The Origin Story of Sin

February 26, 2023 First Sunday of Lent Year A The Origin Story of Sin Prelude Welcome Call to Worship Happy are those whose sins are forgiven. Happy are those whose sins are cast away. Rejoice in the Lord! Be glad! Sing out! Shout for joy! Rejoice in the Lord! Rejoice! Amen! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Bill Hoppe) Opening Prayer God of Grace, as we begin this Lenten season, thank you for the ways you surround and sustain us, even when we turn our backs to you. Help us repent – turning once more to fill our hearts, minds and spirits with you. Teach us once more to keep our eyes focused on you as we travel this 40 day journey of prayer, repentance and sharing our financial resources with those who are in need. AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Song What I Survey the Wondrous Cross UMH 298 Children’s Sermon So everyone should have gotten a piece of peppermint when you came in. I know, this is the perfect candy for passing out and eating in church. As you come into church, you have your candy – and told that you couldn’t eat it. The candy represent our theme for today -temptation. The more we are told not to do it – the more we want to do it anyway. What was your reaction to being told not to do it – did you say who are you to tell me I cant do something, were you like now I really want to candy. Or were you like okay. We are all different and have different reactions to being told no. Today we focus on two different reactions. We focus on the story of Adam and Eve and how they were told not to eat something – and they just had to eat it. And Jesus who was told to do whatever he wanted, and he was able to say no. Are we supposed to be more like Adam and Eve or Jesus? Of course like Jesus. Lent is our time to practice being like Jesus – and realizing that I don’t have to do everything that I want. How can we practice being more like Jesus in our everyday life? PRAYER OF CONFESSION O God, you offer us so much, forgive us for sharing so little. You have called us to your ways, forgive us for ignoring your call. You have given us the gift of family, forgive us for not giving thanks. You have given us countless blessings, forgive us for taking your love for granted. And now, gracious God, be merciful to us in our sin and indifference, through Christ, our Savior. Amen. From Joel N. Martínez and Raquel M. Martínez, Fiesta Cristiana: Recursos para la Adoración (Abingdon Press, 2003), 148. Psalm 32 UMH 766 Scripture Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 Sermon The Origin Story of Sin Someone once asked me, "Where was the Garden of Eden located?" I looked at him and said, "The Garden of Eden was located at 803 Blue Street in Hope, Arkansas." A surprised look crossed this man’s face. For a moment he was speechless and then he asked, "Arkansas? I thought the Garden of Eden was supposed to have been someplace in the Middle East." "Well," I responded, "I don’t really know where the biblical Garden of Eden was located. But, I know that my Garden of Eden was on Blue Street in Hope, Arkansas. I was only a young boy (four or five years old) and I did something that I knew was wrong. My father usually put his change in a caddy on his dresser. I took a quarter without asking and went down to the store and bought myself some candy. As I ate the candy, shame overwhelmed me, guilt gripped at my heart, and sin became a reality for the first time in my life. My Garden of Eden was lost and I was embarrassed by my sinfulness. The lush, secure world of a little boy had evaporated and I headed home from the store aware that what I had done was wrong. Sin was no longer something only found in Bible stories. Sin was now a reality in my life." Imagine being set in a lush garden with all kinds of flowers, plants and trees. There are lemon trees, fig trees, olive trees, date palms, oranges and apples. Thhe Lord says, "You may freely eat of every tree in the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat." How hard could it be? All those trees, boughs lush with so many succulent and delicious choices. How could you get caught with your mouth full of the forbidden fruit! The subtle pressure of a smooth-talking snake doesn't seem sufficient to explain such audacity or stupidity. Put us in a garden and perhaps we could handle it! Or how about a desert? Jesus is in a swirl of sand and sun, of Satan's remarkable and recurrent presence, of prowling beasts and the beat of angels' wings. We might believe, foolishly, that set in a garden or a wilderness we could resist temptation. Give us a chance to try it in a space set apart from the routines of our daily lives -- to mark the tree, to identify the enemy and gather grace to resist. A garden is a beautiful place to start our Lenten journey. The Garden of Eden is full of metaphors and meanings. It is the origin story of sin, humanity, suffering, and our journey in life in general. Adam the first human lived in a garden. A garden is a plot of land that has been cultivated, planned and is intentional. That is in contrast to the gospel story of Jesus Temptation when he goes into the wilderness – plot of land which is wild, natural and untouched by human hands. Adam is the first man and Jesus is the new Adam. – But as they go into nature, both are challenged by temptation. Both are seeking a relationship with God – but on the other hand their journeys are very different. One of them pulls us all into a world of sin, the other shows us the way out. Our reading for today conveniently skips all of the verses that talk about Eve. But in this sermon, Adam and Eve are a couple- they are working together with a shared destiny. So, Eve is implied in everything that I said about Adam. So Adam and Eve live in a lovely garden – not paradise, but a place in earth. They are free to go wherever they want, do whatever they want and even eat as much as they want. With all of that freedom – they start to focus on the one thing that they can’t do – eat of the tree of knowledge. Now most of us learn in adulthood that freedom always has some limits. – you can’t do everything that you want. But most of us, like to focus on our limits and not our freedom. If there is one thing we cant do- that is what we want to do. For Adam and Eve it is the tree of life. That is the first step into temptation – an unwillingness to accept limitations as humans. The second step for all of us into temptation – the need to have all of the answers. That is the whole point of the book of Genesis – it gives the answers to all of the questions about life – who are we, where did we come from, why do we take care of the earth, who was the first man, how did our families start, why is life so hard, why do we have fear, what is the point of shame. Genesis answers all of those questions, but the more answers that we get, the more we need to know. The young man and his father were headed into New York City for a Saturday outing. It had been some time since they had spent much time together, and the father reasoned that a day such as this was just what was needed. As they crossed The Tapanzee Bridge into Fun City, the son asked, "Dad, what is the name of this bridge?" The father answered, "Son, I don’t know." Later they were driving along Fifth Avenue and the son asked his father, "Dad, is that the Empire State Building?" Replied the father, "Son, I don’t know." Later still, they were driving along Riverside Drive and the son asked his father, "Is that Grant’s tomb?" And replied the father, "Son, I don’t know." Nevertheless, they had a grand time of it and their closeness was restored. As they headed home in the evening, the son felt a bit remorseful about asking his father so many questions and said, "Dad, I’m sorry I bugged you with so many questions." Answered his father, "Oh that’s okay, son, how else are you going to learn?" Undoubtedly, the father would answer in the affirmative the question around which we want to build our talk together: Must we have all the answers? Sometimes I think it is not the questions that get us in trouble, it is the need to know everything. In Adam and Eve’s case, God tells them that not everything is their business. No matter how much we may know – we can just never know all about God. For matter, there are things that we can never understand about life – and yet we continue to ask why is this happening to me. Maybe we ask so many questions so that we can feel that we are in control. We want to be in control in our life. I have told this story before. There is an ancient story about the time God was confronted by a man who argued, “It’s easy for you God. You tell us we must do this and we can’t do that. What do you know of the struggles of people like me? You are God. It is easy for you.” But God argues, insisting that being God was no picnic either. “You only have to look after your own little self,” said God. “But I have to look after the entire world and that is not easy. In fact, just to show you, Ill change places with you for 24 hours. You’ll see then. So God gave the man one day to see what a hard job is was to rule the world. Twenty four house later, God returned and said, “You see? It wasn’t as easy as you thought”. Then God prepared to be God once more. But the man wouldn’t give God back his power. He found that he liked playing God. Since that time, man has played God. That is why the world is as it is today, so the legend goes. That is probably why lent is so important. Occasionally, we have to be reminded of what it means to be human – in relationship with an omnipotent God. The story of Adam and Eve is not a story really about sin – there is nothing in the bible that says that they were wrong. It is more a story about them being human – and doing things are human nature. They struggled with what it means to be human, in relation to God. – so do we. When God comes to look for them, God does not know that they did what he told them not to. But they know, and they start to have fear, doubt, and shame. And instead of taking responsibility – they place blame. That is what happens when we go against God’s intentions for our lives. “Not Responsible for…” Have you ever gone to a restaurant, hung up your coat, and noticed a sign warning that the management is not responsible if it gets lost or stolen? Ever read the small print on your airplane ticket? The airline takes no responsibility for any delays or missed connections, and if your baggage is lost, they only have to pay an amount agreed upon at a convention they held in Warsaw in 1955. Park your car in some high-priced garage or lot, and a sign will tell you that management is not responsible for any items lost or stolen from your vehicle. Do those "Not responsible for..." disclaimers bother you? They do me. It seems no one takes responsibility for anything anymore. I read about a man who was suing a hospital. A doctor had performed staple surgery on his stomach to help him lose weight. A couple of days after his operation, he raided the hospital refrigerator and stuffed himself with everything he could find. This tore open the staples and forced another surgery. He was suing the hospital for having a refrigerator near his room. He claimed the temptation was too great. Thus, his complications were not his own fault but the hospital's fault! A little girl was sent to her room for misbehaving. Sometime later her mother happened to pass by her door and heard her praying. "God, I am stuck up here because of YOU, you know. Last night I prayed for you to help me be a good girl. Well, you didn't, so it's your fault!" David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc. Along with shame and blame comes guilt. There once was a stern-faced, plainly dressed man who could be seen standing on a busy street corner in the heart of the city. As pedestrians hurried by on their way to lunch and business appointments, he would solemnly lift his right arm, point to the nearest person and loudly yell, "Guilty!" Then, without any change of expression, he would resume his stiff stance for a few moments before repeating the gesture. Then, again, he would raise his arm, again he would point at the nearest