The Endurance of the Spirit

May 3, 2026 Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 7:55-60 The Endurance of the Spirit Year A Prelude Greeting Call to Worship (in response to Psalm 31) One: In challenging times, we turn to God, our rock and our refuge. Many: Our lives are in God’s hands – the One who will still our fears. One: We can trust God who blew Spirit into each of us, and guides us to full life. Many: May God’s face shine on us and on all who worship the Lord. One: The Lord provides redemption for each and for all. Many: Thanks be to God, who shows steadfast love to all creation! All: Today we praise God and take courage as we wait for the Lord. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer Abundant and Generous God, we’ve come to honor you in this hour, grateful for the gifts you pour out on us day by day. Accept our praise. Fill us with your Spirit so we might act in love toward those who stand in need all around us. Renew in each of us the recognition of Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life.” Turn our hearts to scripture to inspire us, even as we grow into salvation, encouraging us to taste and see that the Lord is good. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song A Sermon for all Ages The Apostles Creed – Ecumenical Version. UMH882 Prayer for illumination Your Word, O God, is a source of refuge and guidance. Lead us, and inspire our hearts and souls as we engage holy Scripture with our minds and spirits. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Jimmy Hoke) Scripture Acts 7:555-60 Sermon The Endurance of the Spirit The theme for our lesson today is rocks. We can find rocks everywhere. Rocks can be very useful, they absorb water, they can keep weeds from growing. Rocks can also do some damage, if they hit your windshield while driving, or someone throws it at your window. In our scripture for today – Steven, a prophet is killed by people throwing rocks at him. This story is important because Steven is the first Christian martyr. A martyr is someone killed for practicing their faith.. martyrs are our example of how to keep the faith in difficult situations. Remember the book of Acts is all about how the goodness of Christ spread throughout the world the work of the Holy Spirit. In this case, the hs uses death to encourage the disciples to move further out into the world. After Easter, they were couped up in one room. Eventually it became safe to meet in people’s houses. The houses got so crowded that they had to move to public spaces. And even that got crowded. Every time they met, they had a meal. People were coming for the free meal. It got too overwhelming for the apostles to do everything. To cook, serve, cleanup and also prepare a worship service. So they had the first church council meeting ever in order to get more help. 7 men were appointed to be helpers. IT was their job to prepare and serve the meal, while the apostles worked on worship. Steven was one of those 7 men. He became a deacon – literally a server. The word deacon is just a fancy word for helper. So that is how we got our offices of the church – apostle, elder, deacon. Today every denomination uses these words, but they give them different definitions. A deacon is usually a lay person who has been given a responsibility to forward the mission. The story does say that hands were laid on steven, so he may have been ordained. In church we all have a part to pay – whether it is cooking, mowing the grass, visiting, giving, or singing int eh choir, or sitting in the pew. The helpers are the most important part of the church. As I said, steven had hands layed on him – he also felt called to preach. His first sermon was a little long – that is why we don’t read all of chapter 7 today. He was honest with the people – telling him they were not living up to his faith. They were so insulted that they stoned him to death. As he was being killed – he prays for the crowd and forgives them. Just before he dies, he looks up and sees a dove, and he knows the holy spirit is with him. If you ever see a picture of a man crying and looking up at a dove – that is Steven. Also in that moment he says that he sees Jesus standing at the right of God in heaven. Most people see Jesus sitting. Steven’s unique vision of Jesus is our inspiration to not be afraid to stand up for our faith. They don’t stone people anymore. So we don’t have to be afraid to help out. We can live as Christians, to help those in need, to serve the church, to look for the dove in our lives. We don’t have to be afraid to respresent Christ, even if it means giving a tough sermon to someone. Willie James Jennings, Acts: “The church was born in the tight space between faith and fear and forever lives in that space. Only the Holy Spirit keeps that space from collapsing in on us.” Do we feel that tension? Do we fear only the loss of institutional power, or do we fear something more existential, more rooted in God’s justice and shalom? If our only fear is to keep the budgets filled and doors open, then perhaps our fear is misplaced, and we are no longer “The Church,” but a club grasping for relevance in a world that no longer needs us. The holy spirit is still working today. The disciples left Jerusalem and went throughout Europe, the word crossed the ocean and came to America and spread like wildfire – even here to Wilmington. The spirit is leading us to keep spreading the word whereever we go. Evangelism, stewardship, worship and music, aiding society, youth work - these are your ministries, ministries which laypeople can do well. If you accept those ministries, then the same thing that happened to Stephen will likely happen to you. I don't mean you'll be stoned to death - few Christians make such a sacrifice today. I mean what happened to Stephen before his death. Remember? Acts says, "And Stephen (became) full of grace and power (and) did great wonders and signs among the people." So enthused did he become by practicing his faith, he couldn't resist gathering people to preach to them. In doing this he discovered the secret to a vital faith - acting in the name of Christ will lead to a fervent love of Christ. My friends, I give you the same commission Peter gave Stephen. Accept the ministry God offers you. Accept it for the faith-lift it will give you. Accept it for what you can give him, his church, his world. CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, Prayer of the Day Our Way: you call us to celebrate your peace in a world which worships war; to celebrate your freedom in the face of oppression; to celebrate the seed of faith planted in the doubts of our hearts. Our Life: you would have us celebrate the safe ground of hope emerging from the flood of our tears; celebrate those who love us in the midst of hurt and hatred; celebrate our salvation as we struggle with sin. Our Truth: you teach us to celebrate our new life in the gift of the Risen Lord; to celebrate the grace of your heart which melts our fears; to celebrate that all our moments are cradled in your hands. Our Way, our Truth, our Life, we lift our prayers to you as we pray, saying… (Lectionary Liturgies, Thom Shuman) Lord’s Prayer A Moment for Stewardship As the sun’s presence lengthens in the northern hemisphere, trees burst into full green and flowers blossom in field and forest, we recognize the blessing of these days. Many feel the bubbling up of joy in response to Jesus’ resurrection. Many know the gifts of light, laughter, and love which confirm our growing into abundant LIFE. And we’re eager to taste and see the Lord is good! Sometimes that happens as the foundation of relationships grows more real in our congregation. Sometimes it happens as serendipity when we welcome strangers and find they become dear friends. Sometimes it happens as one gift inspiring another and soon the box is overflowing with what is offered. Today, you’re invited to share what you have already received: your time, your talent, your treasure (including moments of your life translated into the money). Let’s use this opportunity as one way to celebrate the One who calls us into marvelous light! Prayer of Thanksgiving Provider God, Thank you for offering your Realm to us here and now! In the resurrected Jesus, you show us the way, the truth, and the life. With these gifts, we cast our vote for that life: days of generosity instead of fear, hours of hope instead of daily despair. So help us use these offerings, trusting you to show your Way through our congregation, our community and throughout your cosmos. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Invitation to Communion You shape a safe place for us, Imaginative God, as you sent your Child, Jesus, to show us the Way. Born a tiny baby as we are, he showed us how to grow into your people. The cornerstone of your Realm, Jesus uses us to build a spiritual home for all. Committing his spirit to you, he entered the emptiness of death, so we might stand on the solid ground of the resurrected life. Once, we were nobodies, alone and hopeless, but by your mercy, we are now living your Truth, gathered in your love around this Table, where your Spirit shows us the Life of his bread and cup. You lean over to serve us the bread, enveloping us in your grace so we might be filled and sent to be your people. You offer us the cup of hope, which can heal our troubled hearts and strengthen us to serve your world. And when the Way leads us home to you, when your Life gathers us around the Table which is prepared by your Truth, we will sing glad songs of praise to you forever. So we come, eager to share this feast and live fully in you! (Lectionary Liturgies, thom Shuman) Communion Announcements Closing Prayer for YouTube Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in the power of God in you and through you. Do the work of loving God, neighbor, and self. Do the work of holding the complexity of life in tension with compassion and care. Do the work of believing a future with hope is possible. Do the work of nurturing that hope into a vision and vision into reality. Do the work of glorifying God by following the way of Christ and praying with our lives. Do the works. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction May God bless you as you leave this place to follow the Way, to seek after the Truth, and to rejoice in the Life of the Triune God who draws us together and sends us out to be agents of Resurrection life in a hurting world. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, October 2025. Indeed, all our lives we admire people who appear to be strong. At nine that may be the tough little kid who challenges his classmates on the playground. At 17 it could be the guy who has a hot car and breaks all the girls' hearts. At 25 it might be the aggressive young executive already climbing her way up the corporate ladder. But at some point, earlier or later, hopefully we begin to see an inner strength, and appreciate its superiority. Might, the promised gift of the Spirit, is that inner strength and the courage to act upon our convictions. Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah still comprised the earliest Christian community as Luke describes it in Acts. But among them were Greek-speaking Jews, and there were complaints that their needs were being neglected. So the disciples chose seven from that group to serve as their designated assistants. One of those seven was a man named Stephen. All we know of Stephen is Luke's description that he was a man "full of grace and power" and that he did "great wonders and signs among the people." And we know the incident that leads up to today's lesson: how the Jews challenged his preaching, had him arrested and placed before the council where he preached passionately and eloquently. They only became more deeply enraged, and dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. According at least to Luke's account, this then was the first Christian martyr. What had Stephen expected? The seven had been chosen to assist in the distribution of food to the widows. They were to wait on tables in order to free the apostles to devote themselves to prayer and to serving the word. To this end they received the laying on of hands from the twelve. Stephen's gifts were broader than that. So he preached. And his preaching was powerful enough not only to encourage believers but to threaten enemies. Had Stephen heard how Jesus had reassured his disciples the night before his own death? "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me...Peace I leave with you...not as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." Such invisible realities are expressed in more startling language in ancient times and by primitive peoples. A story in the Baltimore Sun about such a primitive tribe deep in the Lacondon Forest on the border of Mexico and Guatemala quoted one of the elders regarding such a truth. The old man observed that long ago his people had behaved properly in the homes of the gods. He told how everyone said -- and knew it was true -- that a person who would desecrate the homes of the gods by breaking a stone would die. "But now," the old man lamented, "our young people break the stones and shout, 'It is not true! See! I break the stones in the house of the gods and I do not die.' But they do not see that every time they break a stone, they die!" We die too each time we deny our Lord, whether we realize it or not. In so many familiar places, in routine situations, with people we know well, we have an opportunity to give witness to the love of God. Or, we deny, betray, make excuses, fail; then our faith is shaken and we die inside. None of us is fully, consistently faithful. So constantly we seek forgiveness, recon There is an old story about a rabbi who, while in Persia, found a great ruby. This was not just any ruby. It was a ruby that belonged in the emperor’s crown. An official crier was sent out who went about the capital with this message: “Whoever returns the emperor’s jewel within thirty days will be rewarded.” But then he added an ominous warning: “If it be found on him after thirty days his head will be cut off.” On the thirty-first day--a day after the deadline--the rabbi brought the ruby to the palace. The