For All The Saints

All Saints Day November 6, 2022 Luke 6:20-31 For all the Saints Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship One: Come, a great cloud of witnesses surrounds us as we gather. Many: May the lingering echo of saints resound in our songs. One: May their stories open a space for the Spirit to enter us anew. Many: In remembering them, may we find ourselves re-membered. One: May the God of every generation form us anew for this generation. Many: And may a new joy rise in our lives and in the life of the world. ( United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Bob Cross) Invocation God of every age and time, inspire us today with memories of saints whose energy still lingers, hovering around and within as encouragement and strength. Wrap us anew with a felt sense of your persistent presence, granting a new energy to offer You everything of our hearts, minds and souls. Yes, Love of Life, root us and ground us in this. And let it be more than enough for today, as we gather in the name of Jesus. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, The Rev. Dr. Bob Cross) Song For All the Saints UMH 711 Children’s Sermon Full Children’s Sermon: Good morning children. Many churches celebrate this Sunday as “All Saints Day.” On this day we remember all the believers in the family of God that have gone before us, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and others that we read about in the bible as well as the many other men and women of God who were disciples of Jesus Christ down through the ages. I want to say more about this but first I wanted to show you something I brought from home. (Hold up your family photo album.) Do you know what this is? That’s right. It’s my family picture album. I’d love to show it to you. Look at this elderly man here. This is my grandfather Ernie. He was a wonderful man. He had a bad leg because he was injured in the war but he worked very hard on his orchard growing apples. I’ve always been inspired by how much he loved us and how he was such a hard worker. And here is my grandmother MacKinnon. In the summers we used to go with her to the lake. She was very caring and looked after us if we ever got hurt. I often look at this photo album because it reminds me of family members I used to know and even one that I never got to meet because they died before I was born. (Put down the photo album and hold up your bible.) Do you know what this book this is? Right, it’s a bible. I like reading the bible too. As believers in Jesus Christ we are all part of the family of God. The bible is a book about members of the family of God that goes back many, many years. (Open up the bible.) This part of the bible talks about a man names Abraham who had great trust in God. This part talks about Moses who led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt. This part talks about God’s son Jesus and about the disciples, John, James, Peter, etc. We call them Saints. Saints are people who have been “set apart” for God’s holy / special purposes. In a sense we are all saints, but we like to specially remember them because they knew Jesus and were the first to follow him. What I want you to understand is that these Saints that are mentioned in the bible are really part of our family – the family of God. So you see that the bible is like our family album. It tells the story of great men and women of faith in the family of God; the same faith family that we belong to! Children’s Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the many and wonderful saints that followed Jesus down through the ages. Help us to follow their good examples and to remember what a blessing it is to be in the same family of faith. We ask this in Jesus’ name – Amen! Feel free to use this story on Sunday morning but please give credit to Sundaychildrensfocus.com and consider linking to this site. Thank you. A.H. Prayer for Transformation and New Life Loving God, Grant me grace to release everything too much or too little into your transforming fire of refinement. Sear in me the strength of your saints – generous and gentle, focused and fierce – just enough to answer every devilish temptation distracting or denying Your Holy hope for my re-formation. Yes, Love, form me anew from the inside out, centering others ahead of every selfishness that dares me to choose anything less than You. Release me from the burdens and brokenness of my own making, that I may be readied to meet You in every ordinary saint whose path crosses mine in the gift of this day. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins) Words of Grace Hear the good news! Jesus tells us that the Holy One is a God of grand reversals. Weeping turns to rejoicing, hunger is answered with fullness, honesty of heart is answered with grace upon grace. Every energy that diminishes is interrupted with a newness of life made possible by the One who is always searching us out with forgiving love. In Jesus, God revealed that grace and forgiveness has already arrived, and it includes you and me. It is the Good News! You can trust it with your life. The saints knew it and now you do, too. Thanks be to God! Amen and Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins) Scripture Luke 6:20-31 Sermon For all the Saints I am convinced that one of the most deadly illnesses in the world is grief. It makes all of the other things in life that we deal with so much worse. When we suffer a loss, and that loss starts to live in our thoughts and in our bodies it can take its toll on us. We all suffer loss, we all have an experience with death. All of us are dealing with unresolved grief. So as we take the time to honor those whom we have lost this year, our grief and sense of loss is real. So it may seem ironic that our scripture for today is about how to be happy. But Luke 6 speaks more of a holy happiness – not the emotion of happiness. Happiness in the midst of struggle. Finding Peace, justice, and wellbeing – when things in life don’t support that. Happy – what does that mean? What does it mean to be happy? What does it take for you to be happy? What does being happy have to do with serving God? Jesus must have given some thought to that same question. There are two different stories of how Jesus answers that question. The first story of how Jesus answers that question is in the book of Matthew – given in what is called the Sermon on the Mount. After Jesus calls his disciples – he takes them up on a mountain top and tells them what it means to be a happy Christian. He gives them 8 condition of what it means to live a blessed life – called the 8 beatitudes. In Luke, Jesus also talks about the beatitudes in Luke - But this time after going up on the mountain to pray – he comes down to level ground to speak with the people. In Luke this sermon is called the sermon on the plain. Jesus gives 4 blessings, but he also gives 4 woes. Four statements of how life should be, and four statements the life we should be wary of. He is telling us that there are two kinds of happiness in the world. One has lasting consequences, and one does not. There is the happiness that the world gives, and there is a holy happiness – that we can only get from being connected to God. The word beatitude is a latin word – that means blessing. The old testament gives several beatitude list – the 10 commandments are a sort of statement of blessings. I have decided that I will wait until I preach on Matthews list of beatitudes before I get on my soap box about the true meaning of being blessed. Because Luke’s sermon the plain has a slightly different meaning. In this context – the word beatitude is closer the to latin meaning of the word – meaning happiness. Happiness as a tangible condition of life. Matthew uses a more spiritual definition of the word. Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who are sad for they shall be comforted. Luke uses a concrete, economic definition that applies to the lives of those who have gathered to hear Jesus. Happy are those who are poor, those who are hungry, those who cry and those who are rejected. Those are the 4 conditions in Luke for being blessed. That would have been 99% of the people who were on the plain listening to these words. They had nothing, they lived hand to mouth everyday, and there was no hope things would ever change. A family had sold everything possible to pay bills and to put food on the table. Nevertheless, a burglar broke in one night when the family was gone. The family returned and found the door knocked off its hinges. "œWhat did the burglar get?" the police officer asked. The head of the house just shook his head. "œPractice," he said. It's not easy being poor. What did Jesus mean, "œBlessed are the poor?" A quote from Helen Keller sums of Jesus point best. She said that blessings in life don’t have anything to do with our condition in life. Life can be full of suffering, but it also can be full of overcoming – that is holy happiness.are Luke gets even more direct about the difference between worldly happiness and holy happiness. Because he gives 4 blessings, but he also gives 4 woes. Woe to those who are rich, woe to those who are filled woe to those who are laughing now, woe to those who are popular. You have received your blessing and will receive nothing more. The word for woe is an interesting Greek word – meaning consolation. – or paid in full. In other words, those who have in this life have received their reward, and there is nothing else for them to receive. But those who rely on God – shall receive their blessing from God. There is more to come. Is Luke saying that we should strive to be poor, and that there is something wrong with being rich. Not exactly. He is just telling us that there is a difference between worldly happiness and holy happiness? What does happiness mean to you? Where does your happiness come from. Which list describes your condition in life? Poor, hungry, weeping, hated, excluded, reviled defamed? Or rich full, laughing, well thought of? There is a true story about a Quaker who put up a sign on the vacant piece of land next to his house. It read: This Land Will Be Given To Anyone Who Is Truly Satisfied. A wealthy farmer who was riding by stopped to read the sign and said to himself, “Since I have all I need as a wealthy man, I certainly qualify. I might as well claim the land.” He approached the Quaker to seal the deal. “And art thou truly satisfied?” the Quaker inquired. “I am, indeed. I have all that I need.” “Friend,” said the Quaker, “if thou art satisfied, what dost thou want the land for?” We can all be hungry for a better world. We can pray for the day when all will be taken care of. We can consider ourselves happy in all circumstance. If our happiness comes from God, not from others. Our scripture goes on to give us a second even stronger message. Not only are we called to recognize our own need and dependence upon God. We are called to recognize the need and vulnerability of others. And then to offer to them, through our lives, the rich soil of compassion and justice. We are called to be in solidarity with the poor, the hungry, with those who are weeping. We are called to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Biblical scholars point out that the Beatitudes are what is called a “performative word.” These predictions about blessedness are not going to happen — they are already happening. This is not about what might be. This is about what is. This is God’s agenda, God’s vision, God’s kingdom. The reality described by the Beatitudes will happen, is happening, whether we choose to be part of it or not. Only a few of us are called to be the poor. A few more of us are called to work with the poor. But all of us are called to be for the poor — because that’s what it means to be God’s people. My friends, our scripture readings for today remind us that “human happiness” and “holy happiness” are often two different kinds of reality. Jesus is suggesting that “blessing” is more than enjoying ourselves. The goal of life is more than self-fulfillment. And prosperity is more than getting what we want. Happiness is to be open to God. Blessedness is to be fully alive and in harmony with God’s ways both in the good times and the bad. Let us be comforted and instructed by the words of the psalmist: Happy are those who delight in the Lord. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. (Psalm 1) (Susan Andrews – the sermon Holy Happiness) We come together today to remember that true happiness comes in living together, supporting one another, and working for a world where all are given true peace, justice and wellbeing. Coming together today will not take away our grief. We are a part of a community that has worked for that goal since the beginning of time and our work is not done. Saints are those who participate in that work. The candles that we light remind us of their presence, their example, their work. Let their light lead us and inspire us to continue to stand, to be the saints of God. Who in all time and in all things bring God’s Kingdom to earth. Song My Hope is Built UMH 368 All Saint’s Day Prayer Bless the many parted souls who lived their lives with grace. Bless the saints in heaven, gathered in that special place. May we tell their stories and remember all the ways they lived their faith and spent their days. There is glory and reward, even if at first there’s strife. Oh, blessed saints, you help us see a path that’s to eternal life. May we always hold them dear and know their life and place. May we know their inspiration and aspire to their grace. (Loyola Press) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment (Don’t Print) In Ephesians 1, believers are reminded we 1) are adopted as God’s children 2) are given forgiveness and redemption through Christ 3) are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. What an inheritance we’ve received! We also have a history of receiving financial inheritances from those who have loved this church over our history. As we celebrate All Saint’s Day, we remember these who have provided an inheritance for the on-going witness of this church. (You might name 3 or 4 specific names, especially if they would be remembered by many, or if their gifts are events/spaces/rooms named for them.) While weekly, monthly and annual financial gifts are necessary, the financial gifts offered by earlier saints provide examples of ways we, too, might provide an inheritance for this fellowship. (If you have a flier in the bulletin or a slide on the screen with information about how to create such a gift, call attention to it now.) Know this community of faith will celebrate your decision! For each gift, given today, or planned for years from now, we are grateful. Let us joyfully offer our gifts. Prayer of Thanksgiving (Print) Loving God, thank you for the inheritance you provide for each of us. We ask you to accept these gifts of gratitude. Help us use them wisely and well to extend your Realm on earth. AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Remembering our Saints Prayer UMH 713 Candle Lighting Service Communion UMH 13 Invitation to Communion (Don’t Print) (consider using CH#649, “Give Thanks for Life” as a communion hymn. While not explicitly focused on communion, it uses language of “thanks”, provides images of light from Christ, and wheat as a sign of resurrection) Around this table, we’ve come to break bread, to drink from the cup, to remember – and to anticipate. Like a diamond, this ritual includes a multitude of facets. Today, we focus on thanksgiving and memory. With memory, we call to this present moment the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. With thanksgiving, we share simple sips of juice and morsels of bread as signs/emblems of Jesus blood and body. But with eyes of memory, we also see and call to mind loved ones no longer present, who shared bread in the past around this very table (perhaps invite people to name one or more – aloud or in silence –). And with an attitude of gratitude, we give thanks that this meal is a rehearsal for the banquet to which Jesus invites all. So let us feast! Communion (don’t print) This text is used by the pastor while the congregation uses A Service of Word and Table II (UMH 13–15) or III (UMH 15–16) or one of the musical settings (UMH 17–25). The pastor stands behind the Lord's table. The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. The pastor may lift hands and keep them raised. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty (almighty God), Creator of heaven and earth: God of Abraham and Sarah, God of Miriam and Moses, God of Joshua and Deborah, God of Ruth and David, God of the priests and the prophets, God of Mary and Joseph, God of the apostles and the martyrs, God of our mothers and our fathers, God of our children to all generations. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: The pastor may lower hands. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The pastor may raise hands. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread, or touch the bread, or lift the bread. On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the cup, or touch the cup, or lift the cup. When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." The pastor may raise hands. And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread and cup. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. The pastor may raise hands. Renew our communion with all your saints, especially those whom we name before you— Name(s) —(in our hearts). Silence may be kept for the remembrance of names. Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, strengthen us to run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father (God), now and for ever. Amen Copyright: “The Great Thanksgiving for All Saints and Memorial Occasions” Copyright© 1972 The Methodist Publishing House; Copyright © 1980, 1981, 1985 UMPH; Copyright © 1986 Abingdon Press; Copyright © 1987, 1989, 1992 UMPU. Used by permission.” Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go forth from this time of worship as a flowing stream through a parched desert, pouring the love of God upon the hearts and lives of all you meet so that hope might take root and blossom. As you go, know that the God who created you, the Christ who redeems you and the Spirit who empowers you is with you today and ever more. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Bob Cross) Community Time Benediction Beloved of God, trust that the Holy One still forms saints. They might be standing next to you. They might just be you. Trust that God has formed your life to be part of something larger than you could possibly imagine. So go, anticipating that God is already blessing you to bear good news into the world. Yes! Yes! Yes! Amen and Amen! (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. David Long-Higgins) Additional Illustrations

Finding the Good in "Bad Luck"

October 3, 2021 World Communion Sunday Job 1:1,2:1-10 19th Sunday After Pentecost Proper 22 Year B Finding the good in “bad luck” Opening Song Welcome Opening Prayer Almighty God, even as the drums of warfare beat on through the night, even as the cries of injustice linger in the morning, even as the hustle of busyness rumbles through the day, quiet our hearts. Still our thoughts. Join us in our worship. Remember us in your mercy as we try to remember you, through the proclamation of your good news, in story and in song, and through the hospitality of your gracious table. Welcome us again, one Lord, Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Stewardship Moment Call for Offering We approach the table today but we don’t approach it alone. We approach it on this World Communion Sunday with Christians around the world, in congregations large and small, speaking every language and one language. And so part of our approach this morning is to remember in our offering our connection to the work of the church in every corner of God’s creation. Truly, God has blessed us with the rich, varied, and abundant gifts of creation. From God’s abundance, let us also give abundantly. Prayer of Thanksgiving Gracious God, you create more than we could ever hope to return. You share more than we could ever hope to deserve. And yet, we pray, accept these humble gifts. May they honor and glorify you in all creation, and may they empower us for the work of witness and service, for the sake of justice, and for the sake of peace, now and forever. Amen. Passing the Peace In Jesus Christ, we know God’s forgiveness and peace. Let us share that peace with one another. The peace of Christ be with you. Scripture Job 1:1 Common English Bible Job’s piety and life of bliss 1 A man in the land of Uz was named Job. That man was honest, a person of absolute integrity; he feared God and avoided evil. Job 2:1-10 Common English Bible Job’s Adversary refuses to give up 2 One day the divine beings came to present themselves before the LORD. The Adversary also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 The LORD said to the Adversary, “Where have you come from?” The Adversary answered the LORD, “From wandering throughout the earth.” 3 The LORD said to the Adversary, “Have you thought about my servant Job, for there is no one like him on earth, a man who is honest, who is of absolute integrity, who reveres God and avoids evil? He still holds on to his integrity, even though you incited me to ruin him for no reason.” 4 The Adversary responded to the LORD, “Skin for skin—people will give up everything they have in exchange for their lives. 5 But stretch out your hand and strike his bones and flesh. Then he will definitely curse[a] you to your face.” 6 The LORD answered the Adversary, “There he is—within your power; only preserve his life.” The test intensifies 7 The Adversary departed from the LORD’s presence and struck Job with severe sores from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. 8 Job took a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself and sat down on a mound of ashes. 9 Job’s wife said to him, “Are you still clinging to your integrity? Curse[b] God, and die.” 10 Job said to her, “You’re talking like a foolish woman. Will we receive good from God but not also receive bad?” In all this, Job didn’t sin with his lips. Sermon Finding the good in “bad luck” I remember as a young adult -I thought the bible contained all of the answers to all of my problems in life. I was disappointed to read the bible and see that it was just a bunch of stories, with no real practical advice on how to solve all of my problems. I have also felt that every time I have read the book of Job. – there is no advice, and no answers. And then this year I learn that the book of Job is not even about a real person. None of this ever happened, Job and his daughters are not real persons. When I looked at the story this year, it even reads like a fairy tale. It starts out by saying A man in the land of Uz was named Job. Sort of life the famous – once upon a time. Uz is not even a real place, it sort saying – in the land of discernment and counsel – the land of our thoughts. At the beginning of the story he loses everything, and at the end of the story he gains it all back – sort of like living happily ever after. The whole bible can be described as the story of how we as humans were given paradise, we lost paradise, and we have been spending centuries trying to gain it back. I love fairy tales – They are fun stories with a back story with a valuable lesson in life. They are not necessarily true – but they contain truth. They give us advice about life in a way that our imagination and ability to think is engaged. The teach us timeless lessons about life – that is why they begin with Once Upon a Time. Fairy tales also give us important lesson in history, context and values of the culture that created them. Job may have been a story passed down orally from generation to generation. But it was written in the time of exile for the Jews. They have been driven to a new land, and they even had to find a new identity. This is the time that their faith became important to them. They turned to God to ask why this was happening to them. The traditional answer was that if something bad was happening and you were suffering, then it was all your fault. It was the consequence of a sin. Why were people dragged away from their life and held captive in Babylon – the forgot to put God first in their lives. That was just how life was – when you were righteous good things happened. When you were bad you were punished for your sins. The book of Job was written to thumb its nose at the old eye for an eye thinking. This story paves the way for the theology of grace that we still live for today. I am only going to preach on this once, but Job is a gem of a story with some rich meaning. Job was a good man, but he was also a foreigner. (a Jew would never to bold enough to disrespect the faith of their elders). The scripture says the Job was a good man who did everything to follow God. In return for his goodness God decides to throw him under the bus. He turns Job’s life over to circumstance. Satan in this story is not the devil. Satan is the defense attorney for fate. God is in the throne room holding court. He is proud of Job. But the accuser insist that Job is only good because he is rewarded. He is not a deep man, take away the rewards and Job will curse God. I love this scenery – God is bragging about Job to Satan – he asks Satan where he’s been – I just roaming the earth looking for trouble. God says well you won’t find it in Job. God then lets fate take control and destroy everything that Job has. I don’t know what I would do, if I found out that God had intentionally created all of my problems. When his wife and friends see all of Job’s suffering, First his wife tells him to abandon a God that allows bad things to happen to you. Just curse God and die she says. His friends come over to cheer him up – but only make things worse. According to the old stories – if you are suffering there is something you did to cause it. You are just dealing with the consequences of your own actions. Why worship a God who does not have your best intentions at heart – that was the old faith. Job is a pretty long book – I had to write a paper on it in college, I thought this story would never end. It is 26 chapters. During this journey each of his friends come in to tell Job that when God throws your under the bus, your faith is useless. All of this time Job is struggling to find answers to understand what is going on. His wife talks to him, his friends talk to him, God even talks to him. Through it all Job does not understand, but he is determined to hold his ground – he didn’t do anything to deserve this treatment. Job is a foreigner, no real Jew would question the faith of the old people. But Job loves God and has made a commitment to serve. After his faith ordeal, finally God restores everything that Job lost, and he lives happily every after. We love our happily every afters – that is the best a part of a fairy tale. I always wondered what happily ever after looks like? How long does it last. Job has always been a disappointment to me – no one lives happily ever after. And being blessed does not make us anymore likely to have a rough life than that person who never went to church. The thing I hated most about the book – it gave no answers, no conclusions, no practical advice. God does not even have the final word. It is just a story. But the one thing that I noticed about Job’s story – he lost everything in his life but his choice of how to respond to his circumstances. He choose to be faithful to God, rather he received a reward or not. His faith was a choice, not a loyalty, not an awareness. It wasn’t a reward for being lost, and it wasn’t a punishment for doing wrong . He chose – to have a relationship with God, to move on, to do what was right, and to accept the power of grace in his life. He even chose to maintain that he did not deserve what happened – but it was grace that restored his life. Someone made this whole story up – but the gift of this lesson – the truth in the tale – we cannot control suffering. We cannot control the bad times in life. And most of the time, it is just to circumstances of life. Suffering is not our fault. When we lost everything – let us remember that we still have our choice. We get to control how we respond to the situation. We choose our response and we can always choose God – the more excellent way. Let us pray…… Affirmation of Faith (adapted from the Belhar Confession) We believe in one holy, universal Christian church, the unity of the communion of saints of the entire human family. And we believe that that this unity of the people of God must be manifest and active, in that we love one another; that we give ourselves willingly and joyfully to one another, that we are share one baptism together, that we eat of one bread and drink of one cup together, that we confess one name, one Lord, for one cause, with one hope, which is the height and the breadth and the depth and the love of Christ, forever and ever. Amen. Song One Bread One Body UMH 620 Communion UMH 13 (not necessary to print) Each time we come to this table, we recognize Jesus’ teaching about the Realm of God not only in words, but with signs and symbols. Especially on this World Communion Sunday, we recognize the table extends globally, from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth. From Albuquerque to Zionsville, from Austria to Zambia, from Zanzibar right back to Alberta! All are welcome! Whether the bread is our traditional bread/crackers, or is naan, whether the cup is filled with Welch’s Grape or milk and honey, these gifts are for the people of God, gathered in this sanctuary and symbols like these are for the people of God, gathered in other places. These tiny gifts whet our appetite for that gathering of God’s beloveds from across time and space. (if you have images from around the world, those graphics would fit here!) The images which flash (on our screens/in our mind’s eye) are images of God’s Realm! This feast we share, remember, is a rehearsal dinner for the marriage feast of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-9). Rejoice! God’s Realm, while not yet fully here, teases into reality our best expectations as we share this meal. Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook You were called to this table. You were fed at this table. You were united at this table. Now, you are sent from this table into all the world. Go therefore into the world, with courage. Set a place for all who hunger. Fill the cup of all who thirst. And as you go, May the Spirit of power and love attend you, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ uphold you, and may the great faithfulness of our God sustain you, now and forever. Amen. Community Time Benediction Shalom to you UMH 666 Liturgy written by Matt Gaventa, the Pastor of Amherst Presbyterian Church in Amherst, Virginia, and the chaplain at Sweet Briar College. Children’s Time Invite the children forward and introduce World Communion as a special meal that is shared with Christians all over the world. Talk with the children about special meals: the guests invited, the food that is prepared and the things that are done to make it special—decorations, good china, silverware and linens. Gather close to the table and ask the children to identify the things that look different or special about the table. When the table looks special, like it does today, everybody knows that something special is going to happen. Ask them to identify other countries, denominations and churches that might be celebrating World Communion today. Hold hands around or near the table. Remind the children that when we gather at this table today we remember that Jesus loves us and that we belong to the family of God that stretches all around the world. Ask the children to repeat the following prayer after you to end the children’s time: God of us all, we remember our brothers and sisters around the world today. Help us to treat all people as your children. Amen. -Contributed by Holly Purcell Albrecht Additional Illustrations

Are You Blessed or Cursed in God's Eyes?

February 16, 2019 Year C Luke 6:17-26 6th Sunday after Epiphany Children’s Sermon: And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all. Object: A heating pad. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever used a heating pad? (Let them answer.) When do you like to use it the most? (Let them answer.) Those are all good times, but I suppose that the best time for all of us to use the heating pad is when we do not feel too well. If we have an earache or a backache, or any kind of an ache, it is always good to use the heating pad. There is that nice warm feeling that seems to make us feel better. I want you to feel my heating pad and then tell me what caused it to make me feel better. (Pass the heating pad among the children.) What is it that gives this heating pad the power to make me feel better? (Let them answer.) That's right, it is electricity. The power to make that pad hot comes from the cord that is plugged into the wall. The electricity comes through wires, and the wires go all the way back to a big plant somewhere that makes electricity out of coal, water, or something else. There is a great power in electricity, and it is used for many things, but one of the things we use electricity for is a heating pad. And the reason that we use the heating pad is to make our bumps, bruises, and aches feel better. Jesus must have been like a heating pad. People got better just by touching him. The Bible tells us today about the time when people stood in line, or all around him, just to try to touch him so that they would feel better. And you know what? They did feel better. The Bible tells us that Jesus was able to cure people of bad diseases when all he did was touch them or they touched him. Of course the power did not come from coal, water, or anything like that. It wasn't even electricity. The power that Jesus had to cure people came from God, and I guess you could call it a kind of healing love. God gave Jesus a special power to make people who were sick well again. But people could feel the power coming through Jesus, just like you and I can feel the heat coming through the heating pad. Maybe the next time you use a heating pad, you will think of the power that comes from the electricity, and when you do that, you will also remember the special power that God gave to Jesus to heal people who were sick. C.S.S. Publishing Company, CALL in the CLOWNS, by Wesley T. Runk Luke 6:17-26 The Message (MSG) You’re Blessed 17-21 Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! Then he spoke: You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all. God’s kingdom is there for the finding. You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry. Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal. You’re blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning. 22-23 “Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don’t like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this. Give Away Your Life 24 But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you’ll ever get. 25 And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games. There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it. 26 “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular. The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson Luke 6:17-26 Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus’ popularity increases 17 Jesus came down from the mountain with them and stood on a large area of level ground. A great company of his disciples and a huge crowd of people from all around Judea and Jerusalem and the area around Tyre and Sidon joined him there. 18 They came to hear him and to be healed from their diseases, and those bothered by unclean spirits were healed.19 The whole crowd wanted to touch him, because power was going out from him and he was healing everyone. Happy people and doomed people 20 Jesus raised his eyes to his disciples and said: “Happy are you who are poor, because God’s kingdom is yours. 21 Happy are you who hunger now, because you will be satisfied. Happy are you who weep now, because you will laugh. 22 Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and condemn your name as evil because of the Human One.[a] 23 Rejoice when that happens! Leap for joy because you have a great reward in heaven. Their ancestors did the same things to the prophets. 24 But how terrible for you who are rich, because you have already received your comfort. 25 How terrible for you who have plenty now, because you will be hungry. How terrible for you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep. 26 How terrible for you when all speak well of you. Their ancestors did the same things to the false prophets. Footnotes: a. Luke 6:22 Or Son of Man Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible I talked with a colleague from Englewood yesterday. It was good to make the connection, since I had not talked with him in about two years. He left the United Methodist church awhile ago, when his church closed. But I learned on facebook, that he started his own nondenominational church a few weeks ago, so I wanted to know how things were going. He said that the church was too small for him to collect a salary, but he was happy and that was all that mattered. He said that he felt happier than he had felt in years. He said that he had been challenged more than anything in life, but he was happy. Happy – I was intrigued with his choice of words, especially as I was preparing for this sermon. Happy – what does that mean? What does it mean to be happy? What does it take for you to be happy? What does being happy have to do with serving God? Jesus must have given some thought to that same question. There are two different stories of how Jesus answers that question. The first story of how Jesus answers that question is in the book of Matthew – given in what is called the Sermon on the Mount. After Jesus calls his disciples – he takes them up on a mountain top and tells them what it means to be a happy Christian. He gives them 8 condition of what it means to live a blessed life – called the 8 beatitudes. In Luke, Jesus also talks about the beatitudes in Luke - But this time after going up on the mountain to pray – he comes down to level ground to speak with the people. In Luke this sermon is called the sermon on the plain. Jesus gives 4 blessings, but he also gives 4 woes. Four statements of how life should be, and four statements the life we should be wary of. He is telling us that there are two kinds of happiness in the world. One has lasting consequences, and one does not. There is the happiness that the world gives, and there is a holy happiness – that we can only get from being connected to God. The word beatitude is a latin word – that means blessing. The old testament gives several beatitude list – the 10 commandments are a sort of statement of blessings. I have decided that I will wait until I preach on Matthews list of beatitudes before I get on my soap box about the true meaning of being blessed. Because Luke’s sermon the plain has a slightly different meaning. In this context – the word beatitude is closer the to latin meaning of the word – meaning happiness. Happiness as a tangible condition of life. Matthew uses a more spiritual definition of the word. Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who are sad for they shall be comforted. Luke uses a concrete, economic definition that applies to the lives of those who have gathered to hear Jesus. Happy are those who are poor, those who are hungry, those who cry and those who are rejected. Those are the 4 conditions in Luke for being blessed. That would have been 99% of the people who were on the plain listening to these words. They had nothing, they lived hand to mouth everyday, and there was no hope things would ever change. A family had sold everything possible to pay bills and to put food on the table. Nevertheless, a burglar broke in one night when the family was gone. The family returned and found the door knocked off its hinges. "œWhat did the burglar get?" the police officer asked. The head of the house just shook his head. "œPractice," he said. It's not easy being poor. What did Jesus mean, "œBlessed are the poor?" A quote from Helen Keller sums of Jesus point best. She said that blessings in life don’t have anything to do with our condition in life. Life can be full of suffering, but it also can be full of overcoming – that is holy happiness.are Luke gets even more direct about the difference between worldly happiness and holy happiness. Because he gives 4 blessings, but he also gives 4 woes. Woe to those who are rich, woe to those who are filled woe to those who are laughing now, woe to those who are popular. You have received your blessing and will receive nothing more. The word for woe is an interesting Greek word – meaning consolation. – or paid in full. In other words, those who have in this life have received their reward, and there is nothing else for them to receive. But those who rely on God – shall receive their blessing from God. There is more to come. Is Luke saying that we should strive to be poor, and that there is something wrong with being rich. Not exactly. He is just telling us that there is a difference between worldly happiness and holy happiness? What does happiness mean to you? Where does your happiness come from. Which list describes your condition in life? Poor, hungry, weeping, hated, excluded, reviled defamed? Or rich full, laughing, well thought of? There is a true story about a Quaker who put up a sign on the vacant piece of land next to his house. It read: This Land Will Be Given To Anyone Who Is Truly Satisfied. A wealthy farmer who was riding by stopped to read the sign and said to himself, “Since I have all I need as a wealthy man, I certainly qualify. I might as well claim the land.” He approached the Quaker to seal the deal. “And art thou truly satisfied?” the Quaker inquired. “I am, indeed. I have all that I need.” “Friend,” said the Quaker, “if thou art satisfied, what dost thou want the land for?” We can all be hungry for a better world. We can pray for the day when all will be taken care of. We can consider ourselves happy in all circumstance. If our happiness comes from God, not from others. Our scripture goes on to give us a second even stronger message. Not only are we called to recognize our own need and dependence upon God. We are called to recognize the need and vulnerability of others. And then to offer to them, through our lives, the rich soil of compassion and justice. We are called to be in solidarity with the poor, the hungry, with those who are weeping. We are called to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Biblical scholars point out that the Beatitudes are what is called a “performative word.” These predictions about blessedness are not going to happen — they are already happening. This is not about what might be. This is about what is. This is God’s agenda, God’s vision, God’s kingdom. The reality described by the Beatitudes will happen, is happening, whether we choose to be part of it or not. Only a few of us are called to be the poor. A few more of us are called to work with the poor. But all of us are called to be for the poor — because that’s what it means to be God’s people. My friends, our scripture readings for today remind us that “human happiness” and “holy happiness” are often two different kinds of reality. Jesus is suggesting that “blessing” is more than enjoying ourselves. The goal of life is more than self-fulfillment. And prosperity is more than getting what we want. Happiness is to be open to God. Blessedness is to be fully alive and in harmony with God’s ways both in the good times and the bad. Let us be comforted and instructed by the words of the psalmist: Happy are those who delight in the Lord. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. (Psalm 1) May it be so for you and for me. Amen. Additional illustrations…… New Priorities of the Kingdom A holy man was engaged in his morning meditation under a tree whose roots stretched out over the riverbank. During his meditation he noticed that the river was rising, and a scorpion caught in the roots was about to drown. He crawled out on the roots and reached down to free the scorpion, but every time he did so, the scorpion struck back at him. An observer came along and said to the holy man, 'Don't you know that's a scorpion, and it's in the nature of a scorpion to want to sting?' To which the holy man replied, 'That may well be, but it is my nature to save, and must I change my nature because the scorpion does not change his?' Traditional

The Reward of Righteousness

Job 1:1, 2:1-16 October 4, 2015 The Reward of Righteousness? 19th Sunday after Pentecost Year B Wow, can you believe that it is October 4th already. There is a lot going on in our world today. Once again, we are dealing with another mass killing, this is starting to be a common occurence. Even right here in Chicago, Just this week, there were 4 killed and 53 others wounded by guns. Every time there is a shooting in Englewood, I get an email from the 7th district police department, Just in case it happens near the church. Just last night I heard that in Cleveland, there was a 5month baby who was shot while sitting in her car seat in her mothers car. When does it all end? What are the answers to finally bring peace to our land? Even the President expressed his frustration about the situation. And we can’t help but to ask Where is God in the midst of all of this? What does God have to say about all of this? This is a day that we cant help but to turn to our faith. October 4th is St.Francis day – st francis of assisi was a priest who taught many about the way of peace. He wrote the poem-make me an instrument of you peace. Today is also world communion Sunday –where we are reminded that Christians all over the world our in communion with Christ and with one another. I thought it was interesting that president Obama said that the united states is the only nation in the world with this level of violence against ordinary citizens. Why is there this level of hatred on our streets. For those of you who are my facebook friends, you know that in my own life, I am going through a pretty dark tunnel in life myself. I spend a lot of time asking God-why, how and when. The last time I just wanted my mommy to just come and rescue me and make it better was when I was in labor with my son. But I am calling for her everyday. So in this sermon, I am looking for my own answers. That is partly why thought we should look at the old testament today. All summer we have been looking at the wisdom lessons in the bible. Today we start the book of Job, and we will look at it for 4 weeks. I know that we all have heard about Job, but I don’t know how many of you have actually read the story in the bible. Job was a foreigner, who had everything. He had a wife and ten kids- the number of perfection. Most of them were sons. He had a big farm, many animals, he was doing really well. More importantly, he had his faith. He truly believed that he was blessed. And I am not going to make this sermon about the devil, but it was the devil who questioned his faith. Saying he is only blessed because things are going well. If you take his life away –will he still say that he is blessed. Now scholars say that Job is not a real person – that he is just a folk hero. I would not say that Job is nobody, I think he is everybody. How many of you would say that you are blessed? How many of you would say that your faith has been tested at some point in your life? All of us are grateful for what we have, but if we were to lose it all tomorrow, would we still say that we are blessed? Corrie Ten Bloom said that I have held a lot of things in my hands, and lost them all. It is only the things that I put in God’s hands that I can still hold onto. That is a message that I needed to hear- put it in God’s hands. The president says that he doesn’t have any answers to how to stop all of this violence. If you look at the story of Job, he was anything but patient. He was struggling and looking for answers. And he got a lot of answers. It must have been something that you did, why don’t you just admit that you are wrong and go on. But Job knew that he didn’t do anything wrong. And Job struggled because he knew that would not solve the problem. He was still not willing to give up his faith, and his integrity. There is one thing that all of the people who use guns to solve their problems have in common –they are convinced that they are the victim. They are hurt, and they feel that they have no choice but to hurt others. They are out of any other options. Job is an example for us, in the darkest of situations, he did not want to be victim. He turned to God so that he could be victor. We didn’t read the psalm for today, because it was not in the hymnal and I could not find a responsive reading. But many of the psalms are of hard times in a person’s life when they are standing on their faith. Psalm71 says that I am an enigma to many – an enigma is a puzzle. Many people don’t understand Job’s response to suffering. Why be faithful, when you are getting the short end of the stick. When faced with a problem –most people want answers. And sometimes in life there are no answers. There is an Asian proverb that when you are shot, you don’t need to find our the make of the bullet, or thehistory of the gun in order to heal. Anwers don’t always solve the problem. Sometimes you don’t get an answer, all you get is to respond. You can respond with hurt or you can respond with love. You can be a victim or you can be a victor. I have always had appreciation for Leslie Wheatherhead's insightful statement suggesting that after we have had a painful human experience we ought to get from that experience everything it has to teach us, because we have paid such a high price for the wisdom it seeks to impart. Being blessed is not about what you have, it is about who you are. Do you love God? Are you willing to put it in the hands of God or do you need to hold on? 1509 One Year To Live The Baltimore Sun conducted a contest, and the following poem received a prize for the best answer to the question, “What would you do if you had one more year to live?” “If I had but one year to live; One year to help; one year to give; One year to love; one year to bless; One year of better things to stress; One year to sing; one year to smile; To brighten earth a little while; One year to sing my Maker’s praise; One year to fill with work my days; One year to strive for a reward When I should stand before my Lord, I think that I would spend each day, In just the very self-same way That I do now. For from afar The call may come across the bar At any time, and I must be Prepared to meet eternity. So if I have a year to live, Or just one day in which to give A pleasant smile, a helping hand, A mind that tries to understand A fellow-creature when in need; ’Tis one with me—I take no heed. But try to live each day He sends To serve my gracious Master’s ends.” —Mary Davis Reed We don’t know what our circumstances will be next year. Wedont know about next month, or even tomorrow. We haveto take life moment by moment. Turn it over to God. and be willing to claim that you are a blessed child of God, no matter what the circumstance. Amen. Children’s Sermon Materials: A large suitcase, a purse, and a backpack. Message: Can you believe all the things we have to help us carry around supplies with us every day? It seems that we can hardly go anywhere these days without bringing something to help us carry things! How many of you ladies here today brought a purse with you? How many of you men carried a wallet? What about you children, do you carry a backpack or some type of bag with you to school every day? Even when we go on vacation to get away from it all, we certainly take a lot of things with us. Just look at the size of this suitcase. In our family we take several of these! There is no doubt about it! Wherever we go, we usually end up taking a lot of supplies with us. Even before we are old enough to carry them ourselves, our parents carry those bags of supplies! That is very different from what the Bible says our lives were like when they began and what they will be like when they are nearing an end. God says that when we came into the world we had nothing - just the bodies He had given us. When we leave the world, we will take nothing - even leaving those bodies behind to go into Jesus' presence. That reminds us that we need to be aware of what is really important in life. The most important things are not the possessions we have, or the things we can accumulate, or the house we live in, or the cars we drive. The most important things in life are inside of us: our faith in Jesus, the love we hold for our family and others, our willingness to help people who need our support. When we get to heaven, those are things that will count the most, not the things that we can see and hold onto in life but the things that are unseen - inside our hearts. FROM A MUSTARD SEED by Mark A. Hultquist Additional illustrations…… Text: Job 1:21 Job declared: Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; May the Name of the Lord be praised! Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my little apple tree and pay my debts. —Martin Luther • St. Francis of Assisi, hoeing his garden, was asked what he would do if he were suddenly to learn that he was to die at sunset that day. He said: “I would finish hoeing my garden.” It is said of Henry of Bavaria that at one time, becoming weary of court life, he determined to enter a monastery. When he presented himself to Prior Richard, the faithful monk gave him the strict rules of the order. The king listened eagerly and enthusiastically expressed pleasure at the prospect of such complete consecration. Then the prior insisted that obedience, implicit and expressed was the first requisite of sainthood. The monarch promised to follow his will in every detail. “Then go back to your throne and do your duty in the station God assigned you,” was the prior’s word to him. The king took up his scepter again, and from then until he died, his people said of him, “King Henry has learned to govern by learning to obey.” —The Treasury It is said of Henry of Bavaria that at one time, becoming weary of court life, he determined to enter a monastery. When he presented himself to Prior Richard, the faithful monk gave him the strict rules of the order. The king listened eagerly and enthusiastically expressed pleasure at the prospect of such complete consecration. Then the prior insisted that obedience, implicit and expressed was the first requisite of sainthood. The monarch promised to follow his will in every detail. “Then go back to your throne and do your duty in the station God assigned you,” was the prior’s word to him. The king took up his scepter again, and from then until he died, his people said of him, “King Henry has learned to govern by learning to obey.” —The Treasury

The Meaning of a Blessing

Genesis 32:22-31 August 3, 2014 8th Sunday after Pentecost The Meaning of a Blessing We acknowledge to You, O Lord, that You are our God, as You were the God of our ancestors, forever and ever. Rock of our life, Shield of our help, You are immutable from age to age. We thank You and utter Your praise, for our lives that are delivered into Your hands, and for our souls that are entrusted to You; and for Your miracles that are with us every day and for your marvelously kind deeds that are of every time; evening and morning and noon-tide. Thou art good, for Thy mercies are endless: Thou art merciful, for Thy kindnesses never are complete: from everlasting we have hoped in You. And for all these things may Thy name be blessed and exalted always and forevermore. And all the living will give thanks unto Thee and praise Thy great name in truth, God, our salvation and help. Selah. Blessed be Thou, O Lord, Thy name is good, and to Thee it is meet to give thanks. This is the final benediction of the amidah- the standing prayer that one should say every day. It is 19 blessings to God. It is 19 acknowledgements of what God does for us daily. In the Jewish tradition every blessing is a blessing of God. We are the ones to bless God. Blessing simply means a praise, We praise God for what he had done for us. And we can admit that God has done a lot for us. Today, I want to talk about another Jacob story. This is the story of how Jacob became Israel. The name Israel means one who strives with. But us not Jacob who strives with God, it is God who strives with Jacob. God strives with each one of us and we are all better because of it. Everytime that I hear this story –I love it more and more. This is the story of each of us –sinners who reach a point in our lives that we need God’s help to survive. To prevail over our circumstances. Jacob had finally reached the point in life – where his chickens had come home to roost. He stole a blessing from his older brother, he had spent his life running, now it was time to come home, and in order to be at home, he had to face his brother. He had ruined his brother’s life, and would his brother pay him back by ruining his. He wouldfind that our tomorrow, but tonight he encountered someone else. Some people say the stranger in the night was God, some say an angel, some say God, some even say it was leviathan, the river demon that God defeated in the creation story to bring order out of chaos. Jacob was next to a river, and there was a belief that every river had a demon that lived in it and protected the water. If you got too close to the water, then the demon would rise up and attack you. Some one attacked Jacob in the night and they fought all night. This story is in Genesis, intended to answer a lot of questions about the history of the Jews. According to the story, they do not eat meat surrounding the hip, because that was where Jacob was injured in this fight. There is a lot of symbolism and mystery in this story. Jacob fights this man all night, neither win, but neither give up. When the man is tired and ready to walk away, Jacob will not let him go until he gets a blessing. Only God can give blessings, so Jacob names the place Panuel – the face of God. We are all a lot like Jacob, we know what we have done in life, we know who we are – but all we want in life is a blessing. Someone to say that they care and that they love us. This is from a writer named Mary Ann Bird: I grew up knowing I was different. I hated it. I was born with a cleft palate. When I started school, my classmates made it clear how I looked to others. Little girl, misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, garbled speech. When schoolmates asked, 'What happened to your lip?' I'd tell them I'd fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than been born different. I was convinced nobody outside my family could love me. Then there was a teacher in the second grade we adored, Mrs. Leonard. Annually we had a hearing test. Mrs. Leonard gave the test to everybody in the class. Finally, it was my turn. I knew from past years as we stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher sitting at her desk would whisper, and we'd have to repeat it back, something like, 'The sky is blue' or 'Do you have new shoes?' I waited there for the words. God must have put in her mouth those seven words that changed my life. Mrs. Leonard said in a whisper, 'I wish you were my little girl.'" To people made ugly and twisted by sin, God whispers through Jesus, "I wish you were my little girl. I wish you were my little boy." All those blessings flow from the Cross; Blessed,blessed, blessed, blessed. It was those words of blessing that made all of the difference in the world. That is why Jacob was looking for a blessing. And the only person who could fill the hole in his soul completely was God. Jacob says I prayed, I persisted,I prevailed, and Iwas preserved. That is life for all of us. The request for a blessing was the request of a desparate man in a desparate situation. This is the story of all if humanity. We have to strive with God day by day. We wake up. Face the day and we prevail. Things are not perfect, but as long as God is with us, we have enough fight in us to deal with the day. Is it my strength that helps me to prevail, or God’ strength, it God blessing me or am I blessing God. Jacob becomes Israel because God and man went toe to toe and both prevailed. That is what it means to be blessed – to be in God’s favor. In the Jewish understanding of blessing, we bless God, in the Christian understanding God blesses us. But what does that mean. It is just a difference in focus. All things in our life come from God. So we say thank you. Christ reminds us that God blesses us, so that we can be a blessing to others. John Ortberg, a Presbyterian pastor says that the story of Jacob is important – because the people of God identified with this story. They themselves became Israel- ones who strive with God. Jacob was blessed his whole life, but he didn’t know what to do with it. He received his blessing from his dad. In those days there was only one blessing –for the oldest child. But Jacob took it. When it was time for Jacob to pass the blessing on, he gave it to all twelve of his sons. He loved them all. He even blessed his grandsons. He crossed his hands so that he could bless the younger one before the older one. Joseph assumed because his dad was blind he didn’t know what he was doing, so he uncrossed his hands. But Israel crossed his hands back – and gave the least the blessing. Jesus continues that tradition with us – which is why we are blessed. Jesus spread the blessing to all, even those who were outsiders and sinners and didn’t deserve a blessing. Through God’s grace we got it anyway. At age 16 Andor Foldes was already a skilled pianist, but he was experiencing a troubled year. In the midst of the young Hungarian's personal struggles, one of the most renowned pianists of the day came to Budapest. Emil von Sauer was famous not only for his abilities; he was also the last surviving pupil of the great Franz Liszt. Von Sauer requested that Foldes play for him. Foldes obliged with some of the most difficult works of Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann. When he finished, von Sauer walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead. "My son," he said, "when I was your age I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on the forehead after my first lesson, saying, 'Take good care of this kiss--it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play.' I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage, but now I feel you deserve it." Source Unknown. There are actually three elements to a blessing. First there is a touch, a kiss or a hug. That is why we lay hands on people- touch is a part of the blessing. Then you give positive words of encouragement, then you promise to do all you can to make the blessing a reality. – all of this is in the story – God touches his hip, God gives him a new name, and them God gives peace that surpasses all understanding so that Jacob can face the challenges of tomorrow. God blesses us, so that we can bless others. The blessing of Israel was extended to all who strive with God and who through God’s grace are able to prevail. Who have you blessed today? It is not too late – the day is still early, and there are still those in your life who need to know that they are loved. Bless someone – because you have been blessed. Here are some of the blessings promised in the bible. F.E. Marsh has enumerated some of God's blessings: An acceptance that can never be questioned. (Ephesians 1:6). An inheritance that can never be lost (I Peter 1:3-5). A deliverance that can never be excelled (2 Corinthians l:10). A grace that can never be limited (2 Corinthians 12:9). A hope that can never be disappointed. (Hebrews 6:18, 19). A bounty that can never be withdrawn. (I Colossians 3:21-23). A joy that need never be diminished (John 15:11). A nearness to God that can never be reversed (Ephesians 2:13). A peace that can never be disturbed (John 14:27). A righteousness that can never be tarnished (2 Corinthians 5:21). A salvation that can never be canceled (Hebrews 5:9). F.E. Marsh. One morning R.C. Chapman, a devout Christian, was asked how he was feeling. "I'm burdened this morning!" was his reply. But his happy countenance contradicted his words. So the questioner exclaimed in surprise, "Are you really burdened, Mr. Chapman?" "Yes, but it's a wonderful burden--it's an overabundance of blessings for which I cannot find enough time or words to express my gratitude!" Seeing the puzzled look on the face of his friend, Chapman added with a smile, "I am referring to Psalm 68:19, which fully describes my condition. In that verse the Father in heaven reminds us that He 'daily loads us with benefits.'" Source Unknown. Amen. Extra illustration…… Historically, God has always worked with people, and through people, to get things done in the world. Remember, please, that it was with the food the disciples brought to Jesus that he fed the multitude. And he didn't feed them, really; it was the disciples who did that; it was from their hands those people received that food that day. It is the way of God to use human instrumentality to accomplish his purpose. Perhaps he could by-pass the human instrumentality and get his work done without the participation of his people, but he rarely does, if ever. A story has long been told concerning a country preacher who came upon a member of his parish working in his newly-made garden alongside the road. With an air of great piousness, the preacher said, "Brother William, you ought to be very grateful to God for all the beautiful tomatoes and potatoes and beans the Lord will give you in your garden this year." Glancing up and down along neat rows of planted vegetables, Brother William slowly replied, "Yes, Parson, I suppose so, but, you know, you really should have seen this patch of ground last year when the Lord had it all by himself." Leonard W. Mann, Life-Size Living, CSS Publishing Company Children’s Sermon…… Some Things Money Can Buy, For Everything Else There's Grace by Brett Blair Passage: Isaiah 55:1-13 • Lectionary: Proper 13 Item 2 of 2 | Back to Results Exegetical Aim: God's gift of mercy is given without cost. Props: Give everyone a nickel, a dime, or a quarter. The money should work out so that the children can make the first two purchases. Additional props: Can of Sprite, a toy from a gumball machine (e.g. small deck of cards or one of those gooey toys-leave the toy in the container), a freshly cut tree branch that is budding, and a communion chalice. Optional: A small table to set the objects on while they are being sold. Lesson: Good morning. (response) How much money do you have on you this morning?(response) Everyone dig in your pocket count your money and tell me how much you've got.(response) That's not a lot. Let me give you some more. Give everyone a dime. Ok, I am the store and I brought some things with me to sell but now I don't know if you can afford them. The first thing for sell this morning is this. What is it? (can of sprite) How much is a can of sprite? (fifty cents) Does anyone have enough? (response) If no one has fifty cents suggest that some of them team up to buy it. Here is a hard question for you: Why is that can of sprite worth fifty cents? (response) The second thing for sell this morning is this. What is it? (small deck of cards) How much is the small deck of cards? (fifty cents) Does any body else have enough? (response) Suggest again that some of them team up to buy it. Why is the small deck of cards worth fifty cents?(response) The third thing for sell this morning is... What is this? (a stick) What is it worth? (nothing, it's a stick) Ok, now look a little closer. What's on the ends? (buds) What do those buds mean?(getting close to summer) It means spring is almost here. In fact this Tuesday is the first day of Spring. Now I would like to sell spring to you. How much is Spring worth? (you can't sell spring) Why not? (response) Place the chalice on the table The last thing for sell this morning is God's forgiveness. How much is God's forgiveness worth? (response) I can't sell God's forgiveness either? (response)Why not? (response) Application: You are right. And the Old Testament book of Isaiah tells us that there are things money can buy but for everything else hold up the branch there is grace. We can't buy Spring but we can enjoy it because God gives it to us. We can't buy God's Forgiveness but we can receive it because God in his mercy gives it to us. Let's Pray: Lord, we thank you for all kindness and mercy you show us. And, we thank you that there is no cost for them. They are worth more than we could pay! Amen. OT Children's Sermons, Brett Blair, ChristianGlobe Network, 2001, 0-0000-0000-1

Why are you looking up, when you should be looking in?

May 20, 2012 Ascension Sunday Acts 1:1-11 Luke 24:44-53 Why are you looking up when you should be looking in? Year B Read the Apostles Creed The apostle’s creed is written in the hymnal, but I wanted to make copies of it for each of you to keep in your bulletin graveyard. Wherever you put old bulletins – pull this out and read again. This is the ancient creed of the church. Many United Methodist churches read the creed every Sunday as a part of worship, so that people can start to store it in their hearts. Written about 100 years after Jesus was ascended by the church – it is called the apostles creed, because it is said to contain sayings from each of the 12 apostles. It is not everything that we believe – says nothing about Jesus being divine – but it is basic. The basic life of Jesus – Christmas, Easter and last Thursday. Do you remember what you were doing last Thursday – last Thursday was Ascension Day – in the bible – it is the day that Jesus ascended into heaven. The significance of the Ascension No one saw what actually happened on Easter – it remains between the father and the son. But for 40 days after, Jesus did come back to his disciples to tell them that he was okay. That is actually not a big mystery – a lot of people come back to us after they have passed away to tell us not to worry about them. But what is surprising about this story – is that Jesus made sure that everyone saw him as he ascended into heaven. Not only the disciples, but anyone who happened to be around. There is a famous painting of this event – where the disciples are gathered around, looking up – and all you can see is Jesus feet in the clouds. The word apostle means witness – someone who saw it for themselves, and has the job of telling others what they know. They saw Jesus go up into the sky for themselves, so there is no question about where he is today. Ascension can be a sad day I am sure that the day that their master left them was a sad day for them indeed. The day that Jesus left this earth, and went into heaven. Must have been sad. I get sad when I am reading through the bible, and I finish all of the gospels. No more red letters in the bible, no more words and teachings directly from Jesus. Truth be told I think Ascension Day can be a sad day for all of us – when we realize that Jesus has gone on, we get comfortable with being told what to do, with being able to follow and not having to think or be responsible. To put our lives in Jesus hands, and not have to worry about anything. The days are coming, when we will have to stop sitting in the pews listening, and we will have to start talking. The days are coming when we will have to stop worrying about what would Jesus do, and do for ourselves. When we stop listening to the story – and to be the story for ourselves. We don’t have to change today – we have one more Sunday. One thing Jesus did tell us about ascension – is that we have to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit in order to be true witnesses – but that day is coming soon – next Sunday is Pentecost. Sadness of being left alone It is sort of the sadness that we feel – on our first day of real school when we are away from our families for the first time. My mother was a single parent – so I think by kindergarten I was sort of ready to go to school. I do remember the first time my mother left me with a babysitter, who was not family. I was three, and I remember after a couple of weeks of that mess, I told me mother that she was going to have to find something else to do with her day – because was not going back to that lady. The lady was really mean to me, and all of the kids for that matter, but it was hard being away from my mother all day. She put me in the preschool next door to her job. LEAVING YOU IN GOOD HANDS The story is told of a mum who would take her son to nursery school, kiss him good bye and would always say to him "Darling, I’m leaving you in good hands, OK?" She will do this every day she takes her son to school. When the son was of age and mum was quite old now and experiencing dementia, the son took his dear mum to a care home. As he said good bye, he remembered the words of his mum when he was quite young; he then kissed her and said, "Mum I’m leaving you in good hands." His mum who could hardly remember things now because of dementia held on to his son’s hands and tears started streaming down her eyes; she remembered her own very words years ago. Jesus is just turning the table for us The good news for us is that Jesus is not leaving us alone – he realizes that it is just time to turn the tables. We have been taught, now it is time for us to teach, we have been blessed, now it is time for us to bless others, we have witnessed – now it is time for us to witness, we have been loved, now is it time for us to love. The apostles creed contains the good news for us is that everything that we need to go into an unspoken. Undeveloped future has already been given to us. The whole message of Luke is that Jesus did everything to fulfill the scriptures. He is the messiah spoken of in the scriptures. He suffered, he died, he atoned for our sins, and he has given us the gift of salvation. We have been sitting here all year listening and living the story – we know all we need to know. Jesus has done all he needs to do. We don’t need anything else than what we have to build the kingdom of God around us. Don’t You Believe in Shoes? There is a story by Hugh Price Hughes titled, “The City of Everywhere.” In this story a man arrives in a city one cold morning. As he gets off the train, he sees that the station is like any other station except for one thing everyone is barefoot. No one wears shoes. He notices a barefoot cab driver. “Pardon me,” he asks the driver, “I was just wondering why you don’t wear shoes. Don’t you believe in shoes?” “Sure we do,” says the driver. “Why don’t you wear them?” asks the man. “Ah, that’s the question,” the driver replies. “Why don’t we wear shoes? Why don’t we?” At the hotel it is the same. The clerk, bell boys, everybody is barefoot. In the coffee shop he notices a nice looking gentleman at a table opposite him. He says, “I notice you aren’t wearing any shoes. I wonder why? Don’t you know about shoes?” The man replies, “Of course I know about shoes.” “Then why don’t you wear them?” asks the stranger. “Ah, that’s the question,” says the man. “Why don’t we? Why don’t we?” After breakfast he walks out on the street in the snow but every person he sees is barefoot. He asks another man about it, and points out how shoes protect the feet from cold. The man says, “We know about shoes. See that building yonder? That is a shoe manufacturing plant. We are proud of that plant and every week we gather there to hear the man in charge tell about shoes and how wonderful they are.” “Then why don’t you wear shoes?” asks the stranger. “Ah, that’s the question,” says the man. Dr. Robert E. Goodrich told this story in his book, What’s It All About? Then he asks, “Don’t we believe in prayer? Don’t we know what prayer could mean to our lives? . . . Of course we do; we know about prayer. Then, why don’t we pray? Ah, that’s the question. Why don’t we pray? . . . Why don’t we?” Robert E. Goodrich, What’s It All About, adapted by King Duncan We have heard the story, we know the story, and we even say that we believe the story – so what is stopping us from living the story? What is stopping us from witnessing about what Christ has done for us in a way that not only changes our lives, but the lives around us? You live in Christ, but does Christ live in you? I came across an interesting question while preparing for this sermon. We all know that we live in Christ – but does Christ live in you? In your actions? Your thoughts? Your feelings? Most important your deeds? How do you know that Christ lives in you? When you know that Christ leaving is not a sad day – but a day of celebration. Jesus is not leaving you, he is just stepping out of the way so that you can have the power to live your life in the spirit of Christ. That the power of the holy spirit is going to work, in spite of my doubts, my fears, my sadness. I have told this story before, but it works here too… NO OTHER PLAN An old legend imagines Jesus arriving in heaven right after the Ascension, welcomed by all the angels. Then the angel Gabriel asks Jesus, "You suffered much, dying for the sins of mankind. Does everyone down on earth know it?" "Oh, no," replied the Savior, "just a handful of folks in Jerusalem and Galilee know about it." "Well, Master," continued Gabriel, "what is your plan for everyone to know of your great love?" The Master replies, "I asked all my apostles to carry the message into all the world. I told them to tell others, who will in turn tell others until the last person in the farthest corner has heard the story." Gabriel’s face clouds, for he spots a flaw in the plan. "What if after awhile Peter forgets, and goes back to his fishing on Galilee, also James and John and Andrew? Suppose Matthew returns to his tax booth in Capernaum, and all the others lose their zeal and just don’t tell others. What then?" After a pause comes the calm voice of the Lord Jesus, "Gabriel, I have no other plan." You are not just a part of the plan – you are the plan. You are blessed by God The most important message of the gospel lesson comes at the end. It says that Jesus walked with them as far as Bethany, and then he realized that he must depart. As he left, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And they were so happy to receive his blessing, that he went praising God forever in the temple. The word in the old testament for bless most often is baruk – but that word is used for a blessing for God. How do we bless God? Through praise and worship. The new testament adds a new element of spirituality to the meaning of blessing. The Greek use the word marakus – which means to be as happy and well as the gods in heaven. The one thing I can say about the Greek gods – they were very well indulged – they had everything. And the one thing they loved to do – was party and have a good time. Every day that Christ lives in us – is a party. When we know that we are truly blessed by God – we have an abundance of joy. That does not mean that we will not have sorrow, pain, loneliness, or sadness. It means that we have joy in our hearts and souls to get us through. We are never alone, and we can act in courage, we can witness to our hearts content. Jesus is not above us – Jesus is in us. We live in Christ and Christ lives in us. Pentecost – next Sunday is the day we receive our power – today Ascension is the day we receive our joy, our confidence, our blessing. Let us pray.

A Ship Without a Sail

Englewood UMC and Rust UMC January 9, 2011 The Baptism of the Lord Year A Isaiah 42:1-9 Matthew 3:13-17 “A Ship Without A Sail” The Baptismal Covenant I want to invite you to turn in the hymnal to page 36 – this is a part of the baptismal convenant – we are baptized with water, and the water needs to be blessed… The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us Pray… Eternal Father: when nothing existed but chaos, you swept across the dark waters and brought forth light. In the days of Noah you saved those in the ark through water. After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow. When you say your people as slaves in Egypt, you led them to freedom through the sea. Their children you brought through the Jordan to the land which you promised. Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Tell of God’s mercy each day. In the fullness of time you sent Jesus, nurtured in the water of a womb. He was baptized by John and anointed by your Spirit. He called his disciples to share in the baptism of his death and resurrection and to make disciples of all nations. Declare his works to the nations, his glory among all the people. Pour our your Holy Spirit, to bless this gift of water and those who receive it, to wash away their sin and clothe them in righteousness throughout their lives, that dying and being raised in Christ, they may share in his final victory. All praise to you, Eternal Father, through your son Jesus Christ, who with you and the holy Spirit lives and reigns forever. Amen. The importance of water Water is an important part of our lives. Most of our body is made of up of water. We can go for days without food, but we cant go for long without water. Our great lakes is the most significant source of fresh water in the entire world. It was Kenan who pointed out to me that the world is mostly made of water. He probably didn’t realize when he said that how important water is to God’s creation. Genesis and light and water If you go back to Genesis and the 8 words of creation- God’s first word was let their be light- our lesson last week was Arise and shine your light has come. The second word of creation was let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water. The third word let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear, fifth was let the waters team with living creatures. Genesis one says in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters…… Water was there before God spoke creation into being. God’s words of creation was not to create the water, it was to order the water that was already there, since the beginning of time. Water is an important part of our lives and our faith. Jesus and John the Baptist It was also an important part of Jesus’ faith. Every gospel, even John tells the story of Jesus baptism. Which is why we remember the story on the second Sunday of the year, every year. The first Sunday we remember the light, and the second Sunday we remember the importance of the water. Now I don’t know if you realize that baptism for John the Baptist was not the same as baptism for us. Purification ceremonies, cleansing ceremonies are actually a part of any religion. Before worshippers go to the mosque, they have to cleanse themselves. John the Baptist was carrying on a massive cleansing campaign, he seemed to want every Hebrew to participate. His baptism was not just a spiritual cleansing, it was also a cleansing of sins. People were coming to him to turn away from their sins, to repent and to turn to God. The Sadducees and the Pharisees were coming to him, and John, being a little rough around the edges and not always being civil with his words, says – you brood of vipers- what nerve you have to want to repent and be saved. Jesus too decides to come to him to be baptized. Each gospel writer records the story a little different. In Matthew John is surprised – why would Jesus come to him? It should be the other way around. He even refuses and Jesus insist that it must be so. Why did Jesus need to be baptized? If Jesus if the son of God, why does he need to be baptized by John? If he committed no sin, why would he need a baptism of repentance? Actually I think the real question is why is it so important for us to hear this story every year? Because from here, Jesus went out and started his ministry of salvation. In Isreal it rarely gets cold enough to snow, but there is a rainy season – from September to about April. And them the dry season is from about may to October. This baptism even had to have happen in April or May. When it was dry enough to come outside, but still wet enough for the rivers and wadis to have water in them. Before the next rainy season – Jesus was hanging on a cross according to Matthew. Some gospels say that jesus ministry lasted three years, but in matthew it was only a year. But it was the most important year of his life, because it was the year that he went out to save the world. He started to live as the servant of God. Matthew points us back to Isaiah 42 – which says here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen in whom my soul delights. God is trying to do a new things and he needs someone to bring it to the rest of the world. God’s servant is the one who is totally obedient to God’s will. And fulfill gods mission to the world. Jesus tells John that he needs to be baptized so that he can fulfill all righteousness - in other words he can fulfill the scriptures, and God’s justice for he world. Why do we need to be baptized? If jesus was baptized to be obedient to God, then we are we baptized- In the United Methodist tradition – baptism means that we are cleansed of original sin, we are intiated in the family of God, we are assigned to finish Jesus’ work. Baptism gives us permission to be faithful, obedient followers of Christ. A beautiful thing happened the day Jesus was baptized, a voice came from above saying – this is my son, beloved with whom I am well pleased. Jesus was blessed, and told that he was accepted by God. He was on the right path for his life. Some of us spend a lifetime waiting for someone to tell us they love us, that they accept us, that what we are doing what God wants us to do. The importance of being blessed The bible says that Easau spent a lifetime wandering around the desert, because he father never told him that he loved him, and that he was special, and that he would live a blessed life. His brother Jacob had stolen his blessing, and for some reason his father felt that he only had one to give. And esau didn’t get it. How many other people are out there in the world who think that they are unblessed, unloved, that they are inferior, and cursed. And as a result they feel that they have to strike out and curse others? Just because no one told that they were special and that they had a place in the family? The good news is that Jesus had a mission to tell everyone in the world that they are children of God. God loves them, they have special gifts, and that they the acceptance and permission to use them. Jesus fulfilled that mission for a year of his life, and it is up to us to fulfill that mission on our lives today. Baptism is our assurance that we have been accepted, and that we are called to accept others. Being called means that we don’t have to be discouraged or afraid to fail, god is always with us and will never give up on us, even when we give up on ourselves. Advanced Search — (click to expand) ________________________________________ ________________________________________ Welcoming Mr. Forsythe Argile Smith Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:34-43 Mr. Forsythe made his work as an elementary school principal look easy. He had a knack for managing his swarm of teachers, coaches, administrators, students, and parents so that teaching and learning could happen every school day. Even though he didn't try to rule with an iron hand, everyone seemed to have tremendous respect for him. He certainly didn't look like a top-shelf administrator. Not a tall man at all, he had a few strands of unruly gray hair on the top of his head with a little more hanging on for dear life around his hat line. A portly fellow, he cut a heavy-in-the-middle figure that would remind you of Santa Claus, and he always looked like he had been dressed by committee. Nothing he wore seemed to match really well or fit quite right. His signature accessory to his garbled wardrobe happened to be a pair of thick glasses that perched precariously on the end of his nose all the time. Mr. Forsythe had incredible power over the school. Teachers lived with the reality that he could fire and replace each one of them as he deemed necessary. Students knew that the stroke of his pen could have them imprisoned to detention, Saturday school, or worse. Parents learned that he had the clout to make things happen. Every member of the school board understood his depth of his influence in the community. But power didn't matter to him very much. The children in his school, however, meant the world to him. He cared deeply about them -- each one of them. For instance, he liked to drop by the third-grade classes and quiz the students on their multiplication tables. All third-graders should have a firm grip on everything from "two times one" to "nine times nine" as far as he was concerned. That's why he would arrange "surprise" visits to each of the third-grade classes. On a typical surprise visit, he would say to the teacher, "I dropped by to see if these students were as smart as the other third-grade classes." Then he would ask, "Would you mind if I asked a few questions?" That's when the fun would begin. He would walk down the aisles, point to a student at random, and throw out a question like, "Two times seven?" A correct answer got a hearty, "Great!" Answering incorrectly got an encouraging "you'll get it next time" reply. Up and down the aisle he would go, hurling multiplication table questions left and right. Then he would leave, thanking the teacher for allowing him to interrupt and adding so everyone could hear, "They're really smart, aren't they?" One day he made a surprise visit to a class in which Charlie sat quietly trying to deal with a toothache. Charlie came from a poor family that couldn't afford dental care. He didn't wear nice clothes either, and he knew it. In fact, Charlie spent much of his time at school trying to be invisible. To make matters worse, his tooth hurt on the very day Mr. Forsythe made one of his surprise visits his class. In usual fashion, Mr. Forsythe made his way up and down the aisle and quizzed one student after another, getting closer to Charlie with each step he took. Then he flashed the question at Charlie, "Six times nine?" Forgetting his pain for a split second, Charlie spoke up, "Fifty-four." Then Mr. Forsythe launched a follow-up query, "Nine times eight?" "Seventy-two!" Charlie shot back. "You're good." Mr. Forsythe said. Then he turned to the teacher and confirmed, "He's really good." After Mr. Forsythe left the classroom, Charlie thought about Mr. Forsythe's visit. The most powerful person in his third-grade world had just said in public that he mattered. For a while, his tooth stopped hurting, and his self-esteem healed a little too. As far as he was concerned, Mr. Forsythe could visit his classroom anytime. Jesus came, powerful yet gentle and caring. People who know Him that way always welcome Him into their lives. A young girl treasures the times with her granddad, because everyday he prays with her and for her and makes her feel important in the eyes of God. She misses her grandfather deeply when he passes away, because no one else prays for her. One day she asks her mom why she doesn’t bless her the way her grandfather did. Her mom tells her that she blesses her daughter everyday, she prays to God everyday on her behalf, but she doesn’t have to wisdom to make sure that she knows. How many of the people in our lives know that we pray for them, that we accept them, that they are important to us. Being baptized, blessed by God is not only a gift, it is a responbility. Your responsibility is to be a blessing to other people. Blessing brings responsibility When Jesus was baptized, he was given an identity, a mission and a purpose. When we are baptized we are given a mission to fulfill also. When the church forgets to stay united in its mission, when we get so caught up on ourselves, that we forget that all that we do is for the good of others, we are like a ship without a sail. Jesus mission to feed the hungry, to help the blind to see, to set the prisoners free is our mission. Our assignment throught baptism, our call to be obedient servants. God is trying to do a new thing in the world, he calls you, he accepts you, because he needs you. Let us pray…