person, and again he would yell, "Guilty!" The effect of this strange pantomime on the unsuspecting pedestrians was extraordinary. They would stop in their tracks, they would stare at the man, they would hesitate for a moment, they would look to see if he was, perhaps, pointing at someone else, they would look at the strange man one more time, then they would hurry on their ways. One man, who had been singled out, turned to his companion and asked, "But, how did he know?" "Guilty! Everyone is guilty," is what this strange man on a busy street corner seemed to be saying. And so we are! We are guilty of sin and we know it. We have struggled with right and wrong and we know that there have been times when we have given in to sin. We know the reality of sin in our lives. We are all guilty of something. We are all guilty of being human. We are not perfect, we don’t have all of the answers, we have limitations – we all have something to work on in our relationship with God. The bible defines sin as disobedience to God’s laws, doubt of God’s word and a desire to be like God. Sometimes it is just getting ahead of ourselves. There are a lot of things that remind us to slow down – like lent. Jesus was an example for us in dealing with the hardship of life. Jesus is a better example of how to deal with temptation then Adam. Jesus is an example, because in each test that he faced, he had an opportunity to not just do the right thing, but to be the person God called him to be. He was the son of God. He had integrity to live out his calling. Not only did he know who he was – but we also got to witness his character for ourselves. His temptation was a test. A chance for him to fulfill his true hunger. Jesus does not have to serve 2 masters. He trusted God, so God can trust him. He remained faithful to who we was called to be in the midst of a test. God didn’t ambush him, God examined his character. The key to Jesus being faithful, is that he knew his scripture. Every response that he gave the devil is a verse in the bible. Psalm 32:10-11 says that the bridge between temptation and obedience is hope and trust. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: Jesus was able to overcome the temptations of the devil just by being the person, God had called him to be in the first place. Temptation is anything that leads us to live life in any way other than what God intended. We all know that at the end of chapter 3 in Genesis – that God banishes Adam and Eve from the garden of eden – They have to go live in the harsh real world. From there, Genesis reports the first murder, the affects of jealousy in a community, violence in the family. It all stems from that original temptation. As I read the rest of the story of their family in Genesis, I am not sure that they ever get beyond fear, shame, blame and guilt. Jesus story of temptation is a lot different. Jesus moves beyond temptation. He walks out of the wilderness on his own, and he begins a life of service to God. We should try to be more like Jesus. Lent is an opportunity to follow Jesus. Forty Days for Recommitment Lent was originally established for new Christians, those who experienced a call. They were to spend forty days and forty nights preparing for their baptism. If at the end they still wanted to follow Jesus, then on Easter Eve they would be baptized as the sun was rising in the east, signaling the new day, the new era, inaugurated because of the Resurrection. I am sure it had a powerful significance for them, to have prepared for their vocation as Christians the same way that Jesus prepared for his vocation as the Messiah: forty days of introspection and self-examination. But later the Church used the forty days as a time of renewal for those who were already Christians, because at a certain point everyone in the empire became a Christian, everyone was baptized as infants. So the time of Lent was used as a time of renewal and recommitment to the Christian life, examining our lives in light of the one we are supposed to follow. Mark Trotter, Collected Sermons, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc. We don’t have to move beyond being human, as a matter of fact we need to accept that we are human. Human in relationship with an omnipotent God who loves us fiercely. We don’t always have to have all of the answers, but we do have to have faith. "BELIEF--which is an act of the mind "TRUST--which is an act of the heart "OBEDIENCE--which is an act of the will." (2) There is a lesson that we can learn from Adam and Eve getting kicked out of the garden for giving in to temptation. It was all a part of God’s plan. Perhaps God never intended for them to be in the garden forever. In moving forward, their faith in themselves and in God grew. They would have never thought that God would be with them in the midst of all of the hardships of life. Their fear, shame and blame turned into belief, trust and obedience. Their newfound faith set the stage for Jesus to come and show us all how it can be done. I wonder how our faith needs to grow right now? Amen. Song Jesus Walked this Lonesome Valley TFWS 2112 Pastoral Prayer Loving, Creating God, you are in covenant with your people. You have pledged to be our God and ask us to be your people, trusting in you in all our ways. But we find many excuses to prevent us from really trusting you. We erect barriers before our faith journey even begins. Our time, obligations, energy, all become part of the bricks and mortar which fashion this barrier. We can give lip service to the journey; we can daydream about what it would be like to truly place our hands in yours and follow you. But when it comes to actually making the journey, our time constraints and weak commitments loom largely before us. Help us to tear down this barrier. Make us ready for the journey by replacing the fear in our hearts with a sense of joy and challenge of self-discovery and discipleship. Remind us that in service to you, helping others, we will also find our selves made more fully whole. As we have spoken the names of our friends, and family members, and others situations in which healing and comfort are needed, let us remember that we, too, stand in need of prayer and healing. Make us ready to receive your good news and then to be witnesses to your love to all your people. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Stewardship Moment Invitation to Offering In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, Satan appears to Jesus, asking him to turn his back on God. Instead, Jesus offers scriptural responses to each of the three temptations, rejecting what Satan held out to the famished and exhausted Jesus. This 40 day season of Lent gives us time to get clear about we can offer from our own lives (whether we’re famished and exhausted, simply plugging along, or filled with energy and enthusiasm). For some, Lent is a time to “give up”. For others, these 40 days provide enough time to form a new habit, “taking on” the traditional 3-prong prayer, repentance and alms-giving. Is there some outreach or mission effort you might support with a weekly gift for these next 6 Sundays? Do you want to support a particular ministry of this congregation (name a specific one, if you can)? Are you eager to join with others in a new church-wide response to a need you can identify? This first Sunday of this season is a great time to launch our own Lenten discipline of giving. Consider what you might do, and make a start today! Prayer of Thanksgiving Holy God, thank you for your steadfast love and presence. We’re eager to let our actions help share your love with a weary and worn world. Please accept these gifts, the good intentions of our hearts, and the deep desire we have to help grow your Realm here on earth, as it is in heaven. Fill us with hope and confidence in you, even as you help multiply these resources and our energies for action. AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Beloved people of God; I invite you, in the name of Christ, to observe a holy Lent by self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by works of love, and by meditating on Gods’ word. May the grace, hope, peace and love of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer be with us all, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Worship) Community Time Benediction As you depart this space and enter the wilderness of the world, know that God is with you. Whatever may come, let God be your safe place to go and your soft place to land. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Tena Nock) Additional Illustrations The Really Big Sale He had finally got his chance to make the Really Big Sale. He was going into the final interview on the biggest contract he had ever written. As he was ushered into the office of the executive buyer, an assistant brought her coffee and left. The atmosphere was cordial, and he knew he was giving his best presentation ever. Then the assistant tapped on the door, re-entered the office and spoke briefly with the executive. She stood and said, "I apologize, but I have to tend to a matter. I'll just be a minute or two." And she followed her assistant out of the room. The sales representative looked around the beautifully appointed office. He saw her family pictures on her desk. Then he noticed a contract on her desk. She had evidently been studying a bid from a competitor. Leaning forward, he could see the column of figures, but it was obscured by a diet soda can. He was tempted to move the can and see the bottom line of his competitor's bid. What harm possibly could there be in reading her private information? After all, she had left it out in plain sight, almost. After wrestling with himself a while, he finally decided to take a peek. As he lifted the soda can, he discovered that the can wasn't filled with soda at all. Instead it was a bottomless can filled with 1,000 BBs which gushed out, and ran all over the desk and cascaded onto the carpet. His attempt to short cut the competition was exposed. Not every temptation is so obvious. Not every failure is so embarrassing. But every temptation is a challenge. Not even Jesus was spared the choosing. Mickey Anders, Six Flags over Jesus Deliver Us From... A mother was teaching her 3-year old daughter the Lord's Prayer. At bedtime, she repeated after her mother the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. Mom listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us some E-mail. Amen. Traditional We Help Each Other When Edmund Hillary, who passed away just a few weeks ago, was at the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, he had a partner in his success. He had climbed the mountain all the way to the top, the first man ever to do that. The thing that impressed me about the whole story was not that Edmund Hillary climbed the mountain, but that he had a companion who climbed the mountain with him. Nobody ever hears his name. His name was Tenzing Norgay. Tenzing, however, climbed the mountain with him and on the way back down the mountain, Hillary fell and was almost lost. He would have been lost without Tenzing Norgay. Tenzing Norgay literally pulled him back up the cable and saved his life and Edmund Hillary lived to tell a great story because of this help from an unknown man. When someone asked Norgay why he didn't make more of it, why he didn't brag about it, he said, "We mountain climbers help each other." What a great model this would be for our church. We Christians have no need to be on television or make millions of dollars putting out a show. It is time we reversed the process and touched people and say very simply, "We Christians help each other. That's who we are." Calvin Miller, Moving From Entertainment to Servanthood No Easy Buttons Staple's, the huge office supply chain store, has a new commercial out that illustrates the power of the devil's various temptations. In their ad whenever an individual confronts a difficult situation, all they have to do is reach over and push a red, over-sized, glowing button that reads, "easy." Got to pick up three kids, make dinner, finish that report at work, and be supportive to your spouse? No problem, just