God in all of God's Glory

October 22, 2023 Exodus 33:12-23 21st Sunday After Pentecost Year A God in All God’s Glory Prelude Welcome Call to Worship We gather today to remember and proclaim that we are God’s people. We are God’s people! God’s presence is among us! Like Moses, we seek an encounter with God’s goodness. God, show us your goodness that we may glorify you in all that we do. God’s goodness passes by us every day in the gracious gifts of creation and in the faces of our neighbors. God, help us notice your goodness in everything and everyone that we meet. When we notice God’s goodness all around us, we recognize this truth: all things are God’s. Let us give to God the things that are God’s! Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, April 2023. Opening Prayer God, you are our refuge. When the world gets to be too much with us, we turn to you for consolation and healing. Help us today to hear your words of compassion. Enable us to be those who would willingly serve all people in need. For we ask these things in the name of Jesus our Lord. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me UMH 361 Children’s Sermon By Your Side By Lois Parker Edstrom Pictures of Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet available at: http://tinyurl.com/lw93l7f You may be familiar with Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Winnie-the-Pooh is a bear of very little brain. He isn’t exactly smart, but he is very loveable. Pooh has a best friend named Piglet. Piglet is shy and easily frightened, but when Pooh is with him he overcomes his fears and becomes brave. With Pooh by his side he is able to face danger, especially when he needs to help his friends. Have you ever had the experience of being frightened to do something and then found that if your mother, father, teacher, or a good friend was by your side you felt stronger? Braver? Ready to try something that seemed scary? You may have felt that way the first time you jumped into a swimming pool, or got on a bike without training wheels, or went to your classroom on the first day of school. It helps to have someone you can trust to help you through those scary times. Moses, the man who led the Israelites through the wilderness and through all kinds of difficult experiences, also felt the need to have someone by his side. Moses talked to God and asked, “…let me know whom you will send with me” (33:12). Moses must have felt tired, discouraged, and frustrated because the people he traveled with grumbled and complained a lot. He felt he needed someone to help him. This is how God answered Moses: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (33:14). The Bible teaches us that God is with us. When we feel discouraged or frightened it is helpful to remember God’s words: I…”will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2013, Richard Niell Donovan Responsive Reading. Psalm 99. UMH 819 Prayer of Illumination Lord, in the stories of your Scripture, give us truth to cling to; help us hear your still, small voice. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Carolyn Holbrook Prickett) Scripture Exodus 33:12-23 Sermon God in all God’s Glory Have you ever found yourself in a position or place where you would rather not be? Sometimes it is our own doing, our own poor choices that bring us to a place we would not choose. At other times it is a series of circumstances that carries us to that place. Story of a girl feeling like everything in Christianity is fake A church near campus has a chapel for university students to meditate and pray. Students have the opportunity to reflect and share their thoughts in a notebook. The entries sometimes reveal an inner struggle. One young woman candidly shared, "My thoughts, ideas, beliefs, preconceptions; my ways and feelings of what is right or wrong are being challenged." We can probably all identify with her at some point in our lives. Other people sometimes challenge what we believe. We wrestle with how we can live in the world while maintaining our faith. This same young woman writes, "I do not want to live a secluded lifestyle from the rest of the world." We can sense her pain when she writes, "I'm frustrated with some of the Christians I know whom I feel I have to hide some things from." She then pleads, "From the small details of my life to the big — show me truth in how you desire this life of mine to be lived." Then in despair she concludes, "All I see is fakeness in me, in him, in her, in all." She cries out, "I want to know what is real." Have you ever felt that way? Perhaps it was peer pressure that thrust this young woman into a place where she was uncomfortable and clearly did not want to be. I think we have all had those in times when we feel that we are just going through the motions, but nothing is going right, or that nothing really matters. I think that we all get to the point where we even think that we are not important to anyone. And we don’t matter. Story of student asking student am I really there? The story Up the Down Staircase is a story of a teacher who takes as her first teaching assignment a class in the ghetto of New York City in a high school. The story tells of her difficulties relating to this mixed racial class of deprived children. Finally, she puts a small question box on her desk, and she tells the children that anything they want to say to her, they can write on a slip of paper and put in the box. This fails to elicit any response, until she finally receives a small slip of paper in the box. She finds out later that it had been written by a Puerto Rican boy who, when he was in school at all, would sit back in the corner of the room, antagonistic, uncooperative, completely at odds with the teacher. Plaintively he had written on the little slip of paper: "I wish you knew who I was." Here is the cry that comes out of our crowded ghettos everywhere: "I wish you knew who I was," - the cry for recognition of our individuality and our personhood. The ultimate story of feeling like you are just a file in a cabinet- Morris Bishop tells this story of feeling like a file in his job’s file drawer Norman Cousins puts it this way: "Impersonality is epedemic. It is almost as though we feared contact, almost as though the soul of man had become septic. If a man becomes ill, he hardly hangs up his hat in the doctor’s office before he is placed before a whole battery of machines and testing devices. The traveled road is not between the mind of the diagnostician and the heart of the patient, but between the clinic and the laboratory. If a man submits himself for a job, he is seen, not as a personality, but as a fit subject for various tests which presumably have more to do with ascertaining his worth than the human responses which may figure largely in the work that he is called on to do." Morris Bishop has caught the spirit of our day in the lines he calls The Perforated Spirit: "The fellows up in personnel Have a set of cards on me. The sprinkled perforations tell My individuality. And what am I? I am a chart On the cards of I.B.M. The secret places of the heart Have little secrecy for them. It matters not how much I prate They punch with punishment the scroll The files are masters of my fate They are the captains of my soul. Monday my brain began to buzz I was in agony all night I found out what the trouble was - They had my paper clip too tight." CSS Publishing Co., Inc., His Hands, by Jon L. Joyce I think we have all gotten to the point in life where it seems that we feel that our lives is reduced to a series of unfortunate events. Our lives is a series of appointments, case numbers, situations, file numbers. We get used to not being important to other people and to the world. But what happens when things get so bad that we are convinced that we don’t matter to God. How can we know that God is really there for us? There are times in our life, when we are struggling where we will ask where is the God in this situation? When things happen that we were not expecting, or when life just doesn’t seem fair, or we feel that we or someone we know just doesn’t seem to have a fair chance in life, we question God, and the point of even believing in God. In our scripture, Moses starts to ask God a lot of questions about their journey. As the leader he starts to ask God where God is, he doesn’t see God’s leading very clearly, So he asks God are you there, are you leading us, if you don’t lead us – what is the point of the journey. And finally, he asks God to just show up- help us to see that you are really there with us. When we feel like we are just going through the motions, and nothing is really happening, where can we go to find God? Do you ever have moments in your life when you feel that God must have decided somehow not to be on speaking terms with you anymore? Maybe you haven’t seen him answer your prayers for some time, or perhaps you haven’t sensed his presence in your life for a while. For some reason, you have been led to wonder if he’s giving you a cold shoulder. You begin to think that he has stopped talking with you altogether. When we are questioning god’s presence in our lives, there are three, no I will talk about 4 sure fire places to go to find God. The first is in prayer and relationship. Our scripture shows that clearly. This scripture is about Moses relationship with God. He had a very close relationship with God. And reached a point felt there were not talking anymore. God’s relationship with Moses was completely different. They talked to each other like two old trusted, lifelong friends (v. 11). They seemed to enjoy each others’ company, and everyone in the camp knew it. The people knew when Moses would make his way to his conversation with God. They would watch Moses pass on his way to the tent of meeting, and silence filled the camp when he passed. Out of respect for Moses and fear for God, they stood to their feet when he passed their way. They knew better than to show any form of disrespect. In his deep and abiding friendship with the Lord, Moses made a serious request. He appealed to the Lord, “Show me your ways” (v. 13). We can understand why Moses would make such a daring request. He wanted to know what God expected of him and the people who had followed him out of Egypt. He seemed to be asking God, “Show me your intentions.” If Moses only knew what God had in mind for them and what he wanted them to do, he would lead the people to do it True to his nature, the Lord didn’t hold a grudge against Moses or the people. He responded favorably to Moses’ request. And he did something else. In a way, he told Moses, “You want me to give you a map, but I would rather give you a guide.” Moses made a second request of God. He asked the Lord, “Show me your glory!” Again, he made a daring request, but he felt confident in making it because nothing was off-limits between him and his God. We can appreciate Moses’ request. God’s glory involves his physical presence. Consequently, seeing his glory means seeing him with our eyes. How many times have you wished that you could actually see Jesus in the same way that his disciples saw him? If you could look on his face, listen to his voice, observe his body language, and touch his hand, everything would be better for you. The questions that have gone unanswered so far could be put to God directly. The needs that you have could be brought to his attention instantly. You could hear for yourself God’s answer and watch him actually take care of the need that you brought to him. Probably most important, you could feel God’s gentle touch as he placed his loving hand on your shoulder or hugged you in his strong arms. His physical presence with us would make following God easier. It wouldn’t be best for us. Like Moses, we can’t see God’s face and live. To see God’s face means to behold what lies ahead of us. Frankly, if we knew all of what’s ahead of us, we would probably die of shock! No, God doesn’t show us where we’re going, but he lets us see where he’s been. By the same token, he’s not always going to let us see what lies ahead, but he’ll point out how he walked with us in the past. That’s what the Lord seemed to be saying to Moses. He told him, and us by inference, “I won’t show you my glory, but I will let you see my goodness.” He went on to say to his friend, “Stand here close to me, and I will protect you.” As Moses moved next to the Lord’s side, he felt God’s hand directing him to a cleft in the rock that served like a cradle. There God placed his friend for his protection. Like a baby tucked safely into a cradle by a caring and loving parent, the Lord placed Moses in the cleft of the rock. Then God’s mighty hand covered him. When his glory passed by, no harm would come to Moses. What’s the most striking part of the scene for you? For me, it’s when God told Moses, “Come here and stand by me” and then placing him gently in the cleft of the rock and covering him with his hand. That portion of the scene raises an important question. How often does the Almighty invite us to come close, to make our way to him, to stand by his side so he can watch out for us? When we come close, we find in God’s presence that we can trust him. We can trust him to place His mighty, gentle hand over us to hold us close. He calls us to come close so God can protect us in his mighty hand. The story of Moses, God’s friend, encourages us. Through it we get a clear picture of how much God wants us to know him intimately. Granted, he expects us to come to him on his terms, not ours. But his terms always serve us best in the long run. By coming to God and learning to trust him, we come to comprehend how much he wants to guide us, how good he is to us, and how much he wants us to come close to him. What does this story have to say to us when we feel that God’s not on speaking terms with us? It assures us that God doesn’t hold grudges and that he’s always willing to open his arms wide to us. What’s even more beautiful, he’s waiting for us to take that important step. In fact, he may have been waiting for some time now, so don’t put God off any longer. He wants to hide you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with his hand. Amen. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Walking with God: and other Cycle A sermons for Proper 23 through Thanksgiving, by Argile Smith We can also find God in the life of Christ. When we look at the life of Christ, we don’t see how God looks, but we do see who God is. Ultimately, I suppose, this is exactly what we experience in the person of Jesus Christ -- not how God looks, but who God is. Or as Edmund Steimle once expressed it: in the One who dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, we see "God's afterglow."3 In the One who healed the sick and fed the hungry, we view the footprints of God. In the One who forgave sinners and befriended outcasts, we find evidence of how God acts in a broken and hurting world. Indeed, through the One who died in our stead -- taking upon weary shoulders the burden of human life at its lowest ebb -- we are finally shown all that we could ever hope to bear: the hidden backside of God stretched out up on a lonely cross.4 But perhaps the most accessible place to find God is in the heart of others. We find it in love and kindness.In those times when we are searching for God, the best place to look is in the hearts of others. When I was in high school, every senior was required to do a community service project. Now I'll admit, mandatory volunteerism seems like an oxymoron. However, if you wanted to graduate, you participated in the program. I was assigned to a clothing locker in downtown Detroit. If the truth be told, it wasn't my first choice. But inasmuch as I was already starting to feel the Spirit's gentle nudging toward ministry, I decided I could use the experience as a way of encountering God at work in the world. Every Wednesday, I made my way over to the small Episcopal Church which ran the clothing locker -- always hoping that I would see the Lord's glory, but never being quite sure where to look. There was one morning, though, that I will never forget. It was a bone-chilling day in February, and when I pulled into the parking lot, there was already a line of people at the door. I had barely gotten myself organized, when down the stairs came an elderly gentleman carrying an armload of clothes. "These are all donated from my church," he said, "Where do you want them?" "Just put them over there for now," I replied, pointing to a table against the wall. "I've got a whole van load!" "Well, I'd offer to help," I said, "but you see the line at the door." "Don't worry about it. I can manage." He smiled and trotted back up the stairs. I let the first fellow in. "How can I help you?" "I need a pair of shoes," he whispered in a low, gravelly voice. I peered over the counter, and my goodness, did he ever. I mean, the shoes he was wearing weren't fit to play fetch with a dog. They were cracked and worn. In fact, he had taken a piece of twine and wrapped it around them just to keep the shoes intact. "What size do you wear?" I asked. "Size ten." I went back to the shelf and rummaged through a few boxes. "It doesn't look like we have any right now," I said, returning to the counter. "But people bring in clothes all the time. You see this man unloading his van. It happens almost every morning. I'm sure if you come back tomorrow ..." "But I need shoes today," he insisted. "I know you do, but I can't give you what I don't have." "Mister, it's awfully cold outside," he pleaded. "I realize that, but I'm not a cobbler. I mean, I can't make shoes for you." Well, about this time, the elderly gentleman came over. I hadn't been playing much attention to him, but evidently he had been paying attention to us. "Did I overhear that you wear size ten shoes?" he asked. Startled by the interruption, the man nodded meekly. "Well, I wear size ten," the older gentleman said. "Here, I'll trade you." He slipped off his shoes and set them on the counter. "You may have to break them in a bit," he explained, "they're new!" Having finished unloading the van, he wished us both a nice day, and walked out onto the cold, bitter pavement of that February morning, wearing those old, cracked shoes -- gift-wrapped with twine. Looking back, I now realize that something of God's glory passed before me that day -- veiled in the love which is constantly walking in our midst, seeking always to find us. You know, it's rather embarrassing to admit, but I'd always thought I would see that glory seated safely out in the audience. And here, without realizing it, I had been up on the stage all along. Just whose story is this anyway? ________________________________________ Just this morning I came across an article written about Albert Einstein and his relationship with his daughter. He wrote a series of letters to her, but he asked that the letters not become public until years after his and her death. They have just been released. He spent his life telling the world about a force in the universe that was so powerful that it created the universe. He created the formula to explain this force and how it was able to put the planets, the stars and everything into being. He has always been very clear that force is not scientific, that force is love. In the letter that I read today – he tells his daughter that love is the most powerful thing in the world. It is the one force in the world that we have no control over, we really cannot dictate, we have no way of expecting it, and no real words to explain why it works – but we see evidence of it everyday. Afterall that, he told his daughter that he never told her how much he loved her, but said that she was the most important thing to him. How touching. We spend a lot of time personifying God, trying to explain God in human terms. Is God a father or a mother, is God capable of entering into our lives and controlling certain outcomes? Can we really have a conversation with God and expect God to respond to us in English? The bible makes it very clear that God is a spirit. God’s preferred language is usually silence. And like Moses, we all demand that God speak, that God show up, that God makes something happen so that we know that God is there. Today, in scripture we come to the end of the book of Exodus. As we read this book, we have watched the relationship of Moses and God. It starts with Moses escaping life and noticing a bush burning on its own. Moses listens to the call of God and brings his whole tribe out of slavery. Moses becomes a leader, follows God, shows the people how to look for God and follow. And not just as they are about the enter the promisedland and live in God’s blessings – Moses asks for God to finally reveal himself. God tells him that is not possible – God is a spirit not a body. But God tells Moses that God can show him his backside. – in other words he can see the but of God, but not God’s face. I think there is some truth in us only being able to see the butt of God. At the burning bush, God tells Moses that his name is I am – or more correctly, I will be what I will be. God’s name is destiny – God is the future, God is what will be. So it is impossible to see God clearly, none of us knows the future. We can never see what it ahead of us, even though we are all headed in that direction. Hope is the Kingdom of God. But the only way to see evidence of God in our lives is not to look forward, but to look back. If we are looking for proof of God in our lives, we only find it when we look back on events in our lives. When we look back for old troubles, old fears, old challenges – we can see clearly how God and only God was able to pull us through. None of us would be here today, if we had not overcome those old challenges – with the help of God. We can all relate to the poem footprints in the sand, where we can see where God carried us through. When Moses started to question where he was leading the people – he had to look back and remind himself of his past. Before the Isrealites could claim the promise of God, they had to go back over the journey and remind themselves of how they Got here in the first place. Every year, we read something from Genesis and the journey in the desert, so that we can look back on our faith journey – and see the tracks of God in our lives. We look back, so that we can have the strength to go forward – into an unknown future – knowing that God is with us. In our personal lives, and in the mission of the church, we aren't promised that everything will go the way we want. We face challenges, surprises, pain, and difficulties. We can face tasks that seem too great for us to accomplish. We may say, along with Moses, that if we have to keep going, we want to know that God is with us. If life is painful, and we can't make deals with God to avoid the pain, we at least want to have the assurance that God is there. This peculiar little story, with God hiding Moses in the rock and covering up his eyes so that Moses can see God's back, lets us know that we will not likely get a full vision of God. We don't see God directly, unmistakably. We never see God face to face, so to speak. There is a mystery to God we can never penetrate. Even in that mystery, though, God reaches out to us. We can experience God's presence, even if it seems only a fleeting glimpse. We may experience God's presence in a feeling of assurance after a prayer. We may experience it as a feeling of power and energy when we stand up to social injustice. Sometimes we just feel God's love breaking through our loneliness and fear. God is available to us in the church, through the Holy Spirit. God's presence may not be unmistakable, but it is real. Whatever Moses saw when he saw God's back, it was enough to sustain him as he picked up to continue his long journey toward the Promised Land. In the twists and turns of our lives, in the exhilarating but frustrating work of the church, God will give us just enough presence that we know we are not alone. With that glimpse of God's back, we can put one foot in front of the other on our journeys. If we can hold on to the glimpses of God's back, we can face what the future holds with courage. Wherever life leads us, God will go with us. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost (Last Third): View from the Mountaintop, by Charles L. Aaron In Mark Connolly’s classic play, “Green Pastures,” there’s a moving scene in which Moses watches his people as they go into the promised land. You know that Moses was not able to go into the promised land. That seems to be one of the tragedies of the whole story. Having given his life to deliver the people out of bondage, to forego moving into the promised land. The setting is Mt. Moab. From the mountain, Moses can look across the horizon and see the destination, but he knows that he’s not going to be with them. His day is coming to an end. Joshua has already taken his place. In Mark Connolly’s play on stage, Moses sits disconsolate on a rock as the twelve tribes pass by to receive his final blessing. They march off toward the land of Canaan. As they go, the old campaigner’s shoulders sag and his head bows low. With every sound of those retreating footsteps, the light grows dimmer and dimmer. The stage is almost in total darkness. But suddenly, you’re aware that Moses is not alone. There’s somebody else on stage, behind him. The presence walks over to where Moses is sitting. Gently, he lays his hand on his shoulder. Without looking up, Moses knows who it is. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, his shoulders began to straighten and he raises his head. He says, “Youse wid me, Lawd, ain’t ya? Youse wid me.” And back conies the answer, “Cose ah is, my chile; cose ah iz.” That’s what we need to know isn’t it? That the Holy God is a God of love, and He’s with us. Because He is. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by Maxie Dunnam God is here with us, calling us forward, calling us to play our part in destiny, calling us not to lose sight, calling us to believe in the spirit of love. For me, the question is not Where is God, or even God show yourself so you can believe. Find God, even if it is only God’s butt – its still a glimpse of the glory of God. God still has a place for us all. One of the places that I go to find God is music. One of the songs that stands out to me every time I hear it – a song by Leanna Crawford – How can you not see God. In her video, she shows a spot in the Northwest on the pacific ocean that she used to go with her family, She goes there when she is looking for God. It inspired her to write to Song – How can you not see God? I see the sun rise in the morning And a million stars at night I hear the birds, they can't stop singing hallelujah I see His goodness when I fall down And it's grace that picks me up Every day, I can't stop singing hallelujah How can you not see God In every little thing, in every little moment? How can you not feel loved? How can you not? How can you not? 'Cause He's in the middle of Every little thing and every little moment How can you not see God? How can you not? How can you not? Everything is evidence (ooh-ooh) Showing me that You exist (oh-oh) All creation singing hallelujah Everything is evidence (oh, everything) Showing me that You exist (He's God) All creation singing hallelujah How can you not see God The places where we find God when we know where to look are innumerable. Moses sadly never made it to the promisedland – but in reality none of us ever do – destiny is always a place in the future – and yet his spirit lives on with the spirit of love, kindness and faith. He showed us how to continue on the journey, how to move forward in the wilderness – but most importantly he showed us what a relationship with an awesome God looks like. God is always there – we just have to have faith. Song Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise Prayers of the People (just print the title) God, we know that you see everything that happens in this world; nothing we pray about is news to you. Yet still we pray, asking that your peace and wisdom rest on us, and your presence transform our lives. We pray for those across the world and in our communities who are scared today; for those who face violence, because of where they live or where they work or who you have created them to be; for those whose future seems dark; for those whose anxiety eats away at them and who cannot find peace. Spirit, living flame, encourage them. We pray for those who hurt today; for the sick, the hungry, the abused, the grieving, the lonely. We pray for those who struggle with pain in body or mind or spirit. We pray for the compassionate, who hurt because the world hurts. Jesus, healer, comfort them. We pray for those who woke up angry today. We pray for those who feel excluded, overlooked, trapped. We pray for those who feel entitled, unappreciated, out of control. We pray that where anger leads to pain, you would bring peace, but that where anger leads to justice, you would bring wisdom. Jesus, table-turner, guide them. We pray for those who are full of hope today. We pray for those who are beginning new relationships or careers or working to get clean. We pray for those who see sprouts of your kingdom poking up through cracks in the sidewalk. We pray for those who are a light in the darkness. Strengthen them, Holy Spirit. These prayers we lift you always, that we might be attuned to the needs of your children. We also lift to you now the specific concerns of this day: God, there is much we have forgotten to pray for today, yet we know that nothing escapes your notice. Direct our eyes this week, we pray, that we might come to know your heart more fully. 9Presbyterian Outlook – Carolyn Holbrook Prickett) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Moment for Stewardship (inspired by Matthew 22) Matthew sets up a time of conflict between the Pharisees (religious leaders) and Jesus in chapter 22, with the Pharisees trying to trick Jesus into denouncing the Roman emperor. Jesus answered their question in a way which amazed them, and foiled their plan to discredit Jesus. When asked for the coin which was used to pay taxes, Jesus asked a question about whose image was on the coin. However, good Jews would recognize the human image shown on the coin was someone made in the image of God. This coin could be easily understood as both available for taxes (serving the emperor) AND for God (and all that builds up God’s Realm). As we come to our offering, remember! We are stewards/care-takers of all God has provided. Each one of us decides how best to use the resources we have. What will you bring today for the on-going work of this congregation and in response to the needs of our community and our world? With joyful hearts, let us share our tithes, our gifts and our offerings, that God’s Realm will be blessed by these resources. Prayer of Thanksgiving Holy God, receive this offering, filled with symbols of our lives in coin and check and notes for our electronic gifts. Accept all of it as a sign of our desire to give back a portion of what you’ve first given to us, for you are holy and call us to holy lives of service and thanksgiving. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Gicing0 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May truth gentle your heart. May truth find itself in your speech. May truth guide your actions and attitudes. May truth release you to be fully you. May truth compel you to greater love and compassion. May truth fortify you as you go into the world as God’s agent of healing and hope. Live in truth, go in peace, Be love. In the name of Jesus the Christ. (United Church of Christ, Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Blessed and redeemed, go forth into this world, linked together, in the knowledge and love of God; and the peace of God, which passes our understanding, will go with us, everywhere, now and forever. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Sermon Illustrations Only the assurance of that Presence can make us happy. One day John Tauler, the fourteenth century German mystic, met a beggar on the highway, and, as was his custom, he addressed the beggar, saying, "God give you a good day, my friend!" The beggar answered, "I thank God I have never had a bad day." "Well then," said Tauler, "God give you a happy life." But the beggar responded again, "I've never been unhappy." "What do you mean?" asked Tauler. "Well," said the beggar, "when it is fine, I thank God; and when it rains, I thank God. When I have plenty, I thank God; and when I am hungry, I thank God. And since God's will is my will, and since whatever pleases him pleases me, why should I be unhappy?" "Who are you anyway?" asked Tauler. "I'm a child of the King," came the reply. "You, a child of the King?" laughed Tauler. "Where is this King?" "In my heart," whispered the man in rags. "In my heart." He Lights Up My Life! But, more often than not, in all kinds of tragedies that occur in life, we are likely to ask, "Where was God when I - we - really needed him?" The Israelites were not the first people to ask that question, nor will we be the last ones. The story Up the Down Staircase is a story of a teacher who takes as her first teaching assignment a class in the ghetto of New York City in a high school. The story tells of her difficulties relating to this mixed racial class of deprived children. Finally, she puts a small question box on her desk, and she tells the children that anything they want to say to her, they can write on a slip of paper and put in the box. This fails to elicit any response, until she finally receives a small slip of paper in the box. She finds out later that it had been written by a Puerto Rican boy who, when he was in school at all, would sit back in the corner of the room, antagonistic, uncooperative, completely at odds with the teacher. Plaintively he had written on the little slip of paper: "I wish you knew who I was." Here is the cry that comes out of our crowded ghettos everywhere: "I wish you knew who I was," - the cry for recognition of our individuality and our personhood. "The fellows up in personnel Have a set of cards on me. The sprinkled perforations tell My individuality. And what am I? I am a chart On the cards of I.B.M. The secret places of the heart Have little secrecy for them. It matters not how much I prate They punch with punishment the scroll The files are masters of my fate They are the captains of my soul. Monday my brain began to buzz I was in agony all night I found out what the trouble was - They had my paper clip too tight." CSS Publishing Co., Inc., His Hands, by Jon L. Joyce

Signs and Wonders - Repreach of 9/3/17 Encounters with God

September 3, 2023 Exodus 3:1-15 Signs and Wonders 14th Sunday After Pentecost Year A Repreach of 9/3/17 Prelude Welcome Gathering Prayer From all our life’s pathways, you have called us to this place, O Lord. Be with us as we listen for your word and seek your ways. Guide our steps and guard our lives that we may serve you more effectively in this broken world. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer Lord of summer sunshine and autumn harvest, be with us this day as we gather to encounter your word and your way for us. Remind us that we can place our trust in your eternal love. Enable us to be more effective in our witness to that love by word and deed. Guide our steps and pick us up when we falter. Dust us off and place us on the pathways of grace and service. These things we pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Call to Worship We gather hoping to see God, here in worship, we realize that we see God in one another. We can see God when we show one another honor, when we pursue hospitality to strangers, when we live in harmony with one another, when we rejoice in hope. Let us worship the visible God amongst us. (Presbyterian Outlook, Molly Spangler) Song Go Down Moses UMH 448 Children’s Sermon Shoes come in all types and sizes. There are dress shoes like we might wear to church. There are athletic shoes like we wear when we play sports. There are sandals or flip-flops for summer. Show everyone the shoes you have on now. (Pause.) We have all kinds of shoes! But why are we talking about shoes you might be wondering. Well, shoes protect our feet, but they can also serve another purpose. Raise your hand if you wear your shoes inside most of the time. (Pause.) Raise your hand if you take your shoes off when you’re inside. (Pause.) People might take off their shoes to keep from tracking dirt inside. And in some places, people always take off their shoes and leave them at the door when they enter a house as a sign of respect. Respect means to show someone you think that person is important. And that reminds me of today’s Bible lesson. God told a man named Moses to take off his shoes (Exodus 3:5). To get ready to hear about what happened to Moses, let’s take off our shoes now. I think that’ll help us understand why God told Moses to take off his shoes. I'm going to do that. If you wish, join me. Take off your shoes and show children the “bush” paper on the wall. Explain that they’ll make a “burning bush” by adding color and flames. God called Moses from a burning bush to get his attention and talk to him. God had an important job for Moses. He told Moses to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. Let’s hear what happened. Give each child a cut-out flame and a marker. As you read aloud Exodus 3:3-6, have kids write their name or draw a picture on their flame. At first, Moses was confused and wasn’t sure God could really be speaking to him. God wanted Moses to lead His people, but Moses wasn’t sure he was the right guy for the job. But God wanted to get Moses to pay attention. Move kids to the bush on the wall. Have kids choose where to add construction paper flames while you tape. Why did the burning bush get Moses to pay attention to God? You didn’t know how our bush would turn out, but you listened to my instructions. God did the same thing with Moses—he gave Moses important instructions. Just like God spoke to Moses, God speaks to us, too. God, thank You for giving us instructions. Thank You for speaking to Moses and for speaking to us. Help us remember to listen to You. In Jesus’ name, amen. Sermon4Kids Responsive Reading UMH 828 Scripture Exodus 3:1-15 Sermon Signs and Wonders Can you imagine – It is just an ordinary day at work. As a matter of fact, things are going just as expected. You are not really bored with what you are doing, But you are not pretty excited or engaged either. And all of a sudden, something catches your attention. It’s nothing really, but at the same time it is really strange and you become engaged and start paying attention. And then the thing that you are watching, starts talking to you in a most familiar voice and gives you a message that you are not surprised to hear at all – it is God talking to you. When you woke up this morning and planned your day, you certainly didn’t expect this to happen. That is the funny thing about God – you can never plan for the conversation, God just comes and talks to us. I believe that all of us have encounters with God. God comes to all of us in ordinary but strange ways all of the time, the thing is most of us are not paying attention. We are not listening so the message never really registers Usually when God makes an entrance into our consciousness – God usually wants something from us. God never just stops by to say hello, God is calling us to do something – something beyond ourselves and our immediate needs, something that makes a difference in the world. Exodus 3 and 4 are actually the most significant call stories in the world. There are many call stories in the bible, where God calls people like Moses, Jeremiah, Paul and even Peter to be more than they expected. In Exodus, Moses shares his first of many encounters with God. Just an ordinary day, when something catches his attention. When he comes to examine things closer – God says don’t come any closer – you are standing on holy ground take off your shoes. There are many cultures where you take off your shoes when you enter into someone’s space. Taking off your shoes is a sign of respect. Taking off your hat is a sign of equality. As he takes off his shoes and gets closer – God says I have heard the cries of my people, I know their pain. God says I have seen, I have heard, I know, and have to deliver. It is interesting how scripture can always address the issues of today? When you look at the news today – what is it that God has seen, has heard, knows and needs to deliver his people from? And more importantly, how is God calling you to respond? What is God calling you to do? And I think more importantly who is God calling you to be. It is interesting, because as soon as God tells Moses what God wants him to do – Moses makes an interesting response. He says who am I to do all of this work. And God kindly reminds him – well you are Moses, and I am God and I will be with you. And of course that leads Moses to ask the other most obvious question – not so much who are you. He knows that it must be God – not many other beings have the ability to talk English through a burning bush. He asks who am I supposed to tell others that you are. All of those other people who you are asking me to get moving, I need a credible authority to talk to them. Now at the beginning of their conversation God introduces himself as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Joseph There is an ancient Jewish legend that says: A young man asked his Rabbi "Why does your daily prayer say, ‘God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob? Why does it not simply say, ‘God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?’ " The Rabbi replied, "because, my son, Abraham’s God and Isaac’s God may not have been Jacob’s. Each generation must find God for itself, indeed, each person must find his own God." This legend touches on the passages of our lesson from Exodus 3, but with significant differences, lessons to be learned by the Israelites as they languished in captivity, lessons to be remembered by them throughout their subsequent history. I believe that that is only one God – but we each see and interpret and experience God in different ways. So sometimes we have different names for different experiences. But Moses takes the conversation a little further and says I needs to know you name. God’s name is Yahweh, which because of pronounciation some say Jehovah. I have a whole sermon about the name of God. But today I just want to point out that God says I am who I am. Actually he says I will be who I will be. I will be a deliverer, I will be a provider, I will be faithful, I will be with you. It is important for us to know that old testament because it is a mirror of the new testament. In the book of John, Jesus makes 7 I am statements – I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the way that leads to life, I am the true vine. That brings us back to our original question, who are you in an encounter with God. There is a Hasidic tale that reveals, with amazing brevity, both the universal tendency to want to be someone else and the ultimate importance of becoming one's self: Rabbi Zusya, when he was an old man, said, "In the coming world, they will not ask me: ‘Why were you not Moses?' They will ask me: ‘Why were you not Zusya?' "6 Moses the excuse-maker becomes Moses the liberator as God's call and support comes clear. Our liberator is Jesus Christ who liberates and frees so we may be exactly what God intends. Joseph Campbell , a great spiritual writer who encourages everyone to find their callng says, "Go where your body and soul want to go, when you have the feeling, then stay with it and don't let anyone throw you off." Federick Buechner puts it this way: "Where your deep gladness intersects with the world's deep need -- there you have a vocation, a calling." Paul Wilkes, in his book Beyond The Walls: Monastic Wisdom For Everyday Life, writes, "If monastic wisdom has anything at all to say to our modern world, it is that our labors, humble or vaunted, are potentially an unending source of holiness, purification, and grace. Monk or mechanic, computer programmer, writer, forest ranger, stockbroker -- all can be worthy, even sacred vocations." God is calling us today – to answer that call. God is Power, fidelity and presence. I will be who I will be – God says this is my name forever, to all generations. God will always be. There’s a lot going on in our world. There is a lot that needs to be done. Where do you fit in. There is, I think it is true to say, something a little bit depressing about Labor Day weekend. For Labor Day weekend signals the psychological end, at least, to summer with its periods of refreshment, and the start again, for many of us, of the more hectic rhythm of life and work at school, in college, at office or, in home. So let me ask you: How is your work? Are you giving of your self at work? Is work a place where you sacrifice for a cause? I find it helpful to remember the story of the little girl who, in the process of growing up, discovered that more than anything else she wanted to be able to mow the lawn. But each season she was told that she was too young. The great day came, however, when her parents decided that, at last, she was old enough to do the task. She did it with surprising skill and great delight, and having finished admiring her work, she began to cast long, envious glances across the fence at the neighbor's lawn, which also needed cutting. The neighbor, seeing her interest, said, "Sally, would you like to cut my lawn?" And the little girl enthusiastically said 'yes.' "Well, let's see...how about $3.00?" said the neighbor. The little girl's face fell, and she turned away, shaking her head. "What's the matter?" asked the neighbor. "I only have $2.00," said the little girl. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com. Adapted from a sermon by Rev. C. Wayne Hilliker: "Living A Life That Matters" When you go to work tomorrow – expect God’s call. Let us pray…. Song. I Have Decided to Follow Jesus. TFWS. 2129 Pastoral Prayer Stewardship Moment So often Jesus’ words in the Gospels are upside down from what we would expect to hear. In Matthew 16, Jesus teaches his disciples “if you want to become my followers, take up your cross…”, and “if you want to save your life, you’ll lose it.” Such an upside-down world continues when we find our greatest delight in GIVING, rather than in receiving. A woman, traveling alone in the mountains, found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry. The woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his great fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman. He declared, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.” The woman smiled, “The joy of giving!” https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/joy-giving-very-short-story-betty-garrett/ Prayer of Thanksgiving Ever-giving God, because we are your beloved creatures, we know you’ve first given us such abundance: air, water, land, love, life. In gratitude, we now offer you a portion of what you’ve given to us. Accept our gifts, Holy One, as signs of our love for you and our desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Help us use these resources to share your Good News with those who struggle to live. AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Communion UMH 13 In the US, this is the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Despite the origins of Labor Day, for many, it is the last weekend of the summer, and offers one more 3 day weekend before the push of school, fall, and a long stretch of routine and rush. Many folks make this a picnic weekend, a last trip for camping, getting to the lake, or going to see Grandparents. Wherever you find yourself, let us also take this as a time for giving thanks, remembering, and sharing together around the table to which Jesus invites his followers. For we gather, in person or on line, in gratitude for the work Jesus has done for us. In thanksgiving, we share in a simple feast of bread and juice, signs and symbols of the life, death and resurrection of the one we claim as Lord. So as we participate in communion, we give thanks for the work of Jesus: healing, teaching, loving and pointing us to God. May we recognize our place in the communion of saints, and commit ourselves once more to life as disciples (followers) of Jesus. The Table is spread, and all are welcome to share the feast. (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Remember, as our time of worship draws to a close and our lives of service begin anew, go out into the world in peace. Return no one evil for evil. Strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak, love everyone. That God’s light and love, justice and joy, might be for you and all people everywhere. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Molly Spangler) Community Time Joys and Concerns Benediction Jesus has called you and placed his trust in you. Go into this world, bearing the words of hope and healing. Reach out to others in compassion. For it is Jesus’ name, that you are sent out to serve. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley)

Blood from a Turnip? Water from a Rock

March 12, 2023 Lent 3 Exodus 17:1-7 Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship (Psalm 95, Romans 5) O come, let us sing to our God and make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. We lift our hearts and voices in joy and thanksgiving for being here together in the presence of our beloved God. Come, let us worship this amazing God, for we belong to God. We will listen for God’s word and live in the hope it inspires. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Brown) Opening Prayer (Exodus 17, Romans 5, John 4) Loving and caring God, we come this morning in hope— hope that will sustain us in our trying times, our lonely times, our doubting times. Refresh us this morning with the living water of your presence and love. Open us to the possibilities of friendship— the possibilities of encountering you in unexpected ways, the possibilities of seeing the miraculous in everyday life. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Brown) Song Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah UMH 127 Children’s Sermon How many of you have ever played the game Rock, Paper, Scissors? Here’s how to play Rock, Paper, Scissors. Follow along. Demonstrate the motions as you explain. Players all hold one hand out as a platform and hit it with their other fist while saying, “Rock, Paper, Scissors…go!” On the fourth hit and the word “go,” players form either a rock, paper, or scissors. Demonstrate each item as you say the words. This is how you know who wins: rock smashes scissors, paper covers a rock, and scissors cut paper. Let's play! You can all play against me and you can keep track of how many times you win. Ready? One, two, three, go. For the first round, choose a rock. I made a rock. If you made paper, you win. If you made scissors, I win. If you made a rock, we tied. Play several rounds. The great thing about Rock, Paper, Scissors is that you can be a winner no matter what you choose from game to game. Today, I have a real rock, paper, and scissors with me. These items are all useful in their own way. Hold up each item as you talk about it. If you wanted to write a letter, a rock or scissors wouldn't be much help, but a piece of paper would be, wouldn't it? If you wanted to cut a piece of paper, a rock or paper wouldn't help, but a pair of scissors would. If you were really thirsty and needed a drink of water, a piece of paper or a pair of scissors wouldn't be much help, but a rock might be exactly what you need. Wait—what? Some of you are looking at me like I'm crazy! Don't you think a rock would be helpful if you needed a drink of water? Let’s vote. Have kids raise their hand if they think a rock would help or not if a person needed water. Well, in our Bible lesson today, that’s exactly what happened: A rock helped when people were thirsty. What’s it like when you feel very, very thirsty? Let a few kids respond. Being thirsty is uncomfortable. It can give you a headache and make you dizzy. In fact, the human body has to have water every day, multiple times a day to stay alive. Moses had led the Israelites out of slavery into the desert. The Israelites were more and more thirsty, the situation was getting very serious, and they complained to Moses. So Moses went to his tent and fell on his knees before God. God answered and Moses did exactly what God told him to do. After he struck the rock, water began rushing from it—enough to quench the thirst of all the people and all their animals! We can learn a lot from Moses. When you and I face an impossible situation, we can go to God and ask for His help. God can do impossible things. Dear God, when we face impossible situations, help us remember Moses and know that we serve a God who can get water from a rock. In Jesus’ name, amen. Prayer of Confession (Exodus 17) Patient and ever-faithful God, we come to you this morning confessing that we can be a grumpy and unsatisfied people. When things are not perfect in our eyes, we murmur and complain, and grumble and doubt. We lose hope in the people around us and, even worse, we lose hope in you. We challenge instead of accept. We put you to the test rather than trust your caring love. Forgive our doubts and complaining. Forgive our loss of hope. Let your healing, life-giving waters pour over us. Restore our souls. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Brown) Words of Assurance (Exodus 17, Romans 5, John 4) Our hope and assurance rest in God’s unfailing love and forgiveness. Open your hearts and minds and souls that the healing waters of God’s never-ending love and forgiveness may flow into and over you. Know that in this love and forgiveness you have encountered the living God. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Brown) Passing the Peace (Romans 5, John 4) Let us greet one another with words of hope—words that come from the wellspring of love flowing within us because of our encounter with the living Christ. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Brown) Responsive Reading Psalm 95 UMH 814 Scripture Exodus 17:1-7 Sermon Blood from a Turnip? Water from a Rock? So, it looks like the journey is continuing for me. Now that the pandemic is ending, there are more and more conference meetings. So I have had to be creative in finding easy ways to get around. Yesterday it was just easier to catch the train to Chicago and to use public transportation. The Lenten season is also our journey of finding our faith. We have to think about our lives, but also to think about where we can see God clearly in our faith. This season we have stayed focused on the Hebrew Bible. We have heard the stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and the wandering Isrealites as they search for the Promisedland. Each of these stories remind us of what it means to be human, what does it mean to deal with human problems, to make t human mistakes. We are challenged to think about those moments in our life when our human behavior crosses the line to being sinful. These stories are not about the big sins, killing, stealing and disrupting society. But of subtle sins, sins of faith and doubting God. This story of Meribah and Massah takes place in the wilderness of sin. It is a perfect story for lent – Life in the Wilderness of Sin. The only thing is – Sin was the name of the place, not what the people did. They were in the valley of Sin, which is near Mount Sinai. When you are in the wilderness, you are in an unfamiliar place- you don’t know where to find anything and you are unprepared for what might happen. It is sort of like driving through the forest preserve and realizing there is no place to stop ad get anything in case of an emergency. On trips like that, of course you get nervous and uncomfortable. For the Isrealites, they looked around and realized there was no place to get water and they were thirsty. The start to cry, complain, blame. They forgot their own history of how God had provided for every need on the journey. When you are panicking, you are not thinking clearly. Moses sees God presence traveling with them and telling him where the water is. He strikes a rock and the water flows. I just preached on this story last year- but that was a different context – it wasn’t told during lent. But honestly, every time I think about this story – I always take pause at its lesson. The people grumbled, and God heard them, cared for them and gave them what they demanded. – and yet, if you read further in Exodus, we also learn that this is the one moment in the bible, when God never forgave them. They did not believe God would take care of them. So God says that because they grumbled, that generation would never see the promisedland. They were upset because they needed water and couldn’t find it. The good news for us is that God changed God’s mind – God did not stay upset forever. We can be grateful that God send Jesus to show us grace and show us forgiveness for our sins. Or we would all be in trouble. But the sin of the ISrealites was not complaining, as much as refusing to acknowledge the presence of God. We have all heard of the story of the man in boat in the midst of a flood – praying for God to rescue him. They through his a ladder, someone comes along on a boat, a helicopter comes – and he refuses saying he is waiting for God to rescue him. When the boat is sinking, he asks God why God did not show up – and God says but I did, and you just didn’t see it. Sometimes in life we have to stop and think – what am I missing in this situation. When we are panicking, there is no time for reflection. God is there in some way. We all have our Meribah and MAssah – that point in our lives when we wonder if God really cares. We all have those times in our lives when we are looking for water and all we see is rocks. How frequently do we face the impossible. Sometimes things are really possible, we just can’t see it. A Vermont Methodist church declined in the 1960s and '70s. It boasted 800 members on the rolls in 1963, but by 1982 the number at Sunday worship was 28-30. Attached to the back of the church was a two-story structure with a basement. It had overflowed with children and youth in the 1960s, but in 1982 sat empty, no Sunday school at all. The thermostat was set low to keep expenses down. Except for worship, that church had no signs of life. The attached building was termed "our albatross." Parishioners spoke of it as a liability, something that cost them money. A new pastor arrived in 1983 and remarked, "An empty building. Great. How shall we use this ... asset?" A couple of weeks went by and a used hospital bed was advertised in the newspaper, free for the taking. The pastor arranged to pick it up and stored it in the basement of the albatross building. The church bulletin noted the bed was available on free loan to anyone needing it. In no time, a woman recovering from hip surgery called. But a week later someone else needed it. When the pastor mentioned the dilemma during worship, a woman stood and said she had another hospital bed in her attic and she'd donate it. Soon word got out about what came to be known as the Hospital Equipment Loan Program. Canes, crutches, walkers, shower seats, and wheelchairs were donated. The cellar of the albatross building -- canes and crutches hanging everywhere -- looked like the Healing Shrine at Lourdes. A volunteer church secretary came to work in the church office 3 mornings a week -- not to type the church bulletin, but to keep the in/out log for hospital equipment! The program was so successful the church started a Second Hand Clothing Shop on the main floor. A special-needs pre-school program moved in. An ecumenical Soup Kitchen project took hold. The vision changed -- from seeing the old Educational Building as an albatross, a liability, to