom of heaven is just as much here with the crew working on Main Street last week as it is with the singers who will gather this evening to work on the cantata or the chaplain who visits patients in the nursing home. The kingdom of heaven can be found in sweet small towns all over the country, in the patrol cars of our law enforcement officers, on the playground of every school, on the docks where all those Christmas treasures are loaded. The kingdom of heaven is with us here and will be with us always. *Dr. Shawnthea Monroe, United Church of Christ. *Hymn 113 Angels We Have Heard on High *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 Christmas Doxology (insert) *Prayer of Dedication Most generous God, you have entrusted us with gifts and asked us to use them in advancing your kingdom. And so, in this season, we bring gifts and pledges for the coming year. We offer ourselves, our lives, our hopes and fears, our dollars, and our hours. We commit ourselves to work for your world, to love and serve and celebrate wherever you call. We ask your blessing on this church, seeking to follow you in Jesus’ name and in his manner, that our efforts may multiply and we might grow in faith, hope, and love. Amen. *Hymn 88 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, verse 7 O come, Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind. Bid envy, strife, and discord cease. Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. Blessing Go now. Wait and work for the coming of the Lord. In the wild places prepare a straight path for our God. Lead lives of holiness and godliness, Strive to be found at peace, and speak freely of the Lord’s comfort and promise. And may God, our shepherd, gather you in loving arms, may Christ Jesus reconcile justice and peace within you; and may the Spirit fill you with holy intentions. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Lighting the Candle of Hope The Moore Family *Hymn 82 Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus Prayer of Confession God of the future, you are coming in power to bring all nations under your rule. We confess that we have not expected your kingdom, for we live causal lives, ignoring your promised judgment. We accept lies as truth, exploit neighbors, abuse the earth, and refuse your justice and peace. In your mercy, forgive us. Grant us wisdom to welcome your way, and to seek things that will endure when Christ comes to judge the world. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Pardon Surely God is our salvation, we will trust in God and not be afraid, for the Lord God is our Strength and Might. Shout aloud and sing for joy…for great in our midst is the Holy One of Zion, and he will save the people from their sins. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. Old Testament Reading Isaiah 2:1-5 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Matthew 24:36-44 The Morning Message “In my beginning is my end.” These are the words of TS Elliot in Four Quartets. Much of what we believe about God and Jesus is reflected therein: the God who made us will be the God who judges us; Christ is the Alpha and the Omega; the God who created the world out of nothing will at its consummation be “all in all.” So, with ritual cycles. We begin them where we end. The Advent season begins the liturgical year and the lectionary cycle with stories about the end time. In fact, we’ve been visiting those scriptures for a few weeks now. These scriptures say, “Stay awake! Live in expectation!” Watch for the signs of God!” Watch for the signs of the reign of God!” But in our end is our beginning: the signs of God’s reign point us to something new and unfamiliar. The colors for Advent are deep blue or purple. For some, the blue reflects the color of late Autumn’s night, a sky lit by moon and stars. The days are short. The long nights mark the end of the year’s growing season. But the long nights are fertile ground for dreaming- imagine the desert blossoming and sheltering a mother and child; imagine peace prevailing; imagine God all in all. Joseph dreams in this season-of the child to be here soon, whom he is to name Emmanuel, God-with-us. I love to find expressions of hope in art and music and literature. Sometimes they are so different from my own experience that they startle me and I miss the beauty and the message. In many of the stores which sell items produced by cottage communities, we may find art work from Africa or Latin America-places in which hope is often hard to find. There is a style of cross popular in El Salvador that depicts hope in a world of despair. It takes a fertile imagination to project that hope. In one of these crosses, a woman stands at the cross beam, arms stretched wide, reminding us of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Her expression is one of victory, though, and after all, that is the eternal hope we claim, the death and resurrection of Jesus, and in his resurrection is the promise of ours. Surrounding the woman are images of Salvadorans going about their daily tasks-teaching, healing, farming-in the extraordinary time of war. They persevere because they cling to God-with-us, Emmanuel. Sometimes we find hope closer to home. Clara Rose has expressed her delight