Are You Pentecostal?

May 31, 2020 Acts 2:1-13 Are you Pentecostal? Year A Pentecost Sunday Children’s Sermon Object: An uninflated red balloon. Lesson: Pentecost; Holy Spirit. "Did any of you notice anything unusual outside the sanctuary this morning?" "There were decorations ... streamers ... balloons!" These are the sorts of things near and dear to a child's heart, and indeed they had noticed. "My goodness!" I exclaim in mock surprise. "It sounds like someone has decorated for a party! Does anyone know why we would be having a party today?" This question stumps them, so I continue. "Today is a special day in the church. It is called 'Pentecost.' " To get them used to this word that even the older children have heard only a few times in their lives, I ask them to say it with me. "Pentecost ... So now you're probably wondering what Pentecost means. It's obvious from the decorations in the lobby that it must be an occasion for a party. Why do people have parties?" "To celebrate something!" "That's one reason. What sorts of things do you celebrate with a party?" "Graduation!" comes the firm response from a child with older siblings. "Yes. And the graduation of our seniors is one of the things we are celebrating in our church today. But what is another reason you have a party -- what is a reason every one of you has had a party or been to a party?" "Birthdays!" several children answer. "Yes, birthdays. And that's what Pentecost is; it's the birthday of the church. It comes from a Greek word that means the 'fiftieth day.' Pentecost falls fifty days after Easter and it is the day on which the Holy Spirit came to the first Christians. That was the beginning of the church, so on Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter, we celebrate the church's birthday. "Well, since we're going to have a birthday party after worship, maybe we need a balloon to add to our decorations." With this suggestion, I pull a balloon out of my pocket. "What does this balloon need?" I ask the children. "Air!" they tell me. "Ah yes, air. It's not much to look at all flat like this. It's lifeless, isn't it? You know, the Hebrew word ruach and the Greek word pneuma both have two meanings. Both of them can mean either 'wind' or 'spirit.' So, if I use my wind to blow into this balloon, it will be full of wind, but we could also think of it as full of spirit -- something more than itself that keeps it from being flat and lifeless. "I brought this balloon to help us understand what it meant when the Holy Spirit came to the first Christians. There was a great sound of wind and tongues of fire -- which is why I chose a red balloon and why our pastors have red stoles this morning. The Holy Spirit breathed spirit -- new life -- into that group of Christians and the church was born. Now, what if this balloon didn't have an opening in it for me to blow into?" "Then you couldn't blow any air in. It would stay flat," the children answer. "That's right. And just as this balloon needs an opening for air, we need to have an opening for the Holy Spirit to enter us. We create that openness by coming to worship, by praying, by being aware of God, by asking God to fill us with the Holy Spirit. And, filled with the Spirit, we have new life because it makes us live differently. It's like t he difference between a flat, lifeless balloon and one filled up for celebration. "Will you pray with me before you go? God, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit which connects us to you and fills us with your love just as surely as we are able to fill balloons with our wind. We praise you, God, and offer our thanksgiving for the gift of the church on this day of Pentecost. In Jesus' name we lift our prayer to you. Amen." CSS Publishing Company, Inc, Cows In Church, by B. Kathleen Fannin Opening Opening Prayer Spirit of God, we long to be open to your presence in our church and in our lives. Fill us with your wind and fire, that we might be enlivened again. Help us hear the words as if for the first time, that they might touch us anew. Give us visions and dreams of what you long for in your creation, that we might begin to live them into reality. Come, Spirit; come into our worship, into our church Alone together The paradox of Pentecost 2020 is that we’re giving up our together time because we recognize our connectedness. Yes, we're apart. But because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, we are not alone. Pentecost reminds us of our connection to God and one another. Acts 2:47 tells us that the first church “praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone.” Online worship and social distancing are a couple of ways we are following their example today. Pentecost 2020 reminds us of how good it is when we are “all together in one place.” It also highlights that even when being together isn't possible, the Holy Spirit overcomes barriers like language and social distance to connect us with one another. While we’re apart, we continue to be the church for one another, because the Holy Spirit is with us wherever we are. Stewardship Moment Pentecost is a turning point in the year and the faith. Time of fulfillment – have everything we need to be faithful people. Jesus returns to heaven always says – you are never alone. I am always with you. But instead of looking to me, you can move forward. You have the power to change your situation and the worlds situation. Look at the news, powerless – what can we do? How can we make a difference. By living our faith. Prayer, being generous and spreading God’s love. One way to make a difference is in giving to the mission of the church to make disciples and to become disciples. Give to the church in many ways – one way that we are united, and able to make a different. Invitation to offering Offertory Prayer Holy God, thank you for sending your Spirit, the Spirit of the risen Christ, from heaven. Help us to be like the early disciples, praying patiently as we wait for your guidance and power. Fill our hearts and minds with your gifts of faith, hope, and love. May our conversations with people of every language and culture around us witness to your grace and mercy. We dedicate ourselves and our offerings to your good purposes in the world through our church’s mission by the power of your Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. (Acts 2:1-21) Scripture Acts 2:1-13 Common English Bible (CEB) Pentecost 2 When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak. 5 There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages. 7 They were surprised and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all the people who are speaking Galileans, every one of them? 8 How then can each of us hear them speaking in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; as well as residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya bordering Cyrene; and visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the mighty works of God in our own languages!” 12 They were all surprised and bewildered. Some asked each other, “What does this mean?” 13 Others jeered at them, saying, “They’re full of new wine!” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Sermon Are you Pentecostal? The well known author and preacher Fred Craddock tells a rather funny story about a lecture he was giving: A few years ago, when he was on the west coast speaking at a seminary, just before the first lecture, one of the students stood up and said, "Before you speak, I need to know if you are Pentecostal." Thoom grew silent. Craddock said he looked around for the Dean of the seminary! He was nowhere to be found. The student continued with his quiz right in front of everybody. Craddock was taken aback, and so he said, "Do you mean do I belong to the Pentecostal Church?" He said, "No, I mean are you Pentecostal?" Craddock said, "Are you asking me if I am charismatic?" the student said, "I am asking you if you are Pentecostal." Craddock said, "Do you want to know if I speak in tongues?" He said, "I want to know if you are Pentecostal." Craddock said, "I don't know what your question is." The student said, "Obviously, you are not Pentecostal." He left. What are we talking about this morning? Is the church supposed to use the word Pentecost only as a noun or can it be used as an adjective? And so I ask you: Are you Pentecostal?... What does it mean to be a Pentecostal? Depends on who you ask. But today is a big day for the church, no matter what denomination. Pentecost The world celebrates Christmas with us, and even celebrate easter, but Pentecost is only for those who are true Christians. And jewish. Last week one of our children asked what does Pentecost mean anyway. Pentecost means 50 – 50 days for us after easter, but for the jews its 50 days after Passover. They are celebrating the first harvest of the season. For the jews the celebrations is from the 26-28th. This is the celebration that the apostles witnessed in the bible. Jews from all over the world were gathered in Jerusalem. And of course, they bought their customs and their languages with them. But as they came together , speaking in their own languages. it seemed that everyone could understand one another. It is important for us to remember, that different people read and interpret and find importance on different parts of the bible. For some the holy spirit was present in the fact that they were speaking in different languages. For others it was that they were understood. Difference in theology I remember my aunt used to always tell me to make sure that when I was baptized- that I was baptized in Jesus name as it stated in acts. But was baptized in Baptist church which uses the gospels, which says be baptized in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit. But today want to talk about the presence of the holy spirit in our ability to understand, in spite of our differences. Our ability to be one body – with different opinions as proof that the holy spirit is here. Church on fire Pentecost is the day that the church was on fire. I remember growing up in Peoria, on sixth street. One of the biggest events of the day – the day the Baptist church down the street caught on fire. The whole neighborhood came to watch. When had to go back in the house, people stopped by to give reports. Two persons were talking together before a large church which was being destroyed by fire. The first man spoke in a voice which could be heard above the voice of the firemen: "This is the first time I ever saw you at church." To this the second responded: "This is the first time I ever saw the church on fire." There are many prophets of doom saying that the age of the Christian Church is over - that it has lost its zeal! We're taking a beating right now in this country and around the world. Our theology is being questioned. Everyone is writing a critical book against the organized church. We have had to take some unpopular r stands on social issues. Magazines are attacking the ministry, and it isn't the thing to do anymore to join the church. John Kelman said, however, "God pity the nation or city whose factory smokestacks rise higher than her church spires." The church can be on fire in may different ways. Way we sing, way the pastor preaches, what we do, in how we hope. We can be Pentecostal in who we are – but also in how we do it. In how we wait in God, but also depend on God. We handle our differences. Five promises of the spirit – comforter, teacher, bear witness to Jesus to the world, prove that sin was wrong, and guide the church. Promise of acts 2 – hold us together. Remember in Genesis 11 – all of the people got together and decided that they were going to build a giant tower to heaven. If they got together there is nothing they can accomplish. Sort of like the NATO summit. Remind them that the emphasis was on we and not on God. Planned everything to the detail and forgot to pray and leave room for God. The punishment was that they would all speak in different languages and head in different directions. We can all speak English and still not understand. Recently, a judicial friend was presiding over a case in a small, rural county. The defendant was charged with drunk driving and trying to assault the police officer who arrested him. To convict the defendant on the assault on