seeing it as an Outreach Ministries Building, an asset. The church stopped seeing the rock and trusted God to let the water flow. Today they average close to 150 at worship and are brimming with exciting programs. Seeing the water applies to churches, but also to our personal lives. From What to Do when the Bush is Burning – Steve Burtt When we are suffering from spiritual depletion – it is so hard to see what is right in front of us. Yet when we give in faith- we get a blessing. When you give to God, you may not get back what you give dollar per dollar – but giving to God opens up the door to seeing how God works and blesses us for being a blessing. We start to see God in unexpected places. In the Wilderness of Sin – Moses was not worried, because he stayed focus on the presence of God with them. He could see God’s presence clearly. When the others were thirsty - he was the only one to see God’s spirit clearly leading him. Everyone else only saw God’s presence in the water. Our them for the season is the journey of life. But our theme for today – is journeying near the water. All of the scriptrues for today talk about living water – running water. Fresh water that cleanses and restores our soul and brings us peace and well being. That is the definition of shalom – peace, justice and wellbeing. When we all are at peace, there is peace for all. Yesterday I learned a new definition of shalom - being connected to God and one another – being able to share with one another without being depleted. It is the depletion that causes the problem. The fear that God will not provide. Life is an anxiety producing ride – where we encounter doubt everyday. But if we have faith – it is a journey that stretches us and helps us to grow stronger and more patient in life. When we are thirsty – we can trust that God will quench that thirst. When we are uneasy we can trust that God will give us peace. When we watch the church decline, we can trust that God will use us to provide the increase. When we are in doubt – we can look for the water in the rock. They say that the wombats in Australia have a special talent – they have a special gift for finding water hidden under the ground. Who are the wombats among us – who can recognize God’s presence in the midst of tough times? God's Waters Never Run Dry DL Moody teels the following story: I remember being in a city where I noticed that the people resorted to a favorite well in one of the parks. I said to a man one day: “Does the well never run dry?” The man was drinking of the water out of the well; and as he stopped drinking, he smacked his lips, and said: “They have never been able to pump it dry yet. They tried it a few years ago. They put the fire-engines to work, and tried all they could to pump the well dry; but they found there was a river flowing right under the city.” Thank God, the well of salvation can never run dry either! D.L. Moody, Moody's Stories My prayer for you this Lenten season – is that you find the living waters of God and may you be restored. Amen. Song Rock of Ages U MH 361 Prayer for Healing Waters (let me know if this is too long once reformatted – you don’t have to print the first paragraph) Some waters need healing. Call to mind the places on this Earth where the waters are polluted, troubled, or in drought. (Pause) Let us name them and pray, “May all waters be healed.” Leader: In the Two-Thirds World hauling water is one of women’s main daily occupations. Response: May all waters be healed. Leader: Many people in large cities worldwide do not drink water out of the faucets because the water is polluted. Response: May all waters be healed. Leader: The Bagmati River in Kathmandu is characteristically dirty brown and full of particles that carry waterborne diseases. Response: May all waters be healed. Leader: Many urban areas in the United States are working to clean up their rivers, while others fear that their rivers are drying up. Response: May all waters be healed. Leader: In many parts of rural India women walk many miles in search of water because the rivers are dammed to irrigate commodity crops like sugarcane. Response: May all waters be healed. Leader: Across the world, rains fail and drought prevails followed by rains that arrive in torrents and flood communities with disastrous consequences. Response: May all waters be healed. Leader: May all waters be healed by the One who said, “The water I will give will become in them spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” Response: God our Creator, heal us that we may heal the waters of our world. Amen. Adapted from Diann L. Neu, “Healing the Waters,” in Return Blessings: Ecofeminist Liturgies Renewing the Earth (Pilgrim Press, 2002), 65-67. Offertory Prayer God, our provider, in Christ you give us a spring of pure water that overflows to eternal life. Your love and hope fill our hearts, so we want to worship you in Spirit and truth. Open our eyes to see the places in this neighborhood where our church’s ministries could reach new people. Direct our gifts and offerings for your purposes, so that our community will become like a field ripe for harvest. We ask this through Christ, our risen Lord. Amen. (John 4:5-42) (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook (Exodus 17, Romans 5, John 4) We have encountered the living God through the love of the living Christ. We have been refreshed by living water. Go now to live in the hope this encounter inspires. Be water bearers to a dry and parched world, knowing that the God of love and hope goes before you and with you always. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Brown) Community Time Benediction As you depart this space, remember that the God who caused water to flow from a rock is the same God who walks with you. Go forth with the assurance that in the midst of a chaotic world something good can happen and something good will happen. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Tena Nock) Additional Illustrations That First Longing Carl Jung, the great psychoanalyst, tried to explain why so many people were fascinated by UFO phenomena. He wrote: "We are all born to believe. The eyes may be wrong, but the psyche is right. We are all looking for a perfect model of ourselves." C. S. Lewis made the same point when he observed: “Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning can really satisfy. I am not now speaking of what would ordinarily be called unsuccessful marriages, or holidays, or learned careers. I am speaking of the best possible ones. There was something we grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away in reality. I think everyone knows what I mean. The wife may be a good wife, and the hotels and scenery may have been excellent, and chemistry may be a very interesting job, but something has evaded us.” (quoted in The Joyful Christian) Robert Bachelder, Between Dying and Birth, CSS Publishing Company ___________________________ A Drink of Water to a Thirsty Soul For those conducting Communion this Sunday this illustration offers some strong tie-ins for a conclusion: Have you heard the legend of the Fisher King? When the Fisher King was a boy, he was sent out to spend the night alone in the forest, as a test of his courage to be king. During the night, he had a vision of the Holy Grail—the cup used by our Lord at the last supper. He saw it surrounded by great flames of fire, and he immediately became excited by the prospect of the wealth and glory that would be his by possessing such a great prize. Greedily, he reached into the flames to grab it, but the flames were too hot, and he was severely wounded. As the years went by, the Fisher King became more despondent and alone, and his wound grew deeper. One day, feeling sad and depressed and in pain, he went for a walk in the forest and came upon a court jester. "Are you all right?" the jester asked. "Is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?" "Well, I am very thirsty," the Fisher King replied. The jester took an old dilapidated cup from his bag, filled it with water from a nearby stream, and gave it to the Fisher King. As he drank, he suddenly felt his wound healing for the first time. And incredibly, the old cup he was drinking from had turned into the Holy Grail. "What wonderful magic do you possess?" the Fisher King asked the jester. The jester just shrugged and said, "I know no magic. I only gave a drink of water to a thirsty soul." James W. Moore, Some Things Are Too Good Not to Be True, Dimensions, p.105-106 ______________________ Searching for Happiness St. Thomas Aquinas told of a man who heard about a very special ox and determined to have it for his own. He traveled all over the world. He spent his entire fortune. He gave his whole life to the search for this ox. At last, just moments before he died, he realized he had been riding on that very special ox all the time. You are searching for happiness, perhaps? Look no farther. Look no farther than you own heart. Open your heart to God through His Son, Jesus Christ. He will give you living water. You need never thirst again. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com We Are the Sinners Rev. Randall D. Bell tells a powerful story about a pastor who stood in court beside a member of his congregation--an individual who had been “out with the boys,” and had too much to drink. As he was driving home on the rain soaked streets and through the dense fog, he turned a corner and heard a sickening clash of metal and breaking glass. Two young people lay dead. They had been thrown from their motorcycle. He was charged with manslaughter and driving under the influence. He sat in court trembling after days of testimony. The judge was about to speak. It could mean years of prison, loss of job, and poverty for his family. The judge spoke: The test for drunkenness had not been properly done; the motorcycle had no proper lights; the jury was ordered to render a not guilty verdict. All that was ominous and foreboding was now gone. He was a free man. The court declared him “not guilty.” His family kissed him--they could go on with their life, all because he had been declared innocent. Then Rev. Bell adds these words, “Now maybe this story and the way it ended angers you, because you hurt over those young people who were killed. But know this--you and I are that man. His story is our story. We are the sinner who finds himself in the presence of God the Eternal Judge. . . .” You see, not only are we blinded by our prejudices toward people like the Samaritan woman with her unseemly lifestyle, we are also blinded to the fact that we are the Samaritan woman. We, too, have fallen short of the grace of God, but the hand of grace is reached out to us as well. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ________________________________

