The Ram in the Bush

June 28, 2026 Genesis 22:1-14 The Ram in the Bush 5th Sunday After Pentecost Year A Prelude Greeting Call to Worship When our way seems unclear, and we are surrounded by loud and conflicting voices… God will provide. When we, like Abraham, are trying to be faithful and seem to have no good choices available to us… God will provide. When we, like Isaac, are led by those we trust into unjust and harmful situations… God will provide. Family in Christ, we gather today to worship God, who meets us in places of fear, confusion, and despair. We gather to worship God, who provides a way toward abundant life when no way can be found. Thanks be to God! Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, January 2026. Opening Prayer Lord, the hearts of all turn to You in hope; and You give them what they need. You open Your hand and satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. We, too, turn to You again, longing to be filled— to eat of the Bread of Life, to drink from Your life-giving streams, to taste Your goodness and live. May the time we spend together in Your presence nourish our hearts and minds; may it strengthen our relationship with You, and renew our commitment to live in this world as Your faithful disciples. For You alone are God, the Source and Sustainer of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Written by Christine Longhurst at the re:Worship blog, https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/07/opening-prayer-feed-us-lord.html. Song Rock of Ages, Cleft for me UMH 361 A Sermon for all Ages Children's Sermon: "God Loves to Hear You Laugh" Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14 Object: A smiling face emoji, a toy that giggles, or simply your own laughter. Good morning, boys and girls! I have a question for you. What makes you laugh? (Let the children answer: funny jokes, tickling, pets, brothers and sisters, cartoons, etc.) I love hearing children laugh. When children laugh, everyone around them smiles too. Laughter is one of God's wonderful gifts. Today we heard a Bible story about Abraham and his son Isaac. It is a story that can sound a little scary, but it also reminds us of something very important. God loved Isaac very much, and God made sure that Isaac was safe. God never stopped caring for him. Do you know something else about Isaac? His name means "he laughs" or "laughter." Before Isaac was born, his mother Sarah laughed because she thought she was too old to have a baby. Then, when Isaac was finally born, that laughter became laughter of joy! Every time Abraham and Sarah called Isaac's name, it reminded them that God had brought happiness into their lives. So even in today's difficult story, we remember who Isaac is—a beloved child whose very name reminds us of joy and laughter. God wants children to be loved, protected, and encouraged. Every one of you is precious to God. God has given you parents, grandparents, teachers, church members, and friends to help you grow strong, kind, and faithful. You know what else encouragement does? It helps people laugh! When someone tells you, "Great job!" or "I'm proud of you!" or "You can do it!" it makes your heart feel lighter. It helps you smile. Can you think of someone who encourages you? (Allow a few responses.) Now here's another question. Can you encourage someone else? Maybe you can tell a friend, "You're doing great!" Maybe you can thank your parents. Maybe you can make someone who's feeling sad smile or laugh today. When we encourage one another, we share God's love. So every time you laugh this week, remember Isaac. His name means "laughter," and it reminds us that God loves children, delights in their joy, and surrounds them with people who care for them. Let's try something together. On the count of three, everyone give your biggest smile... and then your happiest laugh! (Count to three and laugh together.) That's a wonderful sound! I think God loves hearing children laugh. Let us pray. Dear God, thank You for loving every child. Thank You for giving us families, friends, and our church to encourage us. Help us to make others smile, to share kindness wherever we go, and to remember that Your love fills our hearts with joy. Thank You for the gift of laughter. In Jesus' name, Amen. Prayer of Saint Thomas Aquinas Give us O Lord, steadfast hearts, which no unworthy thought can drag downward, unconquered hearts, which no tribulation can wear out, upright hearts, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow upon us also, O Lord our God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Saint Thomas, Italy, 13th Century) Passing of the Peace Scripture Genesis 22:1-14 Sermon The Ram in the Bush Sarah went without a child for over 73 years. When her son was born she named him Isaac – meaning laughter. She wanted to celebrate the joy that he bought to her life. She also remembered her laughter, when God said that she would have a baby at 90. When she thought of the ways that God works and the surprises that come upon us – she couldn’t help but to name the baby Isaac. In your life, what is it that brings you joy? What is it that makes you laugh? We know that for Sarah, it was her baby boy. But we cannot be sure about Abraham. The scripture for last week and for this week- Genesis 21 and 22 are two parts of the 2nd most difficult story in the bible. These two chapters are the stories of how Abraham tried to kill both of his sons and blame it on God. Our scripture for today is the story of a promise given, a promise taken away and a promise restored. In the Hebrew understanding, this story is a sacred story – it called the binding of Isaac, it focuses on the faith of the son Isaac, not the father Abraham. Young Isaac travels with his father, carrying the wood. He asks his father where is the sacrifice. When he sees the knife pointed at him, I bet he also asks why his father is trying to kill him, and how will he ever be able to move on from this and still love his father. The story is important because in the midst of the trauma, it is a story of love – How God saved Isaac. We are Isaac in our lives during those times when our dreams are threatened and God pulls us through. It is our story of hope when the Lord provides. In the story, as Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac, he notices a ram in the bush. And he trusts that God will give him the strength to continue to listen and to follow. In spite of the important lessons, this is strange and confusing. It seems that the people that should have been protecting Isaac, are the people who put him in danger. His mother, his father, and even God cannot be trusted in parenting. Last week It is God who tells Abraham to banish his oldest son, Ishmael. It seems God would rather Ishmael be banished in the desert than put in the family will. And this week it is God who tells Abraham to take his heir, Isaac into the wilderness to be sacrificed. That is not the God that we know. Does God call us to do mean things to people? To hurt innocent children? There are still a lot of people who say that this story was a test of faith. God wanted to see if Abraham