Everlasting Promise

March 23, 2025 Isaiah 55:1-9 3rd Sunday of Lent Everlasting Promise Year C “Curiosity” Lent Three Prelude Welcome and Announcements Over the Threshold. (Call to Worship and Opening Prayer) Leader: The 13th century Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, said this: “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” Sing Verse 1 of Open My Eyes That I May See UMH 454 As we continue our worship series this Lent and consider what it means to be a “purveyor of awe,” we focus on one of the most important elements for curating a life of spiritual depth: curiosity. The ancient poets of our faith and the mystics of old wrote prolifically about “seeking” as a spiritual attribute. Faith is not about certainties; instead, it is about taking the stance of humility that we cannot know everything and that the spiritual quest is what it means to be faithful: to be on a quest to discover more and to experience more of the holy in our lives. In a time when so much emphasis is on what we know, we remember in our Lent journey that it is what we don’t know that is most valuable, for discovery and staying curious is a condition for awe. Sing Verse 2 of Open My Eyes That I May See UMH 454 The element of curiosity is linked to wellbeing of all kinds–spiritually, mentally, creatively. Awe-filled experiences are curiosity-boosters. Play, imagination, experimentation, and even simply slowing down to “linger longer” as we engage with the sights and sounds and smells of our ordinary surroundings can add to the amount of awe in our lives. Curiosity resists easy labeling and classifying; rather, it invites us to deeper discovery about life, faith, and each other. Let us rise in body and/or spirit and pray: Awe-inspiring God, we come together this day because we need to be reminded to see through the lens of curiosity. Too often we focus on being right instead of being curious, and this closes the door to deeper relationship and understanding. Open us to perceive anew. Inspire us to receive our surroundings with awe. Forgive us when we allow fear to curb our quest for greater understanding. Be with us on this journey as we seek again to marvel at your works. Sing Verse 3 of Open My Eyes That I May See UMH 454 [fade into silence… after a time, the leader speaks softly into the silence] The path is ever unfolding before us. We are invited into the seeker’s journey at any moment. God forgives us. Jesus embraces us. The Spirit enlivens us. We are whole. With awe, we accept this belovedness. And all God’s people say, “Amen.” Opening Hymn/Song I’ll Fly Away TFWS 2282 In Awe of Children Eat What Is Good By Lois Parker Edstrom Suggestions: Display various foods as a part of the lesson and allow the children taste, if appropriate to your situation. What are your favorite foods? Pizza? Hamburgers? Ice cream? Chocolate pudding? Cookies? These foods are fun to eat and it’s okay to enjoy them once in a while, but our food choices should also include lots of fruits and vegetables, milk and yogurt, good cereals and breads. Have you ever tried a peanut butter and banana sandwich, sweet potato chips, or a crisp, juicy apple with a wedge of cheese? Delicious!! There are so many tasty foods to enjoy. The prophet, Isaiah in the Bible speaks about God’s message and it is this: “Listen diligently (carefully) to me, and eat… that which is good” (55:2). God is not speaking about food, but about his words of wisdom. As we read the Bible and spend quiet time praying and thinking about God, we learn God’s lessons. We learn about good choices, such as how to honor God, how to respect ourselves, how to treat others with kindness. We learn about things that help us have a good life. God’s ways are good ways. They help you become a loving, thoughtful, and healthy person. God says, “Listen diligently to me, and eat…that which is good…” Eat good food and fill your hearts with the goodness of God’s words. Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2012, Richard Niell Donovan Prayer of Confession God, you call us to step more deeply into ourselves as we amend and awaken to who you desire us to be. Let us acknowledge our transgressions in stillness and in silence So that may prepare our hearts for change. Moment of silence We confess that we have not always brought forth good fruit. In the midst of chaos and frenzy, we have often lost our way. Our feet have strayed from the place where we met you. Our egos have kept us from noticing our missteps; Yet, with you, we know there’s another chance for change. There is another opportunity to bear good fruit In a world full of spoiled and rotten produce and systems designed to kill, We are called to be the change that sustains generations. Let us lean with you into this chance for transformation. Words of Assurance God’s grace and mercy abounds. God is with us in the change. God’s everlasting arms embrace us. Each of us is beloved, affirmed, and set free. Amen. Adapted from Rev. Mia M. McClain on the Worship Ways site of the United Church of Christ, https://www.ucc.org/worship-way/lent-3c-march-20-2022/. The Peace The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. I invite you to share the peace of Christ with those around you, [remembering to greet those online with a wave to the camera]. Contemporary Reading Reader: Our first reading is a contemporary one–an excerpt from Scott Shigeoka, author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World: “We need to embrace what I call ‘deep curiosity.’ This is the kind of curiosity that invites us to use it as a force for meaningful connection and transformation. This is what strengthens our relationships to ourselves and each other.” Ancient Reading (Scripture) Isaiah 55:1-9 In Awe of Music ” In Awe of the Word (Sermon) Everlasting Promise My Lenten practice has been paying attention to the ways that the spirit is at work in my life. When you seek God, you can witness the mysterious ways in which God works in our lives. So Friday I had lunch with a former parishioner who has since become a local pastor. She has asked me to lunch for the last 4 years, I have been hesitant about driving down I 57 to meet her. This year, I decided that it was finally time. I must say that I was refreshed in our meeting, the lunch was not only physically nourishing, but my spirit was also nourished in our conversation. In returning from Hazel Crest, I decided to take 30 in order to get back home. While driving through New Lenox I remembered that I had not been AMC to see a movie in a while. There is a new movie about the Last Supper that just came out. Not knowing what time the move would start, I just stopped by. I parked in the parking lot at 3:04. I checked my phone and the movie started at 3:15. I took that as my cue that God has planned this trip and intended for me to stop and see the movie all along. That’s my justification and I am sticking to it. Turns out, the movie was just one step above really bad. You can’t go wrong in telling the story of salvation. I always get something from any movie about Jesus’ life. But most of them have canned dialogue where the actors are just reciting verses from the bible. And in this one, all of the actors wore wigs. And apparently, the director wanted to demonstrate that combs did not exist in the first century, because all of the wigs were messy and unkempt. Overall, I wouldn’t say that the movie was a waste of time. But my spiritual message came after the movie was over. They explained that this movie was an invitation for anyone and everyone to know Jesus. As they were explaining why they were extending an invitation, I felt that the spirit was extending an invitation to me as well. In this Lenten season, I was invited to go deeper in my understanding of God. The think about my calling, and to be open to next steps in my ministry. The Invitation Since the period of the Israelites, The Invitation has been offered down through the centuries to those seeking to find the way: from prophets to peasants — from Paul to Priscilla — from mothers to monks — from Augustine to Wesley — from Billy Sunday to Billy Graham. Many servant followers have been the mouthpiece of The Invitation. Some have accepted The Invitation; others have rejected it. But The Invitation always stands, for it is the greatest invitation ever given to humankind. Let me share with you for whom The Invitation is intended. The Invitation is for all who have been searching for meaning and fulfillment but have never found it. The Invitation is for those who have always desired so much more out of life. The Invitation is for those who feel empty, lost, and without hope. The Invitation is for those who continue to thirst and hunger for ultimate satisfaction. The Invitation is for those who have ever cried out, “What is the point of my life? Is there more to life than carpools, meetings, paying bills, and growing old?” For God’s invitation is to experience an abundant life — the kind of life which only God can provide. And The Invitation is officially extended to you today. So the question is: What will you do with The Invitation? Jesus wants to be your teacher. Come, sit at his feet, and learn. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Leonard Sweet Sermons, by Leonard Sweet The more we “know,” the more embarrassingly obvious it becomes how much we have to learn. The big island of Hawaii is actually getting bigger. Its two active volcanoes keep spewing out lava flows, both building up more elevation and landmass, and flowing out into the surrounding sea. The more “island” there is, the more shoreline is created. Learning is like that growing island. The more “knowledge” we amass, the more new, unexplored edges of understanding are revealed. Jesus didn’t choose a bunch of “know-it-alls,” super-smarty scholars, as his companions. Jesus was a teacher. Those he called were his “disciples.” Another word for “disciple” (mathetes) is “learner.” When Jesus gave the Great Commission to his disciples he didn’t tell them to go be “teachers.” He called them to claim their status as life-long learners and to pass that love for learning along to the world: “Go therefore and make ‘disciples’ of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Leonard Sweet Sermons, by Leonard Sweet Interestingly, in the movie, Jesus was not the main character. His disciple Peter was the main character. You got to watch Peter transform from a very confused disciple to a true fisher of men. The hook of the movie was that it ended in the book of Acts, when Peter was able to draw just as large of crowds as Jesus to show them how the spirit of God was working in their lives and in the world. Just as many people found salvation in Peter’s word as they found in Jesus’s words. The season of lent is our invitation to come, to listen, to hear, to live to love God, others and ourselves. During lent we are reminded of the promises of God and the covenant of God to be with us throughout life. A covenant is always a relationship of give and take. God reminds us of Gods promises, we are also encouraged to seek God. Our scripture in Isaiah is intended to be a very special invitation to experience life with all of its ups and downs with God by our side. Isaiah 55 is a series of promises and covenants. -13 - the promise of blessing • Just as rain and snow are given to bring life, growth, and wholeness, so too will God’s word bring life, growth and wholeness to the earth • God’s word will make you prosper - perhaps whether you want it to or not • All of creation will rejoice with Israel whose judgment (the exile) has come to an end. When you repent/turn back to God, the response - not only of God, but all creation - is joy! In return you have to seek God in all that you do. Isaiah tells us that the invitation for us is to come, hear, listen, and join. The first words of todays scripture Come I remember one time I was walking along Times Square in New York, and I passed a little bar that had a sign hanging outside which read: "Come on in. There is never any dull lull in here." Well, that was quite a claim. I thought I ought to investigate, so I went in. What did I see? A picture of human happiness? The customers were sitting along on the bar stools staring at themselves in the bar mirror with obvious distaste. The bartenders were looking back at them with the same expression. If that wasn’t a dull lull, then I don’t know what a dull lull is. I wonder sometimes with the millions of bar stools in the country whether anyone has ever found happiness on one of them. Our problem is to take life seriously, to be able to believe the primary fact that our lives have meaning and purpose, that there is a reason for living. As a matter of fact, when you think about it invitations are all around us – we are always being invited to join something, or to get involved in something, or to go somewhere, or to eat something. How many invitations do you receive in a day – not just from people, but from television commercials, from advertisements, from well meaning salesmen, from emails, from social media – from countless avenues. We are convinced that we cannot live without these invitations. In fact, some are so convinced that they pray each night before they go to bed: Now I lay me down to sleep I pray my Cuisinart to keep I pray my stocks are on the rise And that my analyst is wise That all the wine I sip is white And that my hot tub’s watertight That racquetball won’t get too tough That all my sushi’s fresh enough I pray my cell phone still works That my career won’t lose its perks My microwave won’t radiate My condo won’t depreciate I pray my health club doesn’t close And that my money market grows If I go broke before I wake I pray my Lexus they won’t take.[2] 2. Poem by Laura Goethel. And have you noticed that each invitation also comes with a promise, that if you accept it it will be well worth your while. But have you noticed that most of these promises, turn out to be hollow. Once we accept an invitation, that just opens to doors to more invitations. Once we think we will be happy and satisfied after that invitation – we are hungry again and we want more. It is in our DNA – to be hungry, to want more, once we are full, it doesn’t last forever, and we want more and more. Eating and drinking are a never-ending necessity to live. A meal lasts for only a few hours. When firstborn, a baby cries for something to eat. We continue the practice of eating three times a day until our final day. From the cradle to the grave, we continue to take nourishment in order to live. There is nothing with being hungry, with wanting more, with needing to fill up when we feel empty. The key is for us to be mindful about our hunger, to keep our hungers in balance and to be aware when we have had enough. Most importantly, we have to keep God in mind in the midst of our nourishment. When we are seeking to be fulfilled, we have to remember that God is by our side. God promised to provide for us, and that all that we receive is a gift from God. Isaiah’s warning to us is to remember that our ways are not God ways. And that we should lean on God’s ways and not ours. Jason DeSilva, who is a pastor reminds us that it is in our nature to be seekers, to want more. But in our seeking, we should be aware of the spirit that beckons us to seek spiritual nourishment along with our physical nourishment. God is giving us an invitaion to eat spiritual food and drink spiritual water. In our text, the word, "come," is used several times. "Come" is God’s favorite word. It is an invitation and not a draft. With one having all power, God could force us to eat his bread, but God knows you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. God refuses to force us to come to him. He wants only willing children. His intention was expressed when his Son said, "Come to me all who labor What can fill us with good things, good thoughts, and good feelings? Our text says, "Hear that your soul may live." Hear the Word of God that tells us good things. You are loved. You are precious enough for God to die for you. You are a child of God destined for eternal life. Hear the good news and your mind and heart will be filled with the fullness of God. Do you ask, "Where can I hear the Word?" Go this Sunday to a church school and you will hear the Word taught. Attend worship services at your local church and you will hear the Word preached. Take some time daily to open the Bible and you will hear the Word by reading it. In prayer, God will speak his Word to your heart. WHY DO YOU SPEND ... YOUR LABOR FOR THAT WHICH DOES NOT SATISFY?" A woman in our parish referred a lady to me for consultation, and the parishioner said of her friend: "I don’t know what her problem is. She has a very successful husband. She is certainly a success at everything she tries herself. I really can’t understand what her difficulty is." But when the lady came in, she placed her finger precisely on her problem, as she said to me: "You know, it seems that nothing I do feels important." You see, she was identifying her problem. She said: "I try to do things, and I’m successful at them, but somehow, I always end up by asking myself, ‘What’s the use?’ " Her self-diagnosis was correct. She had identified not only her problem, but the pressing problem of our day. Success in life is not our chief concern. Actually, when you get down to cases, it’s not very difficult to be a success in our society today. With average intelligence and a bit of honest application, we can be a success in almost any reasonable type of enterprise. Her problem and ours is not success but significance The prophet Isaiah has proclaimed that God's Word never returns empty. The ripple effect from Allison's invitation is eternal in nature, singing on and on. Because of the power of God's Word, Allison's influence will never end. Take heart when you share your own faith stories of how God has touched your lives. They, as well, are timeless and eternal. Invite your friends to worship, to Bible studies, even to social events at church. You will never know all the lives you influence, the lives God has placed into your capable hands. May your voices also sing on, throughout eternity, or in the words of the prophet Isaiah, "It shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." You are an invaluable part of the very creation that proclaims the love and grace of God. You also proclaim God's message by the way you treat others, the kind and uplifting words you speak, your stewardship of possessions, and your actions, which speak loudest of all. Psychologist Murray Banks tells us that old age, if you want to talk about old age, physically, really sets in about the age twenty-eight, because that’s when the body begins to disintegrate and deteriorate. But creative love, and real life surge of productivity, is not fully developed until we are about forty. For instance, artists do their best work at the age of fifty or over. Surgeons do their best work at fifty-four. Attorneys are best equipped at fifty-seven to be the most productive and of the greatest service. And yet, at this age, many men are considering retirement. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., His Hands, by Jon L. Joyce The words of the old testament are not always good news, but today – These words of Isaiah are good news for us – they are a message that God is making the promise to all people in all situations. God’s promises are ever lasting and will never expire. This is one invitation that will not expire and will always apply. God’s words never returns void – it always beings hope and peace. It is an invitation to you will never regret taking. Isaiah issues a four-part injunction to the people of Judah to return to God, to renounce their iniquities, and to reaffirm the promises of the Davidic Covenant: come (55:1), listen (55:2), seek, and call on God while he is near and can be found (55:6). This plea is pertinent to Christians during this season of Lent, a season of exile and return, renewal and restoration, affliction and comfort, and death and resurrection. Father John Powell has said: "God does not create in order to acquire something, but in order to give something, to share Himself, in other words, to love. And God, whose very nature is love is, obviously, the model of our love." The crusty old sports announcer, Red Barber, once said: "When I boil down thirty years of experience in interviewing people on the radio and television and put it into one word, I would have to say that the Greeks have a word for it, ‘agape.’ " Agape means, broadly, "to have concern for." To use Michener’s phrase: "There is no real coming home to oneself until our goals and our motives are rooted in unselfish love in agape. This is our reason for being. This is our reason for doing. This is our reason for living." Take account of the number of invitations that you receive in the coming week. How many of those invitations are from God and how many are from the world? What hunger does is fulfilled in accepting that invitation? May we all have a hunger for seeking God, for listening, for accepting the love of God and passing it on. Let us pray to seek God in all that we do. Let us pray……. Song You Satisfy the Hungry Heart UMH 629 Approaching an Awesome God [Prayers] Holy and Living God, we approach this time of prayer with curiosity about your world. With all our senses, we open to you. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love others as you perceive and love us. We imagine in our mind’s eye now the people in our lives, the people of our communities, and the people of our world. Each of them is beloved by you, and this alone creates awe in us. We especially lift up those who need our prayers in this moment… [continue with prayers of thanksgiving and care for people]. For all these people and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love your creation as you perceive and love it. Each strange and new species, each surprising wild flower, each ant carrying a load ten times its weight reminds us that our curiosity is fed in so many ways. You are making all things new all around us. Help us to care for the nature around us. This week, we name… [continue with prayers about specific entities of nature in your area]. For all these places, creatures, and lifeforms, and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love life as you perceive and love the life you have given us. Open us to greet each new day as if there is something new to learn and experience so that we might stay curious and love discovery along this journey. Slow us down in this season of Lent so that we might savor anew the gift of life. We pause in this silence, setting intentions of awe for the week ahead. [pause in silence] For all these intentions, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us… Lord’s Prayer Responding with Awe (Stewardship Moment) Moment for Stewardship (Bring with you a nearly dead houseplant and a flourishing houseplant or use pictures on your screens.) Jesus tells parables throughout the Gospels. The parable of the fig tree, in Luke, gives us a picture for this stewardship moment. It’s as though the man who planted the fig tree realized it wasn’t doing well, and was not bearing fruit; a bit like this houseplant. (Show the nearly dead plant!) Imagine this plant – and the fig tree — as symbols of church members who occasionally come to worship, but never give financially, never share their talents, or never offer time to engage in outreach or do basic work around the building. Any wonder the owner is ready to toss out the tree? Any wonder some of us can imagine God, ready to toss out those who never give of themselves or their resources? As we come to our time of receiving all we are prepared to give, let’s hear the appeal of the gardener (which we might consider to be Jesus): “Let me work with it for a year, and then decide.” For those who have ears…and eyes…see the beauty of a robust and healthy plant. (Show the healthy plant!) With your gifts today, may your life shine like the cared-for plant! Offering/Offertory [as is your custom] Doxology [Tune: Old 100th] Praise God, Creator of us all, Praise Christ, by whom we hear our call, Praise Spirit, that which sets us free, Our awe is yours, the One-in-Three. Prayer of Thanksgiving For all that has been given this day, we give you thanks, Generous God. For the ways you are working with each of us through your Spirit, through this congregation, and through the parables of Jesus, thank you. Receive these gifts and the commitments we make to share not only our treasure, but our time and our talents, as offerings of our lives. In Jesus’ name, AMEN. (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements We Go Forth with Awe (Closing Prayer for Facebook) Benedictions are blessings. And blessings are all around us. So for this season, instead of bowing your head as I offer a Benediction blessing, I invite you to open your palms in a position of receiving, and hold your head high, imagining a radiant stream of light from above shining upon you and everything else around you. And this week when you need to be reminded to be curious and open to discovery, take this stance again. Open your palms to receive, look around to perceive, and notice one small thing that can light up your heart for a moment. And now may you go forth remembering Meister Eckhart’s words: “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” Be a purveyor of awe this week. Inspire others with your insatiable desire to know them beyond the surface. Know that the reward of awe is yours as you invite curiosity to live and breathe new life in you. Be a “purveyor of awe,” curating a life of spiritual depth that inspires others to join you on the journey. May the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of Awe, the Holy One-in-Three, be with you now and throughout these days, Amen. Community Time (Joys and Concerns) Benediction May God bless you with the hope to cling to God, knowing that in the highs and lows, the joys and the sorrows, the known and unknown of this life, God’s love never fails. Thanks be to God! Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, September 2024. Postlude Worship Notes Contemporary reading excerpted from the following source: Shigeoka, S. (2023). Seek: How curiosity can transform your life and change the world. Hachette Book Group. Additional Illustrations Many people live in the illusion that they cannot live without more. And as long as there is money to be made from gullible consumers, our culture will continue to accommodate and perpetuate this illusion by inviting us to have more, purchase more, and obtain more. We have been convinced that the more we have, the happier we are. But you and I know this is one of the greatest delusions humankind has ever produced. For many people are making a good living but living poor lives. There are many people who have much but love little. There are many people who look slick, and appear to have everything they desire, but inside they are decaying and rotting because they have been sold a bill of goods that “more will make them happier.” But no matter the invitations we have received in the past, there is nothing big enough, powerful enough, thrilling enough, or pleasurable enough to satisfy our deepest thirst and hunger. Need examples? Consider Howard Hughes. All he ever wanted was more money, so he parlayed inherited wealth into a billion-dollar pile of assets. All he wanted was more fame, so he invaded the Hollywood scene and became a filmmaker and star. All he wanted was more sensual pleasures, so he paid handsome sums to try to satisfy his every sexual urge. All he wanted was more thrills, so he built and piloted the fastest aircraft ever known. All he wanted was more power, so, in secret, he dealt political favors so masterfully that two U.S. presidents became his pawns. All he ever wanted was more and more and more. He was absolutely convinced that more would bring him complete satisfaction. Unfortunately, history proves otherwise. In his final years, he was emaciated, colorless, and had a sunken chest. His fingernails had grown into inches-long corkscrews. His teeth were rotting, and all over his body were innumerable needle marks from his drug addiction. “Howard Hughes died believing the myth of more. He died a billionaire junkie, insane by all reasonable standards.”[3] 3. Bill Hybels in Leadership, Vol. X, no. 3 (Summer, 1989), p. 38. Some of us still won’t listen. So in desperation, God says, “What must I do to convince you that I love you and want what is best for you?” Then God put skin on and came to earth and loved us, taught us, was mocked for us, ridiculed for us, pierced for us, crucified for us, and then rose from the dead for us. Now, with scars on his hands, God reaches out to us and pleads, “Now will you listen to me?” Perhaps some of you reading this sermon feel like I am writing directly to you. Maybe you have accepted every invitation this world has to offer and it has been like salt water to your thirsty soul, making you thirstier than ever. Perhaps some of you have attended church your whole life yet never really have come to grips with the love of God. Oh, you have heard all about it before but never really allowed yourself to experience it. Perhaps some of you have accepted The Invitation before, but now your relationship with God is stale and you need to taste the fresh Bread of Life again. The good news is that God’s banquet of blessings has been prepared, and you are invited! There is a place at God’s table reserved for you. A special engraved invitation written by a pierced hand is yours. Isn’t it time for you to accept it? Come and receive God’s forgiving grace. Come quench your thirst for forgiveness and acceptance. Come and feast on God’s wisdom. Come and find nourishment for your soul, strength for your life, and purpose in living. Come! You’re invited never to be the same again. Join! That you might be spiritually fed, God’s Word in our text says, "Come to me" and "Hear me." In addition, God says, "Join me," for our text says, "I will make with you an everlasting covenant." Why don’t we realize the necessity of doing the same when it applies to spiritual sustenance? Often we eat spiritual food once a month or even only once a year. No wonder we are spiritual skeletons in obese bodies! Do we pray as often as we have a meal? Three times a day? Many don’t even make it once a day! Do we worship as often as we eat? How many hours a week do you spend eating meals, and do you spend at least one hour at worship? You and I daily read a newspaper to feed our minds, but how many of us feed our souls by reading the good news in the Bible? When was the last time you took Communion? Are you feeding your soul but once a year? Did you know that forty percent of the average Protestant congregation fails to take the Sacrament of the Altar once a year? No wonder our church rolls have dead wood, known as inactive members! With this kind of continuing spiritual diet, we should not be surprised that our souls are anemic and stunted. In our text, God offers a solution to this. He knows we need daily food through a continuing relationship with him, a relationship in which he feeds our souls. He says he will make with us an everlasting covenant. A covenant is an agreement or a contract between two parties. In his grace, God offers to enter into a continuing relationship with us. The believer and God are joined together as one, just as two people become one in the covenant of marriage. God in this covenant is to be your God and you are to be his child. For how long? God calls it an "everlasting covenant." It is made here on earth and continues through eternity. A covenant consists of promises made by both parties. In this everlasting covenant, God promises to love us, forgive us, care for us, and save us. In him is our eternal security, and never do we have to fear evil or death. Who could ever turn down an offer like that? How good of God! How wonderful he is! CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Old Truths For New Times, by John R. Brokhoff The prophet has a perfect formula for spiritual renewal and restoration. If we come, listen, seek, and call on him, he will answer our prayers and grant us the desires of our hearts and restore our faith and confidence as his people. We can defeat the spiritual famine which threatens the destruction of our very souls. He will quench our thirst and remove our hunger if we seek and call on him. All this can be offered without cost. Come, listen, seek, and call on the Lord while he may be found! Come to him, O sinner. Come to him, you who are weary. Come to him, you who are lost. Come to the Lord that he may renew your strength and give you joy for the living of these days! CSS Publishing Company, Deformed, Disfigured, and Despised, by Carlyle Fielding Stewart In his influential book When Corporations Rule the World, David C. Korten writes that "No sane person seeks a world divided between billions of excluded people living in absolute deprivation and a tiny elite guarding their wealth and luxury behind fortress walls. No one rejoices at the prospect of life in a world of collapsing social and ecological systems. Yet we continue to place human civilization and even the survival of our species at risk mainly to allow a million or so people to accumulate money beyond any conceivable need" [(1995), 261-262]. Isaiah's words caution the people of God not to spend their lives and livelihood on trying to attain the goods, the goodies, that Babylon has shown them. Babylon can't offer the people of God true bread. Babylon can't satisfy the hunger of an outcast people. The transitory, tempting excesses of Babylon an empire that didn't know Yahweh, that didn't know God's righteousness and strength, that didn't know God's steadfast, enduring love could never truly satisfy the longing spirit of the exiled people of Israel. To this hungering, thirsting outcast population Isaiah brings a stunning message: free food, free drink. To a spiritually starving people, the prophet doesn't suggest a clinging to God with the hope of some mere subsistence existence. On the contrary, God is offering rich food, wine and milk, a soul-satisfying feast of complete delight. In the midst of extended exile, in the face of national defeat and humiliation, Isaiah's text promises that God's covenant is yet alive. It's as it has always been, an everlasting covenant. God's presence remains in their midst, because God has never withdrawn God's steadfast, sure love for David (verse 3). Don't seek after the good life of Babylon. Seek after the GodLife, the abundant life of a covenant relationship with God. But there's a cost involved. God offers love freely. But a covenant relationship requires the people make some demands upon themselves. They must turn away from wickedness, and abandon unrighteous thoughts so that they're free to respond to God's gracious invitation to come and dine. ChristianGlobe Networks, Collected Sermons, by Leonard Sweet Dr. Leslie Weatherhead used to tell the story of a woman who was trying to find God. She had a certain dream which she dreamed more than once, namely that she was standing in front of a thick, plate-glass window. As she looked at it, she seemed to see God on the other side. She hammered on the window, trying to attract His attention, but without success. She grew more and more desperate, and soon found herself shrieking at him at the top of her voice. Finally, a quiet, calm voice at her side said: "Why are you making so much noise? There is nothing between us." Are there any more beautiful words in our language than these in Isaiah? Some years ago a novel came out named THE GREATEST DESIRE. In it a young writer was gathering material for his book by that same title. In his quest, he plied people with one question: "What do you want?" And he would not let anyone take refuge in proximate answers. If someone answered, "I want to be an engineer," the writer would follow with, "But why do you want to be an engineer? What do you really want?" Thus he tracked down the "great desire." Perhaps he should have consulted with Rudyard Kipling, for when Kipling stirred restlessly in a serious sickness and the nurse asked him if he wanted anything, he murmured, "I want God." (3) And that, I believe, is the greatest desire of anyone's heart. We come seeking God. The ironic thing is that, in searching for God, we always discover that God has been searching for us. That is the testimony of the New Testament. The shepherd is out on a hillside searching for the lost sheep. It is not we who stand at God's door and humbly knock. It is God who takes the initiative. It is He who knocks at our door. The main purpose of worship is not that we may find God, but that we might be quiet enough and still enough so that we can hear the soft knocking of God upon the doors of our heart. The story is told of an East Coast fishing village that was nearly destitute. The townspeople decided to hold a meeting in an attempt to resolve their complicated problems. A stranger showed up to the meeting, and he tried several times to speak. But there was a bit of community prejudice in that town, and the visitor was interrupted each time he opened his mouth. The locals didn't care for an outsider to become involved. A latecomer to the meeting showed up just as the visitor was leaving, and they passed each other in the entrance. The latecomer aske`d, "What was he doing here? Did he offer help? Is he going to aid us?" Not knowing what to make of this, the members of the assembly asked if he knew who the stranger was. The latecomer replied, "I saw his boat docked in the harbor. That was John D. Rockefeller, Sr!" (4) They ignored the one person who had the resources to help them. How often God comes to us, but we do not recognize him or receive him. But he still comes to those who are seeking, and those who are sensitive. Dr. George Hunter in his book, . . .AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS, tells about Bill Alexander; one of the prominent preachers of the 1930s, and also one of America's most celebrated after-dinner and convention speakers. One day Bill Alexander flew into Chicago to address a meeting of the annual convention of the American Academy of Mathematicians. He arrived as others were just beginning to assemble, went to the head table as was his custom, and noticed another man, slight and graying, already seated at the head table next to his own place. And Alexander, the consummate extrovert, blurted out, "Say fellow, you look familiar, what's your name?" And the man quietly replied, "My name is Albert Einstein." Well, that shook Alexander--not only because he had failed to identify the greatest mind of his age, but also because he suddenly sensed that those stock-in-trade stories that always went over so well at Kiwanis conventions just might not fit this audience's intellectual depth. He panicked, and in his panic Alexander heard a voice saying, "Tell them about me, Bill. Tell them about me!" So Alexander threw his lucrative reputation as an entertaining and synthetically inspiring after-dinner speaker to the winds, and proclaimed his understanding of the gospel. He declared that Jesus Christ and his mission are the legitimate, and only, hope for the human race. He sat down, wondering if he had blown it, when Einstein leaned over to him and said, "Say fellow, I hope your side wins. If you don't we're all doomed!" (7) Bill Alexander knew that we see God most clearly in the person of Jesus Christ. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. . ." Of course most of the people we meet will never see God unless they see him in us. Most people we meet nowadays will never read the story of Jesus Christ. Most of them will so insulate their lives to the voice of God that, in their hour of need, God will not be able to penetrate the barrier they have erected. Only if they see God in us will they know that he is near. It's like the young man whose girlfriend lived in a distant city. He wanted to have an engagement ring on hand when he proposed to her, so he sought the help of a friend who was a jeweler. In due course, after designing the ring, he was shown the materials. The diamond looked like any other stone he might have seen in a garden or along a sidewalk. And the gold was a bright, garish color, not at all like the gold he had seen used in other jewelry. On questioning the jeweler about the gold, he was told that it had not yet been refined. Still in doubt about the eventual beauty of the engagement ring, he asked: "And how do you know when it is pure enough?" to which the jeweler replied, as he peered over the crucible, "When I can see my face in it." (8) That is the kind of life God longs for us to have--so pure that He can see His face in it. Even more importantly, so pure that others can see His face in us. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Toss a stone into a pond and long after that stone has settled into the silt on the bottom, you will continue to see the circles on the pond's surface ever-expanding, widening, disturbing, encompassing more and more of the once-placid surface. That's how it is with God's Word, once it has touched your life. Twelve-year-old Allison really enjoyed youth choir, participating in rhythmic speech ensembles, and singing the contemporary songs she loved. She already knew most of the words from listening to the radio. The words of scripture came alive to her when set to the music that pulsed through her veins. On Wednesday afternoons, she began inviting another girl, who was a good friend and neighbor, to accompany her. Allison's friend was a little skeptical about going to church at first, but Tom, the choir director, quickly won her over. It may have been his winsome personality, or the microwave popcorn and hot chocolate the group shared in the youth room after rehearsals. Whatever it was, she was having fun. Although her family did not belong to a church, this visitor began to attend Sunday morning worship once a month when the youth choir provided special music. She also accompanied Allison to youth group on Sunday evenings, and before long, Pastor Cindy had signed her up for Allison's confirmation class. She joined the church along with Allison's class and remained a faithful, active youth member of the congregation. Years later, Tom, who had been director of music at Allison's church, was teaching a seminary class in church music. Tom's class sang the hymns as they studied and learned hymnology. One afternoon they sang "What Wondrous Love Is This," the story of Christ's gracious life given for us. The final stanza ends with the words, And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on, And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, and when from death I'm free, I'll sing on and joyful be, and through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on, and through eternity I'll sing on.3 Tom then related the story of Allison's friend, and how we never know fully the impact on eternity of the seeds we plant. Allison's friend became an active member of her church, graduated from high school, and then went on to seminary. Tom astounded the class by saying, "That friend Allison brought to youth choir so many years ago is sitting in this very room with us today." Class members looked around at one another, wondering, "Who could it be?" After a lengthy pause, Tom revealed her identity. She was a professor of biblical studies at that very seminary, and sitting in on the class at Tom's request that afternoon, all because of seeds a young girl named Allison had planted nearly a quarter century earlier. There was hardly a dry eye in the classroom. Think of the lives this professor will touch as she prepares future pastors and lay professionals who, in turn, will equip others to plant seeds and spread God's Word. Through eternity, they will sing on because the voice of Allison has set the song into motion. Their influence will never end. Toss a stone into a pond and long after that stone has settled into the silt on the bottom, you will continue to see the circles on the pond's surface ever-expanding, widening, disturbing, encompassing more and more of the once-placid surface. That's how it is with God's Word, once it has touched your life. The prophet Isaiah has proclaimed that God's Word never returns empty. The ripple effect from Allison's invitation is eternal in nature, singing on and on. Because of the power of God's Word, Allison's influence will never end. Take heart when you share your own faith stories of how God has touched your lives. They, as well, are timeless and eternal. Invite your friends to worship, to Bible studies, even to social events at church. You will never know all the lives you influence, the lives God has placed into your capable hands. May your voices also sing on, throughout eternity, or in the words of the prophet Isaiah, "It shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." 1. Chief Seattle, "Wilderness Quotes," Outward Bound, available online at http://www.wilderdom.com/QuotesWilderness.htm [Accessed September 1, 2005]. 2. Oren Lyons, "The Faithkeeper," interview with Bill Moyers, Public Television, July 3, 1991, available online at http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/OL070391.html [Accessed September 1, 2005]. 3. American folk hymn. Both words and tune are in the public domain. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons for Sundays in Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany: Shoots of Tomorrow, by Mary S. Lautensleger The nature of the Word is vividly portrayed by the prophet of old. As the rain and snow come down from heaven and water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so the Word accomplishes God’s life-giving purpose. When God speaks, things happen. Life springs into existence, as in the beginning when God created heaven and earth by his Word. The same dynamism characterizes other metaphors used by the prophet as he describes the God who speaks. "Thus says the Lord ... soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed" (Isaiah 56:1). "The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God" (Isaiah 52:10). God is portrayed as taking the initiative, entering into personal dealings with men, making his saving power felt. When God addresses man, it is no mere communication of ideas but a bringing of deliverance and new life. The wicked and the unrighteous receive mercy and pardon, they are lifted up into life in God. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Good News For All Seasons, by T. A. KantonenJoy does not depend on the external events of life. Adversity may hit us with gale-like force, but the joy in our hearts will be determined by the will of our souls. Joy is a choice! In his book, Laugh Again, written in 1991, author Charles Swindoll relates that he was on the Dallas Theological Seminary's Board of Regents as they interviewed the first woman faculty mem¬ber. Her name was Lucy Mabery. Swindoll chronicles the incredible journey of Professor Mabery on her ride to being a faculty member at Dallas Seminary. He writes that Lucy was rearing a family, teaching Bible classes, and was engaged in a dozen other activities while married to Dr. Trevor Mabery. Dr. Mabery was a successful physician in the Dallas area. At the zenith of his career he was also working with Focus on the Family ministry as a volunteer. He attended a retreat in Montana where he and three other men from the Dallas area had met with Focus on the Family Director, Dr. James Dobson. They discussed plans for the future of the organization and prayed for God's lead¬ership and the direction Focus on the Family should take over the next year. As they were flying back from their retreat meeting, something went terribly wrong with the airplane. The plane lost altitude and power then crashed, killing all four men on board. Their deaths sent shock waves throughout the Dallas commu¬nity as all four men were highly respected public figures. Their widows and families were left to pick up the pieces and restart their own lives. Dr. Swindoll writes that Lucy Mabery chose to do it with joy. Without a moment's hesitation or warning, grief tore into the Mabery family like a tornado. But, determined not to be bound by the cords of per¬petual grief, Lucy remained positive, keen thinking, and joyful. How can a person in Lucy's situation recover, pick up the pieces, and go on? How does anyone press on beyond grief? How do you still laugh at life? How do you put your arms around your children as a new single parent and help them laugh (see joy) in the fu¬ture? It comes from deep within — because people like Lucy Mabery set their sails for joy regardless of how the wind blows.[1] This is how Isaiah must have felt. His beloved Israel had to fight the foes of hatred, prejudice, and misery from external cir¬cumstances, but Isaiah says to hang on. He writes, "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and the trees of the field will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12 NIV). How can we set sail for a life full of joy? 1. Charles Swindoll, Laugh Again (Dallas: Word Publishing,1991), p. 35. 2. Richard Taylor, editor, Beacon Dictionary of Theology (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1983), p. 70. 3. King Duncan, Lively Illustrations for Effective Preaching (Knoxville: Seven Worlds Publishing, 1987), p. 68. Used by permission. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons on the First Readings, by Derl G. Keefer A call to discipleship is a call to enroll more and more people in “Jesus School” — a school from which none of us will ever “graduate.” An old Hasidic custom has a child’s first Torah teacher drop honey on the first page of the new student’s book. The student then licks the honey off the page when he/she turns the page. The sweetness of this honey is forever linked to the act of learning. The sweetness of learning is to be a lifelong craving. Isaiah cautioned the Israelites not to think they had God all figured out. It is a caution that we today need to take seriously. Instead of a triumphant return to power, and an end to their physical and political exile, Isaiah offered the image of a Suffering Servant. Instead of judgment for the wicked, a come-uppance for those who had embraced the gods of their captors, Isaiah revealed a divine invitation to a new table, a table flowing with water and wine and free for the taking. Instead of judgment and punishment, Isaiah promised God’s mercy and pardon. How do we comprehend the rules and regulations of such a God? God created us, gave us life, gave us the world, gave us a Garden of Eden, and gave us one rule. We broke Rule One. Then came Truth or Consequences. The consequences of our choice? We were kicked out — out of paradise, out of a perfect relationship with God. God’s ways are not our ways. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. God does not expect god-like comprehension from us. Instead of big ideas and new knowledge, instead of cosmic insight and a heavenly perspective, God requires only one response from us: Love. Mother Teresa put it like this. She said, “It is a mistake to demand clarity of God. I have made understanding an idol. Loving God supercedes knowing God.” That’s why that old song, “To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him” is less true for the Christian than another song that has yet to be written: “To love, love, love him is to know, know, know him.” Disciples of Jesus don’t know, to love. Disciples of Jesus love, to know. There are approximately 335,000 Christian congregations in the US. Do you know how many seminaries there are? Officially, ATS (Association of Theological Schools) has accredited slightly over 200 seminaries. But the word “seminary” means “seed-bed” . . . or “seed-bed” for faith. That means there are really 335,000 seminaries in the US, for every church is a seminary where disciples of Jesus Christ take his words seriously: “Learn of me” (Matthew 11:29). " "WHY DO YOU SPEND ... YOUR LABOR FOR THAT WHICH DOES NOT SATISFY?" A woman in our parish referred a lady to me for consultation, and the parishioner said of her friend: "I don’t know what her problem is. She has a very successful husband. She is certainly a success at everything she tries herself. I really can’t understand what her difficulty is." But when the lady came in, she placed her finger precisely on her problem, as she said to me: "You know, it seems that nothing I do feels important." You see, she was identifying her problem. She said: "I try to do things, and I’m successful at them, but somehow, I always end up by asking myself, ‘What’s the use?’ " Her self-diagnosis was correct. She had identified not only her problem, but the pressing problem of our day. Success in life is not our chief concern. Actually, when you get down to cases, it’s not very difficult to be a success in our society today. With average intelligence and a bit of honest application, we can be a success in almost any reasonable type of enterprise. Her problem and ours is not success but significance The newspaper carried the story of a man who had bought himself a new Cadillac. He noticed as he was driving the Cadillac that every time he would hit a slight bump or something, there was an awful thumping in the car someplace. Several times he took it in to be examined and serviced, but they never could find the cause, but always there was this thumping. Finally, he narrowed it down to one door of the car, and they took that door apart. Inside they found a coke bottle, and in the bottle was a note which read: "So you finally found me, you wealthy bastard." You see, the worker wasn’t destroying the owner’s satisfaction like he thought he was. He was destroying his own, because he wasn’t performing his task in love for the man who would someday own the car that he was helping build.