We are Being Tested By God

September 27, 2020 Exodus 17:1-7 Being Tested By God 17th Sunday after Pentecost Year A Opening Song Welcome Opening Prayer L: Come, let us worship God who provides for us. P: Even though we whine and complain, God hears our cries. L: Lift your voices in praise, for God has come to comfort you. P: Thanks be to God who forgives and heals our wounded souls. L: Come, celebrate God’s steadfast love. P: Open our hearts, O Lord, and let us truly listen to your words. AMEN. Stewardship Moment Offering Prayer (Exodus 17) God of abundance, you fill us with good things; you satisfy our thirst; you meet our every need. From your rock, our blessings flow. Accept what we give in return: our hearts, our hands, our gifts, our love. Use them to answer the cries of a world in need. Amen. Scripture Exodus 17:1-7 Water from a rock 17 The whole Israelite community broke camp and set out from the Sin desert to continue their journey, as the LORD commanded. They set up their camp at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people argued with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing the LORD?” 3 But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they complained to Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with this people? They are getting ready to stone me.” 5 The LORD said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of Israel’s elders with you. Take in your hand the shepherd’s rod that you used to strike the Nile River, and go. 6 I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Hit the rock. Water will come out of it, and the people will be able to drink.” Moses did so while Israel’s elders watched. 7 He called the place Massah[a] and Meribah,[b] because the Israelites argued with and tested the LORD, asking, “Is the LORD really with us or not?” Sermon Being Tested By God The only thing that we can be sure of in life is change. Every generation experiences a big event that is so earth shattering that it transforms everything about life. Of course for us, we would all agree that the pandemic is the transforming event for us in this room. But I will say that the transformation is deeper than that, all of 2020 has been a transforming event and it is not over yet. We have no idea how this year will end. Things are happening so fast, we hardly have time to really process any of this. That must have been how the Isrealites must have felt when this strange man names Moses convinced them to leave the comforts of slavery in Egypt and go on an unknown journey into the desert. They had no map, no destination, no preparation, no idea of what to expect. All they could do was complain. And the complaining never ends. Moses probably started to ask them all – what kind of cheese do you want with your whine? Wandering in the wilderness We have all been there at some point in our lives. We have been at a time in our lives when we are just wandering in the wilderness – looking for where we will go next. We might be just finishing school looking for a career, just out of a relationship looking for what comes next, looking for a lifestyle change. We may be looking for a new job. There are any number of things that might put us in that place of wandering. The point is, some of us at some point find a sense of direction of where we are supposed to go, and some of us just keep on wandering Some of us get home and some of us keep wandering There is a saying that the king of England said a prayer to God on day – he prayed that God would give him a light so that he could see in the unknown. The priest replied, instead of praying for light, just pray for God – that is all that you need. That is the difference between those who make it to the promised land, and those who don’t. Some are still looking for the light, and some discover that God knows the way – not them. We have to go in the wilderness to find God Often times it is those wilderness experiences that teach us that we need God. It is those wilderness experiences that teach us of the ways of God. It is those wilderness experiences that put us face to face with a God. A God that had been with us all along, but for some reason we had not been paying attention to. It is in the wilderness that we start to exchange our fear for courage, and we have to strength to move on. Even when we get to the promised land we see that in reality, all of our lives are lived somewhere in between hardship and promise. No Matter how far we make it, there is something that we have to struggle with. Exodus 17 is the third murmuring story. They are complaining for food and water. In the first story God gives them a solution to the problem. In the second story God asks them to listen to his instructions. In this story God says that this is a test to see whether they will trust God to do what God says. In all three stories God provides for them. God continues to provide, and the people continue to complain This story does not end well for the people. Centuries later when they are excelled from their homeland, they reflect on what they could have done to make God so mad at them. God says that God never got ever their complaining here at Meribah. God could tolerate the complaining, but they never passed the test. They did not do what they were asked, and they did not rely on God for their provisions, they took matters in their own hands. Being exiled was the consequences for their actions. Speaking of consequences – in this story, the people blame Moses for all of their problems. If it wasn’t for him they would be safe and taken care of in Egypt, never mind the fact that they would have also been slaves. It was Moses fault. It is Moses that tells them that God never forgave them for not listening to God. The tension between the leader and the people. The end of Exodus says that Moses lived to an old age. But the bible says that his ending was mysterious. He went out into the desert one day and was never found again. People say that God came to him in the desert and told him that it was his time, and God took him. I am not a bible scholar, but I always assume that the people knew more than they are saying about Moses disappearance. They got tired of him telling them what to do. This story is much more than a story about the wilderness, whining, or blaming leaders. The main character of the story is God, the main point is that God provides, the main lesson is to look for God in the middle of life’s deserts. God provides for us without complaint. Moses was able to get them water by striking a rock with his walking stick. Moses leadership was no so much about coming up with answers to their problems, but in listening to God’s instruction. You can't get blood out of a turnip!" we've all heard (usually in response to a bill collector or a higher church budget). Or we've heard a variation, "You can't squeeze water out of a stone." We nod our heads in agreement with the speaker. After all, how can we argue with something so plain? The rational, analytical side of our brain says, "True, true, sad but true. You can't get water out of a rock." Oh, we of little faith. All we see is the rock. Every week when I need to come up with a sermon, I read the prescribed scripture passage(s) for that Sunday and scratch my head. "Come on," I say. "I need a sermon." Nothing comes out. I stare at the page and think, "This is like squeezing water out of a rock." What I see is the rock -- not the potential for water. I see the blank page, not the potential for a sermon. It's not until I trust God to reveal the sermon behind the page that it comes out. (Maybe not masterpieces, but I've never yet gotten into the pulpit Sunday morning and said, "Sorry, no word from God.") We're all like those Hebrews at times, aren't we? They're wandering in the wilderness, thirsting to death and grumbling about it. "Moses," they say, "we and our families and our animals are dying of thirst. Help." So Moses approaches God, and God tells him to go to a certain spot and to strike the rock with his staff, assuring him water will appear. Moses does as he is told and, wow, where before they'd seen only rock, water flows. Imagine the Hebrews' reaction. Cheering, clapping, whistling, people saying "Neat-o!" and "Cool!" But they probably believed the miracle was that water appeared where there had been no water. That's not the case. It's not that there was no water there. The water was there; it's just that they couldn't see it there, didn't have access to it, didn't know how to tap it. The true miracle wasn't water appearing where there was no water; the true miracle was they stopped seeing rock and finally saw water beneath. Richard Bach, in his terrific little paperback, Illusions: The Adventures Of A Reluctant Messiah, writes: "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours."1 We must stop arguing for limitations, stop arguing "You can't get water out of a rock." We must ask God to help us see the water, the potential in our lives and in all of life's situations. Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, there they are, limiting you. We can complain, we can blame, but we also need to look for God. God stayed mad at the Isrealites, no so much because they complained. But they also didn’t listen, follow instructions or trust. The only thing we can be sure of is that things will change. The exodus story is an invitation. An invitation for all of us to come out of what is holding us back. An invitation to enter into a new relationship with life. Our wilderness experience are the growing pains of entering a new life. Next week we will see how this new relationship formed a new community, a new promise that God will provide and that we need to listen and be loyal – the story of the 10 commandments – whole new promise on a whole new level. Proof that we passed the test and chose to stay in relationship with our circumstance and with God. The prayer of the filled cup Recently I learned of a special prayer that one woman does every day. When she wakes up in the morning who gets a bowl- and as she pours water in to she starts to pray for all of the things and all of the people in her life. As the bowl fills up she still pour the water. And she is reminded of God’s grace in her life. She remembers all of the needs that God supplies, all that she is grateful for. All that she has for her say. She realizes that her life is just as full as that bowl. And then she leaves the bowl on her kitchen sink for the rest of her day – to remind her of the fullness of God, and that her soul is full. Let us pray….. Prayer Pastoral Prayer Lord of hope and healing, you have heard the cries of our hearts. You know that we do want to serve you, and yet when things get tough, we buckle and cave in. We lack the courage and strength to work for you. You have reminded us that you will be continually with us and we need to place our trust in that fact. Your love will sustain and heal us. Your mercy and grace will give us courage and strength, joy and peace. As we have come before you this day, offering our prayers for those near and dear to us, let us remember that you constantly lift and carry us in your love. Bring us to the knowledge of your mercy and powerful love that will never leave us. Prepare us for ministry in areas of need and desolation. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. Song for Reflection Come Thou Font of Every Blessing UMH 400 Announcements Next week is World Communion Sunday- We will be celebrating communion. You can pick up your prepackaged elements from the office. Or have a drink and some type of bread product. The scripture for next week is Exodus 20:1-20 The song is One Bread One Body UMH - 620 Benediction Children’s Sermon – will be given via Facebook Moses did exactly what God told him to do and guess what happened? He got water from a rock! Once again, God took good care of His people just like He takes good care of us today. So, what should you and I do when we face a seemingly impossible situation? We should ask God for His help, and then trust in Him. Sometimes we may not understand the way God is leading, but we just have to trust Him and have faith in His ways. After all, who would have thought you could get water from a rock? (You can read this whole story in Exodus 17:1-7 if you want.) Let’s pray together. Dear Father, when we face impossible situations, help us to remember that we serve a God who can rain down food from heaven and get water from a rock. Nothing is impossible for You. You love us and always take care of us. Thank You! Am

Knowledge and People

Knowledge and People
August 21, 2011
Year A
Exodus 1:8-2:10
Matthew 16:13-20
10th Sunday after Pentecost




First line of knew him not
I was attracted to the exodus text because of the first line – Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. Is that sort of like getting a new bishop, who doesn’t know anything about you, and having to start building a relationship all over again. Or talking to an old district superintendent weeks before he leaves, and promises of what is going to happen being made, and just as things start to progress, getting a new superintendent who really doesn’t want to hear your story?

Explanation of why he didn’t know them
For the Israelites, it was. They had built such a good relationship while Joseph was alive, and now things were about to take a big turn for the worse. History really does say that the pharaoh – Hyskos- while Joseph was alive tended to like to have a relationship with his Semitic neighbors. He was very sympathetic to their needs. But as a new dynasty arose, the Semitic people became a threat. What happens if their enemies attacked , the Jews were so numerous that if they sided with the enemy – they were a force to be reckoned with. In this case, they had to be controlled – so they were put into slavery.

Genesis was the story of the first family. Exodus is the story of how that family fell on hard times and how God delivered them. This is also a story of knowledge. Who you know and what you know about them

Scripture says that pharaoh knew them not. But the good news is that God did know them. God knew their situation. God knew exactly what it would take to deliver them.


Where is God in this story?
Interestingly enough – this is the story of Moses. How Moses was born in extenuating circumstances that should have killed him. How he survived, how he was raised in the best possible household, how he had the best possible education, how he used it to bring his people out of the oppression put on them by the new Pharaoh. Someone pointed out to me that if you read the story – the characters of the story are Moses, Moses sister, Moses mother, the princess of Egypt, and her family, there are the two midwives who are supposed to deliver and kill Hebrew babies, and yet they are more afraid of God then they are the pharaoh- and they let the babies live. Nowhere in the story is the voice of God. Nowhere in the story is the name of God even mentioned. And yet – God’s presence is obvious. You read between the lines of the story – and you know that Moses survival against the odds is nothing but God.

It is a lot like our lives. When we forget to pray to God, we forget to call on the name of God. Sometimes even in the church, we look at our business that we do, and say that there is no way that God could be in the midst of that. That is all the decision of man. And yet when you step back from it and you look at things a little closer, you realize that the only way that you made it through, was through the grace of God. When you look at the individual lines of history – you say I don’t hear God’s name nowhere. But when it is all said and done no one but could have cleaned that mess up.
It was God who told the midwives to do the right thing, it was God who told the mother to protect her baby, it was God who made sure the baby was found by the right person, it was God who told pharaoh’s daughter not the kill the baby, it was God who kept him safe in the enemy household, and it was God who called him to deliver his people from oppression to freedom.
And it is God who is head of our lives, our church , and our nation.
Whatever we need to be delivered from our oppression, be it in our mind, body or spirit – God is sending it to us right now. Leaders may not really know our needs – but God does. The news said that Michelle Bachman claimed she knew what needed to be done so that we could pay $2 for gas. Wherever there is a mess – there is always a solution from God.




Solution to confusion is Jesus
The good news is that the solution – usually involves Jesus Christ. God’s ultimate solution for the mess that we make of our lives. God’s answer to all of the problems of the world.

This is a confession
Matthew 16 is a pivotal verse for our times. It is also pivotal in the life of Jesus. He has been in ministry to his nation for three years. And he has taught us everything that he knows. Now all there is to do is to go to Jerusalem to the cross, and to make sure that his disciples are prepared to continue to spread the good news in his absence. In the remaining chapters you will see that he pulls away from the crowd and spends time with his disciples. In this lesson, it is not what Jesus teaches that is important to us, it is Peter’s response. Jesus tells Peter that he will make him the rock of the church. Now there is a difference to the way Catholics and Protestants interpret this verse. Catholics believe that Jesus was saying that Peter is literally the rock of the church. The Vatican is built upon the grave of Peter. The only way to be a bishop in the Catholic Church is to be touched by someone who has been touched by Peter. Peter is the rock. But for us as Protestants it is not the person of Peter that is important. It is Peter’s confession. Jesus asks Peter, who do you say that I am? Peter answers that you are the messiah – the son of the living God. It was not Peters’ common sense that could give that answer. It was the spirit of God who had to tell him. It was Peter’s answer that made the difference. Peter could have said that he was a prophet, or a good teacher, or a peacemaker, or a worthy leader. God revealed that this was his son. The messiah the savior of the world. Jesus knew the right question to ask to lead Peter in the right direction. And he continue to asks us the church the faithful disciples the same answer.

Jesus challenges us with a question
There is a story of a neighborhood in a large city – it was a neighborhood of immigrants. There were Christians, Jews and Muslims all in this neighborhood. The kids of the neighborhood struggled to understand one another and what made them different. They came to know the rabbi’s family because – he would pay the kids in the neighborhood to do what he needed on Fridays and Saturdays when he was not allowed to do the work themselves. The kids came to know what it meant to be a Jew by working for him. But they also realized that more than any adult – they liked to be with the rabbi. While others adults were giving them orders and telling them what to do. The rabbi had a different technique. Instead of saying this is what you need to do, he would ask – what would happen if? Is that the best decision that you can make? What are the alternatives to doing this.
It was in his questions, that they were able to come up with their own answers. They not only understood better, they were challenged to use their heads to think.

Jesus challenge to the church
Jesus uses the same technique to challenge the church. For the protestant church, Jesus didn’t put his faith in one person, Jesus put his faith upon the church. We are the rock upon which Jesus builds. It is in our confession of who Jesus is, that we come to know who we are – and what we are supposed to do. The politics of people are always a mess. But the politics of Jesus Christ is always salvation. Jesus says that if we understand that, then we are given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. If we know for ourselves that Jesus Christ is Lord – then we have been given supernatural power to change to world. The power is in our confession, not in ourselves. God is present in our faith, not in who we are.

Mystery too deep for church to understand
I began this sermon about mentioning new bishops, and new district superintendents, and even new pastors. New leaders are always a part of what it means to be united Methodist. Not a bad thing, not a good thing. Just the way we are. H. G Wells – writes a story called the soul of a bishop. The bishop is talking with an angel about his plans. And he says tell me the truth. Give me God’s plan for my life, for the church for the future. He wants to get a special revelation. The angel laughs at him and asks where he should put the special revelation. The bishop points at his bald spot and says why in here of course. The angel laughs and says inside of your head. No I can’t put it there – there is nothing inside of there to hold it. Whether we are a bishop, a pastor, or a lay person. It is not about what we know – because the reality is that none of us know much. It is about what we confess – that Jesus Christ is the messiah – the son of God. The head of the church – and of all that we do. Let us pray…..