in spending time with her grandchildren, who are now raising their children. In them, she finds hope. Their young lives demonstrate an active intentionality, an embracing of purpose and responsibility, parenting richly flavored with love and grace. Where do you see or hear signs of God’s in-breaking reign? For me, it’s music. My life has been filled with it. I would wake in the summer to my grandmother’s students practicing scales and beginner pieces, progressing to the classics, hymns and popular tunes. I seriously considered a career in music, but, my piano skills were weak and I followed a different path. But, I married a musician, and the blessings continue, especially at Christmas time. Maybe you find signs of God’s in-breaking rule in doing for others, helping in a time of crisis, being the friend who listens, or sitting with the suffering, simply bearing witness to their pain. Maybe you work for needed change in a public way. This takes heaps of courage. One of my dear pastor friends, Stephen Baldwin, has served as a state senator for several years. He lost his race in the recent election. On Facebook, someone made the comment that he would be missed by area citizens. To which came a quick reply that he wasn’t going anywhere…you don’t need to have a title to serve. True, Stephen, and thanks for the challenge. Advent is a fertile time to watch and dream. The world’s needs are great. God is greater. It was for this season that Miriam Therese Winter penned these lovely lines: Root of Jesse Rising From many an ancient prophecy Promised child To all who would be reconciled Breaks through at last. A virgin shoot accepts God’s seed Bows to the Mighty Deed. One branch Bears bud, flower, fruit: Christ blossoms on David’s root. Lord, you are stem, stalk, tree! Let your fruit take root in me. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Christmas Doxology (insert) *Prayer of Dedication Holy One, in this season, we wait in hope. and we give in hope: hope for your coming reign, hope of your presence with us even now. Receive our gifts, that they may be used to bring hope to our community and beyond. Amen. *Hymn 92 While We Are Waiting, Come *Blessing Go now, and let the Lord steer you in the way of truth. Be on your guard so that you will not be caught up in the anxieties of the world. Be alert at all times and pray for strength to escape the traps that would keep you from God. *Postlude 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 367 Come, Ye Thankful People Come 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. Christ the King Sunday may mark the end of the church year, but it does not mark the end of our challenges. Our public health crisis wears on, although there are more resources available to manage it. The war in Ukraine rages on and her people suffer new atrocities daily. Another election has transpired and Americans are all over the place predicting success or failure, depending on your team’s reaction. Then there’s inflation. But, there is good news. While the past two holiday seasons have come with warnings about travel and the dangers of large gatherings, we aren’t hearing that now. The Harklesses are happy. We can’t wait to see our kids and grandkids. Although we will see them in stages. 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, was raised a couple of times. We are reminded of how fragile life is and how fast we can become anxious and fearful. And, thankfully, 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, they are 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 a brand new grandchild, but I don’t know if he is even aware. 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 2022 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 37 Let All Things Now Living *Affirmation of Faith The Nicene Creed p. 34 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Prayers of the People 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. As the days turn colder and darker and winter illnesses discourage, 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. Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Blessed are you, O God, Maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with the gifts of ourselves, our time, and our possessions. Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love; through the One who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. *Hymn 268 Crown Him With Many Crowns *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 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. *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 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading Morning Message The Rev. Janet Hunt was leading a confirmation class. For one of their meetings, the class left the building for awhile as they engaged in a service project. Some of the kids returned ahead of the others and gathered in their classroom where they would be dismissed for the day. One of the adult volunteers, Jim, asked Janet if she would like to test the telepathic ability of one of the students, Joe. She was game. She was sent to the whiteboard where they had drawn a square which had been marked off in nine smaller squares, kind of like Tic-Tac-Toe. Joe left the room and Jim told