Put God First

New Year’s Eve Prayer Service Revelation 21:1-6a December 31, 2021 Preparing for the Service Welcome – light a candle to make this sacred space and time. Also encourage you to have a pencil and a piece of paper for reflection and journaling. Lighting the Christ Candle We gather here in this sacred space to lift up your name in glory. At the start of this new year, we continue to be amazed by your Creation, Your heavens, with the multitude of stars in the vastness of space; The secrets found in the depths of your oceans; The majesty of your tallest mountaintops and the roar of your waterfalls; The splendor of your desert in bloom after a rainfall; And the vast expanse of the African savanna. You have set your glory above all the heavens and yet still care for us. You gave us responsibility for your creation giving us the power over the works of your hands. You shaped us in your image and filled our world with your creations, the sheep and oxen and all the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the seas. We lift up our hearts and our hands in praise and thanksgiving for your Creation. Revelation 21:1-6 Common English Bible New heaven and new earth 21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look! I’m making all things new.” He also said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “All is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring. Reflection In this scripture, we learn that the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven: God in the midst of the world. Revelation describes this new moment with wedding imagery, a relationship of perfect joy and peace between God and God’s people. We are called to partner with God to make this new heaven and new earth. Invite people to consider how they might commit themselves< to one or two things in the upcoming year that will show God’s love and teachings in the world. Also ask them to consider what might hold them back from showing God’s love to others. From Catherine Kenlin Message One week a Sunday school teacher had just finished telling her class the Christmas story. After telling the story the teacher asked, "Who do you think the most important woman in the Bible is?” A little boy raised his hand and said, “Eve.” The teacher asked him why he thought Eve was the most important woman in the Bible. The little boy replied, “Well, they name two days of the year after Eve. You know, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.” Source: Unknown New Year’s eve is not a church holiday. But I do think that it is an important time of year. New Year’s Eve us full of ritual and tradition, and myth and legend. Personally I look forward to this night more than any other. Christmas Easter, and even Halloween is full of expectations of me as a pastor and as a family member. New Year’s Eve I am free to be myself. But it is a wonderful night because I am also free to imagine, vision, dream and to plan new ways of being in the coming year. It is a time to set goals and to let God in on those goals. John Wesley, had the same idea. He felt it was a perfect day to look at our relationship with God. In Wesley’s day, of course people went to midnight mass – it was expected that you would be in church in Christmas eve. Wesley encouraged the people called Methodist to go one step further- to gather on New Years – with others and with a peace of paper. To ask yourself some questions about life, about what worked for the year, what didn’t, where was god in your life, most importantly where were you in relation to God. Don Whitely, a spiritual writer came up with a list of 30 questions to ask about your relationship with god. I will give you a sample of them. The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up and get our bearings. For starters, here are 31 questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God as you "Consider your ways." Think on the entire list at one sitting, or answer one question each day for a month. 1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God? 2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year? 3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year? 4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it? 5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year? 6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church? 7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year? You can ask all at once, or one a year. Can google Don Whitely if you want to know more. Pastor Stephen Brown taught swimming and diving for a number of years. He tells about a young boy named Billy. Billy had watched so many professional divers and wanted so much to dive like them that he refused to take time to learn the basics. Time after time Brown tried to help Billy see that the most important thing about diving was to keep his head in the proper position. If his head entered the water properly, Brown explained, the rest of his body would enter the water properly–at least, more properly than it had been. Billy would dive into the pool, do a belly flop, and come up grinning, “Mr. Brown,” he would shout, “were my feet together?” “Billy, I don’t care whether your feet were together or not,” Brown shouted back. “Make sure your head is straight, then everything else will work out.” The next time Billy would stand on the edge of the pool and really concentrate. Then he would dive and, once again, make a mess of it. “Mr. Brown, were my hands together?” “Billy,” Brown would groan in frustration, “I’m going to get you a neck brace and weld it onto your head. For the hundredth time, if your head is right the rest of you will be right. If your head is wrong, the rest of you will be wrong.” And isn’t that true in all of life? If our head is wrong, our marriage will probably suffer. If our head is wrong, our priorities will be fouled up. If our head is wrong, it may even affect our health in a negative way. God understands our distress and God seeks to make us new persons so that we can handle our distress more effectively. Stephen Brown, When Being Good Isn’t Good Enough, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. Adapted by King Duncan New year is a good time to get your head straight. How are you going to put God first in the coming year. We also have to look at what got in the way of our first love and most important relationship. Sometimes it can be our own good intentions, our service, and even the church. Most often, to build toward leisure demands that we disassemble something else. In Thomas Moore’s book Meditations, he tells of a pilgrim walking along a road. The pilgrim sees some men working on a stone building. “You look like a monk,” the pilgrim said. “I am that,” said the monk. “Who is that working on the abbey?” “My monks. I’m the abbot.” “It’s good to see a monastery going up,” said the pilgrim. “They’re tearing it down,” said the abbot. “Whatever for?” asked the pilgrim. “So we can see the sun rise at dawn,” said the abbot. Richard A. Wing, Deep Joy for a Shallow World, CSS Publishing The word paragon means – an action or step that comes second, but helps you to keep your #1 priority in place. Our relationship with God comes first, but the activities that refresh and renew us and clear away the clutter to hear God more clearly are just as important. Tonight, we say goodbye to 2021 and say hello to 2022. One ritual of the new year is to open the door to make sure that the old year passes away. Before it leaves, thank it for the lessons that it taught us, for making us stronger than we were in 2020, for getting us through the tough times for a better day. No year is all bad, and worth shutting the door on. But let us also welcome 2022 I am the New Year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time. I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months. All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination. All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires. All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have—these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose. I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Source: Unknown My prayer for the new year is you stay close enough to the spirit of God that you may know that you are never alone. That you may walk through new doors, that you know when God calls you to let go. There will be many ups and down in this year. There will be heartache, there will be joy. But through it all may we keep our faith directed at God. John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, Exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O Glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen. One More tradition – ringing the bells With food in our bellies and big questions on our minds,we wait for epiphanies big and small.We are still following the star and trying to be wise and braveto ready ourselves for all that this new year might hold.We are listening for that revelationand that certainty that will beas clear as a bell. We hear hints of those those chimes and believe that through all the disorientationand heartbreak we have known, God is still making a new heaven and a new earth.God is making all things newand inviting us to join in the creation of this new year. Elsa Cook A New Year Blessing Benediction You are the people of Christ, the people of the New Jerusalem. You have been claimed by God. Look bravely into the future and see the promise of the new year. See the abundance of God’s gifts in the world. Feel the presence of God in the world with you and go forward in God’s strength, love and grace. Amen. A Service of Holy Communion for the New Year was written by Catherine Kenlin, a recent graduate of Lancaster Theological Seminary, and Member in Discernment in the Lancaster Association of the Penn Central Conference. Additional illustrations Stay Focused! We sometimes miss the great opportunities of life because we get sidetracked. I once heard the tale of a talented and gifted bloodhound in England that started a hunt by chasing a full-grown male deer. During the chase a fox crossed his path, so he began now to chase the fox. A rabbit crossed his hunting path, so he began to chase the rabbit. After chasing the rabbit for a while, a tiny field mouse crossed his path, and he chased the mouse to the corner of a farmer’s barn. The bloodhound had begun the hunt chasing a prized male deer for his master and wound up barking at a tiny mouse. It is a rare human being who can do three or four different things at a time–moving in different directions. The Apostle Paul knew his number one priority in life was to live his life to the honor and glory of God by preaching the Gospel. However, we know that Paul is not in a plush hotel room but in prison. He receives a report that all is not well at the Church in Philippi. His very life could be ended at any moment. And the list goes on. However, the Apostle Paul would not allow anything to cross his path that would deter him from his priority. Paul knew that his new life was a gift from God, not from the promises of humanity. His life was to be lived for his master. Nothing would sidetrack him of that priority! Eric S. Ritz, The Ritz Collection, www.Sermons.com The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up and get our bearings. For starters, here are 31 questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God as you "Consider your ways." Think on the entire list at one sitting, or answer one question each day for a month. 1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God? 2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year? 3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year? 4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it? 5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year? 6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church? 7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year? 8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year? 9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year? 10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in 10 years? In eternity? 11. What's the most important decision you need to make this year? 12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what's one way you could simplify in that area? 13. What's the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year? 14. What habit would you most like to establish this year? 15. Who do you most want to encourage this year? 16. What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it? 17. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your work life this year? 18. What's one new way you could be a blessing to your pastor (or to another who ministers to you) this year? 19. What's one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren? 20. What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year? 21. What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year? 22. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year? 23. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it this year? 24. What's the most important trip you want to take this year? 25. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year? 26. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year? 27. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your commute this year? 28. What one biblical doctrine do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it? 29. If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say? Would they be right? What will you do about it? 30. What's the most important new item you want to buy this year? 31. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year?

The Christmas Promise

Christmas Eve Isaiah 9:2-7 Year C Opening Song Welcome Home Lighting of the Advent and Christ candle Opening Prayer O wondrous God of the stars, we come tonight with breathless wonder to see the babe who will change our lives. We hear the names “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Prince of Peace,” and we are in awe. You have touched the earth this night with your unconditional love. Touch us— touch our hearts and minds and souls. May we never tire of this story. May we never take it for granted. Make this night magical again. Amen. Song Hark the Herald Angels Sing UMH 240 Invitation to the Offering Come now and kneel before the Christ child. Bring all that you are and all that you have. Offer your gifts in wonder and surprise and awe. Offer your gifts in joy and delight. Prayer of Thanksgiving So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh, come, peasant, king, to own Him. The King of Kings salvation brings. Let loving hearts enthrone Him. This, this is Christ the King whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring him laud the Babe, the Son of Mary. Dear Lord, accept our gifts to your mission on earth. Amen. TELLING THE STORY (Please use leader and people instead of presider and assembly) Presider: The Light of Christ is born anew this night as your heart. Assembly: And also yours. Presider: In the beginning, Light shines in the darkness – Loving, Beautiful, Good – giving birth to all creation, the center, the heart, of unfolding life. The Light graces all creation as God’s presence. Assembly: The Light is Christ. Presider: The Light is the child of Mary and Joseph. Assembly: The Light is Love. Presider: The Light is a Jewish mystic, sage, and prophet. Assembly: The Light is Beautiful. Presider: The Light is life in the midst of death. Assembly: The Light is Good. Presider: May Christ, the Light, reveal to all who would see the wisdom and wonder of God’s boundless love. All: Amen. We sit. Scripture Isaiah 9:2-7 [a] The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned. 3 You have made the nation great; you have increased its joy. They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest, as those who divide plunder rejoice. 4 As on the day of Midian, you’ve shattered the yoke that burdened them, the staff on their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor. 5 Because every boot of the thundering warriors, and every garment rolled in blood will be burned, fuel for the fire. 6 A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be vast authority and endless peace for David’s throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of heavenly forces will do this. Song Away in the Manger UMH 217 (verses 1, 3) Christmas Message Living By the Light Jesus Christ is the promise of Christmas. Steve Thomason is a Lutheran Pastor who tells the story of a promise that his older brother made to him as a child. He was a third grader and his brother was a junior in high school – you can predict how this promise will go. One year his mother was making his favorite cookies, thumbprint cookies. He loved the jelly inside of the thumbprint. So his brother promised him cookies if he went upstairs and cleaned his brother’s room and did all of his chores. Young Steve went upstairs and did the best that he could to make his brother happy. After he finished, he ran downstairs, his brother met him at the bottom of the steps with his hands behind his back. Steve waited in anticipation – and when his brother revealed his hand – sure enough there were thumbprint cookies. His brother laughed when he revealed that that the cookies had no jelly in them. Steve grew up and never forgot the so called promise that his brother made. Life is full of promises. The bible is full of promises. Christianity is full of promises Christmas is full of promises. Our scripture in Isaiah is a promise. Isaiah promises that the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. People who were living in oppression and frustration will see freedom, as a leader is born who will lead them into a better life. This fortells the birth of Jesus. Christmas is full of promises. Christmas promises peace, joy, love and hope. Beautiful words that we hear every Christmas – but do you ever wonder if they will be fulfilled? Christmas eve in worship is perfect. But as soon as you watch the next newscast, we will be reminded that Christmas is not full of peace, joy, hope and love. Just last night I watched in horror as a shooting in Oakbrook mall occurred. All I could think of was being a parent sending my child Christmas shopping alone for the first time, only to hear that the mall was in lock down. I think that with all that is happening in our lives today – we can wonder if the Christmas promise even matters any more. And every year at Christmas we are reminded of the promises of Isaiah. It was a promise to the people of the time, but it was also a promise to the world. – that the current suffering would end. That promise manifested itself again thousands of years later when a baby was born in the manger. The promise manifest itself today – when we continue to have faith, even in the midst of a pandemic. We continue to hope that things will get better. Isaiah says that a son will be born and his name will be Immanuel – God is with us. he shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty god, eternal father, prince of peace. He shall be a savior. His name is Jesus. Does the Christmas promise still matter today – I think that is up to each of us. His Name at the Top _ missionary A Payne I had the nicest Christmas list, The longest one in town, Till Daddy looked at it and said, "You'll have to cut it down." I knew that what he said was true Beyond the faintest doubt, But was amazed to hear him say, "You've left your best friend out." And so I scanned my list again, And said, "Oh, that's not true!" But Daddy said, "His name's not there, That Friend who died for you." And then I clearly understood, 'Twas Jesus that he meant; For Him who should come first of all I hadn't planned a cent! I'd made a Christmas birthday list, And left the Saviour out! But, oh, it didn't take me long To change the list about. And though I've had to drop some names of folks I like a lot, My Lord must have the most---because His name is at the top! As long as we remember to keep Christ name at the top of our list, then God’s promises will come true. Is Christmas just a day in our life, or is our life contained in this day? Christ has to come first in all that we do, in order for the Christmas promise to make a difference for us all. If Christ is present in our hearts – then the promise will be fulfilled in the world. I leave you with the words of this poem May the Christmas GIFTS remind us of God’s greatest gift, His only Son. * May the Christmas CANDLES remind us of Him who is the “Light of the world.” * May the Christmas TREES remind us of another tree upon which he died. * May the Christmas CHEER remind us of Him who said, “Be of good cheer.” * May the Christmas FEAST remind us of Him who is “the Bread of Life.” * May the Christmas BELLS remind us of the glorious proclamation of His birth. * May the Christmas CAROLS remind us of the son the angels sang, “Glory to God in the Highest!” * May the Christmas SEASON remind us in every way of Jesus Christ our King! Let us celebrate the fact that the Christmas promise still lives today. Pastoral Prayer God of bright and shining stars, we come this evening with the reminiscences of the old, old story in our hearts. For many here, the story has been heard numerous times, flooding their lives with warmth and love; For others the story is new, surprising, causing wonder and surprise. All around us are symbols and reminders of the miraculous Birth. We see the greens which remind us of your eternal presence and love for us. The candles shed their glowing light helping us to remember the many ways in which you have brightened our lives and offered light to our journey. The colors, the music, and aromas, the people, invite us again into your wonderful presence in the world in the birth of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. In this world in which your holy land is in such turmoil, shed your light anew, that your healing Love may bring Peace and Hope to people in conflict. We ask that you protect all those who are in harm’s way; all those who live lives of anguish, poverty, oppression. We ask your loving presence to be with those who refuse to believe in you; who see your word through the church as a tradition, but see very little impact in their daily lives. Let the Light of Jesus Christ penetrate that darkness of alienation and bring Hope and Peace to all your people. May the light of the stars which sparkled in those dark skies, again illuminate our lives, guiding, healing, leading us to you, Blessed God.. As we gather in this time and place, hearing the story of the birth, remind us again that you are born continually in our lives. In gratitude we offer our praise and our love to you. AMEN. Invitation to Communion This is a magical night. God-with-us has come to touch our world, our lives. God-with-us has come to bring us out of darkness into a glorious light. God-with-us invites us now to come to the table, believing in the promises of God fulfilled tonight. Here we hear angels, and see shepherds, and are transformed by a baby. Here love is offered, and love is found, in the sharing of bread and cup. Here we find our journey’s end and its beginning. Communion – page 13 PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION We are filled with joy for we have heard good news of great joy. We are filled with love for we have tasted the sign of God's great love. We are filled with hope for the angels still sing in our world and there is a Light for us to follow. Passing of the Light Silent Night – UMH 239 Benediction May the light that began at creation, continued through the witness of the prophets, and has come to fullness at the Birth of Jesus Christ , be in your hearts and minds this evening. As you go from this place may your spirits be filled with joy and hope; for God’s precious Light has been given for you. Go in Peace and know that God’s peace always goes with you. AMEN. Additional illustrations Slow Down and Welcome Christmas “The Christmas spirit comes on me more slowly than it used to,” writes Joan Mills, a mother of three children, in her book Christmas Coming. “But it comes, it comes. Middle-aged (most of the time) and jaded (some of the time), I complain of plastic sentiment, days too brief, bones too weary. Scrooge stands at my elbow muttering, “Bah!” and “Humbug!” as I total the bills. But when I acknowledge the child I once was (and still am, somewhere within), the spirit of Christmas irresistibly descends.” “For Christmas is truly for children those we have, and those we have been ourselves. It is the keeping-place for memories of our age in lovely ritual and simplicities. “I’m tired,” I say fretfully. “There’s just too much to do! Must we make so much of Christmas?” “Yes!” they say flatly. “But bayberry, pine and cinnamon scent the shadowed room. Snow lies in quiet beauty outside. I hear someone downstairs turning on the tree lights while another admires. I lie very still in the dark. From the church in the village on the far side of the woods, carillon notes fall faint and sweet on winter clear air. “Silent night,” my heart repeats softly. Holy night. All is calm All is bright. “As I take the stairs lightly going down, no bones weary now, my whole self is thankful; once again, I am flooded with the certainty (call it faith) that there’s goodness in the world, and love endures.” Leonard Sweet, adapting Joan Mills, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Pick Up the Baby Sam Levenson tells a wonderful story about the birth of his first child. The first night home the baby would not stop crying. His wife frantically flipped through the pages of Dr. Spock to find out why babies cry and what to do about it. Since Spock’s book is rather long, the baby cried a long time. Grandma was in the house, but since she had not read the books on childrearing, she was not consulted. The baby continued to cry. Finally, Grandma could be silent no longer. “Put down the book,” she told her children, “and pick up the baby.” Good advice. Put down the book and pick up the baby. Spend time with your children. Particularly at Christmastime. We have the mistaken notion that good parents give their children lots of things. Wrong. In a survey done of fifteen thousand schoolchildren the question was asked, “What do you think makes a happy family?” When the kids answered, they didn’t list a big house, fancy cars, or new video games as the source of happiness. The most frequently given answer was “doing things together.” Notice the joy with which Mary and Elizabeth greeted the news of their pregnancy. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com After unwrapping all of his presents, a little boy was asked, “Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?” He thought a moment and said, “No, but then, it’s not my birthday.” Source: The Speaker’s Quote Book, Roy B. Zuck

Children of Snakes

December 12, 2021 3rd Sunday of Advent Luke 3:7-18 Children of Snakes Year C Opening Song Welcome – Joy Sunday Call to Worship ( adapted from Zephaniah 3) 1. Gathered to worship God, we shout for joy! 2. (shout this out) REJOICE! 1. Why? Because when the day comes for true joy, we will have no more evil to fear. 2. When that time comes, God will exult with joy over us, renewing us in God’s own love. 1. When that time comes, God will gather us in, 2. restore our fortunes Everybody: and dance with shouts of joy! Opening Prayer (from Philippians and Luke) Mid-way through this Advent season, God, we do rejoice, anticipating the coming of the Christ! In the midst of preparations, we pause from our to-do lists, coming together to remember the foundation of our faith. In this worship hour, fill each of us – and all of us – with the joy of your presence. Reach into our minds, hearts and spirits. Inspire us to act out our faith each day. Bring us to repentance from our selfish ways, and inspire us to share with those in need of clothing, food, and honest relationships. AMEN Stewardship Moment When we’ve spent all this worship hour focused on joy, the serious challenge from John the Baptist seems out-of-line. Yet John comes in fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah’s demand that we “prepare the way of the Lord”! Many of us work, preparing for special events here at church, with our friends and family, in our neighborhood, at school and at our jobs. Food is purchased, invitations are sent, special music floods the air. But what of our inner preparation? We follow the people recorded in Luke’s Gospel, saying “what must we do?” John’s response becomes a steadfast reminder of the work we must do: 1) repent! (turn away from evil and toward God) 2) produce appropriate fruits in our lives 3) don’t rely on where we go to church, who is our minister, when we were baptized…but rely on caring for those in need (clothe those in need of clothing, feed the hungry) and being in right relationship with those we encounter. This is a great opportunity to respond. I invite you to dig deep, think clearly, and find ways you can offer significant gifts to support our _____________________ (whatever is your special Christmas offering) in addition to contributing to our general funds and year-end appeals. Let the feeling of expectancy fill you, as we look for the coming of the Christ, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire! Prayer of Thanksgiving All things come from you, Giver of Life. These gifts and offerings are symbols of our lives, given as signs of our desire to give you thanks. Please accept them. Help us put these resources to use in our community, and in our congregation, even as you inspire us to be merciful and generous each day of our lives. AMEN Prayer of Confession It is getting more and more difficult, Lord, for us to keep our attention on the holy things. Our lives are caught up in the planning, parties, gifts, and other such things. We get side-tracked too easily and exhausted, we fall into restless sleep. The cries of those in need abound and we are overwhelmed by the need. Too often we turn a deaf ear because we feel we just can't meet all the needs that are presented to us. Heal our hearts and spirits, Lord. Help us understand that you do not ask us to heal everything but rather to find a simple way in which we might lighten someone else's burden, as you have lightened our lives. You have brought hope and peace to us. Now cause us to rejoice in the wondrous things that you have done. Teach us to use our gifts for the common good, and that in helping, we find great and abundant joy. In Jesus' Name, we pray. AMEN. Words of Assurance The messenger has been sent to you, proclaiming that there is One who is Coming who will heal and lead you. Know that this is a great gift from God, who has always and will always love you. AMEN. Passing of the Peace Scripture Luke 3:7-18 Common English Bible 7 Then John said to the crowds who came to be baptized by him, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? 8 Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire.” 10 The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He replied, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.” 14 Soldiers asked, “What about us? What should we do?” He answered, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.” Responses to John 15 The people were filled with expectation, and everyone wondered whether John might be the Christ. 16 John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.” 18 With many other words John appealed to them, proclaiming good news to the people. Sermon Children of Snakes Okay, I have to confess that it has taken me 26 years to understand the scriptures of Advent. I know that we always learn about John the Baptist, Mary the mother of Jesus and Jesus. But I never quite got the connection, until preaching on Zechariah last week. John and Jesus are cousins, both are special babies who were appreciated and loved. John was the prophet, and Jesus was the promised messiah. Jesus has a profound respect for the ministry of John the Baptist. In a lot of ways he felt that he had to continue his cousin’s ministry. Advent is about prophecy – the fortelling of God’s presence. So our scriptures are more about John the Baptist then they are about Jesus. You Must Get Past John William Willimon, Chaplain at Duke University, says that John the Baptist reminds us of boundaries we must respect and gates we must pass through. At Duke, Willimon reminds the students, "If you are going to graduate, you must first get past the English Department. If you are going to practice law, you must pass the bar. If you want to get to medical school you must survive Organic Chemistry." Likewise, "If you want to get to the joy of Bethlehem in the presence of Jesus, you must get past John the Baptist in the desert." The word from John is "repent," which means "about-face" or turning 180 degrees. Richard A. Wing, Deep Joy for a Shallow World, CSS Publishing Company During advent, we see images of angels, stars, and even the manger everywhere. But you will never go into a store and see a display about John the Baptist. You will get all kinds of Christmas cards this season, but I can guarantee you that you will not get one with John the Baptist on it. There are many symbols of the prophecy foretold. But John message is not one that very many people really want to hear. In our scripture – when John gets older he is determined to go throughout the countryside telling people that the messiah was coming. He doesn’t do that by complimenting people. He calls them snakes in the grass. He talks to the leaders and the government officials telling them that the way they treat people is not right, and they need to do something different. He calls them into the wilderness and tells them it is time to get their lives together. Even John is surprised when they listen to him and ask what they must do to get right with God. John message is not just that God is coming, but that we all need to repent before God gets here. Taking Sin Seriously In John Steinbeck's story "The Wayward Bus" a dilapidated old bus takes a cross-country shortcut on its journey to Los Angeles, and gets stuck in the mud. While the drivers go for assistance, the passengers take refuge in a cave. It is a curious company of people and it is obvious that the author is attempting to get across the point that these people are lost spiritually as well as literally. As they enter into this cave, the author calls the readers’ attention to the fact that as they enter they must pass a word that has been scrawled with paint over the entrance. The word is repent. Although Steinbeck calls that to the reader’s attention it is interesting that none of the passengers pay any attention to it whatsoever. All too often this is our story. Yet, John the Baptist calls upon us to take our sinning seriously. Why? Because God does? Staff, www.Sermons.com Today, we are a lot like the crowd listening to John. We are nice people, we are Christians, we go to church, we do the right thing, we try at least. But no matter we are, we all get comfortable with our faith. After a while, we get comfortable with life. And we stop thinking about how are actions affect others. And the truth be told, our actions start to resemble more the world, then what is in the bible. Our actions become self serving and we just are not paying attention. Until John the Baptist reminds us that it is time to repent. That is why people were willing to travel 18 miles into the wilderness to listen to JB. They had just gotten to comfortable with life and had forgot their faith. They didn’t even mind when JB called them snakes in the grass. JB’s message is told every year – because we too need to be reminded that it is time to repent. There are people out there who are waiting to be reminded to get focused. Even today, people out there are still seeking the truth. They are searching for a word from God. They look forward to Christmas to hear from the church. We are good at telling them about the angels, the stars, but we don’t say anything about John the Baptist, the prophecy, the repentance. We too are searching for something different. In a lot of ways we too are facing the wilderness. I would say that the pandemic has been a wilderness experience for us all. We too have to be reminded to prepare ourselves for a big change in life. John reminds us that God does not have special people, and that even though we have the best of intentions, that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The people who need to be reminded of what it means to be the followers of God asks the question – what must I do to repent. It seems like common sense – But John says to repent. We have to be reminded that following jesus in not a priveliedge, but a never ending journey. John the Baptist was concerned about the politicians, the supervisors, those in charge. He wanted them to make good decisions and to hold god accountable in our decisions. Many of them asked what must they do to be saved – and the answer was simple – do what is right. Scripture says don’t take more that what you deserve, leave some for others, don’t make a profit off of others, and don’t threaten others, be satisfied with what you have. Christian Hope Had Changed His Life Some years ago a military airplane crashed at Sonderstrom Air Force Base in Greenland. Twenty-two people were killed. The runway and the nearby fields were strewn with bodies. It was a tragic and horrible moment. There was only one chaplain on the base at the time… and the entire burden was laid on him to bring comfort and the Word of Christ to a shocked community staggered by the horrendous accident. But there was little time to mourn that day. The grisly task of gathering up and identifying the bodies needed to be done. And so, the chaplain, along with a young lieutenant who had been assigned the duties of a mortuary officer and a group of volunteers went about the awful business of picking up the mutilated bodies and trying to identify the dead, so that their families and loved ones back home could be notified. It was a heart-breaking and exhausting task, but it had to be done. The people worked in shocked silence well into the night until they almost dropped from fatigue. When every last remnant of death had been picked up, they each went silently to their individual rooms. That night, after midnight, there was a knock on the chaplain’s door. Outside stood the young lieutenant, the Mortuary Officer. He said nothing. He just stood there and wept. After some moments, the young lieutenant spoke through his tears and he said to the chaplain, “As we were picking up the bodies today, I realized something. I realized that the only other people out there with us were the people who go to church here. I have always been an unbeliever, and I used to ridicule these same people who were out there with us. Yet they are the only persons who would, or perhaps could, do what we had to do today. It must have been their Christian spirit that could help them see beyond the horror to the hope.” That tragic day turned around the life of that young lieutenant. As he had admitted, he had never been religious, had seldom gone to church except for weddings and funerals, but from that time on he was a new man. Christ was born in his heart. From that time forward, he took an active part in the Christian ministry of that base. Then he did an unheard thing – he extended his tour of duty in Greenland for an extra year. He was the first person in the history of that base to do that. He did it because he wanted to be able to tell others the story of how the power of the Christian Hope had changed his life. If you want to give your loved ones a great Christmas present this year, give them the gift of Christian Hope. On page after page of the New Testament we find it: the Good News that God will win, that nothing can defeat Him; that ultimately God and goodness will have the victory and that when we put our hope in Him, nothing, not even death, can separate us from His watch care and His love and His triumph. Once each year, Christmas comes along to renew our hope and to remind us that the darkness of this world cannot overcome the light of the world. James W. Moore, Sermons.com Hope, Joy, Love and Peace – they all live together. Finally I leave you with a version of chapter 13 of Corinthians for the Christmas season….. 1 CORINTHIANS 13 – - A CHRISTMAS VERSION - By an unknown author If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love, I’m just another decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love, I’m just another cook. If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing. If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point. Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure. Hope, love, peace, joy all live together. This is the week of joy. Our joy comes in the presence of a messiah who will bring light to a dark life so that we all can live a better life. And it all starts with us – who are preparing for a messiah – by watching our actions and knowing that they make a difference in the world. In the midst of a pandemic word – may we all find joy. Not a giddy feeling, but a joy deeply connected to the reality of the world. Joy in the presence of God In this third week of advent, that is our focus on joy. Joy is not the absence of trouble, it is the presence of God in our lives. And more importantly the presence of god in our actions. And the realization that even for the most seasoned Christian, that there is a difference in what we do , when with god, then without God. We must never forget that we were made in the image of God, and not in the image of humans. Who we are should reflect God. Joy is what we are chosen for to serve god, and joy is what we have to give to others. The joy of being a child of god. Let us pray….. Pastoral Prayer "It's the most wonderful time of the year" - the music swirls toward our ears from countless speakers in stores, on the radio, on TV. But we aren't so sure about that. We have been so wrapped up in preparation for the "wonderful season" we can't seem to find the joy. So many people are in need. We have friends and family members who are suffering from illnesses, loss, alienation. We want them to be happy, but we can't make that happen. We bring the names to you, Lord, for your healing mercy and rest in the assurance of your loving presence with them. That is a comfort to us. But we also stand in need of your healing restoration. We are feeling depleted, discouraged, and exhausted. Slow us down, Lord. Help us to feel the joy of your love from the "inside out" and in every direction! Remind us that your gift of love is freely given to us so that we may be healed and be a blessing to someone else. Touch our hearts and spirits, so that your joy may spring from our lips and our lives. For we ask it in Jesus' Name. AMEN. Song What Child Is This UMH 219 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Dear Lord, Through the darkness, I look for your wisdom. I want my heart to be open to you. But sometimes in these days, it seems that so many things come between us. Help me to be awake and aware of the radiance you bring to my life. Help me to be grateful each day for the blessings of family and friends. Let me be a peacemaker in my own life, and in the world. Let me pray especially for this difficult world and those who are so in need of an end to violence. My heart begs for this as my Advent prayer today. Community Time Benediction God has indeed made us Glad; for God will send us a Savior who will teach us how to live joyfully, peacefully, hopefully. Rejoice people of God, for such is God's great love for us. Children’s Sermon Week 3: Joy Light the pink or rose colored candle in the Advent Wreath. Christmas is a joyful time for most children as it should be. The Bible talks a lot about joy and how Jesus being born was a joyful occasion. Talk to the children about how Christmas is a time of great joy. Ask them what makes them joyful at Christmas. There are other things that cause people to be joyful like the birth of a baby. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of a baby. But this baby was different than any other child. Jesus is the son of God, and He came to Earth to be our saviour. Because of this, He has brought joy to the world. You may want to have the children sing the song Joy To The World. Bible Story: For week three of advent, read Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:1-20. Tell the story of the visitors after Jesus was born. First talk about the angels who appeared to the shepherds and told them that a baby was born that would bring joy to the world. The shepherds went to see baby Jesus and were filled with joy. Some time later wise men arrived from the East. They had followed a star to Bethlehem and wanted to worship the new born king of kings. They were filled when great joy when the found Jesus and gave him gifts. Additional Illiustrations Blessed Are They Who Find Christmas… Blessed are they who find Christmas in the age-old story of a babe born in Bethlehem. To them a little child will always mean hope and promise to a troubled world. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the Christmas star. Their lives may ever reflect its beauty and light. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the joy of giving lovingly to others. They shall share the gladness and joy of the shepherds and wise men of old. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the fragrant greens, the cheerful holly and soft flicker of candles. To them shall come bright memories of love and happiness. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the happy music of Christmas time. They shall have a song of joy ever singing in their hearts. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the message of the Prince of Peace. They will ever strive to help him bring peace on earth, goodwill to men (author unknown). James T. Garrett, God’s Gift, CSS Publishing Company But here is a practical application. May our politicians will make decisions about guns that will prevent all of these shootings. But in the midst of tradgey, Mister rogers said that his mother always said look for the helpers, those who know that change come first with them. Change in the world comes with you and your repentence. Be one of those helpers….but I have even more faith in you. The brood of vipers And even John was surprised at the response that he got. Normal people in his life, people who disrespected him, who ignored him, who knowingly did what was wrong. There were many people who wanted to turn their lives around. Who wanted to live a life in relationship with God. You brood of snakes, how can you have to nerve to be saved. James Eckard makes an ethical decisions In the 70’s the Eckard drugstores were the biggest chain in the country. Eckard was not a Christian, but he had a Christian friend. He had no intention of living a Christian life, until one day he listened to his friend. He came to understand what God expected of him – he came to learn truly what was ethical behavior. And he realized that his drugstores were buying into the glamorous lifestyle of do what you want. People could come into the store and at the front counter buy penthouse and play boy magazines. He sold so many magazines that he was making 3 million dollars a year. But after he has stood by the waters and been cleanses by god - he decided that it was not right to sell the magazines. I love god enough to give up three million dollars. But it didn’t stop there – he called all of the other drugstores and convinced them to stop selling the magazines also. You cant go to the drugstore chains to buy inappropriate magazines anymore. That was the power of one man’s repentance. Through his repentance, doing what was right before god was more important than making money. In this advent season, John reminds us that the first step to preparing our hearts for salvation, is to stand on the waters of repentence, and to see our glory shining as God intended. In order for us to get to the joy of the season. We have to stand before God and take an honest toll of ourselves. Our sins, our vulnerabilities, our weaknesses. And turn them truly over to God. When we subject ourselves to god’s judgment, we also have to subject ourselves to God’s mercy. God’s strength to give us a better life. A heart changed by God is a heart that brings forth fruit. How does god need to change your heart- sometimes we don’t realize until we see our selves in the reflection of the waters of repentance. What does it mean to live in a way that is truly pleasing to God? You have to pass through repentance to get to salvation William Willimon, Chaplain at IDuke University, says that John the Baptist reminds us of boundaries we must respect and gates we must pass through. At Duke, Willimon reminds the students, "If you are going to graduate, you must first get past the English Department. If you are going to practice law, you must pass the bar. If you want to get to medical school you must survive Organic Chemistry." Likewise, "If you want to get to the joy of Bethlehem in the presence of Jesus, you must get past John the Baptist in the desert." The word from John is "repent," which means "about-face" or turning 180 degrees. Time to Act Once the eminent philosopher John Dewey found his son in the bathroom. The floor was flooded and he was mopping furiously trying to contain the water in that room, keeping the damage to a minimum. The professor began thinking, trying to understand the deeper ramifications of the situation. After a few moments, the son said, "Dad, this is not the time to philosophize. It is time to mop!" Baptism is our statement that we are ready to stop philosophizing and ready to start mopping. Zig Ziglar reminds us that the largest locomotive in the world can be held in its tracks while standing still simply by placing a single one-inch block of wood in front of each of the eight drive wheels. The same locomotive moving at 100 miles per hour can crash through a wall of steel reinforced concrete five feet thick, but it must be moving first. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.sermons.com