would be obedient to an order that he did not agree with. Would Abraham put God’s word above all else, including family. I am not convinced that this is a test, I think it was a moment of discernment. A time to think through what God was really saying. Years ago, Abraham heard to voice of God telling him to step out on faith. God calls us to new places – but very rarely does God give us a road map. We don’t have all of he answers, and we have no idea of what will happen along the way. Sometimes along the way, we may get a clear sign that we are in the right place, but we won’t get a step by step instruction manual. I think Abraham was following God, listening to God, but not always sure of what he heard. At the time, it was pretty common to sacrifice children to the gods. Many people in many cultures believed that sacrificing their children bought them special favor. Child sacrifices were a thing for over 5000 years. It was practiced widely until the 1500’s. I recently heard a sermon that in many ways we still sacrifice our children to a wayward world. Children are exposed to trauma, they are held captive with their parents, they don’t have access to food, shelter and education. In 1965, Bob Dylan wrote a song called Highway 61 – the first verse says Oh God said to Abraham, “Kill me a son” Abe says, “Man, you must be puttin’ me on” God say, “No.” Abe say, “What?” God say, “You can do what you want Abe, but The next time you see me comin’ you better run” Well Abe says, “Where do you want this killin’ done?” God says, “Out on Highway 61” In the bible, As Abraham raises a knife in Isaac’s face and angel grabs his hand and says that is not necessary. Isaac probably lived with the vision of that moment for the rest of his life. This story is known as the akedah in Jewish tradition, because this is the moment Abraham realized that God didn’t call parents to sacrifice their children. God did not call people to hurt people. The Hebrews were the first culture in that part of the world to realize that God was not a God of hatred and violence toward children. What could have been a tragedy turned into a moment of grace. The moment where the promise could have disappeared from the world became the moment that the promise lives on today. The promise still lives in the children who make us laugh. I said that this was the 2nd worse story in the whole bible. Can you guess what the worse story is? It is the story of God’s only son being killed on a cross. Isaac was spared, Jesus was killed. Abraham and Isaac travelled 3 days to Mount Moriah, Jesus spen 3 days in a grave. Isaac returned home to his mom and went on with his life. Jesus rose from the dead and changed the life of the whole world. On Friday, Carol Hall and I watched a movie called the Great Awakening. It was how the message that Liberty was a gift from God was spread throughout the colonies. The movie started with a young Benjamin Franklin talking with his dad. He dad explained that he was the tenth child – destined to be a servant of God. His dad didn’t call Benjamin Franklin a sacrifice, he called his a tithe. His dad wanted him to become a preacher, but was willing to support young Benjamin’s dream of becoming a journalist/printer. Andrew Young, former Ambassador to the UN, was talking about his daughter's decision to work in a very dangerous part of Africa. Young said something like, "When we brought her to church and Sunday school, when we had her baptized, we didn't really know that she was going to take all of this religion so seriously! It's sort of scary to realize that you are putting your own child at risk when you bring her to the Lord!" (4) God doesn’t give us a road map to live, but God does give us a glimpse of the future. It unfolds in the eyes of our young people. It unfolds in the moments of grace, it unfolds in the things that make us laugh. When we see God in the situation, we can relax, because we know that God will provide. For twenty-six years my wife was a public school teacher. The last eight years she taught kindergarten in a very tough classroom. She spent more time in social work than she did in school work. It is hard to study even as a little child when you come to school hungry. Her students said to her one day, “Mrs. Olds, you don’t know how lucky you are. You live in a brick house. Bullets won’t go through brick houses. You are a very fortunate person.” On the second day of kindergarten one year, a little boy came up to her and said out of the blue, “Mrs. Olds, why didn’t you come?” And she not knowing what on earth he was talking about, knelt down to him and said, “What do you mean, why didn’t I come?” He said, “Why didn’t you come when my mama died?” She said, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know your mother had died, how did it happen?” He looked up to her and with tears in his eyes said, “Well, everybody knew it, it was on the television. My daddy choked my mama to death. Why didn’t you come?” I can never quite forget the echo of that child’s question in my mind—“Why didn’t you come in my hour of need?” Whatever you do with this story from Genesis, it is no invitation to mistreat children. You see, Isaac trusted his father completely. Can you? Abraham takes all the questions of his young son and answers them with a profound ritual that is repeated throughout this old story. With every question there is this answer: THE LORD WILL PROVIDE. Have you enough faith to proclaim that to your children? The Lord will provide. God will provide faith for the journey. God and Abraham had climbed too many mountains already for him to stop now. And as impossible as it all seems, Abraham gets up early one morning and sets out for Mt. Moriah. Somebody once said that when things get difficult, don’t pray for smaller mountains, just ask for increased climbing ability, because the Lord will go with you when it is difficult. In the end of the story, God is the hero – because God provides. We can be grateful that our understanding of God has evolved over time, and that he sent his Son Jesus to help us to see the meaning of grace clearly. There is a lot that we can get from this story of the binding of Isaac – the promise continues, we can follow even when we don’t have all of the answers, God will provide. GOD WILL PROVIDE AS MUCH HELP AS YOU WILL RECEIVE. So listen carefully, look for grace, trust the God in the process. This is essentially the end of Abraham’s story. Genesis chapter 23 is about the death of Sarah, and chapter 24 is about the death of Abraham and the beginning of Isaac’s family. Before returning home from Mount Moriah, Abraham told his son that they would return to this place, he named the place God will provide. I think I spend most of my life in that place- trusting God to provide. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord Will Provide." Maybe not the way we want. Maybe not the way we desire. But the Lord will provide. The Lord will give life again. Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you." But he also said, "Not as the world gives do I give to you." That means, the Lord will provide, but maybe not in the way that we anticipate. But he will provide at some time, and in some place, and in some manner, that we least expect. Maybe like this. James Angell, a Presbyterian minister, was awakened on Saturday night, in the middle of the night, with a phone call. It was the Saturday before Easter. The phone call was the Highway Patrol telling him that his twenty-one year old daughter, Susan, has been killed in an automobile accident. Susan was on her way home. She was going to spend Easter Sunday with her mother and father. She was killed on the way home. With courage and with faith that I can only marvel at, Jim Angell, just a few hours after receiving that news, entered his pulpit on that Sunday morning, and preached on the victory that Christ has given us over death through his Resurrection. Later he wrote a book about those days, a beautiful little book called, O Susan! It is a book that would be a help to other people as they try to make their way through that same dark valley. He said that there is a long period when the loss is almost more than you can bear. It is like you are at the end of the rope, and you have to tie a knot on the end of the rope so that you have something to hold on to. Then, he said, something happens. He warns that it will happen in different ways and at different times to different people. But for him it happened this way. A dear and trusted friend came into his study one day, and talked bluntly to him. He said, "Jim, you've got to face this. For the rest of your life this is a fact that you just have to live with. You can do two things about it. You can use it, use your fresh depth of feeling to make life finer, or you can let it crush you, and go through the rest of your life whimpering. Angell wrote that those words from his friend reminded him of the words of the hymn, "Shun not the struggle, face it. 'Tis God's gift." Not the accident. That's not God's gift. Not the tragedy. Not the sorrow. That's not God's gift. But the grace, the power to use those events to make life deeper and richer, that is the gift. When Jim Angell finally realized that, he let his daughter go, and found his life again. The end of sorrow comes when we can trust that no matter what happens to us, "The Lord will provide." ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by Mark Trotte In recognizing God’s grace, we find God’s laughter. Let’s pray….. Song Faith of our Fathers UMH 710 Pastoral Prayer Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Offertory Prayer Faithful Provider, we bring our gifts with trembling hands and trusting hearts. Like Abraham on the mountain, we don’t always understand the path ahead, but we believe in your promise: that you will provide. We offer these gifts, not as bargains or sacrifices to earn your love, but as signs of our trust in you. Use them, we pray, to bless others—to meet needs, to heal hurts, to build hope. And as you provide for the world through us, keep us faithful to your calling, even when the way is unclear. May our giving be our “Here I am,” ready and willing to serve. In Christ’s name, Amen. (Genesis 22:1-14) (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Announcements Closing Prayer for YouTube Be confident that the Holy One will provide For the promise of God is trustworthy And the presence of God is enduring Therefore, show up in the world With boldness and clarity That justice and righteousness will prevail In the name of Holy Love and Everlasting Peace May it be so for you and through you. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction May God go with you, blessing you with divine provision, making paths where there were none before, and leading you into flourishing in the most impossible of places. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, January 2026. Additional Illustrations A man named Victor Fried, in an essay titled “Too Broken to Be Fixed,” tells of how he grew up as an angry child who lashed out at others. His family had taught him that “if something went wrong, it was always someone else’s fault.” He learned to distrust people. And this distrust resulted in anger and alienation and lashing out at the world. The situation only worsened as Victor became an adult. He says of his mindset at that time, “Finally, you ask yourself the question: Why are so many people out to get me? And the only logical answer is that even God hates you. So, if you were like me, you return the favor and hate God right back. My belief that God hated me grew as the years passed, and I perceived each setback as further evidence that my belief was correct.” One thing that gave his life meaning was his job building custom furniture in a wood shop. One day, Victor spotted a man walking down the street carrying an elegant Queen Anne chair. He recognized it instantly as a valuable antique, and he asked the man if he could have it. It only had a broken rung, and Victor knew he could fix it. The man said, “No.” Then he threw the chair into a Dumpster, permanently breaking its frame and ruining it. This moment reinforced Victor’s belief that people are no good and God didn’t care about him. A year later, Victor’s anger and sadness finally drove him to burn out. He drove down to the Missouri River one icy-cold day with the intent to throw himself into the water and either drown or freeze to death. But as he stood on the riverbank, he suddenly recalled the angry man who had thrown the Queen Anne chair into the Dumpster. And he heard a voice say to him, “If you’re going to throw that away, may I have it?” Victor says he knew it was the voice of God. His lifetime of anger and fighting and broken relationships came to mind. And yet, now he could see how God loved him in spite of all these things. He suddenly understood that God is unconditional love and had loved him throughout his life. And now God was asking Victor to turn his life over to Him. So instead of falling into the icy river, Victor fell to his knees on that riverbank and gave his life to God. This moment was the start of healing a lifetime of anger and loneliness. (2) “If you’re going to throw that away, may I have it?” What do we have to believe about God to commit our entire lives to Him? We have to believe, first of all, in His goodness, in God’s unconditional love for us. If God is love, then God doesn’t want appeasement from us. He wants a relationship with us. If God is love, then His goal is not to leave our wounds and heartbreaks and challenges unredeemed. God’s goal is to work all things together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to God’s purposes (Romans 8:28). But if that’s true, how do we explain the sacrifice God asked Abraham to make? God rarely provides us with a road map for our faith journey. When you commit your life to God, you are taking a leap of faith. You have no idea where God will lead you. You have no idea what sacrifices you may be called to make. Like Jimmy, you don’t have to know what to do; you just have to be ready to do it. What would it take for us to be ready like that? We have to trust in the goodness of God and that God is working out His eternal purposes through our obedience. We will never