push the big easy button. Need to do a risky surgery never performed before? Hey, just push the big easy button. Faced with the need to balance economic growth and stability with environmental safety and the welfare of worldwide ecosystems? No problem, just push the big easy button. Big problem: there are no easy buttons. There's no easy button to free us from the trials and tests of diabolos. Jesus taught us to pray, not "save us from temptation," but "lead us not into temptation." Leonard Sweet, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Even When We Know Better: Our Temptation We are often tempted by material things, opportunities, and possibilities of contemporary life - items that we generally know will only lead us away from God. The choice to avoid such temptations is ours and, thus, we must be wary of their allure. A Native American folk tale describes this problem: One day an Indian youth, in an effort to prepare for manhood, hiked into a beautiful valley, green with trees and decorated with many lovely flowers. There he fasted and prayed, but on the third day he looked up at the surrounding mountains and noticed one tall and rugged peak capped with snow. He decided that he would test himself by climbing this mountain. Thus, he put on his buckskin shirt, wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, and set out to climb the peak. When he reached the top he looked out from the rim to the world so far below. Then he heard a rustling sound and, looking around, saw a snake slithering about. Before he could move, the snake spoke to him, "I am about to die. It's too cold for me up here; I am freezing. There is little food and I am starving. Please put me under your shirt where I will be warm and take me down the mountain." The young man protested, "No. I have been forewarned about your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up you will bite me and I might die." But the snake answered, "Not so. I will treat you differently. If you do this for me, you will be special to me, I will not harm you, and you will receive whatever you want." The young man resisted for some time, but this was a very persuasive snake with beautiful diamond markings. At last the young man tucked the snake under his shirt and carried it down the mountain. Once in the valley he gently placed the snake on the ground. Suddenly the snake coiled, rattled, and then bit the man on the leg. "You promised me!" cried the youth. "You knew what I was when you picked me up," said the snake, which then slithered away. Richard E. Gribble, Sermons For Sundays: In Lent And Easter: Building Our Foundation On God, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. In August of 1991, a priest, Father Alexander Borisor, demonstrated how the power of faith was greater than the power of fear. It was the Christian''s greatest weapon. Fear was beginning to grip the hearts and minds of the Russian people. So this man of God, propelled by faith in God, found himself passing out Bibles right smack in a midst of the uprising in Red Square. The Soviet military was in position to silence the voice of the people yearning for freedom. He took to the streets with Bibles--the military was ready with bombs and bullets. So the priest and the members of the local bible society actually climbed onto the tanks and began passing out Bibles. They passed them out to the soldiers on the streets. They stopped the tanks with nothing but arm loads of Bibles, and when they had opportunities they would climb on top of the tanks and throw the Bibles inside. One morning a soldier was given a larger size children''s Bible because they ran out of New Testaments. It was larger than would fit in his front pocket. Realizing this and wanting to keep the Bible with him, he emptied his pocket of bullets so the Bible would fit. Yes, when faith in God replaces the fear and timidity in us--the giants of life fall down in defeat before us. Yes, the power of fear can be deadly. However, the power of faith can be transforming and victorious. We believe, because Jesus Christ is Lord, that the Bible and its truth are always greater than bombs and bullets. A legend from India tells about a mouse who was terrified of cats until a magician agreed to transform him into a cat. That helped him to control his fear for a while . . . until he met a dog. So the magician changed him into a dog. The mouse-turned-dog was content until he met a tiger--so, once again, the magician changed him into what he feared. But when the tiger came complaining that he had met a hunter, the magician refused to help. "I will make you into a mouse again, for though you have the body of a tiger, you still have the heart of a mouse." (1)

What does Lent Mean to You?

Ash Wednesday Service February 22, 2023 Introduction Call to Worship Hymn Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days UMH 269 Opening Sentences Scripture Joel 2:1-2,12-17 Reflection - What Does Lent Mean to You One of my Lenten devotional is called Lent in Plain Sight- Finding the gospel in plain sight. It is by Jill Duffield. She challenges us to look at ordinary things in life, like a stone, a cross, a jewel in order to find God and some key themes of lent. Her theme for the first week of lent is dust. Hopefully you wont see a lot of it in the sanctuary. But we have all seen dust. When we think of dust, we think of it as this useless pointless powder that is a nuisance and collects everywhere. We would not place any value on the dust around us. We would not think of putting it in the same category as gold and silver, but in reality it is a similar substance, just in a much smaller quantity. Today on Ash Wednesday, we are reminded that we too are made of the same substance as dust and ash. The book of Genesis says that God formed the first man out of dust – and then breathed life into him. I would imagine that when your are dusting you are not thinking of all of the magical things that come from dust. Well, the author of lent in plain sight reminds us of all of the wonderful things that come from dust. Her devotions for the first week are about dust. On Ash Wednesday – she remembers all of those in her life who have passed on – once they were flesh and blood, and today they are just ashes. I still have my mother’s ashes in an urn that we plan to bury with my sister. But I also asked the funeral director to put some of them aside in a smaller urn which I keep on my nightstand. My sister was born and raised and buried in Illinois. When I die, I plan to be buried in Arkansas with my grandmother. I have told my son to make sure that the smaller urn is buried with me there. The death of a loved reminds us that from dust we come and to dust we all shall return one day. We say that on Ash Wednesday to remind us to always be humble, down to earth. It reminds us to keep in touch with our creator. We are also fearfully and wonderfully made. Today as we think of dust – we remember those who poured into us who are no longer with us. We remember ourselves and our lives. We remember that in the midst of a busy life, we need to stop and return to God. We need to remember who and whose we are. Dust is everywhere – inside our homes, flying around in the air, outside, even on the ground. – today, we even put it on our forheads. Wherever we see dust – the presence of God is there in the dust. Dust is ordinary and yet so special. Dust in invaluable, and yet it is priceless. Dust is useless to us, and yet it is magical. One of my sermon starters suggested that I pass out flower bulbs to everyone to remind us of the promise of lent. You were supposed to plant them in dust I mean dirt in order to watch them grow. Dollar General closed for a delivery just as I got there. And it is probably a little too early for bulbs to be ready for planting. – so I bought these bulbs that I purchased for valentines day – they were just bulbs when I bought them, on Sunday only one had bloomed – today they have all bloomed, and are over the top of he vase. Normally, we plant bulbs in dirt. And the dirt has the magical ability to help the bulbs to grow. In a few weeks, months – the earth will be full of plants that grow and nurture us and give us a sense of beauty. Dust can produce some wonderful things. From dust you come and to dust you shall return. These tulips remind us of the gift of resurrection – new life, new understanding, a new way of doing things. I also bought this green plant, because the soil was so dark – and the best part about it – its fake, so it doesn’t get all over your hands. Lent is a time to get in touch with the power of dust. It is time for us to clear out the weeds that have started to grow in our faith. It is time to get in touch with our creator and remember our sense of purpose. It is time to have hope – hope in the promise of restoration. Time to remember that from dust you come and to dust you will return. There are a lot of cool things that come from dust. I end with the words of this Ash Wednesday prayer on dust – Lod God, giver of our every breath, as we begin our Lenten journey, send your holy spirit to blow the dust off whatever in our around us needs new life. Remind us of our limits so that we will once again experience your limitless power. May the ashes on our forehead prompt us to live our lives in the shape of the cross so that even when the ashes have been washed away, others will see in us the face of Christ. Amen. Invitation to the observance of a holy lent Imposition of Ashes Responsive Prayer The Lord’s Prayer Hymn - Hymn of Promise UMH 707 Benediction Litany of Penitence Invitation to the Observance of Holy Lent Imposition of Ashes Responsive Prayer Lord’s Prayer Hymn - Hymn of Promise UMH 707 Benediction

A Retreat with God

February 19, 2023 Exodus 24:12-18 A retreat with God Transfiguration Sunday Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship As God called to Moses from the mountain, we are called to be God’s people. As Jesus called the disciples to climb with him to the peak of another mountain, we are called to follow wherever he leads. As the disciples stood in awe at the sound of God’s voice, we are called to worship in wonder and praise. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Deborah Sokolove) Opening Prayer (Exodus 24, Matthew 17) Holy One, Light of light, God of all creation, long ago you showed yourself to the disciples in Jesus’ transfiguration— his face glowing like a field of daffodils on a bright, spring morning. Shine in us, around us, and through us, that the world may see your glory in the faces of your people— faces transfigured in the light of your love. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Deborah Sokolove) Song Every Time I Feel the Spirit UMH 404 Children’s Sermon Leader, wearing dark glasses, asks the children, "Do you know why I am wearing dark glasses?" (Pause) The Bible story for today says that Jesus took his friends Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray. While they were praying, Jesus' face changed and his clothes became dazzling white, so bright it blinded their eyes. Then two men appeared, Moses and Elijah, and they began talking with Jesus about what would happen when Jesus went to Jerusalem. Suddenly a cloud came and covered them, and a voice said, "This is my Son, my Chosen. Listen to him." When they came down from the mountain, everything was "tranfigured." Talk together: If you saw Jesus in white robes coming down our center aisle to sit on the steps with us, what would you do? (Pause) Some of us might close our eyes, thinking this is too good to be true. Jesus here? In what way might Jesus be here with us right now? One of the ways is to use our faith imagination. Close your eyes. We are walking toward the hill where we can be alone. The sky is blue, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and when we reach the hillside we sit down and invite Jesus to be with us. Suddenly he is there in bright, white robes. We are silent and feel the light breeze blow. A voice says, "This is my Son. Listen to him." We listen and Jesus speaks to us. (Pause) Then we do what we need to do and return to this place, knowing we can be with Jesus in our faith imagination whenever we wish. Now open your eyes. Prayer: Dear God, thank you for hearts to love, minds to think, and faith imagination to know your presence here and now, among us. Amen. (Elaine Ward, Sermonsuite) Prayer of Confession (Exodus 24, Matthew 17) Though we want to walk with Moses and see God’s holy radiance, we hide in the mist of our own desires, unable to perceive the presence of God’s grace. While we want a world of justice and peace, we walk in clouds of selfishness, unable to share God’s loving-kindness. Though we want to follow Jesus up the mountain, we cower in fear, unable to bear the light of God. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Deborah Sokolove) Words of Assurance (Matthew 17) In the blazing light of God’s grace, Jesus touches us to say, “Get up and do not be afraid.” In the name of Christ, all is forgiven. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Deborah Sokolove) Passing the Peace of Christ Scripture Exodus 24:12-18 Sermon - A Retreat with God February is always an interesting month weatherwise – you get all four seasons of weather in one month. It’s cold, its warm. One day its snowing, the next its raining and the next day it all turns into ice and you start all over again. This year, the weather has been a little unusual. But every February there is a point when you just know that the weather has broken and spring is on the way. It was very subtle this year – but it is a time when there is more rain than snow – and it gets very foggy. It is as if the clouds have descended on the land – giving everything a very mysterious feeling. In many ancient cultures it was believed that God lived in the clouds. So many religious places where built upon a mountain in the midst of the clouds. It is said that we all have those spiritual places where we can go to feel the presence of God. Today, that place may not be in the mountains, but in a church, in fellowship with friends, in prayer, in the sanctuary, sometimes we even find God in our daily routine. One teacher remembers the day one of our students came into class late. She asked him what was going, and he said that his mother had just passed away – and he came to school because that was the place that he needed to be. Where are the places in your life that you can do and feel God’s presence? Sometimes, if there is no other place for us to find God – we can find God in our imagination. Our sanctified imagination – the place where we can picture God, our prayers, the bible in our minds. Thursday, the pastors in our district all got together to meet with the bishop. Most of us there really appreciated his honesty, transparency and willingness to address many elephants in the room. He even gave us a handout of all he had to say – I will have to share this with Debbie and with church council. His talk called Identity, Integrity and Imagination. Church history is being rewritten right before our eyes. He said that so much of the church has been disrupted by the pandemic and other things. Our church has been fairly stable. But about 1/3 of churches all over the country have had to make some serious decisions. And only about 16 churches in our conference have asked to go into discernment in order to disaffiliate with the united methodist church. Once again, nationwide there have been over 1000 who want to leave. With all of that, this is an age of transfiguration. Well, that is an obsolete word. Technically only Moses and Jesus were ever transfigured. But we all have definitely been transformed from the circumstances of our world – if not outright disrupted. In this age of disruption – people are looking for the voice of God. Bishop Scherin said that it is important for us to make sure that the church is that safe space for people to come to find the presence of God. In scripture – Moses had a long history of meeting with God, talking with God. He was the only person to get a glimpse of God. But our scripture is not a story of Moses talking with God by himself. He bought his two nephews, his protege Joshua. And 70 community leaders. It was as if he had a congregational council meeting with God as the leader of the meeting. Our scripture is a part of a bigger story – contained in chapters 19-24. The community was getting bigger, so they needed a set of guidelines to govern themselves. God tells Moses to come up to the mountain to get the laws and to bring the community to ratify the covenant. They all come up to have a meal with God. Eventually Moses and Joshua and a body guard go further up the mountain to talk with God. When it gets cloudy – Moses goes even further up and talks with God for 40 days. But the important part is that this was not the work of just one person, but of the whole congregation. After this encounter, they not only have the ten commandments, but they also start building the first house of God. Everyone had a part in creating that safe space for the people to come to meet God. What about us today? How can we work together to help others feel the presence of God? How can we make sure that God is the heart and soul of our community? The presence of God is not something that we can see or identify – but you can feel it. In Deuteronomy, when Moses first encounters God – he heard a voice, but could see no form in the fire. In others stories – Elijah, Jesus, Paul – they could hear God’s voice very clearly – but couldn’t describe what God looked like. Arthur J. Gossip, was visiting his parishioners in a working district of Glasgow. At four o'clock, after an exhausting day, Gossip stood at the bottom of a fivestory tenement building where one of his parishioners lived on the top floor. It was a long way to the top and he was tired. Promising himself that he would come back tomorrow, Gossip turned to leave. Then he saw a vision. He saw a pair of stooped grey shoulders climbing the steps. He realized it was the Master. A voice seemed to say, "Then I'll have to go alone." Gossip suddenly felt revitalized and started up the steps. "We went together," he reported later. And that is the key to a spiritual life that does not leave usthat does not fade into a distant memory. When God speaks to us – it is usually a command. We are compelled to take some action – to move forward, to call someone, to get up and do something, or to come here. In our scripture, God told Moses to come to the mountain and wait. This story parallels with the gospel of Matthew when Jesus is called to go to the mountain with his disciples. The clouds appear and God says this is my beloved son listen to him. God’s command is listen. When God speaks there is always a command, but there is also a gift. God always tells us who God is, but God also tells us who we are. We get out identity through obeying God. When we met with bishop this week his talk was entitled he told us his call story. His name is Dan Schwerin – rhymes with tangerine. He told us how he felt God speak to him when he was 17. He also reminded us who we are as United Methodist – a biblical, conventenal, grace grounded, mission driven justice seeking global movement always renewed by Identity, integrity and imagination. Most clergy really appreciated our time meeting the bishop – who is soft spoken and very new in his identity as a bishop – but very transparent and willing to address several elephants in the room. I will have to share his worksheet with Debbie and the church council. But we have to find our identity as individuals, but most importantly as the church. What If? What if the church lived out its life in such a way others could not help but see it? What if Christians were so different that society became long-neck gawkers when looking to see the working of the congregation? What if Christians were the people at which children and adults pointed their fingers and said, “Hey, look at that!”? What if we so lived the love, salvation, peace, and hope of God that we seemed out of place in the world around us? What if we were truly transformed into the very people of God? Wouldn’t it be fun, exciting and wonderful if people were lining the sidewalks around our churches just to see what makes us so odd? Stephen E. Loftis, Transfigured My last story is an old legend… There is a modern parable. In this parable Jesus goes walking one day along the streets of a big city. He roams rather aimlessly, letting his feet take him where they will--the way you or I might do when we're just out walking. On his walk, he sees many people and many things, but only three stay on his mind. When he returns home that night, God the Father asks, "Did you enjoy your walk today, My Son? Did you see anything interesting?" Jesus answers, "Oh yes, Father, I enjoyed the walk and three times I saw myself along the way. The first time, I saw myself in a priest walking along with his hands clasped and muttering to himself. He was in much anguish for his people. The second time, I saw myself in a lonely lad who used his "˜street smarts' as a means of survival. He was an accomplished pickpocket. The third time was when I saw myself in a woman with a child in each hand. Her husband had left her and she struggled to love and care for her children without the help of their father." Whereupon, the following dialogue takes place between Jesus and the Father. . . . "When will you ever learn, My Son?" the Father says with a sigh. "But I did learn, Father," Jesus replies. "Did I not send you to earth, My only Son, to tell them about My goodness, and My love?" asks the Father. "Yes, Father," Jesus says, "and I did. But I also listened, and they told Me about their pain." "Is not their pain of their own choosing?" the Father asks. Jesus answers, "Father, whatever it comes from, pain is pain." Sternly now, the Father says, "My Son, You let your human heart carry you away." "Yes Father, I did," Jesus whispers. Then the Father smiles, and reaches out and embraces His Son, happy that His son went walking in the big city streets that day. (4) Moses came down from the mountain and gave us the law; Jesus came down from the mountain and gave us himself. We have been called to create safe space for all of God’s children to come and feel the presence of God. Amen. Song Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies UMH 173 Pastoral Prayer for Transfiguration Sunday Gracious God, God of the covenant, the cloud of your splendor and the fire of your love revealed your Son on the mountain heights. As your Son drew apart to be in prayer with you, we offer our prayers for the transformation of the world and the church. We pray that as we gather around the table we may be transformed by the grace of Christ. We pray that the food we bring will be used to show the love that you have for us and all creation. We pray that today we may be a living sacrifice for those who need to know the truth of your life-giving Gospel. Holy Father, mighty and immortal, you are beyond our knowing, yet we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ, whose compassion illumines the world. Transform us into the likeness of the love of Christ, who renewed our humanity so that we may share in his divinity. Help us to share the risk and challenge of living our faith. By your Spirit, turn our fear to courage and our confusion to confidence Sovereign Lord, Father of all in the power of the Holy Spirit, grant to us the strength to turn our face toward Jerusalem to bear our cross, so that your glory and love and mercy may be revealed. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. — posted on I’m Just Saying by mrawle2000, a United Methodist Elder in the Louisiana Conference. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering Can you call to mind a time in your life when you were so inspired, you wanted to move mountains? Some moment when you were so filled with gratitude you were willing to respond with super generosity? We hear of Peter’s moment on the mountain, seeing Jesus “transfigured” (changed into glory in the presence of Moses and Elijah), which led to Peter’s offer to build three dwellings; one for each of these heroes of faith. Matthew records the remarkable story of God breaking into that moment, claiming Jesus as God’s own Son and instructing the disciples to listen to Jesus. And the three disciples responded with fear! You may find fear a first response to your desire for super generosity. However, Jesus spoke into the moment, with the familiar words, “do not be afraid”. Today, I want to speak those words to you, as well. Do not be afraid to respond in gratitude, with super generosity, to your own moment of recognizing the amazing blessing we’ve received: this gift of life. It will not last forever, so I encourage you to respond with gratitude, as you offer your most generous gifts for Christ’s work here and to the ends of the earth. Prayer of Thanksgiving Loving God, we offer you the gift of our lives, recognizing all you provide for each of us. Please receive the symbols of each of our lives presented in this offering. And accept, as well, the good intentions of our hearts and minds as we offer you our time and talent, that we might live in gratitude rather than in fear. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May the shining radiance of God warm you. May the dazzling splendor of God surprise you. And the glory of God transform you. May you come up to the mountaintop. May you remember the experience with wonder and awe. And may you come down renewed and empowered For the glory of God and the hope of the world. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Community Time Benediction (2 Peter 1, Matthew 17) Walk in light and truth. See the light of Christ in every face. Be the light of Christ to all you meet. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Deborah Sokolove) Additional Illustrations Children know that kind of exhilaration instinctively. In his book SERMON IN STONE, Mel Ellis tells of a class of geography students. They had taken a tour of the earth by book. At the end of the semester they were asked to list what they considered the Seven Wonders of the World. The top picks were the following: Egypt's Great Pyramid, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon, the Panama Canal, the Empire State Building, St. Peter's Basilica, and China's Great Wall. While tallying the votes, the teacher noticed that one little girl had not turned in a paper. She approached the student and asked if she was having problems with her list. The girl responded, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher replied, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." Reluctantly, the little girl stood up and began to read her paper. "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are to touch and to taste, to see and to hear, and then to run and to laugh and to love." Can you make a better list of the seven wonders? PITY EVEN MORE THE PERSON WHO YEARNS FOR THE MOUNTAIN OF EXULTATION, BUT REFUSES THE VALLEY OF SERVICE. Once Billy Graham took part in a television show in London that included some wellknown British personalities. The host was discussing the current evangelistic crusade in Earls Court. He askedas they always do"Do all those people who come forward really `last'?" A prominent actress seated next to him didn't like the question. She commented, "What if they don't?" Everyone looked a bit startled, including Graham. She went on: "What if, in all their lives, they have just that one beautiful moment with God as they come and stand at His altar? Isn't that better than nothing?" (2) Well, perhaps. Then again, perhaps not. Some people have a mountaintop experience and they exclaim, "This is it!" And they think they have captured the essence of the Christian faith in a bottle that they can slip in their pocket and take back home with them. Later they open the bottle on Easter or Christmas eve, and they find it empty. The experience has not lasted. It is now but a pleasant, though distant memory. But, because they have been on the mountain even for a moment, they think they possess the real thing. They think they know what it is to follow Jesus. It might be better if they had never ascended the mountain if they have substituted a momentary experience for a lifetime of discipleship. The mountaintop is not enough. Christ still walks that valley today. Bear with me for a moment while I draw a parallel to the world of faith. TO SOME CHRISTIANS, FAITH THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE AN ELEMENT OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IS NO FAITH AT ALL! It is like a rose that has no scent. Have you noticed that many people today seem to be hungry for some experience of the supernatural? The dramatic upswing of interest in the existence of angels, of witches, of near death experiences, etc. speak of a longing that people have to go beyond the merely rational. Francis Caponi, a Roman Catholic priest, was drawing parallels between Elvis Presley and Jesus Christ. He noted an interesting phenomenon. "Both of their figures," he said, "are discerned in billboards, refrigerator rust stains, [and] strangely shaped vegetables." (5) He was referring, of course, to those strange reports that pop up from time to time of apparitions of Mary, of Jesus, even of Elvis. Be careful. Our minds have a tendency to organize reality in a way that does not always fit the facts. John Mowery tells the story of a mountain climber who was desperate to conquer one of the world's great mountains. He initiated his climb after years of preparation. But he wanted the glory to himself; therefore, he went up alone. He started climbing and it was becoming later, and later. He did not prepare for camping but decided to keep on going. Soon it got dark . . . night fell with heaviness at a very high altitude. Visibility was zero. Everything was black. There was no moon, and the stars were blocked by clouds. As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, this proud climber slipped and fell. Falling rapidly he could only see blotches of darkness that passed. He felt a terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity. He kept falling . . . and in those anguishing moments good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought certainly he would die. But then he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half. Yes! Like any good mountain climber he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist. In those moments of stillness, suspended in the air he had no other choice but to shout, "HELP ME, GOD! HELP ME!" All of a sudden he heard a deep voice from heaven. "What do you want me to do?" "SAVE ME," he cried. "Do you REALLY think that I can save you?" asked the voice. "OF COURSE, MY GOD," he replied. "Then cut the rope that is holding you up," said the voice. There was another moment of silence and stillness. The man just held tighter to the rope. The rescue team says that the next day they found a frozen mountain climber hanging strongly to a rope . . . Two feet off the ground. (5) Someone today in this room is hanging two feet off the ground. You are facing a tough, uphill battle. You are lonely and you are scared. But you have not been able to let go and let God. I pray that you will let go of the rope. You are not alone in this universe. Someone has come into this world from another world. Someone knows what you are going through. He has suffered too. He is who He says He is. Won't you trust Him with your life?

Strong Words for Moving Forward

February 12, 2023 Deuteronomy 30:15-29 Sixth Sunday of Epiphany Strong words for Moving Forward Prelude Welcome Call to Worship (Psalm 27:1) Steady our steps, O God, as we travel the journey set before us. Let us walk in the way of light and pursue the path of peace. Keep us on your course of life as we seek to be faithful And as we gather to praise you, our faithful Lord and God. (Presbyterian Outlook, Robin Michalove) Opening Prayer (Deuteronomy 30, Matthew 5) Holy Spirit, guide us as we walk in faith, and guard us against the powers that would draw us away from your love. Help us live according to your commandments, that we might live long in the land you have prepared for us. Prompt us to seek you with our whole heart and guide us to walk in your ways, that we may carry out the vows of the covenant we share. May our words and deeds bring life and faith to others, as we hold fast to the gift of faith. Be near us each and every day, and bless us with your light, that our days may be filled with grace. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, J. Wayne Pratt) Song In Christ There is no East or West UMH 548 Children’s Sermon Hello, children of God! Do you like watching sports? There are a lot of interesting things that happen out there in the world of athletics. This weekend (insert applicable sporting event; this message uses the Superbowl), there’s this big football game we have called the Superbowl. It’s kind of a big deal if you live in the United States, although I happen to think it’s best for snacks, parties, and commercials…but anyway, there are two teams who play in this game, trying to determine who is the best. Which team do you think is going to win? Who would you choose? Why? Discuss teams and picks. Now, is that team going to win because you think they’re the best? Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work like that…the team that will win is, of course, whichever group of players scores more points! Rooting for them doesn’t exactly change the outcome. There are a lot of choices we have to make in life on a daily basis. We choose what to wear, what to eat, what to do…Some of these things aren’t really a big deal, but there are other choices we make that have quite an impact on our lives. And some decisions are pretty obvious… What if you had the choice of chocolate or brussels sprouts? Or what if you had the choice of life or death? God told His people in the Old Testament to choose between good and evil, between life and death. He promised blessing and long life for following Him. That seems like a “no-brainer”, right? It seems too easy, but we can still make poor decisions sometimes. God wants us to choose to accept His grace and follow Him. It seems easy enough. We know that God gives us freedom from sin and new life, and you would think everyone would want to take that. But we make poor choices. We have choices to honor and serve God, and obey Him, but we mess that up sometimes. We make a lot of mistakes. Even if we know the right choice, we don’t always follow through on it. But that’s where the great news comes in…even though we do things we shouldn’t, God loves us and covers all of our sins and mistakes! He sent Jesus to live a perfect life for us and die in our place. Even when we do things that are wrong, we know we are covered by His blood. We might not always choose to follow the Lord like we ought to. But God chooses us! He chose us first. He chose to give His Son for us, and when we mess up, we can always come back to God and receive His grace. No matter what we do, no matter what kinds of decisions we make, He is always there ready to welcome us back into His loving arms. Just like our picks for the football game aren’t really what determines it, we don’t pick the death and Resurrection of Jesus. That already happened! God already planned to rescue us, and it’s not our work that saves us, it’s His! All we do is open our hands and hearts to accept that beautiful and abundant free gift of grace. We can choose to obey the Lord and follow His Word, but we don’t always do it perfectly. God loves us perfectly, though, so we can run to Him every time and know that He chooses us to be His children. Why don’t we thank God for that love right now? Prayer: (Have kids repeat each line) Dear God, Thank you for giving us your Son And granting eternal life through Him. Help us to always make wise decisions And most importantly, to choose to follow you Thank you for your promises and blessings Thank you for your love We love you, God! In Jesus name, Amen! (Ministry to Children – Kristin Schmidt) Affirmation of faith (from A Brief Statement of Faith) We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the church. The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the church. In a broken and fearful world, the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Presbyterian Outlook, Robin Michalove) Passing of the Peace Scripture Deuteronomy 30:15-29 Sermon Strong words for moving forward How many of you remember life when you were 40? Assuming that you are over 40. Now let me ask you this – did life get better for you after 40? There is a saying that life begins at 40. 40 was a while ago for me – 16 years ago. But I do remember that it was a time in life where I finally felt that I had arrived. I was officially grown and on my own – every thing was finally coming together (that was right before it all fell apart). 40 years is a significant time in the bible. The biblical kings Saul, David and Solomon were all said to have ruled 40 years. 40 years is just considered to be a long time. 40 years is a generation. A lot of the people that were in my life at the beginning of 40 years were not there at the end of 40 years. 40 years is just enough time for memories and traditions to get lost. 40 years represents transition and transformation. 40 is about halfway through the average life span. At 40 you start to think more seriously about life, where you are headed, what is your purpose. 40 is a special number. With all of that significance – that is probably why the bible says that the Hebrews spent 40 years wandering in the desert before entering the promisedland. Moses was the leader at the beginning of the 40 years. He whole life was dedicated to leading his people to the promiseland. He ate, drink, talked and lived the promisedland during this time. And yet, God told him that he would never set foot there with his people. It was Moses who felt the need to prepare his people for that wonderful day. Imagine you have spent your entire life at home with your parents – and at 40 you finally decide that you are going to leave home and go to college. For the first time in your life there will be no one to tell you what to do, to define life for you, and you will be with all different types of people, with all different types of values. Your parents would probably sit you down the night before you leave and have some type of talk with you. Remember how you were raised, don’t forget what it who you are. And where you came from. Stay focused, don’t change. Deuteronomy is a pretty long book – one of the longest in the bible. It is full of Moses’ lecture on staying Hebrew when you enter the promiseland. Deutoronomy means second law. Moses sat down and laid down the rules for living before they left Egypt – that is the book of exodus. And now as they are about the end the trip – he talks with them again. The ten commandments are found in the book of exodus – but they are also found in the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is a 34 chapter lecture on remembering who you are. Today’s lesson – make good choices. Moses tells us that the choices that we make are a matter of life and death. We should chose God in everything that we do. That is the pathway to life. Jane was in hospice care, suffering from the effects of a massive stroke that would soon end her life. During her last few days, Jane was unable to move or to speak; yet the gleam in her eyes and a "yahoo" when a visitor entered the room let folks know that she was fully aware of her surroundings. Finally, it appeared to all that Jane had slipped into a coma. The pastor was called. Family and friends were gathered at her bedside. Together they shared "Jane stories." The room was filled with laughter and tears. It was time to share the meal Jesus served to his disciples in that upper room long ago. Clustered around Jane's bed, the small group of family and friends heard the familiar and life giving words: "This is my body, given for you. This is my blood, shed for you." And suddenly, from Jane's bed, they heard, "Yahoo!" At the very moment, God's choice of Jane and of each of those gathered around her became visible. In that one exclamation, "Yahoo," Jane removed her grazing bib and put on her serving apron ... for the pastor and for all God's gathered people. At that very moment, God demonstrated what our text looks like in this life and the next: "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19). Jesus Christ, host at the buffet table, serves God's chosen children. Because God had chosen her to serve, even in her most fragile hour, Jane was able to serve others with a foretaste of the buffet that would come very soon. Thanks be to God for Jane. Thanks be to God for giving us bibs for receiving and aprons for serving. Yahoo! Amen. CSS Publishing, Inc., Sermons For Sundays In Advent, Christmas, And Epiphany:Did You See That Gorilla?, by Tony Everett Every decision that we make has consequences. When we choose God, then everything goes better according to Moses. But we all know people who make very poor decisions and yet they turn out okay. There are some people who make a point to do things wrong and against the bible and they still appear to be okay. (key word is appear to be okay). Moses word for us – is that life is full of choices, when making a decision always choose righteousness over selfishness, choose love over resentment and bitterness, choose community over isolation. Choose the ways of God over what we see other people doing. If we do, we will live a healthier happier life. Even the best of us make bad decisions sometimes. We all have times where we would rather forget what God taught us and do what makes sense in the moment. God is going to still love us. When we make poor choices, there is forgiveness and understanding. Sometimes we can’t tell right off if we have made a good decision or a bad decision. Yet eventually, we suffer the consequences of our decisions. When we live life as God intended, things naturally flow better in our spirits. Moses tells us that as we go through life and make decisions – we should love God, walk in God’s ways and of course coming from Moses – we should keep God’s commands. In this wonderful book, Rachel Remen tells the story of a man named Max. Max was a reckless man who often did dangerous, reckless life-threatening things. Max lived on the edge, smoking, drinking, carousing, fighting, driving his car wildly… constantly flirting with danger. At 63 years of age, Max had been married four times, had made two fortunes and lost them, and now bouncing back had become a highly successful rancher and cattle breeder. He had grown up on a ranch in the Mid-West. His father was a tough, hard-nosed cowboy… who had resented Max’s presence in the family from the day Max was born. Max was a pre-mature baby and in the first few years of his life he was small and sickly and his mother had to give him a great deal of her time and energy. His father didn’t like that at all and one day in a fit of anger, Max’s dad shouted: “If that little runt was one of the animals, I’d have put it out to starve.” Even when Max grew up and became a big and strong, rough and tough teenager, Max felt that his dad resented him. He said there were times when his dad would go for weeks and never speak to him or acknowledge his presence in any way. It was rough on Max, so when he reached the age of 15, Max left home to fend for himself in the world. All of his life, Max had had these “self-destructive tendencies” which often caused accidents and injuries. Ultimately, he ended up in Rachel Remen’s counseling office. “I don’t know why I do these reckless, crazy things,” he said. “I have ‘pushed death’ for as long as I can remember.” Dr. Remen said to him: “Max, maybe you do these things because you are still trying to decide.” “Decide what?” Max asked. And Dr. Rachel Remen said: “Maybe you are still trying to decide if you want to live to please your mother… or die to please your dad!” Max was stunned by her comment at first. He just stared at the floor for a long time… and then quietly, very quietly… almost a whisper, he said: “I want to live.” “What did you say, Max? Can you look me in the eye and say that out loud?” Rachel Remen said. Long pause… and at first Rachel Remen worried that she had gone too far, but then… slowly, agonizingly, Max looked up and he said: “I want to live!” Rachel Remen smiled at Max and said: “I want you to live, too.” Max smiled back at her then he said: “Well, doc, with your vote we’ve outnumbered the old buzzard once and for all!” That simple expression of love from his doctor changed Max’s life. Gradually he became able to forgive his father and to value and care for himself. His reckless living stopped. His injuries and accidents stopped… because he realized that he was valued and treasured… and that someone else (in this case, his doctor) genuinely felt that his life was important… and that was an epiphany for him… and that knowledge enabled Max to choose life. Max’s story is the kind of story that needs to be told – - Around kitchen tables, - In our Sunday School classes, - And from our pulpits, Because it dramatically reminds us of the crucial decision, the vital choice every one of us faces every single day of our lives, namely this: - Do we choose light or darkness, life or death? - Do we choose to just cope with life or to really embrace life? - Do we choose to throw in the towel and quit on life? Or, do we choose to celebrate life? The Christian faith is helpful to us here because the Christian faith teaches us that God, the Great Physician, loves us, cares for us, values us and treasures us. Did you know that we make over 30,000 decisions a day. Some are pretty small – like should we lift are feet to get out of bed, what do we wear, what is our attitude toward life going to be. Some are major – like signing a contract, completing a project, or meeting a new friend. How many of our decisions intentionally include God? When facing life do we pray, read the bible, think about what the book of Deuteronomy is trying to tell us, discern how God is working in our life, in our decisions? One man said that he says the Lord’s Prayer every day- and after that prayer he asks himself if he chooses God every day. The good news for us – is that whether we choose God in our lives, God has already chosen us. God sticks with us in every decision – we just have to be aware that God is with us. When we go out to face the big vast world – God walks by our side no matter what. I saw this saying on Facebook that I thought was really helpful. Every day when I wake up – instead of saying that I have God in my heart – I should say – I live in the heart of God. God chose each of us to be a part of this day. Do we accept that chose and make the most of it – or do we walk away from it? Life begins when we choose to walk with God. Let us all live our best life. Amen. Song The Churches One Foundation UMH 546 Prayer Discerning God, help me consider this day how I live my life and how I choose the direction I take. Do I make my plans according to ordinary human standards, ready to say ‘Yes, yes’ and ‘No, no’ at the same time? (2 Cor. 1:17)Discriminating God, help me understand how crucial are the words I speak to others as I seek relationships in my life. “Let your ‘Yes’ be your yes and your ‘No,’ no, or you will be condemned.” (James 5:12)Disturbing God, help me find clarity in my relationship with you, with others, and maybe especially with myself. Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No' :anything more than this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5: 37)Written by Kenn Stright, Minister, Presbyterian Church of Saint David in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Part of the unique gift of belonging within a church community is the recognition we are expected to BOTH relate to our Creator, our Redeemer, our Sustainer, AND relate to the people of the congregation. In most other social clubs or organizations, members come together primarily to relate to one another, while in some faith settings, there is a singular desire for God, not dependent on anyone else other than the penitent person and the Holy One. But here, we receive Jesus’ teaching: “when you are offering your gift…if you remember your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift…and go…be reconciled … and then come and offer your gift.” Both the gift-giving in gratitude to God and the relationships between individuals in this congregation are important! Jesus urges us to build up relationships with our brothers and sisters in faith, AND offer our financial gifts to God. In the quiet of these moments, ask yourself: Where do I need to strengthen my connections? How can I best offer my financial support? With whom am I out-of-relationship in this congregation? Today, I invite you to make this a time of faith growth as we share these moments: digging in to offer financial support, AND deciding this day is the time to reach out to mend a relationship. Let us share our morning offering, along with our determination to make a contact and renew a relationship. Prayer of Thanksgiving Giver of every good and perfect gift, thank you for this time to measure ourselves, even as we offer a portion of our financial resources to build up your Realm on earth, as it is in heaven. We ask you to draw us forward into renewed relationships AND to regular sharing of our financial resources. Accept our intentions, and urge us on, AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer and Charge for Facebook We see what is set before us: life and death, God’s ways and our ways, blessings and curses. In our response to God’s mercy, choose life, embrace life, offer life, rejoice in life, trusting in the One who longs to bless us with life through the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Robin Michalove) Community Time Benediction When Jesus said, “But I say to you,” he was raising the bar; he was calling for more than the law requires. He was calling us to righteousness. Let us go from here determined to follow his call by the Spirit’s grace and live as disciples every moment of our lives. Go with God. Amen. Derek Weber, United Methodist Discipleship Ministries, July 2022 Additional Illustrations A doctoral student who was living in another state forwarded a dissertation proposal for her major professor to critique. She enclosed a self-addressed, stamped envelope for his convenience. After making suggestions on the proposal, the professor placed it back inside the envelope. Across the flap he noticed a tape on which the following clear directions were painted in large capital letters "Press it. Seal it." So he pressed it, but it would not seal. Again and again, the professor followed the directions explicitly. He pressed and he pressed, but still the envelope did not seal. He then began to pound and then to stomp on the flap with the same failed results. Finally, the faculty secretary heard the uproar in the mail room and rushed in to see what was happening. With a twinkle in her eyes and a smile that she could not fully disguise, she took the envelope from the helpless and befuddled professor and said, "Watch and learn." She then grasped one corner of the tape and peeled it away from the envelope flap. She then pressed it, sealed it, dropped it into the mail slot, and returned to her duties. "Oh," said the professor. No matter how clear the directions, God's people, you and I, cannot follow them alone. No matter what seems to be a clear-cut choice, God's people always seem to gaze and graze at the wrong buffet table, and we need enormous bibs to catch the overflow from our sinful choices. The good news here is that God has already made the first choice. Through his covenant with Abraham, God chose these people to become his own. Through Moses, God chose to deliver his people from bondage and to form them in faithful living as they journeyed through the wilderness to arrive at the edge of the land God had chosen for them. God kept his covenantal promise to them often in spite of them. Remember the flight attendant who asked a man “Would you like dinner?” The man answered “What are my choices?” The flight attendant said: “Yes or No!” That’s what Moses is saying here. You have a choice to make. Do you say: “Yes or No to God!” And then he pleads with them, “Please say yes! Choose life with God. Because God loves you, choose life with God.”

Wisdom and Compassion (repreach of 2/9/14)

February 5, 2023 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 Wisdom and Compassion 5th Sunday after Epiphany Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship One: Welcome to worship! Here we seek to let our light break forth like the dawn. Many: Here we come to call, trusting the Lord will answer. One: Here we’re welcome to cry for help, believing the Lord will respond “Here I am!” Many: We’re gathered, eager to gain courage to do as God directs: to share our bread with the hungry, One: to bring the homeless poor into our homes, to provide clothing for those who are uncovered. Many: As God’s own beloved children, let us worship God in this time, and in our actions toward “the least” of our sisters and brothers. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer God of Community, we rejoice in this time to worship you in this holy place, and through the wonder of technology which gathers us from many places. Help us reach out beyond the walls of this building, eager to see LIGHT emerging as we share bread and clothes, and welcome others to safe spaces. Inspire us always to open our hands, our hearts, our minds, that we might truly be followers of Jesus, the Christ, who shows us “the Way”. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song Gather Us In TFWS 2236 Children’s Sermon Lesson: But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. Object: A box full of play money (or real money) Lesson: Good morning, boys and girls. I'll bet you can't guess what I have in this box! (Let them try.) No, it's even better than all of that. Here, let me show you. (Take lid off of box and show them the money.) That is really a lot of money, isn't it, boys and girls? (Let them respond.) What could we do with this much money? (Let them answer.) Yes, we could take wonderful vacations, buy new clothes and toys and other good things. We could really have a good time, couldn't we? What would you think if I were to give all of this money away? (Let them respond.) Some people might think I was a little bit crazy or dumb if I gave all my money away. Well, one day a very rich young man came to see Jesus. He probably had even more money than this. Anyway, he asked Jesus what he had to do to get to heaven. Jesus told him to keep the commandments. But the young man said that he had already been keeping the commandments for a long time. So Jesus told him that he should give all of his money away to the poor and come, follow him. Would that have been a hard thing to do, boys and girls? (Let them answer.) I guess the young man thought it was too hard to do because he went away very sad. But there are many Christians who have given away all of their money and other good things just so they could follow Jesus. The Apostles and other disciples did that. Many people probably thought that they were pretty dumb for giving up their homes and other belongings, but sometimes that is what it means to be a Christian. Paul tells us today that Christians don't always seem too smart (wise) to other people because they do strange things like sharing their money with the poor, loving their enemies, and staying close to Jesus. But Paul says that real Christians are the smart people because they are following God's word. They are living the way God has asked them to live. So, boys and girls, if your friends ever think you are a little stupid for coming to church or for being nice to people who need your help, just remember what Paul tells us today. You are being a smart Christian. You are being wise -- just like God. God bless you all. Amen. British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge once had a discussion with a man who firmly believed that children should not be given formal religious instruction, but should be free to choose their own religious faith when they reached maturity. Coleridge did not disagree, but later invited the man into his somewhat neglected garden. "Do you call this a garden?" the visitor exclaimed. "There are nothing but weeds here!" "Well, you see," Coleridge replied, "I did not wish to infringe upon the liberty of the garden in any way. I was just giving the garden a chance to express itself." Daily Walk, March 28, 1992 Prayer for Transformation and New Life Righteous One, it is not easy to follow your path. Your way requires sacrifice and intention–resisting cultural norms and societal pressures and abandoning our need to control and to function from our own power. Sometimes, we add complexity in order to assure ourselves it is not possible to be faithful. Yet, your way is simple. Soften our hearts and encourage us to return to the journey with you. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Words of Grace God, who is faithful, can redeem our detours and misdirections on the journey for our good and the good of others. God’s invitation to covenantal life has no expiration date, and the Holy One receives us with joy and grace when we take even a step toward the kindom. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Scripture 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 Sermon Wisdom and Compassion What is the meaning of truth? I have been dealing with the question for a few weeks. How do we come to know the truth? What is the ultimate truth? and where can I find the real truth. I bet you know where I am going with this. God is the one true truth. and the one way to find the truth is to read the bible. Truth: The Most Powerful Idea Marilyn vos Savant, the brilliant woman who reportedly has the highest I.Q. ever recorded, writes a syndicated column in which she answers tricky questions from people who want the benefit of her intelligence. Someone wrote to ask what she thought is the most powerful idea. Marilyn vos Savant replied that "truth" was the most powerful idea she knew of, because it is not affected by how we relate to it. Whether or not we know it, or whether or not we agree with it, doesn't matter, because truth is still true. Ms. vos Savant is right on target. Truth is powerful. You and I believe that truth is from God. What is the Gospel the Good News anyway? I believe it can be summed up in three verses: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1); "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16), and "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27). You and I may believe this thing and that about Scripture and about life in general, but these three statements are incontrovertible! They are true. They don't need to be defended; they only need to be lived. There are people in our society who spend too much of their energy and time defending God as if God needed it. Adapted from Max Anders, God The Good News Never Conflicts with Truth The esteemed space scientist Dr. Werner von Braun received many cards and letters over the years from people who believe that space exploration is against the Creator's wishes. "Scripture mail," NASA calls it. These correspondents warned the scientist to cease this dangerous godless folly. "One lady wrote that God doesn't want man to leave Earth and she was willing to bet me $10 that we wouldn't make it," said Episcopalian von Braun. "I answered that, as far as I knew, the Bible said nothing about space flight but it was clearly against gambling." Why are some people so threatened by scientific discoveries? Don't they know that truth is from God wherever it may be found? The notable church father Justin Martyr settled the matter once and for all when he wrote, "Whatever has been uttered aright by any [person] in any place belongs to us Christians." Christian faith does not need defenders, for it is never in conflict with truth. Adapted from Bob Ward, The Light Stuff Today I want to deal with the lesson of 1 Corinthians. Paul has come to Corinth in order to correct the teachings of other preachers. Paul’s message in both books of Corinthians and in everything that he teaches is our salvation is in the cross of Christ. And since Christ died for our sins, we don’t have to spend a lot of time trying to comprehend what that means. But we do have to believe it. Paul’s point is that who we are as Christians, should be based on what Christ has