an officer charge, the District Attorney had to proved that the defendant knew the person he was assaulting was a police officer. And the easiest way to do that is to show that the officer was wearing a police uniform, and therefore the defendant knew that this was a police officer. So the District Attorney asked the officer on the witness stand "And how were you attired when you pulled the defendant over?" The witness looked at him blankly. It was clear he didn't know what the District Attorney meant by "attired". Everyone saw this but the District Attorney. "Would you repeat the question, please?" In a slightly irritated voice the District Attorney said, "And how were you attired when you pulled the defendant over?" The witness still was puzzled. "Say that again", he pleaded. "How were you attired when you pulled the defendant over?" barked the District Attorney. My friend said you could suddenly see the light bulb come on in the officer's head, and he proudly proclaimed "I was traveling on standard issue radial tires!" This officer needed an interpreter even within the English language! That's what I'm getting at: We all need our own personal interpreter, full time, 24/7. So much of what we hear, even within the English language, we don't understand. And nowhere is that truth more evident than with people who are new to the church. The problem is not just in language, the problem is in our understanding. We can be in same family, same church, working on the same plan and still disagree. We are prone to misunderstanding. The good news is – that we don’t have to think alike, we have to think together. Know the holy spirit is with us. Understanding comes from god and not us. “How did you get saved.” He was asked. He replied, “God did his part and I did my part.” The man asked, “What was God’s part and what was your part.” The young man replied, “God’s part was saving and my part was sinning. I ran from Him as fast as I could, but He took after me till He ran me down.” When you see people coming to Christ, then you know that God is at work for only God can save souls. We have to let God do his part and we do are part. Our part is to be confused, and to learn to trust in God for understanding and agreement. Acts is a wonderful book to read, last day we read it in worship for awhile. Shows what it means to be Pentecostal. No matter what your denomination. Wait and witness on the holy spirit. Results may not be like to first formation of the church. We can convince people, but only the holy spirit can convict them to be followers of Jesus. You Are in the Spirit It’s like the story of the shark and the whale. Both were swimming in the sea when the shark swam up to the whale to engage in conversation. As they swam along, the shark said to the whale, “You are so much older than I, and wiser too. Could you tell me where the ocean is?” The whale responded, “The ocean is what you are in now.” The shark would not believe it. “Come on, tell me where the ocean is so I may find it!” The whale repeated, “The ocean is here, now; you are in it.” Unbelieving, the shark swam away searching for the ocean. The moral of the story, I believe, is this: don’t spend too much time looking for God because the Spirit of God is here in the now of your life, dwelling within you, within me, within this community. And that truth is nurtured in prayer. Pentecostal is a noun – who you are, verb – what you do, but is is also a adjective – how you do it. Witness and wait in the presence of the spirit. Amen. Pentecost Prayer Announcements Next week – trinity Sunday, first Sunday have all that we need to deal with the challenges of life. The father, the son, the holy spirit. 2 corinthians 13:11-13 Also Peace with Justice - during this shelter in place, the district clergy have been meeting weekly. This week the situation with George Floyd being killed started to unfold. Heartrfelt conversation about racism and how this continues to happen and how the church can address it. Of course things have escalated all over the nations since then. Continue to pray for healing for peace and for justice – a shalom that brings our nation to unity. We will look at that during our service next week. The state is starting to open back up, people are still getting back together. Churches have been given the go ahead to meet. Even though this is a fluid situation. I think the last I heard the supreme court overturned that decision, but I don’t know. The conference has been closely monitoring the situation. We want to open the church so that people can get back together. But we also want to do that safely. We want this to be a safe space for vulnerable populations. We have received the suggestions from the conference in reopening and and from the Illinois department of health. Been distributed To the church leaders and we will have a church council meeitg to discuss this. We will also give to everyone, if want a copy can pick it up. Also put a survey in the newsletter to see what needs to happen for you to feel safe. As we think about what needs to happen at our church we ask for your feedback and sugggestions. Wont look like it did before we met, measures will have to be taken. Worship service will even be a little different. But we will get through this together. Congratulations to all of those who are enperiencing those transition moments in quarantine, graduations, retirements, birthdays, life changes. Blessings in your life and feel gods spirit in many unexpected ways this year. Benediction Pentecost moments Control A wealthy family from Massachusetts used to take a month's vacation every summer to the coast of Maine, taking their maid with them. The maid had an annual ritual at the beach. She wore an old-fashioned bathing suit, complete with a little white hat, and carried enough paraphernalia to stock Wal-Mart. She would settle herself on the beach, cover every inch of her exposed flesh and journey down to the water's edge. There she would hesitate while taking deep breaths and working up her courage to enter the icy-cold water. Finally, she would daintily extend one foot and lower it slowly into the water until she barely had her big toe submerged. Then she repeated the act with the other foot. Then, having satisfied her minimal urge for a swim, she would retreat to her chair and umbrella and spend the remainder of the vacation curled around a book. I'm afraid that may be a parable of our Christian commitment. Are we afraid to give in to the Pentecost experience, fearful that we might lose control? That's what it is really all about, isn't it? Control. We want to be in control. Well, if Pentecost is to do nothing else, it should remind us that we are not in control, not even - or perhaps I should say especially - of ourselves. Randy L. Hyde, Time to Deliver The Church on Fire Two persons were talking together before a large church which was being destroyed by fire. The first man spoke in a voice which could be heard above the voice of the firemen: "This is the first time I ever saw you at church." To this the second responded: "This is the first time I ever saw the church on fire." There are many prophets of doom saying that the age of the Christian Church is over - that it has lost its zeal! We're taking a beating right now in this country and around the world. Our theology is being questioned. Everyone is writing a critical book against the organized church. We have had to take some unpopular stands on social issues. Magazines are attacking the ministry, and it isn't the thing to do anymore to join the church. John Kelman said, however, "God pity the nation or city whose factory smokestacks rise higher than her church spires." Why Belong To The Church?, anthology, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Lost and Found Picture a little girl lost in a big city. There she sits, crying on the curb. A policeman finds her, puts her in his cruiser and drives her up and down the streets, hoping she'll recognize something familiar. Which, at last, she does. She sees a steeple with a cross on it. Tears vanish. Speech returns. "That's my church," she says. "I can find my way from here." You're not the only one, little girl. William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com

Which Way is Up?

May 24, 2020 Ascension Sunday Year A Which Way is Up? Acts 1:1-11 Children’s Time Object: Any size battery. Lesson: A battery supplies the power and energy to many things, in much the same way that the Holy Spirit supplies power and energy to Christians. (Display battery.) Do you know what this is? It's a battery. What do batteries do? (Children respond.) Batteries "run" things. They give power and energy to many items we use every day. My watch has a battery in it and so does my camera. What sorts of things do you have that use batteries? (Video game, remote control, cassette player, cars, trucks, radios, dolls, etc.) Wow, we use batteries in a lot of places, don't we? They give our belongings the power they need to work. What happens when the batteries run down? (Children respond.) If the batteries run down our toy or game just stops. It will not work anymore because it does not have any power. It just sits there, doing nothing. My watch and my camera are not much good if they don't have any power. We can fix our things and give them new power by putting in new batteries. Wouldn't it be great if we had batteries that would never wear out? Did you know that the Holy Spirit is like a battery for us? The Holy Spirit is a special part of God that helps us. He is like a battery that never wears out. He gives us power, energy, and strength. He keeps us going. When we think we can't do something, the Holy Spirit helps us get it done. When we have to deal with sad things that happen in our lives, he is there to give us strength. When people make fun of us and treat us badly, he gives us the power to deal with them. When we are too tired to keep going, the Holy Spirit is our energy. When something terrific happens to us, he is there to celebrate with us. He gives us the ability to tell other people about Jesus. No matter what we need, he is there for us. Through the Holy Spirit working in our lives we receive the power and strength we need to make it through every day. He is like a battery that never wears out and he never gets tired of helping us. Ask God to give you the power or strength you need this week. God bless you. CSS Publishing Company, A TIME TO PLANT, by Teresa L. Major Opening Prayer Call to Worship #2: L: We await God’s instructions for our lives. P: We eagerly look forward to learning more about ways to serve God. L: The time is coming when our service will be needed here. P: Let God’s love flood through our service to others L: Wait! Listen! The time is near! P: Open our hearts and spirits, O Lord, to hear your word for us today. AMEN. Announcements at the end – the sun is shining beautifully this morning, pray that the God’s of the internet are happy this morning and will let me get through service with very few interuptions. – all pray together! Stewardship Moment Today is Ascension Sunday – the time to look to Jesus. It is a difficult time. When we look to Jesus, looks to us- give what we have – and know that Jesus spread love to others, help church, help community, spread Jesus message of love and know that we are included in that message. What we give to others, will come back to us in unexpected ways. Give, many ways to give our offering. Contactless way…is time to turn back to the one who is “chosen and precious,” except, as you’ll see, he turns it back to us. Even when talking about himself, his own glory, he turns back to us. It’s amazing, really. in this moment, you’d think he would be focused on himself. But even in the final moments on this earth, we’re the objects of his attention and his prayer. It is time to turn back to the one who is “chosen and precious,” except, as you’ll see, he turns it back to us. Even when talking about himself, his own glory, he turns back to us. It’s amazing, really. in this moment, you’d think he would be focused on himself. But even in the final moments on this earth, we’re the objects of his attention and his prayer.God of Glory and Majesty, we have seen your glory in Christ, for it shines in our lives through the faithful who have walked with us on this journey. In seeing Christ’s glory in them, we have seen you. As we bring our gifts to you, remind us that the world will not see you and your glory unless they see it in each of us. Remind us as we move through each day that all around us are your children who are desperately searching for a glimpse of your holy presence and love. May they see it in us today. In the holy name of Christ, our Savior. Amen. (John 17:1-11) Scripture Acts 1:1-11 Common English Bible (CEB) The risen Jesus with his disciples 1 Theophilus, the first scroll I wrote concerned everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, 2 right up to the day when he was taken up into heaven. Before he was taken up, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus instructed the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed them that he was alive with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, speaking to them about God’s kingdom. 