emperor asked, “Did you not hear the proclamation that the ruby must be returned within thirty days or the possessor of it will be beheaded?” The humble rabbi responded, “Yes, your majesty, I did on the first day.” The emperor asked, “Then why did you not return the ruby until now, the thirty-first day?” The rabbi responded, “I did not return it within the thirty days so that you could not say I returned it because I feared you. I returned it because I believe in God.” The emperor was impressed by the rabbi’s witness to his faith and he exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of these Jews.” (1) Clyde Reed, in his book, Celebrate the Temporary, writes, “One of the most common obstacles to celebrating life fully is our avoidance of pain. We dread pain . . . We would do anything to escape pain. Our culture reinforces our avoidance of pain by assuring us we can live a painless life. Advertisements constantly encourage us to believe that life can be pain free. But to live without pain is a myth . . . This is an unmistakable, clear, unalterable fact. Many of us do not realize that pain and joy run together. When we cut ourselves off from pain, we have unwittingly cut ourselves off from joy as well.” t is interesting that a few years ago manufacturers were able to produce iodine that did not sting. They thought this was the most wonderful product that could possibly be offered on the market--antiseptic iodine that had no sting. They began imagining the millions that their innovation would bring them. Unfortunately stingless iodine bombed in the marketplace no matter how effective it was as an antiseptic. Many people seemed to feel that without the sting the iodine must not be working. They refused to buy it. The company had to add an ingredient to their iodine to put the sting back in so that people would have confidence in their product. An old Scottish story tells of a man who feared he was on his death bed. He sent for an acquaintance with whom he had had a bitter quarrel and asked that they put away their feelings of enmity. The acquaintance agreed and started to leave the room. The old man rose up on his elbow and spoke one final word, “But remember, if I get well our old quarrel still stands.” We can understand his attitude. The need for revenge is a powerful emotion. However, compare his attitude with a woman in Florida who was raped, shot in the head, brutally mutilated and left to die. Astoundingly, she survived the ordeal--though she was left permanently blind. In a television interview the host of the show was reflecting on the bitterness she must feel because of the many scars she had from this experience that she would have to deal with the rest of her life. Her astonishing reply was something to this effect: “Oh, no! That man took one night of my life, I refuse to give him one additional second!” (3) Most of us are not as wise as that woman. She realized that forgiveness is more beneficial to the person who offers it than the person who receives it. Bitterness and resentment eat at the soul. Forgiveness is healing and a key to lasting joy. It is very difficult for us to identify with Jesus praying on the cross in behalf of those who had magine the scene. So rapidly had the church in Jerusalem been growing the Christians had long since moved out of the small homes in which they had met each night for dinner. Now they meet in a social hall which strives to be a family-style restaurant, but is degenerating into a soup kitchen. Scurrying about are the waiters - Philip and Matthew, Bartholomew and Nathan and most of the other disciples, juggling stacks of dishes in their fishermen's hands and undoubtedly dropping many of them. In the center stands maitre d' Peter, so busy telling stories about Jesus that he never sees the line of people standing at the door waiting to be seated. In the corner is James, shuffling from one foot to the other. Peter may be the center of attention, but James is the proprietor of the place. As Jesus' brother he's been appointed Bishop of Jerusalem. But he knows no more than the rest how to run a restaurant. Finally comes the explosion. "My widowed mother didn't get dinner!" explains someone in Greek. "We're not charging enough to make ends meet!" says another. "The food's burnt," comes another Greek voice. Leave it to the sophisticates who speak Greek to complain. "Enough!" says Peter, throwing up his hands. "Find someone else to do the cooking and serving. That's not the job of disciples." Then comes the watershed event. Stephen and six other levelheaded laypeople are quickly elected to run the meals. They roll up their sleeves, grab some aprons, and jump in, never realizing they have become the world's first church council. A while ago I attended a three-day seminar at a nearby seminary. While there I stayed with a friend of a friend, a young man my age named Bob. Bob is in his first year of preparing for ordination. For eight years he was a high school history teacher and had established a reputation for brilliance - he could motivate the most intransigent and expand the horizons of the slowest. Bob was also a dedicated Christian layman; he taught Sunday school, served on council, and was adored by all. Therein lay the problem. People could not resist the temptation of telling Bob, "Any young man, as dedicated to the church as you, should be a pastor." Finally he couldn't resist the pressure, and entered the seminary. He's not wildly enthused about his preparation for ordination, but he'll make a good pastor. The tragedy is, he was a great teacher. Peter did not ask for the appointment of Stephen and the others to do things the disciples simply did not have time for - unimportant things not worthy of disciples. Peter wanted them to perform functions which the disciples could not do well. They had bungled the administration of the church's welfare system; they didn't know how to feed the hundreds of people who came for dinner each night. So they turned to a group of people who could offer a ministry better than the disciples - laypeople. Things haven't changed greatly in 2000 years. There still are many ministries for laypeople to perform; many of them still can be done well only by laypeople. Consider some of the ministries laypeople can do better than pastors. The value of the laity's personal speaking of faith was recognized in the book The Total Image: Selling Jesus In The Modern Age. Author Virginia Owens writes, "It really is a very simple and obvious proposition I make: A person, whether human or divine, cannot be known - as a person rather than an image - except by immediate presence. If we want to project an image, either of Christians or the church, we can do that by means of television, magazines, books, billboards, movies, bumper stickers, buttons, records, and posters. If we want people to know Christ, we must be there face-to-face, bearing Christ within us." Our lesson from Acts says Christians were multiplying daily. There were not enough disciples to lead many people to Christ so quickly. Only laypeople could have done it. Stewardship is another ministry depending almost entirely on laypeople. A sanctuary for worship, books for Sunday school, professional musicians, newsetters - almost all of the programs of the church are possible only when funds are available. The more you give, the more programs of ministry we can offer. Many people consider the giving of money an embarrassing subject which should not be mentioned from the pulpit. They're often the same tight-fisted people who should be embarrassed by such a discussion. The Bible is very forth-right in its mention of money. It claims we own nothing and hold all we have as a trust from God. The instinct to acquire that makes America tick made the prophets furious. Jesus, whom the Bible records more often talking about money than about prayer, said wealth always is one of two things - dangerous or damnable. To soft-pedal stewardship is to concede the field to mammon. There are no luggage racks on hearses, goes the old adage. You can't take it with you. And why should we want do? After all, we are never more like God than when we give.

Getting in touch with the Spirit

June 8, 2025 Pentecost Sunday Acts 2: 1-21 Getting in Touch with the Spirit Year C Prelude Greetings Call to Worship (Inspired by Acts 2:1 and Psalm 104) One:.When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Many: We join for worship online and onsight, in real time and sometimes days later, and yet, One: The Holy One sends forth the Spirit. Many: Who unites us, connects us, and forms us as a community. One: We were created in spirit and in truth, wonderfully and fearfully, in the image of Holy Love. Many: God renews the face of the earth and the cosmos, this faith community and the church. One: May the glory of God the Fire endure forever! Many: Bless the Holy One, oh my soul. Praise God! (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Invocation Spirit of Unity, you knit us together with all of our connections and distinctions. You make us one and yet unique. We gather to hear your voice and to attune ourselves to the language of the other, to celebrate the diversity of your creation and to immerse ourselves in compassionate care, to give you glory and to recognize the gift of community. May our hearts be opened and our lips declare your praise. Inhabit our worship with your abiding presence and inflame us with your love. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Song I’m Going to Sing when the Spirit says Sing UMH 333 Pentecost Litany (do not print the litany) Reader 1: From the very instant of creation, your Holy Spirit moved on the waters of creation, bringing to life the creative love that is God. Reader 2: Even when the people were forgetful and stubborn, your Holy Spirit called to them to be unafraid, to follow. It led them through the desert to a land of sweet dwelling. Reader 1: During all the times of fear and tumult, you sang the song of hope through the prophets, who called people back to you with tender forgiveness. Reader 2: On a dark winter night you sang your sweetest song and birthed a Savior who came to being us life and witness to your love and power. Reader 1: At the lakeshore you called to the simple people, the fishermen, to come and follow you. They witnessed your miracles of healing and forgiving love. Reader 2: When the night seemed to be the darkest, even though it was mid-day - you gave your Son to be a witness to your love. From his cross He forgave those who crucified Him and reminded a thief that paradise would be his home. Reader 1: On the early morning, the women were startled with the news of His resurrection. Could it be that all he had said was true? Reader 2: The disciples hid in fear of what others might say, think or do. They were astonished at his presence to them. Reader 1: Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness, help us to dream dreams and see visions of all that is possible for the healing and hope for this world. Reader 2: Help us cross lines which divide and unite to proclaim boldly that you are the Spirit of Absolute Love and Peace. Emblazon our spirits. Make bold our voices. Give joy to our hearts, for we have been called to be witnesses, even to the ends of the world. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) A Sermon for all Ages The bible says that God is a spirit, and that we can’t never see the face of God. But we can look all around and see evidence that the spirit of God is among us. Our story says that we can hear the spirit in the wind, we can see the spirit in the fire, we can tell that the spirit is alive and well all around us. But the best place to look for the spirit is inside of each of us. If God is around in our lives, you can look at our lives and tell that the spirit is alive and well – through how we live and the things that we do. Today is a special day – Pentecost – the day we acknowledge the presence of the spirit amongst us. One of the ways that we can see God’s spirit is in the baptism of our young people. Today we have a baptism….. Baptism Scripture Acts 2:1-21 Sermon Getting in touch with the Spirit A church going family took a little girl who was visiting with them to church one Sunday. This girl had never been to church in her life but seemed to enjoy the experience. When they returned home and were eating lunch, they asked the girl what she thought about the experience. She said she liked it, but she was confused about one thing. She asked why the Whole West Coast wasn't included. Nobody in the family knew what she was talking about. So, she explained, "The man in the front kept talking about the Father, Son and Whole-East-Coast." (1) Pentecost is the celebration of the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit. Jesus has been promising that the spirit would come to support us. He said that he needed to step out of the way, so that the spirit could step in. Pentecost is the last day of the Easter season, and it is also celebrated as the beginning of the church. Carla Gorrell, Looks Like a Conspiracy ___________________________ Pentecost literally means 50 days after Easter or Passover. It is the end of spring and the beginning of summer. Originally it marked the end of the wheat harvest. This is a good time to switch gears. The disciples were in Jerusalem for Pentecost when the spirit arrived and they were able to see how people from all over the world were affected by the coming of the spirit. People were able to understand God speaking to them in many languages. They received confidence to go out and preach the gospel. The spirit has been working in the world every since, and none of us have ever been the same. Deuteronomy 28 makes promises that those who obey God will receive 7 blessings in life. The 7 blessings of Pentecost, a term often used in Christian theology, generally refer to a set of seven supernatural blessings that are released during the Feast of Pentecost, a season of celebration and renewal. These blessings are typically understood as God's favor and provision upon His people, addressing various aspects of human need. While specific lists and interpretations vary, common themes include: power, peace, protection, presence of the