God in and around us

May 14, 2023 Mother’s Day Acts 17:22-31 God in an around Us 6th Sunday of Easter Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship One: Today we celebrate our mothers, grandmothers, aunties, and all the women who have loved us. Many: Thank you God for giving us mothers. One: We remember with deep gratitude all the ways they demonstrated their love for us. Many: Sometimes we did not understand them, but we know that God understood. One: We take time to remember our mothers because a mother's love is most like God's love. All: For their tears, for their hugs, for their wisdom, for their unfailing trust in our abilities, we give thanks today. (Board of Discipleship, Rev. LaGretta Bjorn) Opening Prayer Loving God, we know your love because we have mothers. We thank you for the mothers who carried us in their wombs, nourishing, protecting, and bringing us into the world. We thank you for the mothers who did not give birth to us, yet loved us just the same. With gratitude we remember their words of encouragement when we have felt unsure or afraid; we thank you for their kindness when the world has treated us unkindly; we thank you for their soft, comforting arms and the gentle way they kissed away our tears; we thank you that they protected us with the fierceness of a lioness protecting her cubs; we thank you for the times when they corrected us rather than letting us continue down wrong paths. Help us to live so that their investment in us might not be in vain. We honor our mothers with lives of service to you in the name of the Risen Christ, for it is in his Name we pray. Amen. (Board of Dicipleship, Rev. LaGretta Bjorn) Song The Gift of Love UMH 408 Children’s Sermon Mother’s Day Object Lesson Lesson Capsule One way kids can know how much God loves them is by comparing it to the love of a parent – in this case, Mom! This lesson using a flashlight will show how God’s love “shines through” a parent and reveals an even bigger love in the background. Household Object: Flashlight Other Materials: – 4 sheets of red construction paper – Stick glue Preparation Glue the 4 sheets together, 2 on top, 2 underneath, so that the edges overlap only about an inch. This will give you a giant sheet of red paper. Draw a heart on it and cut it out. Lesson Do you guys remember being younger and saying to your mom, “I love you THIS BIG!”? Spread your arms out as wide as you can. Many will remember doing this. And did your mom ever say back, “Well, I love you THIS big?” Spread your arms out even wider if possible or the widest you can. Whose arms could spread out wider? Your arms or your mom’s arms? Mom’s arms could spread out wider. And why is that? Because her arms are longer. Pick up your giant red heart and show it to students. Because it’s Mother’s Day, we’ve made this big giant heart to show how big Mother Love is. Think of the size of your heart in your chest. Then look at this heart. That’s how big a mom’s love can be. Moms are not perfect. Yet some people say that nobody can love more than a mother can. What are some ways we know our moms love us? Get from kids the variety of things that moms do to show love. What do you think? Does anyone, generally speaking, love more than a mom? They will probably say no. Think about it. There is one person who loves more than a mom. If someone implies a dad, say dads love as much as moms but not more. GOD loves us more! Can you even believe that? How can we know how much God loves us, when we can’t even see him? One way is that God loves us through moms. When your mom does something loving and kind for you, that’s God doing it too! God is especially glad to have made moms because, while we’re here on earth, it has given Him a way to show His love for you. But I just said God’s love is bigger. Let me show you one way of looking at this. Turn out the lights. Turn on the flashlight. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.” Often in the Bible, God and Jesus are referred to as “the light.” They “shed light” on subjects with their divine wisdom. They “light up our hearts” when we accept Jesus as our Savior. They “light the way” when we need to know how to get through a scary situation. They also shine on moms, so they feel their love for us. Have your assistant hold up the heart maybe 6 feet from a blank wall or door. You stand at least 6 feet away from her, so that she is between the wall and you. Shine the light on the heart. Stand back far enough so that the flashlight beam goes around all four sides. See how this heart lights up when we shine a light on it? That’s like the light of God that makes a mom’s heart love. Now”¦Look at the wall behind the heart. What do you see? Students should see the shadow of a heart. Is the shadow of the heart the same size as the heart, or is it bigger than the heart? It is a lot bigger. If your mom’s love for you is the size of that heart, God’s love is the size of the heart on the wall! By shining his love through your mom, you get to see not only how bright and loving she is”¦.but you get some idea of how God’s love is all that much bigger. God’s love may seem like a shadow here on earth. But it is very real in heaven. Someday we’ll get to see more than a shadow and we won’t have to experience it through another loving person. Someday we’ll get to see the hugeness of God’s love face to face! In the meantime, thank your moms today for loving you enough to bring you to church. She knows you need God, and bringing you to learn more about him is one of the most loving things a mom can do! Do you have other favorite Mother’s Day lessons you like to use with your children? Feel free to share them below! And don’t forget to Become a Fan on Facebook, where I will share more great Mother’s Day activities and ideas! (from Christianity Cove) Tell kids: Many explorers have traveled the world looking for the “fountain of youth,” a place where they can live forever. As Christians, we don’t need a magic formula for a long life – we have the promises of God! Did you know that God promises you long life when you honor your mother? That’s right! How do you do it? Speak to your mother with a kind voice and respect. Don’t disobey her or lie to her. Be a person who brings her honor. (from Ministry to Children) Affirmation of Faith UMH 887 Anthem - Bells Scripture Acts 17:22-31 Sermon God in us and Around Us It is important for us to celebrate Mother’s Day – the ten commandments tells us to honor our mother and father. Even though days when we honor our parents can get compilicated and brings up so many different emotions for people. I think that it is important to remember that our primary cargivers are a source of love. Sometimes that love comes from our parents, but it always comes from God. God always sends someone into our lives to teach us love – sometimes those people are our parents and relatives, but that person is always Jesus Christ. Our scripture today addresses the condition of our world today. In a world of uncertainty and pain, everyone is searching for that primary source of love. The book of Acts is the story of how the Holy Spirit spread the good news of the gospel. It follows all of the disciples as they go out into the world. At the beginning of the story we hear of the travels of Peter. But later in the book, Paul becomes the main character. In chapter 17 – Paul is at the capital of Greece, Athens. The Greek people value knowledge, but Paul also notices that they seem to break of the image of God – they have a God for everything. On Mars Hill, the main building of the government, Paul notices a monument dedicated to an unknown God. When Paul sees it, he addresses the court and takes the opportunity to tell them about the one true God – the God who brings us all together through love. Paul shares his Christian faith and convinces them that the search for the holy and eternal is over. Some are even converted. Paul’s point to us today is that the presence of God is everywhere, in everything and is available to all people. When we look for God we can find the presence of God – in scripture and even in our mothers. In his book with the catchy title, It Was on Fire when I Laid Down on It, author and ordained minister Robert Fulghum relates a story from his