see the end result of our commitment in this lifetime. We may never see how God works through our sacrifices to bring about His kingdom. But we can trust, as Abraham did, that the Lord who Provides will provide what we need to remain faithful to Him until the day we see God face-to-face. Until then, we will keep our eyes fixed on the cross as our guarantee that God so loved us that He gave His Son, His only Son, that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Both of Abraham’s sons had to go through a “passing of age” ritual. In the chapter before, we read about Abraham’s firstborn son, Ishmael, through Sarah’s handmaid Hagar, and his desert “christening.” In that story, Abraham is pained for Hagar and Ishmael to be sent off into the desert, presumably to die. But God reassures Abraham and calls upon his faith. Abraham allows for them to be sent away, and God rescues both Hagar and Ishmael from the glaring heat, training Ishmael to be a “leader” of other nations. Ishmael today is known as the father of Arab nations. Abraham had to first sacrifice his son Ishmael to death by desert banishment in faith that God would take it from there. The scriptures tell us that “God dwelt with Ishmael from that time onward.” A farmer was out driving his tractor one day when he rolled onto a stretch of gopher mounds. The earth crumbled beneath one tire and the tractor rolled over on its side. Luckily, the farmer escaped the situation with only a few bruises. He went home and told his wife. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Honey, the Lord sure was with you." The farmer surveyed his bruises and answered, "Well, if He was, He sure got a rough ride." In 1958, America's first commercial jet air service began with the flight of the Boeing 707. A month after that first flight, a traveler on a piston-engine, propeller-driven DC-6 airliner struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger. The passenger happened to be a Boeing engineer. The traveler asked the engineer about the new jet aircraft. The engineer was wildly enthusiastic about this new, improved way to travel. He began speaking at length about the extensive testing Boeing had done on the jet engine before bringing it into commercial service. He recounted Boeing's experience with engines, from the B-17 to the B-52. When his traveling companion asked him if he himself had yet flown on the new 707 jet airliner, the engineer replied, "I think I'll wait until it's been in service awhile.'" Even enthusiastic talking about our faith doesn't mean much if we aren't also willing to put our lives where our mouth is. (3) The question for the day is: How much do you trust God? Abraham learned that behind the clouds of uncertainty God awaits. He placed his total trust in God and his trust was not misplaced. My guess is that Abraham was a different person when he descended from the mountain. From that moment on Abraham realized that God would take care of his son, Isaac. From that moment on he realized God would provide whatever was necessary for the fulfillment of His promises. Let us first of all consider this story through the eyes of Isaac. This dream child of Abraham and Sara is raised with love and unusual devotion. His name means laughter and he brings great joy to his parents. His mother even manages to excommunicate Isaac’s half-brother, Ishmael, into the wilderness so that there would be no sibling rivalry. Isaac had it all. When his daddy drags him out of bed before daylight to make this mysterious, frightful trip into the unknown, I can only imagine the kinds of questions that had to be on the young adolescent’s mind. The first question I would have asked is, “Where are we going? It is summer time. Years ago, about this time of the year, I remember loading our two boys into a borrowed station wagon and heading for Florida for a week’s stay in a loaned condominium. We were about 50 miles away from home when the questions started from the back seat. “Are we there yet? How much further? Can we stop now?” That is when our oldest son (back in the days before seat belts) leaned over the back seat and put his arms around my shoulders and said, “Dad, when we get to where we’re going, where will we be?” Inquiring children always want to know. “Is this a camping trip, Dad? Why isn’t Mother coming? How long will we be gone?” Questions like these had to come from Isaac’s lips. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly... who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.” [2] A pastor was making a wooden trellis to support a climbing vine. As he was pounding away, he noticed that a little boy was watching him. The youngster didn't say a word, so the preacher kept on working, thinking the boy would leave. But he didn't. Pleased at the thought that his work was being admired, the pastor finally said, "Well, son, trying to pick up some pointers on gardening?" "No," he replied. "I'm just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer." (1) That's a tricky position to be in, isn't it? Would you or I pass that test? I hope so. Sometimes, we don't even know when we're being tested. But that's not the case in today's Bible passage. Here is the second truth: The most important help he provides is for our greatest need—forgiveness and salvation. Because all of us are tainted by sin, there is no way we can spend eternity with a perfect God unless our sin problem is resolved. That requires someone able and willing to pay for our sin. That requires someone who has no sin problem of his own. That requires someone perfect and full of love for us. Indeed, that requires God himself. And so, Jesus, God in human form, went to a cross as the perfect sacrifice for the sin of all believers. The saga of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah was a preview of the cross of Calvary. The eternal Christ-Spirit, probably said to God the Father, “Father, we will come back to this same mountain one day, won’t we?” And God the Father said, “Yes, Son, we will return here.” And the Christ-Spirit said, “And when we return, I will be the sacrifice on the altar, isn’t that true?” And God the Father, who would not allow Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, was willing to sacrifice his Son for us, so great is his love for us. And so, many centuries later when John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) God not only provides forgiveness and salvation, but also grace sufficient for every need. To call on God is to make the ultimate 9-1-1 call. God is instantly available to all believers to help in wise and wonderful ways. As one stands to the West of the temple area in the old city of Jerusalem and gazes upon the remains of the Temple of Herod now spoken of as the "wailing wall," then looks beyond to the domineering Dome of the Rock, it is to recall the great epochs of history and tradition associated with the place called "Mount Moriah." How much of human history and the traditions of the "people of God" is linked to that spot! One of the most moving and poignant of those traditions is the story of Abraham’s ultimate temptation recorded in Genesis 22.

