Everlasting Promise

March 23, 2025 Isaiah 55:1-9 3rd Sunday of Lent Everlasting Promise Year C “Curiosity” Lent Three Prelude Welcome and Announcements Over the Threshold. (Call to Worship and Opening Prayer) Leader: The 13th century Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, said this: “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” Sing Verse 1 of Open My Eyes That I May See UMH 454 As we continue our worship series this Lent and consider what it means to be a “purveyor of awe,” we focus on one of the most important elements for curating a life of spiritual depth: curiosity. The ancient poets of our faith and the mystics of old wrote prolifically about “seeking” as a spiritual attribute. Faith is not about certainties; instead, it is about taking the stance of humility that we cannot know everything and that the spiritual quest is what it means to be faithful: to be on a quest to discover more and to experience more of the holy in our lives. In a time when so much emphasis is on what we know, we remember in our Lent journey that it is what we don’t know that is most valuable, for discovery and staying curious is a condition for awe. Sing Verse 2 of Open My Eyes That I May See UMH 454 The element of curiosity is linked to wellbeing of all kinds–spiritually, mentally, creatively. Awe-filled experiences are curiosity-boosters. Play, imagination, experimentation, and even simply slowing down to “linger longer” as we engage with the sights and sounds and smells of our ordinary surroundings can add to the amount of awe in our lives. Curiosity resists easy labeling and classifying; rather, it invites us to deeper discovery about life, faith, and each other. Let us rise in body and/or spirit and pray: Awe-inspiring God, we come together this day because we need to be reminded to see through the lens of curiosity. Too often we focus on being right instead of being curious, and this closes the door to deeper relationship and understanding. Open us to perceive anew. Inspire us to receive our surroundings with awe. Forgive us when we allow fear to curb our quest for greater understanding. Be with us on this journey as we seek again to marvel at your works. Sing Verse 3 of Open My Eyes That I May See UMH 454 [fade into silence… after a time, the leader speaks softly into the silence] The path is ever unfolding before us. We are invited into the seeker’s journey at any moment. God forgives us. Jesus embraces us. The Spirit enlivens us. We are whole. With awe, we accept this belovedness. And all God’s people say, “Amen.” Opening Hymn/Song I’ll Fly Away TFWS 2282 In Awe of Children Eat What Is Good By Lois Parker Edstrom Suggestions: Display various foods as a part of the lesson and allow the children taste, if appropriate to your situation. What are your favorite foods? Pizza? Hamburgers? Ice cream? Chocolate pudding? Cookies? These foods are fun to eat and it’s okay to enjoy them once in a while, but our food choices should also include lots of fruits and vegetables, milk and yogurt, good cereals and breads. Have you ever tried a peanut butter and banana sandwich, sweet potato chips, or a crisp, juicy apple with a wedge of cheese? Delicious!! There are so many tasty foods to enjoy. The prophet, Isaiah in the Bible speaks about God’s message and it is this: “Listen diligently (carefully) to me, and eat… that which is good” (55:2). God is not speaking about food, but about his words of wisdom. As we read the Bible and spend quiet time praying and thinking about God, we learn God’s lessons. We learn about good choices, such as how to honor God, how to respect ourselves, how to treat others with kindness. We learn about things that help us have a good life. God’s ways are good ways. They help you become a loving, thoughtful, and healthy person. God says, “Listen diligently to me, and eat…that which is good…” Eat good food and fill your hearts with the goodness of God’s words. Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2012, Richard Niell Donovan Prayer of Confession God, you call us to step more deeply into ourselves as we amend and awaken to who you desire us to be. Let us acknowledge our transgressions in stillness and in silence So that may prepare our hearts for change. Moment of silence We confess that we have not always brought forth good fruit. In the midst of chaos and frenzy, we have often lost our way. Our feet have strayed from the place where we met you. Our egos have kept us from noticing our missteps; Yet, with you, we know there’s another chance for change. There is another opportunity to bear good fruit In a world full of spoiled and rotten produce and systems designed to kill, We are called to be the change that sustains generations. Let us lean with you into this chance for transformation. Words of Assurance God’s grace and mercy abounds. God is with us in the change. God’s everlasting arms embrace us. Each of us is beloved, affirmed, and set free. Amen. Adapted from Rev. Mia M. McClain on the Worship Ways site of the United Church of Christ, https://www.ucc.org/worship-way/lent-3c-march-20-2022/. The Peace The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. I invite you to share the peace of Christ with those around you, [remembering to greet those online with a wave to the camera]. Contemporary Reading Reader: Our first reading is a contemporary one–an excerpt from Scott Shigeoka, author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World: “We need to embrace what I call ‘deep curiosity.’ This is the kind of curiosity that invites us to use it as a force for meaningful connection and transformation. This is what strengthens our relationships to ourselves and each other.” Ancient Reading (Scripture) Isaiah 55:1-9 In Awe of Music ” In Awe of the Word (Sermon) Everlasting Promise My Lenten practice has been paying attention to the ways that the spirit is at work in my life. When you seek God, you can witness the mysterious ways in which God works in our lives. So Friday I had lunch with a former parishioner who has since become a local pastor. She has asked me to lunch for the last 4 years, I have been hesitant about driving down I 57 to meet her. This year, I decided that it was finally time. I must say that I was refreshed in our meeting, the lunch was not only physically nourishing, but my spirit was also nourished in our conversation. In returning from Hazel Crest, I decided to take 30 in order to get back home. While driving through New Lenox I remembered that I had not been AMC to see a movie in a while. There is a new movie about the Last Supper that just came out. Not knowing what time the move would start, I just stopped by. I parked in the parking lot at 3:04. I checked my phone and the movie started at 3:15. I took that as my cue that God has planned this trip and intended for me to stop and see the movie all along. That’s my justification and I am sticking to it. Turns out, the movie was just one step above really bad. You can’t go wrong in telling the story of salvation. I always get something from any movie about Jesus’ life. But most of them have canned dialogue where the actors are just reciting verses from the bible. And in this one, all of the actors wore wigs. And apparently, the director wanted to demonstrate that combs did not exist in the first century, because all of the wigs were messy and unkempt. Overall, I wouldn’t say that the movie was a waste of time. But my spiritual message came after the movie was over. They explained that this movie was an invitation for anyone and everyone to know Jesus. As they were explaining why they were extending an invitation, I felt that the spirit was extending an invitation to me as well. In this Lenten season, I was invited to go deeper in my understanding of God. The think about my calling, and to be open to next steps in my ministry. The Invitation Since the period of the Israelites, The Invitation has been offered down through the centuries to those seeking to find the way: from prophets to peasants — from Paul to Priscilla — from mothers to monks — from Augustine to Wesley — from Billy Sunday to Billy Graham. Many servant followers have been the mouthpiece of The Invitation. Some have accepted The Invitation; others have rejected it. But The Invitation always stands, for it is the greatest invitation ever given to humankind. Let me share with you for whom The Invitation is intended. The Invitation is for all who have been searching for meaning and fulfillment but have never found it. The Invitation is for those who have always desired so much more out of life. The Invitation is for those who feel empty, lost, and without hope. The Invitation is for those who continue to thirst and hunger for ultimate satisfaction. The Invitation is for those who have ever cried out, “What is the point of my life? Is there more to life than carpools, meetings, paying bills, and growing old?” For God’s invitation is to experience an abundant life — the kind of life which only God can provide. And The Invitation is officially extended to you today. So the question is: What will you do with The Invitation? Jesus wants to be your teacher. Come, sit at his feet, and learn. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Leonard Sweet Sermons, by Leonard Sweet The more we “know,” the more embarrassingly obvious it becomes how much we have to learn. The big island of Hawaii is actually getting bigger. Its two active volcanoes keep spewing out lava flows, both building up more elevation and landmass, and flowing out into the surrounding sea. The more “island” there is, the more shoreline is created. Learning is like that growing island. The more “knowledge” we amass, the more new, unexplored edges of understanding are revealed. Jesus didn’t choose a bunch of “know-it-alls,” super-smarty scholars, as his companions. Jesus was a teacher. Those he called were his “disciples.” Another word for “disciple” (mathetes) is “learner.” When Jesus gave the Great Commission to his disciples he didn’t tell them to go be “teachers.” He called them to claim their status as life-long learners and to pass that love for learning along to the world: “Go therefore and make ‘disciples’ of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Leonard Sweet Sermons, by Leonard Sweet Interestingly, in the movie, Jesus was not the main character. His disciple Peter was the main character. You got to watch Peter transform from a very confused disciple to a true fisher of men. The hook of the movie was that it ended in the book of Acts, when Peter was able to draw just as large of crowds as Jesus to show them how the spirit of God was working in their lives and in the world. Just as many people found salvation in Peter’s word as they found in Jesus’s words. The season of lent is our invitation to come, to listen, to hear, to live to love God, others and ourselves. During lent we are reminded of the promises of God and the covenant of God to be with us throughout life. A covenant is always a relationship of give and take. God reminds us of Gods promises, we are also encouraged to seek God. Our scripture in Isaiah is intended to be a very special invitation to experience life with all of its ups and downs with God by our side. Isaiah 55 is a series of promises and covenants. -13 - the promise of blessing • Just as rain and snow are given to bring life, growth, and wholeness, so too will God’s word bring life, growth and wholeness to the earth • God’s word will make you prosper - perhaps whether you want it to or not • All of creation will rejoice with Israel whose judgment (the exile) has come to an end. When you repent/turn back to God, the response - not only of God, but all creation - is joy! In return you have to seek God in all that you do. Isaiah tells us that the invitation for us is to come, hear, listen, and join. The first words of todays scripture Come I remember one time I was walking along Times Square in New York, and I passed a little bar that had a sign hanging outside which read: "Come on in. There is never any dull lull in here." Well, that was quite a claim. I thought I ought to investigate, so I went in. What did I see? A picture of human happiness? The customers were sitting along on the bar stools staring at themselves in the bar mirror with obvious distaste. The bartenders were looking back at them with the same expression. If that wasn’t a dull lull, then I don’t know what a dull lull is. I wonder sometimes with the millions of bar stools in the country whether anyone has ever found happiness on one of them. Our problem is to take life seriously, to be able to believe the primary fact that our lives have meaning and purpose, that there is a reason for living. As a matter of fact, when you think about it invitations are all around us – we are always being invited to join something, or to get involved in something, or to go somewhere, or to eat something. How many invitations do you receive in a day – not just from people, but from television commercials, from advertisements, from well meaning salesmen, from emails, from social media – from countless avenues. We are convinced that we cannot live without these invitations. In fact, some are so convinced that they pray each night before they go to bed: Now I lay me down to sleep I pray my Cuisinart to keep I pray my stocks are on the rise And that my analyst is wise That all the wine I sip is white And that my hot tub’s watertight That racquetball won’t get too tough That all my sushi’s fresh enough I pray my cell phone still works That my career won’t lose its perks My microwave won’t radiate My condo won’t depreciate I pray my health club doesn’t close And that my money market grows If I go broke before I wake I pray my Lexus they won’t take.[2] 2. Poem by Laura Goethel. And have you noticed that each invitation also comes with a promise, that if you accept it it will be well worth your while. But have you noticed that most of these promises, turn out to be hollow. Once we accept an invitation, that just opens to doors to more invitations. Once we think we will be happy and satisfied after that invitation – we are hungry again and we want more. It is in our DNA – to be hungry, to want more, once we are full, it doesn’t last forever, and we want more and more. Eating and drinking are a never-ending necessity to live. A meal lasts for only a few hours. When firstborn, a baby cries for something to eat. We continue the practice of eating three times a day until our final day. From the cradle to the grave, we continue to take nourishment in order to live. There is nothing with being hungry, with wanting more, with needing to fill up when we feel empty. The key is for us to be mindful about our hunger, to keep our hungers in balance and to be aware when we have had enough. Most importantly, we have to keep God in mind in the midst of our nourishment. When we are seeking to be fulfilled, we have to remember that God is by our side. God promised to provide for us, and that all that we receive is a gift from God. Isaiah’s warning to us is to remember that our ways are not God ways. And that we should lean on God’s ways and not ours. Jason DeSilva, who is a pastor reminds us that it is in our nature to be seekers, to want more. But in our seeking, we should be aware of the spirit that beckons us to seek spiritual nourishment along with our physical nourishment. God is giving us an invitaion to eat spiritual food and drink spiritual water. In our text, the word, "come," is used several times. "Come" is God’s favorite word. It is an invitation and not a draft. With one having all power, God could force us to eat his bread, but God knows you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. God refuses to force us to come to him. He wants only willing children. His intention was expressed when his Son said, "Come to me all who labor What can fill us with good things, good thoughts, and good feelings? Our text says, "Hear that your soul may live." Hear the Word of God that tells us good things. You are loved. You are precious enough for God to die for you. You are a child of God destined for eternal life. Hear the good news and your mind and heart will be filled with the fullness of God. Do you ask, "Where can I hear the Word?" Go this Sunday to a church school and you will hear the Word taught. Attend worship services at your local church and you will hear the Word preached. Take some time daily to open the Bible and you will hear the Word by reading it. In prayer, God will speak his Word to your heart. WHY DO YOU SPEND ... YOUR LABOR FOR THAT WHICH DOES NOT SATISFY?" A woman in our parish referred a lady to me for consultation, and the parishioner said of her friend: "I don’t know what her problem is. She has a very successful husband. She is certainly a success at everything she tries herself. I really can’t understand what her difficulty is." But when the lady came in, she placed her finger precisely on her problem, as she said to me: "You know, it seems that nothing I do feels important." You see, she was identifying her problem. She said: "I try to do things, and I’m successful at them, but somehow, I always end up by asking myself, ‘What’s the use?’ " Her self-diagnosis was correct. She had identified not only her problem, but the pressing problem of our day. Success in life is not our chief concern. Actually, when you get down to cases, it’s not very difficult to be a success in our society today. With average intelligence and a bit of honest application, we can be a success in almost any reasonable type of enterprise. Her problem and ours is not success but significance The prophet Isaiah has proclaimed that God's Word never returns empty. The ripple effect from Allison's invitation is eternal in nature, singing on and on. Because of the power of God's Word, Allison's influence will never end. Take heart when you share your own faith stories of how God has touched your lives. They, as well, are timeless and eternal. Invite your friends to worship, to Bible studies, even to social events at church. You will never know all the lives you influence, the lives God has placed into your capable hands. May your voices also sing on, throughout eternity, or in the words of the prophet Isaiah, "It shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." You are an invaluable part of the very creation that proclaims the love and grace of God. You also proclaim God's message by the way you treat others, the kind and uplifting words you speak, your stewardship of possessions, and your actions, which speak loudest of all. Psychologist Murray Banks tells us that old age, if you want to talk about old age, physically, really sets in about the age twenty-eight, because that’s when the body begins to disintegrate and deteriorate. But creative love, and real life surge of productivity, is not fully developed until we are about forty. For instance, artists do their best work at the age of fifty or over. Surgeons do their best work at fifty-four. Attorneys are best equipped at fifty-seven to be the most productive and of the greatest service. And yet, at this age, many men are considering retirement. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., His Hands, by Jon L. Joyce The words of the old testament are not always good news, but today – These words of Isaiah are good news for us – they are a message that God is making the promise to all people in all situations. God’s promises are ever lasting and will never expire. This is one invitation that will not expire and will always apply. God’s words never returns void – it always beings hope and peace. It is an invitation to you will never regret taking. Isaiah issues a four-part injunction to the people of Judah to return to God, to renounce their iniquities, and to reaffirm the promises of the Davidic Covenant: come (55:1), listen (55:2), seek, and call on God while he is near and can be found (55:6). This plea is pertinent to Christians during this season of Lent, a season of exile and return, renewal and restoration, affliction and comfort, and death and resurrection. Father John Powell has said: "God does not create in order to acquire something, but in order to give something, to share Himself, in other words, to love. And God, whose very nature is love is, obviously, the model of our love." The crusty old sports announcer, Red Barber, once said: "When I boil down thirty years of experience in interviewing people on the radio and television and put it into one word, I would have to say that the Greeks have a word for it, ‘agape.’ " Agape means, broadly, "to have concern for." To use Michener’s phrase: "There is no real coming home to oneself until our goals and our motives are rooted in unselfish love in agape. This is our reason for being. This is our reason for doing. This is our reason for living." Take account of the number of invitations that you receive in the coming week. How many of those invitations are from God and how many are from the world? What hunger does is fulfilled in accepting that invitation? May we all have a hunger for seeking God, for listening, for accepting the love of God and passing it on. Let us pray to seek God in all that we do. Let us pray……. Song You Satisfy the Hungry Heart UMH 629 Approaching an Awesome God [Prayers] Holy and Living God, we approach this time of prayer with curiosity about your world. With all our senses, we open to you. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love others as you perceive and love us. We imagine in our mind’s eye now the people in our lives, the people of our communities, and the people of our world. Each of them is beloved by you, and this alone creates awe in us. We especially lift up those who need our prayers in this moment… [continue with prayers of thanksgiving and care for people]. For all these people and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love your creation as you perceive and love it. Each strange and new species, each surprising wild flower, each ant carrying a load ten times its weight reminds us that our curiosity is fed in so many ways. You are making all things new all around us. Help us to care for the nature around us. This week, we name… [continue with prayers about specific entities of nature in your area]. For all these places, creatures, and lifeforms, and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love life as you perceive and love the life you have given us. Open us to greet each new day as if there is something new to learn and experience so that we might stay curious and love discovery along this journey. Slow us down in this season of Lent so that we might savor anew the gift of life. We pause in this silence, setting intentions of awe for the week ahead. [pause in silence] For all these intentions, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us… Lord’s Prayer Responding with Awe (Stewardship Moment) Moment for Stewardship (Bring with you a nearly dead houseplant and a flourishing houseplant or use pictures on your screens.) Jesus tells parables throughout the Gospels. The parable of the fig tree, in Luke, gives us a picture for this stewardship moment. It’s as though the man who planted the fig tree realized it wasn’t doing well, and was not bearing fruit; a bit like this houseplant. (Show the nearly dead plant!) Imagine this plant – and the fig tree — as symbols of church members who occasionally come to worship, but never give financially, never share their talents, or never offer time to engage in outreach or do basic work around the building. Any wonder the owner is ready to toss out the tree? Any wonder some of us can imagine God, ready to toss out those who never give of themselves or their resources? As we come to our time of receiving all we are prepared to give, let’s hear the appeal of the gardener (which we might consider to be Jesus): “Let me work with it for a year, and then decide.” For those who have ears…and eyes…see the beauty of a robust and healthy plant. (Show the healthy plant!) With your gifts today, may your life shine like the cared-for plant! Offering/Offertory [as is your custom] Doxology [Tune: Old 100th] Praise God, Creator of us all, Praise Christ, by whom we hear our call, Praise Spirit, that which sets us free, Our awe is yours, the One-in-Three. Prayer of Thanksgiving For all that has been given this day, we give you thanks, Generous God. For the ways you are working with each of us through your Spirit, through this congregation, and through the parables of Jesus, thank you. Receive these gifts and the commitments we make to share not only our treasure, but our time and our talents, as offerings of our lives. In Jesus’ name, AMEN. (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements We Go Forth with Awe (Closing Prayer for Facebook) Benedictions are blessings. And blessings are all around us. So for this season, instead of bowing your head as I offer a Benediction blessing, I invite you to open your palms in a position of receiving, and hold your head high, imagining a radiant stream of light from above shining upon you and everything else around you. And this week when you need to be reminded to be curious and open to discovery, take this stance again. Open your palms to receive, look around to perceive, and notice one small thing that can light up your heart for a moment. And now may you go forth remembering Meister Eckhart’s words: “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” Be a purveyor of awe this week. Inspire others with your insatiable desire to know them beyond the surface. Know that the reward of awe is yours as you invite curiosity to live and breathe new life in you. Be a “purveyor of awe,” curating a life of spiritual depth that inspires others to join you on the journey. May the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of Awe, the Holy One-in-Three, be with you now and throughout these days, Amen. Community Time (Joys and Concerns) Benediction May God bless you with the hope to cling to God, knowing that in the highs and lows, the joys and the sorrows, the known and unknown of this life, God’s love never fails. Thanks be to God! Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, September 2024. Postlude Worship Notes Contemporary reading excerpted from the following source: Shigeoka, S. (2023). Seek: How curiosity can transform your life and change the world. Hachette Book Group. Additional Illustrations Many people live in the illusion that they cannot live without more. And as long as there is money to be made from gullible consumers, our culture will continue to accommodate and perpetuate this illusion by inviting us to have more, purchase more, and obtain more. We have been convinced that the more we have, the happier we are. But you and I know this is one of the greatest delusions humankind has ever produced. For many people are making a good living but living poor lives. There are many people who have much but love little. There are many people who look slick, and appear to have everything they desire, but inside they are decaying and rotting because they have been sold a bill of goods that “more will make them happier.” But no matter the invitations we have received in the past, there is nothing big enough, powerful enough, thrilling enough, or pleasurable enough to satisfy our deepest thirst and hunger. Need examples? Consider Howard Hughes. All he ever wanted was more money, so he parlayed inherited wealth into a billion-dollar pile of assets. All he wanted was more fame, so he invaded the Hollywood scene and became a filmmaker and star. All he wanted was more sensual pleasures, so he paid handsome sums to try to satisfy his every sexual urge. All he wanted was more thrills, so he built and piloted the fastest aircraft ever known. All he wanted was more power, so, in secret, he dealt political favors so masterfully that two U.S. presidents became his pawns. All he ever wanted was more and more and more. He was absolutely convinced that more would bring him complete satisfaction. Unfortunately, history proves otherwise. In his final years, he was emaciated, colorless, and had a sunken chest. His fingernails had grown into inches-long corkscrews. His teeth were rotting, and all over his body were innumerable needle marks from his drug addiction. “Howard Hughes died believing the myth of more. He died a billionaire junkie, insane by all reasonable standards.”[3] 3. Bill Hybels in Leadership, Vol. X, no. 3 (Summer, 1989), p. 38. Some of us still won’t listen. So in desperation, God says, “What must I do to convince you that I love you and want what is best for you?” Then God put skin on and came to earth and loved us, taught us, was mocked for us, ridiculed for us, pierced for us, crucified for us, and then rose from the dead for us. Now, with scars on his hands, God reaches out to us and pleads, “Now will you listen to me?” Perhaps some of you reading this sermon feel like I am writing directly to you. Maybe you have accepted every invitation this world has to offer and it has been like salt water to your thirsty soul, making you thirstier than ever. Perhaps some of you have attended church your whole life yet never really have come to grips with the love of God. Oh, you have heard all about it before but never really allowed yourself to experience it. Perhaps some of you have accepted The Invitation before, but now your relationship with God is stale and you need to taste the fresh Bread of Life again. The good news is that God’s banquet of blessings has been prepared, and you are invited! There is a place at God’s table reserved for you. A special engraved invitation written by a pierced hand is yours. Isn’t it time for you to accept it? Come and receive God’s forgiving grace. Come quench your thirst for forgiveness and acceptance. Come and feast on God’s wisdom. Come and find nourishment for your soul, strength for your life, and purpose in living. Come! You’re invited never to be the same again. Join! That you might be spiritually fed, God’s Word in our text says, "Come to me" and "Hear me." In addition, God says, "Join me," for our text says, "I will make with you an everlasting covenant." Why don’t we realize the necessity of doing the same when it applies to spiritual sustenance? Often we eat spiritual food once a month or even only once a year. No wonder we are spiritual skeletons in obese bodies! Do we pray as often as we have a meal? Three times a day? Many don’t even make it once a day! Do we worship as often as we eat? How many hours a week do you spend eating meals, and do you spend at least one hour at worship? You and I daily read a newspaper to feed our minds, but how many of us feed our souls by reading the good news in the Bible? When was the last time you took Communion? Are you feeding your soul but once a year? Did you know that forty percent of the average Protestant congregation fails to take the Sacrament of the Altar once a year? No wonder our church rolls have dead wood, known as inactive members! With this kind of continuing spiritual diet, we should not be surprised that our souls are anemic and stunted. In our text, God offers a solution to this. He knows we need daily food through a continuing relationship with him, a relationship in which he feeds our souls. He says he will make with us an everlasting covenant. A covenant is an agreement or a contract between two parties. In his grace, God offers to enter into a continuing relationship with us. The believer and God are joined together as one, just as two people become one in the covenant of marriage. God in this covenant is to be your God and you are to be his child. For how long? God calls it an "everlasting covenant." It is made here on earth and continues through eternity. A covenant consists of promises made by both parties. In this everlasting covenant, God promises to love us, forgive us, care for us, and save us. In him is our eternal security, and never do we have to fear evil or death. Who could ever turn down an offer like that? How good of God! How wonderful he is! CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Old Truths For New Times, by John R. Brokhoff The prophet has a perfect formula for spiritual renewal and restoration. If we come, listen, seek, and call on him, he will answer our prayers and grant us the desires of our hearts and restore our faith and confidence as his people. We can defeat the spiritual famine which threatens the destruction of our very souls. He will quench our thirst and remove our hunger if we seek and call on him. All this can be offered without cost. Come, listen, seek, and call on the Lord while he may be found! Come to him, O sinner. Come to him, you who are weary. Come to him, you who are lost. Come to the Lord that he may renew your strength and give you joy for the living of these days! CSS Publishing Company, Deformed, Disfigured, and Despised, by Carlyle Fielding Stewart In his influential book When Corporations Rule the World, David C. Korten writes that "No sane person seeks a world divided between billions of excluded people living in absolute deprivation and a tiny elite guarding their wealth and luxury behind fortress walls. No one rejoices at the prospect of life in a world of collapsing social and ecological systems. Yet we continue to place human civilization and even the survival of our species at risk mainly to allow a million or so people to accumulate money beyond any conceivable need" [(1995), 261-262]. Isaiah's words caution the people of God not to spend their lives and livelihood on trying to attain the goods, the goodies, that Babylon has shown them. Babylon can't offer the people of God true bread. Babylon can't satisfy the hunger of an outcast people. The transitory, tempting excesses of Babylon an empire that didn't know Yahweh, that didn't know God's righteousness and strength, that didn't know God's steadfast, enduring love could never truly satisfy the longing spirit of the exiled people of Israel. To this hungering, thirsting outcast population Isaiah brings a stunning message: free food, free drink. To a spiritually starving people, the prophet doesn't suggest a clinging to God with the hope of some mere subsistence existence. On the contrary, God is offering rich food, wine and milk, a soul-satisfying feast of complete delight. In the midst of extended exile, in the face of national defeat and humiliation, Isaiah's text promises that God's covenant is yet alive. It's as it has always been, an everlasting covenant. God's presence remains in their midst, because God has never withdrawn God's steadfast, sure love for David (verse 3). Don't seek after the good life of Babylon. Seek after the GodLife, the abundant life of a covenant relationship with God. But there's a cost involved. God offers love freely. But a covenant relationship requires the people make some demands upon themselves. They must turn away from wickedness, and abandon unrighteous thoughts so that they're free to respond to God's gracious invitation to come and dine. ChristianGlobe Networks, Collected Sermons, by Leonard Sweet Dr. Leslie Weatherhead used to tell the story of a woman who was trying to find God. She had a certain dream which she dreamed more than once, namely that she was standing in front of a thick, plate-glass window. As she looked at it, she seemed to see God on the other side. She hammered on the window, trying to attract His attention, but without success. She grew more and more desperate, and soon found herself shrieking at him at the top of her voice. Finally, a quiet, calm voice at her side said: "Why are you making so much noise? There is nothing between us." Are there any more beautiful words in our language than these in Isaiah? Some years ago a novel came out named THE GREATEST DESIRE. In it a young writer was gathering material for his book by that same title. In his quest, he plied people with one question: "What do you want?" And he would not let anyone take refuge in proximate answers. If someone answered, "I want to be an engineer," the writer would follow with, "But why do you want to be an engineer? What do you really want?" Thus he tracked down the "great desire." Perhaps he should have consulted with Rudyard Kipling, for when Kipling stirred restlessly in a serious sickness and the nurse asked him if he wanted anything, he murmured, "I want God." (3) And that, I believe, is the greatest desire of anyone's heart. We come seeking God. The ironic thing is that, in searching for God, we always discover that God has been searching for us. That is the testimony of the New Testament. The shepherd is out on a hillside searching for the lost sheep. It is not we who stand at God's door and humbly knock. It is God who takes the initiative. It is He who knocks at our door. The main purpose of worship is not that we may find God, but that we might be quiet enough and still enough so that we can hear the soft knocking of God upon the doors of our heart. The story is told of an East Coast fishing village that was nearly destitute. The townspeople decided to hold a meeting in an attempt to resolve their complicated problems. A stranger showed up to the meeting, and he tried several times to speak. But there was a bit of community prejudice in that town, and the visitor was interrupted each time he opened his mouth. The locals didn't care for an outsider to become involved. A latecomer to the meeting showed up just as the visitor was leaving, and they passed each other in the entrance. The latecomer aske`d, "What was he doing here? Did he offer help? Is he going to aid us?" Not knowing what to make of this, the members of the assembly asked if he knew who the stranger was. The latecomer replied, "I saw his boat docked in the harbor. That was John D. Rockefeller, Sr!" (4) They ignored the one person who had the resources to help them. How often God comes to us, but we do not recognize him or receive him. But he still comes to those who are seeking, and those who are sensitive. Dr. George Hunter in his book, . . .AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS, tells about Bill Alexander; one of the prominent preachers of the 1930s, and also one of America's most celebrated after-dinner and convention speakers. One day Bill Alexander flew into Chicago to address a meeting of the annual convention of the American Academy of Mathematicians. He arrived as others were just beginning to assemble, went to the head table as was his custom, and noticed another man, slight and graying, already seated at the head table next to his own place. And Alexander, the consummate extrovert, blurted out, "Say fellow, you look familiar, what's your name?" And the man quietly replied, "My name is Albert Einstein." Well, that shook Alexander--not only because he had failed to identify the greatest mind of his age, but also because he suddenly sensed that those stock-in-trade stories that always went over so well at Kiwanis conventions just might not fit this audience's intellectual depth. He panicked, and in his panic Alexander heard a voice saying, "Tell them about me, Bill. Tell them about me!" So Alexander threw his lucrative reputation as an entertaining and synthetically inspiring after-dinner speaker to the winds, and proclaimed his understanding of the gospel. He declared that Jesus Christ and his mission are the legitimate, and only, hope for the human race. He sat down, wondering if he had blown it, when Einstein leaned over to him and said, "Say fellow, I hope your side wins. If you don't we're all doomed!" (7) Bill Alexander knew that we see God most clearly in the person of Jesus Christ. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. . ." Of course most of the people we meet will never see God unless they see him in us. Most people we meet nowadays will never read the story of Jesus Christ. Most of them will so insulate their lives to the voice of God that, in their hour of need, God will not be able to penetrate the barrier they have erected. Only if they see God in us will they know that he is near. It's like the young man whose girlfriend lived in a distant city. He wanted to have an engagement ring on hand when he proposed to her, so he sought the help of a friend who was a jeweler. In due course, after designing the ring, he was shown the materials. The diamond looked like any other stone he might have seen in a garden or along a sidewalk. And the gold was a bright, garish color, not at all like the gold he had seen used in other jewelry. On questioning the jeweler about the gold, he was told that it had not yet been refined. Still in doubt about the eventual beauty of the engagement ring, he asked: "And how do you know when it is pure enough?" to which the jeweler replied, as he peered over the crucible, "When I can see my face in it." (8) That is the kind of life God longs for us to have--so pure that He can see His face in it. Even more importantly, so pure that others can see His face in us. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Toss a stone into a pond and long after that stone has settled into the silt on the bottom, you will continue to see the circles on the pond's surface ever-expanding, widening, disturbing, encompassing more and more of the once-placid surface. That's how it is with God's Word, once it has touched your life. Twelve-year-old Allison really enjoyed youth choir, participating in rhythmic speech ensembles, and singing the contemporary songs she loved. She already knew most of the words from listening to the radio. The words of scripture came alive to her when set to the music that pulsed through her veins. On Wednesday afternoons, she began inviting another girl, who was a good friend and neighbor, to accompany her. Allison's friend was a little skeptical about going to church at first, but Tom, the choir director, quickly won her over. It may have been his winsome personality, or the microwave popcorn and hot chocolate the group shared in the youth room after rehearsals. Whatever it was, she was having fun. Although her family did not belong to a church, this visitor began to attend Sunday morning worship once a month when the youth choir provided special music. She also accompanied Allison to youth group on Sunday evenings, and before long, Pastor Cindy had signed her up for Allison's confirmation class. She joined the church along with Allison's class and remained a faithful, active youth member of the congregation. Years later, Tom, who had been director of music at Allison's church, was teaching a seminary class in church music. Tom's class sang the hymns as they studied and learned hymnology. One afternoon they sang "What Wondrous Love Is This," the story of Christ's gracious life given for us. The final stanza ends with the words, And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on, And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, and when from death I'm free, I'll sing on and joyful be, and through eternity I'll sing on, I'll sing on, and through eternity I'll sing on.3 Tom then related the story of Allison's friend, and how we never know fully the impact on eternity of the seeds we plant. Allison's friend became an active member of her church, graduated from high school, and then went on to seminary. Tom astounded the class by saying, "That friend Allison brought to youth choir so many years ago is sitting in this very room with us today." Class members looked around at one another, wondering, "Who could it be?" After a lengthy pause, Tom revealed her identity. She was a professor of biblical studies at that very seminary, and sitting in on the class at Tom's request that afternoon, all because of seeds a young girl named Allison had planted nearly a quarter century earlier. There was hardly a dry eye in the classroom. Think of the lives this professor will touch as she prepares future pastors and lay professionals who, in turn, will equip others to plant seeds and spread God's Word. Through eternity, they will sing on because the voice of Allison has set the song into motion. Their influence will never end. Toss a stone into a pond and long after that stone has settled into the silt on the bottom, you will continue to see the circles on the pond's surface ever-expanding, widening, disturbing, encompassing more and more of the once-placid surface. That's how it is with God's Word, once it has touched your life. The prophet Isaiah has proclaimed that God's Word never returns empty. The ripple effect from Allison's invitation is eternal in nature, singing on and on. Because of the power of God's Word, Allison's influence will never end. Take heart when you share your own faith stories of how God has touched your lives. They, as well, are timeless and eternal. Invite your friends to worship, to Bible studies, even to social events at church. You will never know all the lives you influence, the lives God has placed into your capable hands. May your voices also sing on, throughout eternity, or in the words of the prophet Isaiah, "It shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." 1. Chief Seattle, "Wilderness Quotes," Outward Bound, available online at http://www.wilderdom.com/QuotesWilderness.htm [Accessed September 1, 2005]. 2. Oren Lyons, "The Faithkeeper," interview with Bill Moyers, Public Television, July 3, 1991, available online at http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/OL070391.html [Accessed September 1, 2005]. 3. American folk hymn. Both words and tune are in the public domain. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons for Sundays in Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany: Shoots of Tomorrow, by Mary S. Lautensleger The nature of the Word is vividly portrayed by the prophet of old. As the rain and snow come down from heaven and water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so the Word accomplishes God’s life-giving purpose. When God speaks, things happen. Life springs into existence, as in the beginning when God created heaven and earth by his Word. The same dynamism characterizes other metaphors used by the prophet as he describes the God who speaks. "Thus says the Lord ... soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed" (Isaiah 56:1). "The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God" (Isaiah 52:10). God is portrayed as taking the initiative, entering into personal dealings with men, making his saving power felt. When God addresses man, it is no mere communication of ideas but a bringing of deliverance and new life. The wicked and the unrighteous receive mercy and pardon, they are lifted up into life in God. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Good News For All Seasons, by T. A. KantonenJoy does not depend on the external events of life. Adversity may hit us with gale-like force, but the joy in our hearts will be determined by the will of our souls. Joy is a choice! In his book, Laugh Again, written in 1991, author Charles Swindoll relates that he was on the Dallas Theological Seminary's Board of Regents as they interviewed the first woman faculty mem¬ber. Her name was Lucy Mabery. Swindoll chronicles the incredible journey of Professor Mabery on her ride to being a faculty member at Dallas Seminary. He writes that Lucy was rearing a family, teaching Bible classes, and was engaged in a dozen other activities while married to Dr. Trevor Mabery. Dr. Mabery was a successful physician in the Dallas area. At the zenith of his career he was also working with Focus on the Family ministry as a volunteer. He attended a retreat in Montana where he and three other men from the Dallas area had met with Focus on the Family Director, Dr. James Dobson. They discussed plans for the future of the organization and prayed for God's lead¬ership and the direction Focus on the Family should take over the next year. As they were flying back from their retreat meeting, something went terribly wrong with the airplane. The plane lost altitude and power then crashed, killing all four men on board. Their deaths sent shock waves throughout the Dallas commu¬nity as all four men were highly respected public figures. Their widows and families were left to pick up the pieces and restart their own lives. Dr. Swindoll writes that Lucy Mabery chose to do it with joy. Without a moment's hesitation or warning, grief tore into the Mabery family like a tornado. But, determined not to be bound by the cords of per¬petual grief, Lucy remained positive, keen thinking, and joyful. How can a person in Lucy's situation recover, pick up the pieces, and go on? How does anyone press on beyond grief? How do you still laugh at life? How do you put your arms around your children as a new single parent and help them laugh (see joy) in the fu¬ture? It comes from deep within — because people like Lucy Mabery set their sails for joy regardless of how the wind blows.[1] This is how Isaiah must have felt. His beloved Israel had to fight the foes of hatred, prejudice, and misery from external cir¬cumstances, but Isaiah says to hang on. He writes, "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and the trees of the field will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12 NIV). How can we set sail for a life full of joy? 1. Charles Swindoll, Laugh Again (Dallas: Word Publishing,1991), p. 35. 2. Richard Taylor, editor, Beacon Dictionary of Theology (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1983), p. 70. 3. King Duncan, Lively Illustrations for Effective Preaching (Knoxville: Seven Worlds Publishing, 1987), p. 68. Used by permission. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons on the First Readings, by Derl G. Keefer A call to discipleship is a call to enroll more and more people in “Jesus School” — a school from which none of us will ever “graduate.” An old Hasidic custom has a child’s first Torah teacher drop honey on the first page of the new student’s book. The student then licks the honey off the page when he/she turns the page. The sweetness of this honey is forever linked to the act of learning. The sweetness of learning is to be a lifelong craving. Isaiah cautioned the Israelites not to think they had God all figured out. It is a caution that we today need to take seriously. Instead of a triumphant return to power, and an end to their physical and political exile, Isaiah offered the image of a Suffering Servant. Instead of judgment for the wicked, a come-uppance for those who had embraced the gods of their captors, Isaiah revealed a divine invitation to a new table, a table flowing with water and wine and free for the taking. Instead of judgment and punishment, Isaiah promised God’s mercy and pardon. How do we comprehend the rules and regulations of such a God? God created us, gave us life, gave us the world, gave us a Garden of Eden, and gave us one rule. We broke Rule One. Then came Truth or Consequences. The consequences of our choice? We were kicked out — out of paradise, out of a perfect relationship with God. God’s ways are not our ways. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. God does not expect god-like comprehension from us. Instead of big ideas and new knowledge, instead of cosmic insight and a heavenly perspective, God requires only one response from us: Love. Mother Teresa put it like this. She said, “It is a mistake to demand clarity of God. I have made understanding an idol. Loving God supercedes knowing God.” That’s why that old song, “To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him” is less true for the Christian than another song that has yet to be written: “To love, love, love him is to know, know, know him.” Disciples of Jesus don’t know, to love. Disciples of Jesus love, to know. There are approximately 335,000 Christian congregations in the US. Do you know how many seminaries there are? Officially, ATS (Association of Theological Schools) has accredited slightly over 200 seminaries. But the word “seminary” means “seed-bed” . . . or “seed-bed” for faith. That means there are really 335,000 seminaries in the US, for every church is a seminary where disciples of Jesus Christ take his words seriously: “Learn of me” (Matthew 11:29). " "WHY DO YOU SPEND ... YOUR LABOR FOR THAT WHICH DOES NOT SATISFY?" A woman in our parish referred a lady to me for consultation, and the parishioner said of her friend: "I don’t know what her problem is. She has a very successful husband. She is certainly a success at everything she tries herself. I really can’t understand what her difficulty is." But when the lady came in, she placed her finger precisely on her problem, as she said to me: "You know, it seems that nothing I do feels important." You see, she was identifying her problem. She said: "I try to do things, and I’m successful at them, but somehow, I always end up by asking myself, ‘What’s the use?’ " Her self-diagnosis was correct. She had identified not only her problem, but the pressing problem of our day. Success in life is not our chief concern. Actually, when you get down to cases, it’s not very difficult to be a success in our society today. With average intelligence and a bit of honest application, we can be a success in almost any reasonable type of enterprise. Her problem and ours is not success but significance The newspaper carried the story of a man who had bought himself a new Cadillac. He noticed as he was driving the Cadillac that every time he would hit a slight bump or something, there was an awful thumping in the car someplace. Several times he took it in to be examined and serviced, but they never could find the cause, but always there was this thumping. Finally, he narrowed it down to one door of the car, and they took that door apart. Inside they found a coke bottle, and in the bottle was a note which read: "So you finally found me, you wealthy bastard." You see, the worker wasn’t destroying the owner’s satisfaction like he thought he was. He was destroying his own, because he wasn’t performing his task in love for the man who would someday own the car that he was helping build.

