Creation is Waiting on us to Get Better

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington July 19, 2026 Romans 8:12-35 Creation is waiting on us to get better 8th Sunday of Pentecost Year A Prelude Greeting Call to Worship (in response to Psalm 139) L: Friends, come! Today we lift our hearts to praise God, who knows each of us, and all of us. P: God knows us, thru’ and thru’! L: No matter where we go, God is with us and for us. P: Even when the way seems fearful, God leads us. L: So we rejoice, for God knows us, loves us, and leads us! P: At home, traveling, moving to step into a new life chapter, wherever we are, in the day or in the night, God steps with us, ALL: Together we worship the Lord our God! (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer In the midst of summer, some of us celebrate the ability to slow down and relax; others find it a more hectic season. Thank you, God of all time, that you continue to lead us no matter how these summer days unfold. We give you thanks for your constant presence, and pause to drink in the wonder of you caring for each one. In this hour, fill us with awareness of you and of your desire for each of us and each one of ALL your beloved ones to be cherished and cared for in your love, AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song Swing Low Sweet Chariot UMH 703 A Sermon for all Ages Children’s Sermon: God’s Family Has Hope Scripture: Romans 8:12–25 Good morning, children! Have you ever waited for something exciting? Maybe you waited for your birthday, Christmas morning, summer vacation, or a visit from someone you love. Waiting can be difficult, but it is easier when we know something good is coming. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that we are God’s children. He says that God has adopted us into God’s family. Adoption means being chosen, welcomed, and loved. Because we belong to God’s family, we are never alone. We can call upon God just as a child calls for a loving parent. Being part of God’s family also gives us a responsibility. God wants us to help care for the beautiful world God created. Sometimes people harm creation. We waste food and water. We leave trash on the ground. We pollute the air and water. We may forget that trees, animals, rivers, and oceans are gifts from God. Paul says that creation is “groaning.” That means the world is hurting and waiting for things to become better. How can children help creation? You can pick up litter. You can turn off lights when you leave a room. You can avoid wasting water. You can care for animals and plants. You can share what you have instead of always wanting more. Most importantly, you can ask God to help you become a kinder, more grateful, and more responsible person. When God changes our hearts, we begin to treat other people—and the whole world—with greater love. Paul says that even though the world is hurting now, we have hope. Hope means believing that God is working, even when we cannot yet see everything God is doing. Paul tells us that today’s pain cannot compare with the wonderful future God is preparing. Something better is coming! We do not only keep this hope for ourselves. We share it with others. We give hope when we encourage someone who is sad, include someone who feels left out, help someone in need, and remind people that God loves them. Whenever you show kindness, care for creation, or help someone who is hurting, you become part of God’s good work in the world. You show others that something better is coming. Let us pray: Loving God, thank you for choosing us and welcoming us into your family. Help us care for your creation, become kinder people, and share hope with those around us. When life is difficult, remind us that you are with us and that something better is coming. In Jesus’ name, amen. (ChatGPT 6) Responsive Reading Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 UMH 854 Scripture Romans 8:12-25 Sermon Creation is waiting on us to get better Something Better Is Coming Scripture: Romans 8:12–35 Romans 8 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. It begins with freedom and ends with assurance. It begins by declaring, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” and it concludes with the promise that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Between those two declarations, Paul speaks honestly about sin, suffering, creation, prayer, hope, and the future. Romans 8 does not pretend that life is easy. It does not deny the pain of the present moment. Instead, it tells us that pain will not have the final word. Sin will not have the final word. Death will not have the final word. God’s love will have the final word. The message of Romans 8 in its entirety is this: Through the Holy Spirit, God is freeing us from the power of sin, adopting us into God’s family, renewing creation, helping us in our weakness, and leading us toward a glorious future from which nothing can separate us. In other words: something better is coming. We Are More Than Our Sin Paul begins this section by saying: “So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.” When Paul speaks about “the flesh,” he is not saying that our bodies are evil. He is talking about that part of human nature that resists God. He is talking about our selfishness, our pride, our greed, our fear, our anger, and our desire to place ourselves at the center of everything. Sin is not just something outside of us. Sin is a part of us. We see sin in the world, but we must also recognize it in ourselves. It is easy to identify the failures of other people. It is harder to look honestly at our own hearts. We may criticize the greed of corporations while still buying far more than we need. We may condemn the hatred in society while carrying resentment against a neighbor. We may complain about the dishonesty of leaders while making excuses for the small ways we avoid the truth. Sin is a part of us, but thanks be to God, sin is not the only thing within us. God is also at work within us. A man and his wife once pulled into a gas station to refuel their car. As the tank was being refilled, the station attendant washed the windshield. When he finished, the driver of the car said, "The windshield is still dirty. Wash it again." "Yes, sir," the attendant answered. As he scrubbed the windshield a second time, he looked closely for any bugs or dirt he might have missed. When he finished, the man in the car became angry. He rebuked the attendant again saying, "It's still dirty. Don't you know how to wash a windshield? Now do it again!" The attendant cleaned the windshield a third time, carefully looking for any place he might have missed, but he could find no messy spots anywhere. By now, the driver was fuming. He screamed, "This windshield is still filthy! I'm going to talk to your boss to make sure you don't work here another day. You are the lousiest windshield washer I have ever seen!" As the angry driver was about to get of the car, his wife reached over and removed his glasses. After carefully wiping his glasses with some tissue paper, she then put them back on his face. The driver embarrassingly slumped down into his seat as he observed a spotless windshield! Critical people view others through their own dirty glasses. The dirt on their hearts causes them to see everything from an unclean, critical perspective. They become angry at what they perceive to be dirt on other people, when in reality they are looking at others through the dirt on their own heart. Their critical spirit will cause them to continue to find fault in others until the filth in their hearts has been cleansed. (5) That is what sin is: Sin is not on the outside, it is an inner condition that causes us to see life in a distorted way. The Holy Spirit lives in us. The Spirit reminds us that we do not have to obey every selfish desire. We do not have to remain trapped in old habits. We do not have to become the worst thing we have ever thought, said, or done. Paul says, “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” The Christian life is not about pretending that sin is absent. It is about trusting that God’s presence is greater. There is a struggle within us, but we do not struggle alone. The Spirit gives us the strength to change, to grow, to repent, and to become more like Christ. We Have Been Adopted Paul then gives us one of the most beautiful descriptions of our relationship with God: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” We have not received a spirit of slavery that pushes us back into fear. We have received a spirit of adoption. Through the Spirit, we cry, “Abba! Father!” Adoption means that God has chosen us. God has welcomed us. God has brought us into the family and given us a place at the table. Adoption would have been an interesting concept for Paul the Jew. In that culture, you took orphans into your home, but they still maintained their identity. In the Roman world, the child would take on the identity of the adopted father. Biological children could disown their parents, but a legal adoption was permanent. So when Paul says that we are adopted into God’s family he is saying.. We are not strangers in God’s house. We are not temporary guests who may be asked to leave at any moment. We are God’s children. Some people live as though they must spend their whole lives earning God’s love. They believe that if they pray enough, serve enough, give enough, or behave well enough, perhaps God will finally accept them. But the gospel tells us that we do not work in order to become God’s children. We work because God has already adopted us. We serve because we are loved. We forgive because we have been forgiven. We care for others because they, too, are part of the family God is gathering. And if we are children, Paul says, then we are heirs—“heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” What an extraordinary promise! We share in the mission of Jesus. We share in his suffering, his service, and his hope. We also share in the future God is preparing. To be a joint heir with Christ means more than waiting to receive something in heaven. It means participating in Christ’s work now. God has made us partners in the work of healing, restoring, and renewing the world. We are not the Creator, but by God’s grace, we have become co-creators with Christ. We are invited to help cultivate the good future God intends for creation. Sin Wounds Creation Paul then moves from the human family to the whole created world: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now.” Creation is groaning. The earth groans under the burden of pollution. Rivers and oceans groan beneath waste. Forests groan as they disappear. Animals groan as their habitats are destroyed. Communities groan beneath storms, droughts, floods, extreme heat, and environmental neglect. Paul helps us see that there is a relationship between human sin and the suffering of creation. When greed becomes more important than stewardship, creation suffers. When convenience becomes more important than responsibility, creation suffers. When profit becomes more important than people, creation suffers. When we believe the world exists only for our consumption, creation suffers. The biblical stories tell us that there is a direct correlation between human sin and the condition of the world. In today's Romans text Paul joins the trajectory of human existence with all the rest of God's creation. Paul's text reminds his readers that the fate of the world and the fate of humanity have been intimately tied together since the beginning of creation. Paul reminds us that the transformation of the garden of Eden into a world of toil and sweat was, in fact, due to Adam's transgression. The perfect world God had initially created was made imperfect in order to house its now fallen, failed human inhabitants. Indeed, humanity's first toxic waste dump was the Garden of Eden - which had to be closed because human disobedience so perfectly fouled that perfect environment. From a biblical perspective, we can't escape this truth: the state of creation is intimately linked to the state of human actions and attitudes. Poisonous attitudes begat a poisoned environment. The rage of war leaves behind ravaged, savaged land. No ecosystem can remain in balance as long as the desires of humanity are imbalanced. Paul links together the fall of Adam and the consequent fall of creation with a poignant description. All creation groans, as he puts it, to be brought back into its God-created condition, its perfect relationship with human beings and the divine. All men and women who through faith have perceived the terrible brokenness that exists between God and God's children likewise groan at this brokenness of creation itself. Humanity and the whole of creation are bound together in their brokenness and are joined together as they await their final redemption and wholeness. Our redemption is tied to the redepemtion of all of creation. After reflecting on this text we read this morning, Lutheran theologian Joseph Sittler concluded that our #1 ecological mistake as Christians is to separate creation and redemption. We can no longer put nature "out there" and grace "in here." It's not immaterial whether we preserve or pillage the earth. Let me end by quoting the late Pope John Paul II. It's a summary of both our text and our homily this morning. "Our responsibility within creation and our duty toward nature and the Creator are an essential part of our faith." - "Peace with All Creation," no. 15, Origins 19, no. 28 (14 December 1998), 468. ChristianGlobe Networks, Collected Sermons, by Leonard Sweet The destruction of creation does not begin only in factories, government offices, or corporate boardrooms. It begins in the human heart. It begins with greed, selfishness, carelessness, impatience, and the belief that our choices do not affect anyone else. That is why caring for creation is about more than changing policies and practices, although those changes are important. It also requires changing people. How do we help creation? We begin by becoming better people. We become less greedy and more grateful. We become less wasteful and more responsible. We become less selfish and more concerned about our neighbors. We learn to distinguish between what we need and what we merely want. We stop treating the earth as disposable and begin treating it as a gift from God. A better world requires people with better hearts. Recycling is good, but we must also recycle our attitudes. Conservation is good, but we must also conserve compassion. Cleaning the environment is good, but we must also allow God to clean our hearts. When the Spirit transforms us, the transformation affects how we treat people, how we use resources, how we spend money, and how we care for the earth. The renewal of creation and the renewal of human character belong together. Creation Is Groaning—but It Is Not Dying Paul describes creation’s suffering as “labor