Hurricane Season

August 25, 2024 Beginning of the School Year Celebration Ephesians 6:10-20 Hurricane Season 14th Sunday After Pentecost Year B Prelude Greeting Call to Worship ONE: Calling all children of the Living God: the gospel is good news for every age and every stage. ALL: Let us worship together, the young and the old. ONE: The good news is proclaimed in God’s words, and also with crayons, silly songs, snacks, and rest time. ALL: Let us worship together, every generation. ONE: We come together with different abilities and disabilities, learning in a rainbow of ways and styles. ALL: Let us worship together, with our family of faith. ONE: All are welcome in the arms of Christ who proclaimed, “Let the children come!” ALL: Let us worship together, united in our eternal hope. Opening Prayer Let us pray: God our teacher, who helps us to understand the world around us, Thank you for the privilege of education. You have blessed our communities with teachers who take new skills and concepts and pass them along to each new class of young people. God who came as a child to show us how to be fully human, to show us how to be children of God, You have given our children minds that grow and develop in unique ways, at unique speeds, and we are astounded by that miracle. You speak to us through the words, actions, play, and feelings of children. You call us to listen to the Spirit speaking through our young siblings in Christ. We celebrate the beginning of this school year and ask for your blessings upon the children, the educators, and the families who support them all. But in this celebration of education and learning, we do not forget there are children and families and teachers who do not have the resources they need. When systems are unjust, the outcomes are unacceptable. Today we remember those who are beginning school this year: those who have what they need to learn and grow in safety, and those who lack supplies, teachers, safe buildings, and accommodations for all needs and abilities. We come to worship together, to lift up our young people and all those who care for them and teach them. Open our hearts to what you are saying to us today. Amen. Song Stand up, Stand Up for Jesus UMH 514 A Sermon for all Ages – Blessing of the School Year and Supplies BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS Gathering: Before reading through the blessing, Invite kids to bring their backpacks and gather around you. Or, if gathering virtually, invite kids to sit with their backpacks in front of their screen. You may choose to follow the script below, create your own, or skip it altogether. Here are some suggestions to help kids identify and share their feelings during the gathering questions: • Move your thumbs: Kids can use one, or both, thumbs to share how they feel. They can use any combination of thumbs-up (good), thumbs-down (not good), in between (okay), or all around (a little bit of everything). • Raise your hand: This is a great way to expand a child’s feelings vocabulary and help them see they’re not alone in what they feel. Begin by saying, “Raise your hand if you feel (fill in the blank)” then give space for kids to raise their hands. Repeat a few times with different feelings. • Share your voice: Empower kids to identify and share their feelings with their own words and images. If appropriate to your context, encourage them to expand on vague and straightforward feelings like “good” or “okay.” Did you bring your backpack with you today? Can you show me? How are you feeling about starting a new year at school? (Allow time for their responses.) Thank you for being brave and sharing how you feel. Going back to school always invites big feelings to come along with us, and those feelings can be different for everyone! Whether you’re starting school for the first time, moving to a new school, or staying at the same school, we can all feel happy, nervous, scared, curious, ________ (insert any other emotion). Sometimes, we can even feel all those feelings at the same time, and that’s okay! But did you know God is always with us? No matter where we go and what we feel? As we start a new year at school, I want to give you this special backpack tag so that whenever you look at it, you can remember God loves you and is always with you, no matter what. Passing Out the Tags: You may choose to read the following blessing over each child as you give them a tag, or you may choose to pass out all the tags at once and speak this blessing over everyone at the same time. (NAME), this school year, may you be curious and kind, gentle and strong, brave and love Sharing the Blessing: Along with the backpack tag, I also want to share a blessing with you. A blessing is something that you receive, so can you open your hands like you are ready to receive a special gift? As I speak, imagine the words are dancing, floating, and fluttering all around, and watch them as they land on your hands and on your backpack. If you want to receive it, take the blessing and put it in your heart. May these tags remind you that God is always with you. As you sit and as you stand, as you learn and as you play, in every fear and every celebration, may you know God, your friend, is always there. Praying for the School Year: You may also choose to include this prayer to wrap up your blessing of the backpacks. God of fresh starts and new beginnings, we bring ourselves, our big feelings, and our backpacks to you. In our backpacks, we carry blank pages, sharpened pencils, and pointy crayons, and in our hearts, we carry big feelings, unanswered questions, and hopeful expectations. There are endless possibilities of what this new year might bring— of what we might learn, who we might meet, and who we might become. God, our friend who is always with us, be with us through it all. Be with us as we ride the bus. Be with us as we walk. Be with us as we buckle seat belts, zip-up jackets, and tie shoes. However we get there, and whatever we wear, bless this journey into something new. For the grown-ups going back to school, With-Us God, be with them too. Thank you for our teachers, helpers, caregivers, and leaders, and for all they do to help us learn and grow. God, our friend who’s full of wonder, fill their hearts and bless their hands. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE ONE: With you, every transition and new start is a reminder of your goodness, for you are always creating fresh, amazing things in us and through us. Though we are sad about the summer ending, we are grateful for this school year. We appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow, knowing it is one of the biggest privileges we have. With thanks and love, we now offer everything we are to you, asking for your blessing. ONE: We pray as and for students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. We pray for our hearts and all they hold—excitement and nervousness, disappointment and hope. We give you all our loves and fears. We pray for steady self-esteem and deepening resilience. ALL: Loving God, hold us and our prayers ONE: We pray for our minds, that they will expand in wonder and celebration, learning not just from the books studied but the people beside us. Open our minds with a willingness to be changed in unexpected ways, and settle our thought loops in peaceful places. ALL: Loving God, hold us and our prayers. ONE: We pray for our hands, that they will reach out to help welcome and care. Bless our hands with patience and dedication as they grip pencils and type on keyboards, swish paint brushes and clap in song, grip monkey bars and lunch box handles, spin wheelchair tires and basketballs. ALL: Loving God, hold us and our prayers ONE: We pray for our mouths, that they will speak words bringing life and connection. Help us use our mouths to honor the dignity and belovedness of all. Remind us to open our mouths for deep belly breaths when we’re feeling anxious or afraid. ALL: Loving God, hold us and our prayers. ONE: We pray for our feet, that they will move toward those different from us and help others in safe ways. Plant our feet next to those who feel alone, and bless our steps down hallways and sidewalks. We know you are with us wherever our feet go or stay. ALL: Loving God, hold us and our prayers. ONE: We pray for our eyes, that they may see ourselves and others with compassion. Point our eyes toward those who are forgotten or struggling. Grow us in flexibility to see from all kinds of angles. Bless what and how we see, whether we’re looking at a screen, a whiteboard, or the beauty of a person’s face. ONE: We also pray now for teachers, staff and administrators. Bless these faithful servants with courage and confidence, knowing you are in their classroom with a steady hand on their shoulder. Give them peace, patience, and balance in the pressures they face, and bravery to build structures and systems which justly serve all your children. Give them delight in the young ones before them, and recognition of the sweet ways children are also teachers. ALL: Loving God, hold us and our prayers ONE: We pray for health and wholeness, fun and growth, surprise and amazement, for this school year ahead, knowing you will hold us all the way through. ALL: We thank you, God, and love you. Amen. (Liturgy provided by Illustrated Ministries) Passing of the Peace Scripture. Ephesians 6:10-20 Sermon Hurricane Season Superheroes have a way of capturing our attention. There is this deeply rooted human need to look for someone to take care of us, to provide for our needs and to make our lives easier. We yearn for that outside force to break into our lives and to do the things that we can’t do for ourselves. Last week I attended a workshop on telling your life story. Joel Silberman is a media strategist says that usually our superheroes have 4 basic superpowers – they solve problems that no one else can tackle, they are able to heal and regenerate themselves and others, they have super strength or abilities, and they are able to sense things that others can’t see. We Want our Superheroes to Identify with Us Since 1939, Stan Lee created or co-created some of the world’s most popular superheroes. His super-human imagination gave birth to Black Panther, Spider-Man, the X-Men, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, and Ant-Man, just to name a few. Of course, the world has no shortage of storytellers, but Lee was something of a mutant in the field. The Avengers series alone has generated more than $10 billion in ticket sales at the box office since 2008. So, what set his stories apart from the rest? Lee was able to tap into deeply rooted human instincts. He explains his secret in a 1984 interview with ET: The whole formula … was to say: Let’s assume that somebody really could walk on walls like Spider-Man, or turn green and become a monster like The Hulk. That’s a given; we’ll accept that. But, accepting that, what would that person be like in the real world if he really existed? Wouldn’t he still have to worry about making a living? Or having acne and dandruff? Or his girlfriend jilting him? What are the real problems people would have? I think that’s what made the books popular. We all know we need a superhero to rescue us from our enemies and from calamities. But we simultaneously want this hero to be someone with whom we can identify. There are two instincts woven into our fallen nature: the knowledge that we need someone to save us and the deep desire for another to understand our struggles. Lee was also well-known for his cameo appearances inside the stories he had written. Each film since X-Men in 2000 has featured a brief incarnation of the author. Possible Preaching Angle: Stan Lee wasn’t the first to write himself into his storyline. Jesus did not simply rescue us from afar. He wrote himself into our story. He became a man and subjected himself to all the tyrannies of a fallen world. Even though Stan Lee passed away in 2018, his characters will live permanently in our culture. Imagine if you were a superhero – just curious, what would your costume look like? What would be your super powers. (think about that for later) Scott Bayles is a pastor and comic book lover. He talks about one of the highlights of his life is taking his family to meet Stan Lee. Scott has created a whole ministry around his love for comic books. He was written several books connecting the gospel to the marvel and DC universe. Bayles is a pastor in Southern Illinois. He tells the story of traveling to the hometown of Superman, Metropolis, which is also in southern Illinois. Every year in June the town has a superman festival. They also hold the world record for the largest statue of superman. Recently, about 2013, they tried to set the world record for the most people dressed as superman in one place. They have since lost that title, but Scott and his two year old son were present for the moment. The pastor was so excited to have created and sewed his own costume. Today creating superhero costumes is an important part of his ministry. His whole family dresses up in costumes to bring the superheroes to life. He has since created a much better costume for superman. For him, superman has a lot in common with Jesus. The both have a secret identity. Superman spends his day as Clark Kent. Eventually the secret got out, and yet he still poses as Clark Kent. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus constantly tells everyone that he heals not to tell his identity. The both have a duel identity. Superman is both a superhero and Clark Kent. Jesus is both the Son of Joseph and Mary and the Son of God The both have superpowers. Superman has the 4 common superpowers. Jesus heals, provides, sees in the future, see the heart of others, and is able to manipulate nature. The both care for the needs of others and are willing to sacrifice themselves to save others. The best part of the superman stories is when he looses his strength trying to help someone, but somehow he regains it and defeats the bad guys. Jesus dies on the cross, yet is resurrected and saves the world. Stan Lee was not the creator of Superman. Superman was created in 1938 – during the end of the depression and the beginning of WWII. Men who were able to succeed or perform in those tough times were called superman. If you were a superhero, what would your costume look like, what would be your superpowers? I suspect that the original supermen were the characters of the bible. There is just something in our spirit looking for good news, seeking a savior. Thinking of our superheroes and their costumes gives us an excellent perspective for today’s scripture – Ephesians 6. Paul encourages us to put on the armor of God – our superhero costume. So stand with the belt of truth around your waist, justice as your breastplate, 15 and put shoes on your feet so that you are ready to spread the good news of peace. 16 Above all, carry the shield of faith so that you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. What is interesting is that truth, justice, peace, faith, salvation and spirit are all attributes of God. Hmmm Paul is telling us that we are the superhero of your own story. I think God is telling us that we are the superheroes of the story of life. What does your costume look like, what are your superpowers? Ephesians says put on God’s armor so that you can make a stand against the tricks of the devil. Whether we are going to school, to work, or to the doctors office we all face challenges in life. We all have issues to deal with. All of us have in some way experienced the tricks of the devil. It is so easy to feel vulnerable and sometimes even helpless. We have all had that kryptonite moment where are are zapped of our power. God reminds us that our power begins with God. Christ in You Makes You Like a Superhero To explain how Christ in us now labors to make us more human, not less, pastor/author Rankin Wilbourne used the following illustration: Consider two superheroes, Batman and Spider-Man. Batman is a rich and strong man with lots of cool gadgets. His superpowers stem from his external possessions. Spider-Man has a few accessories as well, but he is a superhero because of the spider powers he obtained when he was bitten by a radioactive spider. His nature has been changed. Now he has a new power accessible to him, within him. Christ in you makes you more like Spider-Man than Batman. Something alien to you, from outside of you, has entered into you and changed your nature. You now have power that you did not have before. The trouble with this analogy is that Spider-Man became something more than human, while we instead are being restored to our full humanity. We are becoming more like Christ. I Step Out on the Word of God Poet Maya Angelou recalls the struggles of her grandmother living through the great depression. She remembers a lot of things about her grandmother: her wisdom, her stature. But it was her grandmother's faith that Maya remembers most. Clasping her hands behind her back her grandmother would look up into the distant sky and say, "I will step out on the word of God." The great depression was a difficult time for everyone, but "especially so for a single black woman in the South tending her crippled son and two grandchildren." But when faced with mountainous burdens, Maya's grandmother would face the sky and say, "I will step out on the word of God." "She would look up as if she could will herself into the heavens," Maya writes. And because of her grandmother, Maya Angelou grew up knowing that the word of God had power. And now, today, whenever she experiences the injustices of this world, Maya remembers the great faith of her grandmother. God gives us spiritual armor to protect us from the evil we face daily: He gives us truth, righteousness, the willingness to speak up for Christ, and, most importantly, faith. King Duncan, www.Sermons.com In times of struggle, we look to the hills for a savior, but we know our help is always in the lord. According to Ephesians that attributes of God us just our costume. We are more than soldiers of Christ. John C. Purdy, a staff member of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., has written a challenging book entitled Returning God's Call: The Challenge of Christian Living. In it, Purdy suggests that we need a new metaphor for the Christian life. He points out the inadequacy of the old metaphors such as "a soldier in God's army," "a scholar in the school of Christ," "a traveler along the Christian way," "a citizen of the commonwealth; "and a member of Christ's body." We are the ones who can hear God’s call in our life. According to Ephesians we only have one superpower – that is prayer. Prayer William Barclay, in his commentary, points out that the sign of the Christian is when he or she is eager to be on their way to tell the story of Jesus: his death, his resurrection and his ascension. This is the commitment of being a servant for the Lord. Barclay emphasizes that for servant ministry there are three conditions people must have in their prayer life: (1) Prayer must be constant. It is from daily prayer that we find daily strength and holy guidance. (2) Prayer must be intense. No beating around the bush. When you have a clear message from the Lord about a particular concern, be bold about your prayer life. Be the prayer warrior he has called you to be. (3) Prayer must be unselfish. We must learn to pray as much for others as for ourselves. We must seek a community of believers to pray with us and for us. Together we will know the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as it uses us to be a vehicle of servant ministry. Harry Denman, adapting William Barclay’s Commentary If you were a superhero what would your costume look like? I think I would have on white flowing gowns. And I would have the ability to heal, and to read minds. As you go forward in life today, in whatever God has called you into – remember that you are God’s superhero. Whatever challenges you face remember that you have the power of God on your side. Put on your costume, remember your superpower – to rely on God. The world needs you. Let us pray……. Song Hope of the World. UMH 178 Pastoral Prayer Where has the time gone, Lord? It seems as though we just got started with summer, having plans for rest and recreation, leisure and celebration. Then suddenly we are at the end of the summer. We know, as we begin to focus more closely on our daily planners, that time fills up fast with duties, meetings, organizations, and just generally getting back into the swing of things. It is easy for us to get lost in the obligations and to neglect our commitment to you. You have girded us for the journey, giving us armaments of faith. Your beloved Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, has poured out blessings upon blessings in his teachings that we might be made whole and be in good and faithful service to you by serving your world. Open our hearts and spirits, Lord, to faithful ministries in which we may take part. Let us take the extra steps into the wondrous mission to which you have called. Heal, restore, and prepare us for service. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Ephesians sounds as though it could have been written just last year. Did you hear (if this text has been read…otherwise, just quote this line) these directions for life? “Be careful how you live!” That is, “Pay attention!” Pay attention to what God wants for all of us! Pay attention to the song in your hearts, Pay attention to the ways you give thanks to God, in the name of Jesus Christ. Today, we gather to sing, and to show our attitude of gratitude to God through the act of giving from our hearts. We invite you to share your time, your talent and your finances…all showing your spirit of thanksgiving, as you pay attention to what you’ve received. Please give in the ways that work best for you: on-line, with a check or cash, or sending your check thru’ the mail to the church office. And give thanks! Prayer of Thanksgiving Holy God, we do give you thanks for all we have received from your hand: For the goodness of air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, land on which we live…for the love of friends and family…for the safety of this space… for the opportunities we have to reach out to those who are in need, Accept this offering as one response to your generosity. Strengthen our resolve to live in your Spirit, with gratitude. Help us use all your gifts to shape our congregation and our community more like the way we believe your Realm exists – with love, peace, and justice for all. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Loving God, Coat the year before us with miracles of your mercy and strength, and help us appreciate most of all the bedrock miracle of your presence with us in every single ordinary, sacred moment. Lead us this school year into life-giving rhythms of grace and light, where our regular routines become the framework for worship and blessing. Community Time Joys and Concerns Benediction Children, families, and all who love them, go out into the beautiful world that God has made! Go and play! Go and learn! Go and love others! May you be filled with lovingkindness for yourself and everyone around you. May the prayers of your faith community keep you safe, healthy, and full of joy. Additional Illustrations Sermon Opener - It’s Humble or the Umbles - Ephesians 6:10-20 by Leonard Sweet You know you’ve crossed into some new station in your life when you visit the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and realize as you are leaving that you completely skipped all the paintings. That’s right, the entire Renaissance wing just was not on the agenda. Suddenly it hits you: You are no longer a student, or a tourist, or an art lover. No, you are a parent of small, squirming children who need to see something big, and strong, and hard-hitting. So your museum tour was through the pyramids. Your museum circuit consisted of huge tombs and temples, the mummies and the caskets of ancient Egypt. But perhaps most importantly, you meandered through the mists of the medieval ages. This means rooms and rooms of ancient, awful-looking weaponry, and the Met’s huge collection of all types of “awesome” armor. There are over 15,000 pieces of ancient armor and weapons in the Metropolitan’s collection — dating from 400 BCE, through the heavily weighted years of medieval Europe, and including a huge collection of Japanese implements and armories, from the fifth through the nineteenth centuries. As you wander around the Museum complete coats of heavy iron armor stand at attention all over the place… Everything Changes When You Are Called Each of these metaphors has served us well in the past, Purdy says, but they are not as useful for today. The metaphor Purdy recommends with much vitality is "Hearers of the Call." His rationale is that this would be the image of one who has heard, and keeps hearing, a persistent summons to belief and action. "Hearers of the Call!" Whether we agree with Purdy or not, that reality is the key to our faithfulness as disciples. The same author goes on to describe how, as a child, he would be outside playing hide and seek with his friends. Inevitably, his front door would open and his mother's voice would call, "John, time to come in!" But Purdy said, "I would go on with hide and seek as though nothing had happened. And to anybody passing by, I looked no different from my playmates." "But", as Purdy continued, "I was different. I had been called - in; everything was changed.” Maxie Dunnam, adapted from John Purdy, Returning God's Call; The Challenge of Christian Living Pray to Gather Strength One time, some time ago, some army troops were participating in a military training exercise in the Mojave Desert. Jim Bolton was on a crew that became separated from the rest of the troops. One of the vehicles in their convoy had lost its traction and had come to rest at the edge of a sand cliff above a fifty-foot drop. The vehicle was hopelessly mired in the sand, and the soldiers in the unit tried to free it several times unsuccessfully. Meanwhile the rest of the company was getting farther away. After another fruitless attempt, when the troops were hot, tired and discouraged, the commander gathered the men together to pray. It seemed kind of out of place for a group of soldiers, and some of the group were uncomfortable with the idea. But after spending a few minutes in prayer, Jim remembers that everyone seemed refreshed. One last time they tried to free the vehicle from the sand, and this time they were successful. Jim doesn't know whether their prayer actually dislodged the vehicle from the cliff's edge or not. But when they took the time to pray, they had a chance to focus their attention on God, relax, and gather their strength. The greatest spiritual weapon we possess is prayer. We can turn to God in prayer at any time. And we can be assured that our prayers will be heard. King Duncan, www.Sermons.com Humility One of my favorite stories, that God uses whenever my head start to swell because everybody keeps telling me I'm such a good preacher is about the preacher who died and went to heaven. This preacher was known as one of the best preachers around. Thousands of people had come to Christ because of his sermons. And he knew it. St. Peter was showing him around and they passed through this huge section of humongous homes. These things were so big, they were nearly Castles, not mansions. Either outside or looking out the window of each of them was a little widow lady or widower or a teenager or a child. And they all looked somewhat overwhelmed by the size of their mansion. The preacher was