Spirit, prosperity, provision, and perfection. Here's a more detailed breakdown of the concept: • Power: This refers to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to overcome obstacles and accomplish God's will. • Peace: This signifies inner tranquility and assurance, even amidst life's challenges. • Protection: This blessing relates to God's protective care for believers and their families, shielding them from harm and evil. • Presence: This speaks to the closeness and intimate connection believers have with God, receiving wisdom and strength from His presence. • Provision: This blessing refers to God's provision for all needs, including financial, material, and spiritual resources. • Perfection: This refers to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, molding believers into the image of Christ. • Prosperity: This signifies God's favor and abundance in various areas of life. The disciples saw all of those blessings at work in the people who were willing to follow God in the spirit of Christ. During Jesus ministry he spent six months teaching, talking about the spirit and God’s intention for the world. The disciples spent the next six months learning to live in those lessons. Today, we relive that rhythm. Six months hearing God’s word and God’s intention, and six months putting those lessons into action. Pentecost is the halfway point telling us to switch directions. The good news is that the blessings of the spirit are available to all of us – young or old, long time member or first time visitor. God’s power is there for all of us, we just have to be ready to use it. This is a good day to ask ourselves if we are ready to live in God’s power. The power of God is all around us, are we ready to live in it, and to make the world that we dreamed about a reality? Do we really want to pray always, do we really like disruptions, can we endure being scorned by society, do we want to leave our comfort zones, do we want to be with everyone? Do we want God to change us, what is our response to Pentecost? The Keys to the Car There are transitional moments in life that confirm something tremendous has taken place. One of those moments occurs in a teenager's life and in lives of the parents of that particular teenager, when a mom or a dad gives to him or her the keys to the car for the first time for a solo run. What a transitional moment this is! Many of us have already experienced this. Some of you still have to experience it in life, but, I guarantee you, it's going to happen. It's going to be a step of growth for you. It's a time when you release to your child into an adult world. It's a change in your son or daughter's life from which they are never going to turn back. It's a moment in which you are giving your child an adult responsibility. It is a transitional moment for the child also because the teenager recognizes that he has been given a great responsibility. It's an adult responsibility. He also realizes that this is something that he needs to take care with because great trust has been put in him. Teenagers need to prove to their parents that the validity of their faith in them is correct. In the Scripture for today, Jesus does something very similar for His followers. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you." Jesus is tossing the keys to the kingdom to His disciples. He is demonstrating that He is accepting them as His followers but He is also demonstrating to them that He is entrusting to them the message of the gospel. He gives to them a great privilege. He is showing them that He believes in them. Don Walker, Commissioned to a New Ministry In Luke’s story the spirit came into the world like a powerful wind. In the book of John, the spirit came like a quiet spirit. Whether loud or quiet, there are many ways to tell that the Pentecost spirit is alive and well today. Some Pentecost Thoughts As I see it, the Holy Spirit is graciously and unobtrusively busy all over the place. The quiet Helper. The unpretentious Friend. The Helper is quietly at work: in the sincere concern of a friend for our health, in those who take a stand against injustice, in the grace of folk who go the second mile, in the inner resources we discover in times of crisis, in those who dare to go against the tide of popular opinion, in the grace that enables us to admit when we are wrong, in the resilience of people who fight for the rights of others, in those who surrender some of their rights for the larger good, in times when we share the Gospel in spite of our inadequacy, in finding joy in unexpected places, in taking on responsibilities that we once thought beyond us, in refusing to let the greed of society take over our soul, in giving thanks always, even through the hard times of life, in rising above past failures and putting past hurts behind us. in finding a central core of peace in the midst of turmoil, in daring to laugh in situations where some would curse, in knowing ourselves to be children of God, in knowing ourselves loved, even when we have been very unlovable. Bruce D. Prewer, Some Pentecost Thoughts The best place to look for the spirit is always inside of our own hearts. God Works from the Inside Out - Acts 2:1-13 A little girl was visiting her grandmother one beautiful spring morning. They walked out into grandmother’s flower garden. As grandmother was inspecting the progress of her flowers the little girl decided to try to open a rosebud with her own two hands. But no luck! As she would pull the petals open, they would tear or bruise or wilt or break off completely. Finally, in frustration, she said, “Gramma, I just don’t understand it at all. When God opens a flower, it looks so beautiful but when I try, it just comes apart.” “Well, honey,” Grandmother answered, “There’s a good reason for that. God is able to do it because He works from the inside out!” God Works From the Inside Out. That is the great message of Pentecost Sunday, isn’t it? This is what the disciples finally came to understand at Pentecost. Jesus had ascended into heaven. And He had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. Here is where the story of Pentecost picks up. The disciples are back in the Upper Room waiting and wondering and some of them were probably grumbling impatiently and nervously. What in the world are we doing here? All this waiting around is driving me up the wall! There’s no use. He’s gone and without Him, we are nothing. It’s over! We’d just as well face it. What is this Holy Spirit business anyway? Maybe we misunderstood Him. Just then they heard a sound. The breath of God began to blow on that place like the rush of a mighty wind. Images of fire danced around them. Suddenly, their fear was gone, replaced by peace and confidence, courage and strength and unity and they began to speak and communicate the word of God boldly and amazingly people from all different backgrounds heard and responded and 3,000 people were converted that day. It’s interesting to note that the three classic symbols for the Holy Spirit in the Bible remind us of how God works through us and how God works from the inside out. Do you remember what they are? The three traditional symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible: Breath: the symbol of Life. Fire: the symbol of Power. The descending dove: the symbol of Peace. Let’s take a look at these one at a time.... • Without Pentecost, we’d just be people who tell Jesus’ story. With Pentecost, we’re people who live into Jesus’ story” (Danielle Shroyer, The Hardest Question blog) • Consecrate that Trumpet to God • While preaching a revival in Florida, a man told me that, as a young man, he had played with Artie Shaw's band. His father had been a concert pianist, but neither of them knew the first thing about Christian music. One day the young man was invited by a friend to play his trumpet at a huge Billy Sunday evangelistic crusade. He did it, and then, at the close of the service, as he stood there watching Billy Sunday pray with those who had responded to the call, the great evangelist looked up, saw him, came over to him, and said, "Young man, have you consecrated that trumpet to God?" "I had no idea what he was talking about -- consecrate. So when I shook my head, Billy Sunday took me to an old wooden folding chair, laid my trumpet on it, put his hands -- one on the horn and the other on my shoulder -- and prayed and gave us both to God." Then the man continued, "And you know, Barbara, it made a difference. It made a difference the way I played that trumpet and it made a difference in me!" The Holy Spirit does make a difference. He makes a big difference! Let him fill you today. Drink deeply of this Divine New Wine. There is no telling what he will do for you, with you, and through you!" • Grapes of Wrath Or Grace, Barbara Brokhoff, CSS Publishing Company Whatever you do, do it to the glory of God! Let’s pray…… Song Spirit of the Living God UMH 393 Pastoral Prayer We would like to settle into a nice, comfortable routine, Lord, in which we don’t have to do much of anything, just sit back and relax. We are tired and wonder if we have anything left to give of our talents, our spirits, our lives. So the story of the disciples hiding in the upper room is not uncomfortable for us. We want to hide, too. But you have come to us in your resurrection love - we have seen the prints of the nails in your hands and feet, we have felt the wound in your side. We have been with you on the seashore, but we still quiver with fear and uncertainty. Send your Holy Spirit upon us today! Let the rushing wind of your spirit, stir us up to action for good and healing. Let the flame of your power ignite our hearts with passion for justice and peace. As we have brought names of people to prayer this day asking for healing mercies, may we also add our names, asking for empowerment and renewal of our spirits. Take us and use our gifts and our talents for healing in your world. Help us to be bold in our proclamation of your great Good News of love and hope. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment It’s all about layers. God breathing life into dust. Moses leading people out of slavery into freedom. Hagar calling on God to remember God’s covenant. Layer after layer. Mary saying yes. Jesus breaking bread. Young people seeing visions. Elders dreaming dreams. Our ancestors building a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. Going above and beyond church as it’s always been. Beyond borders and barriers. Beyond us and them. Building layers of community and color, spirituality and vision, justice and joy. Proclaiming the good news that Spirit is still breathing new life and breaking new bread. God’s people are still seeing visions and dreaming dreams. You’re invited to add your layer today as we receive our offering, for this congregation, and our special Pentecost offering to aid in building new congregations. With joy-filled hearts, let us bring our gifts, our tithes and our offerings. Prayer of Thanksgiving Giver of Life, receive all we offer you today. May the Spirit you poured out at Pentecost continue to work in the world through these gifts, transforming them from check and coin into acts of life-enhancing service. Breathe once more into each of us, inspiring us to offer not only our finances, but also our lives, in gratitude for the ways you fill us. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May God, who gives us a spirit of adoption, bless you today, carrying you on the winds of the Spirit into the world to share the love, grace, and family that have been so lavishly given to each and every one of us. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, October 2024. Community Time - Joys and Concerns Benediction Awesome Spirit! You have inspired us this day to be witnesses to God’s love and power. Help us to be joyful in our service and strong in our faith for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we go in peace, with God’s peace in our hearts. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations You Are in the Spirit It’s like the story of the shark and the whale. Both were swimming in the sea when the shark swam up to the whale to engage in conversation. As they swam along, the shark said to the whale, “You are so much older than I, and wiser too. Could you tell me where the ocean is?” The whale responded, “The ocean is what you are in now.” The shark would not believe it. “Come on, tell me where the ocean is so I may find it!” The whale repeated, “The ocean is here, now; you are in it.” Unbelieving, the shark swam away searching for the ocean. The moral of the story, I believe, is this: don’t spend too much time looking for God because the Spirit of God is here in the now of your life, dwelling within you, within me, within this community. And that truth is nurtured in prayer. Susan M. Fleenor, The Indwelling Spirit of Pentecost What Churches Need “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”—E.M. Bounds √ The End Is the Beginning The end of the gospel of John always sends us back to the beginning. Every ending always implies the beginning of something new. On December 31st, the last day of the year, we celebrate the beginning of the New Year. Pregnancy ends with the delivery of a baby, and a new life begins—for both the parents and the baby. When you finish High School, you enter a new world of college or work. Jesus’ death on the cross was an ending, but it was also a beginning. _________________________ The Ability to Hear Communication, an ability to hear, to know what other people "are getting at" and "where they're coming from," has got to be one of the chief characteristics of the effective pastor. I want to be a good communicator, a skillful preacher. Yet before that, I know that I must be a good listener. As someone has said, "A preacher must listen for six days a week -- listening to God and to the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the congregation -- for the right to speak one day a week." I agree. Yet our modern world has also shown us how difficult, how very, very difficult, it is to hear. A number of years ago, Deborah Tannen, wrote, Why I Can't Hear You. It was a book about the difficulty of communication between women and