Janet to choose a square. She pointed to one. They called Joe back into the room. Janet watched him closely as he stood and pondered the board. Then with only a smidgeon of hesitation, he pointed to the exact square Janet had chosen. They tried again. And again and again. Joe always chose the square Janet had pointed to while he was out of the room. It wasn’t long until others wanted to try their skill at this test. One by one the students would try. They would try to interpret the way Joe stood, whether he cleared his throat or tapped his pants leg. But none could match Joe’s skill. Janet was almost convinced they had another David Copperfield in the making. After the closing blessing, and the students having gone on their way, one of the adult leaders explained the trick to Janet. Apparently, Jim had been the first to arrive. He taught Joe some signals he would use and Joe was a quick study. Every time Joe returned to the room, Jim threw him the signals. The problem was, Janet was not looking at Jim, but at Joe. She was looking in the wrong direction and failed to see what was right before her eyes. The gospel passage before us today is classified as “eschatological,” or literature referring to what we refer to as the “end times.” I never know how to approach these texts. We Presbyterians believe in the second coming of Christ, when the whole creation will be redeemed. We affirm that every time we recite the Apostles’ Creed. But, we do not espouse dispensationalism, theology popularized in the late 19th century and adhered to by many fundamentalist traditions. We usually hear it referred to as the “Rapture,” which is believed to be the event whereby Jesus descends to earth and takes the saved to heaven and leaving the rest for a “time of trial.” Janet says she wonders at times if her experience with the confirmation class doesn’t begin to get at why we struggle with these “end times” texts. It is true that you and I don’t live in the same context as the people who first heard these words shortly after Jesus’ death and resurrection. But like those who first heard these texts, it may be completely understandable that we could find ourselves looking in the wrong direction. It is impossible these days to miss reports of war and rumors of war and other catastrophes. We hear and see them in graphic and unforgettable detail all too often. But even so, do these reports turn our thoughts to Christ’s return or does it even register? Is it possible we have turned our attention away from the foundational truth that we are moving toward a larger future? Janet Hunt says bad things have happened to the world and its people for as long as she has been paying attention, and yet, it would seem, Jesus is no closer to returning. She suggests, that, part of the message from a passage like this is that, from generation to generation, under this one’s rule and that one’s tyranny, through feast, famine, plague and plenty, God was, is, and ever shall be, active among us, working his purpose out. Maybe these words urge us to simply live in the certainty that we are always called to keep our focus on Jesus, to respond as he did. And how did Jesus respond to hardship, or injustice, or disease or ignorance? He did what God requires, of his Son and of us: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. Whether he comes today or a million todays in the future, we can be the body of Christ- head, heart, hands and feet, until he comes again. And in this season, we have many opportunities to live this out. When I was in high school, most of my friends were made in the music department. Considering rehearsals and performances, during school hours and outside of them, we probably spent more time with fellow choir students than with our families. Some of us planned to study music in college, or at least sing in a choir, but, there was one startling exception. The student with the best skills, in piano as well as voice, failed to apply to college or make any plans whatsoever beyond graduation day. When he broke this news to us, we were all shocked. Why? What has happened? What’s wrong? He had a promising future ahead of him. His response was that nothing was wrong. He believed Jesus would come before he had need of college or anything else. We were stunned and troubled by his answer and his resolve. The kids in our small, close-knit group were all Christians, even though we came from a variety of traditions. And we were all obviously looking in different directions, or maybe we weren’t reading the signs right. And, to this day, I am confounded by this experience. We lost touch after graduation. At our twentieth reunion, he was listed as deceased. And, I have to think that, though the “rapture” didn’t occur, he did see Jesus ahead of the rest of us. I love all the seasons of the year. Each one is my favorite when it unfolds. And so right now I’m loving this season: the beginning of school, fall sports, warm sweaters, spiced cider, the brilliant colors that bathe our landscapes. Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas. God’s blessings are everywhere. We choose this season to focus on stewardship. In one of the churches I served, the pastor would post signs all over the church that read “Gratitude for grace given.” You’d find them taped above the water fountains, beside the coat rack, taped to the coffee urn, on the restroom mirrors. Simple reminders that life is gift and it is defined by God’s grace. A message that compelling demands a response. It calls us to a stewardship of life…to examine what is the best use of our time, our talents and our resources. One of our more recent confessions, A Brief Statement of Faith, concludes with this affirmation: In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for a new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” Then the Church Triumphant come, raise the song of harvest home! All be safely gathered in, free from sorrow, free from sin. There forever purified, in God’s garner to abide. Come, ten thousand angels, come. Raise the song of harvest home! *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 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 634 To God Be the Glory *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. (from Laughingbird.net) *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 Who knows who Saint Dympha is? That’s what I thought. No one. I didn’t either until this past week when I read an article by Nadia Bolz-Weber, a Lutheran minister. Nadia says St. Dympha is her favorite saint. In her, we can clearly see the Beatitudes enacted. Dympha was the daughter of a pagan Irish king and his Christian wife in the 7th century. Before her death at the young age of fifteen, Dympha and some other Christian missionaries founded a home for the anxious and mentally ill in Belgium. Reports were positive about the home. Many who suffered from mental and emotional problems became less afflicted having been cared for in the mission. Dympha is officially the patron saint of the anxious, the patron saint of the emotionally disturbed, the patron saint of the mentally ill, and the patron saint of those with neurological disorders. Nadia Bolz-Weber says that with those things to her credit, Dympha seems like just her kind of saint. Nadia’s history makes quite a story. Suffice it to say, she has waged her own mental, emotional and spiritual battles. She suffered from debilitating drug addiction and it seemed she was headed for certain destruction and an early death. But God had other plans and so she clings to the faith of Dympha, with whom she identifies. But today we celebrate All Saints, not just some saints, most of whom will never have a prayer card made with their likeness on it or their name carved on the front of a church. We Presbyterians do not ascribe to the belief that we need special people to intercede for us as if God listens to them more than God listens to us because they are advance placement Christians or something. What we celebrate today is not the superhuman faith and powers of a select few but rather God’s ability to use flawed people to do divine things. We celebrate all on whom God has acted in baptism, sealing them, as Ephesians says, with the mark of the Holy Spirit. We celebrate that God engenders faith within us, and through ordinary acts of love, the Kingdom of Heaven moves closer to earth. We celebrate the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, and that the faithful departed are as much a part of the body of Christ as we are. We are connected to so much faith; so many witnesses; so much courage and sacrifice and adventure and daring and so much trust and so much divine love it is overwhelming. In this turbulent age, when we are always looking for “our” people, we desperately need to hang onto this fact: what connects us in a real and lasting way is not Facebook, or what school we graduated from, what we do in our leisure time, or anything other than this truth. We have membership in the body of Christ, the Church with a capital “C.” And even more importantly, what connects us isn’t so much our beliefs about God, or our theology, or our doctrinal positions. No. It’s God and God gathers up all of God’s children into the Church eternal. So, today, for a little while, let’s remember all the deeply faithful and flawed saints through whom the glory of God has been revealed and will be revealed as year succeeds to year. In our community is a saint whose name I don’t know, but whose heart is Christ-shaped. That makes her part of our tribe. We are all well aware of the tragedy that the Cabell Midland community has suffered in recent days. Some of you have experienced it personally. As tragic as it is, there are some some grace-filled moments. It’s important to recognize those. On Friday, many of my husband’s students needed to talk. One of the students shared that he was at his after-school job on Thursday night. A customer came into the store complaining of the traffic tie-up that had pretty much paralyzed eastern Cabell County for hours. The student heard the customer say something like, “Some dumb kid at Cabell Midland ran out in traffic and got hit.” Ed’s student said he spoke up and said, “Ma’am, that kid was one of my best friends.” There was no response from the complainer. No apology. Nothing. But, another woman, who overheard the exchange, came up to the young man and offered him a hug. And that’s what he needed most. Someone to simply recognize his loss, or at least, to not ridicule a seventeen-year-old boy who lost his life in a moment of anguish. As I prepared for today, I had a recurring thought: how will we be remembered? As saints? Sinners? There are times, and they occur with greater and greater frequency, that I cringe at comments I hear on TV or read on-line. Often, they sound like the cold comment that grocery store customer made. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is too vile or vulgar. People speak or write in the most provocative and strident ways possible. Every situation is somehow seen as the most consequential event in history. We demonize those who disagree with us and sever relationships. Reasonable thinkers know this further divides a conflicted public, but reason is often in short supply. Friends, there are days when I wonder if we have lost our collective minds. Which brings me back to Saint Dympha. Dympha was a very young girl when her mother died. Her father was inconsolable. His courtiers decided what he needed was a new wife. But no woman in his kingdom pleased the king. Eventually, someone dared to suggest the unthinkable: the king should marry his daughter. Terrified at the prospect, Dympha fled with some others to Belgium where she established her mission, a home for the mentally and emotionally challenged. She was suffering great anxiety and found meaning in helping others. Unfortunately, Dympha died at fifteen by her father’s hand. That’s another way people become saints-through martyrdom, to give one’s life for one’s faith. People of faith still find themselves in life-threatening situations. And some indeed give their lives for the cause of Christ. But, thanks be to God, death is not the final word. In 1985, as a sign of shared faith and purpose, the General Assembly of the newly re-united Presbyterian Church, adopted the Declaration of Faith. This was a welcome and celebrated accomplishment, as the church worked to heal the split that had deeply divided north from south for over one hundred years. Many scoffed at the idea of re-union, declaring the church irreparably fractured, as good as dead. I would go as far as to say some preferred death to forming a relationship with those they considered infidels. But, the church is the body of Christ and he is very much alive. In part, the Declaration states: “In the death of Jesus Christ, God’s way in the world seemed finally defeated. But death was no match for God. The resurrection of Jesus was God’s victory over death. Death often seems to prove that life is not worth living, that our best efforts and deepest affections go for nothing. We do not yet see the end of death. But Christ has been raised from the dead, Transformed, and yet the same person. In his resurrection is the promise of ours. We are convinced the life God wills for each of us is stronger than the death that destroys us. The glory of that life exceeds our imagination, but we know we shall be with Christ. So we treat death as a broken power. Its ultimate defeat is certain. In the face of death we grieve. Yet in hope we celebrate life. No life ends so tragically that its meaning and value are destroyed. Nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is Lord! He has been Lord from the beginning. He will be Lord at the end. Even now he is Lord.” Glory be to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. *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: Joan Sharp February 17, 1947-January 13, 2022 Brett Brownfield March 27, 1959-June 8, 2022 Margaret Keenan December 5, 1941-July 11, 2022 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 from this fellowship of faith 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, security, and peace. We pray for those who suffer from illness and other circumstances. 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 606 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 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. 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. 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 connections with his 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. 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 the 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 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. He was always opposed to exploitation and derision, and injustice. 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 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 Paul Pelosi on Friday, can constrict our visions. Fear creeps or crashes in on us. We can become imprisoned by our desire for security, safety, and affluence. 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
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 606 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. * Hymn 48 Rain Down Psalm 33 Rain down, rain down, rain down your love on your people. Rain down, rain down, rain down your love, Lord of Life. *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 14 For the Beauty of the Earth 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 Psalm 121 Moments With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 18:1-8 Morning Message “If we can just get him in the house, she’ll let us keep him.” My friend chuckles as she describes the day she overhears her young children, their earnest logic, their hopeful voices. They had found yet another stray animal, a little dog this time, and they were compelled to bring it into the warmth and shelter of their home. But, first they had to win over their mother. And that would require a plan. The plan worked, of course, as they knew it would. In today’s text, Jesus speaks to the act of persistence. Like children who beg their mom to keep a cold and hungry stray puppy, he lifts up persistence in prayer…steadily approaching God for God’s help or favor or healing, or whatever the need is. By the time Luke was writing this gospel,l a generation or so after Jesus’ life on earth had ended, people were starting to feel discouraged. They were tired of waiting for Jesus to bring all things to fulfillment. They were weary of being persecuted as a small minority going against the grain in a vast and powerful empire. They were anxious and suffering. Jesus reasons with them that if an unjust, disrespectful judge hears the case of a poor widow because she has worn him out with her pleas, then, Jesus asks, how much more will God-the God of the universe, the God of compassion and justice- how much more will God listen and respond to his beloved children in their hour of need? Once again, Jesus uses someone from the margins of society, a needy, powerless widow, to make his point. Bible scholar John Pilch says the Hebrew word for “widow” is “silent one,” or “one unable to speak.” In the patriarchal Mediterranean world, only men could take on a public presence. They speak for women who are not allowed to speak for themselves. They have no voice, no agency. So this “silent one” is acting outside the normal bounds when she finds her voice and speaks for herself. Maybe it’s because she knows that there’s a special place for her in the heart of God. Widows, orphans, and aliens are all very close to the heart of God. We would do well to ask ourselves who the widows, orphans, and aliens are of our day. Who are the ones without a voice. Pastor Kate Matthews reminds us of the true story of Greta Thune. Do you remember her? She was a sixteen-year-old Swedish environmental activist who called attention some years ago to the urgent need to protect the environment.She was quiet strident in her speeches and serious in her presence. Many appreciated her advocacy, but others ridiculed her. Greta is only one example of the many young people who have become activists to bring attention and raise a hope for change for the deep problems we encounter these days. I am reminded of David Hogg and other young people who have traveled the country following the violence that devastated the residents of Parkland, Florida several years ago. Their particular position is for stricter gun control, a hot issue for many American citizens. The young people have found support and they have been met with criticism. Still, they carry on with their cause. Episcopal priest, Barbara Brown Taylor, takes a close look at the heart of the woman in the parable. Society may tell her that she is to be silent and remind her of her powerlessness. But, she rejects that position. She would persist. “She was willing to say what she wanted-out loud, day or night, over and over-whether she got it or not, because saying it was how she remembered who she was. It was how she remembered the shape of her heart.” The shape of her heart: it makes us wonder about the shape of our own hearts and the health of our prayer life. Why does Luke find this story necessary? To pray without ceasing. Why does he ask if Jesus will find any faithful people left on earth when he returns in the fullness of time? Several years ago, during news coverage of the terrible injustices against the people of Myanmar, a BBC reporter shared the story of Ma Thida, a writer and doctor who was held in solitary confinement for six years after she wrote about the abuses of the government. When asked how she survived those long years of waiting and suffering, she cited inspiring books that were like vitamins to the prisoners. Then she described her spiritual life. She meditated 18-20 hours a day. The reported noted Ma Thida’s commitment to her Buddist faith. She had a deep engagement with a “Holy Other” from whom she sought peace and solace and strength. Sometimes we have to wonder how many of us Christians are as deeply engaged with our “Holy Other.” Barbara Brown Taylor says in Jesus’ day and ours, so many of the religious adherents practice prayer like they brush their teeth…morning and night like a kind of spiritual hygiene program. Prayer shapes our faith, and in turn, our faith gives shape to our prayer life. Kate Matthew says she believed for a long time that faith had to do with believing the “right” things. Learning and memorizing the faith of our mothers and fathers as handed down to us in creeds and catechisms and religious textbooks. Keeping the faith was about guarding a treasure of beliefs and handing them down to the next generation, safe and intact and unchanged. Faith was something you had in your head. Theologian Marcus Borg writes that “you can believe all the right things and still be miserable. You can believe all the right things and still be relatively unchanged. Believing a set of claims to be true has very little transforming power.” Instead, Borg suggests, faith has to do with relationship-our relationship with God, and giving our heart, and our trust, our radical trust, to God. Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, says that “Faith is like floating on a deep ocean. Faith is like floating in seventy thousand fathoms of water. If you struggle, if you tense up and thrash about, you will certainly sink. But if you relax and trust, yiu will float.” Borg describes faith as trusting in the buoyancy of God. Faith is trusting in the sea of being in which we live and move and have our being. Kate Matthews had a life-long fear of water. She could not even float. She couldn’t put her face in water. She made sure her children all learned to swim and she says they took to water like ducks. One summer they were staying in a place with a pool. Her son, Doug, was about ten years old. He decided, on a day when they were the only two in the pool, that this was the day that Mom was going to learn to swim. He had utter confidence in his ability to teach her to do something that forty years of fear had prevented. “Mom,” he said, “If you close your eyes and hold your breath and relax, the water will hold you up. Just believe me. It works.” And then he demonstrated. He floated right there on top of the water. And so she gave it a try. And it worked. Kate says, “I floated there, held up by the buoyant water but also by the buoyant hope and confidence-and persistence- of my own unlikely little teacher who had already gone ahead of his older, more fearful parent, and discovered new experiences and new possibilities.” So, this little parable isn’t about a nagging woman or a corrupt judge who gave in to save face. It’s ultimately about the character of a loving God who listens to the cares of our hearts, especially when they point to human need or suffering or longing, freedom, or justice. It’s about aligning our will and intentions with that of God. Barbara Brown Taylor says our prayer life sustains us even in the worst of times, and it keeps us close to God. “You are going to trust the process,” she writes, “regardless of what comes of it, because the process itself gives you life. The process keeps you engaged with what matters most to you, so you do not lose heart.” Taylor writes, “prayer keeps our hearts chasing God’s heart. It’s how we bother God, and it’s how God bothers us back. There’s nothing that works any better than that.” *Hymn Faith of Our Fathers (Insert) *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 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 14 For the Beauty of the Earth, Verses 4 and 5 *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 S[irit 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 God says,” I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts; And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” *Hymn 2 Come, Thou Almighty King Prayer of the Day Merciful God, in Jesus Christ you do not call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. Draw us away from the easy road that leads to destruction, and guide us into paths that lead to life abundant, that in seeking your truth, and obeying your will, we may know the joy of being a disciple of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from sin and free us to live holy and joyful lives. This is the good news of the gospel. Your sins are forgiven. Be at peace. First Reading Psalm 66 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading Luke 17:11-19 Morning Message Pastor Debie Thomas says she remembers well the day when she was snooping in her father’s study. She was four years old and bored. She began rummaging thru his files and found a manila envelope. She looked inside to find a small bundle wrapped in tissue paper. It held four little blue books. Upon opening one of the books she was delighted to find a baby picture of herself. There were a lot of big words in the books which she couldn’t read. She took a pencil from her father’s desk and began doodling in the one that held her picture. Her father came into the study at some point and shouted at her, “What are you doing? “ And he grabbed the book out of her hands. She said he immediately set to work carefully erasing her drawings, his hands shaking. “What are they?” Debie asked. “Our passports, “ he said. These are our American passports. They prove we belong here. Without them…” he didn’t finish that sentence. Even now, years later, Debie says she remembers her father’s fear that day. It was the immigrant fear of not belonging, of being cast out. To this day, Debie treats her passport with great care, as though it might disintegrate in her hands. The memory of her father’s reaction to the defacing of her passport is a reminder of how seriously he took his citizenship and his role in keeping his family safe. The scripture text points to at least three things for our attention. One is healing. Jesus healed ten very sick people. One is gratitude. One leper returned to Jesus to express his gratitude. And one is identity. Within this text we find questions of inclusion and exclusion, exile and return. Debie Thomas