getting excited, if these people, just you're ordinary every day kind of Christians got those kind of mansions. Imagine what he was going to get. As they ended their trek through the neighborhood, they came upon a large Texas style ranch house. It was gorgeous but wasn't huge. It had everything you could imagine but it was nowhere near what he was expecting. So he asked why? St. Peter sort of grinned and said: "Oh, we appreciate everything you did. You're a great preacher and thousands upon thousands came to Christ because of you. But truthfully, you were just the distraction. The real work, the tough work was done on the knees of every one of those people we passed. They were our prayer warriors. And that's where the real battle was fought." Prayer brings us into the very presence of God. Through prayer we are brought to the throne of grace and we are enabled to stand before God. Not presumptuously but in all humility and because we've been invited there. Billy D. Strayhorn, From the Pulpit, CSS Publishing Company God’s Armor There is a big difference between striving just not to die, and doing all you can to live a life of purpose and meaning. There are freeways, and factories, and families full of people who are just trying not to die. These people keep going to work, keep going on. But they don’t know why. Weekends and vacations become blurry, frantic “festivals” — parties devoted to trying to celebrate something other than the mere survival of another week, another season, another year. For Christians who feel the (enlightening) protective weight of “God’s armor,” there is a different goal: to “stand firm” and to “keep alert.” Christians recognize there are evil forces and genuine enemies. But Christians know that there is a protective layer of divine love that always offers the safety net of salvation. God’s armor does not so much keep us from dying as God’s armor keeps us alive — alive in Christ, alive to love, alive to hope, alive to peace. Leonard Sweet Footprints No doubt you have heard the story Footprints: One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to him, and the other belonging to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You, You'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me." The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." It's refreshing to be reminded God is with us at all times. I ran across an update which is called "A Variation on Footprints": Now imagine you and the Lord Jesus walking down the road together. For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily and consistently, rarely varying the pace. But your prints are disorganized, a stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures and returns. For much of the way, it seems to go like this. But gradually, your footprints come more in line with the Lord's soon paralleling His consistently. You and Jesus are walking as true friends. This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens. Your footprints that were etched in the sand next to the Master's are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His larger footprints is the small "sand-print," safely enclosed. You and Jesus are becoming one. This goes on for many miles. But you notice another change. The footprint inside the larger footprint seems to grow larger. Eventually, it disappears altogether. There is only one set of footprints. They have become one. Again, this goes on for a long time. But then something awful happens. The second set of footprints is back. And this time, it seems even worse. Zigzags all over the place. They stop. They start. Deep gashes in the sand. A veritable mess of prints. You're amazed and shocked. But this is the end of your dream. Now you speak: "Lord, I understand the first scene with the zigzags and fits and starts and so on. I was a new Christian, just learning. But you walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with you." "That is correct." "Yes, and when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps. I followed You very closely." "Very good. You understand everything so far." "Then the smaller footprints grew and eventually filled in with Yours. I suppose that I was actually growing so much that I was becoming like You in every way." "Precisely." "But this is my question. Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints went back to two, and this time it was worse than the first." The Lord smiles, then laughs. He says, "You didn't know? That was when we danced!" That's what happens when you're equipped. Robert R. Kopp, Golf in the Real Kingdom, CSS Publishing Company • Archie Smith Jr. - there is a difference between stubbornness and sanding firm o Stubbornness - will not listen to different ideas, rejects alternatives, refuses regardless of any facts or change in situation to change position, is not self-reflective or discerning, does not change and does not grow o Standing firm - willingness to listen, debate, consider alternatives to reach a higher goal without sacrificing basic principles. MLK Jr - non-violence, Margaret Sanger - women’s rights After watching a movie or a TV show about a person with superhuman strength, kids may start to believe they could be that person. So they get the mask or the cape, and they are immediately transformed. They go around the house convinced that they are the equivalent of that superhero. A point comes, however, when they are tested just as the superhero was, and reality comes crashing in on them. In the same way, humans struggle to understand God when they view themselves as equal to God. In those moments, they call out to God not for counsel but for explanation. They treat the God of creation as if he is accountable to them instead of the other way around.

The Heart's Content - Our true intentions

August 29, 2021 14th Sunday of Pentecost Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23 The heart’s content – our true intentions Year B Opening Song Welcome Invocation God of all life, many of us are bored, apathetic or caught by our own “to do” lists. Surprise and challenge us today with Good News! Fill us with the compelling Word-made-flesh – Jesus. Help all of what comes from within our lives not defile our world, but be rich and engaging love for neighbor and for you. AMEN Stewardship Moment Mark’s Gospel text today tells of the Pharisees and some of the scribes who question Jesus about his disciples’ action (eating without first washing hands). “Why do your disciples not (live/walk) according to the tradition … but eat with defiled hands?” We’ve all been living in a culture in which we’ve been urged (vigorously!) to wash our hands multiple times a day – a particular action which makes sense, especially in this COVID pandemic. We’ll continue to exercise caution, and perhaps sing our ABC’s, as we scrub hands each day. But the Pharisees’ question is more than hand-washing. It urges us to question ourselves: “how do I (how do WE) live/walk? In our worship, we take time to demonstrate our desire to live/walk in step with Jesus, with glad and generous actions. This time of offering our gifts opens the door for us to actively show we’re not caught up in the evil things which come from within (“fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice…envy, slander, pride, folly”) but we’re caught by the good which dwells in us! So how will you live/walk in this moment? Let us each, let us all, act out our faith, as we share our tithes, offerings and gifts. Prayer of Thanksgiving With our faith in you, Generous God, we offer you these gifts. Receive them as signs of our desire to walk in the Way of Jesus. Use this financial support, and use each of us, to help smooth the path and broaden the appeal of those seeking to live beyond the expectations of society. AMEN Passing the Peace of Christ (James 1) You are God’s beloved children. Look into one another’s face to see the beauty of God’s presence. Share the Lord’s peace with gladness. Scripture Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Mark 7:1-8 Common English Bible What contaminates a life? 7 The Pharisees and some legal experts from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. 2 They saw some of his disciples eating food with unclean hands. (They were eating without first ritually purifying their hands through washing. 3 The Pharisees and all the Jews don’t eat without first washing their hands carefully. This is a way of observing the rules handed down by the elders. 4 Upon returning from the marketplace, they don’t eat without first immersing themselves. They observe many other rules that have been handed down, such as the washing of cups, jugs, pans, and sleeping mats.) 5 So the Pharisees and legal experts asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples not living according to the rules handed down by the elders but instead eat food with ritually unclean hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you hypocrites. He wrote, This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. 7 Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human words.[a] 8 You ignore God’s commandment while holding on to rules created by humans and handed down to you.” Mark 7:14-15 14 Then Jesus called the crowd again and said, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing outside of a person can enter and contaminate a person in God’s sight; rather, the things that come out of a person contaminate the person.”[a] Mark 7:21-23 21 “It’s from the inside, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come: sexual sins, thefts, murders, 22 adultery, greed, evil actions, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, insults, arrogance, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from the inside and contaminate a person in God’s sight.” Sermon The Heart’s Content – Our true intentions There is a sign in the girl’s bathroom that says Jesus and germs are everywhere – be sure to wash your hands. Jesus and germs…hmm. In this day and age, a sermon about washing our hands is very relevant. You don’t have to tell any of us about the importance of washing our hands. Back in Jesus’ day they didn’t have access to hand sanitizer. When the pharisees criticize Jesus and the disciples for not washing their hands before eating – Jesus has to explain to them that their understanding of cleanliness only applies to wealthy urban people. People in the rural countryside would not have the same access to soap and water. We have all heard the saying that cleanliness is next to godliness. We all think of that as a biblical saying, and yet it appears no where in the bible. As a matter of fact, that is the point that Jesus is making to the pharisees. It is not even a biblical concept. Purity is a big concept in Judaism and even in Islam. So before you enter into the sanctuary – you wash your hands and feet. Before you meet God – you make sure that you are clean. Even for us – the baptismal fount is placed at the entrance of the sanctuary so that you can remember your baptism – a chance to get spiritually clean before facing God. So that is Jesus whole point – physical cleansing is the first step in spiritual cleansing. This is the place of confusion for the pharisees – they were confusing the two things. In actuality – Jesus and germs do not really go together. The concept of a germ that goes into your body and kills you would not have made sense in Jesus’ time. Germs are pretty modern, it wasn’t until 1850 the Europeans start studying germs. And it wasn’t until the 1920 when scientist developed a theory of germs and the importance of washing hands. Many ancient cultures would have had a theory that if you ingested certain things you got sick. Genesis, Deuteronomy and Leviticus spends a lot of time outlining conditions that make you sick, and how important it is for you to isolate yourself so that you don’t infect the rest of the community. But they didn’t think of germs as the culprit – but evil spirits. God is the opposite of evil – that is why it is so important to come to God with a clean spirit. Jesus reminds that pharisees that they have lost the whole point of spiritual cleanliness. Washing your hands before coming to church is not a biblical concept – it was known as a tradition of the elders. The traditions that have been passed on from the elders is a key part of Judaism. Honoring Hebrew traditions was everything. Even today – people don’t have a problem with Jesus as the Christ. They have a problem with the fact that Jesus seemed to dishonor the tradition of the elders. He was told that as a rabbi, he should know better than letting his disciples eat without washing their hands. They did not realize, that Jesus was not dishonoring tradition, he was questioning it. I mean, let’s admit it – even today we as Christians have the best of intentions in our religion, but let’s face it – we tend to get set in our ways. Tradition becomes everything – our tradition. Anyone who doesn’t do it the way we think it should be done is doing it wrong. Humor: A Tradition of Fighting There is a story about a young, newly ordained minister who went to serve his first church. He noticed that on the first Sunday, when he said the prayers, the congregation on the left side of the church stood at the beginning of the prayers, and the congregation on the right side remained seated. The young minister thought this was a bit odd, but he kept going in the prayers — until he began to hear some murmuring between the two sides, then the murmuring turned into grumbling and then people yelling at each other, proclaiming that they were doing the right thing when came to the tradition of the church. Distressed by what he had seen and all that was taking place, the young pastor went to seek the council of the former, now elderly pastor, who had served this congregation for years. He asked him, “So is it the tradition of the congregation to stand during the prayers?” The older minister, whose memory was now failing, stroked his beard, replied, “No, that is not the tradition, as I recall.” “So, the tradition is that they remain seated during the prayers?” To which the old minister responded, “No, that’s not the tradition either.” The young pastor threw his hands in the air in exasperation, and said, “There must be some solution to this! The way things are now, half stand and half sit and all end up screaming at one another during the prayers.” The old pastor’s face lit up in a smile; he lifted his finger high into the air and said, “Ahh, yes! Now I remember — that was the tradition!” Traditional I worry today because our world today is more and more polarized - in the church, in the community, between races. Who would have thought that washing our hands and the effect of germs would become a political issue in which we separate ourselves. Jesus messes with the pharisees and their using tradition a dividing point. He tells them that what germs that go into the body are not nearly as bad as the germs that come out of it. Now technically – we have to remember that Jesus is speaking in a very different time. Because the germs that we take into our body do hurt us. And it is more important than ever that we wash our hands. But Jesus us messing with us to. He is telling us that cleanliness goes much deeper than our hands. And we cannot let cleanliness separate us from the fundamentals of our faith – unity, moving beyond traditional religion and being intentional about loving, and moving beyond our natural responses to life. God is not so much concerned about our hands as God is concerned about our hearts. If we are not intentional about our faith, it is what comes out of our hearts that hurts. “It’s from the inside, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come: sexual sins, thefts, murders, 22 adultery, greed, evil actions, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, insults, arrogance, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from the inside and contaminate a person in God’s sight.” In prior years that I have preached on this scripture – I would define each of those sins that Jesus listed. Today I don’t think that is the Jesus point for us. We live in a world where we are all divided on some point looking for a way to move forward as a collective body in spite of our differences. In every age we struggle with the balance of tradition and contemporary. And it is as important as ever that we wash our hands. Jesus came into the world so that we have life. In the midst of our differences, sometimes that it all that is holding us together – Jesus. Let us be intentional about holding jesus in our hearts. It is not just what we put in our bodies, but what we put in our mouths, our minds, our spirits and our souls. What we put in, determines what comes out. Let us pray….. Prayer Compassionate God, we like to think that all we have to do is be “religious”, to speak the words, but that we really don’t have to “walk the walk”. We can get so caught up in ritual and rules, that we forget the essence of your word for us. We forget that we are called to truly be people of peace, not just to speak the words, but to practice lives of compassion and hope. So many times in this world, we are challenged to “take sides”, one against the other; but that is contrary to your will. You call us to stand for mercy, justice, love, forgiveness, hope, and peace. You want us to be people who care deeply about others and about this world. Help us to be ready to truly and joyfully serve you, O God. Free us from selfishness and self-centeredness. Lift us to lives of peace; for we offer this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN. Song Just as I am without one Plea UMH 357 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook God of abundant love, you delight us with your grace— grace expressed in the beauty of our world. God of truth and light, you challenge us to live faithful lives— to turn away from evil, to follow your ways, to serve your people. May your word of truth grow within us this day, that we may bring forth a harvest of peace. Amen. Community Time Benediction Arise, my fair ones, and come away! Where are we going? We go to the realm of God’s love, a place of great beauty. What will we find? We will find music and sweetness, an abundance of grace. We go with joy to meet our Lord! Children’s Sermon Object: Some cosmetics--especially a tube of lipstick Good morning, boys and girls. There is an old saying that you can't judge a book by its cover. What do you think that means? That's right. A book cover may not tell you what's really inside. We could say the same thing about people, couldn't we? A person may really look great on the outside. They may have their lipstick just right. (Pretend you are using the cosmetics). How many of you girls wear lipstick? You're a little young, aren't you? How about you fellows? You don't wear lipstick either? A person might have their lipstick on just right. Their eyeliner may be just so and they may have on beautiful earrings. (Male Pastor) What would you think if I came to church some Sunday with all those things on? I would look a little strange, wouldn't I? A person can have all their make-up just right and have on beautiful clothes and accessories--and guess what? They can be rotten to the core on the inside, can't they? They can be mean to other people and stingy. They can use foul language and abuse their bodies and just be generally no good. The Bible tells us Jesus doesn't worry about how we look on the outside. Jesus cares about how we are on the inside. Jesus doesn't care how religious we look on Sunday mornings. All He cares about is what He sees in our hearts. Let's pray that when Jesus looks beyond what we are on the outside-- when he looks into our hearts--he will see love for him and love for every person. That's what he values most--a heart full of love for God and for others. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Additional Illustrations I'd be the last person to give anyone dietary advice; what foods are good,and will product good health, and what foods are bad for you. A friend once said to me, pardon the expression, we shouldn't eat crap, and we all know what crap is. Likewise, we need to be careful about what we hear and see, what values we're exposed to, what values are crap, lest the wrong things come bursting out of our hearts.... The Rabbi and the White Horse A young man once came to a great rabbi and asked him to make the younger man a rabbi. It was wintertime then. The rabbi stood at the window looking out upon the yard, while the rabbinical candidate was droning into his ears a glowing account of his piety and learning. The young man said, "You see, Rabbi, I always go dressed in spotless white like the sages of old. I never drink any alcoholic beverages; only water ever passes my lips. Also, I live a plain and simple life. I have sharp-edged nails inside my shoes to mortify me. Even in the coldest weather, I lie naked in the snow to torment my flesh. Also daily, I receive forty lashes on my bare back to complete my perpetual penance." As the young man spoke, a white horse was led into the yard and to the water trough. It drank, and then it rolled in the snow, as horses sometimes do. "Just look!" cried the rabbi. "That animal, too, is dressed in white. It also drinks nothing but water, has nails in its shoes and rolls naked in the snow. Also, rest assured, it gets its daily ration of forty lashes on the rump from its master. Now, I ask you, is it a saint, or is it a horse?!?!" Which is more important – what goes into us or what comes out of us? Which defines us more – our outside behavior or our inside motivation? Carla Thompson Powell, Insides vs. Outsides? What Really Matters? Tradition Is a Powerful Thing Years ago Harry Emerson Fosdick told about a church in Denmark where the worshipers bowed regularly before a certain spot on the wall. They had been doing that for three centuries -- bowing at that one spot in the sanctuary. Nobody could remember why. One day in renovating the church, they removed some of the whitewash on the walls. At the exact spot where the people bowed they found the image of the Madonna under the whitewash. People had become so accustomed to bowing before that image that even after it was covered up for three centuries, people still bowed. Tradition is a powerful thing. The Pharisees had learned to substitute tradition, custom, habit for the presence of the living God. Traditionalism rears its head in many ways, in many times and in many places. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Which Flowers Are Real? The queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon, and one day she put him to the test. She brought artificial flowers so perfectly formed that no human eye could detect them from real flowers. She put them in a vase on Solomon’s table, in his throne room next to his flowers. As he came in, the queen of Sheba is reported to have said, "Solomon, you are the wisest man in the world. Tell me without touching these flowers, which are real and which are artificial." It is said that Solomon studied the flowers for a long time and spoke nothing, until finally he said, "Open the windows and let the bees come in." There are ways to tell the artificial from the real — let the bees come in; they will know where the real is. If we live with the authentic Jesus long enough, we will recognize the artificial when we see it. Brooks Ramsey, When Religion Becomes Real For Jesus the food laws became critical arguing points to challenge the exclusion of Gentiles from the kingdom of God. A new identity for Israel was unfolding and it required a shift in understanding the purpose of the law. Table manners are not after all meant for banishing to the basement those who aren’t worthy enough to eat. They are meant to help make dining a pleasurable experience for everyone. But the controversy over food laws persisted, and in the early Church reflected tensions between Jewish and Gentile Christians that kept them from table fellowship together. Today, for us, other controversies keep Christians from coming to the table together. Opinions about policies having to do with genetic research, war, medical care, education, the environment, and gender give us all the opportunity for violent disagreement, if we let them. Each of these areas of contention represents deeply held convictions about how we are to live. These convictions in part, tell us who we are. When they are challenged, we get scared. It feels as if our very existence is threatened. And it is fear, ultimately, that fuels the evil intentions of the heart. What defines us? Jesus perhaps might have said, it’s not so much that “you are what you eat,” but “what’s eating you.” Mary Ogus, untitled sermon Overcoming the Sacred Cows Every church has such traditions that have become sacred cows. In one church I pastored, the color of the carpet had become the sacred cow. We had always had red carpet, but now the property committee was going to change it to blue. Some people just weren’t sure they could worship God on a BLUE CARPET, God forbid. At another church, we had the Great Hymnbook Controversy of 1975. For twenty years, the 1956 version of the hymnal had been used and cherished in that church, but now the music committee wanted to purchase the newly updated 1975 version. This decision sparked a major debate on the quality of music in each hymnal. The final decision was made at a two-hour church-wide business meeting where we finally hammered out a compromise that barely averted dividing the church. The 1956 hymnal would be kept in the sanctuary, and the 1975 hymnal would be used in the chapel. I have heard about a church where a similar controversy erupted over whether the Communion would be served before the sermon or after the sermon. Other churches fight over where the piano is placed, where the Doxology is sung, or even how to take the offering. It seems that every church manages to elevate certain practices from the routine to sacred traditions. Church growth specialist Bill Easum once wrote about book about this phenomenon. He called it “Sacred Cows Make Gourmet Burgers.” Churches that grow have to find a way to eat those sacred cows. Mickey Anders, Clean Hands or Clean Heart? Is It From Within or From Without? The Good News Bible version of the Gospel says: "what comes out of a person makes him unclean ... from the inside, from a person's heart, come the evil ideas which lead him to do immoral things..." (paraphrase) What is inside has to come out! I saw a survey that compared the worst discipline problems in public schools in the 1940s and the 1990s. In the 1940s the worst discipline problems in public schools were: talking; chewing gum; making noise; running in the halls; getting out of turn in line; wearing improper clothes; not putting paper in wastebaskets! Some of the worst problems in the 1990s were: drug abuse; alcohol abuse; pregnancy; suicide; rape; robbery; assault. What an incredible shift in behavior patterns in only forty years. I was in public school in the forties, entered college in the late forties. I had grandchildren in public school in the 1990s. These harsh and shocking facts are calling us to make a corrective response. Can we, will we, make it? Clearly something is getting into our children that is coming out in intolerably destructive ways. What is it that in so short a time school problems have changed from "chewing gum" to drunkenness and drugs, from "getting out of turn in line" to getting out of life through suicide? What is defiling our children, if I dare use that term? Is it their fault or society's? Is it something within or without? Charles R. Leary, Mission Ready!, CSS Publishing Company