men. Men and women speak different languages, says Tannen. When men are trying to say, "I need you to help me," they say it in ways which women can't hear. Likewise, when women say, "Give me some space; I need to be more independent for awhile," men get the message all messed up and hear something else. Add to this gender-gap, the gaps in our communication due to differences in economics, education, race and class, what hope is there for us ever to understand one another? The story we have read today, the story of Pentecost, is a story about hearing. Remember the Genesis story of the Tower of Babel, that time when the original "one language and few words" of humanity was disrupted forever by the profusion of languages and speech? Some believe that this Pentecost story is meant to signify a gracious reversal of Babel. William Willimon, How Can I Hear You? Sermon Opener or Ender for Pentecost Welcome to Pentecost in the Year 2008! It is a time to open up to the mind-blowing, heart-warming, life-changing power of God. The power of God can invade the body, inflate the mind, swell the soul, lift the Spirit and make us more than we ever imagined. It'll make you young when you're old, and it'll make you live even when you die. The power and presence of the Spirit will disturb, delight, deliver and lift. When God sends forth the Spirit, "the whole face of the earth is renewed." When God sends forth the Spirit chaos is changed into creation the Red Sea opens up to a highway of freedom. When God sends forth the Spirit: A young woman says "Yes". Jesus is born and life is never the same. When God sends forth the Spirit amazing things happen: [Ask the congregation to join you by repeating the following] barriers are broken, communities are formed, opposites are reconciled, unity is established, disease is cured, addiction is broken, cities are renewed, races are reconciled, hope is established, people are blessed, and church happens. Today the Spirit of God is present and we're gonna’ have church. So be ready, get ready...God is up to something... [Read these yourself with no response] discouraged folks cheer up, dishonest folks 'fees up, sour folks sweeten up, closed folk, open up, gossipers shut up, conflicted folks make up, sleeping folks wake up, lukewarm folk, fire up, dry bones shake up, and pew potatoes stand up! But most of all, Christ the Savior of all the world is lifted up... Rick Kirchoff, Germantown United Methodist Church, Opening remarks to the 2000 Memphis Annual Conference. _____________________ A New Way of Seeing We are too often stuck in seeing the world in only one way and forget that we can be led to different viewings. A wealthy oil baron once commissioned Picasso to paint a portrait of his wife. When the work was completed, the baron was shocked to see the image that had been created. "Why that looks nothing like my wife! You should have painted her the way she really is!" Picasso took a deep breath and said, "I'm not sure what that would be." Without hesitation, the oil baron pulled out his wallet and removed a photograph of his wife saying, "There, you see, this is a picture of how she really is! Picasso, bending over, looked at it and replied, "She is rather small and flat, isn't she?" The point is clear: The man was so wrapped up in HIS view of his wife he could not understand anyone else's view of her. On the day of Pentecost there were many Jews who understood, who saw Gods new view of the world through the eye of the Spirit but there were also many there who did not, who could not see the world around them in any other way than the way it had always been. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com. Adapted from: Bradford Keeney, Everyday Soul, New York: Riverhead Books, 1996. Be Patient. The Spring Will Come. Robert Schuller tells of a winter at home, when his dad needed firewood. He found a dead tree and sawed it down. In the spring, to his dismay, he found new shoots had sprouted from the trunk. He said to his son, "I thought sure it was dead; the leaves had dropped, the twigs snapped, it seemed as if there was no life there. But now I see there is still life at the taproot of the old tree." He looked at his boy and said, "Bob, don't forget this important lesson. Never cut down a tree in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in a low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst mood. Wait. Be patient. The spring will come." And so, the disciples waited 24 hours, then another day, then a week, and now it has been 10 days, but still they waited - waited and prayed! R. Robert Cueni, Tenders of the Sacred Fire, CSS Publishing Company. __________________ • From the Lit Liturgy Podcast: “Christmas is stupid without Easter. Easter is pointless without Pentecost.” • If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. Deuteronomy 28:1-3 The kingdom that we talked about for six months comes to fruition – six months of talking, six months of doing It has been 7 weeks since Jesus died 4 reasons for Pentecost – think what God thinks, feel what God feels, want what God wants, do what God does End of wheat festival

Be Careful what you ask for

February 9, 2025 Luke 5:1-11 Be Careful what Blessings You ask For 5th Sunday of Epiphany Year B Fill My Life with Meaning Prelude Greeting Call to Plenty Leader: As we continue to examine how we might be transformed into devotees of the economy of Jesus, we remember this week that abundant lives are ones filled with meaning. Work and play are important parts of life but in the economy of Jesus, we are also called to fill our jars with meaning. What does this “mean,” so to speak? Amassing more resources than we need is a game that can leave us empty and can make us feel frightened even though we have enough. But when our lives are spent playing a different game of communal cooperation and transformation, we find a richness of soul and more than enough even in hard times. “Abundance” (sing refrain only) See music assets in your downloads God’s abundance is for all, no one is left outside, kin-dom come, all people one in trust and love abide. In this world of striving, we feel the yearn to earn. The world measures our worth in those earnings. But Jesus had different ideas. Where they held tight to their narrow worldview, he offered new interpretations that opened their minds to abundance. When we feel our own resources are lacking, we can view our lives and practices again from the economy of Jesus. Let us pray: God of Transformation, we come to you today, weary from fishing on the same old side of the boat, frustrated that the tools we have often fail to yield the results we desire. In the midst of our striving, remind us that we can choose new ways of doing things, to shift our perspective so that we may see Hymn Holy, Holy, Holy UMH 64 A Sermon for all Ages Leader: Welcome, children! We are so glad you are here [and for those joining us through the screen, welcome to you, too]. Remember these six big stone jars from last week? We are talking about the generosity of Jesus and these BIG jars represent how BIG the heart of Jesus is for each one of us. He wanted everyone to have plenty of everything they need, and now it is up to us to keep helping him do that. I have something here in my pocket that I want to show you [pull out a dollar bill]. What is this? [let them respond] Yes! It is a dollar. What does it mean? [pause to let them respond… this is a trick question so they might not have an answer] That’s a weird question, isn't it? Actually, it is a trick question. By itself, it doesn’t “mean” anything. Let’s get out our Jesus Piggy Bank for this week and see if we can answer that question in a better way. [pick up the third piggy and shake it gently] Oh my. This one seems to be empty! Wait… here is another note, just like the last three weeks! Let’s see what’s up! [open a note that has been taped to the piggy bank] “Dear children. I am so grateful for your help in spreading goodness, gratitude, and generosity all around! I know all the other piggy banks had things in them already. But this one needs help from your friends out there in the seats! I think they have something to put into the piggy bank. Will you go ask them? But remember, the dollars won’t stay in the jar for very long because we have plans for good use of it. We don’t keep things locked up all the time just filling our banks with more and more and more. We look at what we already have, and the fun is in figuring out how to give it away! Always yours, Jesus.” [invite the children to go collect cash money from the congregation… organize this as best works in your space] Wow! [shake the piggy bank (you might have someone drop a few coins in it, not just dollars, so it makes some noise)] Now we have enough to make some meaning! Hmmm… I can see we haven’t figured out what that “means” yet (hahaha)! Well, I have a page from a catalog right here, and we can pick out something to do with our Jesus Piggy Bank money. [use a catalog for an organization like Heifer International… adapt the next paragraph if you use something different - see the example PDF in your downloads] I think that we have enough money collected to make a gift to a family of a flock of baby chicks! Here is what it says, “Your flock of chickens gift donation helps provide a family in need with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks, along with the training that will empower them to turn your donation into a lifetime of opportunity. Each flock of chicks: 1) Provides eggs and protein for nourishment; 2) Boosts income through sales of extra eggs and offspring; 3) Ensures security for generations through Passing on the Gift.” Can you believe that what’s in this little piggy bank can do all that? Yes! And then we know what this [hold up the original dollar] “means.” What this means is that a family somewhere will have enough to eat, to make a better life, and it will last for a long, long, time through their children and their children. We can make a BIG difference even when we start small. We just have to take the time and make the effort, which is something God gives us every day. This week I invite you to see if someone wants to add coins or dollars to our piggy bank to help us buy more chickens for families who need them [let people know how they can contribute, especially to those online]. Every penny, every nickel, every quarter, every dollar helps… nothing is too small because when we put it all together, we have more goodness to give away. It will be so fun to send our love by sending chickens! Let’s pray a repeat-after-me prayer, and then we’ll go [instructions per usual for your church]. Dear Jesus… [children repeat, etc.] thank you for showing us… how to to share… thank you for showing us… how to to care… help us to know… that there is no doubt… the gifts that you give us… can never run out… there’s so much in store… that we’ll give it away… making sure there’s enough… for ALL every day… Amen… Responsive Reading Psalm 138 UMH 853   The Peace Leader: Just as our worth as humans is not dependent on the bottom line of our bank accounts, our relationships are not dependent upon the earning of favors and the limitations of “quid pro quo.” The peace of Christ has no limits, and we get more just by giving it. So may jar-fulls of peace be with you today. People: And also with you. Leader: You are invited to pass the “plethora of peace” among you, remembering to pass it to those joining us remotely. Scripture Luke 5:1-11 Sermon Be Careful What Blessings you Ask For Sermon Opener - Jesus Said: “Try Again” - Luke 5:1-11 Here is the good news for today from Luke 5:1-11. This is the Word of God! A word of great encouragement and hope. Hope is the unique signature of the Christian gospel. What makes a Christian a Christian is this inability to quit hoping. A new gift from God is at work on our behalf, at all times in all circumstances. The crowds had pressed Jesus right up to the edge of the water at the Sea of Galilee to hear the Word of God. There he came upon three defeated men. They had fished all night and had only an empty boat to show for their efforts. They had worked hard but had failed. It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a children’s book. It’s one of my favorite books of theology. It’s about a little boy for whom nothing goes right. The story opens with these words: "I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day… I think I’ll move to Australia. In the car pool Mrs. Gibson let Becky have a seat by the window. Audrey and Elliott got seats by the window, too. I said I was being smushed. I said, if I didn’t get a seat by the window, I’m going to be carsick and throw up. No one ever answered. I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. And, that’s just the way it turned out. That night the little fellow said, “It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that. Even in Australia.” Life does not stand still. There isn’t a once-for-all experience. It was Winston Churchill who said, “Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts.” There are going to be bad days. Sometimes we are going to fall on our respective faces. These failures don’t have to be endings. They can be the avenue to experience God’s grace more widely and more deeply. Jesus of Nazareth gets into the boat with the three defeated men… Alexander was convinced the he was having a bad day, and that he was pretty unlucky. Just as Alexander felt unlucky in church, I think that many of us feel unlucky in our faith. We are convinced that no one wants to come to church anymore – the church is in decline, Christianity is dead. So it is interesting that one of the early lessons of Jesus in the book of Luke – Jesus teaches the disciples about God’s gift of abundance. The bible has a long history of abundance stories – the tradition goes all the way back to Elijah. In the midst of a famine, Elijah goes to a woman’s house and asks her to feed him. She explains that she is about to eat her last meal before starving. She feeds Elijah and miraculously has enough corn meal to make food for two weeks. And life gets better. Elijah assures her to always believe that God will provide. Luke apparently loves abundance stories, he tells them throughout the gospel, but also in the book of Acts. According to Luke, when the church was founded it grew by leaps and bounds – it was a gift of abundance. In our scripture today Luke tells a story of abundance. I always look forward to hearing about the time when Jesus needed a boat to speak to the people. The fishermen give him their boat, when Jesus is done, he asks them how fishing is going. And they report that things are not going well. They have been out all night and nothing. Jesus suggests that maybe they should change up some things, maybe fish in the day, put the nets out on a different side. They don’t believe anything will happen, but they still listen. And low and behold – they catch so much fish that there is no room for the people in the boat. All of their boats are filled. Can you imagine this scene 2000 years ago, when they would have needed to get rid of all of that fish as soon as possible – or it would start to stink everywhere. I would imagine that they were knocking on neighbors doors far and wide giving away fish so that it did not go to waste. At least if that story happened today – we have an organized way to deal with it. We even have refrigerators to store the fish and cars to drive it to neighbors far away. We have a church, that is equipped to deal with abundance. And yet we still need to be reminded of God’s abundance amongst us. The church is not unlucky because we have Jesus. When we hear this story with modern ears – it is easy for us to get misled. We think this story is talking about the disciples and what they did to catch fish. We think that God’s abundance is about techinique, we think that abundance is something that we create. About doing something different. We have to remember that abundance is from God, not our efforts. Remember Luke’s story is about how the spirit was at work in the presence of Jesus. The characters around Jesus are inconsequential to the story. In this sstory, Jesus even gives the fishermen something to do. He tells them to recast their nets in a different place, But in reality, it is God who does all of the work. Everyone benefits. This story is not just about abundance, it is about what we do in response to abundance. It is the story about how Peter and the other fishermen flowed from adoration, to confession to commitment. They were willing to listen to Jesus even when it didn’t make sense. And their lives were changed forever. They became disciples. Notice how Peter recognized the work of the spirit. He know that waters, and he knew that there was nothing there. And yet through god’s actions that fish were plentiful. When he recognizes the work of God, he pauses and pays his respect. He says that words that many prophets before his have said – Lord I am not worthy of this attention because I am a sinner. That is his confession. I’m Just a Simple Housewife Once upon a time, in the late 60’s a new pastor came to a parish. Up until his arrival, the parish had pretty much limped along with the support of those folks who had grown up in the flourishing parishes of the pre-Vatican II days. They thought of the parish as a place where they belonged. However, there was little encouragement from the priests of the parish to respond to the challenges of the Council. The new pastor, though by no means a young man, still was enthusiastic about the ideas of the council. He was disappointed that so few of the parishioners showed any concern about the issues discussed at the council and that many of them were not even receptive to the new ideas. So he gathered together a group of men and women that seemed interested in some of his ideas and began holding weekly small group discussions with them. This was the time when most wives were not working so eventually a woman became the leading force of the group. Eventually, the pastor asked her to head up a program that would be offered to the entire parish. At first she demurred. "I’m just a simple housewife," she said. "I couldn’t organize anything. And I don’t know if the other members of our group would want me to do this or even help me do it." But the pastor persisted in his request, telling her she could do it. All she had to do was try and the others would follow her. And sure enough, she did what he expected she would do, She threw herself into organizing a program, appointing people to the various tasks necessary to make the program a success and eventually had developed an ongoing adult religious education program for the community. No one was more surprised at how successful the program was than the woman herself . No one was more confident that it would be successful than the pastor. Fr. Arthur M. Greeley _______________________ God works with ordinary people in ordinary situations. Some of the greatest miracles happen in the course of our lives. But it takes hindsight for us to even see it. We were worried about something and God handled it, we thought that there wouldn’t be enough and God provided, we were in a culture of scarcity- and some how we survived. We never even realized what was happening, until after it happened. Just like Jesus kept the disciples busy during the process, life keeps us busy. But we didn’t do anything special – God did all of he hard work. Catching or Getting Caught? As a boy I was never good at catching things, except a cold now and then. I tried to catch a pony to ride and failed. The butterfly trip was a disaster. I tried catching frogs but didn't try too hard because I didn't know what I would do with them once I caught them. Fish weren't my favorite for eating, so catching them was no treat, because I knew it implied that I would eat them with delight rather than gagging on them, which I always did. I never was good at catching things. A major church denomination has as its theme, "Catch the Spirit." As usual, the church got it backward. We are not to set our sights at catching or getting, but allowing ourselves to be caught. We are invited to be caught by a spirit that helps us make a giving instead of a living. The greatest spiritual arrogance is seen in the language of "catching." People are in search of God and will write endless numbers of books telling one how to find God. The truth of the gospel is that we cannot find God, but there are places we can go and things we can do where God can find us! The joy in Christian living is not in the catching but in the vulnerability of being caught by the one who made us in the first place. Catch the spirit? No! You can't. Be caught by the spirit? Of course! Life begins there. Richard A. Wing, Deep Joy for a Shallow World, CSS Publishing Company _____________________ The Greek word catch means to hold onto and to keep alive. It is the spirit that catches us. But we have to realize that it is there. Fishermen have a reputation for telling big fish stories about the catch of their lives. About the big one. Humor: Fishermen It's like a man who had spent a fruitless day fishing. In desperation he picked out three fat fish at the local market. "Before you wrap them," he said to the clerk, "toss them to me, one by one. That way I'll be able to tell my wife I caught them and I'll be speaking the truth." Fishermen must be all alike. Someone has said that the only thing that casts doubt on the miracles of Jesus is that they were all witnessed by fishermen. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com _________________ Luke tells us this fish story to give us some hope in a culture of scarcity. He wants us to hear the story of the gift of abundance – to get us to listen. In the story, Jesus tells these fishermen that they will have to same success in fishing for people. Doubters – who see nothing in life but scarcity. The disciples were so committed to the good news of abundance – they went out and spread it to the whole world. If Jesus could make a group of motely fishermen successful beyond their wildest dreams – imagine what he can do for us – and we have cars, refirgerators- and most importantly we have the church. How can we teach about the gift of abundance in a world of scarcity? What is it that we need to do? What techniques do we need to learn? Maybe we just need to be reminded that abundance is a gift from God. All of the gospels tell the story of Jesus calling his disciples. And in most versions Jesus says come follow me. In Luke’s story – jesus doesn’t extend the invitation – Peter realizes for himself. He witnesses the presence of God and knows that he needs to be a part of it. When God calls us, God gives us a task, God provides the resources. God calls us to do our part to be a part of a larger story. There is always other things going on that we are a part of. Things just flow and they fall into place. When God Calls Andrew Young is known to many of us for his civil rights leadership and for his service as ambassador to the United Nations, as a member of Congress, as mayor of Atlanta, and as an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Several years ago he wrote his spiritual memoirs, entitling them A Way Out of No Way, based on the title of an old African-American spiritual. Andrew Young captures something of the experience of those first disciples of Jesus, when he writes in his memoirs: I have found that when God calls anyone to a task, there is usually a larger plan of which any one person is only a small but significant part. The way is already prepared. There are problems and challenges to be faced, but these are often there to help us grow stronger. . . . I have come to understand that all of these obstacles are but a part of the divine process. Just as weightlifters get stronger by increasing the weight and strain on their muscles through practice and repetition, so spiritual strengthening comes as we learn to follow the plan of God and spiritually discern the hand of God guiding our lives. When the Lord calls any of us to a task, there is usually a moment in which everything seems to work itself out. Joel D. Kline, God’s Surprising Call ______________________ God’s abundance is not always about boats overflowing with fish, or having the largest church in town. It is about leaving room for God in the midst of our doubts. It is about allowing God to speak in the situation. Make Room for God Many years ago Oswald Chambers said to a group of students in a college chapel service: We have to learn to make room for God -- to give God “elbow room.” We calculate and estimate, and say that this and that will happen, and we forget to make room for God to come as he chooses. Expect him to come, but do not expect him only in a certain way. At any moment he may break in. Always be in a state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come as he likes. Life is anything but predictable! Human nature is not fixed and settled. We live under hope. That hope is rested in God, not the situation. James T. Garrett, God's Gift, CSS Publishing Company _______________________ Let us pray for the spirit to move, and for us to be faithful enough to recognize God’s presence when we see it. Amen. Hymn Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise UMH 103 Prayers of the People Leader: In the economy of Jesus, we find abundance in the most unlikely places. We ask for God’s guidance to discern when we need to change direction or try things differently. We find abundant meaning in the midst of life’s uncertainties when we look to Jesu Each week of this series we will be focusing on naming gifts of abundance we have received in the week, instances where we have seen the abundance of Christ at work in the world, and we will ask for the wisdom and strength to change so that abundance is more available to all. There are notecards in the pews/seats and, if you wish to do so, you are invited in the pause between these petitions to write your observations and we will add them to the six stone jars as a sign of thanksgiving and commitment. In this pause, O God, we ponder the many gifts you have given us. Our gratitude seems never enough for the plenty you provide. We call to mind the gifts of creation, of relationships, of sustenance. [pause] In this pause, Christ Jesus, we ponder the ways your love is still at work in the world. Our awe and wonder at the goodness of others is profound. We call to mind acts of kindness, generosity, and selflessness. [pause] In this pause, Holy Spirit, we come asking you for strength. The temptation to live by the economics of not-enough is so strong in us. We ask for revelation in our thinking and doing, so that we might live with meaning in the house. [pause] Loving God, Christ Jesus, Holy Spirit, we are yours. We bring to you now the concerns of our day, of our communities, knowing that already you are present, already you are working to bring about comfort and healing. Today we pray for…. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment (consider using CH #342, Tu Has Venido a la Orilla in Spanish and/or English as an offertory. Perhaps a soloist? Your choir? Or the congregation, singing in Spanish and/or English) Appearing in Matthew and Mark as well as in Luke, the story of Jesus appearing in Peter’s life may well be known to many of us. Peter had caught no fish despite being out all night. Jesus appeared, asked to use Peter’s boat as his speaking platform, and then encouraged Peter to throw out his nets one more time. Peter’s response was to acknowledge he was a sinful man. Then Jesus pointed the way to a whole new life, and the fishermen brought their boats to the shore and left everything they knew in order to follow Jesus. Most of us have not given up our entire life’s work in order to follow Jesus. Have you? In my own life, ________________ (offer one short story of what you’ve given – or given up – in order to be a follower of Jesus). And I remember _____________ (offer a short description of someone you’ve known who made a life change in order to follow Jesus). Today, I invite you to call to mind your own decision to follow Jesus as you share in our morning offering. Does your giving reflect your identity as a disciple/Disciple? How might this story from Luke inspire you to be more intentional about what you give as a Jesus-follower? Prayer of Thanksgiving God of all good gifts, Thank you for the ways you provide for each and for all your beloved daughters and sons. We rejoice in our capacity to join you in helping provide for sisters and brothers who are in need. Please accept these gifts. Help us put them to full use. Inspire us to dig deep into our resources to continue building up your Realm on earth, so every person will experience the abundant life you intend for each and for all. AMEN Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook The jars are full in the Kin-dom of God. The house is full of the meaning we need and the meaning we are called to offer others. We are transformed in the economy of Jesus, bearing the witness of dividends of grace. We have heard the call to invest our interest in the transformation of our communities. And so we go, doing likewise in the world, with the help of God, the guidance of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen. Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Fellow children of God: Go forth, recognizing God’s grace on your journey. Go forth, discerning the Spirit’s calling in your life. Go forth, identifying the Christ as your guide. In this season of light, experience the steadfast love of God and sing the ways of our merciful Creator. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Michelle Torigan) Additional illustrations Many years ago the great explorer, Sir Francis Drake, was attempting to recruit a number of young men for an upcoming exploration. He gathered them around and told the group that if they came with him they would see some of the most marvelous things their eyes could ever behold. Sandy white beaches, juicy fruits, foreign peoples, priceless treasures, and gorgeous landscapes. And he told them that this wild adventure could be theirs if they came with him. Not one of them enlisted for the journey. The next day a different group came out. Drake told them that if they came with him they would encounter storms that would terrify them into tears. Tiger winds would hammer them and blow them off course for months. Water would frequently be scarce. At times they will be so thirsty that their very souls would cry out for simply one drop of water. In short, danger would always be their constant companion. Drake concluded by declaring that if they could handle these things, the joys of exploration would exceed their wildest dreams. Every single one of them in the group joined Sir Francis Drake that day, some did not even go home to say goodbye to their families, they just boarded the boat eager for the journey. What made the difference in these two groups? Why did the first group turn down the mission and the second jump at the chance? Was the second group different and more adventurous than the first? The answer is: No. It is not the men who had changed; it was the message. The first spoke of rewards; the second spoke of challenges. The first offered comfort; the second promised suffering. The first tempted them with things; the second seduced them with an experience unlike any other. I like to think that Sir Francis Drake discovered what Jesus knew all too well. And that is this: The paths that are offered to us must promise to shape us, build our character, change our world view, if they are to have any appeal to us at all. If we are presented with a challenge that will change, we will be eager for the journey. What is it about Jesus' message that made the disciples eager for the journey that was presented to them? 1. Jesus offered them a change. 2. The mission promised to be a challenge. 3. And their lives would never be the same. The Impala Problem One of the few creatures on earth that can out-jump Michael Jordon is the Impala. This is an African deer with a supercharged spring. It has a vertical leap of over 10 feet and can broadjump over 30 feet. You would think that the zoos of the world would find it impossible to keep such an animal enclosed. Not so! It's rather easy. Because the experts discovered something about the Impala. It will not jump unless it can see where it is going to land. Therefore, a solid wall even 6 feet tall is a sufficient enclosure. Lots of Christians have the Impala problem. They won't take a leap in faith unless they have all the answers in advance about where the leap will take them. But God is looking for some bold believers who, even in the face of the unknown, will leap when the Spirit says leap, will fly when the Spirit says fly, will launch when the Spirit says launch, all to the glory of the Lord. Bill Bouknight, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ____________________________________________ Follow Me There was a field covered with freshly fallen snow. A father and a son enter the field. As they walk across the field, you notice that the father pays no particular attention to where he is going, but his son, on the other hand, follows directly behind, making a special effort to step in his father’s footprints. After the two have crossed the field, you notice that there is only one set of tracks visible in the field, although two had walked across it. The Christian life is that way. In our daily walk we ought to be following Christ's example. Whether in times of suffering, sorrow or need, whether in times of health, joy, or abundance--if someone were to observe the snow-covered fields of your life, would there be one set of tracks, those of Christ? Or would there be two sets, one belonging to Christ and the other distinctly yours? Michael Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993, p.53. Adapted Little Transmitters In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe "Pioneer 10." Its main mission was to reach Jupiter and send back information about that planet. It was a bold plan because at that time no satellite had gone beyond Mars. Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and so much more. It swung past Jupiter in November, 1973, then passed Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. By 1997, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun. Despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to earth. The most remarkable thing was that those signals were powered by an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light. Not even the most optimistic scientist could have ever imagined what that little 8-watt transmitter could do. So it is when you and I offer ourselves to God in faithful obedience. It’s just incredible what God can do through little 8-watt transmitters like me and you, when we’re turned on for him. Bill Bouknight, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com It Is Darkest before the Dawn George Frederick Handel was dogged with misfortune. He had debt upon debt, despair upon despair. He had a cerebral hemorrhage and was paralyzed on his right side. For four years he could neither walk nor write. The doctors gave up on him. He wrote several operas, but again he fell in debt. At age 60 he thought his life was finished. Then he was challenged by a friend to write a sacred oratorio. He read the Scriptures and decided to work on the Messiah. For 24 days, without eating a crumb, he worked fanatically to produce the Messiah, which many today consider the greatest oratorio ever written. The prospects of something great happening can look grim. Peter had fished all night and caught nothing. Jesus asked him to let down his nets for a catch. It seemed foolish to do so, because Peter knew there were no fish to catch. "But at your word," he said, "I will let down the nets" (v. 5). John R. Brokhoff, Preaching the Miracles, CSS Publishing Company. Adapted. _______________ Hooked for Life If fishing is one of your passions, you will love our scripture lesson for today. Though I prefer hunting to fishing, I have a soft spot in my heart for fishing because of a childhood experience. I was about 10 or 11 years old. One Wednesday afternoon Papa took me with him to a nearby pond to do a little fishing. I was just learning to use a rod and reel. Papa caught a little bass weighing about half a pound. Then he had to leave for prayer meeting. He asked me if I wanted to stay a bit longer and make a few casts. Of course I did. I remember to this day the top-water plug I was using. I tossed it over near some reeds and let it lie still for a few seconds. Then I just twitched it a couple of times. Then something exploded all over that plug, like an NFL linebacker demolishing a quarterback. I jerked hard and then hung on for dear life. I don’t know how long I fought that fish. Once or twice I thought it was going to pull me into the water. When I finally got him to the edge of the pond, I grabbed him by the gills and ran home. I couldn’t wait for Papa to return from prayer meeting and see my three and a half pound bass. Mama took a picture of us, Papa holding that puny little fish he caught beside my monster of the deep. I can show you the picture at home as living proof. Of course, I was hooked for life. Luke’s fish story involved a lot more fish than mine. Bill Bouknight, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com For What Are We Fishing? The Synoptic accounts of this story include the miraculous catch. Kalas treats the Lukan passage in the following way: If this is where the story ended [ i.e. with the miraculous catch], it would be an interesting but rather inconsequential little miracle. It might feed our desire for a gospel of success in business and good grades in school, but it would hardly be worthy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fortunately, Simon Peter saw more than just the miracle. He was captured by the Lord behind the miracle. Thus, in-stead of responding with the bravado of a winner, he pleaded for forgiveness. Falling at Jesus’ knees, he begged, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, 0 Lord." (Luke 5:8) At first glance, that may seem an unlikely reaction to a moment of success. Sometimes, however, it is the experience of achievement which forces us to see how superficial our victories are. Andre Thornton, star home-run hitter with the Cleveland Indians and an exemplary Christian, has predicted that there may be a very real religious awakening among athletes as a result of the exorbitant salaries so many are now receiving. He feels that when they find themselves suddenly so financially secure they will realize how little their wealth really means, and will thus be driven to look for deeper values. The truth is, a person can have full nets but still have an empty life. After you’ve sold the fish in the market and have put a share of the money in the bank, you may still feel an emptiness deeper than empty nets and a yearning more poignant than the desire for economic security. J. Ellsworth Kalas, Reading the Signs, From Empty Nets to Full Lives, CSS Publishing Company It Takes Work When talking about evangelism in one church I served, a member answered, "They know where we are. We advertise our worship times in the yellow pages and when the doors are unlocked." He expected God to make any new members jump through those open doors. That does happen at times. It is much more likely that a large catch of fish – or of new members – will take a lot of work by those who are already in the boat – those who are already members of the church. It might be a little crude, but I think that this section indicates that when we respond to Jesus' word, we are likely to have to work our butts off. The work will be more than one person (or one pastor) -- or even one crew can handle. Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes _______________________________________ Catching Men "And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.' " (v. 10) So often we read these words of Jesus and wonder why we do not see this taking place in our churches. A few years ago, Dr. Win Arn did a survey of 1,000 congregations. The answers that he received might help us better understand the problem. He asked both the members and pastors of these churches what they thought the purpose of their church really was. Dr. Arn reports that 89 percent of the people in those churches said that the purpose of their church was to take care of the needs of the members. The remaining eleven percent believed that the purpose of the church was to reach the world with the gospel. Contrast this with the pastors. Ninety percent of the pastors said that the purpose of their church was to reach the world for Christ while the remaining ten percent of pastors in those churches agreed with the laity that the purpose of the church is to take care of the needs of the members of the church. Is it any wonder why there is conflict in our churches today? The great Renaissance scholar Erasmus once told a very helpful mythical story. It seems that after Jesus returned to heaven the angels gathered around him. He told them about how on earth he had performed many miracles and how he spent time teaching the many who would come to him. He told them about his death, burial, and resurrection. He told them about his ascension to heaven. Then Michael the Archangel asked, "But Lord, what happens now?" Jesus answered by telling them that he had spent three years training his disciples to carry out his plan to reach the world with the gospel. He said, "I have left behind eleven faithful men who will declare my message and express my love. These faithful men will build my church." Then Michael asked: "What if these men fail? What then?" Then Jesus thought for a moment and said, "I have no other plan." Source: Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House), p. 82. Source: Tony Campolo, Who Switched the Price Tags (Dallas: Word Publishing), p. 170. " John R. Steward, Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit, CSS Publishing three themes of Luke at this point • Jesus is popular, gathering witnesses in Galilee (until turning point of 9:50, when he heads to Jerusalem) • Jesus is a teacher (about abundance of the Kingdom of God) • Response is repentance • • sinner” - Peter never confesses to a specific sin, but this could be a cultural designation in which to the Jewish elite, sinners were those who did not attend worship or participate in the temple sacrifices. This would have included many of the poor living far from Jerusalem (which Peter might have been one of). Gonzalez • Only after his recognition that he is in the presence of the “Lord”/ the Holy that Simon is referred to as Simon Peter- the one who will later be commended for his declaration of Jesus as Messiah abunndance and Repentance are important themes. Jesus brought abundance, not to the entrenched powers or religious leaders, but to those who were in need of repentance.. He called and ate with a tax collector, Levi. He allowed a sinful woman to ‘waste’ oil on him. He tells the parable of the soil which bears great abundance. He heals a demon-possessed man in Gerasene. He feeds 5000. the story of the church is reflected to some degree in this story itself. When Jesus calls, Peter is hesitant and thinks that what Jesus asks of him is both unnecessary and too demanding. Nevertheless, Peter responds, and he discovers that life has a surprise in store for him. By doing what Jesus asks him to do, he experiences an epiphany of God.” (Arland Hultgren, Working Preacher)