says, as the daughter of immigrants, she feels these questions deep in her bones. They aren’t intellectual or abstract. They are emotional and urgent. Where is home? What is my identity? Her security is bound up in these questions. A few years after that day in the study, Debie’s family travelled to India, her parents’ homeland. One day while waiting in line at a village train station, her little brother pointed to two people huddled in a corner. “What’s wrong with them?” he asked. They had been in India about two weeks by this time. They were getting used to seeing beggars, women with rail-thin babies on their hips, men who were blind or lame, at the mercy of passers-by for a few coins a day. Debie and her brother had never witnessed such devastating need and were moved to help with whatever change or small bills her parents could spare. But somehow these two at the train station seemed different. They were in need but their appearance scared Debie. She didn’t want to approach them. Didn’t want to drop a few coins in their hands. They were missing fingers, their feet were mere stumps. Their faces were misshapen. “They’re sick,” said their father. “They have leprosy.” And though the train station and the city streets were crowded that day, what struck Debie was how very alone those two seemed to be. She says it was like an invisible barrier, solid as granite, separated them from the rest of humanity, rendering them untouchable. The disease was frightening, but what frightened her more was their isolation, their not-belonging. The lepers in the text also lived in the shadows, in the region “in-between.” It was a no-man’s land. They were required to live in seclusion, to keep their distances from others. They had to warn the public by announcing, “Unclean! Unclean!” whenever they came close. When Jesus heals their disease, he also restores their identities. He enables them to return to their families and their communities. They could enjoy human interaction once again. They had a place to belong. They could go home. He healed ten, but only one returned to thank Jesus. I think we miss the point if we say the others weren’t grateful. We know they were. But this one man has the deck stacked against him. He was a Samaritan. He was a “double other.” He was marginalized by both illness and foreignness. Jews and Samaritans bore years of enmity. They disagreed about where to worship God and how to interpret the scriptures. They avaoided interaction with each other. This reminds me of the first time Ed and I were in Ireland. WE were talking with the host at the bed and breakfast where we spent the night. Our plan was to go into Dublin. The host informed us that U2 was giving a concert that night in the city so it would be crowded. “And mind your purse, dear,” the woman warned me, “The damn English will be there.” Debie Thomas suggests that this man in the text, by virtue of his disease and his foreignness, is enabled to see his truest place of belonging lies at the feet of Jesus. Jesus embraces all of him-leper, foreigner, exile. So, what are we to take from this story? In a much less dramatic way, we have probably all experienced the discomfort of being alone, or new, or unfamiliar. Next weekend Ed and I are participating in our nephew’s wedding. We will be doing things we do every week in worship with no nerves at all. But the size of the sanctuary, the power of the organ, the massive marble altar and beautiful shrines are enough to take your breath away. When we visited on Thursday night, I felt like I didn’t belong there. But, the most lovely thing happened. The church music director was extremely hospitable, showing Ed around the organ and showing me all around the sanctuary, leading me up to the pulpit. He took me on a tour, describing the artwork, the beautifully carved statues, the fresh red roses that are replaced several days a week at the feet of the shrine of the infant king, the statue of the pregnant Mary, bearing God’s Word into the world. It was evident that here was a place where you could truly worship God with all the senses. It was very reassuring, comforting. I was realized that we fit just fine because our ultimate, eternal, most satisfying home is with Jesus. Jesus is home for the well and the sick, the immigrant and the native-born, Jesus is home for Catholics and Protestants. Jesus is home for the faithful in prayer and for babies in the cry room. Jesus is home for those who live in luxury and for those who have no place to lay their heads. And those who recognize home when they find it, can do none other than fall to their knees in gratitude. May it be so for all of us. Amen. *Hymn 647 Give Thanks *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 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Generous God, who creates, redeems, and sustains, we present our offering, signs of the work you have called and gifted us to do. Use it, use us, in service to your world, to the glory of your name. Amen. *Hymn 772 Live Into Hope *Blessing Go now, and may God be glorified in your life, in your song, in Christ’s church, and in God’s world. Amen. *Postlude |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
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