Receiving God

July 2, 2023 Matthew 10:40-42 5th Sunday of Pentecost Receiving God Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship (inspired by Matthew 10:40-42) One: Welcome to all gathered, and on line, as we come to worship God. Many: With our words and our actions, we extend greetings to all. One: Prophets, Righteous, old and young, this is the place to find your reward. Many: We’ve come to offer our gifts, and give thanks for all God is doing. One: Even a cup of cold water is appreciated! Many: So we lift our voices and sing our praise! (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer Ever-present God, we’ve come to praise your name, and to honor you with our time, our talent and our treasure. Help us steady our hearts, and focus our minds on your presence among us. Accept our intentions to worship you alone, for you’ve given us power through your Spirit. We receive what you offer, and give you our thanks, through Jesus Christ, whose life, death & resurrection we celebrate! AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song America the Beautiful UMH 696 Children’s Sermon This week we will celebrate Independence Day! That is our country's birthday. This morning I have the American Flag. This is the flag of the United States of America. As you know, our flag is red, white, and blue. Have you ever stopped to think what those colors mean? Red: Red stands for courage. Many men and women have had the courage to stand up and fight for our country. They have defended our country against our enemies and many have died in the service of our country. White: White stands for purity. Purity means to do what is right. We hope and pray that our country will always stand for what is right. Blue: Blue stands for justice. When we pledge allegiance to the flag, we end with the words: "With liberty and justice for all." That means that in our country, everyone should be treated fairly and with respect. The colors red, white, and blue remind me of our country, but those colors also remind me of Jesus. Red reminds me of Jesus' blood that was shed when he died on the cross for my sin. That is very important, because the Bible says, "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22). White reminds me that when I give my heart to Jesus, he washes me and I become as "white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). The Bible says, "you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 6:10). Blue reminds me of God's faithfulness. The Bible tells us that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and make us clean" (1 John 1:9). God is faithful to keep His promises. Red, white, and blue. Yes, I am reminded of our great country, but more importantly, I am reminded of our great Savior, Jesus. You know, even in our nation’s history, we see a lot of mixed message welcomes. For example, do you recognize this? (Hold up picture of the Statue of Liberty) It’s called the Statue of Liberty. It stands in the harbor outside New York, right by a place called Ellis Island. The statue is a symbol of freedom, and it even has a poem on it welcoming people who are tired and yearn to be free. It was the first thing that immigrants saw when they moved to the United States from other countries. But they would pass through this processing place called Ellis Island, where they were screened, and sometimes sent back home, if they didn’t have good health, or plans, or enough money. Even if they made it through, these immigrants were often treated poorly by other people. Sometimes Americans refused to give them jobs or food or a place to stay. I wish that were ancient history, but it still happens. (Hold up recent picture of immigration processing center, protest at a wall, or other immigration-related news). Some people do not want to welcome others who aren’t like them. Unfortunately, this can even happen in churches. We might say we welcome everyone, but if people look a certain way, they might be treated negatively or feel cast out. This is not what Jesus wanted. To be sure, we need to make sure that we stay safe. We can’t just throw open the doors of our houses to anyone who might walk in and do something evil. We do want to wear masks and make sure we’re feeling healthy for the sake of other people. And we need to monitor the situation of our country and population. Father, we thank You for those who fought for our freedom. We thank You even more for Jesus, who gave us freedom from death and freedom from sin. Help us to live in that freedom by doing what is right and not giving in to our temptations to do wrong. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. (Ministry to Children – Kristin Schmidt) Prayer of Reflection and Transformation Holy Prophet, Divine Warmth, Creating a home for strangers and friends can often take extra effort. From the extra cleaning to food preparations, we spend extra time, talents, and treasures to care for your children. Sometimes, we often do not feel as if we have the energy to go the extra distance – to ensure the drinks are cold and our homes are cozy. Give us an extra boost in our bodies, minds, and souls to be the welcome team in your Realm. May we embrace divine hospitality as we care for the ones struggling the most, the ones caring for your creation, and the ones speaking prophetically for you. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Michelle Torigan) Words of Grace and Love God continues to welcome us into the Divine Realm even when we walk past its doorway. God’s magnificent grace will refresh our hearts, inspiring us to return again. Amen. (United Church of Christ, Michelle Torigan) Scripture Matthew 10:40-42 Sermon Receiving God Usually for the 4th of July I always talk about freedom in Christ – but today I want to talk about discipleship – what does it cost us to citizens of heaven. No, the 4th is not a Christian holiday – Christianity and the building of our nation go hand in hand. Do not let anyone claim tribute of American patriotism if they even attempt to remove religion from politics." – George Washington’s Farewell Address to Nation Our legal system is based on the ten commandments, the United Methodist church is structured just like the US government, and the values of our nation are based on God. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of and to the Republic for which is stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." "Under God" and the Pledge of Allegiance The words "under God were taken from Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address, "…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth…" and were added to the Pledge of Allegiance on June 14, 1954 by a joint resolution of Congress, 243 (Public Law 83-396). (The Pledge was initially adopted by the 79th Congress on December 28, 1945, as Public Law 287.) On June 14, 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law the pledge: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which is stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." President Eisenhower gave his support to the Congressional Act, which added the phrase, "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance, saying: "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war." President Eisenhower then stood on the steps of the Capitol Building and recited the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time with the phrase, "one nation under God." From America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, William J. Federer, Fame Publishing. In light of the presence of God in the principles of our nation, service to the greater good and a willingness to sacrifice are important. This dedication to the greater good is shared by our founding fathers and the disciples of christ. Both of these groups were so committed that they were willing to sacrifice. Sermon Opener – Never Underestimate the Power of a Cold Cup of Water - Matthew 10:40-42 Now I would like to stop the world for just one minute and ask you to think back. Think back with me to the first century. Think about those 50 years after Jesus’ death and what it must been like for Jesus’ disciples. Before the last one died their efforts had brought 500,000 men, women, and children into the ranks of the church. But what they had to suffer in order to accomplish this task is seldom discussed. We like the outcome of their discipleship but we don’t want to hear the cost of discipleship. So for the record here is the cost: History tells us… 1. John died of extreme old age exiled to the island of Patmos. 2. Judas Iscariot, after betraying his Lord, hanged himself. 3. Peter was crucified; head downward, during the persecution of Nero. 4. Andrew died on a cross at Patrae, a Grecian Colony. 5. James, the younger, son of Alphaeus, was thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple, and then beaten to death with a club. 6. Bartholomew was flayed alive in Albanapolis, Armenia. 7. James, the elder son of Zebedee, was beheaded at Jerusalem. 8. Thomas, the doubter, was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel, in the East Indies. 9. Philip was hanged against a pillar at Heropolis. 10. Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows. 11. Simon died on a cross in Persia (what we now call Iran.) 12. Matthew was first stoned and then beheaded. What sacrifices! And I ask you why? Why did they choose to die this way? Why desert your father and mother, your wife and child, and your home? Why put up with the constant humiliation, and hunger, and persecution, and defeat town after town after town? I’ll tell you why, because, in the words of Apostle Paul, they were held captive by the words and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is Paul’s way of saying they were slaves to Christ… Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Their conviction resulted in untold sufferings for themselves and their families. Of the 56 men, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the war. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships sunk by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty. At the battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson's home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly ordered General George Washington to open fire on the Nelson home. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and mill were destroyed. For over a year, he lived in forest and caves, returning home only to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion. Today is an opportunity to honor both groups of all men. But all of us have a chance to fulfill their legacy. In the book of Matthew, Jesus is a teacher – he gives 2 major teachings. First – the sermon on the mount is for the people. Chapters 9 and 10 are the second lesson, giving specifically to the disciples. Apparently, Jesus is preparing them for a mission. We don’t know what the mission is, and we never hear in Matthew if they completed the mission. Mark and Luke speak of the mission, but they don’t go into detail like Matthew does. Jesus tells all of us who are still sent on this mission – to take up your cross and follow me. Trying to help people is not easy, and most of the time the people who you re trying to help are going to destroy you. And yet you still serve. When buddhist monks are sent to help the community they are given a begging bowl. – they knock on doors and eat what people are willing to put in the bowl. When Jesus sends out his disciples, he tells them to take nothing for the journey. To depend totally on the kindness of others. If they show kindness to stay and serve them, if they don’t shake the dust off of your feet and to keep stepping. Relying of the kindness of strangers – that is the meaning of the word hospitality. Hospitality is a latin word that literally means turning strangers into friends. The foundation of our faith – our mission has always been to turn strangers into friends. Jesus mission for us is to care for people, to provide for everyone’s basic needs and to welcome them into the circle. Jesus says that when we welcome strangers – that we are welcoming him, when we welcome him we are welcoming God Hospitality is not only the foundation of our faith, it is our connection to God. We all know that the business of hospitality is much more dangerous today then it was in Jesus’ day. We are close to the anniversary of the shooting of church members who invited a stranger to their bible study. That is one of many attacks on houses of worship in recent years. And yet, Jesus still calls us to be in the mission of hospitality. Whoever Welcomes You, Welcomes Me Recently I was sent this story. The author said, I saw him in the church building for the first time on Wednesday. He was in his mid-70’s with thinning silver hair and a neat brown suit. Many times in the past I had invited him to come. Several other Christian friends had talked to him about the Lord and had tried to share the good news with him. He was well respected, honest, a man of good character. He acted much like a Christian would act, but he never came to church or professed Christ. After I got to know him well and we had talked about a wide range of subjects I asked him if he had ever been to a church service. He hesitated. Then with a twisted grimace told me of an experience he had as a boy. He was raised in a large family. His parents survived the depression but they struggled to provide food and clothing for the family. When he was around ten years old a friend invited him to go to church with his family. He went – the Sunday School class was great. The songs were fun to sing and the stories, oh the great Bible stories, were exciting to hear. He had never heard anyone read from the Bible before. As class ended the teacher pulled him aside and said, “Son, please don’t come again dressed as you are now. We want to look our best when we come into God’s house.” He looked down at his old hand me down overalls that were certainly worn and tattered. He thought about that for a moment and said softly, “No ma’am I won’t ever.” Then he looked at me, the author wrote and said, “And you know what… I never did.” It was clear that he was done with that conversation. The author reflected, I am sure that the Sunday School teacher meant well and in fact was representing the feeling of the majority of the folks in that church. But what if, what if she had put her arms around the dirty little boy in the ragged overalls and said, “Son, I am thrilled that you came this morning and I hope you will come every chance you get to hear more about Jesus because he loves you so much.” Moreover what if she would have talked with her pastor or her friends in the church and mobilized a full blown outreach effort to help this family make ends meet. What if that church would have thought, Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Or whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple will receive a great reward (v. 40 & 42) The story ended like this: Yes I saw him in the church house for the first time on Wednesday and I cried as I looked at the immaculately dressed old gentleman lying there in his casket. He was looking his best. But all I could think of were those words of an impressionable little ten-year-old boy echoing in my mind, “No ma’am I won’t ever.” David Wiggs, Who Needs a Welcome? The kindness that we show to others really makes a difference. How we treat others has a lasting impressions. Jesus sends us out into the world to serve and to be served. Take nothing for your journey, rely on the kindness of others. Three times in two sentences Jesus says that when we give and receive kindness that we will receive a reward. As Christians we are always both the giver and the receiver of hospitality. We should always be welcoming and welcomeable. Sometimes our reward big and something the truly affects us, and sometimes our reward is spiritual. But our hospitality never goes unnoticed by God. Simple Caring For several weeks, Mrs. Sherman's first-grade class had waited for the field trip to the observatory. Notices had been sent home with instructions about the bus, lunch, and times of departure and return. To the students, waiting for the field trip was like waiting for Christmas. Finally, the day arrived. We grabbed our lunches and coats and lined up for the bus. In the back of the room, one boy began to cry because he had forgotten to bring a lunch and would have to stay behind with another teacher. In a few minutes, the other children had contributed extra sandwiches, fruit, desserts, and drinks until the boy had a feast for his lunch. With new tears, this time tears of gratitude, he grabbed his coat, lined up, and climbed onto the bus. We had given him a "cup of cold water." Acts of service are not always dramatic or earth-shattering. Simple caring is all that is needed. Discipleship means being alert for opportunities to care, to demonstrate God's loving-kindness, and to teach others to do the same. Gene Blair Our hospitality opens the door to healing in the lives of others. I know that I have used this quote before, but I think that it is a fitting end today. French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said, "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!" Alexis de Tocqueville. As disciples of Christ, let us continue to show hospitality to others. Amen. Song This is My Song UMH 437 Independence Day Prayer We pause as a people to lift up our prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, lamentation and petition. We ask you to accept the prayers we make that serve your will and fulfill the vision you have for our world. As we give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy on this Independence Day, we pray for peoples and countries struggling under oppressive regimes, abusive systems of power and coercive means of control. We pray for our nation’s leaders who seek creative ways to address complex problems. We pray for the safety and well-being of our military personnel, especially those serving in harm’s way. We pray for those who are traveling this weekend, that they might be responsible and safe. We pray for those in our nation still waiting to be freed from hunger, poverty and the ravages of injustice. We prayer for those whom we hold in our heart. Fill all people with your Holy Spirit that we might bear each other’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. United as a family of faith and as the Body of Christ we lift these prayers up to you, God our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Finally, hear us pray the prayer Christ taught us Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri McDowell Ott) Stewardship Moment For many communities, this is prime vacation time! Summer, school’s out, weather is warm, and the earth is in full bloom. And still, we’ve come together on this Lord’s Day morning, to offer our thanksgiving to the Giver of Life. Here’s the challenge: What can we give to the one who has created all that is? The Psalmist cried out in lament, and then declared I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, (who) has dealt bountifully with me. Today, trusting in God’s steadfast love, we invite you to share your financial gifts, your prayers of thanksgiving and your voices, as we receive our morning offering. (Invite the congregation to walk forward, as those with monetary gifts lay envelopes, checks and/or cash in an offering tray while the congregation sings CH#379 “Accept, O God, the Gifts We Bring”) Prayer of Thanksgiving Ever-giving God, thank you for the many ways you continue to encourage and challenge us. May your life flow abundantly through us! Please receive this offering. Use it, and use us, to free up the good gifts of life for others. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Invitation to Communion (reflecting on Romans 6:23) Over years of life, many of us have had reason to ask “what will my wages be?” or “What will I be paid?” Paul, writing to the Romans, sets out a clear description: “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It is THAT free gift which we celebrate each time we come to this table. Here we touch and taste the gift we’ve been given, as we eat bread and drink a sip of juice. These emblems symbolize for each of us the gift of LIFE in Christ Jesus, our Lord. No need to worry about being underpaid, or unpaid. Jesus Christ is the strong foundation on which our lives can stand, secure. So come, share in this meal of remembrance and thanksgiving. God is making a WAY for each and for all to step into eternal life which is ours here and now. Communion And Passing of the Peace Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May God keep you safe May your bellies be full May your thirst be quenched May your hearts be blessed With knowing you are loved And may you share that love With all who come your way Amen. From Liturgies from Below: Praying with People at the Ends of the World, ed. Cláudio Carvalhaes Joys and Concerns Benediction Do not ever be afraid to welcome others. Bring your welcoming, accepting spirit to all those whom you meet. May God go with you on your journey this week and all of your days. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley)