pains.” That image is important. Labor pains are real, but they are not meaningless. They are pain connected to the arrival of new life. Creation is groaning, but creation is not groaning without hope. Paul says that creation itself “will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” God has not abandoned the earth. God’s plan is not simply to rescue a few souls and throw creation away. The God who looked upon creation and called it good is still working to redeem it. The earth belongs to God. Its future belongs to God. We belong to God. As children of God, we are called to live as signs of that coming renewal. Every tree planted, every river protected, every community garden tended, every resource shared, and every wasteful habit changed can become a small sign that we believe God is not finished with creation. We cannot repair everything by ourselves, but that is no excuse to do nothing. We do what we can, where we are, with what God has placed in our hands. We care for creation not because we believe we can save the world by our own power, but because we believe the world is loved by God. Saved in Hope Paul says: “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?” Christian hope is not wishful thinking. It is not closing our eyes to suffering and pretending everything is fine. Hope looks directly at what is wrong and still trusts that God is working. We hope for what we do not yet see. We do not yet see a world without violence, but we work for peace. We do not yet see a world without hunger, but we feed people. We do not yet see a world without racism, but we practice justice. We do not yet see the complete healing of creation, but we care for the earth. We do not yet see the fullness of God’s kingdom, but we live according to its values. Paul says that we “wait for it with patience.” Biblical patience does not mean sitting still. It means remaining faithful while we wait. It means continuing to pray, serve, love, and work even when change comes slowly. The greatest gift we have to give the world is hope for the future. Years ago, in his book Success through a Positive Mental Attitude, business writer Napoleon Hill told about a successful cosmetic manufacturer—probably Charles Revson, the founder of the Revlon cosmetic company—who decided he would retire at the age of sixty-five. Each year thereafter, his friends and former business associates gave him a birthday party and tried to find out the secret of his success; in other words, the “secret” for his special cosmetic formula. But year after year he refused, good-naturedly, to reveal his secret. “Maybe I will tell you next year,” he would say. This went on for ten years until the businessman celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday. As usual, his associates begged him to share the secret formula with them so they could continue the business after his death. Finally, he yielded to their insistence. “In addition to the things which I use which are commonly known,” he said, “there is one secret ingredient that I package with every bottle.” By this time, everyone at the party was listening with rapt attention. “What is it?” an anxious friend inquired. “Please, don’t keep us in suspense any longer.” Revson replied: “I never told a woman that my product would make her beautiful, but I always gave her hope.” “Hope,” he said, “is the magic ingredient.” (1) Well, hope is the magic ingredient—whether in life or in death, in good times or times of sorrow. The magic ingredient is the assurance that regardless of how challenging today is, God is in charge and that, as St. Paul says in Romans 8:28, “all things work to the good for those who love Him.” That’s hope. People are surrounded by reasons to give up. Some have given up on themselves. Some have given up on their families. Some have given up on the Church. Some have given up on the possibility of justice. Some have given up on the future of the earth. The Church must not become another voice of despair. We are called to announce that God is still working, grace is still available, transformation is still possible, and something better is coming. The Spirit Helps Us Sometimes the suffering around us is so great that we do not know what to say. Sometimes our personal pain is so deep that we do not even know how to pray. Paul says: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” When words fail us, the Spirit prays for us “with sighs too deep for words.” There are tears that become prayers. There are groans that become prayers. There are moments of silence that become prayers. There are times when all we can say is, “Lord, help me,” and the Spirit carries even that broken prayer into the heart of God. We do not have to be strong all the time. We do not have to understand everything. We do not have to know exactly how God will bring us through. The Spirit helps us in our weakness. And then Paul gives us the familiar promise: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Paul does not say that all things are good. Sin is not good. Suffering is not good. Injustice is not good. The destruction of creation is not good. Paul says that God is able to work in all things and through all things for good. God can take what is broken and begin a work of healing. God can take what was intended for harm and create a testimony. God can meet us in our suffering and shape us into people who are wiser, kinder, stronger, and more compassionate. The Pain of Today Is Not the End Earlier in the passage, Paul writes: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” Paul is not minimizing our pain. He knew suffering personally. He was beaten, imprisoned, rejected, threatened, and persecuted. Paul was not speaking from a comfortable distance. He was testifying from experience. He was saying that present pain is real, but it is not permanent. The pain is great, but God’s future is greater. Somebody listening today may be in pain. You may be grieving someone you love. You may be waiting for healing. You may be worried about a child. You may be struggling financially. You may be tired of seeing suffering and injustice. You may be looking at the condition of the world and wondering whether there is any reason to hope. Romans 8 answers: Yes, there is reason to hope. Our hope is not based on perfect circumstances. Our hope is based on the character of God. If God is for us, who can be against us? Who can condemn us when Christ intercedes for us? Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Not hardship. Not distress. Not persecution. Not famine. Not danger. Not death. Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God. Give Hope to Others It is not enough for us merely to possess hope. God calls us to give hope to others. We give hope when we remind someone that failure is not final. We give hope when we visit someone who is lonely. We give hope when we feed the hungry and help the struggling. We give hope when we encourage a child. We give hope when we forgive. We give hope when we care for creation. We give hope when we stand beside those who suffer. We give hope when our words say, “God has not forgotten you,” and our actions prove that we have not forgotten them either. Hope becomes visible through people who live as though God’s future is already on the way. As God’s adopted children and co-creators with Christ, we are called to help create signs of that future in the present. We help turn neglected spaces into gardens, loneliness into community, conflict into reconciliation, despair into possibility, and suffering into service. We cannot do everything, but we can do something. We cannot fix the whole world today, but we can allow God to change us—and changed people can begin to change the world. Something Better Is Coming Romans 8 begins with no condemnation and ends with no separation. Between those two promises, creation groans, people suffer, believers struggle, and the Spirit prays. That is where many of us are living: between no condemnation and no separation. We are loved and saved, but we are still waiting. We have received God’s promise, but we have not yet seen its complete fulfillment. So we wait with hope. We work with hope. We pray with hope. We care for creation with hope. We encourage one another with hope. Sin is a part of us, but so is the Spirit of God. Suffering is present, but so is God’s promise. Creation is groaning, but new life is coming. Today’s pain is real, but it cannot compare with the glory that will be revealed. Let us become better people through the transforming power of the Spirit. Let us live as beloved children in God’s family. Let us serve as co-creators with Christ, caring for one another and for the world God made. Let us not only hold on to hope but also place hope into the hands of others. For God is with us. God is working in us. God is working through us. And by the grace of God, something better is coming. Amen. (inspired by ChatGPT 6) Song Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise UMH 103 Pastoral Prayer Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment For many families, adoption is an important part of their story. If adoption has touched your life—whether you are adopted, have welcomed a child through adoption, are part of an extended family shaped by adoption, or love someone whose story includes adoption—take a moment to reflect on what that has meant to you. At its best, adoption is a powerful expression of belonging: the promise that someone is welcomed, loved, claimed, and embraced as family. In Romans 8, we hear, “When we cry ‘Abba! Father!’ it is the Spirit bearing witness…that we are children of God…heirs…” Yes! YOU are an heir and have already received part of your inheritance from God. As people who have inherited much, we respond with gratitude! We can share our delight in our adoption by offering some of that inheritance back to the One who has claimed each one of us. With your financial gifts, your time, and the sharing of your talents, you offer from your inheritance in order to live your life fully. So let us receive our morning offering. Prayer of Thanksgiving Abba! We give thanks for the inheritance we have already received from your gracious hand. Accept these gifts as an offering to identify ourselves clearly with you. Help us use them wisely to care for this part of the Body of Christ, and for those who struggle to find food, clothing, shelter, or even a cold cup of water. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for YouTube As we go from this place, let us look for God in unexpected places and unexpected people. Let us love and serve our Lord by loving and serving those around us. Let us honor the most vulnerable and lift up the weak, rejoicing in God’s presence among us. And may the grace of Christ Jesus, the love of the Creator God, and the connecting power of the Holy Spirit accompany us all on our journeys. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Gina Bairby) A Service of Farewell for Barry and Diane Oswald – see insert Community Time: Joys and Concerns Benediction Beloved, the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God. May the Spirit bless us and empower us to reveal ourselves as the children of God as we work for the flourishing of all creation. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, January 2026. Additional Illustrations In today’s lesson, which is devoted to hope, St. Paul writes, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Think about that for a moment. This is what hope is all about. It is the admission that the present times may not be perfect, in fact they may be heart-wrenching, but, if we trust in God, better days lie yet ahead. “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” St. Paul knew that none of us gets through life without wrestling at some time or another with some daunting challenges. [Could someone give me an “Amen” to that?] At times, all of us will face difficult challenges. Years ago, a husband, wife, and their grown son emigrated from Sicily to southern Illinois. There both father and son found work in a coal mine. But then tragedy struck. There was an explosion in the mine. The father was killed, and the son was maimed. While he was recovering in the hospital, the young man, along with his mother, came to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. This had such a profound effect on them that they changed their surname. The name they chose for themselves was Sperondeo. In Italian that means, “My hope is in God.” This phrase became the young man’s inspiration to complete college and graduate study and become a college professor. His name was the motto of his life—Sperondeo—“My hope is in God.” (3) Where else is such hope to be found? Do you know any other place? Government? Education? Science? None of these can reach where you hurt during dark times. Only faith in God’s promises can do that. It’s like a story that a Lutheran Pastor named Reuben Youngdahl tells. It is about a young man he met while visiting in Dublin, Ireland one summer. Youngdahl noticed this young man had on the desk in his study a plaque with two words on it. The words were “But God.” Pastor Youngdahl was so impressed by this plaque that he had one made up just like it for his own desk. Visitors to his office would ask him, “What do you mean by those two words— “But God”? He explained that in his hour of deepest need he had learned to say, “But God . . . will help.” In a moment of utter despair, he could say, “But God . . . will give me hope.” In a moment of loneliness, he could say, “But God . . . is with me.” When he felt insignificant and unwanted, it would help to repeat, “But God . . . loves me.” “That always turned the scale from despair to hope, from defeat to victory, from sin to salvation,” he reported. “But God . . . but God . . . but God . . .” (4) You see, that is much more than blind optimism that everything is simply going to work out all right. Such faith recognizes that life can often be hard—sometimes brutally hard—but if we maintain our faith, and if we will persist and not give up, God will come through for us. As long as there is hope—Christian hope—life is worth living. The late Emil Brunner once said, “What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of human life.” And he was right. Really, a hope-filled life is the only life worth living. St. Paul writes, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Do you have that kind of confidence in God? It truly is the magic ingredient that takes life to a whole new level. This whole world God made suffers because of human sin. But for those who receive God's redemptive act made personal in Jesus the Christ, there's hope. Paul envisions this hope as the first-fruit of the Spirit - a honey sweet sensation in our soul that brings the flavor of forgiveness and salvation to our lips and fills our hearts with hope. But first-fruits are also what we must give back to God. It's our way of acknowledging that all goodness and bounty in our lives come as a gracious gift from God. If we have received the first fruit of hope from the Spirit, what first-fruit can we offer back? Romans hitches our hoped-for-future to our disastrous past. The created world we live in shares in our suffering. As Christians it seems only right that we extend our hope of redemption to that creation. Christians who live in hope must in turn give hope to the created world as well. The earth isn't ours to do what as we want. The earth is the Lord's. Why isn't Christianity taking the lead to remind everyone that when God looked on everything God had made and said, "This is good," God was telling us that creation exists to bring God pleasure, and that it doesn't bring God pleasure when humans start acting like, as one writer put it, "a serial killer in Noah's ark." Creation doesn't exist alone to bring us pleasure. Creation exists primarily to bring God pleasure. And why isn't Christianity taking the lead to remind everyone that when God commissioned us to have dominion in Genesis 1:28, it doesn't mean to do what we want to do with what God has created, to treat earth, wind, sea and fire as if we owned them, but to tend and till, to care for and conserve what God created? And why isn't Christianity doing all it can to give Adam Smith's invisible hand a "green thumb" (as biologist E. O. Wilson puts it), rather than Christianity spending its time giving capitalism a middle finger? God has a green thumb. Poet Emily Dickinson called God's original creation "This Whole Experiment with Green." If God has a green thumb, why shouldn't we? And why isn't Christianity doing all it can to make red-white-and-blue more green? We sing patriotic songs like "America the Beautiful," and swear to defend America the beautiful. So why do we do so much to make the song "America the Ugly"? Why are those most dedicated to keeping America beautiful (some politicians are fond of calling environmentalists "green-green lima beans") often seen as the most unpatriotic? A "global positioning system" can tell you the fastest way to drive from Point A to Point B — which streets are one-way only, which streets to avoid due to construction or too much traffic, where to park once you get where you're going. Like a street map, it can show how the roads run north, south, east, and west; which roads are dead ends, or go over a bridge; how they curve and then straighten out again. Like the yellow pages of a telephone book, it can tell you where to find the nearest coffee shop, Chinese restaurant, or grocery store. Like a radio, it can give the latest traffic update. It even provides a bit of company in the form of an audible voice telling you where to turn right or left. For this Day Of Pentecost, our scripture text describes the Holy Spirit, who guides us as children of God. Only the Spirit's leading is not about getting from Point A to Point B in the fastest way possible. It doesn't necessarily mean hearing an audible voice, and it's not mainly about finding the right restaurant or grocery store, although it might make a difference in the way we make some of those choices, too. Instead, our scripture gives the big picture of what it means to be led by the Spirit of God. Instead of focusing more narrowly on the thousands of individual decisions we make each day, it describes more broadly a way of life. Whether we are at Cass Community, in the church, here in our living rooms, at the Knockpatrick village, sitting in our office, or working on the CCCD campus in Montego Bay, we can be living out our hope in God. We are living out our hope in God. A hope that God will redeem us, redeem the world, and make a difference in what we cannot see or hear. For God is at work in the world. Now we can be at work, too. Now we can be at work in the world. Oh, the places we’ll go to together. Amen. Prayers: Wherever we go, you are there. Dear Jesus, show us the way to go where you are leading. Help us to trust in you. Guide us to the place we can serve in your name. Bring us the courage to learn some sign language and find new people to laugh with as we expand our world. We thank you for your presence in our lives, Amen. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., The alchemy of hope: Cycle A sermons based on the second lessons for Lent and Easter, by James D. Monnett, Jr. My wife and I have three daughters and five grandchildren. (I had to tell you that.) One great model change in my life comes from a grandson. One night when he lived in California, he called me long-distance and said, "Grandpop, I want you to help me with my homework." I replied, "How are you able to do this?" He said, "My parents have to be away and they said I could call you once." We did homework together from New York to California! When I hung up, I thought, "If God gets as much joy out of our prayers as I received out of this young rascal calling me to help him with his homework, how much joy there must be in the heart of the Almighty!" Have you asked the Lord to help you with your homework recently? What I am setting before you is one word - the mode - in which you experience the changing, enriching, growing, expanding meaning of the facts. We believe by faith that this is a universe in which there is a divine Architect-Creator, a mathematical Intelligent Being, who holds it together, who redeems it, who renews it, who brings springtime after the winter, who brings renewal to the heart after the heartache, who brings us forward from medieval ages up to the Space Age and beyond that we know not what. We believe he brings us along in an orderly fashion, but we know this infinite God only in part. The teacher of a junior high class was trying to illustrate the word miracle. "Young people," he said, "Suppose I stood on the roof of a 10-story building, lost my balance and fell off. Then all of a sudden, in midair, a whirlwind swept me up and brought me safely to the ground. Now what word would you use to describe this?" After a long silence a boy raised his hand and asked, "Luck?" "True, true," replied the teacher. "It could be luck. But that's not the word I wanted. I'll repeat the story. There I am on top of the 10-story building again, and I fall. A whirlwind catches me in midair and places me safely on the ground. Think now, what word would describe the situation?" "Accident," cries out one girl. "No, no," answered the teacher. "Listen carefully for the third time. I'm on that same building, I fall and am swept to safety by a sudden whirlwind. What word would account for my safely reaching the ground?" The boys and girls shouted in unison: "Practice!" (1) There is a popular story circulating about a woman who had just learned her cancer was terminal. She invited her pastor over to help her plan the funeral. After deciding on the order of service, the woman made one final request: she wanted to be buried with a Bible in one hand and a fork in the other. The pastor couldn't hide his surprise. Why in the world would she want to be buried with a fork? The woman explained that the favorite part of any meal for her was when the hostess, while clearing away the dinner dishes, announced, "Keep your forks." That meant that there was something more coming, something special, a dessert. The dying woman wanted to remind her loved ones that she was looking forward to something more too. Some people look at Christian faith as a bitter pill they have to swallow. Mature believers recognize that it is the dessert. God loves us. Neither life nor death nor anything else in all creation can separate us from God's love. It is a gift. We only have to receive it. ONCE WE HAVE RECEIVED THAT GIFT, HOWEVER, SOMETHING INVARIABLY HAPPENS IN OUR LIFE. WE START LOOKING AT LIFE IN A DIFFERENT WAY. When we accept God's gift--the gift of God's Spirit--freely poured out on all who will receive it, we begin to see life in a different way. We start seeing possibilities we never saw before. Our bitterness is swept away and in its place we find hope for a better life. Paul preserves the Aramaic original of the word that Jesus used to address his father. Jesus didn't just call God "Father." He used the very intimate and personal word that first-century Jewish children used to call their fathers in the intimacy and familiarity of their own homes. There they called their fathers "abba." It is the equivalent of "daddy" or "papa." When Jesus dared to address God in this manner, eyebrows were raised. It caught people's attention. Who did this guy think he was to dare to talk to God like this? Did he actually think God was his papa? Did he really think he was God's child? You got it! That is exactly what he was saying! And Paul says that this same privileged status is ours. We can dare to believe and act and behave as if God was our very own daddy, which, of course, he is! Why? Because he has adopted us! There is something about adoption that is even is more powerful than actually being the biological child of a mother and father. I remember once reading a letter that a father wrote to his son on the occasion of his son's eighteenth birthday. In the face of his adolescent son's questions, doubts, and insecurities, he wanted to assure him that there was nothing wrong with being adopted. In fact, in some ways it made him more special. He pointed out that sometimes biological children come into this world unwanted. We all know about the plight of the children of single parents in our society and that so many of their children are unplanned and unwanted. Even children of two parents sometimes are unwanted. They come along at the wrong time. They weren't planned. They were "accidents," a "surprise" when mom and dad thought they were too old, an "oops" when proper precautions weren't taken. The father then goes on to assure his son that this can't be said about his son. His adopted status ought to be a source of pride and comfort. Because he was adopted, he is extra special. He became a part of his family purely because of the choice of his new parents. He was specifically and deliberately "chosen." There was no "oops," no bad timing, nothing accidental about this. This act of adoption was deliberately willed, an act of pure love, mimicking God's love for the world in Jesus Christ. With such adoption comes all the rights, privileges, and honors that belong to the biological children of the parents. Because God has adopted us, we are fully his beloved sons and daughters. Jesus is our big brother. We get to enjoy the life he lived. We get to have all the rights and privileges that he enjoyed. Martin Luther says it well in his explanation to the Introduction to the Lord's Prayer in his Small Catechism. Our Father in heaven.Our Father in heaven. What does this mean?What does this mean? Here God encourages us to believe that he is truly our Father and we are his children. We therefore are to pray to him with complete confidence just as children speak to their loving father.Here God encourages us to believe that he is truly our Father and we are his children. We therefore are to pray to him with complete confidence just as children speak to their loving father. We get to talk to God in prayer about anything, just like we would talk to our abba, our papa. Our papa treats us just like we were one of his children. That means we can count on our papa to give us whatever we need to keep on believing that God is our papa and we are his kids. Because we are his children, we get to live just like our big brother, Jesus. We, too, get to live a cross-shaped, cruciform, life. We get to be a friend of sinners and outcasts. We get to offer justice and mercy to our neighbors and this world of ours. That won't be easy. There will be suffering and pain. But, remember what Paul says. Such suffering and pain are not random or purposeless. They are the pangs of birth, the labor pains of a new life. Isn't this typical? You get up and come to church -- and on your vacation, too -- on a pleasant summer day and what is the theme? Sin. "What did the preacher talk on today, Calvin?" asked Mrs. Cooledge. "Sin," said this taciturn president. "Well what did he say about sin," she persisted. "Said he was against it." Of course, that was another time when preachers still knew the word. Have you noticed? Today, progressive preachers think more positively. Yesterday's "I'm not OK, you're not OK," has changed to "I'm OK and you're OK." Think positively, says Dr. Peale. Dr. Shuller will teach you the "Be-Happy-Attitudes." Sin is something old fashioned that we have put behind us. If it's mentioned at all from mainline, liberal pulpits, sin is always social, corporate, systemic. Sin is what we're doing in Nicaragua, or the arms race, or the CIA. That's sin; these evil people in Washington or Moscow. Sin is not us, not you or me as individuals. You and I are doing the best we can. Lack of self-esteem is our real problem, says Dr. Shuller. We think too little of ourselves. The curious thing is that all this self-affirmation and self-esteem is being preached at a time when psychology is gathering a great deal of data which suggests that Paul was right: The good that we would do, we can't. We can, in our minds, want to do right, but when it comes to actually doing what we want; we can't. "A war is going on in me!" says Paul. Since psychology helped us to explain away our sin, let's ask psychology to help us rediscover its reality. Disciples of Jesus are called to experience and to share God's grace, even in circumstances that seem to scream out a reality of hopelessness. Author and church leader Lee Strobel, in his book God's Outrageous Claims, recounts an incident from his days as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, where he helped bring to light the sometimes-deadly consequences of riding in a Ford Pinto. From time to time this compact car would burst into flames when struck from behind. One of the landmark accidents took place in northern Indiana. A Chevy van ploughed into the back of a Pinto and killed three teenage girls. Two of them burned to death within moments. The driver, an eighteen-year-old girl named Judy, was thrown clear of the accident but was burned over 95 percent of her body. Somehow she was still alive when the paramedics arrived. The doctors at the hospital where Judy was taken quickly realized that they were powerless to save her. They elected to send her by ambulance to a burn center 75 miles away so at least she might receive some comfort. A nurse agreed to ride along with her. The trip unfolded as a nightmare. Because of damage to her nerve endings Judy didn't feel much physical pain. But as the reality of her situation began to sink in, Judy was overwhelmed with anxiety and sheer emotional anguish. She grasped that these were her last hours. She was separated from family and friends. She sobbed to the nurse beside her, "I'm not ever going to have children, am I?" What words of hope could possibly comfort this teenage girl? Nothing seemed to penetrate Judy's personal agony -- until she mentioned the name of Jesus. Discovering then that both she and Judy were Christians, the nurse came alongside her and provided the one medication that quieted her fears. From memory she recited these verses from Isaiah 43: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; When you walk through fire you shall not be burned, And the flame shall not consume you, For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Strobel writes that it was in the hearing of those words that Judy slowly took on a calmness and courage that lifted her through the last difficult hours of her life. Once again she grasped that she belonged to God, and that no fire is able to destroy what really matters. If we belong to God, then God's gift to us is a living hope. Through the Spirit we grasp whose we are. No frailties in the present can keep us from the Lord, and no fears about the future can prevent God from blessing us. Most importantly, we discover that whatever power we have to never, never, never give up is ours only because God will never, never, never give up on us. CSS Publishing Company, Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost, by Glenn McDonald Have you ever done anything really foolish? I mean, something so stupid that years later you still cringe when you think about it. Dr. James Dobson tells of a friend of his during their days in medical school. One day this man was walking across campus laden with books and briefcase. He passed by a fast food stand, and ordered something to eat and a milkshake to wash it down. He balanced it all on top of his briefcase and began looking for an empty table at which to sit. While looking, the milkshake got the better of him, and he bent down without looking in order to take a sip from the straw. The straw missed his mouth and ended up in his nose. Embarrassed, but not at a loss, he thought that, if he straightened up, the straw would stay in the shake. But when he lifted his head, the straw came out of the shake and remained in his nose, dripping the milkshake down the front of his suit. In a moment, all his confidence evaporated. (1) Have you ever done anything that made you fell like an absolute Dork, as the kids say? Welcome to the human race. Make yourself at home. You are among family. And I have some Good News for you. That's why you came this morning, isn't it--to hear some Good News? Well, I have some really Good News for you. It comes to us from Romans, from the writings of St. Paul. He tells us that "those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." Did you get that? If you are led by the Spirit of God, you are a son or daughter of God. We may feel like a dork, a nerd, a twerp, a doo-fus, at times. But, if Christ lives within us, the scripture assures us that we are children of the Most High God. Now, what does it mean to be children of God? First of all, it means that we can walk with confidence. That makes sense, doesn't it? If we are children of the King, we don't have to fear anybody or any situation. When Carl Erskine, a former pitcher with the LA Dodgers, first came to the big leagues, he was asked a question by owner Branch Rickey. Rickey asked, "Do you go to church?" Carl said that he did. Rickey responded, "I ask that question of every young man that I sign. The reason that I ask it is that I've found if a person will discipline his life to sit in a place of worship and get his spiritual values in place, that person will develop a quiet confidence that he cannot get anywhere else." St. Paul writes, "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship." (v. 15) When Ernest Hemingway was struggling to make it as an author, he had a stroke of bad luck. He lost a suitcase containing all his manuscripts--manuscripts he had been working on for months and which he had been planning to publish in a book. He couldn't conceive of redoing his work. He shared his predicament with his friend, poet Ezra Pound. Pound called it a stroke of good fortune! Pound assured Hemingway that when he rewrote the stories, he would forget the weak parts. The new version would be better than the old. He encouraged Hemingway to start over with a sense of optimism and confidence. Hemingway did rewrite the stories and eventually became one of the major figures in American literature. (2) All Hemingway needed was to hear someone say that he could do it. That is all we need sometimes in our lives. Our problems loom so large. But they are not insurmountable. All we need is the confidence to tackle them. All great people have faced times when their confidence waned. And we have a great inheritance. That's the second thing that it means to be children of God. Paul writes, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (16-17, NIV) A 6th grade teacher posed the following problem to one of her classes: "A wealthy man dies and leaves ten million dollars. One-fifth is to go to his wife, one-fifth is to go to his son, one-sixth to his butler, and the rest to charity. Now, what," she asked her class, "does each get?" After a very long silence in the classroom, Little Johnny raised his hand. With complete sincerity in his voice, Little Johnny answered, "A lawyer!" Good answer. Where there is a will, there is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Inheritance can be a complicated matter in this world. Families have become split fighting over a wealthy estate. I hope each of you has a will, by the way. You can save your family lots of needless grief by simply planning ahead and taking care of necessary business. Inheritance in this world can be complicated. But in the kingdom of God, inheritance is simple--those who possess the Spirit of God get it all--all God has to give. It's like a man named Tom Stonehill who was speeding through a small town one night, looking for a public restroom. Finally, he came across a funeral home. Tom used the facilities, and then paid his respects to the deceased. The funeral director, spotting Tom, insisted that he sign the guest register. Tom thought it was a lot of trouble to go through just to use the bathroom, but he did it anyway. A few weeks later, Tom got a call from a lawyer in this small town. It turns out that Tom had visited the funeral home on the night that the town's richest citizen was being laid to rest. The rich man had no family or friends. In his will, this man had stipulated that whomever came to his funeral would inherit his fortune. Tom's was the only name in the guest register that night, so he received the full inheritance. (5) You and I are in that same fortunate situation. All we did was receive Christ into our life. Now everything that God has is ours. We are children of God, Paul tells us. We can have confidence. And we can look forward to a great inheritance. Just as importantly, we have a great opportunity. An opportunity to make a difference in the world. An opportunity to stand in that long line of saints who served Christ with dignity and determination even under tremendous hardship. Paul writes, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." What does it mean "to share in his sufferings . . . "? It means that as followers of Christ we have the opportunity to walk in Christ's footsteps in service to the world. This may or may not mean "suffering" as we generally mean suffering. Let's face it, most of us will never be crucified for following Christ. We may lose friends, we may get thrown out of the country club, we may have to take a stand that we would rather not take, we may have to put a few more dollars in the offering plate each week--but suffer? I guess it depends how you define the word. We are children of God, Paul tells us. We can have confidence. And we can look forward to a great inheritance. Just as importantly, we have a great opportunity. An opportunity to make a difference in the world. An opportunity to stand in that long line of saints who served Christ with dignity and determination even under tremendous hardship. Paul writes, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." What does it mean "to share in his sufferings . . . "? It means that as followers of Christ we have the opportunity to walk in Christ's footsteps in service to the world. This may or may not mean "suffering" as we generally mean suffering. Let's face it, most of us will never be crucified for following Christ. We may lose friends, we may get thrown out of the country club, we may have to take a stand that we would rather not take, we may have to put a few more dollars in the offering plate each week--but suffer? I guess it depends how you define the word. In the country of Thailand is a statue of the Buddha that is ten feet tall and made of solid gold. Estimates of its worth range around $200 million. But for many centuries, no one knew this statue's worth. When the Burmese invaded Thailand many centuries ago, it is believed that the Thai villagers covered the Buddha statue with layers of mud so that the Burmese wouldn't steal it. It wasn't until 1957, when workers tried to move the statue to a new location, that the mud began to fall away and reveal the true nature of the statue. For centuries, no one had known its true value. (8) Within the clay of your life and mine is a better person, a more complete person, that the world still has not seen, not in its perfect fulfillment. We are more than we appear--and one day we will be like Jesus. Even if sometimes we have straws dangling from our noses, we never lose sight that we are sons and daughters of God.

Changing the Rules

Genesis 25:19-34 Changing the Rules 7th Sunday after Pentecost Year A Prelude Greeting Call to Worship Your grace is a lamp for our hearts, O God. Light our way through the shadows of this world. When we struggle with questions and doubts, tell us your stories of hope and grace. When we are about to wander off into the wilderness, show us the paths to your peace and joy. (Lectionary Liturgies, Thom Shuman) Invocation God who gathers us together, we delight to be in community with you and one another. Let your word be proclaimed in truth. Let us burst into songs that reflect the depths of our spirits. May our prayers be formed in your name and granted by your wisdom. May we know you, Divine Mystery, and ourselves better and deeper because we have entered your presence as a community of faithful, questioning, and hope-seeking participants in your kindom. Amen. (United Church of Christ, Cheryl Lindsay) Song Thy Word is a Lamp UMH 601 A Sermon for all Ages Children's Sermon: "God Has Enough Love for Everyone" Scripture: Genesis 25:19-34 Object Lesson: Two toy cars (or stuffed animals) and a small gift box Good morning, boys and girls! Today I brought two toys with me. (Hold up the two toys.) Let's pretend these are two brothers. Can anyone tell me if you have a brother or sister? (Allow a few responses.) Now, here's another question. Have you ever argued with your brother or sister? Maybe you argued about who gets the front seat in the car. Maybe who gets the biggest cookie. Maybe whose turn it is to play with a favorite toy. Brothers and sisters don't always get along, do they? In today's Bible story, we meet two brothers named Jacob and Esau. They were twins! But even before they were born, they were pushing and bumping each other. As they grew up, they became very different people. Esau loved hunting outside, and Jacob liked staying closer to home. One day Esau came home hungry, and Jacob had made some delicious stew. Instead of being kind to his brother, Jacob asked Esau to give him something very important in exchange for a bowl of soup. The brothers were thinking mostly about themselves instead of loving each other. Have you ever wanted something so badly that you forgot to be kind? We all do that sometimes. (Hold up the gift box.) This gift box reminds me of something important. Sometimes we think that if someone else gets something good, there won't be enough left for us. But God's love isn't like cookies in a cookie jar. God's love never runs out! There is enough love, enough grace, enough forgiveness, and enough blessings for everyone. Jacob didn't have to trick his brother because God already had a plan for his life. Esau didn't have to make a quick decision just because he was hungry. He could have trusted God to take care of him. Sometimes we get jealous when someone else gets attention, wins a prize, or gets to do something special. But God reminds us that He has a special plan for every one of us. When we trust God, we don't have to fight to be first. We don't have to be jealous. We don't have to compare ourselves with others. Instead, we can celebrate each other, help each other, and remember that every person is loved by God. The next time you argue with your brother, sister, or friend, stop and ask yourself: "Can I trust God instead of trying to get my own way?" When we trust God, He helps us choose kindness over fighting and love over jealousy. Let's pray. Prayer: Dear God, Thank You for loving each one of us. Help us not to be jealous or selfish. Teach us to be kind to our brothers, sisters, and friends. Help us trust that You have a wonderful plan for each of our lives. Thank You for loving us more than we can imagine. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. (ChatGPT) Responsive Reading Psalm 119:105-112 UMH 840 Passing of the Peace Prayer for illumination Holy Creator, the earth is yours, and all that is in it. We give you thanks for the beauty of the earth, for the creatures that fill it, and for your providence, which stands beneath and above and within it all. Now grant us hearts open to your grace, eyes open to your wonders and ears open to your Holy Word. Let your Holy Spirit dwell with us, that we may be renewed in our commitment to the way, the truth and the life of Jesus Christ. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Aaron Shepherd) Scripture Genesis 25:19-34 Sermon Changing the Rules Jesus tells us that the first be last and that the last shall be first. As disciples of Christ we are told to celebrate the great reversal of life. For many of us, it is the only way that we will get ahead, if God’s grace turns the tables. Even though Jesus teaches us this principle, it is older than him. As a matter of fact, his mother Mary says these exact words when she learns that she will become pregnant with Jesus. She celebrates that the first will be last and the last shall be first. She says that those who are rich will be pulled down, and those who are struggling will be lifted up. Life does not always go as expected. The people who get ahead in this world do not get ahead in God’s world. Life has a way of helping us out. The bible has always told us that God favors those on the bottom, the underdog, the one least expected to succeed. I think we can all relate to being the underdog. We can all celebrate grace in our lives. Unfortunately, we tend to associate grace with God and the old Testament with the law. Yet this important concept goes all the way back to our story today. The story of Isaac’s twins, Jacob and Esau. Esau the hairy one was still the oldest by just a few seconds. His brother Jacob was born grabbing his brother’s ankles – he spent the rest of his life grabbing a hold of his older brother’s life. Even in the womb these 2 brothers fought. They brought a conflict into the world that many say continues even today. This story is important – it is called the reversal of the primogeniture. Primogeniture is just a fancy way of saying that the first son inherits most of his father’s money, title and life. The biblical stories were all about establishing order and the Jewish law. This order, was just how things were done, you didn’t question it, you just knew your place in life. So far in Genesis, we have heard of the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Neither of them were oldest brothers, yet they were the ones who carried on the promises of God into modern times. This is the story of the promise, the order and the law. But it is also the story of how grace works in our lives, our family and in history. In life the only this that you can expect – is the unexpected. In the bible stories it is usually the underdog, the unexpected, that God’s grace works through. Jacob the grabber was the underdog of the story – but he was far from nice. He was a trickster who had to connive for everything that he achieved in life. Paul, the greatest missionary of the Christian era, once remarked that God doesn't always use the wisest, strongest and most moral people to bring his message. Instead God uses the foolish, the weak and the lowly -- just to prove a point (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). That truth certainly holds when it comes to those chosen by God as the patriarchs of ancient Israel. God works through us, in spite of us and even on our behalf. God works in spite of our drama. There is just as much drama in the bible as any soap opera on television. We each have flaws but we are a vital part of the story. Just as each person in this story was a part of the drama. Rebekah didn’t really want kids. She went through 20 years of marriage with children. When she finally got pregnant, it wasn’t one it was twins. She had a very difficult pregnancy. When the twins were born she favored on over the other. She manipulated their whole lives, so that her favorite would come out ahead. Isaac was blind, but he was also spiritually blind. He let his son’s live life with no supervision. Jacob had no right to belittle his brother over a meal intended for the whole family. Esau – gave up his birthright for a meal. He was so entrenched in survival mode that he totally lost sight of the future. Jacob was a trickster. He had not concept of trusting God. He thought he has to outthink everyone to get what he wanted. He lived his whole life looking over his shoulder – even as an adult – he did not trust his relatives. The interesting thing is – God has no part in this story. God is silent in the midst of all of this. In earlier stories, God speaks clearly to tell people what to do. In this story there is nothing. And yet when we read it today, we can see clearly that grace permeates the whole story. The first becomes last and the last becomes first. In spite of the drama, all a part of God’s plan. Jacob grabbed his brother’s birthright. I think at some point we have played a part of each of the characters. Who needs soap operas when you have life, family and church members. But the lesson for us is that in our relationships with one another, to remember our relationship with God. Other lessons – in times of barronness and the feeling that God has forgot us – be careful what you ask for. And be prepared for the drama that comes with it. It is ok to be hungry – just stay hungry for the right things. Hunger for righteousness, for God for grace. Don’t let our hunger rob us of our trust in God’s promises. A minister had a conversation with a fellow in his late 30s who expressed concern about his inability to earn enough money to support his family adequately. "I dropped out of college to get this lousy job. If only I had finished school, my life would be so different. This job has no future." That fellow's lack of present discipline cost him dearly. He sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. That happens regularly in a multitude of ways. Without present discipline, future possibilities are sacrificed. Never sell yourself short. You have enormous potential. We can be grateful that we all inherited the birthright form Jacob, we are all children of God. Like many people, Esau mistook the difference between price and value. Price is what you pay for something. Value is what it's worth. A long time ago, Archbishop Taylor is reported to have said something to the effect, "Life is a display window in a store in which some mischievous person has gotten in overnight and changed all the price tags so that the cheap things are priced quite highly, while the truly valuable things are priced quite cheaply." Therein lies a wonderful lesson. Your birthright is the same. You are the loved child of God. You are worthwhile. Don't relinquish that gift. Circumstances may not be easy. You may have grown up in a dysfunctional home -- like Esau. You may not be a particularly gifted person -- like Esau. Others may take advantage of you -- as they did Esau. Your mother may not like you. Rebekah didn't like Esau. You may encounter one problem right after another -- as did Esau. But you are God's loved child. You are worthwhile. That is your birthright. You can rise above anything. Believe that and live as though you believe it. Finally, be grateful for grace. Many of those strict rules that serve a few and oppress many are still in effect today. Those rules don’t have the final word in life. In history, Jacob became the hero, but I think Esau was also a hero. The story says that he despised his inheritance. It is interesting that if the oldest inherited 50% of his fathers wealth, then Jacob would have gotten the other 50% anyway. But for Esau, inheritance meant nothing without his brother. Both twins went on to have big families. For centuries the Edomites and the Israelites lived side by side. Sometime peacefully, sometimes not. Eventually after the temple was destroyed, the Jews conquered the Edomites and forced them to convert to Judaism. Today they are an integrated part of Israel. Today it is Jacob’s story that remains. Jacob, who was renamed Israel later in life realized that in spite of all of his conniving, he still needed God. And so do we. Our only hope comes from the fact that he who calls us never said, "Be certain that your lives are pure and spotless and your motives beyond reproach, and then you can come and follow Me." If he had, there could be no followers. Most of us can identify with one or the other of these brothers; occasionally, we might even be able to identify with both. Our part, in the whole process of growing in grace, is to recognize our lives are tainted, we are saved by God's grace alone, and - like the sons of Isaac - though we might be dominated by different kinds of sins, none of us can boast of our superior moral character. In our better moments, that realization has a beneficial effect on us, because it helps us to recognize the power and the glory and the redemption of the world are not ours, never ours, but his, always his. Yet, as in the case of Jacob, he chooses to use such flawed instruments to work out his purposes. If we choose to follow him, even though we are weak, half-hearted, and of little faith, he will put us to work for him. And such is his love, his ingenuity, and his power, that even such feeble witnesses as we can be used to lead others to him. CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, There is a poem that says To live above with those we love, Well, that will be glory. To live below with those we know, Well, that’s another story. If we plan to live above with those we love Well, here’s the rest of the story. We must live below with those we know Empowered by God’s grace and glory. Thank God for grace and glory. Let us pray……… Song Hymn of Promise UMH 707 Pastoral Prayer Holy God, you are a mystery hidden beyond all sense and understanding, yet you are as near to us as our very breath. As we breathe this word of prayer together, allow your Holy Spirit to enter into the deepest ground of our being, and bind us as one body with you and all the communion of the faithful in every time and place. Lord, we live in a time of great struggle: of nation against nation, of faction and faction, party against party, neighbor against neighbor. So many struggle to put food on the table, or keep a roof over their head, or to provide care to those they love. Meet us in the struggle, and comfort us with your quiet courage to struggle on. Holy Jesus, you know us by name; hear us now as we name those who need your tender care. (Here, the worship leader may add prayer concerns and joys from the community, being sure to address them by name[first name only is suggested].) God, your thoughts are not our thoughts, and your ways are not our ways, yet we abide in your peace for you have given it freely to us. Loosen our anxiously tightened hearts; open our fearfully clenched hands; shake us out of our screen-induced reveries. Let us see the world with a new vision: through the eyes of faith, let us perceive your way of justice in places of injustice. Let us recognize the humanity in those who are treated inhumanely. Let us know that you are God alone, and that in serving you, we are made stronger. Bless these prayers, and those offered in the silence of our hearts, and receive them with grace. (Presbyterian Outlook, Aaron Shepherd) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment In Matthew 13, we hear Jesus’ telling of the parable of the sower and an explanation of the meaning behind the parable. Using everyday language which could be easily understood by those who planted and waited eagerly for the harvest, Jesus uses familiar images to inspire his disciples to be good soil which bears fruit. How do we see and understand these images today? Some of us may find we don’t actually hear or understand anything at all about God’s Realm…like seed scattered on a hard path. Some of us may feel excited as we experience worship, but as soon as we walk out the door, our minds and hearts are focused somewhere completely removed from what we’ve heard or experienced…like seed unable to root into the ground. Yet others find their energies completely absorbed by everyday cares and concerns…like seed in the thorns. However, some of us are like good soil, allowing Good News to take root and flower into lives of justice, love and compassion. When THAT happens, we’re energized to share our time, our talents and yes, even our treasure. Today, I invite you to make an offering. We’re eager to turn your gifts into ministry, so let your desires to work, to lead, to pray, to pay, let your gifts become part of nurturing not only your life but the life of this congregation! Joyfully, let’s share what we’ve been given as we receive our morning offering. Prayer of Thanksgiving Loving God, We freely offer these gifts, eager to be part of your beloved Realm on earth. Accept our finances and the time and talents we offer, eager to translate what’s here into a harvest which is 30, 60 or 100 times greater than what is before us today. In joyful anticipation, we give thanks! AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Sending Prayer for YouTube Go forth as God's people. We will sow seeds of love and joy in the world. Go forth as Christ's true friends. We will sow seeds of justice and hope in oppression-strewn paths. Go forth as the Spirit's love. We will sow seeds of peace and reconciliation in every corner of creation. (c) Thom M. Shuman Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction May the Spirit who dwells in you bless you with open minds to receive God’s wisdom, open hearts to follow God’s guidance, and open doors that we may together build God’s kingdom of life and peace on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, January 2026. Additional Illustrations But first let me say a word about the birthright itself. In the Hebrew tradition, a birthright was really the right of the first-born son. It included holding “a position of honor as head of the family and a double share of the inheritance.” In this particular case, one would assume it also meant inheriting the promise made to Abraham of a great nation and of a new land. So this was no small thing that Esau traded away in a matter of minutes -- and all for a bowl of lentils! Why did he do so? The easy answer is that he was just stupid. He did not understand the value of the birthright and so he was easily tricked out of it by a cunning younger brother. Jesus evidently was aware of the “birthright blues” syndrome. He even dedicated an entire parable to speak to it. You do remember the story about the talents, don’t you? The master called his servants together and to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one. When he returned to receive back the money he had entrusted to them, the ones with two and five talents had used them wisely and doubled their worth, but the one who had only one talent had buried it in the ground. If you ask me, he had a bad case of the “birthright blues.” He was ashamed of what had been given to him. He treated it as if it had little value at all. The master was very angry with this ungrateful servant! But I have to admit, it is very easy to slip into those “birthright blues.” It is very easy to feel sorry for oneself. It is very easy to find others who receive “more” or “better.” So when we stand next to someone with a better body, a better brain, a prettier face, why not succumb to a little “birthright blues?” And why not follow Esau’s example? Why not misuse what we have been given? Why not settle for the moment instead of waiting for a future payoff? Why not take something that God gave as special and treat it as though it were worth nothing? This human dilemma is why this Old Testament lesson is so important to us and so relevant. It asks us if we join Esau in hating our birthright. It asks us if we are willing to settle for the moment, if we treat cheaply what has great value, if we pity ourselves when we have been given much. Then, as Buechner would say, "However, if tragedy is inevitable, comedy is unforeseeable. Esau valued his birthright cheaply and paid a high price for a bowl of lentil soup. When you see someone driving a $40,000 car, but they tell you they don't have time to spend with their children or their spouse, you're talking to someone who has sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. When somebody tells you that they don't have the time or the desire to take care of their health--they're too busy to exercise or eat right--you're talking to someone who has sold her birthright for a bowl of stew. When somebody tells you they don't have time for the things of God--to read their Bible or to be in worship--you're talking to someone who has sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. Martha and Mary, Samson, David, Esau –these are all stories of distraction. It is not always by a conscious sin that we turn away from God, but more often from the simple things in everyday life that at the time feel more important than worship, more important than prayer. They make us anxious. They make us turn away. It is in the moment of turning away that we lose sight of God. The word “despised” (bazah) as in “Esau despised his birthright” means to dis-esteem, to scorn, to be reckless or careless with, to disdain.* The birthright of Esau is a sacred right to bear or carry the covenant forward. But Esau doesn’t not seem to care much about that. He easily gives away that honor with God in order to seek that “red stuff.” Whether red stew or vegetables of the field or earth, the word adom (red stuff), Edom (to boil, to act presumptuously) is related also to the word adama. Esau is concerned with the things of the world, the things he can sensorily know. He is therefore easily deceived. Esau came in from the “field” exhausted and was distracted by both his exhaustion and the smell of Jacob’s stew. He was reckless with his right to God’s covenantal line and therefore lost it.** The “deception” later carried out by mother and son Jacob was therefore not a deception but the carrying out of prophecy. The metaphor of “stew” is wonderful in its link to edom (boiling over) and the plot cooked up by Jacob’s mother. As the stew boils, so too does the plot, as prophecy is fulfilled. There are five more verbs that report that rest of Esau's behavior in this incident. They are ate, drank, rose, departed, and despised. The first four tell us that he did not savor his costly meal; he just shoveled it in and left. The last verb, "despised," is the narrator's comment on Esau's awful decision. In trading off his valuable birthright for a meal — and a pretty ordinary one at that — he, in effect, despised his birthright, treated it as though it wasn't worth much. There is a Yiddish folk expression that comes out of this biblical story. When someone is rude at the table or just "stuffs his face," it is said pejoratively that he "eats like Esau."2 In the eighth chapter of the letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul describes his own experience of coming into relationship with God, and also the relationship with God into which we can come. The chapter starts with the words, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Paul goes on to talk about discovering that we are beloved children of God and about living in a growing, life-shaping relationship with God. And he ends by saying that nothing in the whole creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. If we can find our way into that kind of a relationship with God, we will have a new confidence in our own personhood and that can change a lot of things in our lives. It can enable us to deal constructively with conflicts by claiming God's assurance for ourselves and by sharing it with others. That kind of affirmation of personhood can make a difference. We can imagine that it could have made a difference if both Isaac and Rebecca had made a conscious effort to affirm the unique personhood of both of their sons. Could it be that the first step in the resolution of our conflicts is to find our way into that wholeness that takes away our vulnerability? Could it be that the second step is to affirm the personhood of the other so that he or she can also gain the freedom that comes with identity and security? Of course, that will not solve all of our problems and make all of our conflicts go away. But it will set us free to do the hard work of resolving conflicts. The play, 1776, dramatizes the meetings of the Second Continental Congress that eventually produced the Declaration of Independence that made this country a separate nation. The play does a great job of laying bare all of the different kinds of conflict that existed between the people who were delegates to the conference. There were personality differences, differences in disposition, regional prejudices, conflicting economic interests, and differences in personal ambitions. At times, it seemed that the conflicts would prevent the congress from taking any decisive action. But eventually, through long and painful processes, the conflicts were worked through. The Declaration of Independence was signed, and a new nation was born. The story of Jacob and Esau eventually had a happy ending. Jacob lived away from his family for years and learned a lot through interactions with God and with life. The Bible tells us his story. It doesn't tell us much about what was going on in Esau's life at the time, but he must have been doing some learning, too. Finally, Jacob returned to his homeland bringing with him the family and servants and possessions that he had gained. As he approached the border of his homeland, he learned that Esau was coming to meet him leading a large company of men. At first, it seemed that the stage was set for a battle -- or a massacre. But when Jacob and Esau finally met, they fell into an embrace and established a relationship that enabled them to live together in peace. They had both learned a lot during their time of estrangement. We can learn it, too. ________________________________________ 1. Thomas A. Harris, I'm OK, You're OK (New York: Avon, 1967). CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost (First Third): Getting in Touch with God, by James L. Killen Esau lost sight of the long-term goals of life under the pressure of present pressing physical needs. He gave up the lasting values to satisfy the present posing need. He traded off a kind of family last will and testament promised to the older son - for a bowl of stew. We cannot walk away from our crossroads of life, but we can face them courageously through prayer, faith, compassion, impartial love of our fellow human beings, and personal esteem. Always walking in the strength of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we find our way in his Son, Jesus Christ, who said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, They, Isaac and Rebekah, were at one of their crossroads. There was no child; what should be done? First, it is notable that this family possessed some qualities which are just as valuable in today’s family: • A strong prayer life • Faith and trust in the Lord • Compassion for each family member • Impartiality toward each person • A sense of self-esteem and respect for each other • Assistance so that the child might have a meaningful vocation Isaac, as husband, showed commendable reactions. He was sensitive to his wife’s feelings; he was concerned for her because of her inability to become pregnant and therefore, multiply and help people the earth. Consider our scripture lesson for this morning which concerns the brothers Jacob and Esau, children of Isaac. Unfortunately, people still do that sort of thing. You are, after all, a loved child of God. That is your birthright and it comes with enormous possibility. Unfortunately, tomorrow's potential doesn't have much present market value. One of life's most demanding skills is learning to stay hungry today in order to realize tomorrow's possibilities. As much as we might like it otherwise, everything in this life doesn't happen when we want it to happen. Learn to stay hungry in the pursuit of the worthwhile. Accept that you are not going to fulfill every material and professional goal immediately. Understand that most things worth accomplishing take time -- many times they take decades. Learn to stay a little hungry. It can make such a difference in your life. For one thing, stay hungry for knowledge. In fact, develop a deep hunger for knowledge. Too many people want to quit learning when they reach a certain age. Don't do that. Keep on thinking. As the poet plans his life, Let me die thinking. Let me fare forth still with an open mind, Fresh secrets to unfold, new truths to find. My soul undimmed, alert, no questions blinking. Let me die thinking.1 Learn to stay hungry, not only for information, but for God. Unlike other institutions, we never graduate from Sunday school because we never learn all we need to know about our faith. Never let your beliefs harden to concrete. Be open to grow in your faith. You never know when God is going to confront you with a new idea and a new set of circumstances. When that happens, your faith can be stretched to such new limits it can never shrink back to the same size it was before. Stay hungry for God. Staying hungry now leaves us open to future possibilities. Develop a deep hungering for life. Remember this truth: the best time in your life is wherever you are right now. After all, today is the only day of your life over which you have any say. Therefore, believe today the best and make the best of today. Life will, however, get even better wherever it takes you tomorrow, if you continue to believe that possible. God has created us in such a way that every age has its special problems and its special joys. God gives us the strength to deal with the problems as we encounter them. He also provides the grace to make the most of the joys. Don't wallow in guilt over yesterday. It is forgiven. Don't worry about the darkness of what is to come. There will be light enough to get through. Live in the fullness of today and stay hungry for tomorrow. What a difference that attitude can make. Having your life unfold day by day like a beautiful flower is your God-given birthright. Don't sell it for cabbage soup. Develop a deep hungering for life. Remember this truth: the best time in your life is wherever you are right now. After all, today is the only day of your life over which you have any say. Therefore, believe today the best and make the best of today. Life will, however, get even better wherever it takes you tomorrow, if you continue to believe that possible. God has created us in such a way that every age has its special problems and its special joys. God gives us the strength to deal with the problems as we encounter them. He also provides the grace to make the most of the joys. Don't wallow in guilt over yesterday. It is forgiven. Don't worry about the darkness of what is to come. There will be light enough to get through. Live in the fullness of today and stay hungry for tomorrow. What a difference that attitude can make. Having your life unfold day by day like a beautiful flower is your God-given birthright. Don't sell it for cabbage soup. Because Esau couldn't wait for dinner, the history of Israel is traced to Jacob. In many respects, it is a sad, sad story. Obviously, Esau was no rocket scientist. Jacob constantly took advantage of him. Physically he never made it as a male model. His entire body was covered with thick, red hair. I'm sure the kids in school constantly tormented him about that. His mother liked his brother best. This kid Esau had some serious problems. He had every reason to be a miserable failure in life. Surely any failure he experienced could be attributed to circumstances beyond his control. ________________________________________ 1. "Let Me Die Thinking," Anonymous. CSS Publishing, Tenders of the Sacred Fire, by R. Robert Cueni The story begins before our text, in the dim days of primal history, with a promise of God. Before there was Jacob, there was a promise. God told Abraham that a great family, more numerous than the stars of heaven, would arise out of his poor octogenarian loins. From Abraham and Sarah came Isaac and Isaac married Rebekah. But not yet a family. Rebekah could not have children. How then the promise to make a family? Rebekah's barrenness is not a problem of gynecology but of theology. How then the promise? How can God be faithful when there is no child, therefore no future? Will God keep the promise? Isaac prays to God for a child. And with that prayer (people, be careful when you pray!), the trouble begins. "Rebekah conceived," and even in her womb, there was trouble. There, in the mysterious uterine darkness, there is conflict, for there is not one but two fetuses in the womb and they are already in dark struggle. Rebekah feels the conflict even before the children are born. Feeling the rumblings within she exclaims, "If motherhood is this, why do I live?" (verse 22). She demands a refund from her Lamaze Classes. "I thought you said this was going to be painless!" Rebekah inquires of the Lord. The Lord explains, "At first I thought I'd just bless you with a child. Then I decided, while I was at it, to give you twins, just to make it interesting. Not just two boys, two whole nations in your womb, struggling. You thought this birth was a little something sweet to comfort you and the old man in your autumn years? No, I'm doing something cosmic here, big. That kick you just felt was me, kicking at the door of the future of the world!" And Rebekah says, "This is your idea of a blessing?" There is no such thing as "painless birth," particularly if that birth be a gift of God. Sermon point one (write this down): The promises of God, paradoxically, involve pain. So sermon point two: The promises of God subvert the older order. Point one: The promises of God involve pain. A major source of the pain is that God's promises invariably involve the subversion of the way things are in order to create the way things, by God, will be. No social convention was more dear to the people of Jacob and Esau's day than the right of primogeniture. The right of the firstborn ensured order, stability in the Near Eastern world. You knew your place from the day you were born. First born son gets it all. Second born gets leftovers. Neat. Clean. Orderly. It was a secure, stable "Ozzie and Harriet" world where father knows best, Mom is a bit mushy in the head but at least she's at home in the kitchen, and older brother David is thoughtful and stable while little brother Ricky is unpredictable but that's 0.1(. since David is going to inherit it all in the end anyway. Fixed at birth.·Fate determined in utero by the color of your skin, or your gender, or your parent's economic level, the order of birth. It's a story about getting mixed up in our conventions--and destabilizing us in the process. In Rebekah's womb, early, in the primal darkness, cosmic, international purposes are being worked out. In the clash of two all too typical brothers, God is dismantling conventional systems of power distribution. So we find ourselves in the story, surprised as Esau, when little brother Jacob clutches our heel. Is there anyone here who cannot identify with the once self-assured nation, planning to use the same power that our forebears enjoyed, shocked to wake up from our national stupor of instant material gratification to find little brother, once a nobody nation, with the economic birthright that we always thought was ours? Is there a divine upsetting of our arrangements in such a way that, as one has said, the "first shall be last and the last first" (Luke 13:30)? Is there some force behind the lives of ordinary people of the story, one who has chosen, "what is low and despised in the world to bring to nothing the things that are?" To be continued... Duke University, Duke Chapel Sermons, by Will Willimon

Liberty in Christ

July 5, 2026 Romans 7:15-25 Liberty in Christ 6th Sunday after Pentecost Year A Prelude Greeting Call to Worship We gather to worship God with our full, imperfect selves. We come to delight in the law of God, who is Love. We gather as people who don’t always know what to do in the face of difficult and complex circumstances. We come to delight in the law of God, who is Love. We gather as people who desire to follow God with our actions but struggle to connect what we want to do with what we actually do. We come to delight in the law of God, who is Love. Whether you come to worship today wondering if there is anything good left in the world or rejoicing in the small moments of goodness that remind you grace is still at work among us, you are welcome here. We come to delight in the law of God, whose grace shows us how to live, work, play, and rest as a community of faith woven together by Love. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, January 2026. Invocation God of all nations and all peoples, bless us as we gather in your name. Open us to vessels in building your kindom and spreading the good news of life and liberty. May we drink from the well of your abundance. May our cups overflow with your love. May our hearts burn in your presence. Be with us in this time and place. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Song My Country Tis of Thee UMH 697 A Sermon for all Ages Good morning, boys and girls! This week we celebrate the Fourth of July. You may see flags, fireworks, parades, and people wearing red, white, and blue. The Fourth of July reminds us that our country values freedom. Freedom means we are not trapped or controlled by someone else. But today I want to talk about another word: liberty. Liberty means God helps us live the way He created us to live. The Bible tells us that even when we want to do good, sometimes we mess up. The apostle Paul said, “I do not do the good I want to do.” That means even grown-ups struggle sometimes! Have you ever wanted to be kind but said something mean? Have you ever wanted to share but kept something for yourself? Have you ever wanted to obey but did the wrong thing? That happens to all of us. Sin can feel like a chain around our hearts. But Jesus came to break those chains. A long time ago, preachers like George Whitefield and John Wesley told people that Jesus gives us real liberty. George Whitefield preached that we need a new heart through Jesus. John Wesley preached that we are saved by God’s grace. Grace means God loves us and helps us, even when we do not deserve it. So today, when you see a flag or fireworks, remember to thank God for our country. But also remember that the greatest freedom comes from Jesus. Jesus gives us liberty to love, forgive, tell the truth, share, and do what is right. Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for our country and for the freedoms we enjoy. Thank You most of all for Jesus, who gives us true liberty. Help us love others, do what is right, and live as Your children. Amen. Kuzma Offering Prayer of Confession Lord, we come before you this day confessing that we don’t understand our own actions. The very things we want to do, we don’t do. Too often, we find ourselves doing the very things we hate. We need you this day, Lord. The harmful behaviors we tried to put down, we keep picking back up, and our soul is hurting. The chance we had to fix that broken relationship came, But anger and rage rose up again, Inflicting harm and abuse upon the very people we said we loved. We need you this day, Lord. The opportunities we have been praying for came, But fear, lack of confidence, and low self-esteem drove them away. Lord, the good we want to do, we don’t do; and the evil we hate doing, we just keep doing. Lord, what messed-up souls we are. We need you now, Lord, this day. Rescue us from works that lead to death; save us from self-destructive behaviors. We submit our lives into your hands right now. (Silence) Thank you, God, for your Son Jesus, who will make it all right. Thank you for your Son Jesus. He will heal our sin-sick souls. Thank you, God, for Jesus Christ, our Lord. When we find it difficult to do the right thing, we will place our trust in you. We are convinced that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. Glory to God! Amen. Adapted from Joseph W. Daniels, Jr. in The African Worship Book, Year A (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2006), 147, 155. Scripture Romans 7:15-25 Sermon Liberty in Christ So yesterday, on July 4th we celebrated the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. But that was just the declaration, it took years after that for the nation to unite. It was a nation founded on moral values. The six values of our nation are • Equality: The belief that all individuals are inherently equal at birth, possessing the same natural rights, and should be treated equally before the law. [1, 2] • Liberty: The protection of fundamental human freedoms—including speech, religion, and the press—ensuring citizens can live free from arbitrary governmental control. [1, 2] • Consent of the Governed: The democratic principle that political power is derived from the people, who delegate that power to representatives through a social contract. [1, 2] • Individual Responsibility: The expectation that citizens will actively exercise self-governance, uphold civic morality, and take personal responsibility for their families and communities. [1, 2, 3, 4] • Limited Government: The constitutional framework of checks and balances and separation of powers designed to prevent the concentration of authority and protect individual liberties. [1, 2] • Justice: The idea that the rule of law must apply to everyone equally and that citizens have access to a fair, impartial legal process. [1] Many of our founding fathers were not particulary religious, - they were philosophers – thinking of a way to create a nation where people worked together for the good of one another – not the good of one person or group. I find it fascinating that they were religious to a point, but from a practical way. Ben Franklin had a morning regiman of taking one of the six virtues and using it as the foundation of his day in practice and in thought. Thomas Jefferson rewrote the new testament. He believed in the life and teachings of Jesus, but he had no use for the miracles, so he took them out. It is probably not much of a story, but Thomas Jefferson’s bible is still available today. Our founding fathers sought a nation of people living their best lives, and being their best selves. They soon learned that it is human to love, to care for others, to have discipline and to follow instructions. But it is also human to fail, to dislike, to disagree, to go as fare ass hate someone who does not agree with you, and to break even the best of habits. Perhaps that is why at the first continental congress he proposed that each session begin in prayer. It took a while, but congress agrees that prayer set the tone for the debates, and helped with reaching a united outcome. Franklin was not religious, but he did have great respect for an evangelist who came to America – George Whitefield. Whitefield spoke to thousands of people about God. The Great Awakening happened from 1730 -1740. Whitefield was one of the first superstars that people flocked to hear. His message was the true freedom can only be found in God. He was so compelling that people wanted to know more. Some would say that Whitefield was methodist – he was a part of the holy club in Oxford. By today’s standards he was very conservative – in teaching that salvation only comes through works for christ. John Wesley was also a part of the great awakening – of course reaching that salvation is in Christ, but that with salvation there is always grace. God will love us no matter how hard or how little we work. Whitefield and Wesley were often opposites in their teaching, yet it was Wesley who preached his funeral. Together they both became a part of the fabric of our nation and its values. This became a nation with liberty and justice for all. The message of the great awakening is that liberty is a given right from God. It is not granted from a nation, it is how god created us. In our freedom to live our lives, morality is a discipline that we have to be intentional about every day. Even in our intentional practice, we still struggle. If left to our own freedom alone, we fail. We need the power of God in all areas of our life, personal, public, as a nation. As grace would have it, this is where our scripture comes in. In Romans 7, Paul admits that he is human- that he has the best of intentions and they go wrong. We all have our Romans 7 moments. We promise ourselves we'll be more patient. Yet we lose our temper. We promise we'll forgive. Yet resentment keeps returning. We promise to love more deeply. Yet selfishness sneaks back into our hearts. Paul says that no matter what we do, there is a pervasive darkness that gets the better of us. Paul calls it sin. But the answer is God. God has the power to be the light. God has the power to bring Jesus back to life and bring salvation to us all. God is the miracle that Thomas Jefferson tried to take out of the bible, but he had no choice but to acknowledge. Paul says that God delivers us from our moral struggle. Even today in 2026 – we will struggle with ourselves, we all have Romans 7 moments. The good news is that we have a Romans 8 God – nothing can separate us from the love of God not even our sin. Celebrate founding of a nation where all free to pursue life, liberty and happiness. We often use the words freedom and liberty as though they mean exactly the same thing. But they are not quite identical. Freedom is often understood as the ability to do what we want. Liberty is something deeper. Liberty is the ability to become who we were created to be. Freedom says, "No one tells me what to do." Liberty says, "I am finally able to do what is right." Freedom removes chains from our hands. Liberty removes chains from our hearts. Liberty is a gift that only comes from God. May we live in it today and in the days to come. Amen. Song Battle Hymn of the Republic UMH 717 A Prayer for Our Country by Woodrow Wilson (in the Book of Common Worship) Almighty God, Ruler of all the peoples of the earth, forgive our shortcomings as a nation, purify our hearts to see and love the truth, give wisdom to our leaders, and steadfastness to our people, and bring us at last to that fair city of peace whose foundations are mercy, justice, and goodwill, of which you are the designer and builder; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Continue to pray Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Song This is my Song UMH 437 Invitation to Communion Paul uses clear language in his letter to the Romans, sharing his understanding of the inner battle known to many of us. Caught in the struggle, he writes, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Week by week, as we gather at the Lord’s Table, we see the answer in the form of bread and juice. Out of death, God brought life! Out of despair, we can find redemption! All are invited to participate in this simple meal. It will not fill your belly, but it will bring rest to your spirit and provide energy for you to turn toward the Light and Life we know in Jesus, the Christ. Even in our brokenness, Jesus binds us together in one body. With this cup, we receive a transfusion, strengthening us for the ministries to which we are all called. Come! Find here the power to take on the yoke, and turn once more to follow Jesus in heart, mind, and spirit. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Communion Announcements Closing Prayer for YouTube As you go, Celebrate liberty and pursue justice Pray for the land on which you are planted And open space for neighbors seeking a home Remember the challenges and blessings of the past Work for the promise and hope of the future Knowing that the God of the Covenant Lives, reigns, and abides with us As the journey continues Go in peace and go for peace To love and to serve (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” May we answer Jesus’s call and be led, taught, guided, and strengthened as we live as his disciples. May the people of God embody, advocate and create Liberty and Justice for all (Inspired by Presbyterian Outlook, Philip Gladden) Additional Illustrations A Community of Practice, Not a Community of Perfectionby Leonard Sweet - Romans 7:15-25a When your child is playing a musical instrument that is “rented” from the school, instead “owned” by you, there is a big decision to make at the end of the school year. Do you pay rental fees for the summer break? Or do you turn the instrument in? Paying rental fees for the summer means that the instrument will be practiced on hot summer days and during beautiful sunsets. Turning the instrument in means that summer is for swimming, sleep-away camps, family vacations, flexible schedules and peace and quiet. Your decision is based both on the passion of your budding musician for their instrument and on your personal preferences. For parents, on the one hand, there is the knowledge that structure and practice and commitment are all good things for a young musician. On the other hand, there is the prospect of a few weeks without squeaks and squawks, without hearing the same fractured tune repeated over and over again in your head, an earworm that can be as ragging and nagging as “It’s a Small World After All.” Professional musicians, as well as the garage band guys, the Christmas party piano player, the community band enthusiasts--- all seem to make their music effortlessly. But it took a lot of squeaky-squawky, off-key, eardrum bruising moments to get to the degree of proficiency where, suddenly, they were making music. Music that brings ecstasy and enchantment. Music that channels creativity and sparks the imagination. Music that fills a lonely evening. Music that brings a party to life. Okay, okay: the hope of that mystic connection to music is why you DO pay for that instrument over the summer vacation. When it sounds good, it looks easy. But it took a lot of practice to get to that point of sounding good. Why is it we will put up with the imperfections and disruptions of “practice” when it comes to learning to play a musical instrument . . . but we find it so much harder to put up with the discord and dissonance that comes when we are all engaged in “practicing” the greatest instrument we have each been given? That instrument is the living Spirit of Christ within each of us. The Church is best defined as a “community of practice.” A place where those who have chosen to live the life of Christ can hit flats and sharps, miss entrances, go off-beat, and even get completely lost for a while— yet still be a part of the church community’s “practice session” that is Christ’s church. Isn’t growing a soul, like learning any musical instrument, a life-long project? Yes, it brings great joy. Yes, it brings focus and direction. Yes, it brings a love of artistic perfection. But it does take continual, gradual, life-long practice. In today’s epistle text it is not surprising that it took Martin Luther and other reformation theologians to shift the focus of Paul’s words away from the “pre-Christian” Saul to the “post-Christian” Paul… _______________________ Celebrating the Declaration Americans celebrate July 4, 1776 as Independence Day. We shouldn't. We should call it our DECLARATION of Independence Day, for merely signing, quite literally, our John Hancock’s on the declaration did not establish our independence. King George did not read the Declaration and then say to Thomas Jefferson, "Nice piece of writing Tom, y'all enjoy your USA, send me a postcard from Colonial Williamsburg." No, it took seven years of struggle before the Constitution could be written. Have we forgotten the struggle involved in this noble experiment of democracy? Do we cherish this land or do we shy from a word like "patriotism" because it's been co-opted by the fanatic fringe? To be "patriotic" is not to be blind to our nation's sins. Like every nation, we have our weak points. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com The Cost of Freedom On July 3, 1776, the day before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington wrote a letter to his wife, anticipating the hardships which would soon occur. Here in part are his words, "In a few days, you will see a Declaration setting forth the causes which have impelled us to this mighty revolution and the reasons which will justify it in the sight of God. I am fully aware of the toil and blood and treasure what it will cost to maintain this declaration and support and defend these states; yes, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory." Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com ______________________ "America today is running on the momentum of a Godly ancestry, and when that momentum runs down, God help America." General Omar Bradley - Details: Bradley is the U.S. Army officer who commanded the highly effective 12th Army Group, which helped ensure the Allied victory over Germany during World War II; later he served as first chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (1949–53). ______________________ Historical Background to the Declaration On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall), approved the Declaration of Independence. Its purpose was to set forth the principles upon which the Congress had acted two days earlier when it voted in favor of Richard Henry Lee's motion to declare the freedom and independence of the 13 American colonies from England. The Declaration was designed to influence public opinion and gain support both among the new states and abroad -- especially in France, from which the new "United States" sought military assistance. Although Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston comprised the committee charged with drafting the Declaration, the task fell to Jefferson, regarded as the strongest and most eloquent writer. The document is mainly his work, although the committee and Congress as a whole made a total of 86 changes to Jefferson's draft. As a scholar well-versed in the ideas and ideals of the French and English Enlightenments, Jefferson found his greatest inspiration in the language and arguments of English philosopher John Locke, who had justified England's "Glorious Revolution" of 1688 on the basis of man's "natural rights." Locke's theory held that government was a contract between the governed and those governing, who derived their power solely from the consent of the governed and whose purpose it was to protect every man's inherent right to property, life and liberty. Jefferson's theory of "natural law" differed in that it substituted the inalienable right of "the pursuit of happiness" for "property," emphasizing that happiness is the product of civic virtue and public duty. The concept of the "pursuit of happiness" originated in the Common Sense School of Scottish philosophy, of which Lord Kames was the best-known proponent. Jefferson emphasized the contractual justification for independence, arguing that when the tyrannical government of King George III of England repeatedly violated "natural law, " the colonists had not only the right but the duty to revolt. The assembled Continental Congress deleted a few passages of the draft, and amended others, but outright rejected only two sections: 1) a derogatory reference to the English people; 2) a passionate denunciation of the slave trade. The latter section was left out, as Jefferson reported, to accede to the wishes of South Carolina and Georgia, who wanted to continue the importation of slaves. The rest of the draft was accepted on July 4, and 56 members of Congress began their formal signing of the document on August 2, 1776. From the Library of Congress: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/const/abt_declar.html ____________________ French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said, "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!" Alexis de Tocqueville - He was a political scientist, historian, and politician, best-known for "Democracy in America," 4 vol. (1835–40), a perceptive analysis of the political and social system of the United States in the early 19th century. _______________________________________________ Live Free or Die For many years the license plates of New Hampshire bore the slogan, made famous by Revolutionary War general John Stark – "live free or die." The irony is that those great words were printed onto the license plates by inmates in the state prison. They could not leave their prison, but many of us stay in our prisons when we have the power to leave. We want to live free, but we do not want to do what the gospel says we need to do to be truly free. By J. Michael Shannon, PREACHING, March/April 2004, p. 61. When Christ says, "Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, but wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction" (KJV), he wasn’t trying to make life miserable. He wasn’t trying to fence us in. He was trying to release us into life. Have you ever been flying a plane at night and realize that your gas is getting low, your radio is out, and you are not sure where you are? Everything is black around you; no familiar landmarks are visible. You bore on into the night, with the sweat popping out all over you. You have almost given up hope - when suddenly there in the distance you see - yes, you do see it - a narrow parallel line of lights. Are you mad because those lights mark a runway that is narrow and straight? No! You breathe again and thank God. The straight and narrow runway means life. You can fly beyond it and die. You can fly short of it and crash. You can fly to the left of it or to the right of it, but you are no fool. You are grateful that a clear path of life has been laid out before you, where you can land with safety. That’s what Jesus was telling us. There is a way of life that God has prepared for us. We can reject it and destroy ourselves, but it is there to save us, to give us life. That’s what a high sense of Christian morality is all about. It is a way of life! Almost forty years ago Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote a brief article in the Reader’s Digest on "How to Tell the Difference Between Right and Wrong." It made good sense. That was in the day when all the young preachers were saying, "What a pity to be Fosdick and not to be able to quote Fosdick." The six points were simple and specific and would appeal to youth in any generation. Is it right or is it wrong? Or, "When to say ‘yes,’ and when to say ‘no.’ " 1. Does it make sense? There are too many uncontemplated actions. Back away from it, look at it, appraise it. Does it make sense? Don’t be silly! Don’t be stupid! Does it make sense to cheat yourself out of an education by cheating? Does it make sense to drink, smoke, shoot chemicals, thus making it impossible to know whether or not it does make sense? Does it make sense by careless, thoughtless, undisciplined boy and girl relationships to rob yourselves of the deep joy and lasting love that your home should give to you and your loved one as long as you live? If it doesn’t make sense, it’s wrong! 2. What does it do to others? "Is it fair?" If it’s right for me, it’s right for the other person. Good and evil are democratic. If it’s wrong for others, it’s wrong for me. Some people think mistakenly that, "All men were created equal, but some are more equal than others." A mother gave Bobby a plate with two pieces of cake, saying, "Give Jimmy his choice." Soon she heard Jimmy wailing. She called out, "Bobby, I said to give Jimmy his choice." "I did," came back the reply. "I said he could take the little piece or none." If it hurts or crushes or destroys others, it’s wrong! 3. Would I like to see it in print? This is the "Publicity Test." It’s a little thing. Nobody will know about it. It won’t make much difference, just this once. But how would you like to see it on the front page of your newspaper tomorrow morning, for all to see? Would you be glad, or would you run and hide? Nothing is really hidden. I know about it. God knows about it, and soon others will know about it. Jesus spoke truth when he said: "That which is whispered in secret in your closet will be shouted from the rooftops." If you would not like to see it in print, the answer is "No!" 4. What does it do to my highest ideals? An ideal is something that you believe in. This is the way life should be. Will this thing make me a better person? Or does it let me down? Does it make me a finer, more wholesome, a stronger person? Or does it betray me? Is this what I really believe in? Or does it undermine all that I stand for? If it does not fit my highest ideals, the answer is "No!" 5. What would the person I admire most think of this? My boyfriend, my girlfriend, my future wife, my future husband; my parents; some favorite teacher; what would Christ think of this? What would my future children think of me? I do not belong to myself alone. I cannot hurt myself without hurting others. I am all tied up in "the bundle of life" with others. People care about me; God cares. If those I admire most would be happy about this, the answer is "Yes!" 6. What will it do to my after self? Is this the kind of person I want to become? Maybe it makes little difference now, but if I continued this as a practice, what would I be like twenty years from now? Would I like myself? Every day is Judgment Day - step by step, I am becoming inexorably what I am to be. "A habit is first a cobweb, then a cable." I can be freed for greatness, or enslaved hopelessly by my own practices. Do I have the right to do today that which will destroy me tomorrow? If it will not turn out well twenty years from now, the answer is "No!" This can be illustrated by a unique story told by Reuel Howe. A little girl had disobeyed her mother. She felt guilty and, therefore, hostile toward her mother. The mother tried to help, but the child rejected her. Angry and hostile the child stamped out of the room, stamped up the stairs, went into her room and slammed the door. Alone in that upstairs room, the little girl, still possessed by the demon of guilt, and her rejection of her mother, saw her mother’s new party dress hanging on the door. She saw the scissors on the table She grabbed the scissors, like a little fiend, and mutilated the dress. The mother had followed the child upstairs, in love and concern, seeking to help She came into the room, saw what had happened, and fell brokenhearted across the bed, sobbing. The little girl could not stand it. She eased timidly up against the bed and whispered, "Mama." No reply, just more sobs Again, "Mama, Mama." No reply. Then, "Mama, Mama, please." Finally the mother responded through her sobs, "Please, what?" "Please take me back. Please take me back."3 (How long, how long will we resist God, because of our guilt, mutilating our lives and his world, before we cry out? "Please take us back. Please take us back.") The mother reached out her arm and drew her daughter close to her. That was all. That was enough. We all have our “Romans 7 moments” moments when we will to do good but do evil, or as Paul puts it in this morning’s text, “For I do not do the good that I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do” (7:19). The problem with human beings is that we have just enough of what Paul called his “inner self” or “true self,” what Isaiah called “the still small voice,” to know what we SHOULD do. But we lack the ability to actually DO it. Actually, what we “lack” is the wholeness and unity of spirit that would put us in a right relationship with God. What we have instead is a fallen nature, a fractured self, a fragmented soul which lives in a state removed from or in opposition to, God. It is that state we call “sin.” Jewish writer/holocaust survivor Chaim Potok wrote, “A man is born into this world with only a tiny spark of goodness in him. The spark is God; it is the soul; the rest is ugliness and evil, a shell. The spark must be guarded like a treasure; it must be nurtured; it must be fanned into flame. It must learn to seek out other sparks, it must dominate the shell” (The Chosen [1967]). Another Jewish writer/Christian martyr Paul of Tarsus recognized the existence of this “spark,” but realized that without divine deliverance the strength of sin would forever keep the damper down on our sacred spark: “For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate” (7:15). Human history is a litany of Romans 7 moments, of good deeds gone bad: Romans 8 God: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him . . . What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? (32) He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? . . . . (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (36) As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." (37) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (38) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, (39) neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Leonard Sweet Sermons, by Leonard Sweet