done for us. It is time for us to give up our own reasoning to get through life, but to trust the reasoning of Christ in everything that we do. But today, I wanted to talk about Corinthians, because Paul wants us to understand that you put on the mind of Christ, you have the thoughts of Christ – not through anything that you do but through the spirit of Christ. We have been reading Corinthans for a few weeks now, and if you have noticed Paul speaks a lot about the spirit. The spirit that gives us the mind of Christ. We have to be conscious of the spirit, the holy spirit and what it is teaches us. People who know too much Interestingly enough – the problem that Paul was trying to address in Corinth – was not the people who were ignorant and needed to be taught. He was talking about the people who were too smart for their own good. They couldn’t listen to what the spirit was trying to teach them – because they had their own wisdom. They had read all of the books, they knew all of the techniques, and yet they knew nothing about the spirit. And without the spirit, they knew nothing. Going against the spirit I went to do some evaluation of a teacher of kindergarten kids—at the teacher’s request. For the fifty minutes I was there this teacher tried to lecture. Finally, the bell rang, and she cranked out the memory verse. Afterwards she sighed, “Boy, I got over the lesson.” When she came to see me, I said to her, “Did it ever occur to you that you’re really competing against the Holy Spirit?” “I certainly don’t intend to do that.” “But did it ever occur to you that God made this child with an attention span of about four to five minutes? And all the time you kept saying to the child, “keep quiet,” “sit still” and God kept saying, “Wiggle.” And what did he do? He listened to God every time.” About 85% of the discipline problems in school, in church, in home come because we do not understand the pupil with whom we are working. —Howard Hendricks Two types of people – spiritual and worldy Greeks believed that there are two types of people in the world – there are people who only see things at face value, everything in life is what it is, and there are those who have to ability to see beyond outward appearances and who can see the spirit, and who have a sensitivity to the spiritual world. An Empty shell I remember when I saw a program showing how they used to film Gunsmoke, one of my favorite TV shows as a kid. I learned that Dodge City was really just a place in the middle of nowhere not even close to the real one. There was no Longbranch Saloon, no stores or jail, it was all front with nothing behind it — a facade, a wooden structure that only made it look like a city on television. If you looked through the door you would only see more of the prairie. Kittie, Doc Adams, Chester, Festus and Marshal Dillon were sitting on a set somewhere, not the Longbranch where you thought they were. The Gunsmoke set is like many people. They only have a front with nothing behind it. They are all facade. That is why they cannot afford to be transparent — people would see right through them. But an important part of the Christian life is the development of something behind the facade. It is the growth of character, and a spiritual life that supports who we are. Only when we really come to Christ and have a relationship with God do we begin to have substance. We are not just keeping up appearances, we are developing a quality of character. Being a Christian means being real. We never know enough There are two type of people in the world, those who are spiritual and those who only see things at face value. And if we have been in the church for a little while, we have heard all of the biblical stories, we have heard all of the sermons – it is easy for us to think that if there are two type of people – then we must the right kind of people right? The people that Paul wants us to be right? If we are here then we must be spiritual. And I think I want to challenge that belief. If we spend too much time in church, then we start to think that we know everything that there is to know about Christ. A group of Christians gathered in a church auditorium for an evening Bible Study. Some were talking while waiting for the study to begin. One man began to share with the leader about a church breakfast he’d attended. A well known Bible scholar had been invited to speak at the breakfast. During the course of his remarks the scholar stated that he had recently gained new insight into a verse of Scripture that had puzzled him for years. “When I heard this,” the man said to the Bible Study leader, “I thought to myself, ‘If this scholar who has written commentaries and books and who has studied the Bible for years is just now understanding a verse of Scripture, how can I, an ordinary church member, understand the truth?”’ “You know,” replied the leader, “rather than being discouraged by the scholar’s remarks, I’m encouraged. It just goes to show that understanding God’s truth doesn’t depend on our intellectual ability or number of theological degrees earned. Rather, God’s truth is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. My message for the day however, is that the more we learn – it is important to realize the less that we know when it comes to the spirit. We never stop learning about God. And no matter how much we have studied, we still need to know more. Because the spirit is alive and always moving us forward. If we hear something one thing about Christ, when we hear it again, it teaches us something new. If we have read the bible once, then we need to read it again. If we gave one sermon, then we need to give another. Whereever you may be in your knowledge of God – commit to go forward – to know more, to serve more, to be challenged more. I think that sometimes we are just like those building facades for a movie scene. We may have the foundation, but we never bother to fill in the rest. – Paul is challenging us not to be satisfied with the basics, but to go further, go deeper into the mind of Christ. As a matter of fact, I don’t think it is about there being either spiritual or worldly, but that we have to have both. There has to be combination. We have to study to show ourselves approved, and we have to trust the working of the spirit. The spirit is alive and well. And if we have the knowledge, the spirit will help us to use it. Paul says that there are two types of people, but there are two types of learning – there is kerygma and didache. Those are good seminary words, but to break it down, didache means bible study – we need to know what the bible actually says. Kerygma – is spiritual learning – what is God really trying to teach us in our lives with these stories? There is no substitute for studying the word of God. but we have to realize that if we have never studied – then there is no opening for the spirit to teach us the true meaning of the words for our lives, and for our spiritual journey. We will never truly understand resurrection and how God bought Jesus back to life. All of the study in the world will not explain that mystery. But if we know the basic facts, and leave the door open – we come to believe in the power of Christ and what he can continue to do for our lives. Paul says – those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s spirit, for they are foolishness to them and they are unable to understand them because they only come from the spirit. Changing the World It was during the early days of television. A workman was placing television transmitters at the very top of the Empire State building in New York City. Seeing him at work up there, so far off the ground, a reporter thought this would make a fascinating human interest story. So, when the workman had completed his task and had returned to the ground, the reporter approached him and asked, “Aren’t you frightened to work under conditions like that that? Isn’t it dangerous to work so high off the ground?” The workman replied, “Yes sir, it is dangerous.” Then he added, “But then, how many people can say that they have changed the skyline of a city like New York!” God offers us the privilege of changing the skyline not of a city, but of the world. We can help make this world healthier, more humane, more harmonious, and more blessed. God made a good world. Now He wants us to help Him make it good again. We can do that. By God’s grace, we really can do that. If we can, surely we must. James McCormick, Selected Sermons, www.Sermons.com We change to world, by changing ourselves. By understanding the spirit and not so much how it fits into the world – but how we fit into what it is already doing. The spirit is alive and well – the spirit is moving in the world as we speak. Let us move along with it. – Paul’s last word to us in this passage is But we have the mind of Christ – we have all that we need! God’s wisdom is not about what we know about God, it is about how we love God. Amen. ________________________ Song I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light UMH 206 Pastoral Prayer Lords Prayer Stewardship Moment Moment for Stewardship (inspired by Matthew 5:14-16) (consider singing “This Little Light of Mine” before or after this stewardship invitation) In a world in which we can so easily turn on a light, it may be challenging to remember Jesus was speaking to his disciples out on the mountain side, with no electric lights, no lighted pathways, no flashlights. When the sun went down, everyone knew it would be DARK! So describing the disciples “light of the world” would have had a deep significance. What about for you? If you can, imagine how YOU are “the light of the world”. How do you let your light shine? What good works can be seen when you’re around? What happens because of you that allows others to give glory to God? Each week, we provide an opportunity for each one of us to shine some light as we share our financial offerings. With our gifts, this congregation is better equipped to _________________________ (provide food for the food bank? Bring children and youth into community through youth groups? Help people claim their identity as followers of Jesus? Imagine how bright the light shines when we all provide resources! Let your light so shine so we are not hidden or under a bushel basket, but so others from all around can see and rejoice in the Light! Prayer of Thanksgiving Illuminating God, thank you for the ways you encourage us to let our light shine. Please accept these gifts, multiply them, and make possible the vision for us to use them wisely, that we might let our good works be seen and celebrated, day by day. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Communion Invitation to Communion (consider providing communion cups with a taste of salt in each one, passed along or made available with your regular communion elements) Jesus often used familiar items to help connect people to new understanding of life, faith, and God. Today, I invite you to taste the salt as you remember Jesus telling his disciples “you are the salt of the earth”. Remember, salt, among other things, preserves, heals, provides enhanced taste. As followers of Jesus, how are we, how are YOU, salt? At this Table, may we chase the salt with bread and this cup. These simple elements become weekly “vitamins” to build us up, providing the capacity for us to fully engage — to be SALTY Christians — in a world yearning for preservation, for healing, for enhanced life. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Beloveds, you are the salt of the earth. Go, today, with the Spirit and bring out the best of the world — the goodness that God has already created. Purify. Cleanse. Bind. And remember that this imperative from God is to the church. Let us spread God’s love in the world as a community because we cannot do it alone. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Rose Schrott Taylor) Community Time Benediction Break forth in the world secure in the love of God. Break forth into the kindom for love of God and neighbor. Trust. the good news. Proclaim the good news. Be the good news. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsey) Additional Illustrations