Healthy Community

Job 1:1;2:1-10 October 6, 2024 World Communion Sunday Healthy Community 20th Sunday after Pentecost Year B Prelude Greeting Call to Worship One: We gather today as the people of God, as a community of Christ’s followers. Many: We gather to share Word and sacrament, to discern the ways of faithful service. One: Where in the world shall we serve our God? Many: At home and school and business place – in this community and throughout every land. One: How in the world shall we serve our God? Many: By working toward justice where there is oppression, by offering comfort where there is pain, by sharing love where there is hatred. One: Why in the world shall we serve our God? Many: Because the Spirit beckons us, because Jesus calls us to enact our faith. Let us now worship the one who calls us! (Ana and Tod Gobledale, United Church of Christ Global Ministries Associates serving in the United Kingdom) Opening Prayer Almighty God, even as the drums of warfare beat on through the night, even as the cries of injustice linger in the morning, even as the hustle of busyness rumbles through the day, quiet our hearts. Still our thoughts. Join us in our worship. Remember us in your mercy as we try to remember you, through the proclamation of your good news, in story and in song, and through the hospitality of your gracious table. Welcome us again, one Lord, Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. (Presbyterian Mission, Mark Gaventa) Song Bread of the World UMH 624 A Sermon for all Ages Good morning! Today is a special day! Does anyone know what we’re celebrating today? (If in person, wait for responses. If virtual, just take a moment, imagining that kids might be answering at home.) Those are some good guesses! Today is actually World Communion Sunday. On this day, most churches in the world have communion. Some churches have communion every Sunday, some churches have communion once a month, and some churches have communion four times a year. This is a Sunday when almost all churches, all over the world, from many different cultures, will have communion. That’s pretty cool, right? It’s cool to think that while we take communion today, people in churches all over the world are having communion, too! It’s a reminder to us that we are all members of the Christian family. If in person: I wonder, are there any countries or places you’d like to pray for today? (Give kids time to share – no answer is silly! Any place they mention is great.) If virtual: Today, I thought it might be good to pray for people in _________. (If your congregation, Region, or Conference has connections with particular countries, this is a great opportunity to lift those up. Otherwise, choose a few places from a few different continents.) Praying for each other is a great way to care for one another. Let’s pray together. God, thank you so much for World Communion Sunday. Today, we pray especially for our friends in ___________ (list the places the children mentioned or you mentioned). Help us to remember that we are all your children and are loved by you. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen. (United Church of Christ Global Ministries) Affirmation of Faith (adapted from the Belhar Confession) We believe in one holy, universal Christian church, the unity of the communion of saints of the entire human family. And we believe that that this unity of the people of God must be manifest and active, in that we love one another; that we give ourselves willingly and joyfully to one another, that we are share one baptism together, that we eat of one bread and drink of one cup together, that we confess one name, one Lord, for one cause, with one hope, which is the height and the breadth and the depth and the love of Christ, forever and ever. Amen. (Presbyterian Mission, Mark Gaventa) Scripture Job 1:1;2:1-10 Sermon Healthy Community A former parishioner used to always say that at any given moment, for all of us, either you are going the something at the moment, or you are getting over something or you are about to go through something. That being the case, we can all relate to the biblical story of Job and his wife. Job is the star of the story, but we have to remember that his wife, who doesn’t even get a name suffered the same fate as him. When he lost his fortune, she lost her livelihood also. When he lost his children – she lost her children. When he got sick, she had to be there everyday to take care of him. They suffered together- but had two different reactions to the same circumstances. God brags about the faith and integrity Job. We don’t even know his wife’s name. Job becomes an example of how we should handle adversity, his wifes response to curse God and die is much closer to reality. Job isn’t even a real story. We know this because the story starts out like a fairy tale. Once upon a time in the land of Uz. Uz is not a real place, it sort of like saying once upon a time in a land far away comes a tale that we can all relate to- all of us have had challenges