Jesus backs our Covenant Prayer

January 4, 2025 John Wesley Covenant Service John 1:1-18 Year A Prelude Greeting Pastoral Introduction to the Covenant Renewal Service Today, we step into the footprints of giants. Nearly three centuries ago, a movement swept across England, a movement marked not by power or wealth, but by humble hearts ablaze with a holy fire. This was the Methodist movement—a revival that shook the very foundations of society, igniting a passion for holiness, justice, and devotion to God. Farmers and merchants, laborers and scholars, young and old alike gathered in homes, fields, and chapels, united by one singular cry: "Take my life, Lord, and let it be consecrated wholly to Thee." These were men and women who understood the cost of following Christ and embraced it with joy. They preached in the open air, endured ridicule, faced persecution, and yet persisted, driven by the unshakable conviction that their lives were not their own—they belonged to God. It was this commitment, this covenant with God, that fueled their courage, transformed their communities, and changed the course of history. John Wesley, the founder of this movement, knew the importance of renewal. He knew that the human heart is prone to wander, that even the most fervent soul can grow cold. And so, every New Year’s Day, he called his people together for a Covenant Renewal Service. It was a moment to remember their calling, to recommit their lives, and to declare once again, “We are Yours, Lord, wholly and completely.” Today, we gather in that same spirit. On the brink of a new year, we look back with gratitude and look forward with resolve. This is not a mere ritual or a tradition for tradition’s sake. It is a holy moment—a chance to reset, refocus, and reorient our lives around the One who gave everything for us. So let us prepare our hearts. Let us lay down our burdens, our ambitions, and our sins at the feet of Jesus. Let us, with generations of believers before us, declare our love, allegiance, and obedience to the God who has called us into His everlasting covenant. May this be a day of transformation, a day of fresh surrender, a day when heaven meets earth in the prayers of God’s people. Now, let us enter into this sacred time together, inviting the Holy Spirit to renew us, restore us, and equip us for all that lies ahead. (A John Wesley Covenant Renewal Service, Darrell Stetler II) Opening Prayer O God, Searcher of all our hearts, you have formed us as a people and claimed us for your own. As we come to acknowledge your sovereignty and grace, and to enter anew into covenant with you, reveal any reluctance or falsehood within us. Let your Spirit impress your truth on our inmost being, and receive us in mercy, for the sake of our Mediator, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (DAVID TRIPP, ENGLAND, 20TH CENT.) Song Love Came Down at Christmas UMH 242 THE INVITATION – Just print the title Dearly beloved: the Christian life, to which we are called, is a life in Christ, redeemed from sin by Christ, and consecrated to God through Christ. We have entered upon this life, having been admitted into that new covenant of which our Lord Jesus Christ is mediator, and which Jesus sealed with his own blood, that it might stand forever. On one side of the covenant is God’s promise to fulfill, in and through us, all that God declared in Jesus Christ, who is the author and perfecter of our faith. We are sure that this promise still stands, for we have known God’s goodness and proved God’s grace in our own lives day by day. On the other side, we promise to live no more for ourselves, but for Christ, who loved us even to death. He called us to serve God so that the purposes of Christ’s coming would be fulfilled. From time to time we renew our vows of consecration—especially when we gather at the Lord’s Table. But today we meet expressly, as generations of our ancestors have met, to joyfully and solemnly renew the covenant which bound them and binds us to God. ( A John Wesley Covenant Renewal Service, Daniel Stetler II) WORDS OF ASSURANCE – Just print the title This is the message we have heard from Jesus and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light, as God is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ( A John Wesley Covenant Renewal Service, Daniel Stetler II Scripture John 1:1-18 New Year Message For centuries, the new year started in March – in the springtime. That would make sense, since that is the time that nature comes back to life with new blooms, babies and green grass. It is believed that Jesus would have been born in early spring, so his birthday is in March. Originally, John Wesley celebrated his covenant service in the spring. The Roman calendar had 10 months for centuries, March was the first month. Every year there were roughly 55 days between December and March where time did not exist. It was winter and it was just too darn cold and dark to think about anything. You were just supposed to stay inside and wait for planting season. You made no plans, and kept no schedule. Finally in 700 BC, some Emporer decided to add winter to the calendar. January and February were added to the end of the calendar. That is why September which means 7th month is our ninth month. In 46 BC Julius Ceasar developed a new calendar with January and February at the beginning of the year. January become that time that you took account of your life and made resolutions. Janus is the two faced God with one eye on the past and one eye on the future. That was the time that you made plans for March and new life. February is named after the god Februa – who was a god known for cleansing the heart by destroying the old to make way for the new. So from the beginning of the calendar the new year resolutions made in January were destined to be destroyed by February. Eventually, the Christian Church stepped in and reclaimed and redefined all of the old Roman traditions. Our modern calendar was invented by Pope Gregory in 1582- with a lot of improvements like leap year to keep time on track. Catholic countries adapted the new calendar quickly. The protestant countries like the US and Britain didn’t adapt the calendar until 1752. So when John Wesley started the covenant service, it was March 25th. His first service was in 1755, and it was widely practiced by 1762. By that time it was moved to January 1st. John Wesley’s point was for us to use the spirit of January not so much to make personal plans, but to reconnect to God. To realize that our future is in God’s hands. It is not us who makes the covenant, because we are destined to break our promises. But to look the promises that God makes to us in the bible. The bible gives us countless stories where God kept God’s promise in the most questionable of circumstances. Today we say a Covenant Prayer acknowledging God’s power over our lives. The scripture for today is John 1 – a fitting scripture for the new year. It repeats the words of Genesis 1 – in the beginning was God. Only John adds Jesus to the mix. Jesus is the word that brings us grace. The new Testament means the new covenant. It is through grace of Christ that God fullfills the promise to us. Jesus words create life, so that our words create faith. John Wesley’s covenant acknowledges how grace create our future. If advent is about seeking, Christmas is about finding. Our answers to life come through prayer and preparation. And finding God in strange places. I know I have told this story before, but it fits. It is a story of a baby bear all alone playing in the snow. Unbeknown to him, there is a mountain lion stalking him. When we see the lion, he runs. He runs through the mountains, through the fields and even through the water. Finally when we reaches familiar territory he has the courage to stand up to the lion. He stands his ground and starts to roar. The mountain lion attacks and injures him. But this time he is not afraid and roars with all that he has. The mountain lion retreats and runs aways. The baby turns around and sees his father. The lion ran because of the bigger bear’s presence. The bigger bear was protecting the baby, and even licked his wounds. In the spirit of January – there is nothing wrong with making plans, resolutions and expressing hopes and dreams. When we renew our covenant with God- we know that God has our back and God will bring the future to life. Let us pray…… Children’s Sermon: “In God’s Hands” Object lesson: A soft piece of clay or Play-Doh (or a small ball of dough) Scripture connection: Romans 12:1 / John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer ________________________________________ Pastor: Good morning, friends! Have you ever made something with Play-Doh or clay? (Allow responses.) Look at this. (Hold up the clay.) Right now, it can be anything—a snake, a heart, a cross, or even a cookie! But here’s the important part: the clay doesn’t decide what it will be. It’s shaped by the hands that hold it. That’s a lot like us. A long time ago, a pastor named John Wesley wrote a very special prayer called the Covenant Prayer. In that prayer, we tell God something very important. We say: “I am no longer my own, but yours.” That means we are saying, “God, my life belongs to you.” Sometimes the prayer says things that sound a little tricky, like: • “Put me to doing” • “Put me to suffering” • “Let me be full” • “Let me be empty” But here’s what it really means—listen carefully: It means we are saying, “God, whatever happens— happy days or hard days, busy days or quiet days— I trust you.” Just like this clay trusts my hands. (Gently shape the clay into a simple heart or cross.) God promises something wonderful: When we put our lives in God’s hands, God shapes us with love, uses us to help others, and never lets us go. So when we pray the Covenant Prayer, we are saying: “God, help me love you. Help me serve you. Help me trust you.” Let’s practice together. I’ll say a line, and you repeat it after me. Call and Response: • Pastor: God, I belong to you. Children: God, I belong to you. • Pastor: Use me to love others. Children: Use me to love others. • Pastor: I trust you with my life. Children: I trust you with my life. Pastor: Friends, you are always in God’s hands— on the playground, at school, at home, and here in church. And God is shaping you into something beautiful. Let’s pray. Prayer: “Loving God, thank you for holding us in your hands. Help us trust you, follow you, and love others. We belong to you. Amen.” (ChatGPT version six) Song Go Tell it on the Mountain UMH 251 Prayer Lord’s Prayer *COVENANT HYMN – print the words Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine (quoted) (Written by Charles Wesley in 1762 for Methodism’s Covenant Service) Come, let us use the grace divine, and all with one accord, In a perpetual covenant join ourselves to Christ the Lord; Give up ourselves, through Jesus’ power, His Name to glorify; And promise, in this sacred hour, for God to live and die. The covenant we this moment make be ever kept in mind; We will no more our God forsake, or cast these words behind. We never will throw off the fear of God Who hears our vow; And if Thou art well pleased to hear, come down and meet us now. Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, let all our hearts receive, Present with Thy celestial host the peaceful answer give; To each covenant the blood apply which takes our sins away, And register our names on high and keep us to that day! Stewardship Moment Radiant God, the light of your wisdom and love shines for all who seek you, guiding us not with force, but with grace. Like the magi, we come bearing gifts, not to earn your favor, but in response to the gift of Christ you’ve given us. Use these offerings to reflect your light into dark places, so that others might be drawn to your love, your justice, and your joy. Keep us faithful in our seeking, generous in our sharing, and willing to be led wherever your star shines next. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Matthew 2:1-12) (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) THE COVENANT: (Congregation please stand) And now, beloved, let us bind ourselves with willing bonds to our covenant God, and take the yoke of Christ upon us. This means that we are heartily content that Christ appoint us our place and work, and that Christ alone will be our reward. Christ has many services to be done. Some are easy, others are difficult; some bring honor, others bring reproach; some are suitable to our natural inclinations and temporal interests, others are contrary to both. In some, we may please Christ and please ourselves; in others, we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. Yet the power to do all these things is assuredly given us in Christ, who strengthens us. Let us engage our heart to the Lord, and resolve in God’s strength never to go back. Being thus prepared, let us now, in sincere dependence on God’s grace and trusting in God’s promises, yield ourselves anew to Christ. (A John Wesley Covenant Renewal Service, Daniel Stetler II) THE COVENANT PRAYER I am not my own self-made, self-reliant human being. In truth, O God, I am Yours. Make me into what You will. Make me a neighbor with those whom You will. Guide me on the easy path for You. Guide me on the rocky road for You. Whether I am to step up for You or step aside for You; Whether I am to be lifted high for You or brought low for You; Whether I become full or empty, with all things or with nothing; I give all that I have and all that I am for You. So be it. And may I always remember that you, O God, and I belong to each other. Amen. (Rev. Jeremy Smith, HackingChristianity.com) Communion Page 13 – Don’t need to print May the Lord be with you. And also with you. May your hearts be lightened and filled with God’s love! We lift up our hearts and praise God above. Let us give thanks to the Lord, God our Father. We thank God and praise Him – it isn’t a bother! It is right and good-ful; holy and wonderful; blessed and joyful; To give thanks to you God, Almighty and faithful. For it’s you that has given us this worship time, Filled with laughter, some holy humor and rhyme. It’s you that has shown us your holy love, That you have sent from heaven high up above. And so, with your angels who first sang your song, We proclaim your goodness by singing along: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven is filled with your marvelous glory; Earth is filled with your light. Blessed is he who comes in your name – “Hosanna on high!” we loudly proclaim. Holy God, it’s your Son we remember today, Jesus Christ, the anointed, whom we try to obey. He encouraged the poor and freed the oppressed, And taught us that you care about the distressed. Through his suffering, death, and resurrection, He taught that Your grace beats out our imperfection. He ascended to Heaven and sits there beside you, But still remains with us in all that we do. On the night he was taken, he lifted some bread, He blessed it, and broke it, and here’s what he said: “Dear friends, this is my body to you that I give. Take it; share it: in you I will live. From now on, whenever, wherever you meet Remember our time when this bread here you eat.” When supper was over, he then took the cup, With praise and thanksgiving he lifted it up: “For the New Covenant, this is my blood; A sign of the Lord’s continuing love. For God has forgiven your every mistake, So trust in God’s love when this drink you partake.” May we offer ourselves for God’s greater glory, And proclaim what we know of this fabulous story: Christ Jesus: he died, but then rose again! He’ll return here on earth: Hallelujah! Amen. Holy Spirit, come down on us gathered here, With this bread and this fruit of the vine please appear. Make holy this food, fill us with your grace, So we proclaim gospel to the whole human race. We love you, Lord Jesus, we’ll shout out again Your glory and honor: Amen and Amen! (Allie Scott, HackingChristianity.com Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go now, beloved, as people bound by the covenant of grace, redeemed by Christ, and empowered by the Spirit. May your hearts remain steadfast, your hands ready for service, and your lives reflect the light of God’s love. Walk boldly into this new year, knowing that the One who calls you is faithful and will strengthen you for every step. Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction

Everlasting Promise

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

What is so special about Rainbows

February 21, 2021 First Sunday of Lent Genesis 9:8-17 What’s so special about rainbows? Year B Opening Song Call to Worship (Psalm 25) We trust in you, O God, for you are faithful. Show us your ways and teach us your paths. We wait for you. Lead us in your paths of truth. Do not remember our failures. Out of your merciful grace, forgive us. You are faithful, O God. Your love is steadfast. We lift up our souls to you, and praise you always. Welcome Opening Prayer The season of Lent is here again and, as with so many times before, we find that we are not really ready for this journey of discipleship. So many things claim our lives and prevent us from being ready to take the steps in faith. As we look at our barrier of readiness, help us to remember that Christ is with us, every step of the way. We are not alone. Christ will help lift our hearts and spirits and direct our paths. Enable us, loving Savior, to take this journey of faith to new life with you. AMEN. Stewardship Moment As we begin this Lenten season, we have a golden opportunity to use these weeks to re-order our priorities. As a congregation, we’re enthusiastic about ________________________ (name your particular focus). If you don’t have something already in place, consider making copies of the Simple Living/Alternatives calendar (from above) available, with encouragement for each person to creatively use a few minutes every day to focus on this daily stewardship. Prayer of Thanksgiving We are called to share the gifts God has given to us with the people of God. So in this Lenten season, let us offer what we have for our neighbors (both near and far), and for building up the Realm of God on earth. God of mercy and grace, thank you for this time of sharing our gifts and resources while we mark this season’s beginning. May your Realm continue to come near even as we daily seek to repent and believe in the good news which Jesus proclaimed. AMEN Offertory Prayer Righteous God, we mark these early days in the Lenten journey with reminders of your covenant with your people. In your judgement, you sent upon creation the great flood – yet you saved a faithful remnant. You followed with a covenant not to use the flood again. As we prepare to offer our gifts to you, we are reminded that we have been spared from judgment by the one, your son, our Savior, who took on our guilt and bore our judgement. May gratitude for his sacrifice move us to offer not only money, but our whole being. In Christ, we pray. Amen. (Genesis 9:8-17) Special Music Scripture Genesis 9:8-17 Common English Bible 8 God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “I am now setting up my covenant with you, with your descendants, 10 and with every living being with you—with the birds, with the large animals, and with all the animals of the earth, leaving the ark with you.[a] 11 I will set up my covenant with you so that never again will all life be cut off by floodwaters. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I am drawing up between me and you and every living thing with you, on behalf of every future generation. 13 I have placed my bow in the clouds; it will be the symbol of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember the covenant between me and you and every living being among all the creatures. Floodwaters will never again destroy all creatures. 16 The bow will be in the clouds, and upon seeing it I will remember the enduring covenant between God and every living being of all the earth’s creatures.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I have set up between me and all creatures on earth.” Sermon – What’s So Special about Rainbows? My favorite song about rainbows is the Muppet movie – where Kermit sings, why are there so many songs about rainbows. The rainbow connection is a wonderful song about love, beauty, and a belief that one day we will all live in harmony. I think that is what rainbows mean for many of us – harmony and living together. And Kermit was singing a question that people have asked since the beginning of time. What is it that fascinate about us about rainbows. Almost every culture in the world has created songs and myths of why rainbows are in the sky. The aboriginal people in Australia believe that in dream time – the time of the creation of the world- that the rainbow serpent created everything. The native Americans believe that the great father used a rainbow to create the world. The canannites believed that the rainbow was a sign of war. The rainbow was God’s bow that he laid in the sky to signify that he was prepared to fight and that there would be war and fighting somewhere in the world. Actually this is the story that Noah and his generation would have grown up with. Their God Yahweh was a war God, and he protected them by winning battles. Last week we heard of the Chariot of Fire – a sign of destruction used in war. This week we hear of the bow. The bow was a sign of his strength and his ability to defeat others. In every generation, there is an indestructible weapon used to show God’s favor for those on his side. Thor had his hammer, Zeus had a thunder bolt, Poseidon had his trident, King Arthur had a sword, even cupid had his bow and arrow Now we have crosses and rainbows to fight our battles. Rainbows did not give you a warm fuzzy feeling of harmony – but it scared you, worried you . In those days,you took it as a sign that things were about to get serious. And you needed to be prepared. Perhaps it was this feeling of something bad to come that made Noah start building the ark. We know the story from here – of Noah building the ark and gathering his family and all of the animals and sailing the world – as God destroyed everything in a great flood. We tell that story on the first Sunday of lent because our theme for the next six weeks will be the promises of God. God made some very important promises to the fathers of faith in the Hebrew bible. His first promise to us was in the form of a rainbow. I think it is interesting that the Noah story is in the book of Genesis. In the scheme of things, this is a part of the original creation story. As soon as the world was created and man came to understand their place in creation, man started to ruin creation with sin. Within a few years, man was out of control, doing what we wanted, destroying what we wanted, totally oblivious to ourselves and to the world and to the one who created us in God’s image. Not knowing what else to do, but to kill us and start all over again. We get the story of Noah and the flood. There is a wonderful midrash about Noah having to leave his friends behind, and crying as he had to watch them die in the flood, while he and his family was safe in the ark. Obviously, after the flood was over, - Noah must have shared his grief with God. He must have defended his friends, even though they did not care about their relationship with God- they were still people, they still has a life, they still were wonderful friends, and they did not deserve to die – without a chance to know why they were being destroyed, and particularly without a chance to change. God agreed – and put a rainbow in the sky – explaining that what was once an ominous sign – is now a sign of hope. God’s promise was not only to Noah, not only to people, it was a promise to all of creation. Scripture says “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and all your descendents after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals. Speaking of rainbows, we have all heard that leprechauns had access the pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. No one has ever made it to the end of the rainbow. And if they did, the leprechaun’s job is to trick you into giving it up and forgetting you ever found it. But anyway – the big point of our scripture is that this promise is not just to us – to all flesh. God does not care about us, but about all of flesh. Lent is about us learning to love the things that God loves, and getting in touch with all of life, to not be so concerned about our needs, but the needs of all of the things that are important to God. I think that is the importance of this story of destruction being so close to the story of creation. The sin that God was concerned about eliminating was us developing our lives outside of nature. We have developed and eat foods which are made in a laboratory and not in the ground, we drive cars, and live in houses which are destroying the environment. We use everyday products with no regard for how others are affected by those products. I learned this year that there is a garbage heap the size of Texas swirling around in the Altantic Ocean – this heap is filled with water bottles and other debris that people just carelessly through away with no regard for where they end up. How does God get our attention, and help us realize that our actions are wrong, hurtful and need to be changed? God’s first promise to all flesh was that we would never be destroyed for our wrongdoing. Lent is a chance for us to think about our actions and how they affect others. A chance for us to put our relationship with God first again, and to remember to care about the things that God cares about. To think about how we are connected to all flesh, and all nature. And even in our modern day living - to take that relationship seriously. God made a promise to us – what promises have we made to God in return. Lent is about self denial – but it is also about relationship, about promises, about grace, and about our response to grace. Lent is a promise that darkness will turn into light, that death will turn into life, that winter will turn into spring, that tough times will turn into happy times. It is God’s ways of getting our attention, of reminding us that our lives have been spared, a request that when things finally do change, that you change too. It is God’s request that you not return to the old habits, the hurtful ways, the insensitivity to how you actions were affecting others. That when good times return – that you will be a better person because of it. I don’t know what you have planned for the lent season- whatever you do – all God asks is that you learn something. Something about yourself, something about the world, something about God, Something about God’s plan for you. My favorite rainbow story is the Norse belief that a rainbow is the bridge between heaven and earth. The only ones who can cross the bridge are the righteous. I also bet you didn’t know that no one can see the same rainbow. A rainbow – a reflection is only visible in the eye of the beholder – it is not something that you can reach out and touch in reality. So the rainbow that I see if not the rainbow that you see – or you see. It is God’s gift to each of us, and God speaks to each of us in many different ways. During this Lenten season – look for your rainbows, and know that God’s words for you are not far behind. We are about to enter a season where we will see a lot of water, so there will be a lot of rainbows. Rainbows are our chance to remember the promises of God: I will be with you, I will make you a people, I will give you salvation, I will hear your prayers, I will give you strength, and the list goes on. My cousin says that God’s promise to her was that there will never be a mouse in her house. A 7 year old was kidnapped, but the boy kept singing gospel music so the kidnapper released the boy. The mother was overjoyed, she said God promised to never forsake her. What promises has God made in your life? Lent is a time to reflect on the promises of God that sustain us. But we also have to remember that the covenant of God goes both ways. What promises have we made to God? The power of a promise. Some of you know about the power of a promise kept. You saw it in your parents’ marriage. You’ve seen it in your own spouse. You’ve seen it in the faithfulness of good friends. Some of you have experienced it in those dark hours when you most needed God’s power and you discovered God was there. God is a promise keeper. Willie’s mother was right when Willie was returned to her unharmed. God keeps His promises. And He doesn’t need a rainbow to remind Him of His promise: “I will never forget you nor forsake you. I am Abba, Daddy, and I love you more than any earthly parent ever could.” That is what the cross is all about. The rainbow may be a reminder to God, but the cross is the reminder to us that God so loved the world that He gave His son for us. Prolific author Lewis Smedes once wrote something that ought to be engraved on every Christian’s heart. It goes like this: “Somewhere people still make and keep promises. They choose not to quit when the going gets rough because they promised once to see it through. They stick to lost causes. They hold on to a love grown cold. They stay with people who have become pains in the neck. They still dare to make promises and care enough to keep the promises they make. I want to say to you that if you have a ship you will not desert, if you have people you will not forsake, if you have causes you will not abandon, then you are like God. “What a marvelous thing a promise is! When a person makes a promise, she reaches out into an unpredictable future and makes one thing predictable: she will be there even when being there costs her more than she wants to pay. When a person makes a promise, he stretches himself out into circumstances that no one can control and controls at least one thing: he will be there no matter what the circumstances turn out to be. With one simple word of promise, a person creates an island of certainty in a sea of uncertainty. When you make a promise, you take a hand in creating your own future.” (4) What are the promises you have made in your life? Have you kept them? If you haven’t God’s grace is sufficient for you. That is His promise and that promise will never fail. But I hope you are working on being a promise-keeper, just as God is a promise-keeper. I guarantee you that if you will, the world will be better for it. Prayer of Confession We have lists of things to do, for all the areas of our lives. Our lives are so time bound and duty bound that we feel imprisoned in them. Now we are challenged by Christ to take a journey of discipleship. We don't feel ready for this journey. We need more time. And we complain and cry about how much we have to do. Forgive us, Lord, when we place so many "duties" in the path to serving you. Reset our priorities so that we will be ready to commit our lives in your service. Lord, help us to be ready when you call us. Help us to courageously answer the summons you bring. Let us place our trust in you in all things. AMEN. Assurance of Pardon Loving, Creating God, you are in covenant with your people. You have pledged to be our God and ask us to be your people, trusting in you in all our ways. But we find many excuses to prevent us from really trusting you. We erect barriers before our faith journey even begins. Our time, obligations, energy, all become part of the bricks and mortar which fashion this barrier. We can give lip service to the journey; we can daydream about what it would be like to truly place our hands in yours and follow you. But when it comes to actually making the journey, our time constraints and weak commitments loom largely before us. Help us to tear down this barrier. Make us ready for the journey by replacing the fear in our hearts with a sense of joy and challenge of self-discovery and discipleship. Remind us that in service to you, helping others, we will also find our selves made more fully whole. As we have spoken the names of our friends, and family members, and others situations in which healing and comfort are needed, let us remember that we, too, stand in need of prayer and healing. Make us ready to receive your good news and then to be witnesses to your love to all your people. AMEN. Song of Reflection Blessed Assurance UMH 369 Announcements Benediction The first step on the journey, that of readiness, is one of the hardest. We keep thinking that we have forgotten something. God has called you by name, to this journey. You will have all that you need. Go in peace, and know that God is going with you. AMEN. Children’s Sermon Object: Ribbons tied into bows. Lesson: Covenant; God's care. This morning I need all of you to help me understand a verse of scripture. It's from the ninth chapter of Genesis, verse 13. It says, I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When God said to Noah, "I have set my bow in the clouds," what kind of 'bow' did God mean? Was it the kind of bow you shoot arrows with? The eight girls and one small boy seated on the chancel steps grin at my silliness and shake their heads to indicate no. Was it the kind of bow some folks wear in their hair, like these? I point to the pink ribbons I've tied to the ends of my braids for this discussion. Again the heads shake no, while some of the children say, "No!" with a giggle attached. Was it the kind of bow Stephanie has tied in her shoelaces? The children now eye Stephanie's feet, then assure me it wasn't that kind of bow either. No? You all keep saying, 'No!' Well, then, what kind of bow was it? A rainbow!" says one little girl triumphantly. Why did God set a rainbow in the clouds? I'll give you a hint -- it was after forty days and nights of rain. To let Noah know the rain had stopped?" one of the children states with a question in her voice. "Yes, and to let Noah know that never again would God destroy everything on the earth with a flood. The rainbow was the sign of an agreement between God and all of creation, a sign that said, 'I will remember my agreement with you whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, because I love you.' It rained on Friday. Did anyone see a rainbow that day? No? Why not? Did the sun ever come out on Friday?" Several children shake their heads indicating a negative response. "The sun never came out on Friday. The sky was cloudy all day, from before the sun came up until after the sun went down. Does that give you a hint about why there were no rainbows?" "Because there was no sun?" comes a tentative, questioning response. Right, because there was no sun! We have to have sunlight in order to have rainbows. Do any of you know what clouds are made of? I ask with an abrupt change of direction. "Rain!" says one of the children emphatically. Yes, I agree, clouds are made up of little drops of water. And when the sunlight shines though them what do we get? "A rainbow!" several of the children declare. That's right. Now, who made the sun, and the clouds, and the rain, and all of creation? "God did," they answer. So, if we have to have sunlight and droplets of water to make rainbows and God made the sun and the rain, I guess it must be God who makes rainbows, just as we read in the verse from Genesis. Now, once again, what is the rainbow a sign of? "God's agreement with Noah?" Yes, but not just with Noah. It's a sign of God's agreement or covenant with every living creature on the earth. It's a sign God made to remind all of us that never again would God destroy everything with a flood. And it is one of the many ways God has of saying, 'I made you and I love you.' CSS Publishing Company, Inc, Cows In Church, by B. Kathleen Fannin Additional Illustrations

The Stars Align

January 3, 2020 Matthew 2:1-12 John Wesley Covenant Service The Stars are Aligning Epiphany Sunday Opening Song Welcome This is communion Sunday as well as the Sunday where we renew our covenant with God. Opening Prayer O God, Searcher of all our hearts, You have formed us as a people and claimed us for your own. As we come to acknowledge your sovereignty and grace, And to enter anew into covenant with you, Reveal any reluctance or falsehood within us. Let your Spirit impress your truth on our inmost being, And receive us in mercy, for the sake of our Mediator, Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen. Stewardship Moment Leader: Let us gathered here before the Lord now in covenant commit ourselves to Christ as his servants. Let us give ourselves to Him so that we may fully belong to Him. Jesus Christ has left us with many services to be done. Some of these services are easy and honorable, but some are difficult and disgraceful. Some line up with our desires and interests, others are contrary to both. In some we please both Christ and ourselves, but then there are other works where we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. Jesus Christ, we offer You this prayer: People: Let me be Your servant. Let me follow your commands. I will no longer follow my own desires. I give myself completely to your will. Scripture Matthew 2:1-12 Coming of the magi 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. 4 He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.”[a] 7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” 9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route. Sermon The Stars are Aligning So the Christmas Star has come and gone. Saturn does not rise above the horizon, and Jupiter is not really close to the horizon. Of course lately there has been so much cloud cover that you wouldn’t be able to see it anyway. I am looking forward to the spring able to see in the sky. Even Venus is beyond the horizon now, It has been really cool to live in a house that is facing the eastern sky. I just open my front door and the sun, the moon, and anything else that rises in the sky is right there. Everyday morning, afternoon or night there is some heavenly body right there waving at me. Sometimes I truly feel that God is putting on a show meant just for me to see it. That must have been how the magi in Matthew 12 felt. The heavens were speaking with a message just for them. There had been a general feeling that a special king was due to be born. This king would be different, because he would bring change, not just to one land, but to the whole world. This star that they saw was the message for them that the king was here. That was the story of how they ended up in Bethlehem on the doorstep of Mary and Joseph one day. They bought gifts for their new baby. Not practical things that struggling new parents could use – but gold, frankinscense, and myrhh. It is believed that the story of the magi originates in numbers 22-24 when a foreign king blesses the people of Israel. And Psalm 72 speaks of a king that is coming to Israel, and nations from all over will come and bring his gifts because not only does he take care of the people of Israel, he takes care of people in all nations. So if gold, frankinscense and myrhh are a bit much for a baby, seriously, what do you give to a baby that literally has everything? This baby was not just any normal king. This is the son of God. a baby that was present at the creation of everything in heaven and earth. Perhaps the stars followed him because God put each star in the sky one at a time. Jesus was not just the messiah of all in this world – but he is the messiah of the whole universe even the planets and the stars. Here on earth, we place a high value on precious metals like gold, silver and platinum. We place a high value on precious jewels, which is why they are gifts for a king. Many believe that the precious metals that we find on earth are really dust that fell from stars that burned out and exploded. So this baby didn’t really need stardust as a gift, he already had it as king of the universe. Seriously, what gifts do you bring to a baby that has everything? Well his request of us is that we give him everything – everything that we are. Not only does he ask for our gifts, but he also asks for our service, our loyalty, our hearts. Everything that we are – Jesus asks of us. We are made of the same elements as the stars. The divine spark that moves the stars, also moves us and our lives. Our everything is worth a lot –in the hands of God it is worth much more. Christ came to the earth to gather us together as a family, as the children of God, to do the work of God The king works to take care of all nation, based on our gifts – the gift of our heart. The message of this passage is not so much about how God moved the stars to guide the wise men to the doorstep of Jesus. The message was that Jesus was able to unite the hopes of dreams of the Israelites with the hopes and dreams of people of distant lands. Strangers came knocking on the door and they became friends. We are all God’s children – where ever we are in the world. Through Jesus we are able to be united at one. One of my colleagues, Ron Graham put this poem on facebook. I thought it was a great way to end. Names Carl Sandburg There is only one horse of the earth and his name is All Horses. There is only one bird in the air and his name is All Wings. There is only one fish in the sea and his name is All Fins. There is only one man in the world and his name is All Men. There is only one woman in the world and her name is All Women. There is only one child in the world and the child's name is All Children. There is only one Maker in the world and His children cover the earth and they are named All God's Children Let us pray. Prayer Of Thanksgiving Let us give thanks for all of God’s mercies. O God, our Covenant Friend, You have been gracious to us through the years of our lives. We thank you for your loving care, Which has filled our days and brought us to this time and place. You have given us life and reason, and set us in a world filled with your glory. You have comforted us with family and friends, and ministered to us through the hands of our sisters and brothers. You have filled our hearts with hunger after you, and have given us your peace. You have redeemed us, and called us to a high calling in Christ Jesus. You have given us a place in the fellowship of your Spirit and the witness of your church. You have been our light in darkness and a rock of strength in adversity and temptation. You have been the very Spirit of joy in our joys And the all-sufficient reward in our labors. You remembered us when we forgot you. You followed us even when we tried to flee from you. You met us with forgiveness when we returned to you. For all your patience and overflowing grace. Song for Reflection - O God our Help in Ages Past Jesus asks for our everything – everything that we are is a gift from God. We are all children of God – we are all called to fulfill Jesus mission of salvation for all. We have to make that step for ourselves. John Wesley did not take that step for granted. We have to constantly be aware of our relationship, he invited us to think every year about our service, our gifts our hearts. Take the covenant before we take communion. Each have a copy so that you can keep it with you all year and review it in your personal study time. John Wesley Covenant John Wesley Covenant Service Commit yourselves to Christ as his servants. Give yourselves to him, that you may belong to him. Christ has many services to be done. Some are easy and honorable, Others are more difficult and disgraceful. Some are suitable to our inclinations and interests, Others are contrary to both. In some we may please Christ and please ourselves. But then there are other works where we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. It is necessary, therefore, that we consider what it means to be a servant of Christ. Let us, therefore, go to Christ, and pray: Let me be your servant, under your command. I will no longer be my own. I will give up myself to your will in all things. Amen. Communion Announcements Benediction May our God, who establishes covenant relationship with those who seek to enter the Kingdom, be with you always. May Jesus Christ, who seals the new covenant with his blood on the cross, bring you peace. May the Holy Spirit guide your life both now and for ever. Go in peace to serve the Lord! Please Put this on the back of the bulletin John Wesley’s Covenant Service Christ will be the savior of none but his servants. He is the source of all salvation to those who obey. Christ will have no servant except by consent; Christ will not accept anything except full consent to all that he requires. Christ will be all in all, or he will be nothing. Confirm this by a holy covenant. To make this covenant a reality in your life, consider these admonitions: 1) Set apart some time, more than once, to be spent alone before the Lord; In seeking earnestly God’s special assistance and gracious acceptance of you; In carefully thinking through all conditions of the covenant; In searching your heart whether you have already freely given your life to Christ; Consider what your sins are. Consider the laws of Christ, how holy, strict, and spiritual they are, and whether you, after having carefully considered them, are willing to choose them all. Be sure you are clear in these matters, see that you do not lie to God. 2) Be serious and in spirit of holy awe and reverence. 3) Claim God’s covenant, rely upon God’s promise of giving grace and strength, So that you can keep your promise. Trust not in your own strength and power. 4) Resolve to be faithful. You have given to the Lord your heart, you have opened your mouth to the Lord and you have dedicated yourself to God. With God’s power, never go back. 5) Be then prepared to renew your covenant with the Lord. Fall down on your knees, lift your hands toward heaven, open your heart to the Lord, Covenant Prayer Lord, make me what you will. I put myself fully into your hands: Put me to doing, put me to suffering, Let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, Let me be full, let me be empty, Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and with a willing heart give it all to your pleasure and disposal. Your Signature: Children’s Sermon Object: Large silver star stickers Good morning, boys and girls. (It may be appropriate to say a few words about the meaning of Advent or Epiphany.) One of the most interesting and familiar stories about what happened at the birth of the baby Jesus is told to us by Matthew. It is the story about a special star and of a group of men who were led by it to where the young child was. We even sing a song about these men. Who knows the name of the song? (Response -- "We Three Kings.") The three men were known as Magi. They were followers of a man named Zoroaster, and they were astronomers. Can you tell me what an astronomer is? (Response -- You may get some guesses but someone will say it's someone who studies the stars.) These men were wise. They not only studied the stars, they also studied the writings of the prophets. They knew that a new leader was to be born to Israel, and they wanted to come and worship him. When they followed their special star, do you know what happened? (Response.) Yes, it led them right to the place where Jesus was, and they presented very precious gifts to him out of their joy and respect. We may not have special stars in the sky to lead us to Jesus today, but we can find our way to him, too. The Bible tells us all about who Jesus was and is, and what He did when He came into the world. We can come to him in faith and receive him as the King of our lives today, even as wise men did so many centuries ago. (Prayer to encourage us to seek Jesus in our lives today.) (Give them a star to remind them of the Wise Men and the star of Bethlehem.) CSS Publishing Company, Let The Children Come, by Robert B. Lantz Additional Illustrations