Our God is an Awesome God

Genesis 28:10-19a
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
5th Sunday after Pentecost
July 17, 2011
Year A
Our God is an Awesome God


When Barry Merritt was a little boy, he fondly remembers playing baseball. Those were the days when his coach would take them all out on a picnic, and they would all have a good time. The coach would ask them, how many of you want to grow up and become a part of the major leagues, and play baseball in the big time. Every single had went up, every child had a dream of being something more than what they were, every child had something to aspire for and to hope for. When he grew up, he didn’t become a major league player – but he did become a coach. He had his own team, he was entrusted to pass on his dreams to the next generation. He did the things that his coach did. He had picnics for the boys, he asked the question that he had been asked – how many of you want to become major league players when you grow up? How many of you think you have what it takes to play professionally. Not one hand went up. Not one of the children had any hope or any dreams of being anything more than what they were. Barry had to stop and ask himself what went wrong? Who had stolen the dreams of these young people? More importantly, how do you give hope and encouragement to someone, who doesn’t have a dream of being anything more than what they are today?
It is our dreams that define us. Our dreams that call us forward. Our dreams that inspire us to move forward. The dream to play ball professionally is still a big one. I think of how many young men in Englewood who love to play basketball. Who if you ask them what they want to grow up to be – they tell you that they want to be a basketball player. A basketball player and a lawyer. If it keeps them in school, it keeps them motivated, it inspires them to do the right thing – then it is a wonderful dream. You never want to say anything to them to take away their dream. The good news for us today is that no matter how much the world change, no matter how much we change, the power of our dreams never change. If it is God that gave us that dream, then there is nothing in the world that can take it away. God gives us our dreams for a reason. It is in our dreams that God makes a promise to us. Promises for our future, for the future of the kingdom of God. A dream is the image of something that is not present yet, but is coming.
Genesis is another story of a young man and a dream. A pretty typical young man by today’s standards. He was always competing with his twin brother, always in some kind of trouble. He came from a religious family, but didn’t have much use for this God himself. But this time he has gotten into enough trouble that the dream may be in danger. He has been fighting so much with his brother, that his mother sends him away to a safe place – back to her family down home. During his escape he has a strange dream. A dream of angels descending and ascending into heaven. God speaks to him, reminds him of the promises of the past, and the promises of the future. Reminds him that the world is dependent on his dreams, his hope, his future. He changes his life, and learns to include God in everything that he does. That all that he does is dependent on the presence of God with him. For him to experience the love of God, this must be an awesome place. He sets a stone so that the place would be remembered. What he misses is that this is not an awesome place. But an awesome God. The presence of God with us is not a place or a thing, it is a relationship. Anyplace with God is awesome. Any dream that we have that includes God is an awesome. Because the God we worship is an awesome God. A god that is incomparable, unexplainable, and without rival.

Jacob called it Bethel, Jesus called it the kingdom of God. What do you call it? When you reach that point in your life when you feel the presence of God? And you know that God is with you?

In chapter 13 of Matthew jesus gives several parables that describe what the kingdom of God is like. Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like a field, a field of wheat with a bunch of tares. That is an interesting comparison. Jesus was a carpenter, not a farmer, so what did he know about planting seeds? And the people that Matthew would have wrote this story for were city dwellers, they too would not have understand planting. But this was written to address something going on in the church. People were starting to judge others. The bible teaches us right from wrong, good from bad. What do you do when you are doing to right thing, and you see other people doing the wrong thing. Is it time for you to judge them and what they are doing?

Is God always going to be with us, going to support us. Is everthing that we do right? We know that answer to that question no. Sometimes I do and sometimes not. But the real question for the disciples is how do you respond to people who you think are wrong? What happens when you disagree with their dreams? How do you respond? Do you respond? Do we ever have a right to judge someone else’s dream?

There were two stories in the news that resonate with this point. First there is the story of the 16 year old who just married a 60 year old. The met on the internet and talked for 4 months and decided that they were a match made in heaven. When you look at the girl, she has boobs out to here, wears short dresses, and is constantly smooching on this man. Hardly appropriate for a 16 year old. Her parents say that she is a devout Christian and feels that this marriage is the right thing to do. It makes you ask – what kind of church does she go to. More importantly, what kind of church does her parents go to that they would allow such a thing. Is she still a child of God? do we have a right to take away her dream?

And then there is the Casey Anthony case. She was just released and protestor were angry, feeling that she got away with murdering her daughter. Is she a child of God? Does God have a plan for her life? Was she guilty? Jesus says that none of that is our place to judge.

A group of pastors experienced that first hand in Rwanda as they witnessed whole congregations being killed. As their life was threatened, they ask their superiors what to do. They were told that that God no longer needed them. They were watching everyone getting killed around them, and their turn was coming too. God did not need them that was why this was happening. In the war between the Tutsis and hutu’s. there were tutsi and their bosses were hutus. Some were the wheat and some were the weeds.

That seems a little extreme, but when we judge other people as good and bad, right and wrong, us and them that is what we do. When we think we need to get rid of the wrong people in church that is whag we do.

There is good and bad in us all. But there is also a part of God. And only god knows the difference in us. If God can save a scoundrel like Jacob, then surely God has use for all of us, you and me.
Our God is an awesome God, God has some awesome plans for us, God has some awesome dreams for us.
Anyone who is a part of God, has a dream from God. If God gives you a dream God will make sure that it comes to fruition. For God’s sake not yours.

If you can think it, you caught it, God bought it, You sought it, I got it. God will give you the vision to see, the faith to believe, and the will to do some awesome plans. amen.

A vessel to be filled

July 10, 2011
Year A
5th Sunday after Pentecost
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23
“A Vessel to be Filled”




Introduction: Trying to find meaning in a story
The Wrong Question: What Does It Mean?
For a moment, let's put this story to one side and hear another story. It concerns a young anthropologist named Connie who works among aboriginal people in Australia. The community where she lives has a rich tradition of storytelling. Everyone gathers at night, a story is told, and then another, and another. Connie feels extraordinarily privileged when she is asked to join in this activity.

The first story told that evening is about the animal ancestor of this community and its adventures at the beginning of time. The story overflows with detail, action, imagery.

At the end of the story, Connie is delighted. "May I ask a question?" she says. "What does it mean?"

All eyes are upon her. The elder looks at her gravely and says, "That is the one question you cannot ask." A long time passes before she is invited again. She has asked the wrong question.

"What does it mean?" was the wrong question for Connie to ask about the aboriginal myth. It may also be the wrong question for us to ask about the story of the sower, or any of the stories told by Jesus. "What does it mean?" is the wrong question if we think that by having an answer, we can somehow get a handle on this story, domesticate it, make it safe. The stories Jesus tells are not subject to our control. He tells these stories so that we can be transformed. He tells these stories, not so that we can ask questions about them, but so that the stories can ask questions of us.

Charles Hoffacker, What Kind of Soil Are You, What Kind of Sower?

We tend to ask that question a lot of ourselves, our lives and of God, and yes even of Jesus - what does it all mean? We want the bible to have all of the answers to our lives. And in a sense it does and in a sense it doesn’t.

It is not Jesus intention to give us the answers, but to give us something to think about, believe it or not, he trusts us enough to be able to come up with our own answers – if we have the right guidance.


Romans 8 the answers to all questions
I chose the scripture romans 8 in honor of Marj. A member of my last church, who told me that romans 8 was her favorite chapter in the bible, because she felt that it contained all of the answers to living a life of faith.
Verse 28 says that all things work together for those who love God.
Verse 31 asks if God is for us, then who can be against us. Verse 35 asks who can separate us from the love of God? verse 37 tells us that we are more than conquerors. Pretty powerful words at the end of the chapter.
Our scripture for today comes from the beginning of the chapter – where Paul starts with the beginning of our faith – there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Life in the spirit, Life in the flesh
Throughout the whole chapter, Paul talks about two warring forces in all of our lives and in the world. There is the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit. Life in the flesh is not a really a life of overconcern about bodily satisfaction. It is a more a life of overconcern about the things of the world. About what is here on earth. It is a life which leads to death and to sin. Life in the spirit is a life concerned with the things of God and heaven. It is a life that Christ was leading us to. It is a life that leads to eternal life. We all have a choice – we can follow the things of the flesh – and stay stuck in the bad things of our lives, the wounds that have happened to us, the things that people have done to us, the meaning of this life. Or we can chose to be transcendent – knowing that with God’s help all things will come to pass and we will get over them.
The thing to remember however, is that life in the spirit and life in the flesh are not about us – but about cosmic forces the control the universe. It is a battle in life that will never end.
We also have to remember that Paul is telling us that we will never ever conquer that battle. None of us will ever live totally a life in the flesh, none of us will ever live a life totally in the spirit. We spend our lives always somewhere in between the two. Romans is the place where Paul talks about how he does the things that his heart tells him is wrong, but he does them anyway. He also talks about a thorn in his side that he has to life with. He never tells us what that thorn is, but the point that he want us all to remember is that suffering is a part of life. As long as we are in this fleshly body – there is something wrong, there is something to worry about, there is something to learn to live with, there is a reason to go forward. We don’t always have control over the circumstances of our lives, but we do have control over how we deal with them.
If we are in Christ Jesus – then we have the mind of Christ and the spirit of Christ. Romans8: 11 says of the spirit of him who raised Jesus dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Christ gives us the power to live in the flesh
Because Jesus Christ came to the world to live our life, was crucified, dead buried and rose from the dead. Even though we are fleshly people. We don’t have to live in the flesh. We can always choose between the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit.

Hearing the gospel as fertile soil
The good news of the gospel this morning is that not only are there two ways to live our lives. There are also different ways to hear the gospel of the lord. We can choose to be a fly by night hearer – who hears the word one minute – and pursuing the desires of the flesh the next, we can be a fair weather hearer – who hears the word when it is good for us, but forgetting it when it is not. We can be a too busy hearer – who hears the word, but is too busy to apply it to our lives, or we can be a productive hearer – that not only transforms our own lives, but has learned to transform the lives of others. Just by how we listen and obey the bible and what Jesus says.
Jesus tells the parable of the sower to the crowds the he was teaching. The disciples asks him what does it mean – why would he tell that story – what are we supposed to get out of it. The standard explanation of the story is that God is the sower, the word of God is the seed, and that we are the soil in which the word falls. But the point is that it means that and it means so much more.

Story of church clothes pantry – and planting seeds
There is the story of a church – a small church in a changing community- which started to see its membership declining. They noticed that there were no children in the Sunday school and wanted to do something to attract new members.
They decided that as an outreach project – they turned their Sunday school rooms into a clothing center. They would collect old clothes and give them away to anyone who needed them. Anyone could take as many clothes as they needed.
One winter day – a mother came with her many children. She said that she needed clothes. The kids took bags and bags of clothes. The church realized that this was a needy family – so they asked the pastor and some others to stop by to visit the family. While at the house – they noticed a pile of clothes that they had taken so much time to fold – being used as bedding for the dog. One lady noticed a dress that had belonged to her late grandmother torn and crumpled on the floor. As they were walking back to the church – they decided that the clothing ministry was a waste of time. People did not care anyway. And the help that you gave most people was wasted, because there were ungrateful about what you do for them.
Until one snowy day a winter later – when the pastor noticed an old beat up pickup truck in the parking lot before church service. The pickup was plowing the parking lot – when the pastor asked why – it was one of the older children of the family who had taken all of those clothes – the young man was now eighteen. He replied that the church had helped out his family when they were down on their luck. Now that they were on their feet and doing a little bit better, this was their way of helping out.
For many years later – the family plowed the churches parking lot. Most parishioners never even noticed.
In this story, the church members were the sower and the seeds were planted within the lives of those they served. It is not our responsibility to make the seeds grow – the life is inside of the seed not inside of our actions. We may never know the difference that our Christianity makes to those whose lives we touch. But it does indeed make a difference. Our job is to plant freely and abundantly – just as God has done for us.

The Mystery of God
Isaiah 55:10-11 says “My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide for planting and food to eat. So also will be the word that O speak – it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.” The wonder and mystery of God is contained in the seeds that we plant for God. Why did Jesus tell parables with no real definite meaning – because he understood that God was a mystery that we have to experience for ourselves. The life is in the seed itself, not in the sowing.

Jesus trusts that what is planted will bloom
Speaking of parable – we may have heard of the parable of the rich young ruler. He asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything that he had and to give it to the poor. He told Jesus that was more than he could bear. Jesus did not argue with him, or try to convince him otherwise. Jesus walked away. The seed had been planted, all there was to do now was to patiently wait for it to grow within the heart of the hearer. The seed of God, the seed of life, the seed of the eternal, is somewhere inside of us all. What does it take to make it grow? Let us pray….