Dual Citizenship on Earth and in Heaven (repreach of Imitate Christ 2016)

Lent 2 Philippians 3:17-4:1 Dual Citizenship On Earth and in Heaven Year C “Meaning” Lent Two Prelude Welcome and Announcements Over the Threshold Leader: Mystic, author, and Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast said this: “It is through wholehearted living that meaning flows into our lives… You see the sandpiper and something in you says a wholehearted yes, or you hear the rain and your whole being says yes to it. It’s a special kind of yes; it’s an unconditional yes.” Sing Verse 1 of Open My Eyes That I May See UMH 454 We continue our journey through Lent taking on a special lens, that of a deep and profound sense of awe. This is a spiritual journey in the tradition of ancient biblical poets, of mystics from yesteryear or today. In our scientific day, researchers are confirming what these poets and mystics knew all along–awe is essential for a life of wellbeing. In a time when we are flooded with a culture of competing soundbites, we are slowing down and spending time on a journey that leads to a precious stream of the deeper meanings of ordinary life. Sing Verse 2 of Open My Eyes That I May See. UMH 454 The good news is that we humans are “meaning-mongers.” Our brains are wired to interpret the ordinary stuff of life in metaphorical ways so that we can make some sense of it all. We long for meaningful lives in which we are more sure about the direction of our lives and about what we are to bring to this world. We yearn for experiences that leave us feeling more fulfilled. When we are “on the lookout” for meaning in our lives, we live at a deeper level, and mere existence turns into purpose. Let us rise in body and/or spirit and pray: Awe-inspiring God, we come together this day because we need to be reminded to see through the lens of deeper meaning. Too often, we write off the ordinary days of our lives as a drone of time passing through the mass of media messages about what life is supposed to be about. Open us to perceive anew. Inspire us to receive our surroundings with awe. Forgive us when we are distracted by the droll of the scroll rather than lifting our senses to that which is right in front of us. Be with us on this journey as we seek again to marvel at your works. Sing Verse 3 of Open My Eyes that I May See UMH 454 [fade into silence… after a time, the leader speaks softly into the silence] Know that your life is inherently meaningful because of the One who gave you life. God forgives us. Jesus embraces us. The Spirit enlivens us. We are whole. With awe, we accept this belovedness. And all God’s people say, “Amen.” Hymn Fairest Lord Jesus. UMH 189 In Awe of Young People and Others Children’s sermon…….. Props: A flower Lesson: Good morning. Before you show the flower you might ask if anyone knows what is means to worry. I have something today that is very pretty. Would you like to see it? What do you think it might be? (Responses) Well, let’s see. (Hold flower up for everyone to see) Do you like it? It’s pretty, isn’t it. This kind of flower is called (substitute name of flower). I want to talk a little bit about this flower. How do you suppose that it became a flower? What happened before this could be a flower? (A seed was planted) Yes, a seed was planted. Then what happened? Did the seed have to work real hard every day? Did the flower have to worry about getting enough to eat or drink? Did it become pretty because it took care of itself? (Responses) No! Of course not! Who took care of this flower and made it beautiful? (response) Yes, God did. Application: One time in the Bible Jesus reminded the people that God would take care of them even more than God takes care of the flowers. And so the Apostle Paul said this, “Do not worry about anything, but by prayer let your requests be known to God.” In other words, if God takes care of the flowers, and makes them beautiful without them really doing any work, then he will care for you even more. So there’s no need to worry about life, because God will hear us when we pray and will see to our needs. So the next time you see a flower, remember to say a prayer and know that God will take care of you. Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate God’s provision for those he loves. Let us Pray: Thank you God for taking care of us, and for letting us know that we do not need to worry about anything. In Jesus’ name. Amen. by Brett Blair Prayer for Transformation and New Life Loving Protector, in times of chaos, we can startled by sudden declarations, distracted by claims of solutions to problems. Forgive us, God, for our wandering from you. Forgive us, when our own fears draw other people’s attention away from you. Help us to act, not from anxiety, but from faith in your certain presence. Help us to slow down and recognize you within and around us. Amen. Words of Grace No matter how far from God our resistance takes us, God wishes to draw us back, as deliberately as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. Receive God’s embrace and this good news: you are forgiven. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Ruth Garwood) The Peace The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. I invite you to share the peace of Christ with those around you, [remembering to greet those online with a wave to the camera]. Contemporary Reading Reader: Our first reading is a contemporary one–an excerpt from Brian McLaren in his book Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart: “…the neocortex of the brain…makes language possible and gives meaning to the word ‘meaning.' It enables me to talk to myself and observe myself. It integrates current awareness with memory of past experiences and with the ability to imagine future scenarios. It organizes my experience in stories with beginnings, middles, and ends. It helps me think critically, creatively, and independently. Without the meaning committee [in my brain], there would be no Bach or the Beatles, no Galileo or Einstein, nor Moses or Mary or Jesus or the Buddha or Mohammed. It is the most recently evolved part of me, and frankly, it still has a lot of bugs and glitches that haven’t been worked out yet.” Ancient Reading Philippians 3:17 – 4:1 In Awe of Music [Anthem/Band Song] In Awe of the Word [Sermon] Dual Citizenship in Heaven and On Earth So, let me ask you, when you were a child, who was it that you would say – I want to be just like him or her. I have had a lot of mentors in my life, but the person I strive to be – is my grandmother. And the thing that I most admired about her was what I called her cool abiding. Now my mother, had a temper and would tell you what she thought of you at the drop of a hat. But my grandmother would just look at you. She never got mad, never corrected me, She would just get real quiet and not say anything. She would let me figure it out for myself. there are lessons that I am learning about today, that I look back and realize that my grandmother taught me in her silence. I can only imagine what she was thinking in her head – but she kept her cool and never said anything. The thing I want most in life is her patience to let others learn from their own lives and to correct themselves. What about you? Who in your life do you want to imitate? I could never be as bold as Paul in Philippians and tell you to imitate me. Some say that he is encouraging his congregation to compete with one another in imitating him. I would never try to be an example. Because I don’t know for sure what stands out the most – the human part of me or the divine part. They don’t teach cursive writing anymore, but remember when the teacher would write something on the board and tell you to write just like her. The first line was an imitation of what she wrote. The second line was an imitation of an imitation and the third line was an imitation of the second line. And by the end of the page you were imitating so many mistakes that you could not tell what the words were really were supposed to look like. I would not tell anyone to imitate me, because I would be afraid that you would be imitating my mistake, my humanness. But some have said that instead of encouraging people to compete in imitate him, to work together in imitating Christ. That is what it is all about – imitating Christ. All of us being able to say – when I am fully mature in spirit – I want to be just like Jesus. I want people to know who Jesus is – Just by looking at my life. The book of Philippians is known as the book of joy. It is a relatively short letter that Paul wrote to the people of Philippi to encourage them to find their joy in serving and following Christ. In our scripture for today, in a world where there were a lot of bad role models, people who were leading with the wrong intentions, Paul encourages Christians to follow his example. This was one of his favorite places to teach. He really loved these people. Philippi would have been a city of people who lived in Macedonia, yet they were proud to be Roman citizens. It would have been a city of military families, who took their citizenship very seriously. Paul wanted to tell them that it was important to fulfill their citizenship, but to also be reminded that their was another citizenship to fulfill. Paul, himself was a Roman citizen, so he took his civc duty very seriously. Even though he travelled all over the world – he never forgot his duties as a citizen. As a matter of fact, Paul believed that there were only 2 types of people in the world. And for Paul those two types were not democrat and republican. He believed that there were citizens of this world and there were citizens of heaven. Those who were imitators of Christ were citizens of this world. It is what separated the two that might surprise you. It was not so much those in the church and those outside of the church. And it was not those who believed in this world and those who looked forward to the next. Paul’s biggest message to citizens of heaven, is that we all have duel citizenship. We are a part of this world and we are a part of heaven. There are some who believe that you are to go to church and pray, but it is not necessary to vote. And there are some who believe that if you vote you don’t have to pray. But citizens of heaven have to do both – vote and pray. We are a part of both worlds. Paul says that there are two types of citizens. There are those who imitate Christ and there are enemies of the cross. Both types go to church. Both types claim to be Christians. It is just that one type of citizens is caught up in the world and the world circumstances What makes us imitators of Christ? Hope in the Resurrection. Hope in what Christ can do for the world. A willingness to participate in making the world a better place, but a recognition that when Christ comes he will make everything new. Those who are imitators of Christ know what it mean to wait upon the Lord. They trust that God will make any scene better. They are obedient to the Word of God. Paul says that enemies of the cross worship their bellies and their shame. They are slaves to their own thoughts and desires. Here is how St. Paul describes citizens of the world. FIRST OF ALL, HE SAYS THEIR DESTINY IS DESTRUCTION. Recent wire reports carried the story of a motorist who stole $9 worth of gasoline and died in a fiery wreck while making his getaway. The speeding car exploded when it hit a tree. Police said the unidentified motorist had filled up at a gas station without paying. Station manager Gary Adams, 35, drove after him, honking, waving his arms and yelling as the cars raced through a residential area. After the crash, the driver struggled to pull himself out a window of the burning car. The station manager tried to rescue him. "He tried to pull him out. It got too hot. He gave up," said Corporal John McLain. "He died a very painful death for $9 of gas," said Vince Sullivan, a witness who tried to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher. How very, very sad. Rarely when we do wrong do we see what the end result can be. Life is different for those who are able to wait upon the Lord and do something different. Paul encourages those with dual citizenship in heaven and earth to stand firm – to put all of our hope, trust, desire into the hands of God. The Hebrew word for waiting on the Lord is qavar. That is the difference between citizens of heaven and citizens of the world. Have you noticed that the world encourages us to have everything right now, no waiting. When we are hungry – we want to go to a restaurant and eat now. When young people are in a relationship they want everything to work out now. When we are in a bind, we want to answer right now. Paul says it, that enemies of the cross are slaves to their belly and their shame. And yet imitators of Christ are able to wait on the Lord because their hope is in the Lord. Hope in the Lord! Be strong! Let your heart take courage! Hope in the Lord. When Paul was writing to the Philippians, he had this concept of qavar – waiting on the Lord in mind. Paul loved the Philippians congregation. And when they wrote to him, he wanted to do everything he could to encourage them. He encouraged them to live in Jesus Christ. As he continues to talk to the people that he calls his crown he gives them three great commands of life in the Lord – Stand firm in the Lord, agree in the Lord and to rejoice in the Lord always. There are two kinds of people in this world – There are citizens of this world and citizens of heaven. There are those who imitate Christ and live in Jesus and there are enemies of the cross? Which one are you? D. L. Moody told a story about two men who, under the influence of liquor, found their way to the dock where their boat was tied. The two men wanted to return home, so they got in the boat and began to row. Though they rowed hard all night, they did not reach the other side of the bay. When the gray dawn of the morning broke, they were in exactly the same spot from which they started. They had neglected to loosen the mooring-line and raise the anchor! Mr. Moody used this story as an analogy of the way in which many people are thwarted in their striving for heaven because they are tied to this world. "Cut the cord! Cut the cord!" he would admonish. "Set yourself free from the clogging weight of earthly things, and you will be headed toward heaven." (5) On earth we spend a lot of time taking care of our bodies. We try to eat right and to exercise. We even seek out teachers and role models who are able to teach us how to achieve the perfect body. Aerobics is exercise to get out heart running. Aerobics is good for our physical body. But this Lenten season we have been encouraged to also practice awe-robics. Exercises to keep our spirit engaged. Finding the awe in life is our way of seeking God while living here on Earth. We are all ordinary people – in search of an encounter with an extraordinary God. It is those encounters with God above that give our lives meaning. It is those encounters that remind us that even while here on earth – our home will one day be in heaven with God. But in the meantime – we live in hope. Let us pray……. Hymn In The Cross of Christ I Glory UMH 295 Approaching an Awesome God [Prayers] Holy and Living God, we approach this time of prayer, yearning for meaning for our lives. With all our senses, we open to you. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love others as you perceive and love us. We imagine in our mind’s eye now the people in our lives, the people of our communities, and the people of our world. Each of them is beloved by you, and this alone creates awe in us. We especially lift up those who need our prayers in this moment… [continue with prayers of thanksgiving and care for people]. For all these people and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love your creation as you perceive and love it. Each butterfly, each shell, each sunset reminds us that symbols of the meaning of life are everywhere. You are making all things new all around us. Help us to care for the nature around us. This week, we name… [continue with prayers about specific entities of nature in your area]. For all these places, creatures, and lifeforms, and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love life as you perceive and love the life you have given us. Open us to a more meaningful existence. Help us to know that our existence itself already has meaning and we are not required to earn it or deserve it, simply open to it. Slow us down in this season of Lent so that we might savor anew the gift of life. We pause in this silence, setting intentions of awe for the week ahead. [pause in silence] For all these intentions, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us… Lord’s Prayer Responding with Awe (Stewardship Moment) Paul, writing to the Christians in the church at Philippi, invites them to follow his example as they decide how to live their lives. Paul encourages us, as we read these words, to recognize no matter where we were born, our true citizenship is in heaven. We’re beloved children of the Most High. Each of us, and all of us, are encouraged to stand firm in the Lord. Not many of us would be willing to be like Paul, traveling place to place to preach and teach. But all of us can find ways to share our identity as Christians through the ways we use our resources: time, talent, treasure. Consider how you might share time this week, using the model of Paul. Will you offer time to teach Sunday School, or lead in Vacation Bible School? Imagine ways you can offer your talent: come in to repair something you’ve noticed is broken, or clean something you see needs attention. Offer child-care to a worn-out young parent in your neighborhood. Cook a meal for someone just coming home from the hospital. Draw a picture for the bulletin or finish crocheting a blanket you then donate to your local shelter for folks who are unhoused. And what treasure will you offer? Weekly giving to this congregation? Food for the food pantry? Support for Week of Compassion in response to recent tornados or fires? Take up the example of Paul, become an active steward with your time, talent and treasure as you plant your feet firmly in the Way of Jesus. Offering/Offertory [as is your custom] Doxology [Tune: Old 100th] Praise God, Creator of us all, Praise Christ, by whom we hear our call, Praise Spirit, that which sets us free, Our awe is yours, the One-in-Three. Offertory Prayer Loving God, our shelter and hope, as we walk through this holy season, we come to you with hearts open to your grace. In our giving, may we reflect the love that sustains us, and may we lift one another up in times of need and vulnerability. Use these offerings to bring comfort to the weary and hope to the brokenhearted, just as you draw near to us in our struggles. Strengthen us to be a source of light and love in this world, reflecting your compassion in all we do. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen. (Luke 13:31-35) (United Methodist Discipleship Ministries) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Benedictions are blessings. And blessings are all around us. So for this season, instead of bowing your head as I offer a Benediction blessing, I invite you to open your palms in a position of receiving, and hold your head high, imagining a radiant stream of light from above shining upon you and everything else around you. And this week when you need to be reminded of that the world is rife with meaning, take this stance again. Open your palms to receive, look around to perceive, and notice one small thing that can light up your heart for a moment. And now may you go forth remembering Brother Steindl-Rast’s words: “It is through wholehearted living that meaning flows into our lives.” Be a purveyor of awe this week. Live wholeheartedly and expectantly each day, keeping watch for the deeper meaning surrounding you. Say an unconditional “yes” to the simplest of moments as you invite awe to live and breathe new life in you. Be a “purveyor of awe,” curating a life of spiritual depth that inspires others to join you on the journey. May the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of Awe, the Holy One-in-Three, be with you now and throughout these days, Amen. Community Time (Joys and Concerns) Benediction Go, now, in the blessing of God who conceals you in the tent of God’s love, that you may invite others to come home to God who is Love. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, September 2024. Postlude Worship Notes Contemporary reading excerpted from the following source: McLaren, B. D. (2024). Life after doom: Wisdom and courage for a world falling apart. St. Martin’s Publishing Group. Additional Illustrations Let me tell you about a modern woman who found this power to stand fast in the Lord. Everyone called her, Ms. Tilly. She’s a little Methodist woman from Atlanta, Georgia, who never weighed more than 100 pounds, and always looked about eight years younger than God. She joined forces with a group of 40,000 women in the 1930s and 40s, in what was called The Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching. Later, she was active in advocating the desegregation of schools and got a lot of obscene telephone calls – calling her everything but the gentle woman that she was. She did not let these calls deter her - no one could intimidate her. She knew that racism was evil, and she knew that as a white woman she was through with it, and she wanted her town and her state and her nation and the world to be rid of it, too. But she would not stoop to the tactics of her intimidators. She had an engineer hook up a recording machine to the telephone, and when persons called her late at night to spew out their venom, instead of getting an answer of hatred, they heard a baritone soloist singing the Lord’s prayer. What imagination. But also, what confidence in the Lord. What courage and undaunted commitment. The two come together in Ms. Tilly – as they come together in all Christians who are in the kingdom now, living in expectation and standing fast in the Lord. Let me call on Reinhold Niebhur again to tie it altogether for our conclusion. “Nothing worth doing is ever completed in our lifetime,” Niebhur said, “therefore, we must be saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful makes sense in any context of history; therefore, we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, no matter how virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we must be saved by love.” Lent is a period when the darkness of winter gives way, day-by-day, to the light of spring. We are on a trip from darkness to light. At the end of the journey is Jesus, the light that dispels the darkness of our world. As our journey continues, therefore, let us keep our priorities straight, keep our focus on Jesus, and through these stand firm in the Lord. Our reward in heaven will be great. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons for Sundays in Lent and Easter: Dying and Rising in the Lord, by Richard Gribble I complimented a woman in Rustin, Louisiana, on her jewelry. She smiled and said, "Thank you. I collect gems." I agreed and said, "It shows." "No," she insisted. "I don't collect those gems. I collect real 'gems' I have a gem of a husband, a gem of a daughter, a gem of a friend, a gem of a pastor. Those are the real 'gems' I invest in." How is your gem collection doing? Who are the gems in your “crown of joy?" ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Works, by Leonard Sweet Life's real "crown of joy" is a life rich and deep in personal relationships. III. Plan For Opposition As you think about tomorrow, there are two problems you are going to have to always face. Number one: You're going to have to face foes. Nobody ever encountered more opposition than Moses, Jesus, and Paul—three of the most visionary goal-oriented men in the Bible. Do the following names ring a bell with you: Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, Geuel? They probably don't, but those were the first names of the spies that were sent out with Joshua and Caleb to investigate the land. They were the ones who brought back a minority report that said: "the land could not be taken." They were the ones wearing "contract" lenses. They minimized God and maximized giants. When they looked through their "contract" lenses their god was too weak, they were too small, the task was too difficult, and the giants were too big. I want to warn you of something. This world is full of dream killers. It is full of people who will tell you that you can't reach your goals; that you shouldn't dream bigger dreams; that you should not have bigger visions; shouldn't try to climb more mountains. There are always going to be people around you who will cloud your vision, who try to destroy your determination, because they are always looking at the future in a rearview mirror. A great man once said, "A blind man's world is bounded by the limits of his touch; an ignorant man's world by the limits of his knowledge; a great man's world by the limits of his vision." Mark it down—you're going to have foes when you try to reach goals and dream dreams. The year was 1846. Abraham Lincoln was running for a seat in the U.S. Congress. His opponent was a Methodist Circuit Rider by the name of Peter Cartwright. One night, Lincoln went to hear Cartwright preach. As the fiery Cartwright came to the conclusion of his sermon he said to the congregation, “Everybody here who wants to go to heaven, stand up.” The whole crowd stood up except Lincoln. Cartwright, who considered Lincoln an infidel said, “I observe that all present want to go to heaven except for Mr. Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln, may I ask where you are going?” Mr. Lincoln rose to his feet and said, “Brother Cartwright, I intend to go to Congress.” That year he did. What does it mean for us to make heaven our home? How can we discover a little bit of heaven here and now? After a rousing week of resounding patriotism, I would like to talk with you about living as resident aliens on planet Earth. As Christians, we need to be reminded from time to time that we are in the world, but not of the world. While most of us want to go to heaven when we die, I don’t find many of us in a hurry to get there. Turn with me to Paul’s joyful letter to the Philippians. Let’s see what he has to say about living on Earth in the light of eternity. (3:17-21) V 20 And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. What if heaven were not so much a place as a person? What if heaven were not somewhere to get to, but someone to come to? What if it were not a land far away, but an experience here today? Not so much about mansions, but more about meaning? What if heaven can’t wait? What if I need it now? One hundred years ago, optimistic Christians set out to build God’s kingdom on earth. They announced the dawning of the Christian Century. They believed in 100 years the world could be Christianized and the Kingdom of God would come on earth as it is in heaven. Here, at the dawn of the 21st century, the world is more materialistic, hedonistic, and secularistic than it was then. The Church, once a pivotal player in world affairs, is now in a mode of self-survival. What happened? I suggest a simple answer. We do not build the kingdom of God, we receive the Kingdom of God. It is not in our power and might to make the Kingdom of God come on earth as it is in heaven. Children’s sermon…….. Props: A flower Lesson: Good morning. Before you show the flower you might ask if anyone knows what is means to worry. I have something today that is very pretty. Would you like to see it? What do you think it might be? (Responses) Well, let’s see. (Hold flower up for everyone to see) Do you like it? It’s pretty, isn’t it. This kind of flower is called (substitute name of flower). I want to talk a little bit about this flower. How do you suppose that it became a flower? What happened before this could be a flower? (A seed was planted) Yes, a seed was planted. Then what happened? Did the seed have to work real hard every day? Did the flower have to worry about getting enough to eat or drink? Did it become pretty because it took care of itself? (Responses) No! Of course not! Who took care of this flower and made it beautiful? (response) Yes, God did. Application: One time in the Bible Jesus reminded the people that God would take care of them even more than God takes care of the flowers. And so the Apostle Paul said this, “Do not worry about anything, but by prayer let your requests be known to God.” In other words, if God takes care of the flowers, and makes them beautiful without them really doing any work, then he will care for you even more. So there’s no need to worry about life, because God will hear us when we pray and will see to our needs. So the next time you see a flower, remember to say a prayer and know that God will take care of you. Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate God’s provision for those he loves. Let us Pray: Thank you God for taking care of us, and for letting us know that we do not need to worry about anything. In Jesus’ name. Amen. by Brett Blair Other illustrations……. How Can I Be Sure? In the Russian novel, The Brothers Karamazov, a woman has come to talk with a holy man about her problems with faith. "What if I've been believing all my life, and when I come to die there is nothing but burdocks growing over my grave? . . . How can I prove it? How can I convince myself?" The holy man's answer is: "By the experience of active love. Insofar as you advance in active love, you will grow surer of the reality of God and of the immortality of the soul." Robert C. Shannon, editor, 1000 Windows: A Speaker’s Sourcebook of Illustrations, Standard Publishing Company, 1984. It is somewhat like the story of a very wealthy young man who had all that a person could want ” materially. However, he was born with a deformity which left him with a very ugly face. Because of this one flaw he would stay in his house and walk around in his garden, which was closed in by a high wall. However, in the evening he would leave his walled-in garden and walk down by the seashore. One night he heard beautiful music. He hid himself in the shadows, and there he saw a young girl playing a violin. Each night he would leave his house, walk down to the seashore and listen to the young lady play the beautiful music. However, because of his ugliness he would hide in the shadows, hoping not to be seen. Later, the young man told his servant, "Take this money and give it to the lady with the violin, in order that she may go to the best school of music in Europe and master the beautiful music." After years of study, she returned home and was taken to the house of the man who paid for her education. He was standing in his garden. The gate was opened for her and she came up behind him, threw her arms around his waist and cried, "I love you! I love you!" He said, "No, it's impossible for you to love me." All the more she cried, "I love you." The young man turned around and said, "How can you love me when you see much ugliness in my face?" She replied, "You see, sir, I'm blind." So it is with those of us who are citizens of heaven. We are not perfect people, but because of what Christ has done in our behalf, God, too, is blind to the ugliness of our sin. (4) Perhaps that is Christ's word to some of us this morning. Cut the cord! Get rid of any encumbrance that might slow your progress toward heaven.

God's Wondrous Gifts

March 9, 2025 Deuteronomy 26:1-11 God’s Wondrous Gifts Lent 1 Year C “Wonder” Lent One Prelude Welcome and Announcements Over the Threshold – Call to Worship Leader: Professor of Jewish Mysticism and beloved author, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, said this: “Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement… Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.” Sing Verse 1 of Hymn 454 – Open My Eyes So that I may see This Lent, we are invited to consider that one of the most important gifts we can give is to be “purveyors of awe.” A purveyor is someone who spreads or promotes a particular idea or who deals in a particular good. Our quest in this season is to promote a state of awe about the lives we’ve been given and revel in the sheer miracles of life that surround us. This is a spiritual journey in the tradition of biblical poets and of mystics. In our modern day, researchers who study wellbeing know that when we cultivate elements that deepen our awe of life, our appreciation for others, our dedication to the good, we live longer, more purposeful and more joyful lives. In a time when we are exposed to the weight of the world by the messages around us, we will spend time on a journey of being exposed to the wonder of the world. Sing Verse 2 of Hymn 454 – Open My Eyes So that I May See The “wide eye of wonder” creates optimal conditions for awe. When we open our senses to the “extraordinariness of the everyday ordinary,” we have begun the journey to a deeper existence than what resides at surface-level. Wonder can be an antidote to anxiety and depression, pulling us instead toward the awe-filled knowledge that there is more than meets the eye, there are solutions in the midst of problems, possibilities where we sense only dead-ends. Let us rise in body and/or spirit and pray: Awe-inspiring God, we come together this day because we need to be reminded to see through the lens of wonder. Too often, we relegate what is always amazing to what is ever familiar, forgetting that there are mysteries and miracles in the ordinariness of our lives. Open us to perceive anew. Inspire us to receive our surroundings with awe. Forgive us when we focus only on what’s wrong rather than allowing the right and good to show us the way forward. Be with us on this journey as we seek again to marvel at your works. Sing Verse 3 if Hymn 454 – Open My Eyes That I May See [fade into silence… after a time, the leader speaks softly into the silence] Be still and know that God is God. Wonders never cease. God forgives us. Jesus embraces us. The Spirit enlivens us. We are whole. With awe, we accept this belovedness. And all God’s people say, “Amen.” Hymn God Will Take Care of You UMH 130 In Awe of Young People and others PRAYER OF CONFESSION Jesus, We confess that when we read about your temptations, we excuse ourselves. After all, we reason, we are not you. Of course, you passed the test, we say. You’re God, right? But we mere mortals have no expectation that we can withstand evil like you did. But we are reminded that you are not only Savior; you are example. You faced the temptation to prove yourself, to be spectacular, and to have consuming power. And you walked away, resisting. Forgive us when we have not resisted; when we have yielded to temptation. Forgive us for loving power and prestige more than God. Help us to choose a life rooted in God’s word and grace. Amen. Written by Valerie Bridgeman Davis, The Africana Worship Book, Year C (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2008), 146. The Peace The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. I invite you to share the peace of Christ with those around you, [remembering to greet those online with a wave to the camera]. Contemporary Reading Our first reading is a contemporary one–an excerpt from Monica C. Parker, author of The Power of Wonder: “Gently peeking its head around mental corners or bombastically announcing its arrival into our trembling psyche, wonder changes our perspective, our bodies, our souls, and our lives. Art, music, religion, politics, science, nature, love, fear, birth, death; each of the myriad experiences that compress to form the bedrock of human life has a golden vein of wonder running through it.” Ancient Reading Deuteronomy 26:1-11 In Awe of the Word (Sermon) God’s Wondrous Gifts We have all heard the saying – Those who cannot remember the past are bound to repeat it. George Santayama is quoted as saying that in 1905. But we all know that warning has been given to mankind since the beginning of time. There are times in our life when we are good at remembering the lessons of the past, and there are times when are so anxious for the future that we are convinced that the hold is holding us down. Sometimes, it is hard for us to hold onto the lessons of the past, we have to let it go in order to build something new, especially here in America. Some of the ways that we remember history as a people is by getting together, through traditions, even through the collective holidays that we celebrate. For instance look at the holidays that are popular – everyone loves Christmas, Halloween is getting really popular, St Patrick’s Day is coming up and everyone is Irish for the day. And yet there are days like memorial day – which is intended to remember the heroes who got us where we are today – and yet it is celebrated as the first day of summer. Labor day in intended to remember that we got where we are by hard work – yet we think if it as the last day of summer. In a lot of ways, not all it seems that as we march on to the future – more and more we are letting go of the past. When we no longer remember our history, then it ceases to exist. In John Steinbeck''s great novel, THE GRAPES OF WRATH, a migrating "Okie" family is told not to waste vital packing space on photographs and other items of family history and memories. One of the family members responds, "How will we know it''s us without our past?" In the Book of Joshua (4:1-7), the heir to Moses instructs the men from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to gather a stone and to lay them in a special place, "as these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever." The people of Israel must never be disconnected from God''s story and actions. One of the ways of remembering the lessons of the past is through worship – singing together, listening together and praying together. One of the primary messages of the bible is to remember where you came from. I think that the old Hebrew society does a much better job than we do in remembering the past. The bible is full of stories where the people are instructed to remember – an incident. There are even told of ways to collectively celebrate the past. Even Jesus tells his disciples to do this in remembrance of me. The Old Testament lesson from Deuteronomy 26:1-11 is thought by the German Biblical scholar, G. Von Rad, to be one of the earliest known "creeds" of the people of Israel. It was recited as a creed to keep the people''s memory of the mighty acts of God in their history alive. History is a simple compound word meaning "His-Story." The divine story and the human response were never to be forgotten. The primary way this was done was by the ancient method of oral communication, called "The Story". It was passed on. It was communicated. It connected people to their past so they would never be orphans. Lent is a time for us to gather and to collectively remember. Most of the scriptures that are chosen for lent are scriptures that remind us of our relationship with God. The Hebrew Bible scriptures usually point out God’s promise to us. They show us how God started a relationship with us based on love and care. They are stories of who someone was in distress, They called out to God and god answered them. This year – we wont hear about God’s promise – we will hear about our response to God’s love. In our scripture for today – Moses is the speaker. This is a part of his final speech. His people have wandered for 40 years- and they are finally about to enter into the land of milk and honey. God has told Moses that he won’t be coming into the promiseland with them -so moses is giving them these final words of advice. He tells them to remember the past, remember where God has brought you through and respond by returning to god your best. Moses starts by saying, when you get to the land of milk and honey bring an offering to God. This would be the land of milk and honey because it would be the land where their livestock would settle and graze and have babies and produce lots of milk, and where they could plant, which would attract the bees and there would be lots of honey. This is the land where the people could settle and be satisfied. Moses wanted them to remember that everything that they received in that land was a gift from God. There is an often-told story about an immigrant shopkeeper who had a son who continuously complained to him. The son would say, "Dad, I do not understand how you run this store. You keep your accounts payable in a cigar box. Your accounts receivable are on a spindle. All your cash is in the register. You never know what your profits are." The old man would respond by saying, "When I arrived in this land all I owned were the pants and the shirt I was wearing. Now your sister is a doctor. Your brother is a teacher. You are an accountant. I have four grandchildren. Your mother and I own a nice house and two cars and this little store. Add it all up, subtract the pants and the shirt, and then you'll have your profit." All of us have a lot to be thankful for, all of us have been blessed by God. Moses direction to us: give your first fruits to God, be grateful, in everything remember where you came from, take account of your gifts from God, the best way to see God, is to look back and remember. For me, every morning I try to get up and journal – to write about whatever is on my mind. Through that process, I set my intention for the day, set goals for the day, reflect on important things to do. Recently I also started identifying ways that I can see that God is working in my life – where are the places that I saw the spirit working. I soon realized that sometimes to only way to see how God is working clearly is to reflect on the past. My list of places and times that I saw God – is always about the day before. When we are living in the moment, it is hard to see how god is working. The only way to identify those moments is to sit and reflect and remember. I think that lectionary writers chose this scripture is to remind us to first bring our best to God, to be grateful, but most importantly to remember. Lent is that time to remember and to respond. We spend a lot of the Christian year in ordinary time – actually about six months. We are told to go out into the world and to be the hand, ear, feet and hands of God. We are supposed to be God’s love in action. The work is important, but can be very busy. The other half of the year, we are in festival time, called into the church to celebrate Christ. We are called to listen, learn, reacclimate and to intentionally listen for God. So far we have been through advent, Christmas, epiphany and now it is time for lent. We are called to slow down. And really take account of God in your life. To listen to what God is saying to you, to find out who Christ is for you, and to become a witness to how God is working in the world, in our country, in our lives. It is time to rethink the covenant – what did God promise to me – and how is god fulfilling that promise in my life. God is all around us – sometimes we forget to look. Sometimes we are so focused on looking for God – we lose sight at what we are looking at. When we get used to looking for God, we can see the spirit clearly. My list of places I experienced God gets longer and more detailed everyday. Have you noticed that when you start to recognize the spirit of God in your life, you can’t help but to say wow! God’s presence is always amazing. God’s ways are always so much better than ours, God works in ways that are impossible to us, God does things that we would never have thought of, God’s blessings are beyond what we could ask for. So our Lenten task is to look for the awe and wonder of God. God wants to do something for us! Isn't that wonderful news? The story goes that Arnold Palmer was asked by an oil sheik to come and lay out and supervise the building of a golf course in Kuwait. Palmer went, built a magnificent course, and was paid extremely well for it. As he prepared to leave and return home, the sheik came to him and asked him what he could give him as a gift. "Nothing," Palmer said, "you've already paid me a fortune and I don't need anything at all." But the sheik persisted, "Isn't there anything I could give you? Just tell me, anything at all?" Finally, Arnold said rather nonchalantly, "O well, give me a golf club," and he thought nothing more of the incident. He got on a plane, flew home, and was met at the airport by his secretary, whose opening question was, "Mr. Palmer, what in the world are you going to do with the Westshore Hills Country Club?" We simply have no idea of how much God wants to help us, bless us, and redeem us. Someone said that when we give up things for lent, usually the things that we give up have nothing to do with God or God’s goals. Usually giving up something is about improving ourselves, not our relationship with God. That is not a bad thing. But how about this lent – we spend time looking for God, and remember when we see God to say wow! Sometimes life gets in the way, and it can be hard for us to see God. Lent is our time to step away, remember how god has worked in our life, and respond with gratitude. Whatever you do, wherever you go – don’t forget God. Lets pray…..Amen. Hymn Jesus Walked this Lonesome Valley TFWS 2112 Approaching an Awesome God [Prayers] Holy and Living God, we approach this time of prayer with wonder at your world. With all our senses, we open to you. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love others as you perceive and love us. We imagine in our mind’s eye now the people in our lives, the people of our communities, and the people of our world. Each of them is beloved by you, and this alone creates awe in us. We especially lift up those who need our prayers in this moment… [continue with prayers of thanksgiving and care for people]. For all these people and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love your creation as you perceive and love it. Each blossom, each sunrise, each unfurling fern reminds us that new life is possible. You are making all things new all around us. Help us to care for the nature around us. This week, we name… [continue with prayers about specific entities of nature in your area]. For all these places, creatures, and lifeforms, and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love life as you perceive and love the life you have given us. Open us to the wonders around us–the art-fullness of each encounter, each moment, as a possibility for amazement waiting to happen. Slow us down in this season of Lent so that we might savor anew the gift of life. We pause in this silence, setting intentions of awe for the week ahead. [pause in silence] For all these intentions, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us… [Lord’s Prayer]. Lord’s Prayer Responding with Awe – Stewardship Moment Offering/Offertory [as is your custom] Doxology [Tune: Old 100th] Praise God, Creator of us all, Praise Christ, by whom we hear our call, Praise Spirit, that which sets us free, Our awe is yours, the One-in-Three. Offertory Prayer Faithful God, who journeys with us through the wilderness of our lives, as we offer these gifts, we remember your sustaining presence. In this period of spiritual renewal, strengthen us to resist temptation and guide us to live in community with love and grace. May these offerings be signs of hope and acts of compassion that reflect the love you have shown us in Christ. Empower us to rise together, supporting one another on this journey of faith and transformation. In the name of Jesus, our Redeemer, we pray. Amen. (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Benedictions are blessings. And blessings are all around us. So for this season, instead of bowing your head as I offer a Benediction blessing, I invite you to open your palms in a position of receiving, and hold your head high, imagining a radiant stream of light from above shining upon you and everything else around you. And this week when you need to be reminded of the wonder-filled world, take this stance again. Open your palms to receive, look around to perceive, and notice one small thing that can light up your heart for a moment. And now may you go forth remembering Rabbi Heschel’s words: “Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.” Be a purveyor of awe this week. Be amazed as you gaze with the lens of wonder at the world around you, as you wonder with hope about what will unfold, as you invite wonder to live and breathe new life in you. Be a “purveyor of awe,” curating a life of spiritual depth that inspires others to join you on the journey. May the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of Awe, the Holy One-in-Three, be with you now and throughout these days, Amen. Community Time (Joys and Concerns) We Go Forth with Awe [Benediction] Beloved, you—you—who live in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty —will find in God your refuge and fortress. Go now, in the blessing of the Triune God who shelters you and rescues you, that we all might be a shelter and a rescue for and with one another. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, August 2024. Postlude Worship Notes Contemporary reading excerpted from the following source: Parker, M. C. (2023). The power of wonder: The extraordinary emotion that will change the way you live, learn, and lead. Penguin Random House. Additional Illustrations A friend once told me of an experience he had as a child. When he was eight years old he went with his family to visit an uncle who lived on a farm. He always looked forward to these visits because his uncle had horses that he let the children ride. When it was his turn to go for a ride, he rode the horse until he was out of view of the house. Then he slipped to the ground. He wanted to try mounting the horse as he had seen cowboys on television do it. So he got behind the horse and took a running start toward the horse. He jumped as high as he could but his feet barely left the ground. He landed on his feet directly behind the horse. He looked up at the horse's tail and, as he stood there, he wondered how he would ever get back up on such a large horse. The horse calmly turned its neck to look at him. Then it reared and kicked him with its hind legs. This time when he landed it was on the other side of a ditch beside the road. He got up and raced home crying. When he got to the house, he told his uncle the horse had kicked him. He failed to mention that he had been attempting a running rear-mount of the horse. His uncle insisted that that horse had not kicked him. He was absolutely sure the old mare was too gentle to kick anyone. He refused to believe that his gentle old mare would kick someone. With that the boy took off his shirt. He showed his uncle his chest, which displayed two bright red circles that looked conspicuously like the hoof prints of a horse. To a great extent, we choose what we believe, don't we? We also choose the outlook and the perspective that governs our lives. For Christians that outlook should reflect a sense of gratitude for what God has done in our lives. We can choose to ignore the evidence of God's goodness if we want. Yet, if we look through the eyes of faith, we will see God's faithfulness and we will be compelled to respond in gratitude. Today's scripture passage raises three important questions that can guide us as we see the perspective God wants for us. What Is Your Inheritance From God? The fathers of modern psychology, Freud, Adler, and Jung, are recognized students of human nature. Their combined message to us is that to be truly human we need three things - significance, security, and love. For Israel, and for us, the ultimate source of our significance and security is to be realized in the covenant of God's love for us. Giving to God a portion of the first fruits is a lovely way of honoring and thanking him. Imagine the five-year-old daughter who, upon receiving from her parents a gift of new crayons or markers for coloring, makes her first project an "I love you" note and picture for her mommy and daddy. This is the quality of the first fruits offering: let the first thing I do with God's gift to me be a way of saying "thank you" and "I love you" to him. Todd Outcalt, in his book, The Best Things in Life Are Free, tells about a short story authored by Charles Dickens, titled, "Tale of a Chemist." It is a futuristic tale in which a famous chemist is tortured by the painful memories of his past. He tries desperately to shake these memories from his mind, for they haunt him constantly, plaguing his days and tormenting his nights. But his efforts are to no avail. Eventually he decides that he will undergo a series of experimental shock treatments, which will obliterate his memory and give him a new lease on life. This he does, and the shock treatments are a complete success. However, the chemist soon discovers that the obliteration of his memory has had some dire consequences. Because his entire memory has been erased, he has no past. He cannot remember where he was born, who his parents were, who his friends are or where he has come from. He is lost without the simple recollections of familiar faces and names. Not only are the painful memories gone, but also the memories that compose his identity as a human being. At the end of the story, the chemist cries out for his past--painful memories and all. He wants what he has lost, for without his memories he is nothing. Wilting inside, he cries out again and again, "Keep my memory green. Keep my memory green." (3) What a powerful story. We do cherish our memories, don't we? Memories of our childhood, memories of those we once loved who are now with God, memories of our wedding day, the birth of our children, our baptism or confirmation, memories of vacations, and significant victories at work, and all kinds of precious events. Israel retained their identity as a people because they remembered their history as a people. There are some things that need to be remembered. Steve Reeves tells about a woman who underwent a very delicate form of brain surgery. When the doctors removed a tumor they were concerned that the slightest mistake could cause her to lose either her memory or her eyesight. So they asked the woman to choose which side of the brain tissue they'd enter with their scalpels. In other words, if she had to lose one of those senses, which would she prefer to lose? She wisely said, "Let me think about it overnight, and I'll tell you tomorrow which is more important to me." The next day she said, "If I had to lose either my memory or my eyesight, I would prefer to lose my memory." When asked how she arrived at this decision, she calmly replied, "I'd rather see where I'm going than remember where I've been." (7) Our biblical, Christian faith is basically a response to a story, to the story of what God has done in human history. It is not as if Christians through the ages have looked at the natural world and decided that there must be a God who created it. They have not thought up a picture of God and designed worship to go with the picture. Nor have they adjusted to their changing cultural and social situations simply by drawing up their own rules for the ethics and morals by which we should live. There are some forms of faith in our day that are such products of human imagination and construction. But that is not true of the biblical faith of the Christian Church. No. Our faith is a response to a history of God's words and deeds, a history that is now preserved and passed on to us in the scripture. So it is that when we confess our faith in the Apostles' Creed, for example, we tell the story on which that faith is based, and the story is the history of what God has done: "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth ... I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. The third day he rose again from the dead...." On that basis, then, we respond and say, "I believe." God's acts always come first. We did not construct our faith out of our own thoughts and desires. Rather, God did particular deeds and said particular words, and we say, "Yes, I believe God did those things and spoke those words," and then we work out our response of faith in accord with what the deeds and words have revealed to us about God. Thus, in our Epistle lesson from Romans 10:8b-13, Paul writes that whoever believes and confesses that God raised Jesus from the dead and made him Lord, will be saved. Faith and salvation rest on God's prior act in Jesus Christ. Dr. Craddock concluded Dr. Momaday''s story by saying, "Anyone who cannot remember further back than his or her own birth is an orphan." (1) Remembering is not intended to paralyze us, but to free us. Dr. William Hinson, tells the story of his brother-in-law who took piano lessons as a youngster, practicing on a Wurlitzer. He always began playing the pieces he had memorized by recalling that middle C was under the "W" imprinted on his piano at home. On the big day of his recital, he walked confidently on stage, yet to his consternation, he was seated before a Yamaha. He hadn''t the slightest notion as to the location of middle C. After a long, terrified silence, the piano teacher realized the problem, walked across the stage, and pointed to middle C. Hinson''s brother-in-law then proceeded to play the oft-rehearsed recital selection. (2) As we reflect on this Memorial Day weekend, what is the "Middle C" that is missing from our national heritage. Is it: Character, Compassion, Commitment, Common Cause, or Charity? What is the "Middle C" missing in the Christian Church? It is the "Centrality of Christ." Father Henri Nouwen wrote, "The strategy of the principalities and powers is to disconnect us, to cut us off from the memory of God." Do you remember that in George Orwell''s provocative book, 1984, the first thing to be sacrificed for the new world order and system is the history of the past? Only when you can convince a people they are strangers in an alien land can you then re-educate them, because they have been stripped of the richness of past experiences. Without our past, we can never really live or die, we simply exist. Elie Wiesel wrote, "Memory is an exalted way of seeing one''s life in its totality, it is not a morbid thing." There is a great power in memory. Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a powerful story that says it well. A young man meets and falls in love with a beautiful young lady. He asks her to marry him and she agrees. She is from outside the solar system. She asks her husband if she can go home one more time before they set up their home. When she comes back, she has with her a rather large box, and she says, "We''ll get married and I''ll live here, but this box must remain in our home and you must never look in it." He says, "That''s okay. No problem there." The days went by, and you know what happened. One day she was away from the house for a long period of time and he was there by himself. That box kept saying, "Come and look, come and look." He went over to the box and got the nerve to open it up. He felt he had to know what was in it. When he opened it up, it was empty. That made him angry. When she came in, he said to her, "You told me not to look into the box. The box seemed to be special to you. I made a special place in our home for it. Then when I opened the top and looked in, it was absolutely empty. How could you pull a fraud like this on me?" Tears were coming down her cheeks. She said, "You''ve missed the whole point. You remember when I went back to my planet and came with the box? I went to get this special box and I filled it with all the aromas of the crops and the homes, the aromas of the people of the streets--all of them are in this box. And when I get terribly homesick, I go and breathe deeply of the memories that are in that box. Now you have called what is very special to me profane." Memory is a powerful perfume from the past in which we continue our connection to God''s saving acts in history. I pray we will not let others or ourselves forget what God has done, is doing, and wants to do through us. Let us not take what is special, sacred and holy and call it profane. The woodcutter was filled with fear and began to panic. He wanted to escape, but the house was locked up tightly; there was no way out. As he slumped on the floor, the woodcutter thought of his wife and family. He had been a fortunate man and now his life was to end. After a long time, the woodcutter looked at the clock on the wall; it read five minutes to midnight. The snake stood ready to strike, but in the distance could be heard a faint sound; the church bell was ringing. It rang and rang -- nine, ten, eleven, twelve times. With the last peal of the bell, the house and the snake disappeared. With no place to go, the woodcutter, grateful for his reprieve from death, curled up in a soft place and went to sleep. The next morning he made his way toward the old church. When he arrived, he found the stairs to the belfry and climbed to the top. As he peered at the old bell, he noticed small spots of blood. On the floor of the bell tower he found many feathers and then the bodies of two white doves. They had thrown their tiny bodies at the bell twelve times in order to free the woodcutter, repaying him for their rescue by his hand so many years earlier. The woodcutter quickly picked up the doves. Their bodies were bruised and broken, but they were alive. He ripped his shirt and wrapped the small creatures tenderly. He stayed with the doves, feeding and nursing them until they were once again healthy. Then one morning he opened the church door and again set the birds free. The woodcutter then returned to his wife and children and all lived happily ever after.1 The story of the woodcutter and the doves demonstrates the need for gratitude in our lives. The doves were so grateful that they had been freed that they were willing to die in order to assist the woodcutter, who, in turn, was grateful for their totally unselfish action and nursed them back to health. This story, our lesson from Deuteronomy, and the national holiday we celebrate suggest that we must always demonstrate gratitude in our lives, to one another and most especially to God. On the battlefield a chaplain encountered a wounded soldier lying in pain in a foxhole. "Would you like me to read to you from this good book, the Bible?" The man could only respond, "I'm so thirsty." The chaplain dutifully ran off, found a canteen, and poured the soldier a drink of water. The wounded man was shifting around as if he were very uncomfortable. Thus, the chaplain found a bedroll and placed it under the man's head as a pillow. The soldier then began to shiver. Without thinking the chaplain stripped off his own field jacket and laid it over the wounded man. The soldier then looked the chaplain in the eye and said, "Now if there is anything in that book of yours that will allow a man to do more for another than you have already done, then please read it, because I would like to hear it." Recently, a college basketball player got hurt in a game. It was her third or fourth concussion in recent play. Officials and medical personnel were alarmed when they discovered that the young woman had a selective amnesia as a result of the injury. She knew her name and her family, but she could not recall ever playing basketball. They took her back home and showed her the high school she played for, and she laughed. She didn't believe them when they insisted she played basketball. She forgot who she was, at least in terms of her sport. Forgetting who we are is a tragic thing. It is so tragic that we spend a great deal of energy in reminding ourselves who we are. The patriotic celebrations we plan for national holidays are partly an attempt to remind us of our democratic heritage. The family reunions that are so prevalent in our communities are an attempt to keep our ethnic and family identities alive. Even the political elections that take place is this country are an attempt to sort out and reinforce who we are as a people. We always want to remember who we are. Remembering who we are is what worship is all about for the Christian community. One of the main purposes of worship is to clearly identify, clarify, and recall who we are -- people created, redeemed, and sustained by a loving God. This story is about three very religious people who lived in a rural community. It is a story about three people who chose to attend the annual thanksgiving worship service. Their names are Liz, Sam and Joe. They live in the country and each of them is involved in farming. However, each of them has his own view of what it means to be "thankful" for the harvest that is now out of the field and in the barns. Liz does not actually do farm work herself. She is married to a farmer. Her husband farms a very large plot of land. This past year they did very well. It was a bumper crop for them. Liz and her husband are very happy about it. As faithful worshippers, they will tithe a full ten percent of everything that they received from the harvest. Considering the size of this year's crop, giving away ten percent means giving away a lot, but they do not mind. Even after giving so much in their offering, they will still have their remaining nine-tenths. It is enough to make them quite wealthy and, for that, they are thankful. Sam also farms. He farms a much smaller area than Liz's husband does. For whatever reason, Sam's crop was not too good this year. Sam's barn is pretty small to begin with, but, even so, his harvest did not come close to filling it. Nonetheless, Sam is also faithful in giving his tithe every year. Discouraged as he is by how little he received from the land, he too plans to attend the special worship service. He will offer his tithe and give thanks for what crops he does have. Finally there is Joe. Joe is a very young farmer. Some of his friends tease him about being more of a "nature lover" than a farmer. He sometimes goes out to his field and just looks at the earth. He stands in awe as he watches the miracle of planted seeds sprouting from the ground. As Joe brings his tithe to the special worship service, he does so conscious of the magical wonder that is bound up in the process of planting and harvesting. Each of the three people approaches the worship service with a little different view of thankfulness. Liz is "happy thankful." Sam is "discouraged thankful." Joe is "awe-struck thankful." Yet, even though their viewpoints vary somewhat from each other, they each attend the thanksgiving worship service with the same thing in mind. Each goes to worship expecting it to be a time to offer God their thanks and their tithe. However, when they actually get to the worship, they discover that, this year, there's more going on -- much more. The worship turns out not to be only a time for them to give their offering and speak a prayer of thanks. This year's worship now includes: "the creed" -- and that changes everything. Attending this thanksgiving worship, Liz, Sam and Joe each discover that there is far more going on than they had realized. The end. That's the story. What did you think? Was it as bad as I led you to expect, or did it actually seem like a fairly nice story to you? I would guess that for many people it probably sounded simply like a story about some pretty nice, fairly generous, "church-going" people. If you had a hard time figuring out what was so non-Christian and so un-American about it, allow me to let you in on the secret. You see, the "creed" that was said in the worship service was not the Apostles' Creed. Nor was it the Nicene Creed or the Athanasian Creed or any other Christian creed. In fact, Liz, Sam and Joe were not attending a Christian worship service at all. They were attending a harvest time, thanksgiving worship service all right, but it had nothing to do with our American Thanksgiving. The three worshippers in the story were not Americans. None of them lived anywhere near America. Neither did they worship in a time that was anywhere near the 20th century. Although it may have sounded like it was a story about an American Thanksgiving worship service, much like the service we're having right now, it was actually a story about three Hebrew people attending the "feast of the first fruits" in Jerusalem, centuries before the birth of Christ. Such an event could not possibly be Christian and it certainly was not an American tradition. Nevertheless, the 26th chapter of Deuteronomy, the chapter which prescribes the worship for this ancient Hebrew festival, is the appointed Old Testament lesson which is to be read as we gather for our Thanksgiving Day worship. What, we might ask, could this text possibly have to say to our situation? The "feast of first fruits," described by our Deuteronomy text, is also called by other names in scripture. It is sometimes called "the feast of harvest," and sometimes "the feast of weeks." The date of the festival was set by counting seven weeks from the time the sickle was put to the standing grain (Deuteronomy 16:9). Since it was celebrated on the 50th day after the beginning of the harvest, it was later given the name "Pentecost," since the Greek word pentacosta means 50. It is the same harvest festival that was taking place when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples and others in the second chapter of the book of Acts. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. The story with which I began this sermon is a story about people attending this "feast of the first fruits." Liz, Sam and Joe are just nicknames I gave to worshippers who would probably have gone by the longer Hebrew names of Elizabeth, Samuel and Joseph. The particular characters, along with their scenarios, are just something I made up for the story, but the worship service I described them attending was not "made up." We heard Martin Luther say this earlier. He claimed that the offering up of the first fruits to which our First Lesson from Deuteronomy refers (v. 2a) are the good things of love given to us by grace. The first fruits you give to God in thanksgiving are the service you and I render to God and our neighbors.4 You can understand now why Christians do not just give ten percent to God. Essentially when we are living the Christian life we are giving God everything. How about providing for myself and my family? If you ask that question, you have not gotten the point. Christians, every good thing that you and I have belongs to God. He has given them to you to use responsibly and to enjoy. But since they are not yours give them all back to God by thanking him for them and by sharing all these goods with those in need. A few years ago, Susan and Harvey Duke went through a rough period that taught them to trust in God's providence. Harvey couldn't find work, and the family finances were dwindling quickly. One morning, Susan opened the pantry to find bags of potatoes and onions--and absolutely nothing else. And, to complicate matters, as she prayed over the family's financial situation, Susan felt God urging her to give away what they did have. What a dilemma. Then Harvey came home. And he asked Susan to take some food to the new family moving in next door. What was he doing? Didn't he realize how dire their situation was? In spite of her misgivings, Susan loaded a picnic basket with potatoes and onions and delivered it to their new neighbors. A short time later, Susan answered the door to find the neighbor's son on their front steps. He was carrying bags of groceries. His family's refrigerator hadn't been installed yet. They needed to get rid of the food they had brought from their old house. Would she accept a couple of bags of groceries? Of course, she would--with great joy. Susan and Harvey could only interpret the neighbor's kindness like this: God had rewarded their giving by giving back to them abundantly. (3) It was Christmas Eve, and Dr. Leandra Lynch was stuck working the night shift in the emergency room. As the newest resident at the hospital, she had the last choice of shifts, so she got the ones nobody else wanted. Late that evening, an elderly man was admitted with chest pains. Dr. Lynch treated him for heart attack symptoms. She checked on him throughout the night. Eventually, he was stable enough to go home later. The next year, Dr. Lynch was stuck once more working the night shift on Christmas Eve. At 9 p m., an elderly couple entered the emergency ward and introduced themselves to Dr. Lynch. The gentleman, Mr. Lee, wanted to thank her for saving his life the previous Christmas Eve. The next Christmas Eve at 9 p m., the Lees returned with another gift and a hug for Dr. Lynch. They just wanted to express their gratitude. And the next Christmas Eve they did the same. And the next. For 13 years, the Lees returned to the emergency ward on Christmas Eve to thank Dr. Lynch. And for the next 13 years, Dr. Lynch looked forward to working on Christmas Eve just for their visits. After Mr. Lee's death, Dr. Lynch and her family started a new tradition. Every year at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve, they ring a small crystal bell--a gift from Mr. Lee--and toast the memory of a man who never forgot to be grateful. (6) To remember is to be thankful. And to be thankful is to taste joy twice. I challenge you this Thanksgiving to tell the story of this past year of your life--and as you tell it, to focus on the positive. Focus on how God has guided you and provided for you. Remember what God brought you through this past year. Remember God's promise that He has a "future and a hope" for you. And leave here rejoicing "in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and to your household." Even more important, the memories that we have show us the direction in which we need to be headed as we move into the future. Those are the memories of: • what God has done for us in creating us and giving us a job to do. • what Jesus did for us by entering into human history. • what Jesus did by taking our sins upon himself to the cross. • our religious tradition as handed down from the Reformers. • parents and friends who nurtured us in the faith. If we ever forget who we are, where we have come from, why we do what we do, and what we need to do as we travel the road, the danger is that we will flounder. The challenge on this day of Thanksgiving is a simple one ...remember! Lent is known as a season of giving up, but it is far more important to simply give, and to resist the temptation to give in. Give to the work of the church. Give to others. Give up because you want to be able to give more, and because you refuse to give in to our culture of wealth, power, acquisitiveness, envy, and greed. You bear great names — the names of Abraham and Jesus, and the God who is, and the promise of what is to come. These names make life worth living, and other lives worth saving. Amen. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons for Sundays in Lent and Easter: The City of Justice, by Frank Ramirez f I said to you that next year God will bless you with a million dollars, but that in turn he would require you to bring 10% to the altar, you would cheerfully sign up, would you not? Can you imagine how readily most of the world's people would nod in assent if I said that next year THEY will make what YOU make, but 10% must be returned to the Lord? They would see that as a tremendous bargain. They would indeed be cheerful givers. One church had on its bulletin board this sign: "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver. He also accepteth from a grouch." If we properly understood why we give, we would be cheerful givers. We would understand what a privilege it is to give. And we would anticipate the day when we will be able to give even more. Some years ago, Dr. Edson, the rector of St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Lowell, Massachusetts, used to walk through the town, greeting everyone with a cheerful "Good morning, and how are you today?" One morning, he was surprised to hear someone respond, "I'm very well, thank God!" Edson brightened and replied, "I am so delighted to hear you thank God for it! For 20 years I have heard everyone in Lowell thanking me. They always say, 'I am very well, thank you, Dr. Edson. "It's nice to hear someone thanking God." Do you have your health? Do you have people who love you? Do you have food to eat and a warm place to sleep on a cold winter night? Do you know that Jesus Christ died for your sins? We have much to be thankful for. We give, first of all in response to all that God has done for us. Some years ago, Dr. Edson, the rector of St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Lowell, Massachusetts, used to walk through the town, greeting everyone with a cheerful "Good morning, and how are you today?" One morning, he was surprised to hear someone respond, "I'm very well, thank God!" Edson brightened and replied, "I am so delighted to hear you thank God for it! For 20 years I have heard everyone in Lowell thanking me. They always say, 'I am very well, thank you, Dr. Edson. "It's nice to hear someone thanking God." Do you have your health? Do you have people who love you? Do you have food to eat and a warm place to sleep on a cold winter night? Do you know that Jesus Christ died for your sins? We have much to be thankful for. We give, first of all in response to all that God has done for us. Recently, I sat by the bedside of a friend who had the previous day been in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. When he looked up and saw me coming into the room he said, "Oh, oh, I must be really bad off if they have called you." He looked over to his wife and he said, "Who told you I was here anyway?" During the course of the next several hours he had several visitors who brought flowers, gifts, cards, and unsolicited words of wisdom about staying off motorcycles. Since he was a pastor, I could tell he was quite uncomfortable with his new role as a patient. He continued to show pastoral presence as his members and staff came to visit with the one from whom they had been accustomed to receiving comfort and consolation. Finally in a moment when we were alone, he turned to me and said, "Okay, you haven't said much. Let me have it. I know I've got a lecture coming." I said, "Oh no, not a lecture, just a lesson." We began to pray prayers of adoration, thanksgiving and praise. We cried out to God and thanked him for his continued protection and care. You see, although my friend had slid 575 feet on the pavement and grass, when he came to a stop within seconds a passing paramedic stood by his side. Several seconds later a passing physician came to his aid. Our prayers took us back over the 13 years of our friendship and our memories of God's faithfulness in many circumstances in our lives began to pour out of us. The Holy Spirit reminded us of God's promise to protect us and build a wall of protection around our ministries. While some of the visitors had asked, "What is God trying to teach you through this experience?" he and I knew that it was not punishment but covenant that sent the angels to deliver in time of trouble. O give thanks to the Lord! I sat amazed at how this man, bandaged from head to toe, raised his arms and began praising God in the midst of his injuries. We sat a while longer and recalled the stories of faith that we had lived through and then we again thanked God for being so good to us -- all the time! The season of Lent is a time to reflect on our journeys of faith. Sometimes those journeys take difficult paths, but we can know through faith that God never leaves us alone. Perhaps these words ask it best: What shall I render unto God for all his blessings, what shall I do? During the beginning of the Lenten season that is a question that we can all ask. What shall I render unto God? Our faith journeys are best understood in light of our covenants, convictions and hopes. What are we willing to put first in our offerings to God? CSS Publishing Company, TURNING OBSTACLES INTO O, by Rodney Thomas Smothe Deuteronomy says that the Lord bought us out of the wilderness into the promiseland. I like this scripture because it addresses another important lesson about lent – when you get to the promisland – never lose sight that it was the Lord that bought you through. Another lesson for lent – for all of our lives – is to remember to give our best to God – because God always gives us his best. STORY: Did you know that a person with six kids is more satisfied than a person with six million dollars? What do you think? The reason for this is that the man with six million dollars wants more. At this Lenten season, what do you like about your present giving patterns? What do you dislike? What would you like to change? Deuteronomy reminds us about the first fruits – to give the first of what we have. We don’t live on farms and grow fruits and vegetables. We go to work and earn money. Which is why the conversation is about tithing today and not first fruits. But the challenge is to look at all of our lives, all of what God has given and all of what we can give back to God. Lent is a time to look at what part of our lives are we giving to God. how are we intentionally being faithful, truthful and loyal. 2. To Deny Ourselves: Why don’t we give God what’s left of our paycheck, or of our time, of our efforts? Many people will say, “if I don’t have anything else to do Sunday, I’ll be at church. If I don’t have too many bills to pay, I’ll give a little bit.” If you operate on that principle, you will never give of your time or money. You’ll always be too busy or too broke to do anything. STORY: A Japanese artist painted a picture on a fairly large canvas. Down in one corner was a tree, and on the limbs of the tree were some birds, but all the rest of the canvas was bare. When he was asked if he was not going to paint something more to fill the rest of the canvas, he said, “Oh, no, I have to leave room for the birds to fly.” We often fill our lives so full of obligations that there is not room for the birds to fly and there is no room for God besides. This recitation helped them to remember what God had done for them. They told their story. During the Lenten Season what is the history of your relationship with God? What is your story? We need to share our story with someone this week. “Give God YOUR BEST; expect HIS BEST.” If we give God just the bare minimum, that doesn’t take much faith. Give to God your very best even if it stretches your faith. If you were giving your best to God, what would it be? What would you consider to be your very best? What would your best look like? CONCLUSION: Has God fulfilled His part of the bargain when you gave him your very best? God promised to be with you. Did He? to deliver you from whatever bound you. Did He? to teach you how to live abundantly. Did He? Are your vows a testimony to God’s blessings to you? Are they meaningful vows that connect with your whole life and vows that give God the best of your lives? What stands in the way of you giving all honor and glory to God in your lives? What temptations do you need to overcome. How do you give back to God? Have you made space in your life to give honor and glory to God? If not, lent is a good time to stop and think about how to overcome temptation, and to live in faith, loyalty and trust in God. No matter how we pray, how we go to church, how we trust God – temptation will not go away – evil will not go away. But good always defeats evil. Trust in the lord, in Jesus Christ gives us the strength to over look evil. Verse 14 of psalm 91 says o Because they cleave to me in love, I will deliver them, I will protect them, because they know my name. I will satisfy them with a long life and show them my salvation. Let that be our prayer this day Amen. We Haven’t Been Up To Bat Yet Temptation tries to blind us to other possibilities. A business man driving home from work one day, saw a little league baseball game in progress. He decided to stop and watch. He sat down in the bleachers and asked a kid what the score was. "We’re behind 14 to nothing," he answered with a smile. "Really," he responded. "I have to say you don’t look very discouraged." "Discouraged?" the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face. "Why should we be discouraged? We haven’t been up to bat yet." Brett Blair, The story is told of four high school boys who couldn't resist the temptation to skip morning classes. Each had been smitten with a bad case of spring fever. After lunch they showed up at school and reported to the teacher that their car had a flat tire. Much to their relief, she smiled and said, "Well, you missed a quiz this morning, so take your seats and get out a pencil and paper." Still smiling, she waited as they settled down and got ready for her questions. Then she said, "First question--which tire was flat?" Lent: Spring Training For Christians When I was a boy, I was told, "Baptists don't do Lent." No one knew why. I suspect that it was an anti-Catholic thing which I pray we are over. It was the old argument, "whatever they do, we don't!" - a curiously convoluted, twisted and unhealthy way to decide on religious practices. Whatever the reason for "not doing Lent," I think it is a great loss for any Christian not to prepare for Good Friday and Easter. Every spring the baseball players prepare for the season with spring training; every spring ordinary people prepare for summer by doing "spring cleaning." So why shouldn't Christians prepare for the most important events in Jesus' ministry - what he did for us on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, what he did for us on Golgotha's cross and at the empty tomb? If it helps you, think of Lent as a kind of Christian spring training and spring cleaning. John Ewing Roberts, Remembering and Forgetting