4 While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me: 5 John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?” 7 Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 After Jesus said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going away and as they were staring toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood next to them. 11 They said, “Galileans, why are you standing here, looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Sermon It was my eighth grade science teacher who asked the class – which way is up. Most of us looked up at the sky – up is that way. He remained quiet in order to encourage us to discuss the topic more – as we thought more some of us said that up is that way – like up the street, but depending on where you are standing , up could be that way. And someone else pointed out that for people on the other side of the world – Up is that way. The teacher then explained that on first thought, we think that up is one direction, but when we explore more we discover that up is a relative term – up can be any direction. I don’t know if my eighth grade science teacher went to church or not, but that is the exact lesson for us today – to expand our horizons, and our outlook on life. More importantly, Jesus encourages us to expand our minds when we are looking for his presence. We also tend to think of heaven as up there somewhere. That has been what we have been told for ages, until man landed on the moon and discovered that the heavens is a vast expanse of stars, and planets. So one again, we have to ask ourselves, where is heaven? Where did Jesus go when we went up in the sky? All throughtout the resurrection Jesus has been appearing to his disciples. And today – we hear a different story. Jesus brings his disciples to a high mountain, and they watch him literally descend up and disappear into the clouds. This is the story of the Ascension, when Jesus goes up into heaven and leaves his disciples to carry on his mission. This story was designed to answer the question, if Jesus was bought back to life, how come we can’t see him today. What happened to him? Did he die again like Lazurus? Is he living in seclusion? The disciples had to see with their own eyes, that Jesus was taken back to heaven. This is the day that Jesus decided that it was easier for him to work from home in heaven – than to stay on earth. Luke is the only person who tells this story. It is not found in any other gospel. Luke is the author of both the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Interestingly, each of those books tells a very different version of the story. But the point is that the story is told. It is designed to mark a special time in the life of the disciples, and those who hear that story today. Up until this day – the disciples hung on every word that Jesus said. They were students, who depended on Jesus. They lost their teacher, and then celebrated that he was still with them, and now here he was leaving again. But Jesus was very clear that the mission must continue, that the lessons that he taught were still in existence. He had taught them everything that they needed to know to continue on the journey. In his fine book, On a Wild and Windy Mountain, William H. Willimon tells of being in New Haven, Connecticut as a student at Yale in l970 during the famous Black Panther Trial. Those of you who remember that turbulent era recall the strife, discord and agony that tormented our society in those days. During the week that the crisis at New Haven reached its peak, Willimon attended a choral mass at a nearby Catholic Parish. A boy’s choir was singing, “Deus Ascendit-- “God Has Gone Up.” “Just as I thought,” Willimon thought to himself somewhat sarcastically, “God Has Gone Up. And isn’t that typical? Gone up, up away from New Haven and the angry shouts of the mob and the gunfire of the cops and the revolutionaries.” In other words, Willimon was saying to himself, “God has abandoned us.” As he continued to listen, however, the idea struck him that the choir did not sing, “Deus Abscondit,” God has abandoned us. The boys were shouting “Deus Ascendit.” God has gone up. “God has begun in heaven what is yet to be accomplished on earth,” Willimon reflected. “Christ is gone, not to forsake us, but to continue to redeem us. He has gone to take charge, to rule, to put all things under his feet.” Deus Ascendit. God has ascended. When we go through tough times in life, we can identity with Willemon’s thoughts that God has abandoned us. When we cant go to our church building and connect to the spirit of God – can ask where is God? Why would a God who loves us do that to us? I don’t know about you, but I think there are a lot of times in life when I feel that divine absence. That feeling that God is just not with me, and his not helping me and not giving me the answers that I need. I am sure the disciples must have felt that way as they watched Jesus go up into heaven. What are we supposed to do now that he is gone. How are we supposed to go on with our lives? Jesus knew that they would have these questions. So as he was departing he gave them specific instructions. First he told them to wait – to be patient. Even today we don’t want to be told to wait. Second he promised that a special spirit was coming that would give them peace, understanding and power to move on. And third – in the Luke story he tells them to worship, but in act he tells them to pray. In the Acts story, after the disciples watched Jesus ascend to heaven they went to the upper room – their safe space in order to pray. As his disciples, we are instructed to pray in order for us to get a clearer understanding of what God intends for our lives. Where do you go during those times of questioning life. As people of faith, we all need to have a time in our daily live set aside for prayer, a place to pray in solitude, a list of concerns to pray about, and goals to attain through prayer. As Jesus walks away, Jesus gives the disciples instructions, words of comfort – but Jesus does not give them any real answers about the future. I know that a lot of times I come to God in prayer, with my concerns, looking for answers, and no answers come. Once again there is that divine absence – that feeling that God is not listening. In the present day – we all have a lot of questions about the future. We are all looking for clear answers about what it going on, how to deal with it. And we want a promise that one day all of this will end and that life will go back to a time when everything made sense. The reality of the situation is that we are never going back to the way things were. The only way to go is forward, forward to a new reality. A reality where we will do the best to recreate what we are familiar with, but life only goes in one direction – that is forward. Forward to a future that we are not prepared for. It is said that the wife of Albert Einstein was once asked if she understood her husband’s theory of relativity. She replied, “No, but I know my husband and I know he can be trusted.” The disciples knew that Christ was with the Father and that Christ could be trusted. They believed that he was in charge and that made all the difference. If we look at the lessons that Luke tells us, we notice that Luke has a fascination with these two men dressed in white. As Luke tells the story of the resurrection he notes that there are two men standing at the tomb – who tell the disciples to go on with their life. As Luke tells the story of the walk to Emmaus, after Jesus has been crucified, there are two men walking with the disciples, and they tell them to keep moving on the journey and to wait for the spirit. In both of Luke’s stories of the ascension – once again we meet these two mysterious men who are dressed in white. The disciples are staring up in the sky looking for Jesus,and once again these two mysterious men asks why are they looking for Jesus in the sky – when Jesus is not there? Once again I ask you – which way is up? Is heaven up there somewhere – or in here somewhere? The mysterious men dressed in white tell the disciples that if they want to see Jesus, they need to go on with their lives, remember the lessons he gave, pray, wait for the presence of the spirit, and continue in the mission. – keep serving and being faithful and as we move forward, everything else will fall into place. Now that I have told you this whole story about the ascension – I will confess that many biblical scholars ask if this story really happen. Did Jesus literally ascend into heaven right in front of the disciples. Some believe that this was just a vision – it did not really happen. Which way is up? Where is heaven, If Jesus is still alive – where is he now? All questions that we still asks today. The point of the ascension story is for us to think about where Jesus is in our lives. Usually when we say that someone is moving up – things are getting better for them. We have a higher view of them. We look up to them for advice and understanding. It is important for us in the midst of our grief and sadness to look up to Jesus. We have to lift our eyes in prayer, lift up our head to Christ, and lift up our hearts in praise. In other words – let Christ ascend in our spirits in order to lift up our life. Ascension Day: Power Unleashed on Earth Ascension Day is not really about the power of Jesus vanishing into heaven. It's about having that power unleashed into all the earth. While on earth, Jesus affected those right around him. After he ascended, this powerful presence was unleashed on the whole globe, the whole cosmos. One theologian (Walter Wink) once noted that killing Jesus was like trying to destroy a dandelion seed-head by blowing on it (Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew, 226). Christ was the light of the world all right, but "now that light, as if hitting a prism, would fracture and shoot out in a human spectrum of waves and colors" (Yancey, 228). There is "no place that we can go to flee from his presence" (Psalm 139), nowhere we can go to separate ourselves from God's love (Rom. 8). John D. Witvliet, Beyond the Blank Blue Sky We are coming to a shift in our lives, in many ways. As we move forward into the future, the focus is not on us sitting and watching Jesus, as it is about us getting involved in the story. The story of God’s love for us is a never ending story. It goes on beyond our present circumstances. Now that Jesus was been elevated, the story is about us. Luke wrote about the life of Jesus, the book of Acts is about how the disciples continued the story, and the present circumstances about God’s love in action now. It is our turn to be the star of the story. Let us pray…… Prayer Time Pastoral Prayer Go back to Jerusalem and wait, Jesus said to his disciples. Lord, we are not good at waiting for anything. We want to know what to do right now, right here. We want the plan all laid out for us so that we can project the end results. We have some real control issues to overcome, Lord. Take our spirits and release the need for control for them. Help us place our total trust in your abiding love and presence. Give us patience and persistence in our ministries and mission. As we bring to you the names of dear ones whose lives are in need of your healing mercy and comfort, remind us that we also stand in need of those same mercies. Give us courage to accept your love and strength to witness to your love in all that we do. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN. Announcements When will be opening – it is still a step by step process Pentecost – scripture will be from Acts 2:1-21 Congratulations to our graduates Thank you to Debbie for keeping us connected Can put your name in the comments Benediction Ascension: An Irresistible Confidence Our culture is tired of politicians who promise but do not deliver; tired of entertainment all around us which does not satisfy; tired of trouble between neighbors; tired of religion that promises bread but gives a stone. In the Ascension, God can put into our hearts an irresistible confidence that all is not as it seems, that love, truth and integrity are never defeated, that the kingdoms of this world will indeed become the Kingdom of our God and of his Christ. John Davies, After Ascension - Transformation tanding on a Cloud In my grandmother's bedroom hung a very old-fashioned plaque. It depicted Jesus standing on a cloud, arms outstretched, beckoning the viewer to come to him. The inscription proclaimed, "Jesus Shall Come In Like Manner." Grandma died at the age of 94. She was perfectly prepared to meet her Lord coming to receive her in the clouds. She lived through Indian raids to man's walk on the moon. Sharp as a tack to the very end. Still, in her mind's eye, this was the way her Lord would come to her. Walking on the clouds. Who's to say it isn't so? She took quite literally the word of the two in white robes who said to the disciples, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Charles L. Koester, Mission Accomplished, CSS Publishing Co., Inc. Ascension Day: Power Unleashed on Earth Ascension Day is not really about the power of Jesus vanishing into heaven. It's about having that power unleashed into all the earth. While on earth, Jesus affected those right around him. After he ascended, this powerful presence was unleashed on the whole globe, the whole cosmos. One theologian (Walter Wink) once noted that killing Jesus was like trying to destroy a dandelion seed-head by blowing on it (Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew, 226). Christ was the light of the world all right, but "now that light, as if hitting a prism, would fracture and shoot out in a human spectrum of waves and colors" (Yancey, 228). There is "no place that we can go to flee from his presence" (Psalm 139), nowhere we can go to separate ourselves from God's love (Rom. 8). John D. Witvliet, Beyond the Blank Blue Sky Heavenly Orientation When men were still traveling to the moon there was an astronaut, named David Scott, who looked up into the heavens at the planet he was from. As he stepped outside his spacecraft, on to the moon's surface, he said, "I can look straight up and see the earth." At the same time, millions of Americans heard these words on their radios and TV's and could look straight up to see the moon. From the moon above, you could look "up" and see the earth below. And from the earth below, you could look "up" and see the moon above. We look up to heaven from wherever we are. On the Ascension of Christ, the disciples looked as they saw their Savior being lifted up. They looked up. In fact, all of creation looked up. Brent Porterfield, www.eSermons.com There is a humorous little story that came out of Hollywood many years ago. A famous and handsome movie star checked into a hospital. As might be expected, every nurse in the hospital was very attentive to his needs. One particularly attractive nurse was at his side nearly every time he moved. When he finally indicated that he would like to be alone for a little while she said, “Now if you want anything at all you need only to pull this cord.” The movie star gave his irresistible smile and said, “Thank you, my dear, but what is the cord attached to?” She smiled back and answered, “Me.” In The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the Prince becomes close friends with a fox. On one occasion they are trying to set a time for their next visit. It is very important to the fox to know the time of that meeting. They finally agree to meet at 4:00 o’clock. But the little prince cannot understand why it is so important to the fox to know the exact time. Finally the fox replies, “Oh, if you will come at 4:00 then I will begin to be happy at 3:00.” It is time we start “beginning to be happy.” We have a friend who has gone up and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Deus Ascendit. God has gone up.

Love and Obey

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington John 14:15-21 Love and Obey May 17, 2020 Sixth Sunday of Easter Year A Children’s Sermon Object: a game board for a game that requires two or more players all look for ways to share our love with those around us. Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever played (name of game)? It's really fun. Do you usually play it with your friends, or with your brothers or sisters? Have you ever tried playing this game all by yourself? That wouldn't be any fun. What if I decided I wanted to play this game all by myself, that I didn't want to share it with anyone else that wouldn't be any fun for me or for you. This game was made to be played by more than one person. It doesn't work if only one person tries to play. A game like this was made to be shared and the more people who play it together, the more fun it is. Our Bible story today is about something else that's supposed to be shared, and that's love. The greatest commandment Jesus ever gave us was to love one another. Love was made to be shared. If we just keep all our love inside of us, and we never share that love with anyone else, then our love is useless. And it's no fun to keep our love to ourselves. But how do we share our love with others? We can tell people that we love them. We can do nice things for people, like share our toys, or hold their hand when they're scared, or visit people who are sick or lonely. What are some other ways that we can share our love with others? Those are all wonderful ideas. This week, let's Prelude Opening Prayer Opening Prayer (Acts 17, Psalm 66, John 14) Source of all creation, maker of the world and everything in it, you are never far from each one of us. We come into your house seeking you, O giver of life and breath. Reveal yourself to us; dwell with us; and abide in us. We live because of you. We hope because of you. In the name of Jesus Christ in whom we live, and the Spirit of Truth who abides in us, amen. Stewardship Moment Every time we come to the moment of offering, it’s a crossroads. There is an inner struggle between selfishness and generosity, a pull between fear of the future and belief in God’s providence. We give our offering this morning, Lord, stepping out in faith down the road of grace. We do this together, as your people, called and sent to be a blessing for all the world. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen. Offertory Prayer God of Power and Mercy, you have not deserted us; we have been tested, and yet we know we have never been far from your redeeming love. We celebrate your relentless caring, not only with the gifts we offer, but with our voices and testimony. We want the world to see what it means to live in the light of your love and mercy. Help us to guide our lives in your way. In the name of Christ, our Rock and Redeemer. Amen. (Psalm 66:8-20) Scripture John 14:15-21 Common English Bible (CEB) I won’t leave you as orphans 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will send another Companion,[a] who will be with you forever. 17 This Companion is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can’t receive because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be with you. 18 “I won’t leave you as orphans. I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” Footnotes: a. John 14:16 Or Advocate Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Sermon I’ll Be Ready! One of the best newspaper cartoons of all time is Calvin and Hobbes. One day Calvin and Hobbes come marching into the living room early one morning. His mother is seated there in her favorite chair. She is sipping her morning coffee. She looks up at young Calvin. She is amused and amazed at how he is dressed. Calvin's head is encased in a large space helmet. A cape is draped around his neck, across his shoulders, down his back and is dragging on the floor. One hand is holding a flashlight and the other a baseball bat. "What's up today?" asks his mom. "Nothing, so far," answers Calvin. "So far?" she questions. "Well, you never know," Calvin says, "Something could happen today." Then Calvin marches off, "And if anything does, by golly, I'm going to be ready for it!" Calvin's mom looks out at the reading audience and she says, "I need a suit like that!" That's the way many of us feel as we see the news and deal with life. Sometimes this world seems quite violent and people seem to be at each other's throats. A suit like that would help, so we can say with Calvin, "Whatever may come my way, I'm going to be ready for it! Bring it on!" Brett Blair, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com In these days we all need a suit like that, that will prepare us for anything. But we don’t have that kind of protection. But we are here because we all live lives where we have to rely on the word of God to protect us, guide us, and sometimes even give us hope. In many ways Jesus us our suit of protection. Jesus gave a lot of thought of what he needed to say to his friends that would help us get through difficult times. John 14 is one of those talks that Jesus gave intentionally to give comfort in difficult times. Jesus knew that he would not be with his disciples much longer, and he wanted to make sure that they would be able to go forward without him. We still read the first half of the chapter to give comfort to families during funerals. Jesus says that he goes to prepare a place for us – where we will all one day be together. He gives us the gift of peace as our suit of armor to deal with anything in life. We are reading the second half today on one of the last Sundays of Easter. Easter, the scripture focus is a little different from the rest of the year. After the resurrection, Jesus appears to the disciples in order to give them hope. Next week Jesus goes to the place in the clouds with God. And then we shift from following the life of Christ on earth, and we look for the presence of the holy spirit during the Pentecost season. Today, our focus is on the second half of John. There are two very important lessons for us to remember in Jesus words of comfort – love and obedience. He says that if you love God, then you will obey him. Those are not two words that we would normally put together – but Jesus says that they go hand in hand. As Americans we value freedom and independence. So we get concerned when we hear the word obedience. Obedience Obedience … now that’s pretty much a dirty word these days isn’t it? I remember the very first wedding I had the honor to officiate. The young couple had requested pre-marital counseling and I agreed to provide it for them. At our first counseling session, the bride-to-be - a petite, soft-spoken, beautiful young woman who had just turned 18 a month before - said this: "Preacher, let me tell you one thing right up front. If the word 'obey' comes out of your mouth during the marriage vows, I will hike up my wedding dress and run screaming right back down that aisle and out the front door and I will not be back!" I suppose it's the American spirit of independence that makes us so resistant to the concept of obedience, even when it comes to our relationship with God. Johnny Dean And hear Jesus is telling us that we need to obey him. That our hope is dependent on obeying him. Why would we do that? Obedience Some years ago, Erma Bombeck printed a piece about having the meanness parents in all the world. It went something like this: I had the meanest parents in all the world. When I was seven years old they dared to spank me just because I told them I would not do what they asked me to do to help around the house. My friend next door never got spanked. He didn't have to help at home. He had nice parents. I had the meanest parents. I had to eat all my broccoli and carrots before they would ever let me have dessert. My friend next door never had to eat vegetables. He had fast food brought in with burgers and shakes and brownies with all kinds of ice cream. I had the meanest parents. They made me go to church every Sunday as long as I lived under their roof, sit there in that boring worship service. My friend next door could do as he pleased. He never went to church. Sunday was a fun day for him. I had the meanest parents. They made me work for my allowance. I had to get a job helping an elderly old man with chores around his house. My friend next door never had to do anything and he was given four times as much allowance as I could ever earn. He had nice parents. I had the meanest parents. When I turned sixteen, they made me earn points before I could drive the family car. My friend next door was given a brand new luxury automobile. My folks had bought an old jalopy for me to get back and forth to school, but you think I'd drive that hunk of junk and park it beside those Jeep Wagoneers, BMWs, Buicks and Mercedes? My friend had it made. Or so I once thought, but, when we reached age thirty, I had a change in perspective. I had learned that my parents were not so mean after all. I was experiencing: the pleasure of work, the reward of recreation, the strength of a healthy body, the bonds of a strong marriage, the inward confidence that comes from faith and the wonderful supportive fellowship that comes from the Church as a community of believers. As for my friend, things were not going so well: he was not finding his niche in the workplace, nothing seemed to satisfy him, he was having difficulty getting along with people who were not willing to do everything just as he thought he knew it ought to be done, his marriage had not lasted even two years, his body was getting out of shape, and he evidenced a cynical outlook without any under-girding that comes from the assurance of faith. Erma came to understand that obedience to her parents ways instilled in her lasting, life giving values. "If you love me, obey..." Obedience. Adapted from a sermon by Julian M. Aldridge, Jr. Love's Consequence Love and obedience go hand in hand. Sometimes the greatest form of love is setting rules and giving instructions in order for us to have an ordered life. In order for us to be free, we have to have order. In order for us to truly be independent, we have to be in connection with other people. As United Methodist we know about the connection between love and obedience. We not only look to the bible stories in both the old and new testament for guidance, but also to the book of discipline in order to structure our life as a community. So it is important for us to hear the stories of the bible, but to read them and take them to heart, and to live them out. Jesus says that will help us in our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is our suit of protection in a difficult world. The closer we are to God, the easier it is to obey the words of Jesus to love one another. I'm Not Allowed to Cross the Street A little boy was riding his tricycle furiously around the block, over and over again. Finally a policeman stopped and asked him why he was going around and around. The boy said that he was running away from home. The policeman asked why he kept going around the block. The boy responded, "Because my mom said that I'm not allowed to cross the street." The point is clear--obedience will keep you close to those you love. Michael Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching. All of us, no matter what our age, need help staying focused and keeping hope. Jesus has already thought about what we need to hear in order to stay focused on those days when we don’t feel that he is present. Trust and obey. He also promised us help to keep moving forward. He promised that in those days when we don’t see Christ presence clearly, we can rely on the holy spirit. That invisible, unexpected help from God. It is hard fully explain the holy spirit – because we don’t have any stories in the bible about it. It is a spirit, a presence that we have to feel for ourselves. The presence is in our lives, not in the bible. Lori Hetzel tells the story of adopting a child from Russia. There were hurdles as every turn. They didn’t speak Russian, their travel plans seemed to fall through at every turn. But in those times of great need, there always seemed to some person who showed up that had the right answer, who was available to help them and provide food and shelter and whatever they needed. Gerald Kennedy remembers one very cold winter day that he woke up and realized that he had to deliver newspapers. He got ready to walk his route, when a car pulled up. It was his dad, who knew it was too cold for him to do it alone, so he was there to help him through a difficult moment. Gerald was so impressed, he not only became a pastor but a bishop. I too can think of times in my life when I had no answers, and God seemed to provide the right situation, the right person to bring me through. Jesus says that if we love trust and obey – then our eyes will be open to receive the invisible, unexplainable help in our lives. Jesus promised that if we have a relationship with God, then there is never a time when we are alone. God is always with us. God always lets our presence known. That was good news to an orphaned community about to lose its leader. Jesus words help us in our individual lives. But Jesus was speaking to us as a community. The word orphaned means being with a leader or a guide. The disciples were hanging on the words of Jesus, because they were afraid of what was going to happen to them all when he was gone. Today, we as the church have many threats. We have many questions of how we are going to go forward. During this virus outbreak, we ask how are we going to go forward. What is church going to look like. These are the dark days that are creating our future. If we love, trust and obey – then we will be present. Changed and transformed, yet still powerful. A Community of Love In a sermon titled "A New Vision," Dr. E. Howard Satterwhite of Trinity United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, compared the ideal of a Christian community of love, with a marriage in which the romance has faded, the honeymoon is over, and the relationship has become a labor of love requiring simple tenacity, "hanging in there." Describing his vision of Christian love at close quarters he said, "We should lose the illusions of perfection ... if we are looking for perfection here, we had better go somewhere else. But no one else has it either. We need to deal with the fact that we are imperfect and yet are in love as community. The community cannot save us from anything and we cannot save anyone else, not on our own skills and not on our charms. But trusting in God we become more trustworthy to each other, and more available for the authentic community that is grounded in God's power and not our own." Carl Jech, Channeling Grace, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. The Future Belongs to the Saviors A schoolmaster in France was discouraged with one of his students. He wrote in his roll book concerning this student: "He is the smallest, the meekest, the most unpromising boy in my class." Half a century later, an election was held in France to select the greatest Frenchman. By popular vote, that meekest, smallest, most unpromising boy was chosen. His name? Louis Pasteur, the founder of modern medicine. At age seventy-three, a national holiday was declared in his honor. He was too old and weak to attend the ceremony in Paris, so he sent a message to be read by his son. The message read: "The future belongs not to the conquerors but to the saviors of the world." King Duncan, Collected Sermons,www.Sermons.com We are the community that has been called to be the saviors of our community and our world if we are willing to love and obey. Prayer Reflection time Passing the Peace of Christ (Acts 17, John 14) Because Jesus Christ is in us, and we in him, his peace is a powerful gift that we may share with others. Pass the blessing of this peace to your brothers and sisters in Christ and to all the children of God. Benediction Additional Illustrations Playing God Mee Spousler of the Mount Hope United Methodist Church, in Aston, PA., tells how she was trying to put her three-year-old son to bed for a nap. When she was unsuccessful, she put him in her bed and laid down with him to encourage him to rest. She fell asleep, but he didn't. When she woke up, she saw him sitting on a chair at the end of the bed, and asked, "Luke, what are you doing?" "I'm playing God," he replied. "Playing God?" she asked. "Yes," he said. "I'm watching over you while you sleep." Children understand more than we do sometimes. God IS watching over us. Jesus gave that promise here in talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Not only will God watch over us but through the presence and reminder of the Holy Spirit, we will be reminded of what it means to "Love Jesus and keep his commands." And God will help us to create the environment of love, grace, faith and security that we need for our homes today. Our challenge is to listen to the Holy Spirit and to trust Christ. Billy D. Strayhorn, If You Love Me…. When Jimmy Carter was running for President of the United States, one of the more vivid moments in the campaign passed by almost unnoticed. One Sunday morning, candidate Carter had been worshipping at the Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. When the service was over, he exited the church into the swarm of press encamped on the church's front lawn. Cameras whirring, video lights glaring, microphones thrust forward, the media mavens moved in for interviews, pushing themselves to think of clever questions to ask a presidential candidate on the way out of a Southern Baptist Church -- "Did you like the sermon?" "Did you enjoy the choir this morning?" "Do you plan to remain a Baptist in Washington?" -- on and on the banal questions spewed. Suddenly, a reporter, probably in a stroke of luck, shouted out a question that genuinely mattered: "Mr. Carter, suppose when you are President, you get into a situation where the laws of the United States are in conflict with what you understand to be the will of God. Which will you follow, the laws of the state or the commandments of God?" Carter stopped, looked up, and blinked into the bright Georgia sun, obviously turning the question over in his mind. Then, perhaps still "in the Spirit on the Lord's Day," perhaps with the Spirit gently whispering the lyrics of the gospel into his ears, he turned toward the reporter and replied , "I would obey the commandments of God." Alert aides, alarmed by this candor, unnerved by their candidate's near-treasonous remark, hurriedly whisked him away from the press and into a waiting car. Carter the politician should have avoided the question, or hewed closely to the law of the land, but Carter the Christian had the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ whispering in his ear, "Do you love me? The world cannot see or know me, but do you love me? Do you keep my commandments?" Thomas G. Long, Whispering the Lyrics, CSS Publishing The Land of Look-Behind – Regret Norman Vincent Peale tells of spending some time on a lush tropical isle in Jamaica. In the hotel in which they were staying there was a map that hung in one of the hallways. In the corner of the map there was some very faint lettering over an almost totally uninhabited part of the island. Looking closely Dr. Peale realized that the words were, "The Land of Look-Behind." Intrigued, he asked the owner of the hotel what those words meant. The hotel owner said that in the days of slavery, runaways from the sugar plantations sometimes escaped into that lonely and barren territory. They were often pursued by slave owners or the authorities with guns and dogs. The fugitives were always on the run, always looking over their shoulders. So that was where the term came from: The Land of Look-Behind. What a terrible place to live - in a land where you are always looking back over your shoulder in fear. Some people do live there, though. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com The Dark Night of the Soul "Sometimes I feel like a motherless chile," the weary black slave would sing to the hot southern night, giving expression to the condition of having been taken from home and family and subjected to the power of death. Although none of us has known the bitterness of that dehumanizing experience, the sung lament has surely expressed our own agony of soul from time to time, as we confront isolation and alienation and the world becomes too much with us. "The dark night of the soul" is a fact of the religious life; the sense of the absence of God is as real as the divine presence. Those who use the Psalms as a daily part of their spiritual diet cannot but be impressed by the alternating sense of the presence and absence of God occurring there. St. John of the Cross makes it clear that the sense of God's absence is even important for us if we are to mature in Christian life and faith. So if we assume that having made a Christian profession will protect us from times of doubt, loneliness, unhappiness, we have a naive view of the way God works in the lives of women and men. Kendall K McCabe and Michael L. Sherer, Path of the Phoenix, CSS Publishing Company A Transitional Object (And So Much More) In the last few days, I’ve been reading some of the theories of D.W. Winnicott, a pediatric psychiatrist who was the chief proponent of a unique British variation of psychoanalysis known as "Object Relations Theory." Winnicott put a name on a phenomenon familiar to all of us. He asserted that all children have what is called a ‘transitional object.’ We can tell it is a ‘transitional object’ because she always has it with her. It’s usually dirty and ratty because it can’t be replaced. It might be a doll, a blanket, a teddy bear, a bottle, a pacifier, an item of clothing--anything! If a child’s ‘transitional object’ accidentally gets left at church, I usually get a frantic call from the parents, within the hour: "can you let us back in the building--we’ve left something there!" One of the purposes of a transitional object is to help the child navigate through a world that is changing and uncertain. A transitional object provides emotional security for a child until that child can adjust and grow inwardly in order to cope with the real world ‘out there.’ (I am indebted to Robert C. Dykstra and his book, Discovering a Sermon for the above material.) Even adults have ‘transitional objects.’ We know that life is full of change and loss. We know that we occasionally have to move beyond places that are familiar. People die, relationships break, people change, and time grinds on--oblivious to our feelings. Often, religion becomes a ‘transitional object’ for us. We cling to the comfort of our church, the familiarity of our pastor, the reassurance of our music, the sensibility of our ideas about God and faith. And when things religious are torn away from us, we can be in as much distress as a small child losing a beloved teddy bear. In the gospel text this morning, Jesus, in all the ways in which he was familiar, is being taken away from his disciples. And THIS text invites us to reflect: perhaps our most cherished religious ideas and experiences are merely ‘transitional objects.’ Perhaps God’s love for us, God’s relationship with us is far deeper, far more mysterious, far more secure than any religious belief, experience, or idea now known by us. J. Michael Smith, Anxiety Life after Desolation Desolation calls to mind an abandoned house against a bleak landscape. It imparts the feeling of loneliness, isolation, futility. But we need to be able to distinguish between the feeling of desolation and the fact of it. A child of five feels desolate on the first day of kindergarten. When mother leaves, that youngster is surrounded by new sights and sounds. But that feeling of desolation, strong and real as it is, ends. There is life after the first day of kindergarten! And so the feeling of being suddenly desolate gives way to the assurance that the new situation is good indeed. Dean Lueking, From Ashes to Holy Wind, CSS Publishing Company The Best Relationships There was a college student who spent a year living with a group of Navajos as part of his doctoral studies. As he did research on and with the Native Americans, he lived with members of this one Navajo family. He slept in their home, ate their food and worked side by side with them every day. As much as was possible, he tried to live as one of them. The old grandmother of the family spoke no English and the student spoke no Navajo and yet a close relationship developed between the two. They spent a great deal of time together. Despite the language problems, they shared a common understanding of love and friendship. And of course, over the months, they each learned a few phrases from each other. When it came time for the young man to return to college, the tribe held a going away celebration for him. The next day, as he prepared to get in his pickup and leave, the grandmother came to tell him good-bye. With tears in her eyes, she said, "I like me best when I'm with you." We can say the same thing about our relationship with Jesus, "I like me best when I'm with Jesus." Jesus said He "would not leave us orphaned." And when we are with Him, Heart and Soul, we ARE the best we can be. Billy D. Strayhorn, From the Pulpit, CSS Publishing Company The Church Reminds Us If you have noticed that pastors often seem to dislike funeral chapels, you should know that the cause of the apparent animosity is not professional jealousy. The mortuary funeral chapel is used for only one purpose and is associated with nothing but death. The church building, on the other hand, is associated with all aspects of life. All kinds of things go on at churches - baptisms, weddings, potlucks, many types of meetings, day care, choir rehearsals, funerals, worship services, confirmations. Churches are associated with life in all its variety and splendor, in all its sorrow and pain. The church reminds us that the story of Jesus is more about life than about death. Carl L. Jech, Channeling Grace, CSS Publishing Company Running Out of Fuel In 1991 an Air Canada flight ran into big trouble. Passengers were enjoying an in-flight movie on the Boeing 767 when the jumbo jet's massive engines abruptly stopped. At first only those without earphones on noticed anything. However, soon it was apparent the jet was in trouble. The pilot came on the speaker system and announced that Flight 143 would be making an emergency landing. The 69 people on board were trapped in an agonizingly slow but inescapable descent to earth. For several minutes a desperate silence hung over the cabin. Then fear gave way to screams of anxiety as the landing neared. All the latest technology could not keep the jumbo jet in the air. What had happened was this. The electronic digital fuel gauge was out of order. So the flight crew had depended on the figures given them by the refueling crew before takeoff. But someone on the refueling crew had confused pounds with kilograms. Therefore, eight hundred miles short of its destination, that mighty jet simply ran out of fuel and was forced to make an emergency landing. Fortunately no one was injured. A multimillion dollar airplane, headed in the right direction, but running out of fuel. That's what's happening to a lot of people today. They have everything in life going for them -- a new car, a wonderful home, a good education, and a good job -- and one day they wake up out of fuel. At the center of their lives there is an emptiness. They don't know why they are living. There is nothing outside of themselves to live for. Don't let that happen to you. Jesus tells us that the power for successful living comes from God. It is the promised gift that Jesus offers us. "Peace be with you," he says. "My peace I give to you, not as the world gives you. Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me." Lee Griess, Sermons for Lent/Easter, CSS Publishing Company Humor: The Holy Spearmint A family was sitting in church when their youngest daughter tugged on her mother’s dress. Mom leaned to her side and the little girl whispered, “I know who the Father and the Son are, but what’s the Holy Spearmint?” The little girl was probably not the only one in church that Sunday who was uncertain about the third person of the Trinity. If the Holy Spirit had to go through adolescence in a typical American church, he would most certainly suffer an identity crisis. If the Spirit’s search for an identity and self discovery ever prompted the question, “who am I?” the Spirit would probably hear the congregation respond with a unanimous, “Good question, who are you?” John H. Pavelko, The One Who Comes Alongside The Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is the one of the most difficult theological concepts in Christian tradition to explain. The Rev. Dr. Clint McCann, who teaches Biblical theology at Eden, often jokes with seminarians that if parishioners ask you to explain what the Holy Spirit is you should give them a serious look and say simply, "It's a mystery," and then get out of the room before anyone can ask a follow-up question. Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest, has described the Holy Spirit this way: "When Jesus let go of his last breath - willingly, we believe, for love of us - that breath hovered in the air in front of him for a moment and then it was set loose on earth. It was such a pungent breath, so full of passion, so full of life that it did not simply dissipate as so many breaths do. It grew, in strength and in volume, until it was a mighty wind, which God sent spinning through an upper room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. God wanted to make sure that Jesus' friends were the inheritors of Jesus' breath, and it worked!" Chuck Currie The Protective Father There was a nature show on television about a black bear that gave birth to two cubs. One cub died right away. Three weeks later the mother died and the remaining cub was left to fend for itself. An orphaned cub in that condition is like a walking buffet for predators. And of course the camera immediately showed a hungry-looking mountain lion. One day the orphan cub encountered a giant male black bear. The little cub cowered at the bear's sheer mass. The larger bear peered around and seemed to realize that the mother bear wasn't anywhere to be found. He gave the little cub a friendly nudge. The camera then showed the little bear happily trailing along after the larger one. The adoption papers were signed, sealed and registered at the county seat in that nudge. Papa bear proceeded to show the cub how to grub for insects and how to catch fish and how to scratch his back against a tree. One day the two bears became separated. The cub began to cry and looked frantically for his new father, but couldn't find him anywhere. The cub approached a stream where he'd learned to fish and something caught his attention. He looked up to see a mountain lion ready to pounce. That same mountain lion had stalked the cub for the entire show. There was no way that mountain lion would've gone for that cub with Papa bear around, but now.... The camera zoomed in on the cub. He automatically mimicked the posture of his adopted father when threatened. He stood on his hind legs and bared his teeth. Then, in exactly the same way his new father would have done, this cub let loose a mighty growl that should have reverberated throughout the forest. But, instead, only a tiny bear cub squeak came out. You just knew what was about to happen, so you covered the children's eyes or did something to divert their attention from the TV. But, to everybody's astonishment the mountain lion lowered his head and ran off in the opposite direction! The camera panned back to the proud little cub still standing tall on his hind legs. And then all the viewers saw what that little cub could not: a few yards behind him, at full, ferocious height, his sharp, white teeth bared in a snarl, stood Daddy bear. He may not have made a sound, but he was there. Even though the cub couldn't see his father, his father stood guard, protecting his young. The little cub had power available greater than anything he could produce on his own. There was a greater power watching over him. Billy D. Strayhorn, What Difference Does It Make? Always Alongside Us A student named Steve Winger from Lubbock, TX was taking a challenging class in Logic. The course and teacher were known for exacting and demanding exams. The final exam was looming, and the professor mercifully told the class that each student would be permitted to bring in a single 8 x 11 ½ inch sheet with as much information as they could put on that one sheet for help during the test. On exam day, each student came to class clutching their precious pieces of paper with as much information as possible. Some students had crammed lines and lines of font so tiny and so numerous onto that single sheet that you had to wonder how they could read it. But Steve walked in with a single blank sheet and a friend who was a senior student and who had an ‘A’ in logic. Steve bent down and placed that single, blank sheet of paper on the floor next to his desk. His expert friend stood on the paper. The professor noticed the extra body in the room and asked what he was doing. Steve piped up, “You said we could bring in whatever we could fit on a single piece of paper for help on this test, well, this is my help and he can fit on the paper!” He had followed the instructions to the letter and was the only student in that class to score an ‘A’ since he had his expert friend standing alongside him. The Holy Spirit is like that friend, standing alongside us, supporting us, and guiding us. Adapted from an unknown source, Staff, www.Sermons.com

Rocks

May 10, 2020 Fifth Sunday of Easter 1 Peter 2:2-10 Rocks Year A Children’s Sermon And like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Object: Some stones and water paints. Lesson: Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to build something that is really important. I brought some stones with me that I found around my yard, and we are going to build a house. This is going to be a special house, one that is different from any other house that you have ever seen. It is going to be called a spiritual house, and you are going to help build it. How many of you have always wanted to build a house? (Let them answer.) All of you. That's wonderful, because we are going to do it in a special way. Not only are you going to be the builders, but you are also going to be part of the spiritual house. First of all, we must take the stones that I brought with me and do something special with them. We are going to paint your names on the stones and then begin to stack them up as the wall to our spiritual house. (Begin by painting the names of the children on the stones and having them stack them one on top of the other.) That's very good. Our house is being built by you, and it includes you. I can see that we are going to need a lot more stones to finish our spiritual house, but that means that we are also going to need a lot more children's names. This is a house that is made for God. That's why we called it a spiritual house. Our house is going to be made by people who are willing to share their lives with God. People like you and me. God needs people, lots of people, who are willing to share themselves not only with one another but with him, so that the whole world will know about his love. Let's pretend that we had enough people to build a house. with each person's name on a stone. Then we must also suppose that everyone of these people will tell their friends about Jesus. This will mean that we will be building more houses, spiritual houses. But it also means that we will be doing the spiritual things Jesus taught us to do. When you live in a spiritual house, you worship God in faith and trust. You forgive the people who have hurt you. You take care of the sick and the people who cannot take care of themselves. You visit people who cannot leave their homes or who are in prisons. You share your food with the hungry and your clothing with those who do not have clothes to keep them warm. You do all of those things and more when you live in a spiritual house. We can't finish our house this morning, but we have made a good start. Maybe you will want to start another spiritual house at home. If you do, then put the names of your family and friends on a stone when they tell you that they will follow Jesus and do the things that Jesus asks you to do. C.S.S. Publishing Co., GOD'S STEPLADDER, by Wesley T. Runk Prelude Call to worship Alternative Call to Worship for Mother’s Day (from Isaiah 66:12-14) As a mother carries her child, and lets the child play on her knees, God carries us, and teaches us to stand. As a mother comforts her child, Our God comforts us. We shall behold and rejoice, flourishing like the green grass; Because God is with us, and we are with God. Come, worship God, who loves us as a good parent; Worship God: Mother, Father, Creator of us all. People: We light the candle of memory. (White-Lit from the Christ Candle or altar candles) People: We light the candle of honor. (Pink-lit from the Christ Candle or altar candles) People: We light the candle of peace. (Blue-lit from Christ Candle or Altar Candles) People: We light the candle of hope. (Green-litfrom the Christ Candle or altar candles) All: God, teach us to recognize Your light in all of its many forms as we remember, honor and reflect on especially the gift of Motherhood this day. Fill us with your hope that we might shine your light to the generations after us. Amen. Stewardship Moment Mother’s Day gifts Mother's Day/Father's Day Offering Prayer God of Great gifts, we give you these gifts today knowing that you are the Father of gifts. You mother us constantly providing for us, caring for us. As we have been abundantly provided for, so we give abundantly to the work that you give us to do, the work of the church, the care for those who are poor. Accept these gifts in Jesus’ name. Amen. Scripture 1 Peter 2:2-10 Common English Bible (CEB) 2 Instead, like a newborn baby, desire the pure milk of the word. Nourished by it, you will grow into salvation, 3 since you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 Now you are coming to him as to a living stone. Even though this stone was rejected by humans, from God’s perspective it is chosen, valuable. 5 You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Thus it is written in scripture, Look! I am laying a cornerstone in Zion, chosen, valuable. The person who believes in him will never be shamed.[a] 7 So God honors you who believe. For those who refuse to believe, though, the stone the builders tossed aside has become the capstone. 8 This is a stone that makes people stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Because they refuse to believe in the word, they stumble. Indeed, this is the end to which they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. 10 Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Footnotes: a. 1 Peter 2:6 Isa 28:16 Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Sermon A seminar leader was speaking to a group of business students. To drive home a point, he used an illustration. He said, “Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. He produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, “Yes." Then he said, “Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?" By this time the class was onto him. “Probably not," one of them answered. “Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in, and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?" “No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!" “No," the speaker replied, “that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is this: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all." (1) The expert was giving the class a lesson in time management. Put in the big rocks first. Make sure you have your priorities straight. Take care of the essentials before you get bogged down in the extraneous. That is a good lesson in managing time. It is also a good lesson in managing life. Put first things first. Make sure your life is built on a strong foundation. I used this lesson when writing a youth study on time management. Today I tell that story because it demonstrates to us that there are all kinds of rocks in our lives. Rocks are different sizes, different textures, and used for many different things. Rocks are not only a huge part of our lives, rocks are also metaphors to the use to talk about life. For instance we can hit rock bottom, turn over the rock to discover something new, we have touchstones, capstones, cornerstones. Rocks are also an important part of our faith. A woman fought a long battle with cancer. Her brother, Dr. Earl Wolf, made the trip from Missouri to Pennsylvania to attend her funeral. While he was there, he spent some time leafing through his sister's Bible. He found this handwritten poem tucked in its pages: Often on the Rock I tremble, Faint of heart and weak of knee; But the steadfast Rock of Ages Never trembles under me.' (4) When you are battling life's fiercest foes, you want more than a dead hero or even a live but inadequate friend. You want the Rock of Ages. You want the precious Cornerstone on your side. You want a mentor who is present and who is powerful. From the Hebrew tradition of Isaiah (28:16), God is identified as a foundation stone. God is an immovable rock, the primordial solid stone. Peter himself had been identified as “petros,” the movable stone as opposed to petra, the immovable bedrock. Peter knew his own weaknesses all too well and chose to write about a new kind of “rock.” The image Peter offers is even weirder than the identity Jesus had given him as a “stone,” as a petros (me stone), and upon this petra (we bedrock) Jesus promised to build his church. The Me is built upon the We. In Christ Peter’s insecurities will be made solid, as will ours… Rocks are mentioned many times in both the new and old testament. Jesus Christ calls himself the cornerstone that was rejected, but became the most important cornerstone. Today is Mother’s Day. That usually presents a challenge for me- what do I preach about. And usually the scriptures for that day have nothing to do with mothers’ But 1 Peter is perfect – because it speaks of building a spiritual house. Whenever you build you always need a foundation and a stone that holds everything together and keeps all the other stones in place. For many of our households that person is mother. That is the whole lesson of 1 Peter. When I looked at that scripture last week I was not sure of how I was going to do this. But as I studied this scripture all week, it started to grow on me. Not only is does it work for Mother’s Day – it has a very rich lesson that I am just going to touch on. The lesson does not just speak to mothers – is a lesson about who we all are as the church. The last verse says – the church is a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. Once you were nobody, today you are important. God is traditionally the foundation, the touchstone. The church is the house that God built. God is the head of the church. The house of God has certain boundaries to live by according to 1 Peter – the house code is to have hope, to be holy, to love one another, to long for spiritual nourishment and to be willing to be built into a spiritual house. The whole passage is about what it means to be a rock. Jody Felton remembers the day that her father passed in 2000 like it was yesterday. She says that a very great passed man on that day. Her father had alzheimer’s disease, so she says that she lost her father years before he actually died. When he was diagnosed, he spent a lot of time explaining the illness to his family. Things were difficult, when he could not remember things. There were times when he could remember what happened on a particular day 30 years ago, but he could not remember what happened ten minutes ago. He started to lose things, then he lost track of time, but the hardest part was when he lost track of people. She remembers the time when her brother John visited. He knew that it was his wife Wilma’s son that visited, but he made no connection that he was his son. He loved when his grandchildren visited, but he never made the connection that they were his grandchildren. He recognized his wife, he would smile every time he saw her. He asked her to marry him every day. One day Jody was visiting her dad in the nursing home, and as she was leaving he told her he wanted to give her something. He reached in his pocket and gave her a rock. He said that whenever he got confused, or anxious he would reach into his pocket and touch this rock. Now he wanted her to have it. She was touched, she felt that was her dad’s way of telling her he loved her, by giving her something that meant a lot to him. He was giving him a part of himself. Jesus is that rock that we keep in our pocket. This mother’s day that story really touched me because my mother died of early onset alzheimers. I too felt that I lost her long before she died. I too watched as she lost track of time and then people. I felt comforted that as she seemed to lose track of life, that she always knew me and who I was. Two days before she died, she called me maam – I knew then that I had lost her. She never gave me a stone to remember her by…….. But the good news for today is that in 1 Peter, we are called to be living stones. Not a stone in the pocket, but a stone in the heart. Christ is the Rock of ages, but we are the building built by Christ. Built by love. (i) The Christian is likened to a living stone and the Church to a living edifice into which he is built (verse 5). Clearly that means that Christianity is community; the individual Christian finds his true place only when he is built into that edifice. “Solitary religion” is ruled out as an impossibility. C. E. B. Cranfield writes: “The free-lance Christian, who would be a Christian but is too superior to belong to the visible Church upon earth in one of its forms, is simply a contradiction in terms.” There is a famous story from Sparta. A Spartan king boasted to a visiting monarch about the walls of Sparta. The visiting monarch looked around and could see no walls. He said to the Spartan king, “Where are these walls about which you boast so much?” His host pointed at his bodyguard of magnificent troops. “These,” he said, “are the walls of Sparta, every man a brick.” The point is clear. So long as a brick lies by itself it is useless; it becomes of use only when it is incorporated into a building. So it is with the individual Christian. To realize his destiny he must not remain alone, but must be built into the fabric of the Church. Suppose that in time of war a man says, “I wish to serve my country and to defend her from her enemies.” If he tries to carry out that resolution alone, he can accomplish nothing. He can be effective in that purpose only by standing shoulder to shoulder with others of like mind. It is so with the Church. Individualistic Christianity is an absurdity; Christianity is community within the fellowship of the Church. (ii) Christians are a holy priesthood (verse 5). There are two great characteristics of the priest. (a) He is the man who himself has access to God and whose task it is to bring others to him. In the ancient world this access to God was the privilege of the professional priests, and in particular of the High Priest who alone could enter into the Holy of Holies. Through Jesus Christ, the new and living way, access to God becomes the privilege of every Christian, however simple he may be. Further, the Latin word for priest is pontifex, which means bridge-builder; the priest is the man who builds a bridge for others to come to God; and the Christian has the duty and the privilege of bringing others to that Saviour whom he himself has found and loves. New Command on Mother's Day On this day when we’re trying to show our loving appreciation for all that love we’ve received from the special person called “Mom,” it is so fitting that we hear Jesus say what he said here in our text: “A new command I give you: Love one another.” Actually, Jesus’ command to love one another is appropriate for any day of the year, but it does take on special meaning on a day like today since included in that command to love, are those special ladies who brought us into this world and loved us in a way that only a mother can. Staff, www.eSermons.com. Unconventional Mother’s Day Gifts This Mother’s Day take a moment to think of all the mothers in the world who are in need. There are millions of women in the world living on less than a dollar a day. There are women in this country who are wondering how they are going to feed or diaper their children from day to day. There are children who need medical attention that their parents may not be able to afford. Anyone who has ever had to worry about such things can deeply sympathize. For those of us who have escaped such worries, we can only imagine the level of instinctive stress that uncertainty can provoke. There are many ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, but here are a few unconventional suggestions that will prove to your own mother that she did a good job raising you. How about dropping off a box of diapers and/or a case of formula to a local food bank or women’s shelter? If you have some baby furniture or clothing that your own children have outgrown, how about donating that stuff to a local charity? Does our local hospital have a fund for children who need care? Are there doctors in our community or city who volunteer in clinics overseas who might need supplies? There are countless ways to help support Moms locally and globally. Let your own Mom know that you were thinking about her and all of the many things she provided for you along the way…and that you did a good deed in honor of her. It will make her proud. Happy Mother’s Day. I posted a short film earlier this morning about how we celebrate Mother’s Day in America. I would encourage you to watch it as a part of this worship experience. It has a summarizes the point of my sermon perfectly. When I went to jewel, this year in the corona virus age, they put flowers and other presents in packages so that you could just leave them on the front step. And since there are no sit down restaurants open this year, everyone is having lobster tails, this is the first year that they were sold out everywhere. But the video encourages us to give to our mothers, but to also return to the original roots of the day – a day of service to others, and opportunity to make life better for all. Let our celebration of mothers not be an end within itself, but a beginning, a beginning of a life of service – building the house of love. Let us pray…….. Prayer Pandemic Mother’s Day Prayer: Another Kind of Mother’s Day Another Kind of Mother’s Day Dear God we pray for all the mother’s today. For this is a mother’s day just like every other, yet more pronounced. For every single one that can’t safely see their children. For the essential working mom, who is trying to do everything, we pray that they are able to receive some care themselves. For the mother’s who are ill, we pray for peace. For the mother’s who are given the duties of motherhood–the stepmothers, Godmothers, grandmother’s, adopted mother’s, aunties, mentor-mothers and the single fathers in the world, we pray that all of their work shines in their beloved children. For the lonely mother’s, we pray that they can receive moments of connection. For the mother’s who are stuck with their children at home, when it seems they should be launched into the world, we pray that you are able to be not just “mom” but your full differentiated self. For the estranged families on this day, we pray that they can maintain safe boundaries and celebrate with their found families. For the mother’s who are pregnant–probably equal parts mixed excited and scared to be bringing a baby into the world–we pray they feel strong roots beneath them to carry on. For the mother’s who are caretaking–similar to how they always do, yet having to absorb all of the changes and be a buffer for their charges–we pray that your work is appreciated. REPORT THIS AD For the single mother’s who are doing more by themselves than ever, we pray that you can receive support. For all the mother’s who feel overwhelmed, inadequate or stressed, we pray that you receive love. On this just another mother’s day where everything is the same, but different, we pray for all the mothers, sons and daughters, for all the families Close together or far apart, let us hold each and every kind of mother in prayer today. Reminding each of member of the family that we are each a child of God, and that God longs to hug us under her wings–caring for us, feeding us and sheltering us like a Mother Hen cares for her brood. We pray for this God to shelter us in her loving arms this particular Mother’s Day through the power of the Holy Spirit we pray. Amen. Feel free to use with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta Reflection Moment Announcements: We are still here in internet land. I am working on so me improvements to the ways we can connect. I am hoping to make those changes this week, but in Corona virus time things are a little slower, supplies are not readily available. Debbie has been calling and sending messages on congregational care. She will continue. I need to contact our church leaders this week, so that we can move forward with church business. Still waiting on the bishop and the governor for direction to when we will be back in the sanctuary -even then we will continue to meet on the internet. Continue to pray for our families during this difficult time. Next week’s scripture will be John 14:15-21 continue our discussion on what it means to be a part of God’s family Happy Mother’s Day – interesting conversation about this being a very confining day, not all women are mother’s. not all mothers are women. Interesting, but true – go out and show love to all of those who have shown compassion. Even our enemies and those who make us feel uncomfortable have taught us a beautiful lesson. Show love and say thank you to all! Peace out! Benediction Additional Illustrations In the fall of the year, Linda, a young woman, was traveling alone up the rutted and rugged highway from Alberta, Canada to the Yukon. Linda didn't know you don't travel to Whitehorse alone in a rundown Honda Civic, so she set off where only four-wheel drives normally venture. The first evening she found a room in the mountains near a summit and asked for a 5 A.M. wake-up call so she could get an early start. She couldn't understand why the clerk looked surprised at that request, but as she awoke to early-morning fog shrouding the mountain tops, she understood. Not wanting to look foolish, she got up and went to breakfast. Two truckers invited Linda to join them, and since the place was so small, she felt obliged. “Where are you headed?" one of the truckers asked. “Whitehorse." “In that little Civic?" one of them said. “No way! This pass is DANGEROUS in weather like this." “Well, I'm determined to try," was Linda's gutsy, if not very informed, response. “Then I guess we're just going to have to hug you," the trucker suggested. Linda drew back. “There's no way I'm going to let you touch me!" she said angrily. “Not like THAT!" the truckers chuckled. “We'll put one truck in front of you and one in the rear. In that way, we'll get you through the mountains." All that foggy morning Linda followed the two red dots in front and had the reassurance of a big escort behind as they made their way safely through the mountains. Caught in the fog in our dangerous passage through life, we need to be “hugged," says Chuck Swindoll. With fellow Christians who know the way and can lead safely ahead of us, and with others behind, gently encouraging us along, we, too, can pass safely. (5) How do you build a successful life? You build it on the rock. You build it beginning with a sure Cornerstone. You build it on Christ who is our model and our mentor and the mortar that joins us as believers together as a family--as living stones in his holy temple. n a park on the beautiful island of Bermuda there is a rock hanging on a rope with a large sign beside it. The sign reads: “Weather Station . . . Check the Rock . . . If it's wet, it's raining . . . If it's moving, it's windy . . . If you can't see it, it's foggy . . . If the rock is gone, it's a hurricane." Today we check the Rock . . . or better yet, to use the language of our text from I Peter, the Stone--the Cornerstone on which our lives are built.