in life. Hasatan, or Satan means challenges of life. We have all experienced loss, at some point we have all asked ourselves – why is this happening to me. The story of Job is told to answer the question of why bad things happen to faithful people. (notice I did not say good people) this is not a story about being good or bad. It is about being faithful or normal. There is no easy answer to the question. This story brings up a lot of unanswerable questions – why me, why is this happening, where is God in my suffering, why does God allow suffering, if I am suffering does God even care about me. There are no easy answers in this story, as a matter of fact, there are no answers at all – a lot of interesting comments, that really don’t help any. The story raises an even more important question – how is Job able to endure all of this trouble and still remain faithful, when he wife gives up on God? The real question for us – in spite of all of all that we have been through why are we still here? Why do we still come to church every week? Why do we still practice our faith, when so many around us have given up and walked away? When I think of all that I have been through in the last 30 years of being in the United Methodist Church – I should have walked away from this mess a long time ago. But I am still here – why. I can give you a lot of explanations, I can tell you a lot of stories, but I cant really answer that question. And if I am being honest, I would have to say that being faithful has been a journey from blaming God, and acting out in anger, from thinking about walking way – to being faithful in spite of the thought of walking away. In Psalm 71 as the writer talks about all of his problems and his faith journey. He says I am an enigma to others – I am a puzzle – people do not understand why I am still here being faithful to God. There was a heartbreaking story from Kansas back in the fall of 2003. During flooding there, a wall of water washed across the Kansas turnpike, overwhelming a family of six in a minivan. In an attempt to save his family, the father, Robert Rogers, kicked out a window, but was immediately sucked out into the torrent. In the end, he was the only member of his family to survive. His wife and their four children, ages one, three, five, and eight, all drowned, the three youngest still strapped into their car seats. The oldest child along with her mother, were also swept out of the car but drowned in the raging waters. Regrettably, stories of families perishing in floods, house fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other disasters are not that unusual, but in this particular case, the surviving father made some remarkable faith statements to the press and those who gathered to support him following the crushing loss. By all reports, this was a solid, loving, faith-filled family. According to a neighbor who talked to Mr. Rogers, as the water rose in the car, the parents tried to keep the children calm by praying and singing hymns. She described the Rogers as "an amazing family."1 When Rogers spoke to the press, he stated his deep grief, but along with that he said: "God is God, and I am not," and "I am here by the grace of God." I understand those remarks to be Rogers' way of saying that our lives are in God's hands, and that for people of faith, when some horrible loss like this occurs, we do not have the option of second-guessing God or saying that we no longer trust him. Now you may or may not agree with that, and most of us facing that kind of loss would probably not be able so soon afterward to affirm our faith, but I found myself impressed by what this man said. His words also reminded me of the story behind the writing of the hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul." The words were written by another grieving father, H. G. Spafford, in 1873, a few days after his four daughters had drowned in the collision of two ships in the Atlantic Ocean. The hymn includes these lines: When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. That's another surprising testimony of faith, under the circumstances. Both of these fathers remind me of that biblical father who suffered great losses, including the deaths of all his children, Job. You perhaps recall the story. Job was a faithful servant of God's. He was also prosperous and had a large family. According to the biblical account, Satan came to God and asserted that Job only trusted God because things were going well for him. Satan argued that if all his goods were withdrawn and his family taken away, Job would curse God. Most of the time in life, we may not understand, we can only explain. Faith is an enigma, a puzzle. Even Jesus says that faith is a gift from God. My question to you this morning – why are you still here? What is your story? Today is World Communion Sunday – it is a Sunday to remind us that communion is the one thing that unites Christians all over the world. It reminds us that we are all in the same boat – we are all struggling, we are