early years in ministry. Fulghum writes that on the Sunday prior to Mother’s Day one year, a member of his congregation approached him and said, "Now preacher, far be it from me (those words almost always spell trouble!) far be it from me to tell you what to preach about. But next Sunday is Mother’s Day, and my MOTHER will be here next Sunday, since it is MOTHER’S DAY. It sure would be nice if you were to say something about MOTHERS, since it will, after all, be MOTHER’S DAY, and my MOTHER will be here with me." Fulghum says, "I got the point." t would be awfully tough, for example to preach a Mother’s Day sermon if the assigned text for the day were from the 14th chapter of Matthew. If you’re not familiar with that passage, it is the story of how the daughter of Herodias, wife of King Herod, asked that the head of John the Baptist be brought to her on a platter, as her mother had instructed her! Not exactly a favorable image of dear old Mom, is it? But today is different. Today all the lectionary texts address the issue of the need to share our faith. Now, I don’t know about YOUR mother, but my mother gave frequent lectures about sharing. Maybe if my siblings and I had been better about DOING it, Mom wouldn’t have had to talk it about so much. But Mom often tutored us about sharing. As the oldest of five children, Mom repeatedly reminded me that I had to set an example for my younger siblings to follow (and how I hated that! Every single time I stepped out of line and got caught at it, "What kind of example are you setting for your brothers and sisters?") . And one of the best ways I could provide a good example, according to Mom, was by sharing. At first, it was by sharing my toys with my sisters, who much to my dismay, liked playing with MY stuff better than they liked playing with their dolls. Then later, after my brothers came along, I had to share my room with them. When you live in a three-bedroom house, Mom and Dad share one bedroom, the girls share another, and the boys share the third. And that was okay for a while. After spending the first six years of my life with only sisters to play with, I was glad to have brothers to share a room with. Until I became a teenager, of course. Then I needed my space, needed room to assert myself, my individuality. Did you ever notice that the way we do that is by trying to be like every other teenager we know? "I want to bleach my hair to express my uniqueness. What do you mean, I can’t do that? Jimmy’s mom let him do it! All the guys at school are bleaching their hair! Why can’t I?" But I do have a lot of happy memories of those sharing times with my brothers and sisters. What I remember most is that the sharing was best, the example I set, if I set one, was best when I played with my brothers as if they were my age, and not the other way around. When my actions and words were the same as theirs, the sharing still happened, but something seemed to be missing. I shared, just like Mom taught me. But nothing worthwhile came from the sharing. Something seemed to be missing. Sometimes that’s what happens when we try to share our faith, isn’t it? We muster up the courage for the attempt but then for some reason nothing seems to come of it. Nothing we can see right away, anyhow. Let’s be honest – it’s tough to talk about faith issues outside the setting of the church. We don’t want to come on too strong to other people. We don’t want to overwhelm them. We don’t want to be regarded as some kind of religious fanatic, the office Jesus Freak. Years ago, William F. Buckley noted that you may be able to mention religion at a fancy dinner party once, but if you bring up the subject twice in one evening, your name won’t be on the guest list for the next big shindig! Sharing our faith is difficult sometimes. Besides, as we sometimes say, "I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day." "Actions speak louder than words." The best way to share our faith, to tell others about Jesus, may be the lives we live, rather than the words we speak. But don’t you have to be able to talk the talk, as well as walk the walk? Communications is a complicated process. This faith of ours is a faith that has been articulated through words. Long before the Bible existed in written form, it was passed on through oral tradition, the telling of the stories of faith from generation to generation. And even after the Bible came to exist in written form, Christians had to encourage one another to study God’s Word in order to be able to address issues from a Christian point of view. Thanks, Mom, for teaching me to share, for giving me that foundation upon which to build my witness. And thanks also for teaching me that HOW you share is equally as important as WHAT you share. Staff, , by Johnny Dean Today is a day for us to think about Mothers, God and the Spirit of love that connects us all. Rev. Fulgum remembered the lesson of sharing that his mother taught him. What lessons in life did your mother teach you about love, about sharing, about life in general. My Mother Taught Me… 1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning." 2. My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet." 3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!" 4. My mother taught me LOGIC. "Because I said so, that's why." 5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me." 6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident." 7. My mother taught me IRONY. "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about." 8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. "Shut your mouth and eat your supper." 9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!" 10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone." 11. My mother taught me about WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it." 12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!" 13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out." 14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. "Stop acting like your father!" 15. My mother taught me about ENVY. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do." 16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until we get home." 17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING. "You are going to get it when you get home!" 18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way." 19. My mother taught me ESP. "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?" 20. My mother taught me HUMOR. "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me." 21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up." 22. My mother taught me GENETICS. "You're just like your father." 23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?" 24. My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand." 25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE. "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!" Source Unknown. The greatest gift that we can give you our moms today is to live out those lessons and to pass them on to others. Honor through Your Life You must also give your mother honor in the way you live. Whether we want it to be this way or not, the way we live is a reflection upon our parents. So, if you really want to honor your mother, you should live in a way that she will be proud of. You must live an honorable life. One day, several convicts were in a prison library flipping through a merchandise catalog. On one of the pages there was the picture of a lovely home. One of the prisoners said, "Man, I sure wish I could give my mother a house like that to live in." Another prisoner pointed to the nice car that was pictured in front of the house and said, "No, I'd rather give my ma a car like that, so she could come to see me once in a while." Then the two men noticed their friend, Bill, just staring blankly at the magazine, so they asked him to say what he would like to give his mother. After thinking for a few minutes, he looked at them with tears in his eyes and said, in a sorrowful tone, "I wish I could give my mother a more honorable son." That young man was grieving about the fact that his dishonorable life and actions had dishonored his mother. R.E. Lybrand, Home Is a Four-letter Word, CSS Publishing Most of us try to honor our parents by who we are and by what we do. We honor our parents by making connections to them. But we should also honor them by honoring the lessons of God that we have learned through Jesus Christ. Some people search for an unknown God – but we have been blessed with so many people who have come to show us the story of love. Perhaps today we can also brighten the day of someone who may be alone today. Or give a donation to and organization who helps mothers in need. Or remember our mother and others who have shown us love. Gratitude Make a list of 31 things your wife does for you and the family which you seldom thank her for. Make a point of thanking her specifically for one on each day of the coming month. On each day of the following month pay her a new compliment on one of her good attitudes, character qualities, habits or talents. And be prepared for a better relationship than you've enjoyed in quite a while. Unknown Mothers and Father’s Get Short Changed Mothers and Fathers -- you think you're special? You think you're being honored, having one day out of the year dedicated to you? Consider this: Egg salad gets a whole week. As do pickles, pancakes, pickled peppers, split pea soup, clowns, carpenter ants and aardvarks. Peanut butter (March), chickens (September) and oatmeal (January) each rate an entire month. Mothers and fathers can draw solace from the fact that along with themselves, such national treasures as the rubber eraser and moles also merit only a single day of recognition. Afterall, mothers day comes one day a year – ice cream, drinking , pets and even pizza get a whole month to celebrate. We still live in a world searching for true love in an unknown God. Today is about God, mothers, and the presence of love that connects us all. Even with all of its complications, and the list grows every year – Mother’s Day is an important day in the life of the church. Birthday parties are special because a group of friends come to rejoice at the blessings of someone else. Much is the same in our celebrations of complicated joy at church. We will never assemble with unfettered joy on this side of heaven. But, if we will allow ourselves, we can anticipate that unfettered joy in moments of celebration where the broken, injured, and wounded share in the joy of the moment with those who are not. While it may be a bit complicated by our fallen and broken world, our time together as God's family must be a time to anticipate the joy that awaits us when our Father brings us home! Even though it may be complicated, rejoice! In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9) Phil Ware, A Complicated Joy, originally published in Heartlight Magazine So, with all those qualifications, why bother with Mothers’ Day at all? I’ll tell you why —— because for all its stumbling blocks, pitfalls and broken dreams, for all the soiled diapers, soiled wallpaper and spoiled plans, we’re talking about a beautiful ideal, a natural part of God’s creative plan to bring love and caring to light. Motherhood is a constant demand for the gift of love and caring. Proclaim, “A Mother’s Day Sermon,” May 14, 1989. Mother’s Day is our way of celebrating the love of God that came down to earth to teach us the way. Amen. Song Abide with Me UMH 700 Mother’s Day Prayer Mothers’ Day Liturgy Lord, on this day set aside to honor and remember mothers, we give you thanks for our mothers. We are grateful that you chose to give us life through them, and that they received the gift of life from your hands, and gave it to us. Thank you for the sacrifices they made in carrying us and giving us birth. We thank you for the women who raised us, who were our mothers in childhood. Whether birth mom, adopted mom, older sister, aunt, grandmother, stepmother or someone else, we thank you for those women who held us and fed us, who cared for us and kissed away our pain. We pray that our lives may reflect the love they showed us, and that they would be pleased to be called our moms. Jaymie- can you print this prayer as an insert, starting here We pray for older moms whose children are grown. Grant them joy and satisfaction for a job well done. We pray for new moms experiencing changes they could not predict. Grant them rest and peace as they trust you for the future. We pray for pregnant women who will soon be moms. Grant them patience and good counsel in the coming months. We pray for moms who face the demands of single parenthood. Grant them strength and wisdom. We pray for moms who enjoy financial abundance. Grant them time to share with their families. We pray for moms who are raising their children in poverty. Grant them relief and justice. We pray for step-moms. Grant them patience and understanding and love. We pray for moms who are separated from their children. Grant them faith and hope. We pray for moms in marriages that are in crisis. Grant them support and insight. We pray for moms who have lost children. Grant them comfort in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We pray for mothers who aborted their children. Grant them healing and peace. We pray for moms who gave up their children for adoption. Grant them peace and confidence as they trust in your providence. We pray for adoptive mothers. Grant them joy and gratitude for the gift you have provided. We pray for girls and women who think about being moms. Grant them wisdom and discernment. We pray for all women who have assumed the mother’s role in a child’s life. Grant them joy and the appreciation of others. We pray for those people present who are grieving the loss of their mother in the past year. Grant them comfort and hope in Christ’s resurrection. Prayer of blessing: Lord, we thank you for the gift of motherhood. We thank you for the many examples of faithful mothers in scripture, like Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth, and Lois. Hear now the first names of other women who have inspired us by their motherly examples . . . We are mindful this day of all these women, and especially Mary the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had the courage in faith to say “yes” to your calling. May these women gathered here today emulate these examples of faith. And may they model for all the rest of us what it means to be your disciple. Bless them on this special day; in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. —posted on the WorshipHelps blog. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Offering Prayer Dear Lord, out of your great love for us you have provided for our needs. There is food for our tables, clothes to cover us, a roof over our heads and someone to love us. For these gifts we are grateful. Bless now, our tithes and offerings, we ask, so that they may be used to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Amen. (Board of Discipleship, Rev. LaGretta Bjorn) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May we leave this house of worship strengthened by the Spirit renewed by God’s Grace and reminded that the Body of Christ surrounds us for help, comfort, and support. May the grace, hope, peace and love of the God the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be with us now and always. Amen Joys and Concerns Mother’s Day Benediction Go into your week, knowing that you are embraced by the love of God; a love that is sweeter and more tender than any you have ever known. Additional Illustrations A Complicated Joy Have you noticed how hard it is to have a simple joyful event anymore? Something inside wants me to blame it on some external factor like political correctness run amuck. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. We live in a fallen world of complicated joy. Special times like Mother's Day or Father's Day remind me of this sad reality. While I enjoy preaching a "happy little sermon" about moms or dads, the complicated reality of our broken world jumps up and trips me. There are those moms or dads who have been abandoned or abused by their spouses and the last thing they want to do is give thanks or hear nice things about something and someone they don't have. Ditto for those who have had horrible experiences with their own moms or dads. In addition, there are those who have wanted and prayed and waited to be moms and dads without success and with deep wounds. Suddenly, what seems so simple and profoundly important jumps up has the joy stolen from its moment. Our concern for the wounded often leads us to forego the rejoicing, tone done the celebration, or issue all sorts of exception statements so the wounded don't get further injured. Meanwhile, those who have reason for joy have a lot of it siphoned out of the moment. As Christian communities, however, I believe our churches need times of unabashed joy. Yes, there are those in pain who have been victimized by bad marriages or bad parents. Yes, there are those who ache to have children of their own and who find what is missing hurtful on these kinds of days. But, I believe we truly NEED to celebrate these kinds of moments without apology. Let me share a few reasons why. First, we need to honor those to whom honor is due. In our petty and nit-picky world, people seldom get the affirmation and praise they deserve. Standing up and honoring those who deserve must be done -- it is not an option for godly people. God wants us to honor those to whom honor is due. (Romans 13:7) Second, our children need to know that in the troubled world in which they often find themselves, there are moments of joy to cherish and to anticipate. How do they know what "normal" should be, or what goal to set for their own lives if all they hear about are the exceptions and the injuries? Let's teach them to be kind and compassion as well as to think on lovely things and to reach for them in their own lives. (Philippians 4:4-9) Third, so often in caring Christian communities, our focus is on the broken, the wounded, the left out, and the injured. This is not only appropriate; it is righteous in the truest definition of that biblically rich term. We must be communities of care and compassion. We also must maintain a healthy and holy balance. Thanks for our blessings, praise for the greatness and graciousness of our loving God, and appreciation for his response to our pleas for help and healing should also be a part of our worship. A compassionate community will lose its compassion if it forgets the joy that inspired it. We must rejoice with those who rejoice in addition to weeping with those who weep. (Romans 12:15) The broken need to share the blessing of gratitude with those who rejoice. This is not just encouragement for those rejoicing, but it also helps the broken refocus on other things than their own brokenness and offers the promise of their own brighter tomorrow. Birthday parties are special because a group of friends come to rejoice at the blessings of someone else. Much is the same in our celebrations of complicated joy at church. We will never assemble with unfettered joy on this side of heaven. But, if we will allow ourselves, we can anticipate that unfettered joy in moments of celebration where the broken, injured, and wounded share in the joy of the moment with those who are not. While it may be a bit complicated by our fallen and broken world, our time together as God's family must be a time to anticipate the joy that awaits us when our Father brings us home! Even though it may be complicated, rejoice! In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9) Phil Ware, A Complicated Joy, originally published in Heartlight Magazine Humor: Mother’s Maintenance Manual Many of us take better care of our cars then we do our mothers and yet we only expect our cars to last 5 or 6 years but we expect our mothers to last for a lifetime. Maybe we need a maintenance manual for mothers so we would know how to take care of them at least as well as we do our automobiles. Here are some items that might be included in such a manual. Engine: A mother's engine is one of the most dependable kinds you can find. She can reach top speed from a prone position at a single cry from a sleeping child. But regular breaks are needed to keep up that peak performance. Mothers need a hot bath and a nap every 100 miles, a baby-sitter and a night out every 1,000 miles, and a live in baby-sitter with a one week vacation every 10,000 miles. Battery: Mother's batteries should be recharged regularly. Handmade items, notes, unexpected hugs and kisses, and frequent "I love you's" will do very well for a recharge. Carburetor: When a mother's carburetor floods it should be treated immediately with Kleenex and a soft shoulder. Brakes: See that she uses her brakes to slow down often and come to a full stop occasionally. (A squeaking sound indicates a need for a rest) Fuel: Most mothers can run indefinitely on coffee, leftovers and salads, But an occasional dinner for two at a nice restaurant will really add to her efficiency. Chassis: Mother when their bodies are properly maintained. Regular exercise should be encouraged and provided for as necessary. A change in hairdo or makeup in spring and fall are also helpful. If you notice the chassis begins to sag, immediately start a program of walking, jogging, swimming, or bike riding. These are most effective when done with fathers. Tune-ups: Mother need regular tune-ups. Compliments are both the cheapest and most effective way to keep a mother purring contentedly. If these instructions are followed consistently, this fantastic creation and gift from God, that we call MOTHER should last a lifetime and give good service and constant love to those who need her most. If They Are Going to Get You… Author, speaker and sports enthusiast Pat Williams, in his book A Lifetime of Success, give one of the best examples I know of a mother’s love. He tells of attending a very special Atlanta Braves’ baseball home opener on April 8, 1974. It was a night game against the Dodgers and it was a complete sellout. Williams looked around to see that, seated immediately behind him was singer Pearl Bailey. Up at the plate: the immortal Henry Aaron. On the line: Babe Ruth’s record of 714 career home runs. Aaron had tied the record and tonight he was aiming to break it. Understand that this was nearly 40 years ago. An African?American player was about to topple the great Babe Ruth--and a lot of people in the country didn’t like it. Aaron got a lot of mail that year--more than 930,000 letters in all, far more than any other person in the country. Most were fan letters--but about 100,000 of them were hate letters, some containing death threats. Williams says he was on the edge of his seat when Dodgers pitcher Al Downing hurled the ball toward the plate. Aaron swung and connected. The crack of his bat echoed through the stands. The ball was gone. Home run. Babe Ruth’s record was shattered. The ballpark went nuts. “As Aaron rounded second base,” says Williams, “a couple of teenagers--both white--jumped over the retaining wall and ran onto the field, chasing Aaron. For a moment, no one knew what they had in mind, but then it became clear: they were celebrating and cheering Aaron on. As Aaron crossed the plate, the dugout emptied as the Braves streamed onto the field to surround him, cheering and whooping it up. But amid all those ballplayers around Aaron was a short, sixty-eight?year?old black woman. She latched onto Aaron and wouldn’t let go of him. “Henry Aaron turned and said to her, ‘Mom! What are you doing here?’ “‘Baby,’ said the mother of the new home?run king, ‘if they’re gonna get you,’ (thinking of the death threats Aaron had received) ‘they’ve gotta get me first!’” That is love only a mother could have for her child. “If they’re gonna get you, they’ve gotta get me first!” Pat Williams, A Lifetime of Success, (Grand Rapids. MI: Fleming H. Revell, 2000), pp. 109-110, adapted by King Duncan What Goes Into A Home? The Bible does not say very much about homes; it says a great deal about the things that make them. It speaks about life and love and joy and peace and rest. If we get a house and put these into it, we shall have secured a home. John Henry Jowett, What Is a Mother? (Norwalk, Conn.: C.R. Gibson, 1977). _______________ Why Bother with Mother’s Day? This is a Mother's Day sermon. I’m preaching without apology and with appreciation for that time—honored institution without the benefit of which we wouldn’t be here! As ministers, we’re reminded not to get too sentimental about motherhood because: (a) for some, motherhood is an accident, and not always a welcome one; (b) for some, biological motherhood isn’t possible; (c) for some, mothers weren’t all that nice; (d) for some, motherhood under the very best of circumstances is still less than abed of roses and a primrose path. So, with all those qualifications, why bother with Mothers’ Day at all? I’ll tell you why —— because for all its stumbling blocks, pitfalls and broken dreams, for all the soiled diapers, soiled wallpaper and spoiled plans, we’re talking about a beautiful ideal, a natural part of God’s creative plan to bring love and caring to light. Motherhood is a constant demand for the gift of love and caring. Proclaim, “A Mother’s Day Sermon,” May 14, 1989. Am I Loved? I had a professor in Childhood Development who said, "All it would take to have a perfect world is just one generation of perfect parents." I believed that until mid-life, when I saw several nearly perfect parents who had terrible children. But the concept is generally true--we learn to love because we were loved first. We love, according to the Bible, because God loved us first. We all need to be loved. And we grow up testing whether we are indeed loved. One of the basic questions of our youth is, "Am I loved?" It is asked in the back seat of a car. It is asked at a party. It is asked with defiance at home. It is asked with incomplete homework at school. It is asked when drugs are offered around in friendship groups. It is asked when a gang leader suggests an initiation rite. "By this you know you are loved…." Everyone here today, mothers or not, needs to ask, "How am I demonstrating love?" Is it in a way that others can experience? Paul Sweet, This I Know outh fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all. Oliver Wendell Holmes, physician and poet A Call for Help A woman telephoned a friend and asked how she was feeling, "Terrible," came the reply over the wire, "my head's splitting and my back and legs are killing me. The house is a mess, and the kids are simply driving me crazy." Very sympathetically the caller said, "Listen, go and lie down, I'll come over right away and cook lunch for you, clean up the house, and take care of the children while you get some rest. By the way, how is Sam?" "Sam?" the complaining housewife gasped. "Who is Sam?" "My heavens," exclaimed the first woman, "I must have dialed the wrong number." There was a long pause. "Are you still coming over?" the harried mother asked hopefully. Dennis Marquardt adapted from Bobby Moore, Any Old Port in a Storm.

Jesus Prayer for Our Success (Threatened with Resurrection)

7th Sunday of Easter – Ascension John 17:1-11 May 21, 2023 Jesus Prayer for our success Year A Prelude Welcome Introit Call to Worship L: Today is Ascension Sunday when we celebrate Christ’s return to God. P: We look up in wonder as he is lifted from us into heaven! L: But this is not a time to gaze upward. There is work to be done. P: Jesus has entrusted the ministry of God’s love to us. L: Let’s get to work! P: Let’s make our hearts ready for the task ahead with prayer and praise! L: Amen P: AMEN! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer God of incredible surprises, as we gaze into the clouds, remind us that we are standing on holy ground. Place our feet on the pathways of peace and hope. Draw our attention from the vision of the Lord rising to the heavens to be with you and help us to focus on the ministries that you would have us do. Keep us ready and willing always to serve you all our days. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song All Hail the Power of Jesus Name UMH 155 Children’s Sermon Good morning! Today we are going to talk about a very special event that took place in the Bible. First, though, I want to show you a little trick. Have you ever seen a raisin dance?? It might sound strange, but let me show you what I mean. Here are my raisins, ready to party (show a handful of raisins). Now, do you know what a raisin used to be? That’s right, a grape! You’d think the grapes might want to dance, so maybe we’ll try it out with them too… Okay, here’s my dancing juice (pour enough fizzy soda to fill about half a glass or jar). Let’s see, do the grapes want to dance? (Drop in a grape or two…nothing happens). Well, the raisins look a little shriveled up here, but watch what happens when I drop them in the bubbles… (wait a few moments, and observe the raisins float up to the top of the glass). Wow, those raisins got excited about being in that glass, didn’t they? They might have seemed like all the juicy grape life was drained away, but they got new power and rose back up! So, the reason we watched raisins is because today we are looking at what happened when Jesus ascended into Heaven. Have you ever heard the word “ascend”? It means something goes up, like an elevator or a person going upstairs. In our lesson today, we are looking at the last time Jesus was on earth. We’ve been talking about how He showed up to His disciples a few times after His resurrection, and spoke with them about things or gave them encouraging words. Well, He had one final special meeting with them…Jesus took His disciples out of the town a little ways, and He reminded them again of who He was, and how He suffered and died to fulfill the prophecies. He told His friends that He was going to send them an exciting present, and that they should wait for that present to get an amazing sort of power…then He gave them a blessing, and then do you know what happened? Well, have you ever had a balloon, the kind with helium, and let it go? What happens? It just floats all the way up into the sky, right? That’s what happened to Jesus! He floated up, ascending into the sky just like those raisins. But He didn’t come back down. (At this point, you may use your stuffed animal to demonstrate the “lift off”; or for extra effect, hoist one of the kids—safely—and lift them up for the others to see). The disciples were left open-mouthed, starting into the sky and wondering when He would return…an angel let them know that Jesus would be coming back, though they didn’t realize it would take such a long time. In the meantime, the disciples were excited about what Jesus had said. They went to Jerusalem and hung out in the church, giving praise to God and telling people about what they had seen. They were all stirred up with energy and excitement, just like those raisins were stirred up and started dancing! How do you think you might have felt if you saw Jesus go up into the clouds like that?? It might have been shocking or confusing or exciting. One thing we can know is that we should be eager to share God’s love and good news with one another. And do you want to know something else? This story about ascending has a sequel! Jesus told the disciples to wait for a special power that would be sent, remember? Do you want to know how that power came? You’ll have to stay tuned, because in our next lesson we will get to hear all about it! For now, let’s say a prayer and ask God for patient hope, and for enthusiasm to share His news with others: Prayer: (Have kids repeat each line, if desired) Dear God, Thank you for who you are Thank you for resurrection joy Help us to be excited about your story So we can share the good news with others Thank you for your love Thank you for Jesus! (Ministry to children, Kristin Schmidt) Affirmation of Faith UMH 888 Anthem Scripture John 17:1-11 Sermon Jesus’ Prayer for our Success This is the last Sunday of the Easter season. Next Sunday is Pentecost, and the Sunday after that is the beginning of ordinary time. Ordinary time is the longest and the most boring season of the church year. The first six months of the Christian year, which starts in December is dictated by the holidays and festivals- advent, Christmas, epiphany, lent Easter. The last six months of the year the church is silent. That silence is intended to challenge us to take the lessons that we have learned and become better Christians, delve deeper in our faith, get closer to God, have a clearer understanding of our purpose, to become more determined to fulfill our mission. Our mission is to fulfill Jesus mission, Jesus mission is to fulfill God’s mission of love for all people. On the last Sunday of Easter, we remember the culmination of Jesus ministry on earth. The culmination is not Easter. After Easter, Jesus hangs around a little bit and encourages the disciples. Until one day he returns to heaven and leaves the mission in their hands. All week I have been seeing a Facebook meme which says that Ascension is the day Jesus decided to work from home. Ascension happens in the middle of the week – and has its own scriptures to talk about it. Our scripture for today is john 17. Our songs are Ascension songs, but I chose the gospel for the last Sunday of Easter. I felt that it was a nice combination of both thoughts. John 17 is Jesus final prayer for his mission, for the mission of the disciples and for the mission of all future Christians who will read and hear these words. Now to give you a little background on this prayer. In Matthew, Mark and Luke – Jesus gives a final prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. He is alone, and his is very worried and concerned and he prays the God will take this cup away from him, so that he doesn’t have to go through even more pain and passion. John always tells things a little differently. For John – Jesus is at the last supper with his disciples. He is not upset, he just accepts what is to happen next as a part of the plan. So he prays this his disciples will have strength, solidarity and steadfast hope. He prays that all who fulfill his mission will have eternal life. In this prayer, eternal life is not something in the sweet by and by. Eternal life is always there for us to use – when we know the power of Jesus in life and we know that power comes from God and is available to us – we are living eternally her today. John’s point in his gospel is to teach us that heaven and earth are always connected, Jesus is always fully human and fully divine. We always have access to God through Jesus. When we follow Jesus, we follow God. Heaven is not a place up in the sky – heaven is a place in our hearts. Heaven is how we live, how we treat people, how we pray, how we fulfill God’s mission for love and unity for all people. If God can resurrect Jesus from the dead, then the challenges that we face are no match for God. On this last Sunday of Easter, I want to share with you a poem that we studied in seminary – 30 years ago. This poem has stuck with me all of these years because it reminds me of the power of resurrection. The poem is called “They have Threatened us with Resurrection” It was written in the 80’s by Julia Esquivel. She is a survivor of a massacre of indigenous people in Guatemala by the military. Whole villages were destroyed and people felt helpless to defend themselves and their families against their own government. And yet rather than give up on life, they chose to stand on their faith. They knew that evil had the power to destroy their body, but not their spirit. For them, tough times had threatened them with resurrection. It made their faith stronger and they were more determined to survive. The quetzal is Guatemala’s official bird. Legend has it that if caged the bird will die of sadness. But when it is on freedom, it has the power to overcome any circumstance. Even in deadly circumstances, it will always come back to life and thrive. The poem says that it is the internal cyclone of struggle that heals the wounds of the quetzal. The power within is the earthquake soon to come that will shake the world and put everything in its place. Jesus is the earthquake that puts everything back in its place. I wont share with you the whole poem, as a matter of fact her book is a series of poems. But I will share some of the important parts It isn’t the noise in the streets that keeps us from resting, my friend, nor is it the shouts of the young people It is something within us that doesn’t let us sleep, that doesn’t let us rest, that won’t stop pounding deep inside, it is the silent, warm weeping of Indian women without their husbands, it is the sad gaze of the children fixed somewhere beyond memory, precious in our eyes which during sleep, though closed, keep watch, What keeps us from sleeping is that they have threatened us with Resurrection! Because every evening though weary of killings, an endless inventory since 1954,** yet we go on loving life and do not accept their death! They have threatened us with Resurrection because they are more alive than ever before, because they transform our agonies and fertilize our struggle, because they pick us up when we fall, because they loom like giants before the crazed gorillas’ fear. This poem has stuck with me all of these years because I think that at some point we have all been threatened with resurrection. Out faith has been tested. We have become discouraged, we have felt that it was no use, we have not seen results, we have seen evil prevail, we have lived in darkness, we have felt that there is nothing that we can do, we have stared death in the eye. It is in that moment that we cannot hold onto the things going on around us – we have to look inside and hold onto our faith. We have to realize that it was at that moment in the life of our saviour that he did not cry – but he prayed. He prayed for us as we face our darkest moment. John 17 says I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours. I have been glorified in them. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, even as I am coming to you. Holy Father, watch over them in your name, the name you gave me that they will be one just as we are one. It is the moment that we see resurrection as life in the midst of death, light in the midst of darkness, and eternity as the power of God right now in this situation that we learn the power of our faith. The poem, Threatened with Resurrection ends by saying… Join us in this vigil and you will know what it is to dream! Then you will know how marvelous it is to live threatened with Resurrection! To dream awake, to keep watch asleep, to live while dying, and to know ourselves already resurrected! When we are able to see resurrection clearly- the mission of Jesus has been fulfilled and God has been glorified. God’s mission is in our hands now, we just have to keep the faith. Amen. Song I’ll Fly Away TFWS 2282 Pastoral Prayer Lord, we sometimes wonder why you bother with us. Throughout history, you have called to humankind to be your witnesses. You have given to each a special blessing. But the historical record reveals the stubborn, selfish responses of your people. We think that we deserve your blessing and don’t have to do your will. We have acted in wicked ways far too often. Today you have called us together to hear the words of Jesus as he prayed for his disciples, telling you that his love for them is complete and that he believes in them. We would like to think that we are included in that number, that Jesus prays for us and loves us. And, indeed, he does. He has given his life for us. Now we are called to give our lives for him, to offer to all the good news that God’s love is real and powerful. God’s healing mercy is for all people. We offer our prayers for our families and our friends who are in situations of need, asking God’s blessings upon them. We raise our voices in choruses of pleading for you to be present to all your people, creating pathways of peace. Be with us, gracious Lord. Help us to witness to the world, not only by our words and our thoughts, but by our actions that your peace may be known. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Stewardship Moment Offertory Prayer Our kind Heavenly Father, we rejoice in your faithfulness! As you promised, your glorious Spirit inspires a new way of life through the church of Jesus Christ. We trust that as we continue to devote ourselves to prayer, you will strengthen our congregation in mission outreach. Direct all our gifts and offerings for the purposes of your kingdom, O God. We pray through Christ, who ascended on high to your eternal throne in the heavens. Amen. (Acts 1:6-14) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Easter people, God has done great things for you! Go, now, carrying the story of God’s work in your lives that in all things, good and difficult, you can ask with confidence, “How will God show up now?” knowing all the while that God will, indeed, take all our caring and point us toward joy. Amen.( Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, October 2022.) Joys and Concerns Benediction The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace, in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen! (Aaronic Blessing) Additional Illustrations

A newborn, a building, a Priesthood - repreach of 5/18/14

May 7, 2023 1 Peter 2:2-10 A Newborn, A Building, a Priesthood 5th Sunday of Easter Year A Prelude Welcome Introit Call to Worship L: Come, all of you who feel lost, alienated, alone. Right Side: At one time we felt that way – we didn’t belong anywhere. Left Side: We just wanted somewhere to be. L: Christ, the Strong Cornerstone of our house, welcomes you. Right Side: Once we were no people Left Side: Now we are God’s people. Right Side: Once we had no place to dwell Left Side: Now we live and abide in God’s love. L: Thanks be to God for God’s gracious love and hospitality. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer (Psalm 31, 1 Peter 2) O God of all creation, become for us once again the solid foundation upon which we build our daily lives. We gather before you, this first day of the week, to align our lives to the strong teaching and life of Jesus Christ, our Cornerstone. Receive our praise and thanksgiving as expressions of faith and love. We come to you, O Lord, as people who desire to learn and serve like Christ. We are ready to receive your blessing and direction today. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, John Brewer) Song His Eye is on the Sparrow TFWS 2146 Children’s Sermon Tell students, Like the other Apostles, Peter traveled to different towns and started churches in all the towns he visited. Then, later, after he left those towns, he would send letters back to the churches to teach them more about God. The lesson we’re going to learn today is part of Peter’s letter to one of the churches. The things Peter wrote in that letter to teach the church back then can also teach us today. (Read 1 Peter 2:9-10.) “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. “Peter is telling the people and us what we are. The first thing he says is that we are a chosen people. What do you think it means for us to be a chosen people? Who chose us? (God chose us to be His people.) God chose you. Think about that. God, who created everything—the sun and the stars, and everything there is—chose you! God loves you that much! Peter also says that we are a royal priesthood. What does the word royal mean? It means that you are a king or a queen or that you’re in the king or queen’s family. How are we royal? We’re royal because we’re in God’s family, and God is the King of the whole Universe. We’re His royal children, princes and princesses in God’s Kingdom. We are also priests. What does a priest do? A priest is another name for pastor. Priests and pastors pray to God for people and teach people about God. How can we be priests and pastors to other people? We can pray for people and tell them about God and Jesus. Peter says that we are holy. What does the word holy mean? (Special or different.) How are we supposed to be special or different from other people for God? As God’s people, we listen to God. We believe what God wants us to believe and do what God what God wants us to do. We obey God’s rules and do the right things, even if other people don’t. Peter says that God called us out of darkness into the light. What do you think he means by the darkness? (Our sins.) And what is the light? (Believing in God and having God forgive us for our sins.) Peter says that God gave us mercy. What does the word mercy mean? It means that we were supposed to be punished for something, but God didn’t punish us. He gave us mercy. What were we supposed to be punished for? We were supposed to be punished for our sins, but God sent Jesus to die on the cross to take our punishment for us so that we could be forgiven for our sins, for all the wrong things that we’ve done. Jesus took our place. So, Peter is telling us to remember how special we are. We are God’s royal children. He chose us to follow Him and to teach other people about Him, and He forgave us for all of our sins. (Ministry to Children.com, Stephen Wilson) Affirmation of Faith (From a Brief Statement of Faith) We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri Ott McDowell) Anthem Scripture 1 Peter 2:2-10 Sermon A Newborn, A Building and a Priesthood God in the Stone story Theologian Megan McKenna tells of a story that circulates in Italy about Michelangelo and stones. Whether it is true or not is debatable. What it means though is open to interpretation. This is how she heard the story. You decide what it means. Every day, it seems, God would look down from heaven on the earth to watch over his people and to see what they were up to. And every once in awhile God would go to visit his people and dwell with them, though usually no one recognized God. Sooner or later, however, someone would come along and find him and then he would disappear from their sight and return to the heavens. And it seemed that some of his best hiding and watching places were in rocks, stones, canyons, caves, wells, and tombs. Soon there were stories about a stone that Jacob used for a pillow and dreamed of angels ascending and descending to earth and where he wrestled all night before receiving a blessing from a mysterious angel. And the one about Jacob's well or Sinai's mountain and many about the Temple in Jerusalem. Then Isaiah the prophet promised the presence of a cornerstone (but was it a rock or a person?). "Therefore, says the Lord God: See, I am laying a stone in Zion, a stone that has been tested, a precious cornerstone as a sure foundation; the one who puts faith in it shall not be shaken" (Is. 28:16). Then, not so long ago, Jesus came and told his people that it wasn't necessary to worship in certain places anymore. He told a woman at a well: "Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem... an hour is coming, and is already here, when authentic worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth" (John 4:22-23). But then Jesus died on the place of the skull and was buried in a rock-hewn tomb, but escaped from that cave to free us from our caves. It wasn't long, though, before people began building high places and piling stones up to go and worship there. Many years passed and God grew uncomfortable again. People were having trouble recognizing him; they seemed to be looking only in these places that they had built for his honor and glory for his presence and he wondered what he should do about it. One day God's attention was drawn to a commotion that was going on around a man in Italy. This man loved stones. All day he would chisel away at the barren slabs and after time, energy, and painstaking effort, the stone would live. It was almost as if he discovered something alive inside the stone and went about freeing it with a passion. He had set many people free already and this time he was attempting to set God himself free! For years he had been working on one huge piece of marble, and slowly over the years the figure of a woman holding the body of her dead son was emerging from the rock. And this time even God was surprised at what was being born out of stone. He went to Michelangelo and spoke to him. Michelangelo, God said, what are you doing? Lord, he answered, I am setting you free, so that everyone will recognize you not only in stone, but in everything, everyone that dwells on earth, but especially in all those who suffer unjustly and die violently at the hands of others and in those who mourn for the loss of such vibrant life. I don't want people to forget you. And the Lord spoke again to Michelangelo: Do I really dwell in that stone? I know in the past I have often gone to rocks and mountains, wells and tombs, but I don't remember going to dwell in the stone you are working on. And Michelangelo answered God: But my Lord, since your child came to us, you don't have to pick and choose your places of rest; he left your Spirit everywhere we just have to discover it, touch it and reveal it to others. That's what it means to live. The stone is rolled away. Don’t roll it back. Leonard Sweet Sermon, Leonard Sweet, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., 2014, 0-000-1415 God is the bedrock We come to church looking for God. Where in this building do we find God? Is God embedded in the bricks of the building so that God cannot escape? Now before you think that is a totally crazy idea, consider Isaiah 28:16 which says - I lay in Isreal a foundation stone. A primodial stone, a rock that does not move. A rock that like this building isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. You can’t move it, or do anything with it. There is a town in the middle east called Petra. Petra means bedrock. And the town is build within the bedrock of a mountain. The people are long gone, but the structure is still there. Peter the rock When Jesus was talking to the disciples, he said to Peter, upon this rock I build this church. But the word for rock that Jesus used was not Petra – it was petro. Petro is a movable rock, a rock that can be picked up, that can be changed. Rock that is not reliable, but is still usable. Jesus did not build his church upon petra, but petro. Living Stones It is Peter’s words that I want us to consider this morning. He advises us to become living stones. Once again that is a strange term. Afterall stones are dead and lifeless. There is nothing that lives inside of a stone, except God. The story of Jesus reminds us that what was dead and lifeless can e bought back to life, with the power of God. Jesus calls himself living water. Now there is a such thing as living water. A river, a stream a creek is living water, because the water is moving. So a living stone is a stone that moves. Remember, Genesis says that he formed man by taking some dirt from the ground and breathing life into it. So there is regular dirt on the ground that does not move and breathe. And there is living dirt that breathes, walks and talks. You and me, we are God’s living stones. The church is not these concrete blocks, it is these living stones that do the work of God inside of here. GOD WANTS TO LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity: "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of--throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself." Peter’s words of encouragement I Peter was not written to address a specific issue, it was written to all struggling churches to remind them of their task. To remind them of their faith. Peter believes that those who believe the gospel, must live the gospel. Cant read, and pray and go to church without being convicted of who Christ is. And when you know Christ, you love Christ, you live in Christ. When someone ask who you are – your answer is not about where your hometown is, it is not about what you do for a living, it is about who you are in the Spirit of Christ. God is the bedrock of your life, Christ is the cornerstone of your life, and you are God’s living stones. A piece of God lives in you. And you are a small piece of God. There’s a story that is often told in management textbooks about a man who was walking in the countryside one day. He happened upon a building site where three people were all working vigorously. Two were stonecutters; the third was an old woman, sweeping The traveler stopped and asked what they were doing. The first stonecutter answered, “I am making a living.” The traveler proffered his question to the second stonecutter. He didn’t look up, but kept on hammering while he said, “I am doing the best job of stonecutting in the entire county.” Then our traveler turned to the old woman with her broom. “What are you doing?” he asked. The old woman paused, set down her broom, and looked toward the heavens. With a visionary gleam in her eye she said, “I am building a cathedral to the glory of almighty God.” It’s a parable that rings true for us today, one that this extended metaphor of stones brought to mind. Of course, our text imagines us as stones, not as stonecutters. What could it mean to be a living stone? The first stonecutter thought he was his work, the second thought he was his own effort, but it was the third who realized that she was part of a larger whole. And that what she gave, contributed the the building of God’s kingdom. In this scripture passage, Peter uses three images to describe our relationship with God. He says that we are newborns, living stones and a royal priesthood. I think that Peter gives us the ultimate encouragement. You are a royal priesthood, a chosen people, a holy nation. All of these images are in the old testament. As a matter of fact, Hosea names one of his children nobody – to remind the children of Israel that when they don’t have God inside of them- they are nobody. But with God’s help – they are somebody. They are a royal priesthood set aside for a special purpose. A Royal Priesthood A priest is one who leads others to the glory of God. A bridge, an intercessor. When we live God’s word in our lives, we lead others to God. The basis message of 1 Peter 2 is to have hope, to live holy, to love one another, to seek God like a baby seeks milk. And to live as God’s spiritual house. Living stones reflect the bedrock of God, the cornerstone of Christ. We are building used for God’s purposes. Let us pray… Amen. Song The Church’s One Foundation UMH 545 Prayer of Intercession God of grace and light, Found within and out with the structures of humanity, You cannot be contained, But on occasion choose to dwell in hearts and homes. Glance lightly upon the hearts and homes dear to us, The people and places where we seek blessing. Build up our homes, Build up the places where we work, Build up our community, Build up our nation, loving Lord, Build up the Church, Help us all, this day, to be living stones, and not dead weights, Dreaming dreams, and living gloriously the joy and kindliness Of a faith that edifies everything that life should be. In the Name of our Saviour, our cornerstone, we pray. Amen. Written by Rev. Dr. Derek Browning and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website Stewardship Moment Followers of Jesus were given a variety of titles and names in the first century AD. In I Peter, titles mined from the early prophets tumble together to encourage believers to claim their own new identity: A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Because we, too, call ourselves followers of Jesus, the Christ, we may step into these names and titles. However, these are not simply honorifics. These words describe our identity, and put a claim on our lives. As “God’s people” who continue to receive mercy, our response is to share God’s abundance, both here and with those living near “the ends of the earth”. Do you know this congregation ________________ (tell something which is true for your congregation’s financial giving beyond itself, or continue with the following.) Do you know this congregation is part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) which helps support 15 colleges and universities around the US? Did you know some of our giving each year links us to helping refugees, those affected by weather disasters, and those suffering after disasters, through our Week of Compassion? Your financial offering today will help us here, but also with God’s people from here all the way around the globe! Let us joyfully share our gifts, as we remember we are one part of God’s own people! Prayer of Thanksgiving Living God, may you both bless and multiply the gifts provided today, that they may be one means by which we share Good News in a hurting world. AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Givng) Communion Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Christ does not give to us as the world gives. We leave church today with Christ’s peace to have, to hold, to share with others. Do not let your hearts be troubled, do not be afraid. Christ is with us in all things. May the grace, hope, peace and love of God our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be with us all, now and forever. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri Ott McDowell) Joys and Concerns Benediction Go forth in peace, dear ones. Bring hope to this world. Go forth in love; bring joy to this world. Go forth in the knowledge that Goes with you, loving and guiding your steps. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations