What is more Important than Christ for you?

July 27, 2025 Colossians 2: 6-19 What is more important than Christ for you? 7th Sunday after Pentecost Year C Prelude Greeting Call to Worship (in response to Psalm 85) One: In the heat of summer we gather, seeking to be restored by God to our full humanity. Many: May God revive us, so we might rejoice in each day of life. One: Today may we hear as God is still speaking peace to us and to the whole of God’s creation. Many: Today may we recognize where steadfast love and faithfulness meet. One: Even as we worship, we trust the Lord will give us what is good. Many: Together let’s celebrate God’s salvation for each and for all! (Disciples of Christ Center of Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer God of our salvation, as we gather today, renew in us a deep awareness of your desire to make a path for us. You yearn to speak peace to us and to the world you have created. In our worship, we claim your promise to forgive us and draw us back to you. So speak your steadfast love to us once more, that your glory may dwell in us and in our land. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song I want Jesus to Walk with Me UMH 521 A Sermon for all Ages Established in the Faith By Lois Parker Edstrom The Bible teaches us to become “established in the faith” (2:7). Do you have an idea of what this means? We know that “faith” is our belief in God. It means that we accept his love. What does it mean to become established in the faith? That may be a difficult question. Let’s think about other things that become established. I think of schools. Schools don’t just happen. Someone has to have the idea to build a school. Then work needs to be done to actually build the school. The school needs to have good teachers and a plan to offer important classes and teach many different things in an interesting way. After all of this has happened and continues for a period of time, we can say that a school has been established. People continue to come to the school to learn exciting new things; the school grows and becomes better and better. To become “established in the faith” first you decide to accept God’s love. Then you must decide to study and pray and become strong in what you believe. Each day, as you give thanks for God’s love, and share that love with others, you become established in your faith. You grow and learn more and more about God. Just like a plant that grows in good soil, you become “rooted and built up” in God (2:7). You become established in your faith. Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2012, Richard Niell Donovan Colossians 2:6-7 hand movements • Therefore as you have received – cross hands over heart • Christ Jesus the Lord – spread hands out • So walk in him – walk with hands • Rooted and built up in him – 2 opposite fist • And established in the faith – open hands with fist • Just as you were taught – bring palms together • Abounding in thankgiving – hands in the air • Walk with him – walk with hands Affirmation of faith (from The Confession of 1967) In Jesus Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself. We confess that Jesus Christ is God with us, the eternal Son of the Father, who became human and lived among us to fulfill the work of reconciliation. We believe that the risen Christ is present in the church by the power of the Holy Spirit to continue and complete his mission. This work of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the foundation of all we say about God, ourselves, and the world. (Presbyterian Outllook) Passing of the Peace Prayer for Illumination Almighty God, your Word is our comfort in distress. It holds your prom- ises that give us life. Give us ears to hear your hope and call. In the name of Jesus Christ, your Word made flesh, we pray. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Philip Gladden) Scripture Colossians 2:6-19 Sermon What is more important than Christ for you? Quite frankly, I know a lot of people who just don’t care for Paul’s teachings. Sometimes he can be a little dated, and patriarchal in his teachings. He truly believes that everything that he says is just for males. It is Paul who says that women should be silent in church. If they have a question, then they should discuss it with their husband when they get home. He says that women are not allowed to be teachers, especially not to men. And now in this scripture passage he says that we have all been spiritually circumcised through Christ. He says that we have been circumcised not by human hands, but the whole body was removed by Christ. I am not even sure of what that means, and for half of the population that is just not a helpful metaphor. I think that Paul is really trying to help us to think of ways that we are connected to the divine in our lives. What are the things that put us in touch with Christ? Luckily he goes on to use to other important ways to connect to Christ – baptism and prayer. Baptism is a sacrament – a sacrament is something that opens the door for God’s grace to work in our lives. Now I move to a very crucial point in our understanding. Baptism is not only a means of grace for the one baptized. It is a means of grace for the whole church. Whether it is the baptism of an infant or the baptism of an adult – the entire congregation celebrating that baptism goes back to the memory and meaning of their own baptism. Examining themselves to see what degree they have kept the faith into which they were baptized, and how firmly they have clung to the cross which purchased their salvation. In a practical sense, the whole church undergoes baptism whenever some person is baptized. I plead with you – to capture that meaning of baptizing. When we baptize an infant, as we’ll do later today in the church, or when we baptize an adult or a young person – we should do, each one of us, should do within our own consciousness again what we may have experienced unconsciously when as infants we were baptized. Or we should recall when we self-consciously made our decision of faith, our commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. That means, my friends, that you are never a spectator to baptism. Never. You assist in baptism. You not only assist, you participate in baptism. We take up our baptism again, remembering who we are, named as God’s people. Dear old Martin Luther, whenever he was depressed and undergoing strong attack from the devil, or sensed his courage and spiritual strength failing, he would lay his hands on his head and say aloud to himself, I am baptized. And so do we, and our identity through baptism becomes a means of grace. I close with this. In the earliest baptismal liturgies, after the person had been baptized, he or she appeared before the bishop. The bishop embraced the new Christian then did something of great significance – the bishop dipped his finger into oil and made the sign of the cross on the Christian’s forehead. This was known as the signation, the signature. The sign of the cross upon a person’s forehead was like a brand to show ownership. As sheep are marked to show ownership, so Christians are marked by baptism to show who owns them and to what flock they belong. By baptism, Christians are branded to show who chose them and who now owns them. Remember your baptism. Maxie Dunnam, MaxieDunnam.com, by Maxie Dunnam When we are baptized, not only do we put Christ on like a garment. But we are also given a new spirit, new energy and we have access to an unlimited supply of inspiration and support to help us with any situation that we may face in life. Baptism gives a purpose in life, and a legacy to pass on to others. Prayer is another way to connect to the divine. Prayer is our way of communicating with God and listening to what God has to say. There is a bumper sticker which says ‘Life is fragile, handle with prayer”. There is evidence that many people in America heed that advice. While 42 percent of Americans state that they attend worship. More than half of all Americans say that they pray at least twice daily. 75 percent say that prayer makes a difference in their life. And nine out of ten say that they have prayed at some point in their lives. While the statistics are great. They do not reveal the attitude which some people pray, or to whom the prayers are address to. Many people who say that they pray, do not know how to pray as Jesus instructed us in the bible. Just like many of the people who drive cars everyday, still don’t know the rules of the road. When it comes to genuine prayer where are feel connected to God, we still have a long way to go. Paul wants us to think of the ways that we connect to the divine. There is prayer, baptism, there is worship, or mission service, or fellowship, forgiveness, love, grace. Anything that helps us to grow in faith – helps us to connect. This part of the passage above the white space is about matters of the heart. These two verses are about our relationship to the risen Christ. They are about building our faith, a sense of trust that comes from within us. A recovering drug addict, writing to her pastor about the faith she and her husband — also an addict — had found, described faith in terms as eloquent as we can find anywhere. For us, faith is not a warm, comforting, fuzzy, feel good. Faith was gritting our teeth, walking through the agony and helplessness of addiction recovery, and continuing to put one foot in front of the other, doing what we were told was the right thing to do, and trusting, praying, and hoping that God was in control, that our tortuous journey would end, and that on the other side was a life worth living. Faith happens when we are at our most desperate moments, and we hold our heads up, doing what we hear God tell us in our hearts, and trusting that he will take care of us. Faith is not smarmy and glowing with happiness. It is an action, not words. It is a very small space we go to within ourselves, among all the bad emotions and feelings and self-loathing — a place that we cling to, while listening to that small voice, the voice of a loving, forgiving power greater than ourselves, outside of ourselves, that will, eventually heal the bad, walk us through the emotions, help us feel better about who we are and what we stand for.1 I was watching a news story this week about two nuns who has started a ministry to help migrants in Chicago to get established. One of the nuns passed away and the other wanted to give a tribute to her. She talked about how committed she was to the ministry. She talked about her faith in Christ. She said that the last words that she has said to the nun as she was dying to hospice – when you get to heaven and you are face to face with Christ. Pray for us, pray for the ministry and whatever you do, don’t take no for an answer. Pray fervently and tell God, that God has no choice but to bless us. Tell God that there are some faithful people who need you down here on earth – and tell God that God has to help him. I was impressed, because it taught me that is what prayer, baptism and faith is all about – not taking no for an answer- trusting in God in all circumstances. What are the ways that you connect to the divine in your life? What are your prayers? Where is your faith. Paul really didn’t mean any harm in his teaching. He wanted us to just get in touch with our faith and the ways in which we know that God is there. He wanted to make sure that when we go through life, that we are deeply rooted in christ when challenges come. Life is not easy and if we are not careful we can easily become discouraged. We can easily wonder if God really cares. Paul reminds us that Christ was there, granting us grace way before our problems came along. And that we should not only remember our faith, we should put Christ first in everything that we do. A recent pew research center study projects that the number of Christians in the US might decrease from 64 percent to between 54 and 35 percent by 2070. At the same time, the number of religious nones is expected to rise from the current 30 percent to somewhere between 34 and 52 percent. Christianity faces a lot of challenges. Faith is no longer becoming important in our society. There are many reasons why the church is no longer relevant. – the secular world is taking over, politics is creeping into the church, people are distrustful of clergy and others, church scandals are rampant, people are disillusioned with religion. The reasons mount up each day. But Paul’s message to us, there is nothing new under the sun, those things were happening back then. Paul tells us that the greatest way to stop that – is to stay established in the faith. Our children’s sermon tells us – to live in Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way as you received him. Be rooted and built up in him, be established in the daith and overflow with thanksgiving as you were taught. Verses 6 and 7 tell us to live in the faith that we were taught. Verse 8 tells us to not get caught up into our own beliefs. When we get discouraged, then we start to accept that is just how life is and there is nothing that we can do about it. We start to believe the statistics. And we forget not to take no for an answer. Our own faith starts to have to compete with other things going on in the world. How can we get others to come back to church? First, we have to stay rooted in our on faith. Before God can make a difference in someone elses life, God has to be the center of our life. Prayer, fellowship, study, worship, social justice, and helping others are wonderful as long as they don’t become a means to an end. Everything that we do has to be in the name of Jesus Christ. We do it not because it is important, but because Christ calls us. Christ is the center of everything that we do. Christ is the anchor of our lives. A few months ago I received a letter which illustrates this in a poignant way. Let me say something parenthetically before I share the letter. This past week, dear Dr. Grant, founding pastor of this church, our Minister Emeritus, said to me with tear mists of joy in his eyes -- "A revival is taking place in this church." I believe that friends. Persons' lives are being changed. Persons are seeking to bring their lives into harmony with God's Will -- they are changing their life styles. Literally, miracles are taking place in our midst -- This letter witnesses to one of them: "Dear Maxie: I am writing you this to let you know I heard your sermon on "With or Without Miracles" on Christmas. God has done a great miracle for me everyday. This past fall I attempted suicide. I thought life was not worth living and that I had no purpose for being alive. But since then I have had people come forward and tell me how I have shown them to go on when things get tough. They have told me I have courage that many people don't have. And these people knew nothing about my attempted suicide. And God has given me friends that each day watch out for me. I still don't know why I am here but I know that God has a plan and a purpose for me or else He would have let me die this past fall. He would also not have sent friends to me that told me they love me and that I make a difference in their lives. So I thank God for working a miracle in my life by saving it and for giving me the miracle of friends. So God does exist and He does come through when you need Him the most. I had rather not leave my name, but I am a Christian that is fighting for life with the help of God. The past is dead, the future is alive -- and I praise God!" So, to live a life hidden with Christ in God, we are united in Christ's death. I like that In Christ, the past is dead, the future is alive and I praise God! So it is with us: cross-centered purpose gives us meaning. Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist who spent two years in a Nazi concentration camp. Out of that experience he discovered and developed logotherapy, a therapeutic approach to healing and health, by discovering meaning. Meaning, he says, comes from three sources: love, suffering, and doing a deed. All of these are gathered upin the cross and in the cross-life to which we are called. No wonder Paul could sing, "I rejoice in my sufferings" (v. 24). Because of the love he had received from the cross, his purpose was to love, even if that called for suffering. The cross was the driving force of his life.His burning desire was for all persons to experience the love of Jesus Christ which he had experienced. The cross gave him meaning for it gave him the cause for which to live and die. Finally I want to leave you with this poem to ponder You remember that old poem: Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today; He has no feet but our feet to lead men in His way; He has no lips but our lips to tell men how He died; He has no help but our help to bring them to His side. What Christ has been and done for us, we must be and do for others. Let everything that we do be in the spirit of Christ. Let’s Pray……. Song It is Well with my Soul UMH 377 PRAYER OF INTERCESSION Just God, we sense your anger at the injustice that thrives in the world. We share your grief at the discord that rages among your children, the rejection of those who bear your image, and the oppression of those you know by name. We turn toward you for strength and guidance to turn away from the norms of this world, the lure of self-righteousness, and the appeal of comfort over justice. Embolden us to believe that another world is possible and empower us to participate in its creation. Amen. Written by Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay, Copyright 2022 Faith INFO Ministry Team. https://www.ucc.org/worship-way/after-pentecost-c-july-24-2022/. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment What are the ways that we connect to the divine power in our lives, what the are ways that we can feel close to God. We can care about the things that God cares about, we can follow the teachings of Jesus, we can put God first, we can worship God with all that we are. We now come to our time of giving, and we have a chance to do all of those things. We are in the misdt of summer and our stewardhip drive. There are many avenues to give to God and to make a difference. We can give what we have – and know that God’s blessings and grace makes the most of it. Jesus often makes comparisons from the lesser to the greater. In Luke 11, we hear the comparison from the way parents give to children to the ways God will give the Spirit to all who ask. Think of the best parents you know… (Your own parents? Perhaps your children as parents or others right in our midst?) Now, let’s make the comparison. As marvelous as THESE parents are as they provide for their children, how much more will God provide for those who seek God’s favor? Because God loves and provides for us, we’re invited to share that love, translating abundant agape into our morning tithes and gifts. See? These symbols of coin, check and electronic deposits come from the labor of our hearts, hands and minds. When collected, they allow us to care not only for our church community, but for others who yearn to share in God’s abundance. With joy-filled spirits, let us share in our morning offering. Prayer of Thanksgiving God, thank you for our daily bread, and for so much more which you provide. Thank you for this opportunity to return a portion of what we’ve been given. Open our eyes to see your love made visible. Open our spirits to respond in love to the needs which surround us.9 May we clearly see each sister and brother in Christ and respond to each one in love, remembering all are made in your image. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Sharefest Closing Prayer for Facebook Go, into the world Proclaiming the many names of the Sovereign God Living the lessons of Good News Sharing in support and solidarity Opening doors And giving good gifts (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Community Time Joys and Concerns The results of the vote Pam’s brother. Benediction Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Philip Gladden) Additional Illustrations Rehearse what I’ve said. To be alive in Christ means: 1) not only is the presence of God in Jesus Christ only to be experienced on occasion, the indwelling Christ is to become the shaping power of our lives; 2) what Christ has been and done for us, we must be and do for others; and 3) the working power of God in the past is to be brought into the present. Someone wrote of Mother Theresa: “She gave her life first to Christ then through Christ to her neighbors. That was the end of her biography and the beginning of her life.” So I’m going to continue my ritual, “Maxie, the secret is simply this, Christ in you, yes, Christ in you, bringing with Him the hope of all the glorious things to come.” Maybe -- just maybe -- my biography will end and my life will begin -- as I become more alive in Christ. MaxieDunnam.com, MaxieDunnam.com, by Maxie Dunnam I heard a cute story about one pastor who told his congregation that there were 700 different sins listed in the Bible. That afternoon he received three dozen requests for the list. Everybody wanted to know what they were missing out on! Paul tries to turn this whole thing around and calls the people to forget the notion of rules and to simply begin living in relationship to Christ. Paul tells them that rules have no ability to change the heart, but a life that looks to Christ will soon turn around and reflect his glory. Think about a person in your life that you care deeply about. Haven't you made it a point to learn all about them? Don't you want to spend time with them, listening to what they have to say? It is natural to want to be with the one you love and know all about them. So it is with Christ. When you stop wanting to know all there is to know, you better watch out. It is a sign that the embers of love are beginning to burn out. Paul reminds us that if we want to find out what pleases God, then we need to be sitting at his feet. In his book, The Gospel For The Person Who Has Everything, William Willimon tells of a young friend, age 4, who was asked on the occasion of his 5th birthday what kind of party he wanted to have. I want everybody to be a king and queen, Clayton said. So, he and his mother went to work, fashioning a score of silver crowns – cardboard and aluminum foil, purple robes – crepe paper, and royal scepters – sticks painted gold. On the day of the party, as the guests arrived, they were each given a royal crown, a robe, and a scepter, and were thus dressed as a king or a queen. It was a royal site - all kings and queens. Everyone had a wonderful time. They ate ice cream and cake, they had a procession up to the top of the block and back again, and then when it was all over, everyone knew it had been a royal, wonderful day. That evening as Clayton’s mom tucked him into bed, she asked him what he wished for when he blew the candles out on the birthday cake. I wished, he said, that everyone, everyone in the whole wide world could be a king and a queen. Not just on my birthday, but everyday. My friend Willimon closed this story by saying, well Clayton, baptism shows that something very much like that happened one day at a place called Calvary. We who were nobodies became somebodies. Those who were no people became God’s people. The wretched of the earth became royalty. Two or three years ago, I saw the death door at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. Some of you may remember that the great Pope John XXIII, bless his memory, commissioned the eminent artist, Geacoma Manza, to sculpt a new door for that great basilica, and the artist depicted on that door a series of death scenes. There was death by falling, death in war, the martyred death of Peter upside down on the cross, and others. Death by drowning is there, death by water. And I reasoned as I looked at that door, that this was behind the sculptor’s theme – we enter the church by death. Baptism – our acted entrance into the church is by water. So death by water is a challenging and authentic understanding of baptism. The early church even built its baptismal fonts in the shape of tombs to make that meaning graphic. So we cannot underscore the meaning of baptism too much if we’re going to save ourselves from approaching casually that event in a person’s life which is so crucial. Being buried with Christ in baptism – having the sign and the seal of our salvation placed upon us with water and the laying on of hands. Haven't we all known Christians with whom we disagreed, but whose trust, thankfulness and joy we admired? Haven't we known people who faced grief, or disability, or some setback in life with courage and serenity? Didn't they inspire us, even if we didn't see eye to eye with them on every point of biblical interpretation or theology? A pastor friend once told me of a woman named Betty who came to every Bible study the church offered. She and the pastor frequently disagreed on interpretation, but my friend said that her faith was moving. She had arthritis, causing pain with every step she took. Nevertheless, her face glowed with a deep joy that came from within. She taught her pastor that verses 6-7 unite all Christians. Now, if we leap across the chasm between verse 7 and verse 8, we are in different territory. We are not so much in the realm of our hearts as in the realm of our heads, our intellect. We are not talking so much about the sense of trust, joy, and faith that we feel deep in our souls as we are about what we think in our heads. What we think in our heads is not totally unrelated to what we believe in our hearts. If we believe in an implacably angry God with our heads, we may feel the wrong kind of fear of God in our hearts. We will not have the fear of God that is healthy respect, but the fear that sees God as unapproachable. Nevertheless, two Christians can have different belief systems and still have deep faith in their hearts. Here, Colossians urges us to be careful about what we think. When we probe to the core depths of our being, when we get down to the base level of our identity, we discover four absolute needs, apart from physical survival needs. There are burning emotional/spiritual/relational needs which, when unmet, leave us less than whole, often crippled, sometimes sick to the point of being cut off from reality. The needs are common to all persons. Even though we may not use the same words to label them, the reality is the same. The needs are 1. To receive forgiveness 2. To love and be loved 3. To experience community 4. To have a cause for which to live and die. Other descriptions of our needs -- acceptance, affirmation, security and freedom, purposefulness and self-esteem -- are rooted in these four. The Cross meets us at the point of these deepest needs. Let's explore these. One day, another girl at the orphanage came to the superintendent to report that the girl was sending notes to someone on the outside. The superintendent thanked the child for the information, and asked her to come and tell them if it ever happened again. Two days later, the girl returned. She reported that a note had been place in the crook of a tree just outside the door of the building. Hastily, the superintendent called one of the social workers, and they raced outside to the tree. She grabbed the note and tore open the envelope. As she read the contents of it, her face fell and her shoulders sagged. She passed the note to the social worker. It read, simply: "To whoever finds this, I love you." (Bauknight, "Love is Linkage!", September 21, 1986). Dr. Parker Palmer, one of the creative leaders in spiritual formation and Christian community, told a group of YMCA workers "about a good friend of his who labors in an especially difficult assignment at the New York Catholic Worker House. One day Dr. Palmer said to her, "All the facts that I can gather and all the feelings I have feel me this work you're trying to do is just impossible. There's no success in it. There's no gratification. The tide keeps rolling over you. Why do you keep doing it?" Looking earnestly at him, the woman answered, "Parker, the thing you don't understand is this: Just because a thing is impossible -- that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it." (Discovery YMCA, July/August 1985, p. 15). The Cross calls us to take up our cross, to pray and live the petition "Thy Kingdom come". This meets our need for a cause for which to live and die. Four of our deepest needs: for forgivenessfor lovefor communityfor a cause for which to live and die. ...all met in the Cross.Do you see it?Do you feel it? Try to picture it, again with Charles Wesley: Behold him, all ye that pass by,The bleeding Prince of life and peace!Come, sinners, see your Savior die,And say, was ever grief like his?Come, feel with me his blood applied:My Lord, my Love, is crucified.("O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done") And how will we respond: Hopefully, with Isaac Watts, in total commitment: Were the whole realm of nature mine,That were an offering far too small;Love so amazing, so divine,Demands my soul, my life, my all.("When I Survey the Wondrous Cross") Maxie Dunnam, by Maxie Dunnam Mickey Rooney, the famous American actor, made witness to this in a television interview. Rooney has been crass, crude, often drunk in such appearances, usually angry and insulting. But the interviewer knew something had happened, and questioned Rooney about his recent past when he hit bottom emotionally and financially. Rooney calmly answered, "I don't mean to sound ecclesiastical, but recently I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ and now my past is gone." I heard a story recently about a boy who was walking home with his mother from church one Sunday. He had obviously listened to the preacher because he said to his mother, "Mommy, the preacher's sermon this morning confused me. Can I ask you something?" "Sure thing," replied the mother. "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?" "Yes, that is true," the mother replied. "And he also said that God lives in us. Is that true, Mommy?" Again the mother replied, "Yes". "Well," the boy continued. "If God is bigger than us, and if God lives inside us, shouldn't He show through?"

She has to be fed first

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

Why are we Here Today?

November 12, 2023 24th Sunday after Pentecost Joshua 24:1-3,14-25 Why are we here today? Year A Prelude Greeting Call To Worship God is great, and greatly to be praised! We thank you, God, for families and friends. We thank you for the warmth of kitchens, quilts, and good neighbors. God, how great is your name throughout the earth! We thank you, God, for newborn kittens and faithful dogs, for pine trees and sunlight and crisp, clean air. Blessed be God, the rock of our salvation! We thank you, God, for the sound of laughter and the touch of love, for brand new mornings and for dreams held close. Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise with songs of praise. Come! Let us worship God. Written by Janice Jean Springer, found in Touch Holiness: Resources for Worship, Updated, eds. Ruth C. Duck and Maren C. Tirabassi (Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2012), 103-104. Invocation Wisdom, your presence illuminates our path. Shine your light into dim spaces so that we do not stray from your teaching. Help us discern what you are calling us, your church, to do and be in this moment in time. Give us urgency to be good news in the world and for our neighbors. Let your glory reign among us and your Spirit lead us into truth, justice, and love. For your name and in your name, we pray. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Cheryl Lindsay) Song My Lord What a Morning UMH 719 Responsive Reading Psalm 78 UMH 799 Children’s Sermon Decisions with middle schoolers (NEED EXAMPLES) Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Decision Time By Lois Parker Edstrom Object suggested: A wallet. Let’s talk about the decisions we make each day. We decide what to eat, when to go to bed, what clothes to put on, what to read, who will make a good friend. Can you think of more examples? Most of the examples we listed would allow many choices. When you decide what to eat you could choose between a peach or an apple, bread or a cracker, soup or yogurt, or you could choose one of each. Now let me give you an example of having two choices, but you must choose just one thing. Suppose you see a wallet lying in the street. It might have a lot of money in it. You can keep the wallet or you can try to return the wallet to its owner. This is a right or wrong decision. You must choose to do one thing or the other. The Bible tells us the story of Joshua, a leader of a group of people called the Israelites and it is a story about making an important decision. This group of people, the Israelites, had been slaves in Egypt and Joshua was one of the men who led them out to a new land. God had protected and helped the people during this journey, but some chose to worship other gods which, in this story, are called foreign gods. Joshua wanted the Israelites to understand that they must choose to serve God or the foreign gods; they could not worship both. They had two choices and Joshua asked them to make one decision. He told them, “… choose this day whom you will serve…” (24:15). Joshua made this important decision for himself. He said, “… as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh (the Lord)” (24:15). Each one of us is also given this choice. We can choose to serve and worship God or do our own thing without God. It is the most important decision you will ever make. Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2012, Richard Niell Donovan Baptism of Chandler Stickel (Call children up to think about baptism first – don’t print this) Scripture Joshua 24:1-3, 14-25 Sermon Why are we here today? Perhaps you have heard about the man who died, then awoke in a splendid city of golden streets and fine homes. He was shown to one of the finest, one with a rolling front yard, lovely flowers, luxuriant shrubs. Wondering how to care for those things, he was told that others would do that for him. So, he climbed into a hammock and spent the day contemplating his happy state. Days passed, then weeks. Finally, bored, he sought to do some yard work, but was told that he might not. He then inquired what kind of work he could do. He was told by the follow in charge that he was not allowed to do anything but rest. Finally, the man complained, he said, I never thought that heaven would be this boring. The man in charge stared at him for a minute, then said, what made you think that you were in heaven? I don’t want to say that you have to work hard in order to get into heaven, but I will say that God expects us to keep busy. Most definitely, we are not expected to get comfortable with boredom. The verb “to serve” is repeated seven times just in these last two verses, verses 14-15. It appears fifteen times in this one chapter. Joshua clearly believes that the purpose of his life, the purpose of everyone’s life, is to serve the Lord with all faithfulness. But before they could wholeheartedly serve their Redeemer God, they had to deal with some garbage in their lives. There was something they needed to throw away. This is a fitting message for the stewardship campaign as we are encouraged to love the lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and spirit. And we are encouraged to support the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, witness and our service. This is also a fitting scripture as we welcome baby Chandler into our church family. Baptism is stewardship in action – we have a chance to remember our commitment to God, but we also make a new promised to pass on our faith to the next generation. God challenges us to build a house big enough for all. God is the center of the house, but the house is big enough to include all of God’s children from the littlest to the oldest. When the multimillionaire, Andrew Carnegie, was building a new home for his family, he instructed the architect to place the following inscription over the living-room fireplace: "This hearth is our family altar - its warmth reminds us of Christ's presence in our home." After the house and fireplace were completed, the architect went to Carnegie and said, "You'll have to choose another motto, that one is too long to fit over the fireplace." "No!" said the millionaire, "I want those words. If you must, then tear down that fireplace and build a bigger one." The architect informed him, "Sir, you cannot build a bigger fireplace without building a bigger room!" "All right," was the reply, "tear out the walls and build a bigger room!" The architect then said, "But a bigger room will throw the entire house out of proportion!" "Then tear the entire house down and start over," the millionaire said, "for we must have that motto as a constant reminder that Christ is in our home!" We could say that Andrew Carnegie built his home around the conviction that Jesus Christ was central in his family. Are you building your home around that same conviction? Does your daily life reflect the truth that you really believe Christ is present in your home? Do you show your family that Christ is central to your praying with them? Or is the Lord's Prayer in worship the only time your family prays together? Sometimes we have to build a bigger house with our spirits. Including God in everything that we do can take a lot of work, a lot of effort, and being willing to make the right choices. • We don’t get to read a lot about Joshua’s leadership. Joshua took over leading the Isrealites after Moses retired. Near the closing verses of Joshua. One of the last things he does alive. Before it closes, they bury the bones of Joseph in the promised land • Promise of Genesis: You will be a great nation in this land. • Genesis closes with a great nation in the wrong land • Exodus closes with the nation on the border of the land. • Joshua is the story of possessing the land. It contains some of the most disturbing parts of the Bible. They are now a great people in the land A side note- I think that one of the reasons that we don’t read a lot of the book of Joshua – is because it is a violent book about how they destroyed a lot of people in order to posess the promiseland. Nevertheless, Joshua reminds the people of how far they have come and how far God has brought them. Joshua reminds them that all of the way – it has been a covenant partnership – God and dedication has fulfilled their destiny. Just Friday, I heard a jewish family saying for the second time this week – that I think sums up the message of Joshua – You are not responsible for building the kingdom all by yourself, but you also are not free to walk away from the work that needs to be done. It is all about service, obedience and commitment. Imagine this story – Joshua is an old man, about to retire. He had led the community for many years, he has watched children grow into productive adults. He has seen babies born, he has seen the community grow and change. What started out as a budding dream has become a full blown reality. And many of the children living in that reality, take it for granted. But just before he retires he calls this complicated society together and gives them some words of wisdom – those words have lasted until today. Father Joshua tells us to put aside the Gods that are constantly vying for our attention, concern and duty – and to choose to serve God. Everyday we have to intentionally choose God, or someone or something else will make that choice for us. We have to choose who is going to be God in your life. He encourages us to think about how God has proven to be faithful than the other Gods in our life. We each have to decide who is going to be God in our life. We have to be willing to make a commitment to that God. And to be an example for someone to make that same choice. Many years ago, near the royal English residence on the Isle of Wight, stood several homes for the poor and aged. A missionary, visiting one of the homes, asked a lady, "Does Queen Victoria ever call on you here?" "Oh, yes," was the answer. "Her Majesty frequently comes here to see us." Then, wondering if the woman was a Christian, the missionary inquired, "Does the King of Kings ever visit here?" The lady immediately gave him a happy smile and said, "No sir, he doesn't visit here. Praise God, He lives here! That's why we are so richly blessed!" Does the King of Kings live in your home? Does it have a spiritual atmosphere? Do the plaques on the wall, the books on the shelves, and the records on your stereo announce to those who visit that Christ is central in your home? If you want to have a strong Christian home, your family life must revolve around the powerful presence of Jesus Christ. What are some ways in your life that you choose God? Joshua chose God by choosing to be an example to us all – he says as for me and my house we will choose God. God is calling the Church and saying.... “Church, I have a project for you –a mission that will repurpose, redesign, remodel, renew, and restore one of my fields. Are you up for it? Can you do it? Will you be my creative, innovative “minds in the field”? How many of you have seen an episode of “This Old House”? How many know what I’m talking about? The show, on television for nearly 40 years (since 1979), now also has a website and a magazine. The innovative show has developed a “buzz” as the “go-to” site for creative hands-on remodeling --for men and women alike! Its premise is simple: how to take an ordinary, drab, old, crumbling, or even condemned house, a “fixer-upper” if you will, and renovate and revision that house into a new, sound, and exquisite piece of art based on the identity and style of the homeowner, still while remaining true to the feel of the neighborhood or context. For many, the proposed renovation of a home becomes more than a hobby or a project. It becomes a mission driven by passion, desire, commitment, confidence, a little bit of risk-taking, and a lot of faith in the finesse of your master designer. Creative designer and imagineer Russell Morash conceived of the idea for “This Old House” as he was designing and renovating his own 19th century home. He wanted to help other people do what he could do. But he also wanted to jumpstart others’ imagination and innovation. He dreamed of encouraging people to draw upon their own creative potential! He wanted to help people learn and discover ways of making the house of their choice into a unique reflection both of owner identity and the style of a certain “place and space.” He didn’t just want to show people the nuts and bolts of renovation. He wanted to, as he puts it, “expand the viewers’ perceptions of what a home can be.”* In fact, Jesus is the ultimate Designer and Blueprint all in one. He’s put down the downpayment on the House, He’s given us the blueprint for Eternal Life. And He’s asked us to join Him on an awesome and challenging mission –to repurpose lives, build bridges of communication, connect people in love, beautify relationships, install windows to the world, restore hearts to God. He’s even pointed us to mission “fields” within His Vineyard that need restoring. The choice of fields is up to us. All we need to do is follow along, learn, and try it all out! Right? Granted, home remodeling takes time, dedication, imagination, and a lot of faith. Life remodeling does too. Just ask Jesus! But He’ll be working right beside us. He is our “go-to” master craftsman who knows how to revision, re-mission, re-beautify life! And the Church! He’s got the grand design. And He’s ready to break ground! So why aren’t we excited? What are some ways that we can work to build a home, with God in the center of everything that we do? We can still welcome the next generation into the family, we are still faced with choices that make a difference, we still have a job to do for the community. Is you’re the world important enough to you to give it an extreme home makeover? Former President George Bush was asked the question, "What is your greatest accomplishment in life?" He could have replied that as a fighter pilot in World War II, he was shot down and survived. He could have mentioned that he was the U.S. Ambassador to China, the Vice President of the United States or the President of the United States. He could have talked about his victory in the first Gulf War or the fact that he had two sons that served as governors and one son who is now President, but he didn't say any of that. When asked what his greatest accomplishment in life was George Bush said, "My children still come home." Children will always want to come home, when that home is always under the extreme home makeover that God alone can give. ________________________________________ [1] Cited by Steve Farrar, Getting' There, p. 150 ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by James Merritt It is up to us to be the Joshua people of today – Jesus, Yshua is actually named after Joshua. Jesus calls us to be obedient disciples in service to those around us. We are called to create a home with God as the center, to choose God above everything else and to serve God with everything that we have. We have to be intentional about serving God everyday. I will leave you with this prayer of encouragement. There is a powerful prayer by a man named Joe Seremane that expresses how much we miss out on when we hold back from yielding our hearts to the Lord. Seremane writes, “You asked for my hands that I might use them for your purpose. I gave them for a moment then withdrew them, for the work was hard. “You asked for my mouth to speak out against injustice. I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused. “You asked for my eyes to see the pain of poverty. I closed them, for I did not want to see. “You asked for my life that you might work through me. I gave a small part, that I might not get ‘too involved.’ “Lord, forgive me for my calculated efforts to serve you only when it is convenient for me to do so, only in places where it is safe to do so and only with those who make it easy to do so. My prayer is that we each have to strength to choose God everyday. Amen. Song The Summons TFWS 2130 Pastoral Prayer (Just print the title, not the words) Lord, we are a stubborn and impatient people. We always want to know how things will end. We want to know what the schedule is. We want a "daily planner" from you so that we can be ready. It is interesting that you have already given us a daily planner. The Holy Spirit, who has been given to comfort and guide us, is our daily planner. Daily we are called to come before you in prayer and praise; daily we are challenged by your Holy Spirit to find ways to serve your people in your world. And we do acknowledge this, somewhat. But we still would like to know when we need to have all the "oil for our lamps". Why is it so hard, Lord, for us to be continually ready? Is it because we have placed you to one side in our lives, and when we think you are coming we take our faith down from the shelf and dust it off? Help us to place you at the center of our lives, seeking to daily prepare ourselves for your coming again in glory. As we have brought before you the names of those people who are near and dear to us, we ask your healing love and blessing for them. Their needs are great and our abilities are limited. But we know that with your love, all things are possible. Give us such courage and perseverance that we may faithfully proclaim your love to all creation. Make us ready to receive you, now, in this place and everywhere we are. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment (explain campaign) Offertory Prayer (Print) Loving God, you are our strength. Thank you for your wondrous works. May our praise to you continue from generation to generation. Lord speak to us and teach us new ways to reach new generations, so that they may know the love and care that you have given to us. Use these gifts to develop programs that will draw new people to you. Bless these gifts, Thank you for all that you have given us and for all that we will receive. Let it be used to glorify Your Holy Name. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Litany [Pentecost 25, Witness, Discipleship, Growth & Change, Commitment, Grace & Mercy, Personal Holiness, Personal Service] L: Ready! Set! Go! P: Wait a minute! Ready for what? L: The Lord is coming to us. We need to be ready P: Just a minute. What is the date? Do you have an arrival time? L: That’s not important. We just need to be ready. P: Listen! That’s not the way the world works. You have to plan these things out. L: But it is the way the Lord works. P: And this "set" business.....what is that all about? L: Taking stock of our lives, healing old wounds, reconciling relationships, forgiveness, service to others, most of all practicing God’s love as Jesus taught us. P: Right now, I have all I can handle. Relationships, old wounds, angers, work for God. I have to see if I can fit it into my schedule. Anyway, won’t God give me a little "grace" period? L: God has always given you a "grace" period. It is your life! P: What do you mean? L: God has offered you blessings and given you gifts. God asks you to be ready to serve, to make a choice. P: Ready to serve God or my schedule? L: Ready to place God first in your life. If you do this, the other things will fall into place. P: I need to reconsider the choices I have made. L: Choose God. Be ready to Go into God’s world to serve. P: Ready: the Lord is Coming. Set: Get your priorities in order, placing God first. Go: serve God. I can do that. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Announcements Closing Prayer for those on Facebook God has called and chosen you to be witnesses to hope and peace in God’s world. Go in peace and this same healing, reconciling love and peace will be with you. Go and serve the Lord your God in all that you do. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Invite congregants to turn and face the closest doorway and/or threshold. As you prepare to cross the threshold from this place out into the world and as you encounter doorways and thresholds throughout your week, repeat this blessing: May gratitude abound as I meet God and neighbor in this place. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, May 2023. Additional Illustrations A family moved to a new city where the father's company had transferred him. This meant that little Sharon would enter the first grade in a brand-new school. On the first day of class, the teacher was asking each student to provide her with some information as she called the roll. After asking for the proper spelling of her name, the teacher asked Sharon for her address. The youngster replied, "Miss Smith, we don't have an address yet!" "Oh," said the teacher, "your family doesn't have a home yet?" Sharon replied, "Yes, ma'am, we have a home; we just haven't found a house to put it in!" A little boy asked his busy mother to help him find something to do. So the mother found a large map of the United States on a page in a magazine. With a pair of scissors, she cut up the map into small pieces like a puzzle. Then she gave the pieces and some tape to her son and challenged him to put it together. The youngster returned in almost no time with the map together. Mother was amazed and said, "Son, how did you get that entire map of the United States together so fast?" The youngster said, "It was easy. On the back of the map was a picture of a family. So I turned it over and started to work. Once I got the family put together, the country turned out just right." How true that is! The strength of our nation depends on the strength of our families. Let us be challenged today to work hard to make our houses into homes,... where positive Christian values are transmitted from one generation to the next;... where friends are welcomed and children are more valuable than furniture;... where undesirable pressures are kept out, and where Jesus Christ is kept centralThat's how you make a house a home! C.S.S. Publishing Company, HOME IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD, by R. E. Lybrand Last week we began a series titled The Joshua Principles. And the first Principle was Joshua People Always Look Forward With Hope. We talked about how Hope is based on Trust and Trust is based on Faith and the implications that has in our daily lives and in the life and future of the Church. Today the Joshua Principle I want to look at is "Joshua People Obey and Serve." I think this falls right in step with where we left off last week. You see Faith in God builds Trust which builds Hope. When we Trust God and are Faithful, then God is Faithful too and that deepens our Hope. When we Trust God and are Faithful, then we will Obey God and follow God's Will. I want us to look at two passages this morning. When that happens, within that family of faith we are supported and strengthened and sometimes even rescued. Some of you may have seen this clip form KruegerNational Park on Youtube. The full length version might be a little scary for the little ones, so I've tried to edit it so it still makes its point. And it does have a great ending. (Water Buffalo Clip) I loved how the entire herd came back to rescue that calf. They knew the power of the claws of the lions but they also knew the greater power of the herd. And those water buffalo who sent the lions running and flying, knew the rest of the herd was behind them. That's the way it should be in every church, every faith community. It's good to have a herd. And when the Herd trusts God and is faithful to God through Obedience there is a strength that can't be destroyed. If you remember the 1984 movie, Ralph Macchio plays a new kid who gets crossways with a group of school in crowd bullies. They make his life miserable. The custodian, Mr. Miyagi played by Pat Morita, is a Japanese man who takes an interest in Daniel and says he will train him in Karate. When Daniel shows up, Mr. Miyagi doesn't give him any Karate instructions, he simple gives Daniel a series of what appear to be useless chores. Feeling a little like slave labor, Daniel confronts Mr. Miyagi. (CLIP) The results, of course, are Daniel's ability to transfer that the muscle memory into the needed defensive moves in karate. Pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, who some are calling "Captain Marvel" is a former Air Force fighter pilot who has flown for US Airways for 29 years. He has over 19,000 hours in the air and runs his own safety consulting firm. After 29 years of flying, after 29 years of pre-flight checks, safety checks and all the minutia of flying, you would think maybe someone might begin to take shortcuts, right? And Captain Vince Lombardi (that's his real name, in an interview on Today said he and his crew devote two hours a month to practicing safety drills, man overboard rescue drills and the like to prepare for events like this which we all hope will never happen. It would be easy to say, "Oh, you know for the last six months all of our drills were perfect, we don't need the practice anymore." Shortcuts seem easy. We all tend to do it. Driving on the highway for example. When we were younger, the fear of getting a ticket kept us from speeding. But then we started driving to work every day and when we did the speed limit we felt like we were getting run over by the traffic. Then we began driving fast enough to keep up with the traffic so we didn't impede the flow. And pretty soon you're screaming and hollering at the idiot in front of you who won't get out of the way, right? These two men, their crews and all of the people involved in this event, were diligent in their obedience to following the proper procedures and drills. My contention is that because that, when it came to a time of testing, they were ready to serve and give everything through that service. They didn't have to stop and think about what was right or wrong, they knew and they did almost instinctually. And that only comes from Faith, Trust and Obedience. Why aren’t we excited to “remodel” the Lord’s house? Or in our scripture for today –both Jesus and Joshua call it the “Lord’s Vineyard.” But whichever name you choose, God is the owner and grand designer. We are the tenants, the ones who live on God’s great earth, in God’s house, on God’s vineyard. We are God’s resident tenants, attendants, and staffers. God invests in us and bequests us with creativity to carry out some renovations on God’s behalf. In our scriptures for today, God tells people (through Joshua) at Shechem that it’s time to design and contract a new house in a new place! Time for renovations. Time to put down roots in a “vineyard” they did not plant, to restore people to life in a town they did not build! Are they up for this new project? Are they game for this new contract? Do they have the passion for it? The strength? The daring? The heart? Another issue just as important as the generation gap has to be brought up before we dive into the story told in Joshua 24. The issue in mind has to do with the relationships we nurture across the years. Some people say that all of us give attention to at least four basic relationships throughout our lives: our relationship with God, our relationship with ourselves, our relationship with others, and our relationship with what’s around us, or in other words, our relationship with things. Each of these relationships takes some of our time and demands a certain portion of our energies. Figuring out which relationship matters most can be tricky. Kathleen Kolar was an experienced hiker, having hiked in several popular west coast locations. When visiting Hawaii, she decided to hike a trail that was a grueling eleven miles long. The trail has stream crossings, lava ridges, lush valleys, and 100-foot drop-offs to rocky beaches below. The trek was everything Kathleen had heard — "difficult but spectacular." On her way back, she found herself a "little off trail." She wasn't concerned, all she would have to do is retrace her steps and she would be fine. She was sure the trail would loop around. She continued for a while before realizing that she was well off the trail — in other words, lost. She climbed a steep wall, which used to be a waterfall, hoping to once again find the trail. "It's just you and me, Lord," she prayed. "You alone can get me out of this mess." Things went from bad to worse. She found herself on a small foot-and-a-half perch. She was horrified. It was then that Kathleen realized that she needed to stop so rescuers could find her. It was getting dark; she would have to spend the night on the perch. "I cried and was angry at myself for being so stupid." The next morning, she felt God show her that this hike was similar to her life. She realized how at times her choices had led her away from God. And how those choices would affect her "further down life's path." "On that tiny ledge, I realized that if I were to truly live for God," she explains, "I would have to get to know him better." It took most of the day before anyone found her because of where she was. Unfortunately, the rescuers could not reach her. She would have to spend a second night on that ledge. "I was tired, thirsty, very sunburned and spent," she recalled. Before she was rescued by a helicopter the next day, she felt God remind her of the two greatest commandments, love of God and love of neighbor. "I'd loved Jesus since I was eleven," she said, "but I hadn't yet surrendered my claim on my life. I was still going my own way. Those nights on the ledge, I determined to make knowing God's heart, thoughts, and purposes my passion in life." Another lesson she learned from her experience was that you cannot continue down a wrong path and remain untouched by the consequences. From now on Kathleen says, "I'm letting God lead — and following his path for my life."2 Joshua challenges us today asking what kind of people will we be and to whom will we commit ourselves? Commitment is one of those words that either makes us feel uncomfortable or something that we can easily dismiss as not all that important. While Jesus calls us to be faithful, the choice remains with us this day. In a sense it is a daily choice, a daily commitment, because there are so many things that deceive us, tempt us, and lead us astray. Choose the Lord. Amen.

In the Spirit of the Lord

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington Romans 8:1-11 In the Spirit of the Lord 7th Sunday After Pentecost Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship One: The Word is a lamp and a light. The word illuminates our life. Many: We welcome The Word with praise and thanksgiving. One: The Word comes from the mouth of God and accomplishes its purpose. Many: We hear The Word that loves and embraces, challenges and convicts, renews and restores. One: The Word is life, offers a future with hope, and creates peace in the midst of the storm. Many: We receive The Word among us with rejoicing. We worship The Word in spirit and in truth! (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Invocation Creator, your presence among us illuminates our lives. Make us fertile soil, receptive to the seeds planted by your word. Nourish us with Living Water and grow us through the energy of your empowered and healing rays of sunshine. Let us encounter you afresh as we gather in community. May our worship show our love for you and each other. Make your presence known to us and through us for your glory. Amen (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Song Spirit of the Living God UMH 393 Children’s Sermon By Lois Parker Edstrom Person presenting the lesson may want to sit on a stool demonstrating a “time-out.” Have you ever done something you shouldn’t have done and been asked by your mom or dad to stand in a corner or sit on a stool and think about what you have done? It is not fun to have a time-out. While you are sitting on that stool you may think of all the other things you would rather be doing – playing with your friends, riding your bike, or reading a book. But, when we make bad choices we must learn about consequences (the cost of our bad choices). The Bible tells us that the Spirit of Christ Jesus sets us free from sin (bad choices) and this applies to adults as well as children. When we let the Spirit of Jesus live in us, it is like being released from a time-out. We are free to be grateful, worship God, and enjoy the life he has given us. As we go about our day thinking of behavior and activities that are pleasing to God, we make better choices. The Bible tells us that “the mind of the Spirit is life and peace” (8:6). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2008, Richard Niell Donovan Responsive Reading Psalm 119 #840 Baptism Scripture Romans 8:1-11 Prayer for illumination In the reading of you Word, may we be given light to see. May your word rest in our hearts and minds and in so doing, transform us into your faithful people. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tara Bulger) Sermon In the Spirit of the Lord As the lights in the movie theater dimmed, a young man loaded down with popcorn, cokes and candy paced up and down the aisle, scanning the darkened rows. It was obvious he was looking for the person or persons with whom he had come. After three or four unsuccessful trips he finally stopped and asked loudly, "Does anybody here recognize me?" (1) It's horrible not to be recognized isn't it? It's horrible to feel alone and cut off. Being recognized means you're connected, part of the family and that someone cares, someone is watching out for you. And that matters because Family matters. Does anyone know who I am? We ask that question every Sunday. The challenges of life pull us out of ourselves. When we come into the presence of God – it puts things into perspective. When we come to church we are reminded of God’s love for us. Furthermore, when we participate in a baptism service – we get a special opportunity to put on Christ. When we let christ into our lives – that makes all of the difference in the world. You know, it is funny but there are times when things work out perfectly. Serendipity is Gods way of reminding us that God is here and watches every thing going on. Our scripture for this morning is perfect for a baptism, and a baptism is the perfect illustration to help us understand what Paul is saying to us. B. A United Methodist Minister in Vermont tells how the Sunday School Superintendent of his Church was registering the children in Sunday School and she asked two brothers their ages and birthday. The bolder of the two boys said, "We're both seven. My birthday is April 8, 1976, and my brother's is April 20, 1976." The Superintendent was a little confused and said, "But that's impossible!" The quiet brother answered, "No, it's not, one of us is adopted." Before she was even aware that she had asked, the words were out, "Which one?" The boys looked at each other and smiled. Then the bolder one said, "We asked Dad that awhile ago, but he just said he loved us, and he couldn't remember any more which one was adopted." (3) Through our faith in Christ we are made heirs with Christ. That means that we have equal access to God. We are seen as equal heirs with Christ. There is no longer any distinction between us and Christ. We are brothers and sisters with Christ Jesus. God just loves us and can't remember anymore which ones of us are adopted. Why? Because Family Matters to God. And God wants each of us in His Family. That's what faith in Christ does for us. It puts us in God's family. We can hold our head high because we belong. We belong to God's family. We know our value, we know our worth. Not by worldly standards but by God's standards. Vera and Roxi are cousins born two days apart, but they are forever connected together in baptism. Today they both take on the identity as a child of God. They are siblings with christ. They are both claimed by the Holy Spirit. Today we celebrate the fact that God has wonderful things in store for their life. It Is such an honor to be witnesses to their faith. I have always said that Romans 8 is the one chapter in the bible where our entire faith is summed up. I feel like I preach on Romans 8 every year – this scripture comes up a lot. But it is not every Sunday that we get to put this scripture into action in the life of our children, our families and our church. Paul’s message to us – there are 2 ways to live our lives. We can live in the flesh or the spirit. The flesh ad spirit are two different attitudes. We can order our lives according to what is happening in the moment, or we can look at the bigger picture. We can be selfish and just life for ourselves or we can live in community and do what it best for all. We can live self centered or God centered. In the scripture Paul refers to a selfish life. Author Patsy Clairmont tells of the time her husband surprised her with two lovely apricot-colored rosebuds. Over the next few days, one of the rosebuds opened up and began to bloom. It was beautiful. The other rosebud stayed tightly closed. By the end of the week, the first rose opened into a full, gorgeous flower, while the second rose remained a small bud. By the second week, both roses began to wilt and shed their petals. As Patsy contemplated her flowers, she felt sad that one rose had never opened up. It had never revealed its greatest beauty. It had died in the same form it had lived: closed. How similar to those roses are we humans? How many of us never grow to our full potential? How many of us never display the full glory of God? How many of us stay tightly closed against the world all our lives, and die never knowing what we could have achieved? (6) So it is with those who never open their lives to the Spirit of the living God. Instead of beginning a relationship with God, they take unacceptable risks. Without even being aware of it, they live in rebellion against all that God has for them. And thus they never fulfill their full God-give potential. Isn't it time you take off the old patch of sin and put on the new patch of the Spirit of God? All of us are children of God. When we put Christ into our lives we get a boost of power and potential. We have a chance to live life to its fullest. When we open the connection between God and us, then we open our lives. Jesus, considered himself so close to God that he called God Abba – or daddy. There were a lot of people who were upset, because they felt that he had no right to claim a relationship that close with the creator of all life. Jesus shows us what it mean to be adopted into the family of God. The challenge then, as presented to us by Paul, is to be sure that we permit the Spirit to dwell within us. It is Paul’s quest that we all live spiritual lives. It is Paul’s mandate that we accept the disciples required to maintain a spiritual life. It is Paul’s inquiry of what will be the orientation of our attitude — flesh or Spirit. And Paul is very forthright in declaring that if we allow Jesus to dwell within our souls, we will be spiritual individuals. As Paul writes, “since the Spirit of God dwells in you.” And it does take a proper attitude to be spiritual. It takes focus. It takes discipline. It takes desire. It means we engage in all the spiritual opportunities traditionally offered by the church. We engage in our own journey of personal prayer, Bible reading, and reading Christian literature When Carl Erskine, a former pitcher with the LA Dodgers, first came to the big leagues, he was asked a question by owner Branch Rickey. Rickey asked, "Do you go to church?" Carl said that he did. Rickey responded, "I ask that question of every young man that I sign. The reason that I ask it is that I've found if a person will discipline his life to sit in a place of worship and get his spiritual values in place, that person will develop a quiet confidence that he cannot get anywhere else." St. Paul writes, "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship." (v. 15) When Ernest Hemingway was struggling to make it as an author, he had a stroke of bad luck. He lost a suitcase containing all his manuscripts--manuscripts he had been working on for months and which he had been planning to publish in a book. He couldn't conceive of redoing his work. He shared his predicament with his friend, poet Ezra Pound. Pound called it a stroke of good fortune! Pound assured Hemingway that when he rewrote the stories, he would forget the weak parts. The new version would be better than the old. He encouraged Hemingway to start over with a sense of optimism and confidence. Hemingway did rewrite the stories and eventually became one of the major figures in American literature. (2) All Hemingway needed was to hear someone say that he could do it. That is all we need sometimes in our lives. Our problems loom so large. But they are not insurmountable. All we need is the confidence to tackle them. All great people have faced times when their confidence waned. When Abraham Lincoln was tragically killed, several items were found in his pockets: an embroidered handkerchief, a watch, and some confederate money. But most interesting of all was a ragged copy of a newspaper article. The article had been written during a time of great controversy and turmoil in the country. In the text of the article, the writer extolled Lincoln's virtues, approving of the decisions he had made in office. (3) Lincoln was one of the great men of history. But he needed, as we all need, some assurance that he was on the right track. We all need a word of encouragement at times. We need to know our lives matter--that we are not hopeless. The Good News for the day is that we are daughters and sons of God. We can take confidence that we are children of the King--offspring of the Most High. When we are willing to live life in the spirit – we have that little voice encouraging us onto be the best that we can. Most of our children have probably seen the Disney Studio’s animated movie Toy Story. Two of the characters are Woody, a toy cowboy and Buzz Lightyear, a “space ranger” action figure. Early in the movie Woody confronts Buzz Lightyear with the fact that he is not really a space hero. Woody shouts, “You’re not a space ranger! You’re an action figure a child’s plaything.” After failing in an attempt to fly, Buzz realizes the truth of Woody’s statement. Grief-stricken and disillusioned, Buzz hangs his head in resignation, declaring, “I’m just a stupid, little, insignificant toy.” Later in the movie Woody tries to undo the damage he has done. He seeks to comfort his friend by underscoring the love of the boy who owns them both. He says to Buzz, “You must not be thinking clearly. Look, over in that house, there’s a kid who thinks you’re the greatest, and it’s not because you’re a space ranger; it’s because you’re his.” As Buzz lifts his foot, he sees a label affixed to the bottom of his little shoe. There in black permanent ink is the name of the little boy to whom he belongs. Seeing the image of his owner, Buzz breaks into a smile and takes on a new determination and confidence. He knows the little boy who owns him treasures him deeply. (6) As we leave this place today, I hope that we will do so with a new determination and confidence because of the One who has adopted us as His own children. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children . . .” Life in the Spirit of Christ gives us protection, confidence and strength to do what we need to. Every moment – we are faced with ways of dealing with life. We can choose the way the world sees things, or we can choose the ways of God. We always have two choices, but one one leads to life. This is my final story. Stuart Briscoe, pastor of ElmbrookChurch outside Milwaukee, illustrates the power of feeding and starving with an observation about cuckoo birds. Cuckoos aren't merely the obnoxious noisemakers heard at the top of the hour in certain clocks. They are certifiably real. Two species, in fact, nest in America. To be more accurate, cuckoos rarely make their own nests. When it's time for a female cuckoo to lay her eggs, she will scout the local territory until she finds the nest of another bird that already has eggs -- often the nest of a thrush -- and wait until that mother bird is absent. Then she will dart in to the nest and deposit at least one egg of her own. Thrushes are apparently not overly skilled in algebra, for when the mother returns, she doesn't notice that there is an addition to her nest. She continues to go about the work of hatching the eggs. What happens when the nestlings appear? There are four tiny thrushes and one lumbering cuckoo, two to three times larger than the other birds. What happens at mealtime? The big bird gets the worm. The cuckoo continues to grow while the thrushes fight for survival. Briscoe remarks, "When I was a kid, you could always find a baby cuckoo's nest. You walked along a hedgerow until you found dead little thrushes, which the cuckoo throws out one at a time." God's children have two sets of desire in one nest. Which one shall we feed? We must feed the new desires and starve the old ones. We must feed the ones that strengthen our walk with Christ and starve the ones that have always taken us down. The more we choose the new desires, the stronger the Holy Spirit grows our personal resolve to choose the new desires the next time as well. We won't always succeed. Trying to become a spiritual person in a fallen world -- trying specifically to think, feel and live as Christ's person -- will always to some degree be exasperating. But through God's gift of grace, Christ's victory over sin, and the indwelling presence of the Spirit, we can know that we truly have the power to change. CSS Publishing Company, Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost, by Glenn McDonald Do you know Who you are? And Whose you are? Amen. Song Hymn of Promise UMH 707 Prayer God who plants seeds of hope and justice within our lives, we are so grateful for this community of faith and for all, anywhere, who hunger and thirst for your healing, reconciling word. You know all the things that are on our hearts today and you bring us together in love and support. We ask your healing mercies with those who struggle with illness of every kind, with feeling lost and marginalized; for those who mourn and for whom the darkness of sorrow enshrouds them. We ask your growth-producing love for all those who celebrate and rejoice today. Be with each one of us and all those whom we have named in our hearts before you. Help us to reach out to each other in compassion and support, for we ask these things in Jesus’ name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Summertime, and we can see the results of what happens when we “scatter sow” – that is, if we have a handful of seed and toss it out. Jesus shared the parable, and an explanation of it. Leaning into this parable, let’s think about what our giving says about the kind of “soil” we are. For some of us, the idea of giving financially to the church is absurd; we’re “hard”ly able to do what we want. Giving away any money at all seems crazy. For others, we’re willing to give a little when the appeal is great, but see no point in making weekly contributions; we’re easily distracted by the allure of other things to do with our money. Yet others agree giving regularly to the mission of the church is important, but we find there’s a big demand on our finances for basic bills, for treat times, and for participating in the “shop, see more, shop more” response to all the advertising present in our daily lives. And, for others, regular giving (and even sacrificial giving) gives us pleasure, counter-acts our “hoarding/stingy” genes, and builds up opportunities for caring for “the least, the lost, the lonely” of our sisters and brothers. Dolly Parton, world-renowned performer, grew up in poverty and in a strict Christian church. For years after becoming a wealthy woman, she has quietly shared financially, recognizing it’s one way of living her best spiritual self. She provides free books for young children (one a month for birth to age 5). She developed a program to encourage Tennessee youth to stay in school. She supported hundreds of folks for six months after they lost their homes in a wildfire. What kind of “soil” would you judge her to be? What about you? What kind of “soil” are you? Prayer of Thanksgiving Generous God, we thank you for the abundance in which we live. Speak to us through your word. Help us hear the challenge of Jesus’ parable, and respond as “good soil”. Receive what has been given today, Creator God, and work through this congregation and our giving to bring forth 30, 60 or 100 fold for the ministries to which you call us. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May we each go out to love and care, to find the Spirit’s leading and join in its work and to bless the world as we have been so richly blessed. In the name of our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tara Bulger) Joys and Concerns Benediction As you have received the seeds of faith and hope; go now into God’s world to scatter the seeds of reconciliation and peace, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations