The Tax Collectors of Today

October 30, 2022 Luke 19:1-10 The Tax Collectors of Today 21st Sunday after Pentecost Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship Leader: Long-time believers and all who are curious, all are welcome to participate in this time of worship. People: We want to see Jesus! Leader: All who are looking with open hearts and eager minds, come to engage in this hour. People: We want to know God’s transforming love, shown long ago in Jesus. Leader: Like Zacchaeus, we know our lives will change when we commit to following Jesus, the Teacher. People: Like Zacchaeus, may our encounter today, with Jesus, push us to action. All: Let us worship the One who sent Jesus to show the Way. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer Lord God of love and peace, open our hearts today to receive the invitation of Jesus to come and be present in our lives. Release us from our smallness and create an atmosphere of confession and healing love in our hearts and our spirits. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name, AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song The Summons TFWS 2130 Children’s Sermon Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to your audience and student needs. These suggestions are merely one possible way to demonstrate the message. Greet students Hello, children of God! I have something I’d like to give you today. Would you like that? So here it is: I’m giving you each a special heart! Here you go… (Bring out crumpled up paper hearts and pass them around. Alternatively, you could do this with a broken toy, or with a candy wrapper that has nothing inside of it, making the swap for a real candy or fixed toy.) What beautiful hearts! Do you like them? (Allow for disappointment or responses) I guess those hearts aren’t really a great party favor, are they? Hmm…well, how about if I give you a new heart! I will trade you in that old crumpled heart for a nice clean brand new one! Would that be better? All you have to do is give me your heart, and I’ll swap it for a better one…. (Allow students to change out their hearts) Great! So, that might have seemed a bit strange, but did you know that’s what God does for our lives? He is in the heart changing business. This is not about a card, and it’s not about your physical heart, like a transplant where you need to have your body cut open. A changed heart is about your attitude and motivation on the inside. It’s about how you think and feel. When you know Jesus and what He’s done for you, it really changes things for the better! So in today’s story, we talk about a man named Zacchaeus. Do you know anything about him? (Allow students to share brief details, if they have heard of Zacchaeus). Well, we might remember him as being that really short guy who had to climb a tree just to spot Jesus in a crowd. Well, that is true, but it’s not the most important part of the story. See, people knew Zacchaeus not only because he was short, but also because he was sort of a bad guy. He was called a tax collector, which basically meant he would steal from people and they couldn’t even do anything about it. When people get their money taken away, it usually doesn’t make them too happy! So Zacchaeus didn’t really have many friends, and he may have been a bit greedy. But he heard about Jesus and wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. Jesus could spy him up in that tree, and Jesus knew his heart and intentions. He called out to Zacchaeus by name, and invited himself over for dinner! Some of the Jewish people thought Jesus should not be hanging out with someone like Zacchaeus, and criticized Him for it. Do you think Jesus was upset by that? Not at all! He wanted to hang out with sinners, which is good news for us since we have all sinned…He also knew that Zacchaeus could change. And in fact, he did. After meeting Jesus, his life couldn’t go back to the way it was. He promised that if he had cheated someone, he would pay them back with extra money included! He turned his act around, and I’ll bet he had more friends as a result. He at least had one very good friend: Jesus! And we can have Jesus in our Klives, too. We can know His love, change our hearts, and tell others about Him. How great! Let’s say a prayer about that, shall we? By Kristin Schmidt Prayer of Transformation & Words of Grace We crowd each other out, clamoring for glimpses of and glances from Jesus. We get caught up in the hype, buzzing with the energy of and adrenaline from the crowds. Who wouldn’t? However, in so doing, we neglect the quiet opportunities to welcome Jesus into our homes and lives. We need not fret over our mistakes and missed chances of years and days past. God is forgiving and gracious. We are liberated from the things we cannot change and empowered to influence the things we can. No matter where we may go, God is always near.(United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Phiwa Langini) Scripture Luke 19:1-10 Sermon The Tax Collectors of Today There is a story about a local fitness center that was offering $1,000 to anyone who could demonstrate that they were stronger than the owner of the place. Here is how it worked. This muscle man would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and then hand the lemon to the next challenger. Anyone who could squeeze just one more drop of juice out, would win the money. Many people tried over time - other weightlifters, construction workers, even professional wrestlers, but nobody could do it. One day, a short and skinny guy came in and signed up for the contest. After the laughter died down, the owner grabbed a lemon and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains to the little man. The crowd's laughter turned to silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass. As the crowd cheered, the manager paid out the winning prize and asked the short guy what he did for a living. "Are you a lumberjack, a weightlifter, or what?" The man replied, "I work for the IRS." John Wayne Clarke, Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost (Last Third): Father, Forgive Them, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. IRS agents may not be out favorite people. But they are all angels in comparison to the tax collectors in the bible. In Jesus time, tax collectors were considered traitors to their own countrypeople. They would spy on their own people in order to collect money for the Romans. Not only that, they would always make sure to take a cut of the money that they collected for themselves. Even our scripture today says that Zacchaeus was rich. You had a disdain for tax collectors that you would have for a drug dealer. And yet in the last chapter of Luke, that we read last week – Jesus says that a tax collector would get into heaven faster than a righteous man who went to church every week. Since Jesus has already been talking to the crowd about tax collectors, I wonder if Jesus has already been paying attention to Zacchaeus. Matthew, who wrote the gospel was also a tax collector – maybe he and Zacchaeus were friends. May Zacchaeus has heard that Jesus was preaching about him and he went to see for himself. What the reason, he climbs into a tree to see Jesus and Jesus invites himself to his house. When they talk – we have always been told that Jesus tells Zacchaeus to be an honest person, and Zacchaeus tells him that from now on he will be generous with his wealth. But today when scholars look at the text, they determine that Zacchaeus does not say that I will do this in the future, but he says that he does this already. He is telling Jesus that he really does live up to his name. Zacchaeus means righteous one. I really think this is another one of Jesus trick text. Jesus isn’t trying to convert Zacchaeus – he is really challenging the righteousness of the crowd. The people already made up their mind about tax collectors, they were all sinners. Even though they didn’t know one personally. We hear right now are all a part of the crowd – do we live up to our name as the righteous ones? Do we pray? Do we help others? Are we generous? How quick are we to judge others? Do we do all that we can to seek out Jesus? In search of meaning Just yesterday, a friend told me that she was at borders, looking for a book, she was at the end of her rope and she hoped that this book would help her get her life together. It was just a self help book, but she needed to believe in something that was going to make a difference and help her to find meaning in her life. All I could do was respond …hmm, as I sat preparing my sermon on finding meaning in our lives. I responded to her that perhaps it would be too simple to try the best selling self help in the world, the one that has been saving lives not only for years, but for generations …the bible. From Genesis to revelation it is the story of what it means to be a human being, what it means to be a loved child of God, to move from just being a child of God, to knowing that you are a child of God, and that God is always working in our lives. There is this heart shaped hole in the middle of all of our souls, there are times in our lives when we all feel it, we all know that its empty and we are looking for something, or someone to fill it. The hole in our lives We fill it with food, we fill it with possessions, we fill it controlling other people, we fill it with working too much, we fill it with relationships that don’t help us, we fill it with reading self help books, and try as we may nothing seems to fill that hole. Until we realize that that hole was intentionally put there in our hearts, and it is not meant to be filled... it is meant to stay empty... because it is the place where God enters our lives and takes residence in our souls. It us only when we realize that the things that we put there are not working for us, when we realize our need for salvation. Zaccheus story Perhaps that is why Zaccheus found himself out on a limb, up in a tree that day – attempting to get a glimpse of Jesus. He was in search of salvation. He had no idea of where to find it, or what it even meant, but he was hoping that maybe Jesus had a clue to lead him in the right direction. Salvation The good news for us is that we don’t have to seek salvation, because God sent Jesus into the world to seek us in the midst of our sin, and to hand us salvation on a silver platter. Salvation is the choice to let God come into that empty hole in your life. We always have a choice to be greedy or to be right with God. We can play into the things that that world admires the cars, the money, the popularity, and the possessions. Or we can choose to listen to God- and in the long run – have the things that truly make us happy- true love, true acceptance, true beauty, true assurance of salvation. So my Jesusween message for today (get it Jesusween – the Sunday before Halloween – the day we all come to church in search of Jesus) The message is that we are all both saints and sinners – just like the tax collectors of the world. We don’t know a thing about Zacchaeus other than his encounter with Jesus. But we do know that he was a child of God seeking salvation through Jesus. He didn’t have to look to far, because Jesus was looking for him also. Halloween means all hallow’s eve. Halloween is just the day before All Saints Day. We remember the saints who have passed on, but we also remember that we are all saints. A saint is a sinner who seeks Christ for salvation. Honoring a Sacred Place There is an old legend that says Zacchaeus went every day outside the city of Jericho carrying a bucket of water. One day, his wife followed him, wondering what this daily ritual was all about. She saw him stop at a certain sycamore tree. Zacchaeus poured his bucket of water on the tree's thirsty roots, and then stood there reverently looking up into the tree. It was a sacred place, for it was the place where his life was changed. But unfortunately a lot of Christians stop growing right there! They can tell you the day and the hour they first met Jesus Christ, but they have never taken this final step of letting the Living Christ rearrange the priorities of their lives. Zacchaeus was ready to let Christ be the very center of his life. He was ready to let Christ send him back out into the world to continue our Lord's ministry of justice and compassion. Religion for Zacchaeus would never be just another department in his life. His faith was now central to his whole being. Robert A. Beringer, Turning Points, CSS Publishing Company Zacchaeus is an example to all of us who seek salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen. Song Freely, Freely 389 Pastoral Prayer God of trees and pathways, you stand ready for us to gaze in your direction. As Jesus walked down the Jericho path, observing Zacchaeus, help us to remember that you are continually present to us, watching and guiding our steps. When we falter, you pick us up, dust us off, and place us back on the path. When we run in directions that are harmful, you are ready to rescue and redeem us. When we shout our disbelief, you offer to us your love and are ready to receive us. Today as we have gathered, remembering all those who have gone before us, who have paved the way for our faith, help us to be aware that we stand in that same long line of witnesses to your love. Give us courage and strength to serve you in all that we do. Remind us again that you are not looking for us to be perfect before we come to you, for you will take our rough edges and make them smooth. You will find the sparkling gem in the rough stone. You will help us learn to serve and witness to your love. Let us place our trust and our lives in your loving care. For we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Prayer of Thanksgiving God of all good gifts, today we thank you for the actions of Zacchaeus in response to Jesus. Startle us with such an encounter! Even before that, we’ve offered our financial support. We pray you will accept these gifts, and help us use them wisely. Do not let us go, however, until you put an earworm in each of us, that we might be inspired to act like Zacchaeus in generous giving, responding to the call of Jesus on OUR lives. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Jesus calls to us today: Hurry and come down! Receive the abundant love and grace of God; Be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Salvation has come to this house today. Thanks be to God! May the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of our divine parent and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us, today and always. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Stephanie Sorgie) Community Time Benediction Bless you in your coming and going. Bless you in your welcoming and being invited. Bless you in your doing and being. Bless you in your now and forever. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Phiwa Langeni) Additional Illustrations We Don’t Play the Full Scale One of the most famous composers had a rebellious son who used to come in late at night after his mother and father had gone to bed. And before going to his own room, this rebellious son would go to his father’s piano and slowly, spitefully… and loudly would play a simple scale, all but the final note. He would play, “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti…” and then he wouldn’t strike that final “Do.” Then leaving the scale unfinished, he would retire to his room. Meanwhile, his father (great musician that he was) hearing the scale minus the final note,… would twist and turn and writhe on his bed, his mind unable to relax because the scale was not finished. Finally, not able to stand it any longer, the father would crawl out of bed, stumble down the stairs and strike that final note of the scale. Only then could he relax and be at peace. Now, that’s an interesting parable because it reminds me of the way we so often treat God. We play around with some of the notes of faith, but we don’t play the full scale… - We forgive, but not completely. - We love, but not completely. - We serve, but not completely. - We accept Christ, but not completely. - We live the Christian life-style but not completely. - We commit our lives to God, but not completely. But then, even when we treat God shabbily, in his infinite patience and amazing grace, he continues to reach out to us and he continues to love us. James W. Moore, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ____________________________________ Didn’t You Hear the Bells? One time a blind man was invited to attend the wedding of a friend. The couple had chosen to be married in a village church that was known for its picturesque qualities. As the couple left the chapel, the mother of the groom said to the blind man, “What a pity that you couldn’t see the chapel. It really is so lovely. And such a pretty garden.” She later repeated this to some mutual friends at the reception. The blind man just shrugged his shoulders each time and changed the subject. He thought to himself, “didn’t she hear the bells?” For him, the bells that had rung before and after the ceremony had been magnificent. He was astonished at their tones and the patterns that they made. For him they had created an atmosphere of joy and sacredness. The blind man finally concluded that the mother of the groom may have seen the lovely chapel but she missed the sound of the bells. With all her senses she had only experienced part of the beauty. Zacchaeus was blinded by his selfishness, but that did not keep Jesus from seeing him as a whole person. Jesus wanted to stay with Zacchaeus. To miss this part of the story is to remain in the dark. Jesus had to go to his house because this represented what Jesus was all about; giving grace toward those who are lost. In the gospel of Luke, Zacchaeus became the symbolic recipient of the grace of God toward lost humanity. There is no limit to God’s grace. There is even hope for the greedy and powerful. By staying with Zacchaeus, Jesus demonstrated that the grace of God extends to everyone, especially the lost. Keith Wagner, Little Guy, Big Gift The Only Thing That Can Be Changed A famous preacher once said, "When people tell me that human nature cannot be changed, I am moved to reply that in light of my experience, human nature may well be the only thing that CAN BE CHANGED!" We cannot change the course of the moon or the sun. We cannot change the laws of the physical world. We cannot change the movement and flow of the ocean. We cannot change the stars in the skies and the course they move in. However, the Bible pulsates with pages of testimonies of the lives, purposes, events, and habits which have been changed and can be changed. Eric S. Ritz, Why Change Is Possible Putting the Pieces in Order Author Charlie Shedd gives us a wonderful example of this truth from his own family life. Charlie's daughter had a science project to do for school, but neither Charlie or his wife were much help with the technical aspects. The saving grace was their next door neighbor, John, who helped the daughter with each part of her project. Finally came the night when the daughter had to put the whole project together. She was in tears about what to do first until she called John. John said simply, "Why don't you bring the whole thing over to my house, and I'll give the pieces in the right order, so you can finish your project." That is what happened when Zacchaeus let Jesus take control of the pieces of his life, and put everything in its proper order. When we let Jesus Christ take control in our lives, we can truly say with Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to this house." Robert A. Beringer, Turning Points, CSS Publishing Company Didn't Know He Was Lost There are many who are bored, burned out, lonely and empty. Many people have tried to substitute the accumulation of things for good relationships, but no matter how much they get, something is still missing in life. Their pipe does not go down deep enough to draw living water, and they feel lost. There was a little boy who got separated from his parents in a large shopping center. The Security Department quickly located the child, and took him to an office while the frantic parents were paged over the public address. One of the security guards got a large ice cream cone for the boy, so when his parents arrived at the office, there was their little son happily eating his ice cream. Suddenly, as his parents embraced him, the child burst into tears. One of the security guards said, "Gosh, I guess he didn't know he was lost until he was found!" Jesus once met a man named Zacchaeus who was like that. Zacchaeus was a Jew but he worked for the Romans as a tax collector, and he was about as popular as folks today who work for the IRS! In those days tax collectors gathered their funds with a little help from the Roman Army, and when Rome's needs were met, they could collect as much as their ingenuity permitted. Zacchaeus may have been small of stature, but he was a "big man" among the tax collectors. In fact, he was a "chief tax collector." He had a big home in Jericho, a very comfortable life, and although he had more enemies than friends, Zacchaeus outwardly appeared very successful. Robert A. Beringer, Turning Points, CSS Publishing Company Sermon Opener: Who You Gonna’ Vote For? - Luke 19:1-10 They say “politics and religion don't mix,” but politicians can’t stop talking about religion. They say “separation of church and state.” I say politicians have sure been preaching a lot of sermons lately. Some of them preachin’ political sermons in the churches, right up there where the preacher ought to be. You might be able to separate the state from the church but you sure can’t separate the politician from the pulpit. They say, “I’m not going to force my values on others.” I say, what is faith without values? And so I ask you: What is the state without the church? What is a politician without visible values? What is life without faith? To borrow the words of Paul, “It is nothing.” It is a resounding gong, a clanging symbol. Zacchaeus recognized this. He could not be in the presence of Jesus and not be moved. Moved to right the wrong in his life. He was a tax collector who taken advantage of many people. Lied to them. Swindled them. Skimmed off the top of his collections. And beyond all this, he had ignored the poor. Now it’s Tuesday morning for old Zacchaeus and he has to walk in the election booth and pull the lever. He is either going to vote for the state or for the faith. He is either going to vote for himself of for those he has defrauded. He will either cast his vote for Rome or for Christ. Come Election Day, who is he gonna’ vote for? 1. He Could Vote for the Tax Collectors. 2. He Could Vote for the Poor. 3. He Could Vote for Christ. ______________________ How Jesus Saw Many of you have seen the delightful Broadway musical and motion picture, "My Fair Lady." It is based on George Bernard Shaw’s wonderful play, "Pygmalion." It is about a brilliant professor, Henry Higgins, who transforms a humble flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into an elegant English lady. In the midst of her brilliant transformation, Eliza falls in love with Henry Higgins, but he treats her only with disdain. Towards the end of the play, she expresses her complaint to their mutual friend, Colonel Pickering: "You see," she says, "Really and truly apart from the things anyone can pick up (the dressing and the proper way of speaking, and so on), the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not in how she behaves, but how she is treated. I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl, and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you, because you always treat me as a lady, and always will." It is both interesting and encouraging to notice how Jesus treated people whether it be the woman of the streets or the tax collector in the tree. He saw something no one else could see. That is the first thing we need to see. Jesus was more eager to see Zacchaeus than Zacchaeus was to see him. King Duncan, Collected Sermons,www.Sermons.com A Man Who Could Get the Last Quarter Out of You A man on vacation was strolling along outside his hotel in Acapulco, enjoying the sunny Mexican weather. He heard the screams of a woman kneeling in front of a child. The man knew enough Spanish to determine that the boy had swallowed a coin. Seizing the child by the heels, the man held him up, gave him a few shakes, and an American quarter dropped to the sidewalk. “Oh, thank you sir!” cried the woman. “You seemed to know just how to get it out of him. Are you a doctor?” “No, ma’am,” replied the man. “I’m with the United States Internal Revenue Service.” This was Zacchaeus. A shake down artist. A man who could get the last quarter out of you. Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com. Grace that Cost The novelist, A. J. Cronin, tells a story from his own experience as a doctor that catches the wonder of the gift of grace. The Adams family at the close of the Second World War decided to open their home to a little refugee boy with the outlandish name of Paul Piotrostanalzi. The Adams had two daughters and a son named Sammy. Sammy and Paul became inseparable friends, but little Paul was a difficult child, and often disobeyed Mr. and Mrs. Adams. One day, little Paul went swimming in some contaminated water. He became very ill with a high fever, and the doctor suggested he sleep in an attic bedroom. But little Sammy missed his friend Paul so much that one night he crept up the attic stairs and into bed with Paul. Paul's hot breath fell on Sammy's neck all night. In the morning, Sammy, never a strong child, became deathly ill. Paul recovered his health, but Sammy died within three days. It was a terrible tragedy for the Adams family. A year later Dr. Cronin decided to pay a call on the Adams family. But as he pulled into their driveway, he was amazed and then angry as he saw Paul, the refugee boy, working in the garden with Mr. Adams. He got out of his car and angrily approached Mr. Adams. "What's this Paul Pio........ whatever his name is, doing here after what he did to your family?" Mr. Adams looked at the doctor and then said quietly, "Dr. Cronin, you won't have any more trouble with Paul's name. You see, he's Paul Adams now. We've adopted him." That is a wonderful story of costly grace, and that is exactly the wonderful gift that Jesus once gave to a heart-hungry tax collector named Zacchaeus. Robert A. Beringer, Turning Points, CSS Publishing Company. Zacchaeus Stands In From “Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who’s Who” by Frederick Buechner. Harper & Row San Francisco, 1979, pp. 180-81. In this book, Buechner presents from A-Z several dozen character sketches of well-known (and sometimes not-so-well-known) biblical characters. The last entry in the volume is, not surprisingly, Zacchaeus. What Buechner shares about this man, and how he lets Zacchaeus be a summary for all the other folks in the Bible, is as delightful as it is instructive! Buechner observes: “Zacchaeus makes for a good [character] to end with because in a way he can stand for all the rest. He’s a sawed-off little social disaster with a big bank account and a crooked job, but Jesus welcomes him aboard anyway, and that’s why he reminds you of all the others, too. There’s Aaron whooping it up with the Golden Calf the moment his brother’s back is turned, and there’s Jacob conning everybody including his own father. There’s Jael driving a tent-peg through the head of an overnight guest, and Rahab, the first of the red-hot mamas. There’s Nebuchadnezzar with his taste for roasting the opposition, and Paul holding the lynch mob’s coats as they go to work on Stephen. There’s Saul the paranoid, and David the stud, and those mealy-mouthed friends of Job’s who would probably have succeeded in boring Job to death if Yahweh had not stepped in just in the nick of time. And then there are the ones who betrayed the people who loved them best such as Absalom and poor old Peter, such as Judas even. Like Zacchaeus, they’re all of them peculiar as Hell, to put it quite literally, and yet you can’t help feeling that, like Zacchaeus, they’re all of them somehow treasured, too. Why? Who knows? But maybe you can say at least this about it — that they’re treasured less for who they are and for what the world has made them than for what they have it in them at their best to be because ultimately, of course, it’s not the world that made them at all. “All the earth is mine,” says Yahweh, “and all that dwell therein” adds the 24th Psalm, and in the long run, presumably, that goes for you and me, too. Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations ____________________________________ Christ Sets Us Free of All Chains There is a story about an ancient Persian king who had injured his ankle quite severely. None of his court physicians knew how to help him. A member of his court told him about a certain slave who was said to have a great insight into matters of the body. The Persian king sent for the slave who was brought to him weighted down with chains and dressed in rags. However, the slave was indeed able to give him great assistance with his problem. The pain ceased and the ankle soon healed. The king was elated and justly grateful for the slave’s help. He was so grateful that he sent the slave a gift-a new set of golden chains. Some people shy away from religion because they are afraid that they may be trading in one set of chains for another. Religion can do that to people, but not a relationship with Christ. Christ sets us free! King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Forgiveness Heals a Thief There was a Zen school in Japan. They were training young boys in the discipline of meditation. The boys had been taken into seclusion. Among the boys there was one who kept stealing. So the boys finally put together a petition and brought he thief to the headmaster and stood there and said, "We are threatening right now to leave because we can't stand this kid any longer." With wisdom the Zen master approached them, looked at them, and said, "You are wise brothers. You are very wise. You are wise because you know the difference between right and wrong. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave." The story goes that a torrent of tears cleansed the face of that boy who had stolen, and the desire to steal was banished from him forever in that decisive moment. Richard A. Wing, Deep Joy for a Shallow World A Tough Book to Swallow In a certain town, a man walked into a bookstore to return a purchase. “It’s a Bible,” he said, handing to the clerk at the cash register. “Was it a gift?” asked the clerk. “No, I bought it for myself,” he said, “and I made a mistake.” “Didn’t you like the translation? Or the format?” “Oh no,” the man said, “the format was clear and the translation was fine. I made a mistake.” The clerk said, “Well, I need to write down a reason for the return.” “In that case,” said the man, “write down that there is a lot in that book which is tough to swallow.” There are some passages in the Bible that are tough to swallow. This is one of them. William G. Carter, Praying for a Whole New World Would You Be a Saint? - Matthew 23:1-12 How many of you played “dress up” this weekend? Wow…There’s a lot of you who “dressed up.” What did you “dress up” as? …[make this as karaoke as you can ... You may want to prime the pump by arranging for some to wear their “dress ups” to church] On Halloween we “dress up” in costumes and put on masks to “hide out,” to conceal who we really are. Originally the “disguises” worn on “All Hallows Eve” were supposed to fool the demons and other dark forces roaming the planet on that fateful night. The idea was that good Christians would be left alone by evil spirits if they dressed to look like they themselves were part of Satan’s army. How times have changed. I don’t think too many demons were put-off by Barbie Princesses, High School Musical cheerleaders, or Star Wars soldiers. Many parents found that this Halloween the problem was not that the most popular costumes were “too scary,” but that they were way too sexy! (So, YES, they were way too scary for Mom and Dad!) But for a lot of us the “dressing up” in costume didn’t stop with Friday night. We also “dressed up” to come to church on Sunday morning. We exchanged our Friday night “sinner” for our Sunday “saint” costume. For some reason many of us have become convinced that there is a great divide between clothing and our spiritual condition. The family, the Body of Christ, should always require a two-pronged greeting: “Good Morning Saints; Good Morning Sinners!” That is the organic complexity, the paradox of orthodoxy, that makes up this “Christ-Body” and makes it so vital. Both Saints and Sinners are present and accounted for. And all of us are both. My grandma used to make her requests using a very particular vocabulary. She would ask, “Would you be a saint and bring me that sweater?” Or maybe, “Would you be a saint and pick up those dishes?” All of her requests gave us the opportunity to register ourselves as “saints.” But is that all there is to being a “saint?” Would all of us be real “saints” if all we had to do was run helpful errands? Isn’t there some deeper commitment, some greater impulse required of a “saint?” We all know there are true saints in our midst this morning. Can’t you feel their presence? We have but to recognize and celebrate them. And this is our problem. The problem with real “saints” is that they are slippery. Jesus identified the revealing qualities of a true “saint” in today’s text. They don’t proudly peacock their achievements. They do not wear “broad phylacteries” or “long fringes.” They do not insist upon the best, recognition of their deeds, or need special placement in the community, or the best seats in the sanctuary. True “saints” slip under the radar… ____________________ Celebrating All Saint’s Day When pop culture transforms a “holy day” into a “holiday,” it almost always manages to focus on the wrong side of the equation. For example: *The number of shopping days left til Christmas is NOT as important as the 12 day period between the Christmas day miracle and the season of Epiphany. *A huge party, Mardi Gras, on “Fat Tuesday” is NOT as important as the forty days of Lent that follow. *Eating all your chocolate bunnies before breakfast on Easter morning is NOT as important as rejoicing over living a resurrection faith on Easter afternoon. *Tonight, while the world is preparing to throw itself a spooky, kooky All Hallow’s Eve party, “Halloween” is NOT as important as is the celebrations it fronts for — All Saints Day and All Soul’s Day. Outwitting spooky spirits on Halloween is not essential to Christian discipleship. But remembering the “saints” is. Celebrating our ancestors in the faith, those men and women, some unknown, some esteemed, who lived and died furthering the Christian faith, that is the “holy day” the church needs to hold up to the world. The Roman Catholic Church calendar still establishes a two day series of special masses and prayers that follow All Hallow’s Eve — All Saint’s Day on November 1 and All Soul’s Day on November 2. All Saints Day commemorates the faithful who, according to the church, have achieved heavenly status. All Soul’s Day is a day to pray for family members and the unsung saints of the world. There is a historical argument that can be made for All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day being the most under-celebrated church holiday in the post-Reformation church. Before the Reformation some overzealous fundraisers in the church gladly granted what was called a “plenary indulgence” to those who attended church services on All Saint’s and All Soul’s day. According to medieval theology this meant that if you attended church on those days your presence automatically released one soul from purgatory. The problem was that eventually the church ended up with a revolving door of visitors. It was the theological equivalent of buying a fistful of lottery tickets instead of betting on just one number. Better odds. People with lots of dead relatives would enter the church, offer the name of their deceased loved one, exit the church, and then turn around and do it all again, theologically assured that each time they re-entered the church that day they were freeing another Purgatory prisoner. Those with few relatives would simply draw up lists of historical figures they liked and hoped to chalk up heavenly credit to liberate them. This kind of incentive for church attendance is questionable, though it did work. But the eagerness of living generations to stay connected to past generations, both in prayers and in practices, is admirable. For medieval Christians, the dead were still an active part of the living, and past generations still had something to offer the present generations. It is hard for some of us to make that kind of connection anymore. People used to know their “family trees” as well as they knew their own furniture. But the USA has always been a country made of up of new arrivals, and for some of us the past is a blur. After generations of being on the move and unattached, there are now internet sites that offer to help us find our “ancestry.” At “Ancestry.com” the appearance of a single “leaf” next to a name is the signal that there is more information available. But many of us don’t have “family trees.” We don’t have a familiar forest of known relatives we can point to and proudly claim as our own. Some of us have family blackberry bushes. By that I mean unwieldy, twisted, brier-patch knots that are way too thorny to investigate without getting hurt. Whether you have a well-shaped family tree or an untamed bramble bush in your personal history, every member of the body of Christ stills participates in the communion of the saints. No matter what you know, or don’t know, about church history, or about your own personal history, we all have common ancestors in the faith and personal knowledge of saints. We need to celebrate All Saint’s Day. Leonard Sweet, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ____________________ We Belong to the Kingdom of God 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 Keeping Our Perspective and Priorities Straight 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.eSermons.com _______________ Sometimes We Just Need a Blessing The problem with our society is that we don't understand the power nor the dynamics of giving a blessing. We underestimate its power and we are not in the habit of giving empathy. Few people are tuned in to your feelings of rejection. Most ignore them completely. Many simply "stuff" them, hoping that they will go away. We are a people that want to fix or problem solve. We want answers and a rational explanation for everything that happens. Or, we believe that hard work and discipline will make everything turn out right. Do you think that the skier that crashed on the ski slope was not disciplined? Did he deserve to slip and fail because he didn't work hard enough? I heard a story this past week that illustrates how our society treats personal rejection. A man with a critical illness was lying in a hospital bed, desperately wanting some word of encouragement. A nurse said to him, "you just need to work harder." This man had undergone multiple surgeries and is critically ill. What he needed was a "blessing." What the skier who crashed on the slope needed was a blessing. Keith Wagner, Overcoming Rejection New Priorities of the Kingdom A holy man was engaged in his morning meditation under a tree whose roots stretched out over the riverbank. During his meditation he noticed that the river was rising, and a scorpion caught in the roots was about to drown. He crawled out on the roots and reached down to free the scorpion, but every time he did so, the scorpion struck back at him. An observer came along and said to the holy man, 'Don't you know that's a scorpion, and it's in the nature of a scorpion to want to sting?' To which the holy man replied, 'That may well be, but it is my nature to save, and must I change my nature because the scorpion does not change his?' Traditional Mercy and Empathy There are people crying all around us, people approaching the point of desperation. But many of their cries go unheard. The noise of the self-oriented machinery of our culture is drowning them out and they are dying. The world needs the merciful. We all need someone who will identify with us. Someone who will hear our cry, listen, have empathy, and care. We all need to have an attitude of mercy and to be the recipients of such an attitude! As Shakespeare said: The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest, It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes. Wallace H. Kirby, Beatitudes: Programs and Promises, CSS Publishing Looking Deeper Do you remember from your childhood the fairy tale about a wicked witch who turned the handsome young prince into a green, slimy, warty bullfrog sitting on a lily pad? "You'll never be restored until a lovely princess comes along and kisses you on the lips!" she cackled. Well, what chance is there that will happen? Yet one day a beautiful princess comes along the garden path, sees the ugly frog prince, but looks again, this time deeper. She sees beyond all the ugly to the real need, and she kisses him. Slowly all the ugly falls away until the young handsome prince is restored. That's what Jesus does to us. That's what he did for Zacchaeus. Stephen M. Crotts, Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost: Music from another Room, CSS Publishing Company ______________________________________________ Looking for a Savior Quite frankly, I'm sick to death of ideals. I have so many ideals and I've been so frustrated by them, I really don't care for any more. What I'm looking for is a savior--not someone who will just tell me what I ought to be, but someone who will forgive me for what I am, and then with his very love will enable me to be more than I ever believed I could be. It's exactly that that Jesus does. Bruce Thielemann in "Telltale Tears" (1986 Preaching Today). Christianity Today, Vol. 35, no. 115. ____________________

Lord Have Mercy on Me a Sinner

October 23, 2022 20th Sunday After Pentecost Luke 18:9-14 Lord Have Mercy on me a Sinner Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship Leader: Rejoice! We’re here to sing our joy in the God of our salvation. People: This God – the hope of all the earth! Leader: We offer our praise, for God gives us land, air and water. People: We’re awed by all God provides! Leader: All who are drawn close to God, be happy! People: We rejoice, for God is our deliverer. (Disciple’s of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer God of our salvation, Thank you for drawing us to you in this time of worship, (some of us in person, and some by the gift of technology). Thank you the variety of ways you answer our prayers. Hear us now as we offer you our praise. Receive our heart-felt joy as we raise our songs of thanksgiving for all the beauty of the earth. AMEN (Center for Faith and Giving) Song There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy UMH Children’s Sermon • Good morning! • I’d like to tell you a brief story and then ask you a few questions about it. • There once were two girls and neither of them could play soccer. They were both awful at it. • But Girl #1 THOUGHT she could play soccer and that she could play it well. • She’d walk around talking about how she was the best soccer player in the world and how she was better than everyone else and no one knew soccer better than she did. She would say that she was so good that she didn’t even need to practice. She was so good she didn’t even need teammates. • Girl #2 on the other hand, knew she didn’t know how to play soccer. • But she wanted to learn. • So she asked other people how to play. She went to practice. She listened to the coach and ran drills. • That’s it - that’s the story I wanted to tell you. • So, my question to you: Who do you think became the better soccer player? Girl #1 who thinks she already knows how to play soccer or Girl #2 who wants to learn how to play soccer? (Girl #2!) • And why do you think Girl #2 is going to become the better soccer player? (because she wants to learn instead of thinking she already knows it all) TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway) • So in today’s scripture story, Jesus tells a story just like the one I told you. • But instead of the story being about girls who don’t know how to play soccer, Jesus tells a story about two men who don’t know how to live God’s better way of life. • In the story, one man tells God how great of a person he is. • And because that man thinks he knows how to live God’s way, he keeps telling God while he is praying that he’s super-great at life and is so much better at life than everyone else • That sounds a lot like the first girl who thought she knew all there was to know about soccer, doesn’t it? • The other man in the story, though, tells God, “I need help. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life – help me to live it your better way” – which sounds a lot like the second girl who was always trying to learn more about soccer. • So…of the two men, who do you think will be able to learn from God how to live God’s better way? (the 2nd man) • Why do you think that? (because he wants to learn instead of thinking he already knows it all) SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination) • That’s right! And, just as importantly, you just said one of the main things that Jesus wants us to understand about ourselves from this story. • When we stop thinking that we know it all and instead ask God and others for help, then we will be able to learn and improve. • And, the things we then learn and receive will also be the things that we can also share with the people around us. • That is the good news for today – let’s pray. CLOSING Prayer • This is a repeat-after-me prayer. Dear God, Dear God, Please help us to remember… Please help us to remember… ...that we don’t know it all... ...that we don’t know it all... …and to ask for and listen... …and to ask for and listen... …for help from you and others. …for help from you and others. Thank you and Amen Originally posted October 5, 2013 Updated on September 22, 2022 By Nathaniel Vissia Passing of the Peace Prayer for illumination God of Wisdom and Grace, you speak through your Word read and proclaimed. Prepare us now to listen well. Open our ears to your truth. Humble us in your presence so nothing will stand in the way of what you say to us today. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Teri McDowell Ott) Scripture Luke 18:9-14 Sermon Lord Have Mercy on Me a Sinner Jesus Is Mine As people drive to church each Sunday morning, they pass by the houses of neighbors who, although they may get to sleep in on Sundays, also live hopeless lives with no real certainty that there is a God anywhere who cares. They pass by nursing homes and hospitals that house debilitated people unable to go to church (or anywhere else for that matter). A few en route to church may even see the homeless huddled in doorways and under overpasses. Compared to all that, surely there are times when people drive to church and quietly think, "I thank God I am not like other people. I am thank God I have faith, that I have a church to go to and the desire to attend. I thank God I have honest work to do and health in my body to do it. I am grateful not to be addicted to drugs or booze and that my children and I have a roof over our heads. I pray to God and know that God loves me. I give my offerings here at church and volunteer my time in various programs, too. I am so thankful I am not like other people who are lost, lonely, dishonest, and without the hope I have in my heart. I'm so glad to be a Christian." All in all, such prayers sure sound a lot like a certain character in Luke 18. For that matter, it all sounds a little like some of the songs we sing in church: "I am so glad that Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me, Jesus loves ME!" "How vast the benefits divine which WE in Christ possess!" "Blessed assurance, Jesus is MINE!" Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations When we are thinking about others and wishing they would come to church with us – we are grateful for our faith and worried that others are missing out. But we also don’t realize that we are putting ourselves in the story. In the parable, the pharisee is glad that God loves him, the tax collector realizes that he is a sinner and in need of God’s grace. The last thing that we want to do is to be like the pharisee, Jesus is not impressed with the faith of the pharisees. I think that this is one of those awkward stories that Jesus tells – there are always verses in the gospel that when I deal with them I don’t know what to do with them. Luke is the gospel that challenges us to pray and uses Jesus as an example of how to pray. Jesus is know to go off an to pray to God. He asked God for direction, he expected God to be a part if his life, and most important he was always humble and respectful in his request. The pharisee was a little overconfident in his prayer – he didn’t need to ask God for anything, because it appears that his faith was all about his righteousness – not God’s grace. So the first lesson for us is to be humble in our prayer. Our faith is not about our own righteousness. Humor: Worth a Thousand Points Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who came to the gates of heaven to be greeted by St. Peter. Peter asks the man if he can give a brief history of his life with an emphasis on the good deeds he had done in order to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven. "You will need 1000 points to be admitted," Peter tells the man. "This will be a cinch," the man thinks to himself, "I've been involved in church from the days of my youth." Then he begins to list his activities for Peter. He was an officer in his youth group, served in every possible position he could as a youngster. Was on the Church Council and every committee the church had to offer. His list was extensive. "Very impressive," Peter smiles at the man. An angel standing with them also smiled and nodded as he tallied the points and then whispered in Peter's ear. Peter tells the man, "This is quite striking -- we seldom see men of your very good works. You will be pleased to know that you have 327 points! Is there anything else you can think of?" The poor soul breaks into a cold sweat and begins to reach deep for every single act of kindness he could think of. He listed them as the angel scratched furiously on his angelic clip board and nodded his head in admiration. Peter looks at the clip board and says, "This is quite exceptional! You now have a total of 402 points. Can you think of anything else?" The distressed guy strives to recall good deeds -- like the time he helped a little old lady across the street. He finally arrives at a grand total of 431 points and cries out... "I am sunk! There is no hope for me! What more could I have done? O Lord, all I can do is beg for your mercy!" "THAT," exclaims Peter, "Is a thousand points!" So also, the tax collector in Jesus' parable finds his hope in the grace and mercy of God. John Jewell, Qualities of Faith So perhaps on our drive to church, before we focus on all of the people who are sleeping in, we should first focus on why we are headed to church. We are in need of prayer ourselves. Our spiritual journey begins with ourselves. Looking at ourselves. Heavenly Humility One time I was in a department store attempting to purchase a new suit. When I tried on a suit I stood in front of a 3-way mirror. The mirror enabled me to see myself from three different perspectives. As I looked at my image in the mirror I said to myself, “Is that really me?” It was very uncomfortable since I normally see myself in a singular mirror. As I continued to check out the suit I realized that in reality people actually see me in reverse. For example, my hair is parted the other way. What I perceive as my good side is really my bad side. When the Pharisee prayed to God he saw his good side. He was filled with righteousness, proud of his perfect record, especially his fasting and tithing record. On the other hand, the tax collector saw his bad side. He realized his unworthiness and said, “God me merciful to me a sinner.” How do see yourself? Are you like the Pharisee who only saw how good he was, or are you like the tax collector who only saw himself in need of God’s forgiveness? Keith Wagner, Heavenly Humility We come to church because we may all look okay on the outside, but we all have something to work on. We are like the college student. They Only Ironed The Parts That Showed Mike Cope, in his article "Righteousness Inside Out," tells of inviting a college student and his girlfriend back to his home after church, to have lunch with him and his wife. "When we got to the house, I took off my suit coat and invited him to do the same. The boy hemmed and hawed for a long time until he could pull me aside, and what he whispered to me then reminded me of the way I used to live when I was in college." It seemed he had only ironed the cuffs and collar of his shirt. If he took off his jacket, his girl would see the rest of his shirt and know what a slob he was. He had only ironed the parts that showed. That was one of the major, ongoing complaints Jesus brought against the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day. That they were phony. That they were not what they seemed to be. That they were hypocrites. That they only ironed the parts that showed. William R. Boyer, Sorry, Thank You, Please When we are humble and honest with ourselves and with God, we realize just how much we need God. Whenever Jesus tells a parable, there is always a twist. There is an obvious lesson, but there is also a hidden meaning. The obvious lesson is that we should be humble like the tax collector. But what we don’t realize, is that Jesus uses the pharisees in this story, because he was not wrong in his prayer. It was his job to be righteous and good. He went to church, because he knew that others didn’t. that is why he prays that he is glad that he is not like the others. When we criticize the pharisee, we put ourselves in his place. We start to pray that we are glad that we are not like him. When we point one finger at others, then there are 4 that are pointed at ourselves. The pharisee’s prayer may have been misguided, but it was still a prayer. He is still a child of God. What Kind of Sinners Can Be Members Samuel Colgate, the founder of the Colgate business empire, was a devout Christian, and he told of an incident that took place in the church he attended. During an evangelistic service, an invitation was given at the close of the sermon for all those who wished to turn their lives over to Christ and be forgiven. One of the first persons to walk down the aisle and kneel at the altar was a well-known prostitute. She knelt in very real repentance, she wept, she asked God to forgive her, and meanwhile the rest of the congregation looked on approvingly at what she was doing. Then she stood and testified that she believed God had forgiven her for her past life, and she now wanted to become a member of the church. For a few moments, the silence was deafening. Finally, Samuel Colgate arose and said, "I guess we blundered when we prayed that the Lord would save sinners. We forgot to specify what kind of sinners. We'd better ask him to forgive us for this oversight. The Holy Spirit has touched this woman and made her truly repentant, but the Lord apparently doesn't understand that she's not the type we want him to rescue. We'd better spell it out for him just which sinners we had in mind." Immediately, a motion was made and unanimously approved that the woman be accepted into membership in the congregation. God accepts us as we are. There's not a sin too black, not a deed too awful, not a thought too horrible for him to forgive. Larry R. Kalajainen, Extraordinary Faith for Ordinary Time, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. The lesson is not just about humility, but also about who we are as a community. We are all sinners, and no matter who we are God gives us grace. So we should not be glad that we are not like others, we should be glad that God loves us all. We are all connected. We should see God in all people and all situations. We thank God that we are all together. My final story You're Not Home Yet How revealing is that story of the old missionary couple who had been working in Africa for years in the days when Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States. They were returning from Africa to New York City to retire. They had no pension for they belonged to no missionary board. Their health was broken, they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. When they went down to the wharf to board the ship they discovered to their amazement that they were booked on the same ship with Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big game hunting expeditions. They went aboard the ship and no one paid any attention to them. They watched all the tremendous fanfare that accompanied the President's arrival, how the band played as he came aboard, and everyone was agog over the thought of traveling on the same ship with the President of the United States. Passengers were stationing themselves at vantage points throughout the ship to see if they might catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean this couple became more and more discouraged, especially the man. He said to his wife, "Dear, something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and no one cares a thing about us. Here is a man who has been on a big-game hunting expedition and when he comes back everybody makes over him but nobody gives two hoots about us." His wife said, "Dear, you shouldn't feel that way. Try not to be bitter about it." But he said, "I can't help it, I just can't help it, it doesn't look right. After all, if God is running this world, why does he permit such injustice?" As the boat neared the American shore, his spirit became more and more depressed. He said to his wife, "I'll wager that when we get to New York there will be another band there and more fanfare over his arrival, but there will be no one to meet us." Sure enough, when they got in, the ship docked and a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor of New York City was there and other leaders of the nation, and the papers were full of the President's arrival, but no one said a word to this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city. But that first night the man's spirit just broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this, it's not fair, God is not treating us fairly. Why should we give ourselves like this and have no one to meet us, no one to help us, no one to care. We don't even know where to go. If God is a faithful God, why doesn't he meet our need and send someone along?" And his wife said, "Dear, you mustn't feel this way, you simply must not, it isn't right. Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell the Lord the whole thing?" So he went in, and about a half hour later he came out again and his face was different, his wife could see it. She said, "Dear, what happened? Everything is different I can see. You feel better, don't you?" "Yes," he said, "the Lord settled it with me." "Well," she said, "what did he say?" He said, "I went in and knelt beside the bed and I poured out the whole thing to him. I said, 'Lord, it's not fair. We have given our lives, we've given our blood and sweat and tears in Africa, our health is broken, we have no place to go.' And I told him all -- how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous welcome over nothing! Especially I felt bitter about the homecoming he received when no one met us when we returned home." He said, "You know, when I finished it seemed as though the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, 'But you're not home yet!'" Ray Stedman, The Nature of Prayer _______________________ None of us are at home yet, but may we find our home in being in service to God. Amen. Song I am Thine O Lord UMH 419 Affirmation of faith (From Philippians 2:6-11) Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess to the glory of God: Jesus Christ is Lord! Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Teri McDowell Ott) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment In Luke 18, Jesus tells the parable of two men, praying in the temple. One we would, today, call a braggart or an egotistical show-off. The other we might call a reserved man, or one who did not think of himself more highly than he ought. If you could imagine these two on a spectrum of financial givers, where woould you place yourself on that spectrum? Are you closer to the one who stood up in public, declaring aloud how great he is because of what he does (including giving 10% to the temple)? Or are you closer to the one who takes a back seat, knowing he could be doing much more, and praying for God’s mercy? The truth is, we can never out-give God! And most of us will never be able, if we’re honest, to brag how we give 10% of our worth to the church. But we ALL are able to step away from the temptation to be brassy, bragging, and belittling others. All of us might be inspired by this parable as we seek to embody a humble spirit and stretch ourselves toward significant financial support of the church and the ministries of this congregation. As we receive our morning offering, may each of us find courage to be BOLD in our giving, and humble in our heart. God whom we exalt, Your generosity continues in every moment. Thank you for all you provide for us and for this amazing planet on which we live. Please accept these gifts as one way for us to signal our desire to be part of your abundant provision for life. Help us use this cash, these checks, and our on-line contributions to extend your care to the lost, the lonely, and the least among us. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May we leave this house of worship today, quick to listen, slow to speak, open to hearing and responding to God’s truth. May God bless you and keep you, be kind and gracious to you, may God look upon you with favor and bring you Peace, Amen (Presbyterian Outlook, Teri McDowell Ott) Community Time Benediction May you be blessed by the least expected people, recognize plenty after empty, and feel an incognito inner urge to be the Spirit’s lungs and tongues. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Maren Tirabassi) Additional Illustrations re You Really Listening? In his book Directions, author James Hamilton shares this insight about listening to God: "Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the icehouse during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. I closed the door,'' the boy replied, “lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.'' Often the question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are being still enough, and quiet enough, to hear. Yes, Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father always listens to us, but do we really listen to God? Do we follow the instructions of Psalm 46, "Be still, and know that I am God"? Eric S. Ritz, The Ritz Collection,www.Sermons.com The Best Treatment for Loneliness Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous American psychiatrist, once gave a lecture on mental health & was answering questions from the audience. One man asked, "What would you advise a person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?" Everyone there expected him to answer, "Consult a psychiatrist." To their astonishment he replied: Leave your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone who is in need, and do something to help that person. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com Bent to the Ground A city boy visited his cousin who lived on a farm in the country for the first time. The city boy had never seen wheat growing in a field. It was an impressive sight for him, the wheat golden brown and ready for harvesting. He noticed that some of the wheat stood tall in the field, whereas some of it was bent low, touching the ground. The city boy said to his cousin, "I bet the ones standing tall are the best ones, aren't they?" His cousin smiled knowingly and reached over and plucked the head of one of the tall-standing wheat stalks and one that was bent to the ground. He rubbed each of them and the city boy saw that the tall one was almost empty of seeds. But the one bent to the ground was full of the promise of a rich harvest. R. Curtis Fussell, Deadly Sins and Living Virtues, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. _________________________ Learn To Empty Yourself A martial arts student was meeting with his master and teacher at a table, having tea. The student said to his master, "I've learned all you have to teach me about defending myself. I want to learn one thing more now. Please teach me about the ways of God." The master took the teakettle and starting pouring the student's cup full of tea. Soon the cup was full and began to spill over onto the saucer. But the master continued to pour the tea until it spilled over the saucer and then onto the floor. The student finally said, "Stop, stop, the tea is spilling over. The cup can't take any more." The master then looked at the student and said, "You are so full of yourself that there is no room in your life for God. It is not possible for you to learn the ways of God until you learn to empty yourself." R. Curtis Fussell, Deadly Sins and Living Virtues, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. The Beginnings of a Spiritual Journey One of my sources of my spiritual grounding is the blues. Van Morrison's Hymns to the Silence has become the sound track of my soul. It floats around me and catches me in moments of solitude. It speaks to me of my journey, the things that have made me, the yearning for depth in prayer. It reflects a nostalgia for the innocence of youth, time that is gone, and a longing for a safe place to be ... the thirst for God. There is a spirit of rejuvenation and rebirth in Morrison's blues - there is no us and them. He sings.' No matter where I roam/ I will find my way back home/ I will return to the Lord." The point of the story is the old one - "know yourself." The beginning of deep spiritual examination begins here. This is not a beating oneself up, but a prayer of have mercy on me. It is a modest understanding of oneself - that I need others to be more fully myself. I don't have to go it alone. George Hermanson, A Modest Faith - A Subtle Shift In Grammar Worshipping Who She Used To Be Girolamo Savonarola was one of the great preachers of the fifteenth century. He preached in the great cathedral of Florence, Italy, which contained a magnificent marble statue of the blessed virgin Mary. When Savonarola started preaching at this great cathedral, he noticed one day an elderly woman praying before this statue of Mary. He then began to notice that it was her habit to come every day and pray before the statue. Savonarola remarked one day to an elderly priest who had been serving in the cathedral for many years, "Look how devoted and earnest this woman is. Every day she comes and offers prayers to the blessed Mother of Jesus. What a marvelous act of faith." But the elderly priest replied, "Do not be deceived by what you see. Many years ago when the sculptor needed a model to pose for this statue of the blessed Mother, he hired a beautiful young woman to sit for him. This devout worshiper you see here everyday is that young woman. She is worshiping who she used to be." The first and perhaps the deadliest of the seven deadly sins is pride. R. Curtis Fussell, Deadly Sins and Living Virtues, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. We Watched His Eyes It was late New Year's Day when the showdown finally came. The number one and two college bowl teams in the nation were set to fight it out in the Fiesta Bowl at Tempe, Arizona, deciding who would lay claim to being the "Beast of the East" and the best in the nation. Among those who predict such things, there was agreement that the nation's number one team would remain number one that night. Their passing attack had been unstoppable all season long, and it would remain so. A high-scoring game was predicted. Both predictions were wrong. A defensive struggle prevailed, and the number one team was upset, beaten. Interviews and national news stories alike toyed with the obvious question: "How did you stop their passing attack?" Several strategies had been employed, such as mixing up defensive formations, intimidating receivers by hard tackling, and of special significance, watching the mannerisms of the quarterback. Careful study of earlier films had discovered that he "telegraphed" the direction of a pass. "How did you stop him?" "We watched his eyes!" These words may hold the key to our discovery of the "central luminous truth" of the parable about two men who went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The key to this parable has to do with the direction of each man's eyes. Theodore F. Schneider, Until the King Comes, CSS Publishing Company. The Transformation of a Hideous Beetle One afternoon, a man, lying in a canoe close to shore, saw many beetles in the muddy bottom of the lake. He felt sorry for these lowly creatures which would never know any other world except gloom and mud and water. Then a big, black beetle came out of the water. He crawled up on the gunwale and sat there blinking at him. Under the heat of the sun the beetle died. Then a strange thing happened. His black shell cracked down the back. Out of it came a shapeless mass whose hideousness was transformed into a beautiful, brilliantly colored life. Out of that mass gradually unfolded four iridescent wings from which the sunlight flashed a thousand colors. The wings spread wide as if to worship the sun. The man realized that he had witnessed the transformation of a hideous beetle crawling in the mud to a gorgeous dragonfly soaring above the waters. The body that was left behind still clung to the gunwale of the canoe. While the dragonfly explored the wonders of his wings and his new world, the other beetles were still crawling in the mud. He knew that he had seen a miracle of nature. Out of the mud had come a beautiful new life. The thought occurred to him, if the Creator worked such wonders with the lowliest of creatures, what must be in store for his children created in his likeness! That is our hope and our victory on this day. That is our comfort and our peace. O. Garfield Beckstrand II, In Sure and Certain Hope, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Our Own Vices Dwight L. Moody and Charles Spurgeon were great preachers of the nineteenth century. Moody admired Spurgeon from a distance and looked forward to the opportunity of meeting him in London. On that historic day, Spurgeon answered the door with a cigar in his mouth. Moody was aghast. "How could you, a man of God, smoke that?" Spurgeon took the cigar from his mouth, put his finger on Moody's rather inflated stomach, smiled and said, "The same way you, a man of God, could be that fat." Because we are usually blind to our own vices, we are hardly qualified to judge others. Eric S. Ritz, The Ritz Collection,www.Sermons.com

Rise up and Reveal God's Grace

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Laity Sunday 19th Sunday after Pentecost Rise Up and Reveal God’s Grace Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship We are all invited to God’s nearness in Jesus Christ. We know Jesus is God’s grace for the life of the world. We look for grace revealed in our togetherness and in the lives those beyond our church walls. We know our together life in Christ is never gated or exclusive. In every place, we discover what it means to be faithful – with you – to make all things new. And we hear your invitation to help heal and repair the world’s shattered wholeness. Song - Here I am Lord UMH 593 Children’s Sermon Hello, children of God! Today I am going to need a volunteer…Who would like to be my special helper this morning? (Select a student, and hand him/her a pen and paper) Now, here’s what I need you to do. I am going to tell you what to write, and I want you to put it down on the paper, okay? So, write down what I say. (Come up with a simple phrase or sentence for the child to write on the paper.) Okay, guys, take a peek here. Who came up with the words on this paper? Did (student’s name) really think of what to say? She/he might have written the message down, but it came from my brain and mouth, didn’t it? These are my words, and I just used her/him to put them down and share with you. You know, this is how the Bible was written, in a way. Some people get confused, and they don’t understand how we can be sure that the Bible is true. After all, there are a lot of people who contributed to the Bible, right? Kings and prophets and poets and friends of Jesus and people writing letters…with all of those authors and people spanning such a range of time and area, how can we know that these are really God’s words? Well, there is a lot of research and history that goes into the authentic truth of the Bible, but for us it’s important to note that the Bible is the word of GOD and is given to us by Him. God used people throughout history to share His message, but the words are truly God’s words. He communicated to people and told them what to say, so people took the paper and wrote things. But the ideas and meaning all came from God. He inspired the Bible. Speaking of which, in our lesson today we heard that the Bible is “breathed out by God.” This is actually what is meant by the term “inspired”: it means it is breathed from God. Take a look at this (hold up party horn, instrument, or balloon): On its own, this is just a bit of floppy material. It can’t really do much, can it? But when I put my breath into it (blow into instrument/balloon), something happens! With the inspiration of my air going into this, it kind of comes to life! Well, that’s what happens with the Bible. God breathed out those words and gave the Bible life…and the Bible will help bring inspiration into our lives! There are a lot of amazing things in the Bible. You can read stories of people in the past, and you can read messages from God to His people. You can also find beautiful Scripture with poetry. You can read the story of the life of Jesus and how He came to earth. And you can find messages that help us know how to live our lives and be followers of Jesus. There is so much to discover in the Bible. It is a huge blessing that we have it There is so much to discover in the Bible. It is a huge blessing that we have it and that we can be confident of its truth and meaning for us. God wants to communicate His heart and how much He cares for us and loves us. When we read the Bible, we can be confident it contains the words of God. Isn’t that great? It is a gift from Him! Let’s pray to thank God for that gift, and don’t forget to read your Bibles! Dear God, Thank you for the Bible We know that it is true And it is inspired by You Help us to be faithful to read it And help us understand what it means Thank you for your love We love you, God! Thank you for Jesus In His name, Amen! Baptism (name of the baby) UMH 39 Affirmation of Faith UMH 885 Scripture 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5 Sermon Rise Up and Reveal God’s Grace On this laity Sunday, our most important lesson for the day – the bible is relevant. John Wesley and many other church leaders tell us the scripture is primary to our faith. Martin Luther said By Scripture Alone! Preach the Gospel to Yourself Daily Preach the Gospel to One Another Daily Scripture for the Soul, Medicine for the Body Questions for Reflection The Bible will always be relevant. It will always speak to us because it is not from us, it is from God and it has some wonderful things to teach us. Especially in how God sees us. The world could care less about us. But listen to what God says about us in the N.T. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke--we are called the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In the Gospel of John we are called friends of Jesus. In Acts we are people of the Way. In Romans we are joint heirs with Christ, sharing his inheritance. In Corinthians we are a temple--a dwelling place of God. In Galatians we are sons and daughters of God--one in Christ. In Ephesians we're saints, citizens with the rest of God's family. In Philippians we are citizens of heaven, right now. In Colossians we are hidden with Christ in God. In Thessalonians we are chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. In Timothy we are those who have been given a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. In Titus we are those who have been set apart according to God's doing. In Philemon we are soldiers. In Hebrews we are those who have been purified by the offering of our great high priest. In James we are brothers and sisters. In Peter we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. In John's letters we are children of God who will resemble Christ when Christ returns. In Jude we are those who are called, beloved in God. And in Revelation we are those whose names are written in the book of life. Where else can you hear such powerful affirmation? Not out there. The world says your feet and breath stink, that you don't drive the right kind of car or eat the right kind of foods or dress right. But the Bible helps us walk a little taller. It says we are the children of God. The importance of scripture is the last lesson from 2 Timothy on what it means to be a church leader. This may well be one of the most important lessons – That we are to read the bible for ourselves. But it is also important to develop a relationship with the scripture in order to develop a relationship with Christ. The writer starts out this text by saying as for you young man, continue with the things that you have been taught all of your life. One of those things is to read the bible. An elderly man lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Tennessee with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early reading from his old worn out Bible. His grandson, who wanted to be just like him, tried to imitate him in any way he could. One day the grandson asked, “Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?” The grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.” The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You will have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was “impossible to carry water in a basket,” and he went to get a bucket instead. The grandfather said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Papa, it’s useless!” “So you think it is useless?” The old man said, “Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean. “Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.” (6) That is the work of God in our lives to change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of God’s Son. Millions of Christians though the ages will testify that is what happened to them when they faithfully studied the scriptures. God revealed Himself to them. God showed them what He wanted them to do. And God purified them and molded them into the image of Christ. 6. From the Internet. Source unknown. Many people read the bible for many different reasons. But it teaches each of us a lesson in life. I heard a story of a young fellow who desperately wanted a car for his sixteenth birthday. That is all he talked about and he knew his parents had gotten the message. When the day finally arrived, he looked out the window hopefully thinking that surely his new car would be there. But to his great disappointment, it wasn’t. There was no car at all. He asked his parents why he hadn’t gotten the car. The father responded, “Son, there are three reasons. First, your grades are bad and you never seem to study like you should. Secondly, you don’t go to church any more and you don’t read the Bible every night. And thirdly you have got that long hair and you won’t cut it.” “Well, what do I need to do,” asked the son, “to be able to get my car?” “It is very simple,” the dad said, “You need to study hard and raise your grades. You need to go to church and read your Bible every night and you need to get that long hair cut.” Six months passed and the young man came back to his father. “Dad, It has been six months now and I want you to know I’ve made a lot of improvements. In fact, I am getting three A’s and a B this semester. So you see, I have been studying hard. And I have been going to church every Sunday and reading my Bible every night.” The father’s said, “I know son, and I am proud of you. But you still haven’t gotten your hair cut.” The son’s face lit up. “Yes, dad, I know, but I have discovered in reading the Bible that Jesus had long hair too.” The fathers reply was really disarming. “Yes, son, I realize that, but if you will keep reading the Bible, you will also discover that Jesus walked everywhere He went!” Well, that is not all we’ll discover if we keep reading the Bible I still keep my first bible on my desk as a reference. My aunt gave it to my for Christmas when I was 7. We would have family bible study on the bible stories, and I wanted to read the stories for myself. I knew the stories, but I did not really know the words. As a teenager I was convinced that the bible was a magical book with the answers to all of my problems. When I would turn to a chapter and it didn’t name my friends and circumstance specifically I stopped reading it. In college, I went to a bible study that I loved. As a freshman I read the entire bible and got scared at all of the rules. At the end of college, I thought the world was coming to an end. When it didn’t’ I studied to understand what the bible actually said. From there I went to seminary to learn more. I finally came to understand what the bible said, when I had to teach it. UMW asked me to write a mission study on Corinthians. So I studied Paul for a year and went to Greece, Turkey and Rome. The best way to learn, is to have to explain it to everyone else. Now, I have a week long discipline of studying the text and prepping for my sermon every week. And even now, there is so much more for me to learn about the bible. The bible is a living text that can interact with our lives. It is a revelation of how God works in our lives to give us a message. Our text says that every scripture is inspired by God. Let's take that apart. The word "inspired" is a unique word. This is the only time it occurs in the New Testament. It refers to wisdom that comes from God, or quite literally, God's Spirit has been infused or breathed upon it. Therefore, more than just the creative thoughts or opinion of some authors writing on papyrus, scripture has a unique divine authority unlike any other writing. That authority, that power, is shown in what God's word accomplishes. It inspired faith with a wisdom that transcends human knowledge. It teaches, reproofs, and corrects. It trains people in righteousness, equipping them for every good work. The power and the authority of scripture are found in what it does. Scott Suskovic The church still struggles with that term inspired by God. What does it mean to live by the bible? For instance, in 1 Timothy, the writer says that women should never teach men. So does that mean that women should not be preachers? Some churches say yes, some say no. As the Methodist church struggles with splitting, on the surface it seems the disagreement is about homosexuality. When the disagreement is about is text – All Scripture is inspired by God. What does inspired mean? Do we take everything in the bible literally? How far do we go in interpreting what the bible teaches us. Our founder, John Wesley, had a particular notion about inspiration. He believed in double-inspiration. The Spirit of God not only inspired those who wrote it, but continually inspires and supernaturally assists those who read it with earnest prayer. Christianglobe Networks, Inc., Faith Breaks: Thoughts On Making It A Good Day, by J. Howard Olds We have to read the bible for ourselves in order to look at our faith. There are no easy answers for any of us. The writer tells Timothy – preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. He says that the bible corrects, confronts, and encouraged with patience and instruction. The problem is Nearly 80 percent of Americans say the Bible is the most influential book in human history and 42 percent say reading the Bible is “very important” to them. Nonetheless, only 17 percent of Americans report reading the Bible daily and 45 percent say they rarely or never read it. (2) I’m not going to ask for a show of hands. You know which group you belong to. How many of us have actually read the bible to be inspired by it? Charles H. Spurgeon once said, "There is no need to defend a lion when he is being attacked. All we have to do is open the gate and let the lion out. The lion will defend itself." Martin Niemoeller was a German pastor who opposed Hitler during World War II and thus spent much of the war in German prison camps. They took from him everything except his Bible. After his release, Niemoeller gave this testimony about the Bible: "What did this Book mean to me during the long and weary years of solitary confinement and then for the last four years at Dauchau? The word of God was simply everything to me, comfort and strength, guidance and hope, master of my days and companion of my nights, the bread that kept me from starvation and the water of life that refreshed my soul." Dynamic Preaching, The Ritz Collection, by Eric Ritz The bible is everything to us – our inspiration, our revelation, our guidance, our example of what it means to be loved and to love others. Maybe you saw the special report Wednesday night about Paul Reed. Paul is a Viet Nam Vet who pulled out some of his souvenirs and booty from the war. Some of which was a Diary and pictures. He decided to translate. In pages of that diary found just another soldier, Nam Van Nia, who missed his wife and family. Who was lonely. Cold all those things he experienced. Decided to go back and take stuff back. When did, found the soldier. Meeting brought about healing. Paul Reed, holding the diary, told Vietnamese Vet, "This small book taught me not to hate you." If an ordinary diary can do that just think what the Bible can do. This small book teaches us just how much God loves us. The Bible is our Book, the foundation of all that we believe and the story of our relationship with God. Read it, get to know it. This is the word of the Lord for this day. Rising up and revealing God’s grace is living the love that we experience in the bible. Amen. Song – Seek Ye First UMH 405 Prayers of the People Merciful God, powerful and wonderful, eternally present and graciously close, we are grateful for what you have given us in Jesus Christ, life and love without end. Prompted by your Spirit and encouraged by your faithfulness, we lift to you the cares and concerns of our hearts, the burdens and the worries of our lives. We pray that the sick would be healed, that the broken would be mended, that the mournful would be comforted. We pray that warriors would yield to peace, that leaders would gain wisdom, that the forsaken would be gathered in. We pray that the sorrowful would be consoled, that the poor would be lifted up, that the anxious would be released. We pray for all that you would have us pray. We pray for those for whom no one prays. We pray all of these things in the name of the one ceaselessly praying for us, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen (Presbyterian Outlook, John Wurster) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Many of us live in a world where speed is valued. We’re surrounded by ads with runners who win the race, cars which reach top speed first, stocks which lead the market. Yet Paul’s writing encourages our persistence in standing on the foundation of our faith. He writes “continue in what you have learned…knowing from whom you learned it…be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable.” Just the opposite of the push for “do it fast”. One place this makes good sense is in our stewardship of financial resources. Common wisdom says “slow and steady wins the race”, and “dollar cost averaging” to serve people best over a life-time. Here at ____________, we’re grateful for every offering, yet we also know it’s the regular, persistent, weekly or monthly contributions which are the foundation of our finances. So as you continue to grow in faith, let that show in the way you make a financial investment in this congregation and in our ministries. Persistent participation over “make a fast, one-time contribution” speed! Prayer of Thanksgiving We give you thanks, God of all creation, for your persistence in caring – and in challenging US to care — for all your creatures, and for the whole of this place we call our earthly home. May these gifts be utilized to their full potential, supporting the ministries of this congregation in this place, and to the ends of the earth. AMEN Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook We will go, Lord, into the world, telling and retelling the story with other believers, taking the gospel and making disciples among all the peoples with whom we come in contact. We will go, knowing you will be with us. You, O God, to whom we would in these moments, pour out our lives in service and in thanksgiving. But we know the barriers that stand in our way. We cannot pour ourselves out to you fully as individuals with unconfessed sin in our lives. We cannot pour ourselves out to you fully as your body when we are in conflict with others. So, hear our confession, forgive and deliver us, and give us courage to offer your peace to one another. Community Time Benediction Leader: Go into the world, sharing yourself and proclaiming God’s lovingkindness, justice, and peace, in words and deeds that bring life and hope. Pastor: The Triune God, Creator, Redeemer, and Living Spirit, is with you today and every day, forever and always. Amen Additional illustrations ChristianGlobe Network, Inc., , by Billy D. Strayhorn It is time we took seriously our Christbody responsibility to "learn the ABCs" - learn "About the Bible in Church." Unless we read it, study it, learn what's in it and feel comfortable with it in our hands and on our tongues, we cannot truly love the Word of God. Instead, we are intimidated by it, afraid of it, shocked by it or simply remain ignorant of it. LS There was a woman who called her pastor late one night in a panic and said, "Pastor, quickly, tell me what I believe." Another believer from a different church who challenged her about her beliefs had cornered her. She quickly found that she could not articulate the basic teachings of her church. "Pastor, quickly, tell me what I believe." There may be more than one person gathering in worship this morning who, if hard pressed, may be less than clear about what they believe. Are you one? Where does one start in establishing a baseline for belief? Church doctrine? Parental teaching? The local pastor? Inner instinct? Which verse is the most dangerous? It is this one that says, "All scripture is God-breathed" (2 Timothy 2:16) or "All scripture is inspired," depending on which version or translation you use. To be perfectly honest, perhaps this is not the most dangerous verse, but as one writer says it is the mother of all proof texts. As the bumper sticker has it, "The Bible says it; I believe it; that settles it." After all, this is God's word we are talking about. As to why I call this verse dangerous, stay tuned. There is another danger. People think that scripture — because it is "God-breathed" or "inspired" — is somehow magical in the way it can give guidance. "Pastor, can you give me a few verses that will help strengthen my marriage or help me be a better father or to get my daughter to clean up her room?" Have you ever been faced with a difficult decision and gone to the Bible for assistance? Eyes closed, Bible on its spine in your lap, let it fall open, finger points to a place on the page, and voilá, God's will for your life is before you. Have you ever tried it? My sweetie has, back in the days before her sanctification was complete. Christie grew up in Venezuela, but as is often the case with the children of Americans working overseas, when it came time for high school, she came back to the states to a school in New England. She came to dislike it intensely, as much for being separated from her family as anything else. She wanted to come home. She decided to get some divine guidance: Bible on the lap, eyes closed, and the moving finger magically guided. She opened her eyes to see what passage she had been "guided to" and read in astonishment from Jeremiah 38:2: "Thus says the Lord, he who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague. But he who goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live." By the sword? The famine? Gracious! She was on the phone to Caracas that night and within two weeks she was back in South America. After all, "All scripture is inspired...." That is like using the Bible as an Ouija Board! William Sloane Coffin once bemoaned "Christians use the Bible much as a drunk does a lamppost — more for support than for illumination." David Leininger You laugh, but many adults wouldn’t fare much better in describing the New Testament. You may have seen that list on the Internet of the eight signs that you are not reading your Bible enough: 1. The pastor announces the sermon is from Galatians . . . and you check the table of contents. 2. You think Abraham, Isaac and Jacob may have had a few hit songs during the 60s. 3. You open to the Gospel of Luke and a WWII Savings Bond falls out. 4. Your favorite Old Testament patriarch is Hercules. 5. You become frustrated because Charlton Heston isn’t listed in either the concordance or the table of contents. 6. Catching the kids reading the Song of Solomon, you demand: “Who gave you this stuff?” 7. You keep falling for it every time when pastor tells you to turn to First Condominiums. 8. And the No. 1 sign you may not be reading your Bible enough: The kids keep asking too many questions about your usual bedtime story: “Jonah the Shepherd Boy and His Ark of Many Colors.” (Author unknown) St. Paul writes to his young protégé Timothy and he gives him this admonition, “But as for you, Permit me an analogy. Imagine that there is a mosquito flying around your bare arm. Instead of swatting that mosquito, you decide to communicate with it. You try to convince the mosquito not to bite you. You suggest to the mosquito that your spouse is much tastier than you are. That would be a frustrating conversation, don’t you think trying to talk to a mosquito? Now, imagine the Creator of the universe trying to communicate with you and me. God is beyond space and time. We can’t even imagine a world without space and time. We say God is Spirit. What does that mean, really? Beats me. The only thing we really know about God is what God chooses to reveal. That is what the Bible is all about. The Bible is not a book of theology. Theology is, of course, the study of God. How absurd. We have the capacity to study mosquitoes. Imagine mosquitoes coming together to study us. It is just as absurd to say that, by forming a study group we are able to capture the nature of God. The Bible is not a book of theology, but of revelation. God wanted to communicate with human creatures. The Bible is God’s attempt to reach out to us. Through the Bible God seeks to reveal His nature and His plan. “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” while back, one of our pollsters asked people whether or not they believed the Bible to be the “revealed Word of God” or merely a “great piece of literature.” Over 80% of them said they believed it to be the “revealed Word of God” - yet more than half of them could not name even one book in the New Testament. That reminds me of one of my most embarrassing moment. A few years ago I was coming from a trip overseas back into the United States through Chicago. I think it was the only time I’ve ever been through customs in Chicago. And, I think Chicago is the worst place in the nation to go through customs. As is always the case, I was happy to get back into this country, and anxious to move through customs. On that particular trip, I had a very close schedule with a place that would take me to Nashville. So I needed to get through customs as rapidly as possible. The customs officer obviously sensed my anxiety, and I guess she was trying to do as much as she could to facilitate the process. So, after I had told her about my close plane connection, she asked, “What is your vocation?” Now I don’t know what that had to do with it - but that was the question she asked. Without hesitation, I said, “I’m a preacher.” Without hesitation, she said, “Name the first five books of the Old Testament.” Now you may find this hard to believe, and I’m really embarrassed to tell you this - I went totally blank. Genesis, Exodus - and I couldn’t get any further. I went totally blank. I share that to make a point. The point is in a question: Is there any merit in being able to name the books of the Bible or in being the 80% of our nation who believe that the Bible is the “revealed word of God” if we are not making that Word “the whole and sole rule of our Christian faith and practice.”? So let me go on with my theme: The Bible is more than a book. Get a part of our scripture lesson firmly in mind, verses 14-17: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Note first that more than a book, the Bible is a revelation of and an encounter with the Living God. Moses experienced that encounter when confronted by the burning bush that was not consumed, and out of that bush heard the voice of God. “I want to know one thing - the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He had written it down in a book. 0, give me that book! At any price, give me that book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be “a man of one book”. Here then I am, far from the busy ways of man. I sit down alone: only God is here. In his presence I open, I read his book; for this end, to find the way to heaven.” (Sermons, I, 31—32) ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by Maxie Dunnam Claude was a rather normal young adult. One day Claude decided he would read the Bible from cover to cover. He plowed through the Pentateuch, and found the war stories of Joshua, Judges, Kings and Chronicles to be surprisingly interesting. Then one day, while reading the Psalms, Claude came across Psalm 37:21. The verse reads, “The wicked borrow and do not repay.” Suddenly, Claude remembered the $500 he had borrowed from his parents and promised to repay, but never did. Convicted by the Scriptures, Claude asked God for forgiveness and wrote a check to his parents. Scripture, said Paul, is presently profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. It is possible to say the right thing in the wrong way and you wind up saying the wrong thing even though it is truth. There was a motorist that was driving in the country when he came upon a priest and a rabbi standing on the shoulder of the road and they were fishing. Next to them was a sign that read, "Turn around. The end is near." The motorist was a very unreligious person. He rolled down the window and said, "You bunch of religious nuts, why don't you mind your own business!" A few second later, the two fishermen heard tires screech and then a splash into the lake. The rabbi turned to the priest and said, "I told you we should have just written, 'Bridge out.'" There was a lady who was taking care of a little six year old girl while her mother was away and she wanted to really make sure she was a good hostess, so she got up early the first morning and prepared a big breakfast of ham and eggs. When the little girl came down she looked at her and said, "My mother always fixes biscuits." This lady, wanting to make sure that the neighbor felt like her daughter had been well taken care of, went to the store and bought flour, milk, Crisco, and slaved over a hot stove and put out the best home-made biscuits she could possibly fix. When she put one in front of the little girl the little girl looked at her and said, "No thank you." The lady said, "I thought you said your mother always fixes biscuits for breakfast." The little girl said, "She does, but I don't eat them." Don't get discouraged when you prepare a God-sized message. There are going to be times you are going to labor over the hot stove of preparation; going to pour your blood, your sweat, your tears, your prayer, your study, your hard work into that message and preach it to the best of your ability and people will not receive it, but that is not your problem. So, do you believe in the authority of Scripture? If you do, you know that the Bible is more than a book – it is the revelation and an encounter with the Living God. It is an invitation – an invitation to salvation and eternal life. And it is a blueprint for living. Within it is the guide for the way we are to pattern our life – and at the heart of that is the call to holiness. MaxieDunnam.com, MaxieDunnam.com, by Maxie Dunnam So, do you believe in the authority of Scripture? If you do, you know that the Bible is more than a book – it is the revelation and an encounter with the Living God. It is an invitation – an invitation to salvation and eternal life. And it is a blueprint for living. Within it is the guide for the way we are to pattern our life – and at the heart of that is the call to holiness. Grace comes to us in all sorts of ways. I had a marvelous visit this past week with Ernie Felts, a member of this congregation. Ernie has had a tough time of it; malignancy and extensive treatment for that interrupted by back surgery. Ernie came to see me on Labor Day -- called and said he wanted to bring us a little gift. He brought a cassette tape, aptly titled "Country Boy...City Boy" -- he thought I'd like the title, but he knew the music was exceptional and I would get great pleasure out of it. He also brought me a letter which I didn't read until after our delightful hour's visit. Let me read you a part of his letter. When the world gets sorta heavy on me, God directs my mind to my cupboard of miracles and memories there I receive sustenance for the present and nourishment for the future. What is in my cupboard? The Word of God -The Bible -, God's miracles, miracles of God that I have seen happen to others that I know personally, and miracles that have taken place in my life. Isn't that beautiful? Is the Bible in your cupboard? Are memories of God's grace working in your life in that cupboard? In our conversation last Monday, Ernie talked about all the people he had met during these months of suffering and illness, in the doctor's office, in the hospital, waiting for radiation treatment -- black, white, rich, poor. Our problems and sufferings, Ernie said, is the common denominator that brings us together. Then he added, "the ground around the cross is always level." "Bill Bentley moved to the mountains of Southern Mexico near Guatemala in 1938. He went there to translate the Bible into the language of a remote tribe in those mountains, the Tzeltals. His fiancee, Marianna, was serving a neighboring tribe. They went back to Pennsylvania to be married, but six days before the wedding Bill died of a heart attack. "Marianna was crushed. God had called her to go to the Tzeltals with Bill. Now, even without him she would go back. After spending six years there alone learning the language, Marianna was joined by Florence, a missionary nurse. For the first eight years their work met with suspicion, rejection, and hostility from the Tzeltals; the missionaries were unwanted and misunderstood. But they stuck it out. "By 1965, after more than twenty years, they had completed the translation of the New Testament into two dialects. Then a miracle took place. More than seventy congregations of Christians grew from the seed they planted. Suspicion became faith, rejection became acceptance, hostility became Christian love. The Tzeltals call God’s word `good seed’; it had taken root. Twenty-one years of life by two single women and the Word of God grew. They accepted another assignment. Twenty-one years later they returned. "What a reunion that was! Thousands of Tzeltal people lined the way to greet them. In the twenty-one years since they had left, the seventy-two congregations they founded had become 322. When they had left there were six thousand believers. When they returned there were forty-four thousand. One-third of the Tzeltals were practicing Christians. Hallelujah for the Word of God! "What other book could do that? If you left a physics text, a biography of a great man, a collection of short stories, a folio of poetry--could any of those books have done what the Bible did for the Tzeltals? No! Only the Word of God can do that. For the word of God is living and active." (1)