Easter in the time of COVID

April 18,2021 Third Sunday of Lent COVID Memorial Service 1 John 3:1-7 Opening Song Welcome Opening prayer Stepping into the turmoil of life, God, you still offer peace to all who seek to follow Jesus as the Christ. Today, those words of peace still our hurry. We’re grateful the Easter story is able to be savored, filling our imaginations, encouraging each of us to dream of what is possible. So continue to make us whole in our identity as disciples. Challenge us to be truth-telling witnesses of your love made known in Christ. AMEN Prayer over putting on a mask Creator, as I prepare to go into the world, help me to see the sacrament in the wearing of this cloth – let it be “an outward sign of an inward grace” – a tangible and visible way of living love for my neighbours, as I love myself. Christ, since my lips will be covered, uncover my heart, that people would see my smile in the crinkles around my eyes. Since my voice may be muffled, help me to speak clearly, not only with my words, but with my actions. Holy Spirit, as the elastic touches my ears, remind me to listen carefully – and full of care – to all those I meet. May this simple piece of cloth be shield and banner, and each breath that it holds, be filled with your love. In your Name and in that love, I pray. May it be so. May it be so. Rev. Richard Bott Stewardship Moment Moment for Stewardship This week marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day (April 22). We recognize our calling as “stewards” means we are care-takers of the creation God has provided. From Genesis right through the rest of the Bible and on to today, people of faith recognize God’s good gifts include earth’s land, air and water on which our lives depend. In this Easter-tide, we continue to rejoice in the new life of the resurrected Jesus. Yet our own lives so often ignore the actions we can take to be stewards. So, today, we pray for our own lives to be raised up/inspired to the point that we might willingly become witnesses to God’s love made known in Jesus. Prayer of Thanksgiving Creating God, We thank you for the creation which you freely give to us. In gratitude for your gifts, we respond with our desire to be faith-filled stewards, caring for creation. Please receive and help us use these gifts for the on-going life of this congregation and for ways we will engage as witnesses to your desire for full and abundant life on Earth. AMEN Scripture 1 John 3:1-7 Common English Bible 3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn’t recognize him, it doesn’t recognize us. 2 Dear friends, now we are God’s children, and it hasn’t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves even as he is pure. 4 Every person who practices sin commits an act of rebellion, and sin is rebellion. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Every person who remains in relationship to him does not sin. Any person who sins has not seen him or known him 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, in the same way that Jesus is righteous. Sermon 1+1=1 - the math of love Twenty six years of ministry and two full years of clinical pastoral education has trained me to be professional about death and grief. It is my job to visit people in the hospital, to walk with them from illness to death, and to pray for them at their funeral. – and to go home and eat dinner as if it was all a part of a normal day. Then there are weeks like this one, where my humanity seeps through, and I cant help but to be overwhelmed with grief. Death can take its toll on even the strongest of pastors. And of course it doesn’t help that I really have not been feeling well. That is how I know that I am really sick – when its gets harder to deal with those negative emotions of life. This has been a very hard year for each of us. All of us have been affected in some way, in several ways by the COVID pandemic. That is why I thought that it was important that as we come to the season of resurrection and rebirth, as we return to church and get reacclimated to our mission – it is critical that we acknowledge the collective grief of the congregation. It order to move on – we have to name it, touch it acknowledge it, acknowledge the affect it has had on us. We are back to gathering in person, but we are not really back and things are not really the same. When we were meeting a year ago – attendance was dwindling down to 60-65 people. Now we are consistently 25-30 – with more people joining us online. There are a number of people who have faithfully attended the church for years – who are not here with us to come to church. There are a number of people who we saw at church regularly, who don’t show up anymore. There are a number of programs that we will not have this year, and may not ever have again. The service is different, the service is at a different time, the way in which we interact is different. I think that it is important to name those losses, and acknowledge our grief. Easter is intended to be bittersweet – a celebration o fthe resurrection is not a celebration of a return to the way things used to be. Easter is an acknowledgement of a new normal. It is an acknowledgement that we seek the light, because we know what it means to walk in darkness. We Are Made for God Jesus knew that if his resurrection was going to do the world any good — if the disciples were really going to be able to proclaim a message of Good News that the world could hear and accept — then the resurrection had to be seen as something more than just the world’s greatest divine parlor trick, more than just the ultimate surprise ending that would startle and jolt everyone who heard about it. No, the truth of Easter and the reality of Jesus’ return from the dead had to be the capstone on a much larger story that went all the way back to the beginning. It must be seen as something toward which God has been working all along because then and only then can we understand that this has something to do with the core purpose for which we all were created in the first place. This service is dedicated to the grief present with us this morning. I felt that the litany that we will say at the end of the service is long, but it is also inclusive of our experience. I may or may not read the entire litany in service, but I would encourage you to read it, reflect and pray with it. The Jesuits have a spiritual practice called the examen. Every night you reflect on the good, the bad the ugly in your day. As you look at the day – you should reflect on where you saw God at work in your life. God is not just present in the positive. God is present in our angers, fears, jealousies, and pain. It is the negative things in life that often give us the clearest picture of God. While putting this service together, I found several pandemic examen, where we can reflect on what this year has been like, what feelings have come up? What have you learned about life, and humanity? Where did you see God within the last year? What is going with you right now? What have you lost, what have you gained? The threat of COVID is not over yet – life has not returned to normal yet. I think that the most important question of the day is what hope do you have? For yourself, for your life, for this church. What is our future. Many were worried about our future before the pandemic, this year has certainly heightened those fears. Do we give up? Or do we put our faith in God, our mission, one another? Just yesterday, I recited the words of the United Methodist funeral service. It is in the hymnal, along with the wedding service. The first paragraph – the gathering says in dying christ destroyed our death, rising christ restored our life. Christ will come again in glory. As in baptism we put on Christ, so in christ may we be clothed in glory. Here and now dear friends, we are God’s children. What we shall be has not yet been revealed, but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, Those who have this hope purify themselves as christ is pure. We don’t know what we shall be, we don’t know what this congregation will look like in 1 year, 2 years or 5 years – that has not yet been revealed to us. But we do know that God will be present in the midst of it. Those are the words of 1 John 3:1-7. I love 1 John it has a powerful message – God loves us, God showed his love by bringing Christ into our lives, and that we should love others. The scripture says that we are all children of God because God loves us. We are also sinners, but God grace is stronger than our sin. When we have hope – we purify our mind, body and spirit of negativity and choose to live in grace. Somehow Easter does more than just offer the kind of generic “new beginning” and “fresh start” that some churches seem to reduce it to each year. Easter does not mean that a better day is coming by and by, that with a little bit of luck we can turn things around in our lives, or that there is no situation so difficult that God cannot cause a bright new day to dawn upon us. No, Easter means we were made for God. Easter means we were made for flourishing before the face of our God. And Easter means that the sin and evil that put up obstacles and caused a gaping chasm between us and God will not stand. God will bring all things back to their created intent. God will restore all things to himself. Easter is not only about the end of the cosmic story but is also a vindication ofthe beginning. Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations The Only Easter Some Will Know Jesus returns from the dead and meets his disciples in different places: the garden, the Emmaus Road, the seashore, the Upper Room. He witnesses to them that he is alive, this guy back from the dead with a body. He isn't content to send them a postcard from heaven: HAVING A GREAT TIME. WISH YOU WERE HERE. No. He shows up among them as his own witness. And he recruits as witnesses those other people with bodies. He wants them to move out and tell everyone who will listen and everyone who won't that bodies count, that he's back from the dead with a body, threatening them with life. Those who recognize his witness become witnesses themselves. They put their bodies on the line. They become contagious with the forgiveness they've caught, carriers of resurrection. That's what this back-to-life Jesus wants of us: not names on a list, or what someone has called "pew potatoes." Jesus wants us as witnesses. Not airy spirits or pious ghosts, but bodies like his own with wounds to show, bodies that witness to resurrection, threatening the world with life. For the only Easter some people may ever see is the Easter they see in you and me. Charles Hoffacker, A Guy With a Body The health team will be meeting after church today – all are welcome to be a part of that conversation. One of the resources that we will look at is from the church leadership institute – which encourages church to not only look at their church mission statement, but to also look at developing a post pandemic mission statement. Who are we going to be in the midst of this difficult circumstance, and how do we intend to be the children of God and show love to others? A Sunday School teacher once asked her students to talk about how they felt about their church. The students responded in the usual ways: some said something silly to get the rest of the class to laugh, while others tried to be more serious. One of the girls was new to the class, and she felt uncomfortable about entering into class discussions, so she never raised her hand, or volunteered an answer. That Sunday, however, she did have an answer for her Sunday School teacher, and it was unforgettable. She said that going to church was, "like walking into the heart of God." (1) That is something to think about. Let us pray…… Litany of Solidarity and Hope During a Pandemic For those who are sick. For those with chronic illnesses and underlying health concerns. For all those who are suffering. For those who are lonely. For those who have no one to check on them. For families that are separated. For those who are unemployed. For those suffering financial hardships. For those who face an uncertain future. For those who are suffering from physical or emotional abuse. For those who are disproportionately suffering because of societal structures and unjust policies. For those who are struggling with physical or mental disabilities. For those who are overwhelmed by anxiety and stress. For those who are dying. For those who have died while saving the lives of others. For all who have lost their lives. For those who have survived. For those who have lost their spouses. For children who have been orphaned. For all those who mourn and those who comfort them. For firefighters, police, and emergency medical workers. For doctors, nurses, and all health care professionals. For those who serve in the armed forces. For public officials. For business leaders. For educators. For innovators and inventors who provide new solutions. For peace in our city and in our world. For renewed friendships among neighbors. For solidarity and unity among all peoples. For a greater appreciation and love of all humanity. For patience and perseverance. For calm in the midst of fear. For the grace to overcome adversity. For the generosity of spirit. For hope in times of despair. For light in the darkness. Gracious and Loving God, You are our comforter and our hope. Hear our prayers as we come before you. Strengthen us in this time of need. Inspire us to acts of solidarity and generosity and give us hope of a brighter future. - By Joseph P. Shadle Song for Reflection God of Grace, God of Glory UMH 577 Announcements Benediction Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Children’s Sermon Remember learning about the love commandment? Sunday school may introduce the lesson this way: 1+1=1. (This is maybe not the best approach for parents trying to become homeschool math teachers.) Whether reading from Mark’s or Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus pulls out a few tricks when he gives his answer to the test question: What's the greatest commandment? Jesus could have picked one of the Ten Commandments, but that would have been walking right into a trap. Instead, Jesus refers back to long-held Jewish beliefs and practices. In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus says, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The first part is a reminder of the Shema, an ancient Jewish prayer practice his questioners would have said twice a day. The second portion connects love of God to loving our neighbor and ourselves reflecting Jewish practices described in Leviticus 19. The 1+1=1 nature of this commandment can make it difficult to both understand and follow. I like to think of it as a balancing act. Thankfully, this is easier than juggling. For example, the act of washing hands is an example of doing all three at once. When we wash our hands, we are taking care of our body, honoring God’s creation, and keeping others safe from germs. Asking kids to wash hands is necessary, but connecting it to our faith values and social good gives it meaning. That’s the simple trick of turning something from a chore into moral formation. READ: Coronavirus Resources: A Guide for Sojourners Readers How do we invite our children to live the love commandment as we make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic? In practicing love of God, we could use time away from school and friends to build strong faith practices. • Make time to pray and eat as a family with no extracurriculars to rush to every night. • Sing a children’s hymn while washing hands. (My favorite is “This Little Light of Mine.”) • Add a Bible story or scripture passage to the daily homeschool reading assignment. • Dig into some theological questions about God’s presence in our life. Additional Illustrations Go to the World Jesus did not command the whole world to go to church. Jesus commanded his church to go to the whole world. Traditional A Time of Transition Years ago the Standard Oil Company changed its name from ESSO to EXXON. Perhaps you remember the public campaign. For months, the famous “put a tiger in your tank” tiger was pictured on a large sign climbing a stepladder to the top of the local gas station’s ESSO sign. With a big smile on his face, the tiger held in his arms the new EXXON sign. Then one day, Standard Oil stations across America no longer had their old ESSO signs, but new EXXON signs. It was a clever campaign. If the new EXXON signs just showed up one day without any warning everyone would have been confused. “What happened to the ESSO station?,” people would have wondered. It took a time of transition. In the early church it took time for Jesus’ followers to realize that the post-Easter Jesus, the Risen Jesus, was the Jesus they knew in Galilee, but also different in important ways. That’s what the resurrection appearances in Matthew, Luke and John are for. They helped those first disciples recognize the post-Easter Jesus. Before Easter they knew him by the sound of his voice, the muscle of his arm, the stride of his gait. After Easter they would learn to recognize Jesus in new ways. Thomas H. Yorty, Recognizing Jesus In John Steinbeck's great novel, THE GRAPES OF WRATH, a migrating "Okie" family is told not to waste vital packing space on photographs and other items of family history and memories. One of the family members objects and asks, "How will we know it's us without our past?" Dr. Tony Campolo likes to tell how God is like a grandparent who visits with friends and relatives, and then begins to pull out all the pictures of their children and grandchildren. And the grandparents will say, "This is my Tony, this is my Suzy, this is my Eric, this is my Mary, this is my Jennifer, this is my Johnny." Dr. Campolo asks if it has ever crossed your mind that God does the same thing, because we are his children?" Don't worry if the picture you are looking at is not as beautiful as you think it should be. God sees you and loves you and that is where our real beauty comes from. Remember, there is always more grace in God than sin in us. Remember, God sees us and knows us and has promised to love us in spite of ourselves. "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now..." The main difference between a Saint and a Sinner is really quite simple. It really doesn't have anything to do with whether or not someone has accepted Christ or not. The main difference is an affair of the heart and the soul and the focus of the heart and soul which of course makes it a Stewardship issue, which is why I bring it up. Now, I know there are more attributes to both, but one of the main differences between a saint and a sinner is: "a saint loves people and uses things, while a sinner loves things and uses people." In antiquity, a rabbi would address his congregation gathered in the synagogue as "my children." Age was not a consideration. You could be eight or 88 or any age in between. This was because all people are God's children. The rabbi was shepherd of his flock and felt a real responsibility for those in his care, responding as a loving parent would. Ben Hooper was a boy who grew up in the mountains of Tennessee.4 Ben was maltreated because he was born out of wedlock, certainly no fault of his. People were always examining his facial features and trying to guess who his father was. He was drawn to a local church and would slip in just to hear the sermon. Afterward, he would hurry out, knowing that a boy such as himself was not welcome in a holy place. One Sunday, Ben was unable to make a quick exit. He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and fearfully turned to see the preacher staring right at him. Ben assumed that the preacher was about to make a guess as to who his father was. Then the preacher said, "Boy, I see a striking resemblance. I know who you are. You are a child of God. Now, go claim your inheritance." Ben left church that day a different person because someone recognized him as a child of God. Later in life, Ben Hooper was twice-elected governor of Tennessee. We are God's children, not because of anything we do, but simply because God loves us. As children of God, what we will be when Christ returns is yet to be revealed. As children of God, we live as Christ lived, walking in the light of God's amazing grace. We will see God face-to-face in the last hour. And in between times, God abides in the community of faith, in fellowship with Christ, and with us. God is light. Walking in that light, we will live forever. Amen. There is something here which we may well note. It is by the gift of God that a man becomes a child of God. By nature a man is the creature of God, but it is by grace that he becomes the child of God There is somewhere the story of a poor and simple man who would often go into a cathedral to pray; and he would always pray kneeling before the crucifix. Someone noticed that, though he knelt in the attitude of prayer, his lips never moved and he never seemed to say anything. He asked what he was doing kneeling like that and the man answered: “I look at him; and he looks at me.” That is the vision of God in Christ that the simplest soul can have; and he who looks long enough at Jesus Christ must become like him. A novelist draws the picture of a young man who always refused to share in the lower pleasures to which his comrades often invited and even urged him. His explanation was that some day something fine was going to come to him, and he must keep himself ready for it. The man who knows that God is at the end of the road will make all life a preparation to meet him.