She has to be fed first

Mark 7:24-37 16th Sunday after Pentecost Year B She has to be fed first Prelude Greeting Call to Worship Leader: Welcome, Beloved! Why have you gathered today? All: We have come to worship God, who is the maker of us all! Leader: What do you seek from God, our Creator? All: We seek God’s wisdom to guide us and show us how to live. Leader: Are you ready to follow when God’s wisdom leads down unexpected paths? All: We will trust, and we will follow wherever God’s wisdom leads us. Leader: Well then, Beloved of God, what are you waiting for? All: Come! Let us worship and seek God’s uncommon wisdom together! Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, June 2024. Opening Prayer From the depths of our hearts we reach out to you, God. We offer you our worship, for you are worthy of praise! Thank you for each one present, for each one tuning in, for all who seek to connect with you in this hour. Open the eyes of our hearts, God, that we might see you more clearly, and love you more dearly, day by day. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing UMH 57 A Sermon for all Ages Children’s Time Baptism Waters Props: Place a clear pitcher of water near the baptismal font. Today we are going to talk about how God uses water to show us how we are cared for, protected and loved. When the pastor baptizes someone, they take a pitcher of ordinary water and pour it into the baptismal font (that’s a fancy word for the bowl) and they say a prayer of blessing. They remember many times in the bible that God uses water as a sign. Sometimes it is a sign of God’s power, as in the beginning God created the water, the water in the sky we call rain and the water below we call oceans and rivers. Sometimes the water is a way God show the people that he is with them, like the time there the people were being chased by some bad people and God made a path through river so the people could get away. Sometimes water is a sign of God’s love – when Jesus was baptized he stood in a river and when he went down under the water and when he came up there was a voice that came from heaven saying that Jesus was God’s son and that he loved him very much. Today we are going to pour this water into the baptismal font, I am going to ask you to help me. Then we are going to say a prayer of thanks for the water that God created. Water that keeps us healthy, water that we use to grow food, water that we enjoy. We will thank God the protector who keeps us safe. We will thank God for all the love God shows us because we are all children of God. Come with me and lets pray together. Baptism of UMH 39 Scripture Mark 7:24-37 Sermon She has to be Fed First We have been looking at the seventh chapter of Mark. For the rest of the year, we will get a lot of the story and lessons of Jesus. This week is a continuation of last week. In chapter 7 – there is sort of a gospel challenge to see who can get the best of the other. It is not disrespectful. In the bible, it is common for people to kinda bargain with God, it’s a form of prayer. If something bad happens to you, you bargain with God, in hopes of changing God’s mind. If it is bedtime, then you banter with you parents in hopes that you can change your bed time. Last week, at the beginning of the chapter the pharisees challenge Jesus – why don’t your disciples wash your hands. Jesus is able to get the best of them, by challenging their faith. We learn a lot about our faith through Jesus comebacks and parables. Jesus is usually the winner in the gospel challenge. But in the second half of chapter 7, Jesus gets into a different challenge – where he doesn’t win. As a matter of fact Jesus’ response gets a little insulting. He intentionally travels in a territory of people who are different, one of them recognizes as a healer and asks for help and he calls her a dog. A lot of preachers make excuses for Jesus, but there is no excuse for calling a foreign woman out of her name. She moves beyond Jesus’ insult. As a matter of fact, she seems to know the rules of the gospel challenge very well. Jesus insults her, she responds with a comeback – it is through her comeback that she gets to best of Jesus. She wins. Jesus loses. Jesus says it is her faith that heals her, her courage to come back at him. It is not so much that she wins, but her love wins. She asks for healing for her daughter, she loves her daughter so much, that she has the courage to stand up in the gospel challenge. She tells Jesus that even the dogs have to eat crumbs intended for the children. A Model of Faith It may come as a shock to most Christians today, but we would do better to use this woman as a model of faith even more than the disciples. After all, we are neither Jewish nor Galilean; we have no familial claim or geographical claim to Jesus. While the woman learns that the power of faith lies internally, the disciples learn that faith can’t be measured by proximity to Jesus. They are right next to the Lord and yet they see the woman as a bother. They don’t lead her to Jesus or attempt to heal her daughter, her faith does that. They are too blinded by their social and religious prejudice to offer miracles to anyone. Jesus words are obviously not meant to cut down the woman (her compassion runs too deep to care if she is insulted). The words of Christ are meant to reprimand the disciples—and us—when our politics and religious agenda blind us to compassion. Which faith most resembles mine? Am I like the cocksure disciples steeped in religious and cultural prejudice, deeply self-assured of my proximity to Jesus? Or, am I like the outcast woman of Lebanon, indentured by compassion and uncaring of insults if I can just save one soul? Jerry Goebel, Even the Dogs Staring Up at the Sky When I re-read this story a few days ago, I couldn't help but think of Anne Lamott, the writer, who tells the story of taking her father on errands one day. His brain cancer had progressed to the point where he was reverting to some behaviors of a three-year old. Just before Anne trotted into the local bank one day, she gave Dad a candy bar and strapped him into the passenger seat of her car. There was a huge line at the teller's window where Anne was standing. So, every so often, she would run over to peek out the bank's front window to make sure that Dad was still there … as if someone was going to kidnap him or something. She writes: "The last time I looked, he wasn't there. The car was empty. I felt like adrenaline had been injected into my heart. I stared … out the window and saw this crazy old man pass by the window. His face was smeared with chocolate. He was just walking on by, holding his candy bar, staring up at the sky as if maybe his next operating instructions were up there." Jesus mysteriously stared up at the sky while massaging the tongue and the ears of a distressed man. We don't know why he was looking up and surveying the clouds. Perhaps it was as if his next operating instructions were up there. Maybe he was looking for power from God, power he did not have apart from God. Maybe God actually spoke to him at that moment and concurred with him that this particular man's bondage - his mental torture - must definitely end. Maybe Jesus was looking for help to shake the crowd he could not shake. Or maybe (and this is my best guess), maybe God was reminding Jesus that he should be ready for bystanders there to get a whole lot more excited about the physical miracle than the spiritual miracle of healing. In other words, "Get ready, Jesus, for the people to be much more infatuated by the spit and the ear poke than by the change that will be wrought in this man's spirit and attitude." Peter Marty, It's Time We Open Up! _________________________________ She knew where to go to get her help and healing. She knew that God was present in that moment, and so did Jesus. She didn’t win, love won. Through faith she was able to open up the doors of heaven. Today our lesson is about two stories of healing. They are two different stories, in two different situations. But each of them speak to us today about the power of love and faith. In the next story, Jesus is in Greek speaking part of town. And the friends of a man who is deaf bring him to Jesus. And he does something else a little disgusting, he spits and rubs it on his ears and his mouth and the man is healed. That reminds me of those time when I was little, and my mother would notice that my face was dirty and she would wet her finger with her tongue and wipe off the dirt. There was a time in my life when I was too young to notice what she was doing, and a time when I would walk away and not let her touch me. In this story, Jesus looks up to heaven for his help from God. But he also says Ephaphata – the arimaic word for open up. Jesus encourages those of us who can hear – to open up our ears and to listen. Listen to God’s voice speaking in our lives. Listen to the voice of faith telling us God is here with us. Listen to the presence of love in our lives. It is the power of love that opens up doors that are closed. Setting Lofty Goals Richard Wilkie wrote a book on the Lord's Prayer. In it, he described how Dr. Albert Schweitzer loved to play Bach on the organ. In fact, even while he was serving as a surgeon in the steamy jungles of Africa, he was still known throughout the world for his musicianship. He loved music, but he loved people more. One evening, as one of the nurses was preparing to leave, he stood at the gang plank preparing to bid her goodbye. As he took her hand he said, "Before you go, I want to recall an incident that happened several months ago. One night, you took a sick baby into your own bedroom so that you could care for it even as you slept. All through the night I heard cries coming from your room. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, the tone in the baby's cry changed. Immediately I knew that the fever had broken and that the child would get better. I'm supposed to be something of a musician but I want you to know that was the most beautiful music I've ever heard." Schweitzer sought for excellence as a musician but he also sought for excellence in loving human beings. That would be a lofty goal, wouldn't it - to be the most loving human being in our community? To be the most trustworthy? To be the most generous? The call to follow Christ is the call to set lofty goals. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Love is the real winner in both of these stories, it was love that called God into the healing of a sick daughter, and it was Jesus love that helped the man and those around him to hear. That is what our faith is all about – opening up doors and letting love come in. Today we open to doors of our hearts and of heaven for a little one as she is baptized. Originally, when Martin Luther designed his baptismal liturgy – the priest was supposed to out spit on the babies ears and mouth and says ephaphtha – open up. There was this whole ritual of blowing on the babies face to scare away the devil, then putting spit on the face to open the baby to the spirit, lighting a candle. As a matter of fact, it was Martin Luther who said that if you didn’t have water, then you could use milk or even beer to baptize the baby in an emergency. Luckily, a lot of that symbolism was taken out – today the power of the baptism is in the water and the holy spirit. And yet the lessons of love and faith remain. As the holy spirit opens her life to the presence of grace, may our hearts to be open to the love of God. May we experience God anew. o My church’s prayer of illumination every Sunday: “Holy Spirit, open our hearts to the story of your love, open our minds to new ways of knowing you, open our doors to all whom you would welcome. Amen. Let all of us remember this prayer Ephphatha! Be opened. “Let your ears be open to Christ’s word of forgiveness for your sin. Ephaphatha! Be opened. “Let your eyes be open to see the opportunities God is making available in your world. Ephaphatha! Be opened. Let your mind be open to new ways of thinking that will expand your understanding of God’s will for you and yours. Ephaphatha! Be opened. Let your mouth be opened to share with your friends what God is doing in your life. Ephaphatha! Be opened. Let your life be opened to the movement of the Spirit, open to release from whatever is scaring you stopping you, holding you back, from becoming the person you want to be, the person God wants you to be. Amen. Song He touched Me UMH 367 Response to the Word It is easy to be overwhelmed by the pain of the world. We want to turn off the evening news and tune out the stories of human suffering, but God calls us to pay attention to those around us, to do more than simply give to worthy causes, to do more than pray the situation into God’s hands. Our faith is to be lived out in righteous actions, that we might resist wickedness and avoid condemnation for our lack of compassion. We are challenged to meet the needs of others, to reach out with hand and heart, to provide for the real human needs of others. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, June Boutwell) Pastoral Prayer Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment In the scripture reading from Mark 7 we heard reports of the healing Jesus accomplished in Tyre and the Decapolis. Both in the recovery of the child, and the healing of the man who was deaf and had a speech impediment we hear of Jesus giving new and different lives to the girl and to the man. His healing gift surely affected those directly healed, but also their families and communities as they were freed to engage more fully. As followers of Jesus, we, too, have opportunity to share our gifts with those around us. In this congregation we have some who ___________________ (name one or two ways people engage in your tutoring, food pantry, meals for unhoused…). In this congregation, we have others who _________________________ (name your outreach to the nursing home, your care group leaders, your program planners) What are the gifts you bring today? How can you offer support and engagement? Your financial gifts are one important way to provide life-enhancing and life-changing moments as we help expand the Body of Christ in (your town). With joyful hearts, standing with Jesus, let us offer our gifts in this time of offering. Prayer of Thanksgiving Giver of all good gifts, Thank you for the ways you’ve equipped each one of us with gifts we can share. Open our hearts, our wallets, and our calendars, so we might freely offer our individual and congregational gifts to a world yearning for release from “unclean spirits”, physical challenges and scarcity. Renew in us our desire to be generous followers of Jesus, the Christ. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go into the world as agents of healing Appreciating the wonder of creation In all forms, expressions, and ways Boldly embracing the fullness of humanity Welcoming the stranger And considering the other as friend. Go in peace. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Community Time Joys and Concerns Benediction Beloved, may God bless you today and all days with wisdom that guides you to notice the needs all around you and to share in the work of nurturing abundant life for all of God’s creation. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, June 2024. Additional Illustrations In ancient Greece it was customary for peddlers who walked the streets with their wares to cry out, "What do you lack?" The idea was to let people know they were in the vicinity, and also rouse the curiosity of the people. Coming out of their houses they would want to know what the peddler was selling. It might be something they lacked and needed, or simply something they desired. What do you lack? We may have sight and hearing, but what do we lack? Take an honest inventory of yourself. Have you found contentment? Are you close enough to God to receive his guidance and strength? Have you secured peace of heart and peace of mind, invaluable assets in life? Deciding what we lack is the first step in securing it. Christ can fulfill our needs -- needs that are to some extent physical, but, more so, the deepest needs of heart, mind, and soul. The man in Mark 7 lacked the physical ability to hear. But many of us lack the spiritual ability to hear. We suffer a kind of a spiritual deafness. The affliction of not listening to people, or, to put it another way, the affliction of physically listening to people, yet failing to comprehend, to understand, and come to grips with what they are saying, is a plague upon the Church. For, you see, it is possible to listen to a person, yet fail to really hear them… The Buzzard, the Bat, and the Bumblebee If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top. The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash. A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself. In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That's the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem! Just look up. Source Unknown _________________ The Kingdom of Heaven Breaks Open Jesus' referring to Gentiles as dogs - clearly this is one of those difficult gospel moments with which Christians must wrestle. Who is this Jesus who is scornful of other nationalities and religions? What kind of savior doesn't want to heal a young girl simply because of who her family is? What are we to do with such an indifferent and despising Christ? Because this passage is so troubling, Christians through the centuries have tried to sweeten or domesticate it, for example pointing out that the Greek word translated here as "dogs" literally means "small dogs," that is, puppies or house dogs. I don't think that mitigates the insult much. I will admit, however, to getting a chuckle out of the images -- such as Sebastiano Ricci's Christ and the Canaanite Woman -- in which a smiling Jesus seems to change his mind because that puppy is just so darn cute! But I think a more productive approach in this case is not to domesticate this scriptural quandary but to embrace it as a moment in which the Kingdom of Heaven breaks opens and becomes more inclusive, a moment in which we are reminded that no one is outside the embrace of God. Karen A. Keely, The Crumbs Under the Table: Bread Enough for All Be Opened When Martin Luther put together a baptismal liturgy in 1523, the actual rite required the pastor to take some of his own saliva and touch the ears and lips of every child getting baptized. At the same instant, the pastor was to repeat the words of Jesus to the deaf man, that one with the speech impediment. The baptizing pastor was to say: Ephphatha - That is, be opened. We don't do this anymore in the Lutheran Church. And I'm not sure I'd be serving my congregation very long if I started using this saliva ritual. But the idea isn't bad. From the very get-go in life, with a lot of help from parents and pastors and adult mentors, we need to find better ways to not be so bound-up with our lives and so tongue-tied with our faith. Have courage. Grab hold to what is good. Loosen up and love a bit more freely. Support the weak. Strengthen the faint-hearted. Honor all people. And for Jesus' sake, keep looking for those ways to open your life to the power of the Holy Spirit … relying on that great prayer of the Psalmist if it helps: O Lord, open thou my lips, and let my tongue declare your praise. Peter Marty, It's Time We Open Up! Success Is Sometimes Measured in Inches Success is sometimes measured in inches. After winning the Pontiac 400 in Richmond, Virginia, several years ago, stock car driver Mark Martin discovered that the spacer between the carburetor and the intake manifold was one-half-inch too long according to NASCAR rules. He was fined $40,000 and penalized 46 points in the season standings. Something that small seemed very significant for Mark. In his book The Range of Human Capacities, Dr. David Wechsler says that if Cleopatra's nose had been just a fraction of an inch longer, the face of Europe might have been changed because Caesar might have shown less interest in the lady. This is another example of how the size of the difference can be small, but the size of the consequences can be huge. A tragic illustration of the crucial importance of little things was furnished a few years ago when a jet crashed shortly after takeoff. All 95 people on board were killed. An exhaustive study of the wreckage determined that it could have been caused by the rudder-control system's losing a bolt that was less than one inch long. For want of a bolt, so many lives were lost. Success can sometimes be measured in inches. Take for example, the distance between the lips and the heart. Jesus was chastising the religious leaders of his day and he quotes the words of Isaiah: "These people worship me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." God on the lips, but not in the heart. A fatal distance of less than 12 inches. King Duncan, www.Sermons.com _________________________________ She Thinks That I Am Real A story is told of a family that went into a restaurant. The waitress walked up and, looking at the young boy, said: What will it be? The boy eagerly shouted back: “I'll take a hamburger, French fries, and a chocolate shake.” The mother immediately interrupted: Oh, that's not what he wants. “He'll take the roast beef, a baked potato, and a glass of milk.” Much to the surprise of both the mother and the boy, the waitress completely ignored her and again asked the boy: “And what do you want on that hamburger?” The boy shouted back, “ketchup, lots of ketchup.” “And what kind of shake?” “Make it chocolate.” The boy then turned to his parents with a big smile on his face and said: “Say, ain't she something. She thinks that I'm real!” Well, let me give you fair warning. If you once, just once, start really hearing people they are suddenly going to become real to you. Staff, www.eSermons.com The Miracle Bridge Perhaps you have heard the story of the Miracle Bridge. (Chicken Soup for the Soul, No. 3) In l883 a creative engineer, John Roebling was inspired to build the Brooklyn Bridge. Experts told him to forget it. He convinced his son Washington, an up and coming engineer to build the bridge. They hired a crew and began to build their dream bridge. The project was only a few months old when there was a tragic accident. John Roebling was killed and his son was severely brain damaged. He was unable to move or talk, but his mind was sharp as ever. He was able to move one finger and touched the arm of his wife. From that point on they learned how to communicate. For the next l3 years he tapped out instructions to the bridge builders who then completed the spectacular bridge. Our ability to communicate is our greatest asset. The best way to be disciples is to be people who are understood and at the same time be folks who are willing to listen. Keith Wagner, Is Anyone Listening? Seeing the Face of God There is a scene in the Hollywood motion picture, Ben-Hur. Ben-Hur is by a well, and he is filthy, stooped in the dirt, and overcome with a fierce thirst. The camera focuses on Ben-Hur's face. His countenance is twisted in misery. Then the shadow of a man crosses his visage. We do not see the man. The camera remains fixed on Ben-Hur's face. The man offers Ben-Hur water. As Ben-Hur lifts his wretched face to behold the merciful stranger, we see a sudden radiance transform his face. We know instantly, by the radical change of his countenance, that when he lifts his head he looks directly into the face of Christ. What a difference it makes when someone is in the presence of Jesus. When someone is in the presence of Jesus he may not regain his physical hearing, but still he hears things he's never heard before--words of assurance and love and hope. He may not regain his physical vision, but he sees things he's never seen before--inwardly he sees the face of God. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Little Annie As a young girl, "Little Annie" was diagnosed as being hopelessly insane, and was locked up in a mental institution. An elderly nurse believed there was hope for the child, and day after day she would visit with her, even though she was often rebuffed. Over a long period of time, Little Annie gradually improved, and was finally released from the institution. Filled with compassion for others because of what she herself had gone through, Anne Sullivan, whose own life had been miraculously opened, was able to open the life of Helen Keller. Kenneth C. Landall, Being Open • The infirmity harkens back to Isaiah 35:6, “Then the lame will leap like the deer, and the tongue of the speechless will sing. Waters will spring up in the desert,and streams in the wilderness” - eschatological implications. o This is the passage of Isaiah that is talking about the one who will prepare the way and make the paths straight. o This is a part of the work of Jesus, which continues with the highway which is the Holy Way. • “Open Up” - United Methodist slogan of “Open hearts, open minds, open doors.” o Many progressive UM’s question the validity of this statement because we continue to be closed to the LGBTQ community. o I read the “opens” as verbs, not adjectives. Instead of the slogan being a description, I see it as a prescription. It is what we are called as a church to do - to go out and open hearts, open minds, and open doors. polis is on the opposite side of Galilee from Tyre. Tyre is far northwest, on the Mediterranean Sea. Decapolis is on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. There has to be a significant amount of time passing between these stories, yet they are tied together. There were other aspects of this service that are not commonly done today. Near the beginning, salt was placed in the mouth of the child with the words, “(Name) receive the salt of wisdom. May it aid thee to eternal life.”[9] Following the reading of Mark 10:13-16, the priest put spit on his finger and touched the child’s nose and ears, saying, “Ephphatha, that is, Be thou opened. But thou, devil, flee; for God’s judgment cometh speedily.”[10] There were also anointings both before and after the baptism. Overall, Luther’s main concern was that the parents and sponsors hear God’s Word and pray for the one being baptized. He mentions that some of the other “external things” were less important.[11] And so when the 1526 revision was published, many of these rites were gone. Gone was the blowing under the eyelids, the salt, the spit, the anointing and even the baptismal candle. Several prayers were omitted. In general, the whole service was shortened. Previously Luther had left many of these ceremonies in because of “weak consciences,” but three years later he was comfortable removing them.[12] In our day, some of these practices have come back (e.g. the baptismal candle). Other new ones have been added (e.g. the welcome by the congregation). In Luther’s day it was necessary to pare back the ceremonies a bit, as they were distracting from the baptism itself. Luther found it necessary to emphasize that the water and the Word of God were the main thing in the baptismal rite by reducing the number of ceremonies. In some places the additional ceremonies have been found to be helpful to teach and emphasize what is happening in baptism. “Each generation trims a little, adds a little (extolling is never finished); but always the actual Baptism itself remains the same: ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism’ (Eph 4:5).”[13]