all working on our faith. We are the Job people – the ones who have received the gift of faith. As we come to the table together it is really not our suffering that brings us here. It is our response to suffering that connects us. It is our ability to say that Jesus is the Lord of our Life, our circumstances, and Jesus is the source of our healing. If Job is the story about the faithful response to suffering, communion is the ultimate story about how Jesus brings us together to rise above suffering. The bread tells the story of how in spite of his suffering and even death – he gave us a part of himself. The cup tells us that in spite of his sacrifice – he still cared enough to being salvation. World communion Sunday encourages us to remember our story and to share it with others – so that in their suffering they too can receive the gift of faith. Let us pray……. It is through acts of faith like being present, like praying, like coming together in community that I have learned to respond to life instead of reacting to circumstances. Song I Come with Joy UMH 617 Pastoral Prayer Generous God, it is easy for us to comfortably imagine so many other Christians praying today and receiving the elements of Holy Communion. We like to think of this as a nice event; yet you remind us that when we have received these gifts we are also called to use the strength that they provide to witness to others through acts of reconciling love. This Communion is not a “nice” service, meant for our comfort. It is a challenge for us to truly accept the love of Jesus Christ, who gave to us his body and his blood, that we might be redeemed to do God’s loving will. As we have gathered here this day, bringing our prayer concerns to you, O Lord, help us to remember that you hold each one of us gently and lovingly, offering your healing mercies. Give us courage to be your witnesses, seeking peace in this war-torn world. For we ask this in the name of Jesus the Christ. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Call for Offering (just print the title) We approach the table today but we don’t approach it alone. We approach it on this World Communion Sunday with Christians around the world, in congregations large and small, speaking every language and one language. And so part of our approach this morning is to remember in our offering our connection to the work of the church in every corner of God’s creation. The United Methodist Church is a global church, with ministries touching every area of our world. We are a church that is in mission in both near and far places. We have already given in mission to help locally with Kuzma Cottage. You also have in insert which lists ways to help with the clean up of Hurricane Helene. Truly, God has blessed us with the rich, varied, and abundant gifts of creation. From God’s abundance, let us also give abundantly. (Adapted from Presbyterian Mission, Mark Gaventa) Prayer of Thanksgiving Gracious God, you create more than we could ever hope to return. You share more than we could ever hope to deserve. And yet, we pray, accept these humble gifts. May they honor and glorify you in all creation, and may they empower us for the work of witness and service, for the sake of justice, and for the sake of peace, now and forever. Amen. (Presbyterian Mission, Mark Gaventa) Communion (You don’t need to print any of this) Eucharist Invitation This table is for all of us, near and far, high and low, east and west and north and south. This table is for all of us, but it is not our table. It’s not a Methodist table. It’s not an American table. It’s God’s table, for all of us, and it’s a table of grace. So come and take your place at the table. You are welcome, you are invited, you are called: come, let us share this meal together. Great Prayer of Thanksgiving One: The Lord be with you. Many: And also with you. One: Lift up your hearts. Many: We lift them to the Lord. One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. Many: It is right to give our thanks and praise. One: It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, O Lord our God, creator and ruler of the universe. Even when we were dust, when our story begins in dust, you were there, your word was there, your breath into the lifeless void. And upon your word all creation sprang into life. When we were in the wilderness, terrified, timid, you were there, your word was there, with manna just enough for today, with water even from the driest rock, with the abundant grace upon which our story always rests. And when we fell short, slaves to power and greed, you were there, your word was there, on the lips of prophets, and in the hearts of servants, in stories of revolution and revelation and liberation, calling us even now to acts of courage and witness and peace. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with choirs of angels, with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name: Many: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, 
 heaven and earth are full of your glory. 
 Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 
 Hosanna in the highest One: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Indeed blessed are you, O Christ, our Lord, for risking yourself among us, vulnerable and rejected; for teaching among us, teaching the radical hope of God; teaching grace to a world bent on vengeance, teaching love to a world bent on destruction, teaching peace to a world bent on tearing itself apart. You were there, your word was there, even to the point of death itself. Even faced with terror and hatred and the brokenness of the world, you rose again, to new life, to new creation, to resurrection, that we might know something other than the dust, that we might expect something other than the end, that we might work for something other than ourselves. And so you speak to us us again, with these abundant gifts of bread and wine, with which we joyfully celebrate your dying and rising, as we await the table of the Kingdom yet to come, and as we dedicate ourselves again to you, thankful, and transformed, as living and holy sacrifices, that our lives may proclaim the one crucified and risen. Great is the mystery of faith : Many: Christ has died,
 Christ is risen,
 Christ will come again. One: Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these your gifts of bread and wine, that the bread we break together, and the cup we share together, may retell our common stories together and reshape our common bonds together, and remember our common grace together, in the communion of the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ, the one in whose life and death you have torn down our divisions. And so may we be one with all who share this feast, on this day, of all days, with all your children at every corner of your table. May we share this abundant cup with all those who thirst for your justice. May we share this abundant bread with all those who hunger for your righteousness, May we be united with every corner of your story, united in hope, united in vision, united in purpose, united in ministry in every place. As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us from this table to be the body of Christ in all the world. Send us with a spirit of courage, a spirit of power and love, that we may be witnesses in all creation to the unending story of your word breathing life into the dust. Keep us faithful, and fruitful, and hopeful, and peaceful, until we come at last to the one table of your Kingdom, to feast with all your saints in the joy of your eternal realm, with you and with your Word, through Christ and in Christ, the one who came for us, died for us, and rose for us, the one who prays even for us Prayer after Communion Gracious God, we offer our thanks, for the whole communion of saint’s witness to this feast, and for the ministry of churches around the world who gather with us today. By this broken bread may we each be restored for the work yet to come. By this shared cup may we each be claimed for the proclamation of your Kingdom. At this shared table may we be united as children of your promise, children of your word, dying and made new again, sent boldly together into the world as servants of your peace. Amen. (Presbyterian Mission, Mark Gaventa) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May God prosper you. May your days be long and your nights serene. May your friendships honor you, and your family love you. May you eat at your table, and may you be gathered into to God’s embrace with a smile. (Elena Huegel serves as a Mission Co-worker with the Intercultural Research and Studies Institute (INESIN), Chiapas, Mexico.) Community Time Joys and Concerns Charge and Benediction You were called to this table. You were fed at this table. You were united at this table. Now, you are sent from this table into all the world. Go therefore into the world, with courage. Set a place for all who hunger. Fill the cup of all who thirst. And as you go, May the Spirit of power and love attend you, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ uphold you, and may the great faithfulness of our God sustain you, now and forever. Amen. (Presbyterian Mission, Mark Gaventa) Additional Illustrations Job is a kind of visit to the frame shop. Like the reframing that happened for many when space ships pictured earth suspended, all of it, before our very eyes, we are in need of a reframing, that is Copernican in size and Hubble-ian in method. The Hubble telescope is so much like God's message to Job that it is not funny. When Job complains of his suffering to God, God responds Hubble-esque. The Hubble is widely known to have shown us a universe of such size that we cannot begin to comprehend it. We are not the only world. There are constellations and galaxies beyond us that we are only beginning to understand. One scientist described the change in our point of view made by the Hubble (now an old tool) like this. We used to think of the universe as about as big as the sand on Jones Beach. Now we see the universe as comprising the sand on all the beaches up and down the coast of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Precisely this sea change (forgive the metaphor) is needed as we look at the climate crisis that our generation faces. We need to reframe the issue. So is Job right? I think so. He was innocent and still and nonetheless he suffered. Why did he suffer? Who knows? Why him? Who knows? May we care anyway? Yes indeed. We may care. But we care about the cosmos more than about our little place in it. That is the turn McKibben wants us to make toward the environment. He reads Job's saga in the whirlwind as advising two things — great humility, and even greater joy. The challenge before us is to figure out how to link these two callings, these two imperatives from the voice in the whirlwind — the call to humility and the call to joy.