Fruit from the Tree of Life

May 22, 2022 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 Fruit from the Tree of Life 6th Sunday of Easter Year C Opening Song Welcome Introit Call to Worship Many: Let the Creator be home among us One: In our hearts, may God be welcome Many: May God’s love shape our every thought One: May our actions lead to God’s justice Many: May our words be words of life One: May God’s Spirit lead us Many: May God’s peace dwell within us All: Amen. ( Michael Anthony Howard – UCC Worship Ways) Song Shall We Gather at the River UMH 723 Spotlight on Volunteers Prayer of Illumination Bountiful God, you gather your people into your realm, and you promise us food from your tree of life. Nourish us with your word, that empowered by your Spirit we may love one another and the world you have made, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America website) Scripture Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 Sermon Fruit from the Tree of Life A Sunday School teacher asked her students where God lived. After the usual answers of heaven and in my heart, Bobby spoke up and said, “God lives in the bathroom at our house!” “Why the bathroom?” inquired the teacher. “I don’t know,” replied Bobby. “I only know that my Dad gets up every morning and beats on the bathroom door where my sister is taking forever to get ready for school and exclaims, ‘My God, are you still in there?’ God lives in the bathroom at our house.” Where does God live at your house? Is He on the front porch looking in or locked in the bathroom trying to get out? That is a good question for all of us to think about. And of course the easy answer is that God lives in heaven. So we also have to ask ourselves, Where is heaven. Is heaven a place, a time, a feeling? Revelations 21-22 is John’s vision of heaven. We don’t get to read all of his description of a perfect cubed city with 12 gates, three on each sides each door designed with fine jewels. It is a shining light. With a river running through it, no sea – because sea causes trouble and sin, but a tree of life so big that it is on both sides of the river. The doors are open all of the time. The book of revelation is a series of visions designed not to tell the future, but to address the present situation of the people. Chapters 21-22 are the end of the book, with John’s last vision of a new heaven and a new earth. It is not a vision where we are taken up into the sky one person at a time, and all of the bad people are left behind. There is not a judgement day where the good people get to come and all of the bad people are condemned to hell. In John’s heaven the gates are open 24/7 with no need to ever close them. People can come in any time, and there is no St. Peter standing at the pearly gate. John says that those who are sinners have no desire to enter. John was desperately trying to give hope to the present situation. He was trying to point out that our problems will be solved in a time and a place. Not always our time and place, but eventually. He is pointing out that God’s presence will solve all of our problems. In New Jerusalem, there is no church to go to – the whole city is the church. There is no sun, God’s light is our light to see clearly night never comes. The tree of live produces a different crop every month to take care of all of our needs. And it produces leaves to heal the nations – there is no war, no oppressions, on border disputes. In heaven we can all live whole and complete. What is it that we all need to feel whole and complete right now? Many years ago when I was going to prep school in Milwaukee, the students loved to walk past a nearby factory from which often emanated some simply wonderful smells. The factory made a product whose name seemed to perfectly fit the heavenly aromas that would occasionally fill the atmosphere of the neighborhood. The factory made Ambrosia Chocolate! For a chocolate lover like myself, there could be no better name for such a delectable food. You see, in ancient Greek mythology ambrosia was the name of the food of the gods! I remember years ago there was a part of the west side that smelled like chocolate because of the brach factory, and in forest park where the ferrerra candy company there is a pleasant smell all of the time. But how does one know that something is "heavenly"? I don't know of anyone who has been to heaven and come back to tell about it. Yet when we find a food that tantalizes our taste buds, we are not afraid to pretend that we know all about heaven. An exquisite piece of chocolate, a luscious slice of our favorite fruit pie, or a bite of tender steak ... what else could we possible call them? They must be ambrosia, food fit for the gods! We can find a little glimpse of heaven in various places in our lives. Where is heaven? Heaven is where the waters of baptism are poured and the name of God is spoken. Heaven is where the body and blood of Jesus are offered in bread and wine. Heaven is where the guilty are released from their deadly past through the granting of forgiveness. Heaven is where the stranglehold of death and hopelessness is broken. When enemies embrace, when spouses reconcile, when neighbors are neighborly, when victims refuse to get even, when the powerful offer to serve instead of demanding that they be served, there is heaven. There is one more thing that must be noted in the vision in Revelation. John saw “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” This suggests that we can have Heaven on earth to a certain degree when Christ lives and rules in our hearts. It will not be perfect, for there is always sin on earth, but the joys of Heaven can continue to increase on earth among those who hold Christ in their hearts. He keeps changing their lives into more and more of his likeness. This is what the Lord’s Prayer means when we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we mean what we pray, something of God’s heaven is let down on earth in our hearts. The Holy Spirit brings this to pass. Paul put it this way in the Bible, “If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” The C.S.S. Publishing Compa, RENEWAL OF THE NEW, by John R. Brokhoff A survivor of the 1989 airplane crash near Sioux City, Iowa, said, surprised that she was still alive, “Here I was, sitting on the edge of eternity.” But aren’t we all sitting on the edge of eternity every day of our lives? I believe that there is a time and a place where we will all see God more clearly. One of the promises of John’s heaven is that we will all see the face of God. The bible gives stories of how no one can see the face of God on earth. What a priviledge. But the journey to heaven begins right here in our hearts. There once was a very unhappy old man. For him, things were never right and, thus, he grumbled quite a bit. He complained that he had to get up in the morning, and when nightfall came it was too soon. He complained when he had to work, but found it boring when he did not work. He talked about how people paid insufficient attention to him, yet when others spoke to him he seemed annoyed or irritated. He hated it when it rained and found the sun too hot when it shined. In winter, he longed for the summer and in summer for the fall. All-in-all the old man was miserable. One day he stopped at a fruit stand, but things there were no better. He found some of the fruit was too ripe and the rest was not ripe enough. He left, disgusted, but as he did, the fruit seller said, "I wish you new eyes, sir, child eyes." "New eyes," thought the old man as he walked away. "I have never used glasses; my vision has never been sharper." A week later, he again stopped at the fruit stand. The fruit seller had the fruit he didn't want and did not have the fruit he wanted. As he was leaving the fruit seller said, "I wish you kingdom eyes, sir." "Kingdom eyes?" This puzzled the old man. But no matter, he was busy, and thus let it pass. Sometime later, the man stopped at the fruit stand once again. It was, however, the same old story. Everything he didn't want and nothing he wanted; some things overripe and others not ripe enough. And as he left the fruit seller told him, "I wish you treasure-hunting eyes, sir." The man was perplexed at the comment, not knowing what the seller was saying. In spite of himself, the old man began to think about what the fruit seller had been saying to him. What did he mean by new eyes, child eyes, kingdom eyes, and treasure-hunting eyes? The next time he went to the stand, he pressed the fruit seller to to explain. "Well, you see," the fruit seller began, "one day there was a stranger in town. He spoke of many things, but a few things really stuck in my head. He spoke of the kingdom of God being within you and that in order to find it one had to become like a child. On another occasion the stranger was present and so, too, was a man blind from birth. He went to the blind man and asked if he wanted to see and, of course, the man said, ‘Yes.' And then the man's eyes were opened and he was delighted in all that he saw. I was confused about all this and thus I spoke to the stranger saying, ‘Please, sir, give me new eyes.' And he responded, ‘I will. I give you child eyes, kingdom eyes, and treasure-hunting eyes.' I thanked him and he left. "That was the last time I saw the man, but from that time forward I saw things differently. Where before I saw only darkness, I now saw stars and fireflies. When before I felt only pain, I now discovered a new door to joy. While before I could see nothing worthwhile, now I found much at which to marvel. Where before I lived in a desert of doubt and despair, now I found a fountain of faith, and where in the past I was irritated at people, now I saw something wonderful in them, something that reminded me of the stranger and I rejoiced." The old man left trying not to think of the fruit seller's story, but no matter how hard he tried he could not shake it off. The more he thought about it the more he wished for new eyes for himself. He began to think about the stranger hoping that he would return. If he did he would ask for new eyes, also. He worried about how he would make his request to the stranger so he practiced. In fact, he found it easy to put his request to music. He sang the refrain all day: "Give me new eyes, sir, child eyes, kingdom eyes, treasure-hunting eyes. Give me new eyes." Then one day he stopped at the fruit stand and saw the fruit seller was very sad. "What has happened?" he asked. The fruit seller replied, "I have just received news that the stranger has been arrested and will be put to death today." The old man went home and cried for his chance for new eyes was now gone. Yet, because the song had become so much a part of his life, he continued to sing it, and to his great surprise, three days after the stranger was put to death, he suddenly felt like scales had fallen from his eyes, and he began to see things differently. Where before he saw only darkness, now he saw light. Where before he saw only the injuries done against him, now he saw how much he was loved and he was able to demonstrate forgiveness that healed his wounds. Where before he had seen nothing of value, now he found many hidden treasures. Where before he experienced only boredom and suspicion, now he lived in wonderment and trust, and where before people had irritated him, he now saw in them something that reminded him of the stranger. And he knew that the stranger lived.1 The old man was bitter, arrogant, and resisted change, but through the persistence and love of the fruit seller he came to realize his need for transformation, conversion, and a new way of thinking. He needed the new eyes which the stranger had given the fruit seller. In the end he found what he needed through the power of the stranger. This fable is clearly an Easter story of the new life that Jesus' resurrection brings, not only to himself, but more importantly to all of God's people, Seeing a new heaven and a new earth, begins with our ability to see the presence of God anywhere that it may be hiding. We see God clearly in the midst of our deepest pain, in the wounds of life, in those things that we are not willing to admit about our lives. When we see God in a certain situation, we can also watch as history unfolds and God reveals Godself even more until we too have our own revelation in the story of God and of heaven and of our place in it. So I will ask again – where does God live in your life? What room in your heart can you find God. Where is heaven on earth for you. Is that not what all of you will get to do through your daily work in the week ahead? As you leave this place, renewed at the Lord's table, refreshed by his promises, strengthened by his Spirit, through your deeds of love and kindness you will give this world all too often suffering in its own kind of hell ... a glimpse of heaven on earth. Because Christ has triumphed, already now a new world is beginning to take shape, a world in which every tear will be wiped away, where death will be no more, where mourning, crying, and pain will be a distant memory, where there will be heaven on earth. Amen. The church can be that place, because it can be the place where we have our own visions of how heaven can come here on earth. The one thing that I like to most about John’s vision is that this amazing and dazzling place that would attract even the darkest soul – has gates that are not guarded and are always open. Anytime you are ready to come in, even it if is 3 in the morning, you can come. Once you get there you have no reason to leave. Heaven is an open invitation to sit in the presence of God and to be whole and complete. The doorway to heaven is right here. Our faith is always an open invitation to find the presence of God right here. Did you know that the word come appears in the bible over 1600 times. In John 14 God says that God will come and make our home with them – God will love them so that they can love others. Where is heaven? Where have you gotten of a glimpse of heaven? And how has it affected your life and the lives of those around you? I leave you with this quote from Wendell Berry – to be healthy is to literally be whole – our sense of completeness is not just about ourselves, but it is also the sense of belonging to others and to our place. Community with its fullest sense of place and all of its creatures is where we find ourselves and God. May we find heaven today in the hopes and dreams of one another and those around us. Amen. Song – For the Healing of the Nations UMH 428 Pastoral Prayer Children’s Time The Last Page in the Book Stewardship Moment John’s Revelation challenges many of us with strange images and what seems like coded messages. The image of the tree of life, however, can be seen as an image blossoming hopeful and full before us: a tree with leaves for the healing of the nations. In our own nation, we know of tree leaves which are healing (witch hazel leaves treat sensitive skin and inflammation; sassafras leaves, crushed for tea, help heal respiratory ailments; hawthorn leaves mixed into medicine respond to help ease cardiac issues.) In John’s vision, this tree, growing in the new Jerusalem, is a gift for all the nations of the world. Its leaves are given for individuals and nations to consume in order to repent of their brokenness, allowing them to be healed and made whole/complete. While we do not have access to this tree or its healing leaves, we do have opportunity to share what God has given us. Our offering this morning is one opportunity for each of us to be a healing agent in a hurting world. Our combined giving allows this congregation to be part of making real God’s intention for a wholly/holy world. Your gift helps! With generous hearts and hands, let us share our morning offering. Prayer of Thanksgiving Good and gracious God, we yearn for a day when the nations of this world are turned to you and your desire for justice and peace. Please use these gifts, and the lives of each of us, to help move us toward