A Moment of Grief and Remembrance

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington All Saint’s Day November 7, 2021 John 11:32-44 Year B Opening Prayer Welcome Opening Prayer Healing God, we come to you today acknowledging that this has been a painful year. A year in which so much was lost. A year of grief in which we, too, may have cried out the same words of Jesus and the psalmist of: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And yet, we also acknowledge, Almighty God, that in our crying out, we are still calling out for you: to save us, to heal us, to provide a balm for our broken and wounded hearts. Today we come to you for comfort and healing as we boldly proclaim together the promise of the resurrection in Jesus Christ our Lord. Comfort us in our grief and remind us that your communion table stretches from the church altar to the communion of saints. Open our hearts and our lips to speak once more of your hope that always exist, always perseveres, and always conquers darkness even on our hardest of days. Remind us of the gift of the body of Christ, as we mourn together corporately in this place and across the conference. Heal us Lord, so that we may be your healing hands to the world. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. - Written by Director of Clergy Excellence, Rev. Jessie Colwell Stewardship Moment Moment for Stewardship (This would be a great Sunday to tell of the generosity of one of the “saints” no longer living but whose influence continues to be felt in the congregation. Consider asking one of your long-time members to tell the story of someone s/he remembers from years past who modeled generosity) or, tell this: Gretchen, a life-long member of the congregation, never had more money than what she needed for basics. After raising 10 children, experiencing the death of her beloved husband, and working in the high school cafeteria until she was 70, Gretchen yearned to have something big to give to her church. Quietly, Gretchen took on the weekly task of preparing communion. Each Saturday, she would let herself into the building and lovingly prepare 10 trays of cups and 10 plates of what she called “the crackers”. Then, after the hour-long process, she would go to the sanctuary for a time of prayer. Following that morning routine, Gretchen would return home to put her “first fruits” offering in an envelope, carefully set-aside from the money she earned by selling to anyone who came to purchase fresh eggs. This pattern continued for nearly fifteen years, until Gretchen was no longer able to drive, stand for an hour, or keep her chickens. Only a few months after that, Gretchen’s earthly life came to an end. At her funeral, the whole congregation took communion, remembering Gretchen’s faithful offering of her time, talent and treasure. What will this congregation remember of you and your faithful offering? Prayer of Thanksgiving We give you thanks, O God, for these gifts provided by living saints, and for gifts which have come from all the saints who ever worshiped you, from brush arbors or cathedrals, weathered wooden churches or crumbling cement meeting houses. We give you thanks, O God, for hands lifted in praise: manicured hands and hands stained with grease or soil, strong hands and those gnarled with age holy hands used as wave offerings across the land. We thank you, God, for hardworking saints; whether hard-hatted or steel-booted, head ragged or aproned, blue-collared or three-piece-suited. These gifts and all our lives are leaving their mark on the earth for you, for us, for our children yet to come. Thank you, God, for the sacrifices made by those who have gone before us, and for all who are sacrificing to offer you these gifts of finances, and gifts of time and talents. Bless these gifts, bless each giver, and bless our memories of your gone-before-us saints, AMEN Adapted from: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/a-prayer-meditation-for-all-saints-day Scripture John 11:32-44 Common English Bible 32 When Mary arrived where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her crying and the Jews who had come with her crying also, he was deeply disturbed and troubled. 34 He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to cry. 36 The Jews said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “He healed the eyes of the man born blind. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” Jesus at Lazarus’ tomb 38 Jesus was deeply disturbed again when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone covered the entrance. 39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “Lord, the smell will be awful! He’s been dead four days.” 40 Jesus replied, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?” 41 So they removed the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 I know you always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe that you sent me.” 43 Having said this, Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” Sermon A Moment of Grief and Remembrance The five stages of grief are denial, numbness and shock, then bargaining, then depression, then anger, and finally acceptance. Whenever there is the loss of deep love, we experience grief. All of us go through these stages of grief Howver, the pathway through that grief is different for each of us. Sometimes the experience we have with the loss of each loved one is different, and each stage of grief is different. Sometimes we go through the stages in order, sometimes the stages may happen all at once, sometimes we may spend a short time in one stage and forever in another, sometimes are all over the place, sometimes we experience them in our own order, sometimes you may think that you are over one stage, only to discover that it is back again. Grief if a part of all of our lives. However you experience these stages it is okay. Whereever you may be right now, it is okay, and wherever you are – you are right where you need to be. We want to honor those who have joined us today – in the pews and in spirit. But I think we can all say that this has been a long year for us all. We are grieving for those before us, but we are also grieving our life, our wellbeing, our sense of normalcy. Sometimes it is easy to point out these stages of grief in ourselves and others. But our scripture teaches us that Jesus grieved also. All of John 11 shows us that. Jesus is with his disciples taking the scenic route to Jerusalem – he wants to meet new people. Sometime on his journey – he just feels in his spirit that his friend Lazurus has died. Rather then rushing to comfort the family, Jesus just waits for two days. In some ways that could be the first stage of grief – denial. Then bargaining – he tells the disciples that he has to go to Bethany, even though he knows it may cost him his life. in the depression stage Mary cries out to him, Jesus gets angry at the world, and eventually he not only heals Lazurus, but continues his mission. Scripture tells us that Jesus got so angry that he wept. Perhaps he was angry at the whole concept of death and its affects on his friend and his family, perhaps he is mad because of his own hesitation to come to help his friends. Perhaps he is mad at the world for not understanding God, we don’t know that full extent of his anger – but we do know that Jesus is the only messiah who feels pain and cries about it. What is the point of a savior who cries? Remembering the Saints For those who are with us virtually, you are welcome to have a candle on hand to light in remembrance of all those named and that you hold in your heart. Intro to the Candle Lighting and Naming of the Saints God of the Saints (does not need to be printed) We give you thanks, O God, for every saint who ever worshiped you Whether in brush arbors or cathedrals, Weathered wooden churches or crumbling cement meeting houses Where your name was lifted and adored, Where your scriptures were studied, your people served. We give you thanks, O God, for centuries of hands in service: hands groomed, hands stained with grease or soil, Young hands, hands marked with age Holy hands of every shade raised in praise, Serving hands that cooked, hammered, and held. We give you thanks, O God, for hardworking saints; Whether hard-hatted or steel-booted, Head ragged or aproned, Blue-collared or three-piece-suited They ministered on the earth for you, for us, for our children to come. We give your thanks, O God, for saints in a season of pandemic Family and friends whose love was taken from us too soon, Caregivers of every kind who put our safety before theirs, Employers and landlords who gave us steady wages and roofs over our heads, Cooks and drivers that kept us fed and stocked. Liturgy for All Saints Day 2021 In gratitude for the gifts of these saints, we take a moment to name them before you, and the body of Christ, claiming their lives as a gift to the church: List the names of the people we are lighting candles for Today we also light a candle for all the saints who have been lost in this community and in years past that are on our hearts today. Finally, we light one more candle acknowledging all the saints who lost their lives to COVID-19. We acknowledge that over 20,000 people in Illinois have died due to this virus and we pray for their families. Now let us take a moment of silence in remembrance of those we love who are no longer physically with us. • A show comment from last time round the cycle: “I can never hear this account of Jesus' raising Lazarus without thinking of an impromptu Bible study I had with a bereaved mother in her hospital room. During my Clinical Pastoral Education unit (required for priests in training in the Episcopal Church), my assigned areas were the NICU (neo-natal ICU) and high risk pregnancy unit. I spent several days visiting and praying with this woman whose baby died in her arms just hours after being born. The last time I saw her, she asked, "Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead. Why won't he do the same for my little girl? I'm pretty mad about that--am I going to hell? If I do, will I ever see my baby?" After I swallowed a river of tears and assured her that she was not hell-bound for being mad at God, I located the Bible in her room (thank you, Gideonites!) and started reading John 11. I even took time to explain about the Book of Signs and why Jesus raised Lazarus in the first place (can you say pedantic pastoral care?). When we got to the part where "Jesus wept", the woman stopped me. "Do you think Jesus is weeping for my baby?" "Yes, he's holding her now and weeping for her and for you." A savior who knows pain, grief and suffering is just what we need. We need to know that we are not alone in our grief. The God who cries is with us. This story of Lazurus rising from the tomb is not about resurrection. Eventually Lazarus dies again. But through his own suffering and death, Jesus eventually overcomes that blockage for all of us – death has no control over us any more. All Saints day has a profound lesson in the cycle of life. I didn’t realize that Halloween and All Saints day are about a quarter of the way between Labor Day and Christmas. It marks the shift between darker days, the harvest season, colder temperatures. As a matter of fact, the symbol of All Saint Day is a shaft of wheat. Nature goes through its own grief process as we mourn the loss of the precious light that helps our life. Yet it is a reminder that Jesus us the light in the midst of darkness. Sometimes it seems like our grief will last forever and for many of us grief takes years and years to get through. But Jesus reminds us that resurrection opens the doors to something else. Leith Anderson, a pastor, shared an experience: As a boy, he grew up outside of New York City and was an avid fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. One day his father took him to a World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. He was so excited, and he just knew the Dodgers would trounce the Yankees. Unfortunately, the Dodgers never got on base, and his excitement was shattered. Years later he was engrossed in a conversation with a man who was a walking sports almanac. Leith told him about the first major league game he attended and added, "It was such a disappointment. I was a Dodger fan' and the Dodgers never got on base." The man said, "You were There? You were at the game when Don Larsen pitched the first perfect game in all of World Series history'" Leith replied, ''Yeah, but uh, we lost." He then realized that he had been so caught up in his team's defeat that he missed out on the fact that he was a witness to a far greater page of history. (As told by Dean Register in the Minister's Manuel, 1995, 339) Let me ask you a question. What's going on down the street in our ball park? We may be so caught up in the beauty of our building, the eloquence of the sermon, and the friends who sit around us, that we miss out on a far greater page in the story of our Christianity. Look around you. What is it that is happening in our community? What is it that is happening down the street at your neighbor's house? What is happening down at the playground? What is your spouse trying to tell you? Is God pitching a perfect game in the world series of our neighborhood and we simply are missing out because we are so invested in our team? Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com The last thing that sticks out to me about this text is Mary’s response to Jesus when he returns to her house. She says Jesus has you been here my brother would not have died. How did she know her close friend was actually the messiah. How did she know that he had the answer to death? We will never know. She did not understand why her brother had to die – just as we may never understand why our loves ones die. But she believed – and that made all of the difference in the world. We honor our loved ones who also believed – and that made all of the difference in the world – they believed enough to follow Jesus to heaven and they now live forever. Jesus us the messiah who cries for us, but he cries also for the world, he cries for a better day, he cries for a cure, he cries for us to be faithful in our lives, and in our memories. It is days like this that remind us of love, lessons, hope, and peace that these people showed us. May we all be faithful saints of Jesus. Amen. Communion Song Come Ye Disconsolate UMH 510 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook L: Let us go to be God’s saints this week. P: Not because we are more pious or special, but because we are called to care for those whom the world has tossed aside. L: Let us go now to serve with Jesus this week. P: Not because we are better than those around us, but because we are called to humble ourselves in serving those whom society has forgotten. L: Let us go now to journey with the Spirit this week. P: Not because we have the inside track, but because we have all lost our way, but hand in hand will be led to God’s heart. (c) Thom M. Shuman Community Time Benediction The pathway is open before you this day. It is a path of peace and hope, brought to others by God’s mighty love and wondrous blessings. Go in peace, bringing hope to all that you meet. Go, blessed ones, to serve God all your days. Go into the world as the living body of Christ, bringing eternal life to all who seek God’s face. Amen Children’s Time Additional Illustrations……. • “Jesus wept.” What does it mean to follow a messiah who wept? What does it mean to have a Savior who cries? The story is told of Frederick William IV of Prussia who once visited a school and quizzed the students. He held up a stone and asked the children: to what kingdom does this belong? They responded: mineral. He then, pointed to a flower and asked: to what kingdom does this belong? They answered: plant. He then pointed to a bird flying by outside the window and asked: to what Kingdom does that belong? They replied: animal. Then he asked: now, to what kingdom do I belong. He had raised a profound theological question. To what kingdom do we belong? On a literal sense, we are, off course, part and parcel of the animal kingdom. I belong to the same kingdom as my dog Ruff. He has many human traits. He can pout, he can get excited, he has a temper (as some of you who have visited the parsonage have discovered). But yet, Ruff does not understand time. He cannot grasp that there is a point beyond which he will not live. Only humans can grasp time. Ruff cannot tell right From wrong. It is not within him to share. His limited mind cannot set goals. All of those are human traits. The magnificent thing for humans is that it is within us to rise above purely animal desires and become a part of another kingdom----the Kingdom of God. Staff,www.Sermons.com Today, we celebrate “All Saints Day” –a day in the life of Christian tradition that honor all those in our Christian communities past, present, and future. For we are part of a huge body of Christ, and one that carries on through the generations by the passing on of the faith from one to another. All Saints is also tied to the idea of the harvest. As we come into our fall season, we celebrate the final harvest of the season. In the Jewish tradition, the final harvest occurs in the spring, as in the east, seasons are opposite. When we celebrate spring, they celebrate fall. When we celebrate fall, they are beginning their spring. So, the season most closely paired to our Harvest Celebration in the Jewish tradition is the season that we still celebrate now within our church year –the season of Pentecost, but most specifically tied to our harvest celebration is the Feast of Weeks –Shuvuot (the last harvest or the wheat harvest). In fact, the symbol for All Saints Day is the sheaf of wheat, symbolizing God’s final harvest, Jesus’ final victory. Think of it this way, when the harvest is here [hold two fingers up symbolizing the sheaf], God’s victory is near! [spread fingers into a V for Victory]. Can we do that together? “When the harvest is here, God’s victory is near!” [do the hand motions] All of you know the famous song by Knowles Shaw, “Bringing in the Sheaves,” right? Who has heard that song? We’re going to sing it today together. Well, that song was written as a response to psalm 126 –the idea that we spend our lives working in God’s vineyard as His loyal and faithful servants, sowing the seeds of kindness, and many times, shedding tears of sorrow, pain, and empathy for a broken world. Some of those tears may be our own for the things we’ve endured in our own lives. Some may be for others. But many times, life isn’t easy, especially when you’re devoted to God amid a world enmeshed in conflict. But we carry on, knowing that someday, the harvest will come, and we will be filled with the joy and love of God. Or as the psalmist says in Psalm 30: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” For Christians, we know the joy of Jesus’ sacrifice and victory in our own lives, and in the lives of people around us. We know the joy of God in our hearts even in the midst of sorrow. We may go out into the world in tears, but we come in from the field with joy! For God is Lord of the Harvest. You know sometimes as people of the Church, we think we need to be responsible for the harvest. We spend a lot of time worrying about results, and fretting when things don’t turn out like we hoped they would. We plan events, and few come. We try ministries that sometimes don’t work. We touch lives, and we fret, because those people aren’t in our pews. And sometimes, we start to feel down, because we feel that our efforts don’t matter. But we are not in charge of the Harvest crops. We are in charge of the sowing and the scattering of seed, and we are in charge of nurturing those seeds into fruition, and we are in charge of till and keeping the covenant of God and bearing the fruit of the gospel to everyone we can. We seek to work God’s mission fields, and to harvest (bring home to God) those of God’s faithful who respond to our good news. But we are not responsible for the turning of hearts and the growth of the crops. That’s God’s job. We are not the owners of the field; we are the workers in the field. And when we spread love, we never know how things might turn out. But spread we must. And sometimes, we gather people together, and we glean from the margins, and the edges, those who have been left behind, and we bring them to the Lord. Last week, we saw a film about John Wesley. Wesley wasn’t interested so much in just reaping the harvest he could easily see in the pews and churches of England. Wesley was interested in gleaning from the “leftovers” in the fields –those who weren’t welcome in the pews of the wealthy and well-brought up. He was interested in gathering from the margins among the downhearted, the poor, the disenchanted, and the depressed –those with addictions, and those with little money, those thrown into debtors prison, and those battling domestic issues, sickness, and pain. Wesley gleaned from the hopeless, and showed them the hope and the abundant mercy of God. And Jesus calls us to do the same. Today, we have heard the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman, born into another place and another faith, but whose heart found God. She followed her mother in law to Bethlehem, the land of fertile fields of barley and wheat –God’s House of Bread. Although destitute and hungry, Ruth found grace and hope in the fields of Boaz, where she was allowed to glean and gather from the corners of the field, left deliberately for the poor. Like David who would come after her, she is a servant before she is blessed with abundance. And through her humility and service, she is found to be worthy of becoming one of the “mothers” in the line of the Messiah Jesus. [You may wish to tell more of the story again here.] Ruth’s entry into God’s covenant is fixed when she meets and unites with Boaz on the threshing floor. Symbolizing the very wheat she has gleaned, Ruth is laid upon the threshing floor (the symbol of God’s place of judgment) and found by God to be pure of heart and sound of soul. In the uniting with Boaz, she is married to God’ covenant, and she reaps God’s abundant blessings. Ruth is rewarded for her love and loyalty by becoming Boaz’s wife. As a member of God’s faithful in Israel, Ruth will go on to become the great grandmother of King David. Jesus calls each and every one of us to be “gleaners” for God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 9: “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few; therefore pay earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Today, as we celebrate the community of all saints, we celebrate those who have worked the fields of God’s vineyards, who have walked with God through both wheat and weeds, and have passed on the faith to you, and to those like you. To whom will you pass on the stories of Jesus? Who will one day say that YOU were their inspiration, their saving grace, the one they’ve looked to when they learned to follow Jesus? You are the workers of God’s harvest. “The harvest is plentiful; the workers are few.” As you prepare for Holy Communion today, I asked that when you receive the Eucharist, you answer the question, “Will you go into the fields for Jesus?” And will your answer be? …. “Lord, send me.” Today, as we celebrate the Holy Communion with Jesus, as we take the bread, and the cup, we recognize God’s final victory, and look forward to that Final Victory when we enter into God’s kingdom and sit at His heavenly table, partaking of the abundant blessings of our Lord and Savior with all of the saints who have come before us. But who will come after you? Who will sit here a hundred years from now to celebrate our Lord? “The harvest is plentiful; the workers are few.” Shed your tears for the poor and disenchanted. Tell your stories to those who haven’t heard of Jesus. God out into your communities, into your fields, into your coffee shops and firehouses. And tell the stories of Jesus to those in the margins and on the edges of the world today. Gather us in, Lord, gather us in. ________________________________________ Based on the Story Lectionary Major Text The Story of Ruth: A Story of Faith from the Heart Minor Text The Story of Tamar: Loyalty is Not As It May Appear (Genesis 38) A Raining Down of Manna (Exodus 16 and Numbers 11) Elijah’s Healing/Raising of a Phoenician Woman’s Son and a Gift of Bread (1 Kings 17) The Story of Jezebel (of Phoenicia, Daughter of King of Tyre), Ahab, and Elijah (1 Kings 9: 16-21) Elisha’s Healing/Raising of a Shunammanite Woman’s Son (2 Kings 4) Psalm 19: The Lord’s Salvation Jesus Heals a Canaanite Woman’s Daughter in Tyre (Matthew 15:21-28) Jesus Heals a Syrophoenician Woman’s Daughter in Tyre (Mark 7:24-30) The Parable of the Great Dinner (Luke 14:15-24) Salvation is for All Who Believe with the Heart Reminds Paul (Letter to the Romans, Chapter 10) Optional OPTION TWO Lectionary The Raising Up of a New Prophet Like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-22) Psalm 2: The Son of God Psalm 22: Song of Deliverance from Persecution and God’s Victory Psalm 110: The Priest of Melchizedek God Knows the Name of the Son (Proverbs 30:3-6) The Prophecy of Amos (8) Zechariah’s Oracle for Jerusalem (12) Jeremiah’s Prophecy of a New Covenant (31) Isaiah’s Suffering Servant (53) The Book of Hosea The Son of God Who Will Suffer (Hebrews 1 and 2) Jesus’ Prophecies of His Death and Resurrection (Matthew 16:21-23; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 26:1-5; Mark 8:31-33; 9:3-32; 10:32-24; Luke 9:18-22; 9:44-45; 12:49-50; 18:31-34; John 7:12-24; 12:20-36; 13:31-14:7; 16:16) Jesus the Son of God (Acts of the Apostles 13) Christ’s Suffering (1 Peter 2) The Resurrection of the Son and the Promise of Resurrection for All (1 Corinthians 15) The Son of Man (Revelation 1) Image Exegesis: The Omer The “omer” or sheaf is an important metaphor in the life of the Jewish people. Most people were either shepherds or farmers, so agricultural symbols dominate the Hebrew scriptures. The story of Ruth is the story of one such agricultural community –at Beth Lehem (the House of Bread) –fertile hillsides from which the community was fed with rich harvests of wheat and barley and other grains, as well as grapes and wine. There are so many references to the idea of “workers in God’s fields or vineyards” both in the Hebrew scriptures and in the gospels, that they are more than one can mention easily. Jesus uses the metaphor copiously in his stories. From sowing seeds, to planting, to watering, to harvesting, and to talk of wheat and chaff, or wheat and weeds, we know that for Jesus too, God is the grand harvester, and the “owner” or “master” of the fields. The end of the harvest (or the last harvest) for the Jewish people is Shavuot (the wheat harvest). At Shavuot, the Book of Ruth is read, as a symbol of God’s great blessings upon not just the poor, but those whose hearts turn to God. God (and Jesus emphasizes this emphatically) does not care about genetics. God cares about the state of one’s heart, and where that heart is loyal. When one is loving and loyal to God, God bestows upon that person abundant blessings. Jesus spent his ministry turning the tables on the expectations in society. The poor and marginal would be first at the table (and we see that in Jesus’ table parable). The outsiders will be blessed (as we see in his address to the Syro-Phoenician woman). The last will be first! No better do we see this as in the story of Ruth –one of the “mothers” of the Messiah (as seen in Matthew’s genealogy). Looking at the symbol of grain in the spirit of Shavuot, Ruth is both gleaner and wheat. She symbolizes the servant of the field, but she also symbolizes the wheat laid upon the threshing floor, and chosen/redeemed by God. Her redemption comes in form of her wedding to Boaz, in which she becomes part of Israel’s royal heritage. Likewise, the symbols of crown (victory/kingship) and sheaf of wheat (love/salvation/bread/abundant blessing/victory of the final harvest) are the symbols of All Saints Day in the Christian tradition. For we also celebrate God’s harvest –especially harvest from the margins and the edges of our societies and our world. The story today then is a missional one. The metaphors are missional, as well as ministerial. We are called to participate in God’s mission field –we sow seed, but we also help in the harvest, to gather together those who are weary and heavy laden, so that Jesus may give them rest –and a place at His heavenly and abundant table. When we come to the great threshing floor of God –who will be gathered in? Will you be one of those who served well? ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., , by Lori Wagner

Christ the New Way to Hope, Faith and Love

November 14, 2021 Year B Hebrews 10:11-25 Opening Song Welcome Opening Prayer Holy One, there is no God like you. In praise and thanksgiving, we come before you ready to learn of your power, ready to follow your path for our lives. Through days of jubilation as well as dejection, help us realize your influence in the world. We ask simply for ears to hear, eyes to see, and minds to comprehend the blessings you bestow. Amen. Call to Worship Leader: This nation, under God, depends on each generation accepting the call to serve both God and country. People: Everywhere we look we are reminded of the commitment our veterans made in presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice. Leader: So today we honor them as we shout a resounding…. People: THANK YOU! Leader: THANK YOU! That we are free to come and to worship the One who presented His body as the ultimate living sacrifice for ALL. People: Come, let us worship! Stewardship Moment Do you shake your head, sometimes, when you read of the confusion and seeming slow-wittedness of Jesus’ disciples? It almost makes me laugh when Peter, James, John and Andrew (the first-to-be-called) want Jesus to give them private info about when the Temple would be destroyed. Were they hoping to avoid the place when destruction began? Or wondering if they could be the first to tweet the news, grabbing the rights to a “breaking news” story? Jesus doesn’t oblige. Rather, he suggests they beware! Don’t be led astray. We don’t get private info given to us, just because we’re followers of the Jesus Way (like the State Farm commercials of all the folks who believe they’ve been given special rates). Rather, our task is to stay aligned with Jesus — no matter what “birthpangs” we may observe around us. Despite the wars and rumors of war, despite the earthquakes and famines, our task is clear. Day by day we act out our faith. Week by week, we register our intention to follow Jesus with the gifts we bring. We deliberately give away some of what is “ours”, offering financial support along with our time and talents, to proclaim our desire to move the dial one more tick toward God’s Realm. What will you offer, today, as a sign you choose to follow Jesus? Offering Prayer (1 Samuel 1, Psalm 113, Hebrews 10, Mark 13) Today, O Lord, we offer you our sacrifice of time, energy, and love, knowing full well they are mere tokens of the awesome faith you inspire within us. Accept these gifts, that they may continue the good work in Christ — in our church, in our community, and in the world. Blessed be the name of the Lord! Scripture Hebrews 10:11-25 Common English Bible 11 Every priest stands every day serving and offering the same sacrifices over and over, sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right side of God. 13 Since then, he’s waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for his feet, 14 because he perfected the people who are being made holy with one offering for all time. 15 The Holy Spirit affirms this when saying, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them. After these days, says the Lord, I will place my laws in their hearts and write them on their minds. 17 And I won’t remember their sins and their lawless behavior anymore.[a] 18 When there is forgiveness for these things, there is no longer an offering for sin. Second summary of the message 19 Brothers and sisters, we have confidence that we can enter the holy of holies by means of Jesus’ blood, 20 through a new and living way that he opened up for us through the curtain, which is his body, 21 and we have a great high priest over God’s house. 22 Therefore, let’s draw near with a genuine heart with the certainty that our faith gives us, since our hearts are sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies are washed with pure water. 23 Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable. 24 And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. 25 Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near. Sermon Christ the New Way to Hope, Faith and Love I had the strangest dream this morning. I was walking down the street this morning. I was with two of my clergy colleagues and we were walking down the street. And one of them got arrested for something and we were all put in jail. We were put in this plain white room with no furniture. The one who had been arrested started to debate whether he was a good man or a bad man. He didn’t know whether he had committed the crime or not. Some how I got the key to let all of us out. I was about to open the door, but before I opened the door I needed to know if he was going to attack me if he discovered he was a bad person. He got really upset and came after me, and I told him, you are not a good person, or a bad person – you are just a human being – we are a little bit of both, and not really either. And just as the other colleague had to hold him back from coming at me – my alarm went off and I woke up realizing that it was just a dream. I am not sure of what brought that dream on – was it the heartburn from eating Mcdonald’s just before going to bed, or the guilt from staying at the game too late and being too tired the write my sermon – I am not sure. But as I got going I realized that that was the point of my sermon – everything that I was going to preach about was right there in that story. If I right the outline of my sermon before I go to bed, my mind had a way of putting it all together. It is all there, but I guess I have to break it down for you for it to make any sense. You see this is the third and I hope final sermon on the book of Hebrews. There is one more chapter, but luckily we are coming to the new year. I love the book of Hebrews, but I didn’t think I could say anything else about Jesus being the high priest of heaven and offering us the highest level of salvation and access to God. But chapter 10 has a really good message – a message about perfection. When we are ordained, all United Methodist pastors are asked a set of questions which is in the book of discipline. One of the most important questions is are you going on to perfection. And of course the right answer to that question is yes. That is not a question of good and bad, right or wrong. It doesn’t mean that United Methodist Pastors are supposed to be perfect people. Actually the founder, John Wesley asked that question of all Christians. Are you going on to perfection? Hebrews 10 says that we are all made perfect through Jesus Christ. The reality is that we never get there in this lifetime. We are only made perfect when we get to heaven. Perfection is not about anything that we do, it is about what Christ does for us. Whereas most priest or preachers stand when they are preaching or praying – Christ sits at the right hand of God. Whereas most priest and preachers have to preach and pray every Sunday, christ only had to do one act of sacrifice and it made all of the difference in the world for anyone who believes in him. That is why Christ is the high priest. On this veteran’s day we thank our veteran’s for the sacrifice that they made for our freedom. But we also thank Christ today – because it was his sacrifice on the cross that opened the door for all of us to go on to perfection. If it wasn’t for that sacrifice – we would all be weighed down by our sins. I heard a saying this week that says that perfect people are not real and real people are not perfect. We all have a story to tell. And yet when Christ died on the cross – he asked for our forgiveness. And that is all that it took. We don’t get into heaven because we are perfect, we get into heaven because we are forgiven. There is an old story about a girl who was in a coma for a very long time. When she woke up, she told her parents that she had spent time with Jesus. So the preacher asked her if Jesus had a message for anyone in the village. She said that Jesus knew everyone present. He knew all about everyone and he knew everything that everyone had ever done. So they asked what he had said about them – he said he knew, but that he had forgotten everything. That is the definition of forgiveness – as humans we like to hang onto everything. We forgive, but we don’t forget. And yet in Christ forgiveness – our slate is wiped clean. According to Hebrews 10 – when God forgives us – we don’t have to continue to be sorry. Because in Christ, not only are our sins forgiven, but they are forgotten. We don’t have to hold onto to them in our spirit. When we come face to face with Christ in heaven, we stand in perfection. Not our perfection, but in Christ’s perfection. Perfection is our faith in the power of Christ, not in our actions. I think that first time that I went downtown Chicago, I would have been a child about 9 or 10. The one thing that sticks out about that trip was a man standing on the corner, preaching to people walking past telling them to give their lives to christ before it is too late. If you continue to live in your sins then you are going to hell. When I started going downtown by myself, he had moved across the street, but he was still giving the same message. I think the last time that I was downtown he was still there. I haven’t been downtown in a while, but I remember that he would stand in front of walgreens – preaching the good news of Christ forgiveness for a sinful world. I don’t think that he preaches anymore, but for over 45 years he was there telling people that they were going to go hell if they don’t give their lives to Christ. See that is the difference between a priest and a high priest. Rev. Samuel Chambers had to give the same message everyday over and over again for 45 years. Christ preached for three years, but when the people killed him for his message – that one act made a difference for eternity. Recently, I heard one of the best benedictions in the world – that summed up all of the sermons in the world. I don’t even think the lady was a Christian But as she ended her lesson – she told us to remember one thing – God created us to be free. Go out and live in that freedom. We are created to be free. Free in spirit. Unfortunately, as we go through life day to day – we forget that. We get caught up in relationships, we get caught up in situations, we get caught up in conditions, and life can get so heavy. Sometimes we even get to the point that we think that our problems are all that there is to life. We listen to preachers telling us everyday that Jesus is the answer – and we tune them out and think of their message as irrelevant. Hebrews 10 message for all of us is simple – have faith, hold fast to hope and care for one another in love. When John Wesley asks us if we are going on to perfection – perfection is a way of life, not a destination. We are made perfect when we choose to live in love. Amen. Veteran’s Prayer and Acknowledgement You, O God, are our God. You are with us in all the times of life to offer hope and light and comfort. We come to you now with thanks: thanks for our freedom; thanks for our peace; thanks for our prosperity and security. On this Veteran’s Day, we thank you, especially, for the women and men who gave of themselves in times of war to help to ensure the blessings that we enjoy. The names, the faces, the stories come to us, once again, and we honor them, their courage, their sacrifice, their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way for a better cause. May we never forget. We pray that wars and rumors of wars would cease, but if there is a need, let those of us of younger generations go forth as faithfully as did our ancestors that the cause of peace and justice may be defended and upheld. That freedom found in our county and the freedom found in and through Christ is always worth fighting for. With our Freedoms today we pray for the sick of our congregation and community. On this day, we lift up in prayer …. (here each should take the time to call out those you are praying for) Be with them and all of us offering healing and hope and strength to see beyond our problems to the glory of your Kingdom. We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. who taught us to pray… Lord’s Prayer Great is Thy Faithfulness Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go in peace, remembering a mother’s faith in God — a faith that provided her with comfort and strength in her time of need. May you pray unfailingly, grow steadily, and love constantly. Amen. Community Time Benediction Benediction (1 Samuel 1 & 2) May we leave this house of worship reconciled, redeemed and renewed by our time spent in the presence of God. May we leave this house of worship full of the hope our Savior provides. May the grace, hope, peace and love of the God the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be with us now and always. Amen. Additional Illlustrations Obviously most of us are not now dwelling in a building called a prison, but there is more than one kind of prison. You may know of no one who is presently under legal arrest, but there is more than one kind of arrest. And when Jesus says in the gospel that the Spirit of the Lord has sent him "to proclaim release to the captives," I don’t think he was talking only about those who were in the Jerusalem jail. I think his words are meant for me and you too. His very life was intended to discharge people from the prisons of their own making - the prison of sin, the prison of illusion, the prison of despair. "A Lady Named Olive" is a modern parable written by Pat Ryan, and it is really the story of a jailbreak. A lady named Olive owned two shopping bags full of words. One bag was plain brown, very old, and filled with the kind of words that could reach out and connect her with other people. Words like share and care, grow and touch and listen and love and yes. Olive’s other shopping bag was white with a big shoe printed on the sides of it. This bag carried words to keep people away. Words like no and ignore and don't and mine and who cares. Olive carried both shopping bags everywhere with her. But she only used the connecting words on very special occasions like Christmas or somebody's birthday. The separating words, on the other hand, were used every single day. Olive used them well. She flung them about like darts whenever someone got too close. After a while people moved away without a word. One day as she was walking to the discount store, Olive’s plain brown shopping bag broke and spilled out all its words. Suddenly Olive was connected to everyone around. and it wasn't even Christmas.4 Olive had been arrested. Now Olive was free. And how about you? Are you under arrest? I happened to be leaving the small frame office building which also served as the police station, when I saw a lot of people running toward the office. Leading them was a man running from a woman holding a knife in her right hand as she chased him. A crowd was running alongside them. She chased the man around the building before the police came out and caught hold of her. They took her knife away and pushed her to the ground, where they started kicking her with their boots. She didn't try to defend herself. She just lay there and took it. I was at the road then, getting into my Suzuki jeep. When I saw the policemen start to kick her, I got out of the jeep. I flinched each time they landed a kick on her defenseless body. But I didn't do anything more. I was afraid. They were armed. I was an outsider. Whatever, I drove home feeling sick. Years later, as I reflect on that moment, I imagine the concentric circles of guilt for the evil I witnessed, with pain at the center. At the center, the woman and her husband. I have no idea what the man had done to his wife to make her so angry with him. I don't know who started it all, or when. I'm sure there was enough blame for everyone. The first circle, the police who broke their rules to kick her, and seemed to enjoy it. And the police who stood by. The next circle, the neighbors-become-spectators, some of them snickering. The expanding circles of sin and guilt included me, too, for not helping. And then the tribe and its culture, for allowing this type of thing. And other nations, for the tragic byproducts of colonial rule. The dark circles of guilt get thinner as they get farther out, maybe ... but in a way they come all the way to include you. Where were you? What were you doing to help her? Of course, the woman being brutalized by the police in Kenya was not the only thing in the world that went wrong that day, thirty years ago. Or since. The world is awash in sin and guilt. If you don't see it, it's because you are not looking. You cannot opt out. A youngster in Sunday School asked the pastor, "If Jesus died on Friday, why do we call it good?" It seems contrary to reason to call this day Good Friday, when congregations around the world remember Jesus' death with black and an empty chancel. Images like these recount the day: forsaken, scorn, thorns, despised, grief, sorrow, wounded, tears, darkness, and death. How can we use a word like good in the same breath? What good can come from Jesus' death on the cross on a day long ago on a hill called "the place of the skull"? We can pray with Soren Kierkegaard, that melancholy Dane who prayed his way through cross-marked Fridays: "Lord, hold not our sins up against us, but hold us up against our sins; so that the thought of you, when it wakens in us and every time it wakens, may remind us not of how much we have sinned, but of how much you have forgiven us; not how we went astray, but how you saved us" (paraphrase). Good Friday! It is a good day to die; it is a good day to live. Amen. CSS Publishing Company, THE VICTORY OF FAITH, by Mark J. Molldre