Living A Life of Love Part I

Romans 12:9-21 August 30, 2020 Year A 13th Sunday after Pentecost Living in Love Part I Prelude Welcome Opening Prayer Surprising God, you have an uncomfortable habit of showing up where we least expect you: in a burning bush, in the face of an enemy, in a livestock feed trough, on a rough wooden cross. Turn our lives upside down with your radical love. Help us fully embrace your surprises, even as we revel in the joy of being fully embraced by your all-encompassing grace and mercy. We pray in the name of your most amazing surprise of all: your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Stewardship Moment A Living Sacrifice There is, I think it is true to say, something a little bit depressing about Labor Day weekend. For Labor Day weekend signals the psychological end, at least, to summer with its periods of refreshment, and the start again, for many of us, of the more hectic rhythm of life and work at school, in college, at office or, in home. So let me ask you: How is your work? Are you giving of your self at work? Is work a place where you sacrifice for a cause? I find it helpful to remember the story of the little girl who, in the process of growing up, discovered that more than anything else she wanted to be able to mow the lawn. But each season she was told that she was too young. The great day came, however, when her parents decided that, at last, she was old enough to do the task. She did it with surprising skill and great delight, and having finished admiring her work, she began to cast long, envious glances across the fence at the neighbor's lawn, which also needed cutting. The neighbor, seeing her interest, said, "Sally, would you like to cut my lawn?" And the little girl enthusiastically said 'yes.' "Well, let's see...how about $3.00?" said the neighbor. The little girl's face fell, and she turned away, shaking her head. "What's the matter?" asked the neighbor. "I only have $2.00," said the little girl. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com. Adapted from a sermon by Rev. C. Wayne Hilliker: "Living A Life That Matters" Offering Prayer (Matthew 16) Dear God, we offer you now these gifts. Take our money and use it to bring comfort to those in need. Take our service and use it to bring justice to those who are oppressed. Take our witness and use it to bring good news to those who hunger for hope. Take our lives and use them for our very salvation. We pray through Jesus Christ, the one whom we follow even to the cross. Amen. Scripture 9 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. 10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. 11 Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 12 Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. 14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying. 16 Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don’t think that you’re so smart. 17 Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good. 18 If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. 19 Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord.[a] 20 Instead, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head.[b] 21 Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good. Sermon Romans is an important book with a lot of important lessons on how we should live once we become a Christian. But a lot of times in reading it, it can easily become a bunch of words that are too much for us to take in all at once. So I want to reread our scripture in another version. The District Superintendent introduced a new version of the bible – word on the street. It puts scripture in a very plain language. I would never replace the traditional scripture – but I do think this version puts it into perspective for us. Love has to be the genuine article. Hate evil. Get a grip on what’s good and don’t let go. Love each other like the best of brothers. Rate other people higher than yourself. Don’t lose your attack. Go for it. Keep on going for it. Keep smiling when chewing over what’s ahead. Keep going when it all goes pear shaped. Keep hanging in there when you’re talking to God. Don’t get tight fisted with God’s people. Ring people up. Have people round. Take people out. If someone has a go at you, do them good. Always want the best for them. Even if they are out to get you. If someone got something to celebrate, be the life and soul of the party. If someone had someone die on them, be there with an arm and a fresh tissue. Get on with each other. Don’t get cocky. Mix more, especially with people you’d have through were below you (in your previous life). Don’t act like Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms know it all. You don’t have to fight back. If someone does you wrong, rise above it. You don’t have to give as good as you get. Do the right thing. If its down to you, keep the peace. Don’t take it into your own hands; leave it in God;s they are bigger. As he says in the Manual “It is my job to dole out punishment. Instead if your rival looks a bit puckish, buy her a sandwich If he’s spitting feathers, get him a drink. You might even shame him into shifting his attitude. Don’t get sucked under by his evil, but drag him back to the surface by doing him good. These are the ten rules to being a Christian. When we hear that we are supposed to show love as a rule. As a said it is often hard for us to make sense of these rules. But when we hear them we also think about the people we know outside of the church and realize that it is impossible to love some people. In the world that we live in, it is impossible to live out these ten rules. I remember, a friend in high school told me that we live in a dog eat dog world, and you might as well get used to it. You cannot afford to be nice to other people. And yet Jesus says that you do not have to get used to it, you can do something different. A pastor tells the story of how he learned that not only was the rule of love possible, but in many ways it was necessary. During a snow storm, there was so much snow in the driveway, the father had to ask for help in order to move all of the snow. It is strange that we don’t get snow like that anymore. But it had snowed so much that the kids could not even go to school. So as the dad and the helper were clearing off the driveway, the young man asked if they would pile the snow on the side so they could build a fort. The young man, his sister and a younger neighbor all set out to build this fort. As they were digging a trench – another young nieghbor asked what they were doing. The neighbor micheal was a young man who had been hit by a car the year earlier and it left him permanently disabled. But Micheal wanted to build a fort and to have a snowball fight with them. They reluctantly agreed. Afterall Michael was by himself, so they were sure it would not be a fair fight. Turns out, it wasn’t a fair fight. Michael stuffed all of his snow balls with ice, and he had a much stronger hand to throw them. First he attacked the sister, who was so overwhelmed, she screamed and went into the house. Michael kept throwing. He all but destroyed their snow fort. He was determined to keep throwing snowballs. The other team strategized an attack on Michael, and won. That only made Michael more determined to fight. Well into the next day Michael was still throwing snowballs. It got to the point the children could not come home with being ambushed in a snow ball fight. They finally got the message. This fight was not going to end by winning. Those ten rules for showing love were the only thing that was going to stop Michael. They called a truce and declared Michael the winner. They were nice as possible to Michael. The young man who wanted a fort went on to become a pastor. Michael – continued his reign of terror and found new victims. Michael grew up to get his first car, which he used to terrorize all of the stray dogs in the area. Let your love be genuine. Treat every person as a friend, always do what is right, help people who need help, pay attention to people’s feelings, laugh with them when theya re happy, comfort them when they are sad. Don’t think you are better than others, ask God to be good to people when they are mean to you, don’t try to get even – leave that to God, don’t give in to evil ideas. 10 rules for living a life of love. 3 rules of John Wesley John Wesley actually took Paul’s ten rules and turned them into three- Do no harm, do what is Good, Love God in all things. Repeat those with me – We will be studying more about those rules in the coming months- as we think about who God calls us to be as a church. Jesus makes it even more simple for us – God is love. If we are followers of God then we too show love in the way we live our life. All throughout the bible, scripture tells us not to seek vengeance, but to let God handle vengeance. The term heap burning coals on the heads of your enemies comes from Proverbs. Paul uses that phrase once again here. But it does not mean what we think. Heaping burning coal is not a punishment to hurt them – in biblical times everyone would have had a fire in their house to cook and to keep warm at night. Many times in the cold night, the fire would go out and they would not be able to eat in the morning. If your neighbor knocked on your door and asked for coal – you were to leave one for yourself and put all the rest in a container for them to carry home and relight a fire. So the bible tells us to give our enemies burning coal. Help them out, show then love, give them what they need. The only way to conquer an enemy is to make then a friend. Once they become a friend, perhaps they will think about their actions and change. If they don’t that is not you problem – that is between them and God. What we do know is that vengeance never ends the situation. I remember a United Methodist Pastor who would say that he did not have any enemies, but he had a lot of very confused friends. I try to remember that in life. Story of the holy Shadow You may not know it but the angelic council meets every Wednesday from 3-5. The angels are not allowed to make decisions for God – but they do get together every week to discuss our lives and to decide which one of us humans should get the reward for obeying God and doing the most good in the world. Last week they found the perfect candidate. They had decided on a reward – but God told them to make sure that they asked her first. An angel representative flew to her to tell her that she had been granted the gift if healing. She told the angel that she was flattered, but didn’t want the gift. This caused a special meeting on Thursday to decide what to do about this refusal. They decided to give her the gift of conversion, so that all whom she talked to would automatically join her church. She still refused. On Friday the angels were in a real flux – what divine gift could they give that she would accept – the finally decided that they would give her the gift of being a good person always. It was only after this third refusal that they remembered God’s advice to ask her what gift she wanted. (remember I told you this was an advisory committee – not capable of the deep thought that it required to instruct God). The asked her and she responded that she wanted the gift of doing good, but not knowing it. The angels talked about it and realized they would never have thought of that – but it was a fair gift and granted it. The woman walked along throughout her life – and wherever her shadow fell – people would just know they were touched by the grace of God. She is probably in this room right now. The world has been changed because of her – and yet no one ever knew her name – they only see her shadow or love and grace. One of the last of the ten rules is to pray. Pray for our world, pray for our situation, pray for our enemies. A young freshman girl at the University of Illinois wrote this definition of prayer a few years ago: To pray is to laugh, whistle, dance on happy feet. Sing, shout, jump higher then ever before. But it is also to whisper, wonder, stumble in dark places, cry, scream, or just hold a worried head in tired hands and wait. Prayer is the tired reaching out to the one who holds us closer. And loves us more then we would dare imagine. Sounds a lot like to ten rules. Let us pray now…. Prayer Prayer of Confession (Exodus 3, Romans 12, Matthew 16) God of Mystery, we are constantly amazed by the depth and breadth of your love. Over and over again, you turn our expectations inside out and upside down. And still we don’t understand the radical nature of your grace. We play by our own rules of justice, even when it means excluding those we are called to love and defend. In our darkest moments, we doubt if we are worthy of your trust. God, help us remember that you give us all the tools we need; that through the solid foundation of your love, we find the strength to follow your call as true disciples of Jesus Christ. Surprise us again, O God. Surprise us again. Words of Assurance (Exodus 3, Psalm 105) The God who brought our ancestors out of slavery will not desert us. God has promised to be with us throughout all generations. Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice, for God is with us! Passing the Peace of Christ Rejoice, for you are standing on holy ground. Praise the Lord! Lord’s Prayer Moment of reflection Where He Leads Me UMH 338 Announcements Next week is the First week of September – we will have communion next week. If you would like to pick up the elements from the office during the week you can, or you can call to have them delivered to your door step. If you are not able to pick them up from church, you can use any drink or bread product. The health team will be meeting after church service to talk about what service will look like in the coming months. If you have any input you are free to attend the meeting with a mask, or you can email the office. Next week we will continue looking at Romans – the scripture will be Romans 13:8-14. The hymn for reflection will be Love Divine, All Love Excelling in the United Methodist Hymnal 384 if you want to look up the words at home. Benediction Benediction (Exodus 3) God promised to be with Moses, and we are here to witness to the fulfillment of that promise. From generation to generation, the God of Israel is also the God of (your community’s name). The God of the burning bush is waiting even now to encounter you, call you, challenge you, and change you. Go out to be sustained and surprised by the love of God. Amen. Postlude Children’s Sermon Objects: A cane, a straw hat (give the idea of a circus barker). [Start only when everyone is assembled. Put your straw hat on very carefully and then begin only after you have taken a very long look at the cane in your hand. Point with the cane and be sure to address the children.] "Step right up, step right up, and come on in. You are about to see the greatest show on earth. Here you will see the most beautiful women, the most dangerous animals, and the highest flying men in the entire world. Step right up, step right up and see a man put his head inside of a lion's mouth, a man leap from one hundred feet into a barrel of water, and one of the wildest horse races held anywhere right here under the Big Top. There are women with beards, men with muscles bigger than beach balls, and more clowns than it takes to fill a bright red caboose. Come on in, you hear me, come on in. For only a few cents you can see the biggest show on earth." How many of you have ever been to a circus? Wasn't it exciting? Did you hear a man like this outside the circus tent trying to get everyone to come in and see the show? Do you think this man likes the circus? Of course he does. He loves the circus. He is excited about the circus, and when you hear him talk, he makes you excited, too. His job is to excite you, and make you want to come in to see it. People call this man a circus barker. If he is good at his job, then many people will come to the circus and enjoy it also. St. Paul thought that every Christian should have that kind of enthusiasm about his religion. Being a Christian was and is the greatest privilege on earth, and Paul thought that everyone should have the chance to enjoy it as much as he did. He told Christians that they should act enthusiastic at all times so that people would want to know more and more about Jesus. I wish that boys and girls would be a little more like the circus barker when it comes to church. I wish that there were people telling other people to come on in and find out about the greatest thing that ever happened on earth. I wish that boys and girls would tell other boys and girls how Jesus was born and why he came to earth. I wish that boys and girls would tell everyone about how much God loves them and what he promises everyone with his very special heaven. Do you know why I wish that you would tell people these things with enthusiasm? [See if you can get some answers.] That's right, because when people hear you talking with excitement and real enthusiasm then they will want to know the Lord Jesus like you know him, and God will be pleased. Start today, tell everyone, "Come in and meet the Lord Jesus and you will be thrilled to know all about the love of God." CSS Publishing Company, PATCHED PEOPLE, by Wesley T. Runk Additional illustrations Deeds Inspired by Love Frederic Ozanam was a Frenchman whose life of only forty years ended in 1853. The France in which he lived remained torn as a result of the French Revolution in the late 1700s. The Roman Catholic Church had suffered the loss, not only of property and power, but of many lives, and its leadership had become reactionary. As a result, the Church, and even Christianity itself, was treated with distrust by the working class and with disdain by many intellectuals. Ozanam was in his late teens when he arrived at the University of Paris to study law. He was appalled to encounter there an atmosphere of bitter hostility to the Christian faith. With a number of his fellow students, he formed a study circle in order to present a positive intellectual witness to their faith. The group engaged in many debates and public controversies on behalf of Christianity. Then one day, a student threw at Ozanam this derisive challenge: "You Christians are fine at arguing, but what do you ever do?" It was in that moment that young Frederic Ozanam was struck by a basic insight: Christianity is not about ideas, but about deeds inspired by love. His fine arguments were useless unless they were validated by how he lived his life. He resolved to start a fellowship of Christian lay people who would immerse themselves in the world of the poor and perform acts of service at personal sacrifice. This fellowship became the St. Vincent de Paul Society. In making this commitment, Frederic Ozanam died to himself. He picked up his cross, and followed after Jesus. Charles Hoffacker, An Invitation to Die Rethinking the Formula In a chapter about rethinking discipleship James Emery White states: Some of you may remember comedian Yakov Smirnoff. He said when he first came to the United States from Russia; he wasn't prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores. He says, "On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk--you just add water, and you get milk. Then I saw powdered orange juice--you just add water, and you get orange juice. And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to myself, what a country!" One of the most basic assumptions made about life change is that it happens instantly at salvation. According to this belief, when someone gives his or her life to Christ, there is an immediate, substantive, in-depth, miraculous change in habits, attitudes, and character. As a result disciples are born not made. The question for rethinking discipleship is this: Are these assumptions valid? If they are, then working this formula in the life of the church should consistently give the same result: a new community of people who are becoming increasingly like Jesus in their life and thought. If that is not the answer a church gets when it works the equation, then it needs to rethink whether the formula is sound. Unfortunately, many churches are not getting the correct answer. In fact, a Search Institute study has found that only 11 percent of churchgoing teenagers have a well-developed faith, rising to only 32 percent for churchgoing adults. Why? Because true life change only begins at salvation, takes more than just time, is about training not trying, and it is a team effort. James Enery White, Rethinking the Church, Baker, 1997, p. 55-57. Self Denial An Admirer once asked Leonard Bernstein, celebrated orchestra conductor, what was the hardest instrument to play. He replied without hesitation: "Second fiddle. I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm or second French horn or second flute, now that's a problem. And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony." James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, Tyndale, 1988, p. 450 The Sacrifice Play Sacrifice is not a word we use much these days, is it? When was the last time you used it or thought about it in terms of your own life? When was the last time you sacrificed anything for anybody? Come to think about it, there’s only one sport as far as I know where the term is actually used. Do you know which sport that is? You can almost hear Harry Cary announcing it over the radio, “And there it goes, a long fly ball to left; easy out, but the man on third tags up and trots home. Sacrifice fly.” What a great idea -- you’re out, but you helped someone else score a run. Baseball is one of the few sports where you lose but the team still gains. Comedian George Carlin spelled it out in his routine about the contrast between the hardness of football and the softness of baseball. He said: In football you Tackle! In baseball, you “catch flies…” In football you Punt! In baseball you “bunt…” Football is played on a Gridiron! Baseball is played on a “field…” In football you Score! In baseball you “go home…” In football you Kill! In baseball you “sacrifice…” Baseball may be the only sport where you actually can hear this word. It’s one of the few places anywhere that you hear it in a self-centered, take-care-of-yourself, don’t-worry-about-anybody-else society. In contrast to football, sacrifice may sound like a sign of weakness but I hardly think of any of the Atlanta Braves or Minnesota Twins as weak. Baseball’s one thing; life is quite another. Who sacrifices anything any more in a time like ours? Who really denies themselves and takes up crosses anymore? Actually sacrifice can lead to bitterness, especially when you thought you were trusting God’s plan for your life and suddenly you realize that you have to sacrifice all your greatest hopes and dreams as burnt offerings on the high altar of the providence of God. William J. Carl III, Church People Beware, CSS Publishing Company. The late Harry Emerson Fosdick told of visiting the magnificent chapel of the University of Chicago. A group of roughnecks was following him, taunting, and decided to go in with him. After a little while, they came out, subdued and quiet. Fosdick overheard one say, "Ain’t it strange? A place like that does something to you!" A church like that can do something to you, too - and to me - and to all of the world. It can change the world until it becomes the kingdom of our God and of his Christ. But it has to be a church transformed by the Word of God, the only form of church God wants for the future. Wouldn’t you like to be part of a church like that? A farmer who had never been to the city was chosen by his grange to represent them at a national convention, and thus he found himself in New York. After checking in at the hotel, he approached an elevator, something he had never seen. He watched as a very large woman walked into the elevator. The door closed, what appeared to be a single hand on a large clock made a revolution, and the door opened again, this time discharging an attractive, curvaceous young lady. The astonished farmer ran to the nearest phone, called his wife, and said: "Martha, pack your bag and get here as quick as you can! I found a place where you can get that form we’ve been wantin’ all these years!" Apparently, the farmer and his wife were both dissatisfied with her form and were hoping for a better form for her in the future. In this respect, they had much in common today with many Christians who recognize that if the church is going to survive the twentieth century, it must take on a new form. A recent Gallup Poll shows that 94% of all Americans believe in God, but only 44% have confidence in organized religion and 41% are deliberately unattached to any church. This means that 61 million Americans are not members of any church or religious body. Even those who are loyal to the established denominations are often unhappy. During a Convocation on Missional Priorities for the United Methodist Church in Lexington, I overheard one layman say to another, "If we Methodists don’t get something going soon, the Baptists are going to get another member: ME!" Surely a question with which any serious Christian must grapple during these last years of the twentieth century is, "What form of church does God want for the future?" This works beyond the family as well. Rather than being hard with people, Paul suggests giving others more than they deserve, even feeding your enemies when they are hungry and giving them a drink when they are thirsty. When these basic needs have been met, the generosity should continue. Paul suggests, in a wonderful burst of insight and humanity, that "by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." A desire for revenge is a part of most people, and it seems as if the best way to get revenge is to fight fire with fire. But Paul has a better way, a way that helps Christians to resist evil, to prevent being overwhelmed by evil, and finally to overcome the evil that tempts us, a way to hate evil and hold fast to what is good, as he commanded early on in his list. Paul suggests that we should overcome evil with good. It is not always the way we are familiar with, and it is certainly not the way most of the world seems to work. It is simply the way that Christians let the divine love of God show through them to the world. It is simply the way we live our lives as Christians. There are certain things a man has to do for himself. He has to blow his own nose, make his own love, and say his own prayers." Paul certainly shared this perspective when he urged his listeners to persevere in prayer. And so should we, as individual Christians who actually do persevere in prayer. John Wesley said that the most important description of God in the whole Bible is this three word statement: “God is love.” When a community lives out of that reality in all that it does, then there is an unbeatable “team spirit” that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. The theory Runicman offers is simple, but profound: “home advantage is a team phenomenon …Somehow playing at home breeds a sense of solidarity, or what used to be called team spirit, which means that players have more confidence in each other and work better as a unit.” Runciman conclude his critique by admitting, “I can’t prove my theory, but I can defend it. It chimes with what you can see happening in any team sport — the away players don’t quite believe in themselves in the way the home players do.” 10 rules of Romans
Our Romans scripture has been a perfect backdrop for my sermon – because Paul is trying to help us understand what it means to be obedient to God. To trust and obey in every action. Paul tells us to do things like treat everyone as a friend, help when help is needed, laugh when people are happy and cry with them when they are sad, do not give into evil ideas and love everyone ,even those we may consider to be enemies.


1 rule What is impossible for us alone is possible for God
In the meantime there is only 1 rule to remember – that what is impossible for us alone is always possible for God.

Remembering that it is not about us – but always about what God can do
That woman has a wonderful lesson for us – that God’s grace in the world is never about us, about what we can do, or even about the gifts that we have been given. God’s grace is always about God. The beauty of God, the everlasting presence of God, the love of God for all of God’s people. If we are willing to obey God – then God’s bush still burns brightly in the world. Burning us – yet never consuming us. We can experience those moments of sadness and joy, pain and happiness, those moments of life and death. And know that everything that we see and experience is a reflection of God.

The cross is the burning bush
The bush still burns for the world today in the form of the cross of Jesus. We are still standing on holy Ground – the ground of the church. God still calls each of us to take off our shoes and listen and obey. Amen. Ten rules for Christian life: love sincerely, be affectionate, be zealous about your faith, rejoice in hope, share with those on need, pray for and bless those who hurt you, live in harmony with one another, be fair, respond to your enemies with kindness.

Faith in the time of Coronavirus

Matthew 16: 13-20 August 23, 2020 Faith in the time of CoronaVirus Year A 11th Sunday After Pentecost Prelude Welcome L: Welcome! It is good to have you here this day. P: Thank you. We come seeking healing and peace for our spirits. L: God is with us, giving that wondrous healing love to each one. P: Blessed be God who watches over us. L: Come, let us praise God with thankful hearts. P: Lord, we come to you in gratitude for all you do for us. AMEN. Opening Prayer Opening Prayer (Romans 12) Loving God, call us together as your people; transform us with your love. Transform our hearts, that we may love generously. Transform our eyes, that we may see your grace. Transform our hands, that we may serve others. Transform our spirits, that we may be the body of Christ, gathered to worship and sent out to serve. Amen. Stewardship Moment Authority What did Jesus mean by "the keys of the kingdom?" The day in which Jesus spoke there were religious teachers known as scribes. These scribes were the teachers of the bible. The scribe wore around his waist a belt and on that belt hung some keys which were symbolic of the knowledge of that scribe. Jesus said, “I am going to give you keys that will unlock heaven and will lock up the powers of hell and bind the devil and loose the power of God." What are those keys that Jesus gave to Simon Peter and what are those keys he has given to you. The keys of the kingdom are the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Adrian Rogers, Sermon on Matthew 16:13 Invitation to the Offering (Romans 12) God has blessed us with an abundance of gifts. We are called to offer all that we are to God—our bodies, our spirits, our minds, our time, and our money. As the body of Christ, we are called to be in ministry with others. With true generosity, let us give of ourselves this morning. Offering Prayer (Romans 12) Generous God, you have given us many gifts and drawn us together into Christ’s body, the church. You have blessed us with generous and cheerful spirits. May the gifts of our money, time, and talents support the ministry of your church. Amen. Scripture Matthew 16:13-20 Common English Bible Peter’s declaration about Jesus 13 Now when Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Human One[a] is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 He said, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Then Jesus replied, “Happy are you, Simon son of Jonah, because no human has shown this to you. Rather my Father who is in heaven has shown you. 18 I tell you that you are Peter.[b] And I’ll build my church on this rock. The gates of the underworld won’t be able to stand against it. 19 I’ll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Anything you fasten on earth will be fastened in heaven. Anything you loosen on earth will be loosened in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered the disciples not to tell anybody that he was the Christ. Sermon Since we cannot meet inside, my tai chi class has been meeting along the river every week. Some of the participants have been asking about the church lately. This week one of the participants came up to me after class to ask if our church was worshipping inside yet. He said that his church was still meeting online. And even though he has been watching every Sunday, he like many people said that he misses worshipping outside. He said that without the contact within the church, he has really gotten out of shape spiritually. I would imagine that there are a lot of people who feel the same way. It has gotten easy to just watch service on the television, without getting dressed. I have to admit, it was really fun when we were just worshipping online to come to church in my blue jeans, without having to get dressed up. And I am getting used to being totally done with worship by 10:30 on Sunday and to have the whole rest of the day free. Faith in the time of the coronavirus has been more than a notion. Not only are we getting out of the habit of going to church, but we are getting out of the habit of being the church. And I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t have a solution to make this situation more spiritual. It is what it is, we cannot change the circumstances. What I do know is that the feeling of being spiritual is inside of each one of us, it is really not inside of a building or a community unless we put it there. Each of us has to look for the spiritual feeling in our hearts and souls. Scripture – the Word of God is one of the keys to help us to navigate life and to find our spirituality in the midst of difficult times. In today’s lesson, we are continuing to follow Jesus in the book of Jesus. He is working to make sure that the disciples and us have the keys to being faithful. Jesus is still trying to get away from the crowds, so that he can talk to God. He knows what he has to do, but he is intentionally taking to long way to get to Jerusalem. So now, he is in Ceasura Phillipi - a region about 20 miles north of the sea of Gallilee. This is a non-Jewish province, so he is pretty safe here. (as he thinks) This is sort of a graduation for the disciples, when Jesus has taught them all that he knows. He asks the disciples some important questions. And if we are trying to find our faith in tough times we have to find the answers to those same questions. We have to ask ourselves those questions, not just not, on a regular basis. Jesus asks his disciples what the grapevine is saying about him. Who do people say that I am. The disciples have all heard all fo the stories, some say that world is about to end and Jesus is Elijah, some say that troubling times are coming and he is Jeremiah coming to rescue them. Jesus then asks them and us who do you say I am. That is the key question to our faith – Who is Jesus to you? How important is Jesus to you? Is Sunday you day to worship Jesus or your day to rest and get ready for the coming week? Each of us has to answer that question for ourselves. For me, Jesus is my motivation for getting up every morning. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. One Word: Jesus William J. Bausch tells a story that says it as well as it can be said. The story says that God created the heavens and earth and everything in them. He created them by His words. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. This happened with everything. God was proud of His work. He was especially proud of the man and woman which He made. But the devil was jealous and angry. One day when God was enjoying the man and woman, the devil slithered up to God and asked him why he liked those strange human creatures so much. When God opened His mouth to speak, the devil craftily put a bond upon God's tongue. God could not speak, not even oneI word! Since God's creative power was in His words, the sly old devil had bound God's power. The devil laughed at God and then proceeded to corrupt man and the woman. Aeons went by, and the devil came back to scoff at the silent God and mock Him. God responded to this by holding up one finger. "One?" asked the devil. "Are you telling me that you want to say just one word?" God nodded. The devil, thought, "I suppose that even God could not do much with just one word." So the devil removed the bond from God's tongue. Then God spoke His one word in a quiet whisper. He spoke it for the man and the woman. It was a word that gathered up all the forgiveness, love, and creativity God had stored up in His heart during His long silence. His one word was "Jesus." And that is the word that changed everything. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com I heard another interesting question on the radio. A radio announcer asked that material was the gates of heaven made of. I had to look it up- the book of Revelations says that the gates of heaven is made of pearl. We have heard a lot of stories about the pearly gates of heaven. Usually in these stories Peter is standing in the waiting room of heaven with the keys to heaven. In order to get into heaven people have to be interviewed and judged by St. Peter. That image comes from the bible story, where Peter answers the question and says Jesus is the messiah. And Jesus gives him the keys to heaven and calls Peter the rock of the church. Peter was eventually crucified in Rome. He was hung on an upside down cross because he refused to be killed the same way his Lord and Savior was killed. Today, Peter’s grave in located in a subbasement of the Vatican. It is a crypt that is closed off to everyone except the Pope. The crypt is directly under the main altar of the sanctuary. Peter is literally the foundation of the church. In Matthew’s stories, In the catholic understanding of the story – Peter is the rock. In the protestant understanding, Peter’s confession that Jesus is the messiah is the rock of the church. In either understanding, Peter represents us all. We all have to make that confession for ourselves. This is the first time in Matthew that someone says that Jesus is the messiah, the anointed one. The one who brings a little bit of heaven to the people here on earth. When Peter holds the keys to heaven – he is given the power to do the same for others. But each of us have that same set of keys. Just as Peter has the power to bind and to loose, so do we. We have the power to choose service and beautiful behavior over greed, mercy over vengeance, trust over distrust, vitality over just sitting around, being poetic over bullying. We have to make that choice every day. We have the power to bind and to loose just in how we choose to live out love in every situation. It just depend on who Jesus is to you. Because of Jesus Mother Teresa was asked by a young man why she always talked about this Jesus stuff. He said he was going to work among the poor like her, do the good works of charity, but without the Jesus baggage. Mother Teresa responded something like, "Go and work 20 years or a lifetime among the poorest of the poor. Then come back and tell me how you did it. I know that the only way I have been able to do it is because of Jesus." Her faith, her understanding of Jesus gave her the ability to be a doer, a doer not just for a week or a season or a year, but for a lifetime. Neal R. Sadler, Faith in Expected Places Who Do People Say You Are? I have a friend who’s principal of an elementary school in North Texas.One day there was a minor altercation on the playground – a second-grader pushed one of his classmates off the slide, and, while she wasn’t hurt, it could’ve been dangerous. The teacher sent for the principal. She talked with the children in the hallway outside their classroom. She got their story and then explained the seriousness of playground safety and how important it was to be nice to each other. When she finished, the little boy apologized, and that was that. A couple of days later, she happened to see the little girl with her mother in the checkout line at the grocery store. She smiled and they waved discreetly to each other. She got into the adjacent checkout line, but was in earshot of the little girl. She overheard the mother ask her daughter, “Who was that lady who just waved to you?” The little girl said, “She’s works at our school.” “What does she do?” the mother asked. The little girl said, “She helps people apologize.” My friend told me later, “It helped me to think much more clearly about what I do in my work, beyond titles and status, to what actions I take that make it meaningful.” A band director friend told me about going back to a community where he’d once taught. He said it was fun getting reacquainted with band parents and friends he hadn’t seen for years. He said he was standing on the sidewalk downtown when a young man came up and asked, “Do you remember me?” He didn’t have a clue, but then, he’d taught a lot of students, and they had long-since grown up. He said, “You’re going to have to help me out here.” The young man told him his name and said, “You’re the one who introduced me to the world of music, and I just wanted to say thank you.” Who do people say YOU are? Philip W. McLarty, The Unspoken Question A Pastoral Prayer Dear Lord Jesus Christ, today we echo Peter in proclaiming you as the son of the living God. All glory is yours Jesus Christ, for you are the Holy One, you are the Christ. Thank you Lord Jesus for placing us in the Church, your body, and giving it the power to stand against the gates of Hell. Send the Holy Spirit to guide us, especially in our church life, so your body grows and becomes stronger. Lord, help us persevere in the face of temptation and keep us from the talons of the evil one. Lord like Peter, we have denied you at times, especially those times when we have sinned. Forgive us Lord Jesus, help us with our repentance and lead us back to you and your friends, our fellow Christians. Keep us on the righteous path and cleanse our hearts and make them a worthy throne room for you. In the name of the Father and of His Son Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. James Kiefer Amen. Prayer Morning Prayer Lord, we hear the wonderful words from Matthew’s gospel in which Simon Peter acknowledges Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living God. He is given the name Peter, the rock upon whom the church will be built. We would like to be the kind of “rock” that Jesus could count on – to be strong in the face of adversity; brave when danger is present; compassionate when sorrow and strife prevail. You have called us to be your church and we ask for your transforming love that we might be better witnesses for you. Today we name in our hearts before you people that we love who are dealing with sorrow and illnesses; people who feel abandoned and alone; people who are entering schools and colleges, military service, the workforce. We also name those people and situations filled with joy and hope; a new home, the birth of a child, celebrations of special occasions, and often just a beautiful day. Hear the cries of our hearts to you, O God. Heal and transform lives. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. Moment of Reflection Rock of Ages UMH 361 Announcements There are no major announcements. Things are pretty much going the same as they were last week. You can expect your newsletter by the end of next week. Prayers for all of our teachers, students and workers who are returning to school this week. God be with you all, we say a special prayer of safety for all. We pray that this will be a productive school year. If you know of anyone who needs school supplies – call the Nazarene Church, they will be happy to supply them. The scripture for next week is Romans 12:9-21 Benediction Benediction (Exodus 1–2, Psalm 127) Resist the powers that use people. Hear the cries of the weak. Dare to work for justice. Know that God—Source, Word, and Spirit— is your help, will keep you safe, and will bring you new life. You are blessed by God and sent to serve. Children’s Sermon Object: A set of keys. Good morning, boys and girls. Last week we had a ticket as our object. This week we have a set of keys. You may remember that last week in talking about tickets, we said that a ticket can get you into a movie or an amusement park or somewhere else, but tickets can also keep you out if you don't have one. Now what do keys do? That's right, they let people get into locked doors. In our Scripture lesson today Jesus gives to Simon Peter the keys of the Kingdom. Jesus was starting the Christian church and he was starting with Simon Peter. Jesus was giving Peter and his whole church the keys to the Kingdom of God. Now there are several ways of looking at this. We might imagine the Kingdom of God as Heaven that beautiful place where people go when they die. You may have seen pictures in cartoons of St. Peter standing there with his keys letting people into heaven. That's one way of looking at it. But there are others. I believe that the church of Jesus Christ has the key to being happy right here in this world. I believe the church has the key to understanding what life is about. I believe we have the key to what God is like. These are keys (hold up the keys), that only the church of Jesus Christ has. People come here to learn about God. They come here to meet people who know how to truly love them. They come here to put their lives back together again. We have the keys. The church has the keys. In fact, we believe that Jesus Christ is the key to life and love and truth in this world and in heaven. Christianglobe Networks, Inc., Dyanmic Preaching Sermons Third Quarter 2008, by King Duncan Additional Illustrations Our Greatest Need If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior. Traditional, www.SermonIllustrations.com I Didn’t Know His Name One of my favorite stories about Helen Keller concerns her introduction to the Christian message. When Helen learned to communicate, Anne Sullvan decided it was time for her to hear about Jesus Christ. Being a Bostonian, she summoned the most renowned clergyman of his day, Phillips Brooks. Brooks came, and with Sullivan interpreting, he talked to Helen Keller about Christ. Soon a smile lighted Helen's face and she beckoned for a chance to respond. Through her teacher she said, "Mr. Brooks, I have always known about God, but until now I didn't know His name." Helen Keller was more fortunate than most people in her spiritual sensitivity. She knew God's nature but not His name. Most people without Christ know His name but not His nature. Jesus is the revelation of the nature of God. King Duncan, Collected Sermons Hearing the Voice of God How would you react if you really heard the voice of God? Once there was a man who had the habit of going to a barn every evening, taking off his hat, and saying, "Howdy God, I am here." Then he would begin to preach to an empty barn. Some pranksters plotted to pull a trick on him. They hid in the barn, and when he said, "Howdy God, I am here", with a deep voice they answered, "Howdy, Jim, I am here." Well, Jim dropped his hat and took off, and never again was he seen at the barn. When we confront the holiness of Jesus as Peter did, we will have a sense of awe and unworthiness before the purity and perfection of Christ. Peter fell on his knees and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." Haven't we in the church lost something of this unworthiness in the presence of the holy Christ? It is not uncommon to hear no confession of sins in a worship service. If you come to the pure Jesus, why do you not instinctively say, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner"? John R. Brokhoff, Jesus ... Who?, CSS Publishing Co., Inc. Personal Understanding of Jesus' Identity Who do you say that I am? I would suggest to you this morning that that is the most urgent, the most relevant, the most theological question that confronts us today. Where ever we turn in life we are faced with the implications of this question. Throughout the ages various individuals have attempted to answer that question posed by Jesus. Ernest Renan, a French writer, answered it by saying that Jesus was a sentimental idealist. Bruce Barton, an American businessman, said that who Jesus was the greatest salesman who ever lived. William Hirsch, a Jewish writer, responded that Jesus conformed to the clinical picture of paranoia. A musical drama was performed some years ago that answered this question by saying that Jesus was a Superstar. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian, referred to Jesus as the "man for others." The Gospel writers also attempted in their own fashion to answer this most fundamental question. They bestowed upon him numerous titles and claims: Son of God, Son of man, Divine physician, king, prophet, bridegroom, light of the world, the door, the vine, high priest, the firstborn of creation, the bright and morning star, and Alpha and Omega. All of these were attempts to answer this question posed by Jesus. But these are attempts made by others. Jesus is more concerned what your answer is than what their answer is. Martin Luther, another German theologian, wrote: "I care not whether he be Christ, but that he be Christ for you." Peter responded: Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God. Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com. Why Didn't You Tell Us This Before? A couple of years ago Rev. Martin Copenhaver, of Wellesley Congregational Church, preached on this same passage. He had been to a pastor's seminar where Michael Greene from Britain, a scholar of the history of evangelism, had challenged a group of pastors with "When is the last time you told your congregation what Jesus means to YOU?" Later Pastor Copenhaver wrote in his study "As a pastor I talk a good deal about Jesus, but do I say what Jesus means to me?" He decided he would try to do just that. In his sermon he said, "As a pastor in the UCC our forebears in the faith worried that they might be taken for heretics. Today we UCC people seem to be more worried about being taken for fundamentalists" So in personal, devotional terms Pastor Copenhaver tried to tell his people what Jesus Christ meant to him. Evidently the sermon was quite a personal testimony. After the service Pastor Copenhaver noticed a dear lady whom he respected as one of the 'saints in Zion'-- she came past to shake his hand, and could not speak. So she went around and came past again, to give herself time to compose herself. When she finally came the second time she simply said, "Why didn't you tell us this before?" Copenhaver wrote: "I did not know how to respond. Now her question, along with Michael Greene's, continues to haunt me." Russell F. Metcalfe, Jr., The Question of Questions The Greatest Building When you think of great building projects, what typically comes to mind? We might think of great buildings that were built centuries ago that still stand today. The Kremlin was built 500 years and was an architectural marvel of its day. The Great Wall of China as we know it today was built in the 15th and 16th centuries and is over 4,000 miles long. The main construction of the Taj Mahal took 20,000 workers 11 years to build and the whole project spanned 22 years. Sometimes these projects took several decades to complete. Herod’s temple, the one destroyed in 70 A. D. , took over 80 years to build. Construction on St. Peter’s Basilica began in 1506 and was not completed until 109 years later in 1615. But as spectacular as any of these are in the eyes of man, there is one building project that far eclipses all of them. Its design is so spectacular that it couldn’t be drawn by even the best architects. It has been under construction not for decades or centuries, but for millennia, and it still is not finished. Its size is not mere acres or square miles, but encompasses all parts of the earth. What is more amazing is that this building has no steel, bricks, concrete, or windows. Its construction is with very unique, precious stones called "living stones." Unlike all of these other projects, this building will not fade with time. In fact, it will endure forever. What is this greatest of buildings? It is the church, God’s master project. Chris Bayack, Christ Will Build His Church True Greatness Napoleon knew that great as his military power was, it was eclipsed by a greater albeit different power. Hear his words: "I know man and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love: and at this hour millions of people would die for him." Napoleon Bonaparte True Greatness Napoleon knew that great as his military power was, it was eclipsed by a greater albeit different power. Hear his words: "I know man and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love: and at this hour millions of people would die for him." Napoleon Bonaparte What Doors to Unlock In our I.D.-electronic-cryptic-cyber-coded age, keys are not only physical things that plague our pockets and puncture our purses. Many keys are mental, hauled about in the mainframe of our minds. "Hey, what's the key code to open the garage or raise the gate or log onto the computer or access the ATM or retrieve the messages or unlock our memories?" I wonder if Peter ever thought about returning the keys to Jesus, tossing them back to the Fisher King and saying, "Thanks, but no thanks." On the one hand, the vote of confidence must have been nice. Everybody loves to get a promotion, to feel that affirming slap on the back, to pocket the key to the executive washroom, to get the strong handshake and have a superior say, "OK, you're in charge now." Everybody loves it until they are in charge and they can't figure out which key goes to what door and everybody needs them to open every door right now or to lock every door right away. No one cares that the keys aren't labeled and there are a thousand of them to sort through. You've got the keys. You're in charge. Act like it! I can't tell you how Peter felt that day when Jesus promised him the keys or how he felt a few days or weeks later, because I'm not Peter. Not only am I not Peter, I'm a Presbyterian. So, I'm not standing in line hoping to be handed the pontifical keys to the entire church of Rome one day. In fact, as a Protestant Christian I happen to believe that I've already been given the keys and that's a major part of my problem. To the extent that you and I are key holders to the church of the risen Christ and provide some sort of access to the glorious realm of God, we've got a key problem and a much more serious one than how to haul all of them around. As keepers of the keys, we've got to figure out what do with them, what doors to open, what windows to unlock. That's the whole point, isn't it? Gary Charles, Keys This House for You Once there was a rich man who wanted to do something good for someone in his community. He spent a few days just traveling around his neighborhood and the general vicinity. During his travels, he noticed the poor living conditions of a certain carpenter who lived nearby. So the rich man went to the carpenter and hired him to build a house. "Now this isn't just any old house you'll be building," the rich man said to the carpenter. "I want you to build this house for a very special person. I want you to use only the finest building materials, hire the best workmen you can find, and spare no expense. I'm going to be out of town for a couple of months, and I would like to see the house finished when I return." The carpenter saw this as a great opportunity to make some extra money. He skimped on building materials, hired winos that hung out at the local bus station to help with the work, paying them as little as he could. He covered their mistakes with paint and plaster and cut corners at every opportunity. When the rich man returned from his trip, the carpenter brought him the keys to the house and said, "I followed your instructions and built the house just as you told me to." "I'm glad you did," the rich man said. Then he handed the keys back to carpenter saying, "The special person I wanted the house for is you. It's yours! You and your family can have it as my gift to you, and I'm sure you want to move in right away!" Perhaps one of the most difficult factors of Christian living is that we never know how or where or when God will act. We don't know exactly how God might help us, regardless of the time we spend in prayer. The God we worship and serve is a God who constantly surprises us. And this inability to predict God's movements can be very frustrating sometimes. Johnny Dean, The Pop Quiz This passage teaches that our discovery of Jesus Christ must be a personal discovery. Jesus’ question is: “You—what do you think of me?” One thing is clear. To call anyone a rock was the greatest of compliments; and no Jew who knew his Old Testament could ever use the phrase without his thoughts turning to God, who alone was the true rock of his defence and salvation. What then did Jesus mean when in this passage he used the word rock? To that question at least four answers have been given. (c) All these New Testament pictures and usages go back to a picture in Isaiah (Isaiah 22:22). Isaiah describes Eliakim, who will have the key of the house of David on his shoulder, and who alone will open and shut. Now the duty of Eliakim was to be the faithful steward of the house. It is the steward who carries the keys of the house, who in the morning opens the door, and in the evening shuts it, and through whom visitors gain access to the royal presence. So then what Jesus is saying to Peter is that in the days to come, he will be the steward of the Kingdom. And in the case of Peter the whole idea is that of opening, not shutting, the door of the Kingdom. “Don’t tell anyone.” This wouldn’t necessarily be a great evangelism technique. Or would it? What if we followed the model of the gospel of Matthew, and didn’t go around proclaiming “Jesus is the Messiah.” But instead offered the signs of Jesus - the kindness, mercy, healing, forgiveness, abundance, justice, just come. Instead of approaching someone with Jesus first, you approach someone with Jesus’ way first. Instead of the hard sell, act now response; we go with the slow roll, build relationships, and go deeper.

Dancing with Our Circumstances

August 16, 2020 Matthew 15:10-28 Year A 11th Sunday After Pentecost Dancing with our Circumstances Prelude Welcome Opening Prayer Merciful God, we boldly pray to you, confident that you will not reject us. In spite of our human failings, your love continues to draw us together. Be with us today, as we rejoice in the power of your love. Sing with us today, as we proclaim the good news of your grace. Dance with us today, as we celebrate the unity we share in Christ. How good it is to be together! Hallelujah! Amen! Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering (Psalm 133) Our hearts are overflowing with your love, O God: like precious oil that cascades down on the beards of old; like the rains that shower down upon your creation. Guide us now, as we share with others the abundance of our joy. We pray that you will give us the vision to use our blessings to offer hope to others. In Christ's name we pray and act. Amen. Offertory As God has so richly blessed us, let us return a portion of these blessings to God, asking that these gifts may be used in service to others through the ministries and mission of this church. Let us receive our morning offering. Prayer of Dedication God of abundance and joy, we thank you for the many blessings you have poured on our lives. Receive these gifts, lovingly given, and bless them in your service. AMEN. Invitation to the Word (Genesis 45, Psalm 133) Seeking unity, we come to the scriptures. Open our hearts to hear and live your word. Acknowledging our discord, we come to the scriptures. Open our hearts to hear and live your word. Realigning our lives with God, we come to the scriptures. Open our hearts to hear and live your word. Scripture Matthew 15:10-28 Common English Bible 10 Jesus called the crowd near and said to them, “Listen and understand. 11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that contaminates a person in God’s sight. It’s what comes out of the mouth that contaminates the person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by what you just said?” 13 Jesus replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be pulled up. 14 Leave the Pharisees alone. They are blind people who are guides to blind people. But if a blind person leads another blind person, they will both fall into a ditch.” 15 Then Peter spoke up, “Explain this riddle to us.” 16 Jesus said, “Don’t you understand yet? 17 Don’t you know that everything that goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer? 18 But what goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. And that’s what contaminates a person in God’s sight. 19 Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adultery, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and insults. 20 These contaminate a person in God’s sight. But eating without washing hands doesn’t contaminate in God’s sight.” Canaanite woman 21 From there, Jesus went to the regions of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from those territories came out and shouted, “Show me mercy, Son of David. My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession.” 23 But he didn’t respond to her at all. His disciples came and urged him, “Send her away; she keeps shouting out after us.” 24 Jesus replied, “I’ve been sent only to the lost sheep, the people of Israel.” 25 But she knelt before him and said, “Lord, help me.” 26 He replied, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and toss it to dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord. But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall off their masters’ table.” 28 Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith. It will be just as you wish.” And right then her daughter was healed. Sermon A story came across the wires from the Reuters news service about a family of ducklings that fell down a sewer grate in Vancouver. Their mother did what any parent would do. She got help from a passing police officer. The mother duck grabbed the policeman by the pant leg while he was on foot patrol. The policeman shoved what he thought was just a goofy duck away, but she persisted, grabbing his leg again when he tried to leave, and then waddling to a nearby sewer grate where she sat down and waited for him to follow and investigate. The policeman came to where she sat and saw eight little baby ducklings in the water below. Police removed the heavy metal grate with the help of a tow truck and used a vegetable strainer to lift the ducklings to safety. Mother and offspring then departed for a nearby pond. That mother duck did what the Canaanite woman did. She persisted in seeking help until she got it. And that is just what Jesus wants us to do. Be persistent in getting the help you need. Do not be intimidated by authority figures. And remember, we have a Friend who can help us even when human endeavors fail. Christ is waiting to help you today. King Duncan, Worried About Her Child, www.Sermons.com A Mother’s Faith Augustine's mother, Monica, was a fervent believer who prayed constantly for her son's salvation. She devoted her whole life to praying for Augustine's conversion. At one point, when Augustine was becoming devoted to the Manichaean philosophy, Monica begged a holy man to speak to Augustine, and show him why their beliefs were not true. The holy man refused because Augustine was known to have a great intellect, and would likely try to savage the holy man's arguments. The holy man assured Monica that he, too, had once been a Manichaean, and that Augustine was too smart to deceive himself much longer. At this, Monica began to cry. The holy man sent her away, saying, "Go, go! Leave me alone. Live on as you are living. It is not possible that the son of such tears should be lost." The holy man was right. After many years and a fierce inner struggle, Augustine was touched by a revelation in Scripture, and became a Christian. When Monica learned of her son's salvation, she remarked that she had nothing left to live for, for the greatest desire of her heart had been fulfilled. Nine days later, Monica died. And the son she had spent her life praying for, went on to affect the whole world. Monica never quit asking. "Live on as you are living," said the holy man. "It is not possible that the son of such tears should be lost." You are concerned about someone you love? Keep on asking God for help. Don't let your tears quench the flame of your faith in God. It may seem like God is ignoring you, but I assure you that is not the case. Don't give up. Keep asking. And keep on trusting. King Duncan, When You Need Help, adapted from Ruth Bell Graham, Prodigals and Those Who Love Them. These are two stories of mothers who would do anything for their children. In our lesson for today, we hear of another mother who set out to help her daughter, who was having some emotional disturbance. She is so excited when the only person who she could think of to help, comes to her community. This man is Jesus, her only help in a situation like this. In Matthew 15 she remains nameless. But a sermon in the middle ages tells us that the women’s name was Justa. Her daughter was named Bereniece. They were called Canaanites. They would not have called themselves cannaanites. But for the Hebrew society, these were people who were displaced when the Hebrews claimed the land and the property. They people of Tyre and Sidon would have hated thing that was not their unique household. Interestingly enough, this was the only time in Matthew that jesus travels outside Isreal in gentile company. It had gotten to the point in his ministry there was no place that he could go to get some peace and quiet. Everywhere he went the crowd gathered for healing. Things are no different here in Tyre and Sidon. This woman sees him and calls out Lord, Son of David. So she too has heard of his reputation as a healer. When she calls him Lord, it is hard to tell if she was serious, or if she was just being condescending or if she really has faith in him. Jesus was good at joking and throwing jokes himself. But apparently, neither of them are joking now, because he calls her a little dog. Jews has strong opinions about dogs. For them dogs were not friendly house pets. You would never have a dog in your house, they were filthy, nasty pest that ran wild and were always begging for food. Jesus didn’t like dogs, he didn’t like her and he really did not appreciate her request for help. Jesus explains that his ministry is only for Jews, not her or her daughter. This is a story of Jesus being human. As a matter of fact, Jesus contradicts his own teaching. He is just telling a story of how we have to be careful about our words and how they can hurt people. And here Jesus is calling this woman a dog for asking for help. You Have Judged Yourself A story related to this text [summarized from Sunday and Holyday Liturgies, Cycle A, by Flor McCarthy] has a group of the very pious waiting in heaven for the judgment. As they are waiting and complaining about the wait, they begin to see some of the "sinners" they knew on earth coming into the waiting room: a corrupt politician, an itinerant woman who had been convicted of shoplifting numerous times, a prostitute, a drug addict, a man who spent most of his life in prison, etc. With each of these arrivals, the feeling of hostility increased in the first group. They glare at the others. They talk among themselves. Within a short time, words were spoken to those others, "What makes you think you're going to get in with that evil, sinful life you lived on earth?" "We’re relying on the mercy and grace of God. What makes you so sure you're going to get in?" "Our good lives, of course." They turned their backs to the others. Time began to drag on for the first group. They began to complain to one another. "If those other people get in, there's no justice. After all the sacrifices we've made. It's not fair." The Lord arrived. He turned towards the first group, "I understand you've been wondering why there has been no judgment." "Yes!" they cried out. "We want a judgment. We want justice." "The judgment has already taken place. You've judged yourselves. By judging these, the least of my brothers and sisters, you have judged yourselves. In rejecting them you have rejected me. You have shown yourselves unworthy of the kingdom of God." [pp. 151-3] Hare says something similar in his conclusion to this section: "We are defiled, Jesus tells us, by the unloving words that spring so readily from our mouths." [p. 176] Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes ________________________________ This is the only woman who is ever able to outsmart Jesus with his own words. She takes the insult and and says even the dogs eat crumbs from the children’s table. She is motivated to persist with her request by her love, her faith, her cheerfulness and her persistence. Faith is sometimes a persistent creativity to bring about good. Her persistence ministers to Jesus. And of course Jesus ministers to her – her daughter is healed immediately. Jesus then gives her an honor that he didn’t even give to his own disciples. He says that she is a woman of great faith. Jesus only gives that honor to one other person. As a matter of fact, remember last week Jesus said that Peter was a man of little faith. Jesus is trying to help those in his inner circle, but they still have no faith. And here this woman literally off of the street, believes in him so much that she demands healing. Pray for Yourself In 1989, former President George Bush, our current president's father, was entering St. John's Episcopal Church to attend a worship service. A homeless man, William Wallace Brown Jr., stopped him and asked for prayer. The President's answer must have shocked onlookers. He replied, "No. Come inside with us--and pray for yourself." From that day forward, William Wallace Brown Jr. regularly attended St. John's Episcopal Church. This man in ragged, smelly clothes sat in the pews alongside the rich and the powerful. At offering time, he put a dollar in the collection plate. One usher reports that many of the rich members also gave only a dollar to the offering. These people were humbled by Mr. Brown's examplSe of generosity. King Duncan, The Gates of Hell Someone looking for crumbs of love becomes a special guest at the table. This story is a wonderful example for us of discipleship. Jesus has been teaching his followers about discipleship. He is teaching them to be obedient, to care for others, but this lesson is about acceptance of others not like us. The disciples tell Jesus to get rid of the woman. But once Jesus learns the lesson to accept others, he teaches that to the disciples and to us. But finally there is one more important lesson that this story teaches us – we have a God who listens to our lives and responds. We have heard of a God who is unchanging, unmoving, removed from our lives. But that is actually not the God of the bible. The people of God constantly questioned and challenged God. They constantly argues with God, they constantly plead their case. They constantly begged God for mercy and understanding. And God would listen and respond accordingly. If you read the stories in the bible, God constantly decides, acts, listens, and has a change of heart and mind. Just like Jesus in this story. God is flexible, understanding and forgiving. God is always dancing with the situations of life and the prayers of the people. Dancing in the Wind - Matthew 14:22-33 We live in an embattled time. Conflicts in politics, problems with economics, and a global pandemic have put the icing on the proverbial cake of usual issues. Most of us already feel we are up to our necks in alligators. Now we have entered hurricane season to boot. How much more can we take? How much longer can we fight? Let’s face it. We are a tired, fatigued, tense, and nervous bunch right now. Just when we think we’ve ridden the final wave another rises up and heads right toward us. What shall we do? When I think of prepping and preparing for adverse conditions, I think of athletes. Athletes train themselves not only physically, but mentally and spiritually, in order to accomplish ever more rigorous feats. Runners in particular have an entire body of literature on how to excel in this endorphin-boosting sport. I like to call their oeuvre “runners’ wisdom.” A lot of runners’ wisdom is simply common sense. Drink water before you run. Warm up and stretch. Push harder every day but don’t overdo it. Wear good shoes. Trust what your body is telling you. Let your instincts guide you. But one of the best articles I found written by Jonathan Beverly of “Runner’s World” is about how to run in a headwind. Beverly explains that most of us, when we are running against the wind, tend to work harder, push more, bear down, tense up. This causes tension, fatigue, and exasperation. Instead, he explains, we must do exactly the opposite: lean in, relax, and allow the wind to dictate the pace. We must “dance in the wind.” Beverly learned this lesson not from other runners but from hawks he saw flying above the fields. He noticed that the raptors did not struggle against the headwinds, but they used the wind to do a kind of mid-air dance. They circled, they swooped, they twirled, they dove. They relaxed and played in the wind. Their goal was not measured progress but play and enjoyment. They were masters at seizing the moment and “going with the flow.” Adapting to the wind. Adapting to life. Like Jonathan Beverly, we too could learn some lessons from the birds when it comes to dealing with the hurricanes and wind-gusts of life... If Jesus can be open to the moment, willing to change, willing to adjust to new conditions, willing to transform and to be transformed, then so can I learn to dance with the conditions of life and learn and be willing to learn a new lesson and accept a new person. Only four words but they are enough to make her immortal. We can trust these words as being true because the expert on faith spoke them. Jesus searched for faith, as a gem collector would fine jewels. He did not always find it in his disciples. On no occasion that we know did he ever say of Peter, James, and John: Great is your faith. More often the words he spoke to them: You of little faith. On only one other occasion did Jesus praise a person for their faith. Interestingly, that was a Roman soldier stationed in Capernaum. We regard this Canaanite woman with more than just an academic interest. She awakens in us a feeling of admiration, perhaps even envy, because she stands where most of us would like to stand… Those 4 words – Great is your faith. In these trying words let us carry those 4 words with is. Let us pray…… Prayer Morning Prayer Lord, what a blessing it is to come together in this community of faith. We travel here from all walks of life, from different ages and stages, and are welcomed in your love and your presence! Today we bring before you the names of loved ones who are struggling with loss, with illness, with depression, with addiction, with alienation from those that they love. Be with each of them. Lay your hand of healing gently over their lives and pour out your balm of peace on them. Help us to reach out to be of service to each other in Jesus’ name. Lord, we also bring to you situations of celebration: birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, family gatherings, special occasions which lift us up and remind us of the goodness that there is in life. Breathe your spirit into these wonderful events that all who gather may rejoice and celebrate the blessings you have given each of us. Keep our hearts and minds open for your reconciling word for us; for we ask this in Jesus’ name. AMEN. Opening Prayer As summer draws to a close, we begin to focus our attention to the activities of autumn. For some it will mean preparing children for school; for others youth will be preparing to enter college or the work force or perhaps military service. Be with these precious ones as they embark on life’s journeys. Be with each one of us as we encounter life’s challenges. Open our hearts to receive your healing mercy and your transforming love. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN. Let us say the Lords Prayer together Moment of Reflection – My Hope is Built – UMH 368 Announcement If your family or someone you know is in need of school supplies, the Nazarene is supplying them again this year. You can call them and they will arrange a curbside pickup. Blessing to all of our children and teachers preparing for this new year. The health team has been monitoring the situation, and have decided that we will wait a few weeks before opening. We will not open on the 13th – but a little later in September. They want to make sure that we can be together in a safe way. Once again, this is one of those situations where you have to dance with the circumstances of life. We will also not host and rental events until at least January of 2021. Scripture for next week is August 23rd – Matthew 16:13-20 Benediction Benediction (Genesis 45, Psalm 133) It is time to take the party to the streets! Go out to celebrate our common kinship as children of God. Go out to tell the good news of Christ to every sister and brother. Go out to let the power of the Holy Spirit unite us around the world. Go out to continue this family reunion with all those who are longing to join the party. Go out and rejoice! Children’s Sermon Object: A saltine cracker in a plastic bag. Lesson: Helping others; sharing. This is a difficult text even for adults. In order to help the children make some sense out of it, I have brought a saltine cracker in a baggie. I begin by asking the kids, "Do you know what a crumb is?" No one is sure enough to describe a crumb to me, so I take the baggie with the cracker out of my pocket, hold it up and ask, "Is this a crumb?" "No!" I am told, "It's a cracker!" "That's right. It's a cracker. But what if I do this...?" With those words I crush the cracker (still in the baggie to contain the crumbs). "Now," I continue, holding up the crunched pieces, "do I still have a cracker?" "No, you have a bag of crumbs." "Aha!" I respond. "So, now we know what a crumb is. It's a piece of something -- a very small piece. Crumbs are what is left on your plate when you finish eating a piece of cake. Crumbs are what fall off the loaf when the bread is broken during communion. Crumbs are the little parts no one really misses or cares about, except ... I wonder, do any of you have a pet?" Many of the children indicate with nods that they do, so I begin asking what these pets might be. As luck would have it, every single one of the children present has a cat. Being particularly fond of cats myself, this would normally not be a problem. But this morning, in view of the lectionary text, we obviously needed to talk about dogs. "Do any of you have a friend who has a dog?" Several children indicate they do. "Are these dogs allowed to come in the house?" Again, the response is affirmative. "Well, if one of these dogs was in the house while the family was eating dinner and if a crumb of food dropped off the table to the floor, what do you suppose would happen to the crumb?" "The dog would eat it!" comes the instant reply. "Yes," I agree, "that's what I think would happen too. Now, we've already seen that a crumb is a very small piece of something, so small that usually no one wants it. But we weren't thinking about dogs. Sometimes dogs are very happy to have the crumbs from our tables -- the scraps no one else wants. "We're talking about this today because of a conversation Jesus had with a woman who asked him for some help. Jesus told her, 'It's not right for me to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.' Then the woman replied, 'Even the dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.' "What she meant by saying that to him was that she didn't need very much. All she was asking for was what no one else would want or miss -- just a crumb. So Jesus gave her what she needed. "You know, sometimes we have things in our lives we don't want -- not crumbs exactly, but toys we don't play with anymore, clothes we've grown out of and don't wear anymore, things we might throw away that someone else might use. Things that seem like trash to us may be a real treasure to someone else. This story about Jesus and the woman tells us we need to be aware of how little it takes sometimes to fill another's need; sometimes just a few crumbs are enough." CSS Publishing Company, Inc, Cows In Church, by B. Kathleen Fannin Additional Illustrations Sermon Opener – Great Is Your Faith – Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28 What would you think if I told you that on your tombstone would be inscribed a four-word epitaph? Well, you might respond, it would depend on who would write this epitaph--an enemy or a loved one. It might also depend, you might say, on how well this person knew and understood you. If a newspaper critic wrote of a concert pianist the four words: "He was a failure," you could always say: That was his opinion. But if one of the world's great musicians wrote, “He was a genius,” then you are apt to take the remark more seriously. There was a character in the Gospel who Jesus once described with four immortal words: Great is your faith. She was a Canaanite woman who came from the country to the north of Palestine, a country hostile to the Jews. She was presumably married, she had at least one child; but that’s all we know about her. We don't know whether she was a good woman or a bad woman. We don’t know her name. All we know of her is that in this single encounter with Jesus he spoke to her this four-word epitaph: Great is your faith. ________________________ The Rabbi's Apprentice - Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28 In 1797, prominent German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote a poem called “Der Zauberlehrling,” in which an apprentice of a master sorcerer is left alone with chores to do. Invoking magic that he was not yet properly trained to use, the apprentice commanded a bucket and broom to do his work. Because he could not properly control them, everything got quickly out of hand, and chaos ensued. Finally, the master returned and restored order to the mess. Walt Disney famously employed the plot of the poem in his musical “Fantasia,” starring Mickey Mouse as the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” While we laugh at the apprentice’s antics and enjoy the presentation, this fantasized idea of the role of “apprentice” may affect our idea of discipleship more than we realize. In our faith journey, we often think of ourselves as out there on our own doing our best to deal with situations out of our control. But this is not the kind of “discipleship” or “apprenticeship” relationship that Jesus expected from his disciples in his lifetime, nor is it the one He expects from us in ours. In Jesus’ time, a disciple or apprentice to the faith was much like an apprentice in any other kind of learned skilled labor. You didn’t learn and then quickly strike out on your own. But a discipleship relationship was a years long endeavor, which involved literally following the rabbis every move, listening to him talk, watching him interact with others, listening and asking questions as he taught, sleeping, eating, and learning every hour of every day by his side. If you were a carpenter’s apprentice, you ate, slept, and worked side by side with the master carpenter. If you were a builder’s apprentice, you ate, slept, and worked side by side with the master builder. If you were an apprentice of the faith, you ate, slept, and learned/interacted side by side with the master rabbi.... _________________________________ Breaking down Barriers C.S. Lewis once wrote an essay entitled The Inner Ring. He says in the article that in any playground or office or church there are little groups or rings of people who are on the “inside”. And those who aren’t: those who don’t get picked at playtime, those who stand on their own in the lunchroom. Lewis says that the existence of such rings is not necessarily bad. We’re finite beings, and we can only have deeply intimate friendships with a limited number of people. But he says that the desire to gain status or self-worth by being part of an “inner ring” is deeply destructive. It causes you to constantly compare yourself with others, to feel anguish when you’re left out, and deeper anguish when someone close to you gets let in. Worst of all, once you’re in, you want to keep others out, because it’s the exclusive nature of the group that makes you feel good. Jesus’ disciples wrestled often with that desire to be part of the inner ring. They argued over who should have the seats closest to Jesus. They asked Jesus to bring down fire on pagan villages. They rebuked little children for coming in too close and wasting Jesus’ time. Jesus must have often shaken his head because he was constantly teaching about who was in and who was out, about God’s desire to bring into the inner ring of his love anyone who will come. One of the most intriguing stories about status is this one in Matthew 15:21-28. John Tucker, Breaking Down Barriers: Inclusion Don’t Take No for an Answer

Everyday Miracles

August 8, 2020 Matthew 14:22-33 Everyday life is the miracle 10th Sunday After Pentecost Prelude Welcome Opening Prayer Opening Prayer Almighty and most gracious God, we give you thanks for this day and for calling us here to your place of worship. We gather to praise your name, for your faithfulness endures from generation to generation. Signs of your faithfulness are all around us: love, mercy, forgiveness, new life, and the gifts of your Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Help us claim your faithfulness as we seek to increase our faithfulness to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering There are many ways to respond to God's faithfulness, love, and mercy in our lives. We come now, seeking to be faithful disciples of Jesus, and to respond to God through our tithes, gifts, and offerings. Invitation to the Word (Matthew 14, Genesis 37) God does not ask us for too many leaps of faith, but for small steps that help us stay with God every day. Our scriptures today touch on familiar themes: fear, betrayal, lies, jealousy, and envy, but mostly, on the amazing faithfulness of God. Scripture Matthew 14:22-33 Walking on the water 22 Right then, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowds. 23 When he sent them away, he went up onto a mountain by himself to pray. Evening came and he was alone. 24 Meanwhile, the boat, fighting a strong headwind, was being battered by the waves and was already far away from land. 25 Very early in the morning he came to his disciples, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” They were so frightened they screamed. 27 Just then Jesus spoke to them, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” 28 Peter replied, “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.” 29 And Jesus said, “Come.” Then Peter got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when Peter saw the strong wind, he became frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, “Lord, rescue me!” 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, saying, “You man of weak faith! Why did you begin to have doubts?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind settled down. 33 Then those in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, “You must be God’s Son!” Sermon Now I Know Why Jesus Walked! This is a familiar story. Mark Twain refers to it in one of his books. He recalls a visit to the Holy Land and a stay in Capernaum. It was a moonlit night, so he decided to take his wife on a romantic boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Twain asked a man in a rowboat how much he would charge to take them out on the water. The man saw Twain's white suit, white shoes and white hat and supposed he was a rich Texan. So he said the cost would be twenty-five dollars. Twain walked away as he said, "Now I know why Jesus walked." David Leininger, Stay in the Boat!, www.eSermons.com Very rarely, if ever have I stuck with the same lesson in the lectionary all summer. But this year, I think that the lessons that we learn from Matthew are important for our faith. As a matter of fact, a little later in the year I am planning on going off of the lectionary path in Matthew and talk about some passages that are covered. But today, our lesson is about Jesus walking on water, while his disciples are in the boat. This passage is covered in Matthew, Mark, and John but not in Luke. This story is always paired with the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. One reason that I probably don’t preach on these two stories, is because they are both miracle stories that are hard for a modern audience to digest. If Jesus is the son of David, how do you explain him feeding 5000 people with five loaves and two fish? If Jesus was a man, how can you say that he had the ability to walk on water? Did this story really happen as the gospel writers said it happen or is it symbolic. For some Christians, everything in the bible is literal, some think it is just a book of good stories. As I studied for this sermon, I reached the conclusion that the lesson that Jesus was trying to teach his disciples, the lesson that Matthew was trying to teach us is far more important than rather it really happened or not. Remember, Jesus had been working with his disciples to train him to expand his ministry and to help others. Sometimes Jesus is just talking to those in the church, and sometimes Jesus is talking with everyone. Jesus decides that it is time to take the disciples across the lake and to deal with the people. But before he needs a moment to pray and to deal with the death of his cousin John. There are actually on two times in Matthew that Jesus needs to be alone to pray to God. This time, and in the garden of Gethsemane before he is crucified. Of course while Jesus is on land praying, the disciples are in a boat in the middle of the night, in the middle of a lake. A storm arrives that makes them a little nervous. It is not the storm that frightens them, it is seeing Jesus coming to them on the water. The Greek says that Jesus is on the water, but there is some debate as the whether he is walking on the water, or on the shore. Either way – we all know the next part, Peter tries to talk on water and falls. We have all heard this story before, and we all know the symbolism of the story. The water represents the world, storms represent the circumstances of the world, the boat is the church, and Peter represents all of the faithful people trying to follow Jesus. In Jewish understanding of life, water can never be trusted. Water is a necessary part of life, we need it to survive. We can get fish and good things out of it, but bodies of water like a river or lake is always dangerous. Apparently, the Lake they were on, the Sea of Galilee was particularly dangerous. It was susceptible to turbulent and unexpected storms. Jesus as the Son of God has the power to calm the storms and to control the wind and water. The church is the boat, our safe place on the water. The sanctuary, the safe space to come in out of the storm. The place that we can all travel together and to safely triumph over the troubles of life. Peter represents ministry – sometimes we have to get out of the boat in order to deal with life. There should be a little bit of Peter in all of us. We are all called out the safety of the boat in order to make the world a better place for others. Today I want to take us a little beyond that traditional definition of this story. Some would say that Peter was bold because he was willing to try to walk on water. Some would say that being in ministry is being willing to take risk in order to follow Jesus. Steve Martens is a pastor who noticed something interesting about this passage. When Jesus us tempted by the devil, the devil says to Jesus, if you really are the son of God like you say, then do something stupid. He dares Jesus to turn stones into bread. And then he dares Jesus to jump off of a roof so the angels will catch him. Jesus realizes that he does not have to do dumb things in order to prove who he is. Common sense still prevails. In this text, Peter kinda repeats that pattern. He says Jesus, if it is really you, then allow me to do something stupid like walk on water. Now this is Steve’s words not mine – He says he doesn’t know who is stupider – Peter for asking to do something he knows is impossible, or Jesus for putting his hand out and encouraging it. I am not going to be the one to call Jesus stupid but.. Jesus words to the devil was that thou should not tempt God. Even when we know that God can do anything. We have been given common sense to do the right thing. None of us can walk on water. Believing in miracles, still does not make that possible. Steve Martens points out that Peter grew in faith, and he was able to do all that Jesus could do. He never walked on water. And once he failed, he never tried again. Maybe being faithful is not always about taking risk, especially in a dangerous situation. But faith is always about getting back up once we fall. We Fall Down and We Get Up There is an old story about an Italian peasant who bumped into a monk who lived in a monastery high on the hill. The peasant seized the opportunity to question the monk about their daily routines at this holy shrine. “What do you men of God do up there on the mountain so close to God?” she asked. The monk replied, “We fall down and we get up, we fall down and we get up, we fall down and we get up.” Failure is not our ultimate enemy anymore than success is our ultimate goal. J. Howard Olds, Faith Breaks, www.Sermons.com Some of my greatest lessons in life have been in my failures. When I fell, I was determined to get back up and to try again. It is in getting up and trying again, I became a stronger person. The dialogue between Jesus and Peter is important as Peter falls into the water. Peter tells Jesus that if he commands it, he can walk on water. Peter recognized that when God calls us to do something that God will provide the resources to make it happen. Jesus does tell Peter to come, but he never gives Peter control over the wind and water to walk in water. Later when he rescues Peter and puts him back in the boat with the other disciples, Jesus says – you Man of little faith, why did you doubt. That is why Peter represent us all – all of us are like Peter, we have a little bit of faith and a little bit of fear. And sometimes we even have a lot of doubt. I think we all have those moments when we are focused and everything is going okay and then we get discouraged and stop. All of us are being faithful and attending church, participating, and being a disciple, and them the pandemic comes along, the church is closed and we get out of the habit. We pray for healing about an issue and yet we don’t take our medicine, we pray for the wellbeing and safety of our children, and yet we do not take the time to teach them important lessons, we say we want a peaceful just world, but we don’t speak out about injustice. We live our lives filled with anxiety, fears, and uncertainties. The good news for us is that Jesus does not say that we are people of no faith, we are people of little faith. And a little faith is all that we need. The miracle of this story is not so much that Jesus walked on water. The miracle of the story is that Jesus came to his disciples in their time of need. Peter didn’t make it to Jesus, but Jesus came to him. It was in his failure that he came closer to God. Faith is not about believing in magic. Everyday Miracles Kentucky farmer and philosopher Wendell Berry is a poet who consistently invites us to look again at the everyday, common things of life. He makes the case that turning water into wine is a relatively small miracle compared to turning water (and soil and sunlight) into grapes. Many times we are so transfixed by the humongous miracles God is capable of that we forget the humble, everyday miracles that go on all around us. Wendell Berry's way of putting this is: "We are alive within mystery, by miracle." (Life is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition [Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint, 2000], 45). Leonard Sweet, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Water Walkers I'll bet every one of us this morning can think of some remarkable water-walkers we have known. We all have watched simple, straight-forward, hard-working men and women, little toddlers and tormented teens, the shut-in elders and the shut-out homeless, perform acts in their lives that defy the limitations of the world in which they live. The chemotherapy patient who gets out of bed, puts on clean clothes, picks up the house, before going for treatment . . . What are they doing but walking on water? The homeless woman who sleeps in a box, gleans food from dumpsters, but still smiles a greeting and laughs at a joke . . . What is she doing but walking on water? The single parent, overworked, overwhelmed, over-extended in time, money, and energy, but makes it to soccer games and school plays and checks to see that homework is done . . . What is that harried parent doing but walking on water? The octogenarian who lives alone, whose family has forgotten him, who counts the postal carrier and the water-meter reader as "company," but still is up and dressed by 8am and sits at the table for all his meals . . . What is he doing but walking on water? Leonard Sweet, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com The story ends with Jesus taking Peter and putting him safely back in the boat. The winds calm down and the disciples realize that God is truly with them. If the church is the boat, where are we today? Are we sailing smoothly, facing rough waters, rowing for our lives, or are we headed to the other side to serve others and invite them into the boat.? Let us pray….. Prayer Pastoral Prayer Life seems to get crazy sometimes. We love the smooth times when all is well, but, O Lord, we have serious problems with wind and waves. We want you to “fill our sails with a lovely breeze that guides our little boats across the glassy sea”; but you know that life isn’t just glassy seas and gentle breezes. Sometimes things get rough. Help us place our trust in you during all these rough times. You call to us to reach out, to take our focus off our own panic and place our trust in your love. Then you ask us to reach out to others with the same kind of love and compassion that you have given to us. Today we have come to you with burdens and cares. Our “seas” are not calm, but you offer to us a lifeline. Be with us. Guide our lives. Give us courage and hope. Strengthen us to truly be your disciples. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN. Moment of Reflection Stand By Me - UMH 512 Announcements Benediction Praise Sentences (Matthew 14) Jesus calls, "Come, get out of the boat. Take that step of faith." Thank you, Jesus, for the invitation! Jesus calls, "Come, be my disciples." Thank you, Jesus, for the invitation! Jesus calls, "Even if you think you're not good enough: come be my disciples." Thank you, Jesus, for the invitation! Jesus calls, "Come be my disciples." Here I am, Lord. Praise your holy name! Children’s Sermon Object: an umbrella Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever been caught out in a thunderstorm? It's scary, isn't it? The thunder is booming, the lightning is flashing, the wind is howling, the rain is pouring down. (Might want to make some sound effects here) Can you sound like a thunderstorm? (Give them a few seconds to let loose with their sound effects) Wow, that's scary! I bet most of your mommies and daddies carry an umbrella in their car. They keep the umbrella with them, even on sunny days, just in case it happens to rain. Of course, the umbrella can protect us from the rain and the wind, but it doesn't stop us from being afraid in a storm, does it? Our Bible story today is about a great big storm. Jesus' followers, the disciples, were out on their boat, fishing, when a great, big storm kicked up. All the disciples were really scared. Then they saw the strangest thing. Jesus was walking across the water of the lake, walking right toward their boat! And when Jesus got to the boat, He said, "Cheer up! Don't be afraid!" Jesus wasn't afraid of the storm. And once the disciples were with Jesus, they weren't afraid either. They knew everything would be okay with Him there. Sometimes we may feel like we have storms in our life. When we just had a fight with a friend, when we did something we know we shouldn't have done, when we said something that made our mommy or daddy mad that can make us feel all scared and confused just like a thunderstorm. But we don't have to be afraid. Jesus is always with us. Just like our parents carry an umbrella with them in case of rain, we can carry Jesus with us wherever we go. We can carry Him in our hearts. Remember next time you're afraid or sad that Jesus is in your heart, and with His help, we don't have to be afraid of anything. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Additional Illustrations Sermon Opener – Fear – Matthew 14:22-33 In the story of creation found in the Book of Genesis, we read where Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit, something which had been specifically denied them. Knowing that God is searching for them, they attempt to hide. It is a scene perhaps reminiscent of many of our childhoods when we had done something that we were not supposed to and we literally hid from our searching parents. Finally God finds them, as we know that He will, for, after all, where can we go to hide from God? God asks them why they are hiding. Do you remember the response that Adam gave: “Because, I was afraid?” I think this very poignant story reminds us that fear is so basic to whom we are as humans, it goes all the way back to the beginning of time. To be human is to experience fear. There seems to be no limit to our fears. In a peanuts cartoon strip Charlie Brown goes to Lucy for a nickels worth of psychiatric help. She proceeds to pinpoint his particular ‘fear’. Perhaps, she says, you have hypengyophobia, which is the fear of responsibility. Charlie Brown says no. Well, perhaps you have ailurophobia, which is the fear of cats. No. Well, maybe you have climacophobia, which is the fear of staircases. No. Exasperated, Lucy says well, maybe you have pantophobia, which is the fear of everything. Yes, says Charles, that is the one! Sometimes we feel like we are afraid of everything. We are afraid of ourselves. We are afraid of people. We are afraid of the future. We are afraid of the past. We are afraid of life. We are afraid of death. Every person, every Christian, must fight their own fears. Even Paul, the sturdy Christian warrior, had to do so... Dancing in the Wind - Matthew 14:22-33 We live in an embattled time. Conflicts in politics, problems with economics, and a global pandemic have put the icing on the proverbial cake of usual issues. Most of us already feel we are up to our necks in alligators. Now we have entered hurricane season to boot. How much more can we take? How much longer can we fight? Let’s face it. We are a tired, fatigued, tense, and nervous bunch right now. Just when we think we’ve ridden the final wave another rises up and heads right toward us. What shall we do? When I think of prepping and preparing for adverse conditions, I think of athletes. Athletes train themselves not only physically, but mentally and spiritually, in order to accomplish ever more rigorous feats. Runners in particular have an entire body of literature on how to excel in this endorphin-boosting sport. I like to call their oeuvre “runners’ wisdom.” A lot of runners’ wisdom is simply common sense. Drink water before you run. Warm up and stretch. Push harder every day but don’t overdo it. Wear good shoes. Trust what your body is telling you. Let your instincts guide you. But one of the best articles I found written by Jonathan Beverly of “Runner’s World” is about how to run in a headwind. Beverly explains that most of us, when we are running against the wind, tend to work harder, push more, bear down, tense up. This causes tension, fatigue, and exasperation. Instead, he explains, we must do exactly the opposite: lean in, relax, and allow the wind to dictate the pace. We must “dance in the wind.” Beverly learned this lesson not from other runners but from hawks he saw flying above the fields. He noticed that the raptors did not struggle against the headwinds, but they used the wind to do a kind of mid-air dance. They circled, they swooped, they twirled, they dove. They relaxed and played in the wind. Their goal was not measured progress but play and enjoyment. They were masters at seizing the moment and “going with the flow.” Adapting to the wind. Adapting to life. Like Jonathan Beverly, we too could learn some lessons from the birds when it comes to dealing with the hurricanes and wind-gusts of life... Hanging by an Inch There is a character in the classic work Don Quixote named Pancho Sanchez. Pancho Sanchez hangs in fear from the ledge of a window all night long, too frightened to let go. When morning dawns he discovers his toes are only an inch off the ground. It's amusing to think of Simon Peter climbing out of the boat trying to imitate his Lord by walking on the water. Then, like a cartoon character, he makes the mistake of looking around. "What in the world am I doing?" he asked himself and suddenly he begins to sink. How often that happens in life. People are charting a successful course in their business, in their marriage, in their walk with Christ, and then they begin to listen to their fears. "What if I fail? What if the market fails? What if my faith is misplaced?" and they begin slowly to sink. King Duncan, Barking Pigs and Determined Disciples Motorcycle Churches Even churches can know what it is to walk on the water. Wes Seliger is an unconventional Episcopal clergyman who loves motorcycles. He tells about being in a motorcycle shop one day, drooling over a huge Honda 750 and wishing that he could buy it. A salesman came over and began to talk about his product. He talked about speed, acceleration, excitement, the attention-getting growl of the pipes, racing, risk. He talked about how the good-looking girls would be attracted to anyone riding on such a cycle. Then he discovered that Wes was a minister. It always happens, doesn't it? Immediately the salesman changed his language and even the tone of his voice. He spoke quietly and talked about good mileage and visibility. It was indeed a "practical" vehicle. Wes observed: "Lawnmower salespersons are not surprised to find clergypersons looking at their merchandise; motorcycle salespersons are. Why? Does this tell us something about clergypersons and about the church? Lawnmowers are slow, safe, sane, practical, and middle-class. Motorcycles are fast, dangerous, wild, thrilling." Then Wes asks a question: "Is being a Christian more like mowing a lawn or like riding a motorcycle? Is the Christian life safe and sound or dangerous and exciting?" He concludes, "The common image of the church is pure lawnmower--slow, deliberate, plodding. Our task is to take the church out on the open road, give it the gas, and see what the old baby will do!" Is our church a lawn mower church or a motorcycle church? Maybe it's time we took more risks for God. King Duncan, Don’t Look Down, www.eSermons.com Sermon Opener - The True Feng Shui Life- Matthew 14:22-33 by Leonard Sweet Our world has been shaped by one image. It may be the most powerful image to come out of the 20thcentury. If you were asked about the most important image of the 20thcentury, what would you pick? Here is my pick . . . [if you use screens]. The one picture that did the most to transform our perception of this world was that look-back at Earth from the tiny port-hole window in the first Apollo mission to the moon. Dangling in the bleak blackness of space was this beautiful blue-ball planet — with swirling seas and a wispy atmosphere. The wonder and fragility of life on our singular planet was immediately made real to anyone and everyone. The blue of our seas, and the so-blue of our skies, is a direct result of the miracle of life. A recent Discovery Channel program on continental development showed how nasty-looking our waters used to be. Ever come upon an old dumping site where abandoned cars and other junk had been left to a watery grave? The standing water is an unlovely toxic looking greenish brown. The iron oxides leaching into the water create this green muck. Before the wonder of tiny organisms practicing their magic of photosynthesis, all of our oceans looked like that brackish water. Rich in iron, the seas were ghastly green and blighted brown. It took the release of oxygen into the water to gradually transform the color and content of the ocean. And as the huge water masses changed to blue, so did their reflected image in our skies. God’s gift of life is what made us a blue planet. We are still waterborne creatures, drawn to water both for its life-giving properties and because of its untamable power. When we want to “get away,” we do what Jesus did: we hang out at the water — a beach, a lake, a river (for him it was the Sea of Galilee). The closest Jesus came to picking a place to live was the freshwater lake, fifteen miles long and eight miles wide, known as Lake Tiberius, or as we know it, the “Sea of Galilee.” 650 below sea level, the beautiful green hills around Lake Tiberius peak at sea level. And on a clear day, you can see in the distance snow-capped Mount Hermon in Lebanon. A sign on the wall of a small seaside cottage reads “A waterfront view isn’t a matter of life; it is much more important than that!” But here’s the thing about water; and here’s the thing about your life too: water has to be on the move in order to sustain and propagate life. Standing still, water quickly stagnates, becomes brackish, and turns into a watery tomb, even for water creatures. Ever have the pump or “bubbler” in your aquarium conk out? If you don’t get the water moving again quickly, your goldfish are goners! The churning action of the ocean waves, the rushing rapids in a river, the powerful currents that constantly mix and stir the depths of the seas: these are what keep our waters vital, vibrant, life-giving, life-sustaining. For healing to take place, the waters must be “troubled,” “stirred up,” “moving.” (Remember the pool of Bethesda?) To accomplish all this movement the winds of the air partner with the watery surfaces of the sea and keep life going. Wind and water work and play together to make life possible. For a bunch of fishermen, the disciples have always seemed to me to have a pretty poor relationship with the sea. Perhaps it was a lifetime of seeing first hand how those watery depths could both give and take life that inspired the disciples’ fears…. We Need a Sign Rabbi Feldman had been having trouble with his congregation. It seemed they could agree upon nothing, and controversy filled the air until the Sabbath itself became an area of conflict, and unhappiness filled the synagogue. The president of the congregation organized a meeting of 10 elders and the rabbi. They met in the conference room of the synagogue, sitting about a magnificent mahogany table. One by one the issues were dealt with and on each issue, it became more and more apparent that the rabbi was a lonely voice in the wilderness. The president said, "Come, Rabbi, enough of this. Let us vote and allow the majority to rule." He passed out the slips of paper, and each man made his mark. The slips were collected and the president said, "You may examine them, Rabbi. It is 11 to one against you. We have the majority." Whereupon the rabbi rose to his feet, "So", he said, "You now think because of the vote that you are right and I am wrong. Well, I stand here -- and he raised his arms impressively -- and call upon the Holy One of Israel to give us a sign that I am right and you are wrong." Suddenly, there came a frightful crack of thunder and a brilliant flash of lightning that struck the mahogany table and cracked it in two. The room was filled with smoke and the president and the elders were hurled to the floor. But the rabbi was untouched, his eyes flashing and a grim smile on his face. Slowly, the president lifted himself above what was left of the table. His hair was singed, his glasses were hanging from one ear, and his clothing was in disarray. He said, "All right, 11 to two. We still have the majority." Peter needed a sign that it was Jesus walking on the water. Jesus honored his desire by granting him the power to walk on the water. Then Peter took his eyes off Jesus and allowed the storm to grip him with fear, and he began to sink. "Lord, save me!" There are times in our lives when we need a sign from God. There are times when we take our eyes off Jesus. There are times when we feel we are sinking into the darkness of despair. This story teaches us that, even in the midst of our need for a sign, even in the midst of our doubts,….it is okay to cry out, "Lord, save me!" And God will reach out to us, and with a strong grip, pull us out of the pit, and away from the storm, into the calmness of his presence. Jon S. Dawson __________________________________________ Taking Risks Writer Dale Galloway tells about the two giant retailers in America right after World War II that made two very different decisions affecting their separate destinies. One was Sears Roebuck and Company while the other was Montgomery Ward. The leadership of Ward's expected that after the war an economic depression would come, so they refused to take any risk in expanding. Meanwhile, the leadership of Sears determined that there was going to be economic growth such as America had never seen before. So they went out and expanded into new markets all over the world. As a result, Sears soared ahead while Ward's fell far behind. Sears risked failure, and thus gained greater success. Of course, new challengers to the throne come along and now even Sears struggles against the likes of Wal-Mart and Target. What's true in business is true in all of life: There comes a time when you must step out of the boat. King Duncan, Barking Pigs and Determined Disciples Tourist Walk on Water Some years ago some enterprising capitalist was planning to build a bridge on the Sea of Galilee at the site of today's reading. What makes this project unique is that it is not being built OVER the water. It is being built UNDER the water. A 28th foot long floating bridge will be submerged 2 inches below the surface so that pilgrims and tourists will be able to "walk on the water" just as Jesus did. Perhaps their next project should be to build a hot air balloon on the Mount of Olives so that tourists will be able to imitate Jesus' ascension into heaven! What the bridge builders do not understand is that this gospel is not about Jesus trying to impress anyone with his ability to walk on water. It is about his willingness to overcome any obstacle to reach out to those in need of him. Jerry Gentile Humor: The Ferry Only Costs 25 Cents There is an old story that has often been re-told, especially in the Eastern Orthodox part of the church. According to the tale, a devout abbot from a monastery decided to take a prolonged spiritual retreat in a small cabin located on a remote island in the middle of a large lake. He told his fellow monks that he wanted to spend his days in prayer so as to grow closer to God. For six months he remained on the island with no other person seeing him or hearing from him in all that time. But then one day, as two monks were standing near the shore soaking up some sunshine, they could see in the distance a figure moving toward them. It was the abbot, walking on water, and coming toward shore. After the abbot passed by the two monks and continued on to the monastery, one of the monks turned to the other and said, "All these months in prayer and our brother is still as stingy as ever. After all, the ferry only costs25 cents!" Humor aside, the point of the story is that it's amazing how easily we may sometimes miss the significance of something that is right in front of us. It’s the kind of thing that could motivate one to take a fresh look at even the very familiar, like the story in Matthew 14 about Jesus (and then Peter) walking on water. Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations Stepping Out of Airplanes I had a classmate at an evangelical Christian college who repeatedly defined faith as "stepping out of airplanes, knowing that God will catch you." My response was that surely God had better things to do than catch folks stupid enough to step out of airplanes. Matthew’s story of Jesus walking on the water with Peter can spawn bad theologies. Peter’s escapade can be-come evidence that God asks us to demonstrate faith by taking pointless risks. Or Jesus’ reproof, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" can lead to belief that if our faith is only strong enough, no harm will befall us. Setting the bar that high for faith can result in feeling afraid to admit our fears and doubts to others, ourselves and God. Further, when bad things happen -- and they will -- we may believe that our lack of faith caused this harm or that God isn’t powerful enough or compassionate enough to protect us. When my son Sean was a toddler, we often took him to the playground. He began to step off the wooden climbing structures -- and into thin air. Experience had taught him that someone was always there to catch him whether he fell down the stairs or jumped off the bed. Thankfully, he gave up this practice of stepping into thin air, not because he suffered any harm, but very likely because he tired of hearing his mother shriek, "You’re going to kill yourself!" My college classmate overstated the case: God does not call us to stop thinking or to risk our lives and welfare pointlessly But my classmate may have seen something of what my son Sean demonstrated: a sense of safety so deep that we can be, for a time, beyond anxiety. Amy B. Hunter, Stepping Out, article in The Christian Century, July 26, 2005, p.19. Blizzard Stories Everybody loves to talk about the weather. Garrison Keillor loves to talk about "the winter of '65." He says that in describing the storms of that year, truth is only the starting point. The snow, the wind, the cold temperatures, yup, it was a miserable year, 1965. Keillor said that one night, it snowed so hard that he had to drive with his car door open so that he could follow the tracks in the snow; and he drove two miles before he realized that the track he was following was made by his own front tire. Here's Another: In November of 1940, the Mother of All Blizzards struck Minnesota with a vengeance. That autumn day started out balmy enough, but in the early afternoon, the temperature plummeted and the blizzard roared. The Twin Cities got 17 inches of snow; 27 inches in St. Cloud. Farmers were caught unprepared in their fields, and hunters were stranded in their duck blinds. In all, 49 people died in Minnesota, while 59 sailors died on Lake Superior. And everyone who survived The Armistice Day Blizzard will tell you the same thing; that the storm came out of nowhere. It truth, most storms do. Even in an age with Doppler radar and SkyMax 5 and trained meteorologists, storms are not always predictable. When they arrive unexpectedly, they can wreak havoc in our lives. And yet, the greatest storms in life have nothing to do with low pressure systems or cold fronts. The greatest storms come through the sudden twists and turns of our own lives. One day you go to the doctor's office for a routine exam and the next day your life is turned upside down by the results. Or your marriage is humming along just smoothly until one day your spouse tells you he wants a divorce. Or you struggle to keep your head just above water financially, and then the boss announces her downsizing plan. Or a child gets sick, or a parent dies, or there is a fire, or there is a family fight. Suddenly, a storm hits you with a vengeance, and your life takes a dramatic and serious turn. The one common thread in each of these circumstances is that you didn't see the storm coming…just like the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940. Steven Molin, When the Storms Came Olive Wyon, in her book Consider Him, quotes a thing from the letters of St. Francis of Sales. St. Francis had noticed a custom of the country districts in which he lived. He had often noticed a farm servant going across a farmyard to draw water at the well; he also noticed that, before she lifted the brimming pail, the girl always put a piece of wood into it. One day he went out to the girl and asked her, “Why do you do that?” She looked surprised and answered, as if it were a matter of course, “Why? to keep the water from spilling … to keep it steady!” Writing to a friend later on, the bishop told this story and added: “So when your heart is distressed and agitated, put the Cross into its centre to keep it steady!” In every time of storm and stress, the presence of Jesus and the love which flows from the Cross bring peace and serenity and calm.