the day when your Realm comes on earth, as it is in heaven. AMEN (From the Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Even as Jesus departs, he promises that we will never be alone. Therefore, we can go out in confidence to love and serve the Lord. And as you go, May the love of God, The peace of the Risen Christ, And the presence of the Holy Spirit Guide you and keep you, this day, and every day. Alleluia, Amen. (Rev. Molly Spangler – Presbyterian Outlook) Community Time Benediction Beloved of God, go to be a blessing. Bring the good news of forgiveness and healing to this hurting, lonely world. Bring hope to all, for God’s love is poured out for all God’s people. AMEN. (Nancy C. Townley – United Methodist Ministry Matters) Additional illustrations OF COURSE, WHAT IS TRUE IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE WE LOVE IS ALSO TRUE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. Time is precious. It gets away quickly. Today is the appointed hour. If we are going to say yes to Christ, it needs to be this moment. We must seize the day. Eternity awaits. There is no time like the present. An unknown author helps us put it all into perspective. He or she writes: To realize the value of “one month", ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby. To realize the value of “one week," ask the editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the value of “one hour," ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realize the value of “one minute," ask the person who missed the train. To realize the value of “one second," ask the person who just avoided an accident. To realize the value of “one millisecond," ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. When Thomas Edison lay dying, he could hardly speak, according to his widow. His doctor, who was also a friend of the family, observed that Edison was trying to say something. He bent down very close and heard the inventor whisper, “It’s very beautiful over there.” Those were his last words. Those could be a person’s first words in Heaven: “It’s very beautiful here.” In 1914 Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, an English explorer, led an expedition to the South Pole. As the ice began to close in on his boat, he had to leave some of his men stranded on Elephant Island as he went for help. He secured another ship on South Georgia Island and returned for his men. After several unsuccessful attempts, the weather finally permitted him to sail through to where the men were, pick them up, and then get out before the ice closed up again. Shackleford asked his crew why they had their things packed and standing by when he came back. They said, "Sir, when you left, you said you would come back for us, so we never gave up hope. Whenever the weather looked favorable, we would pack up our things and say, Maybe Shackleford will return for us today.' We were always ready for your coming." (5) We don't know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. There is One who is returning for us. We are not forgotten. There is one who has gone to prepare a place for us. An African-American poet once put it like this: There's a king and captain high, And He's coming by and by, And He'll find me hoeing cotton when He comes. You can hear His legions charging in the regions of the sky, And He'll find me hoeing cotton when He comes. There's a Man they thrust aside, Who was tortured till He died, And He'll find me hoeing cotton when He comes. He was hated and rejected, He was scorned and crucified, And He'll find me hoeing cotton when He comes. When He comes! When he comes! He'll be crowned by saints and angels when He comes. They'll be shouting out Hosanna! to the Man that men denied, And I'll kneel among my cotton when He comes. (6) The future holds much promise ” but the greatest promise is this: Hope wins because God wins! Evelyn Husband lost her husband Rick when the space shuttle Columbia exploded into pieces upon re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere. Evelyn said “As I stood there in shock with my son Matthew, seven, and my daughter Laura, twelve, deep inside I knew God was going to walk me through this somehow. I knew it because He had walked me through other crises earlier in my life.” To live is to let go. Sometimes life asks us to let go of a lot. A job is lost and family income is drastically reduced. Illness strikes and the whole matrix of family life is rearranged. Death comes; all that has been nailed down for so long is now breaking loose. We raised two boys at our house. They were both high school football players. They consumed gallons of milk and juice a day, not to mention the tons of food. When the last one went away to college, a gallon of milk spoiled in the refrigerator. As Sandy was pouring the spoiled milk down the drain the tears were flowing right along with it. A new era of life had arrived. A high school girl went to a religious gathering at her school and found Christ. She had not been raised in the church, and had no idea how to express her newfound faith to her family, so she decided to live it instead of announce it. A spoiled, selfish, irritable teenager started being kind to her parents. Her attitude changed. She even cleaned up her room. Finally her parents asked, “What has happened to you? You are different.” She replied, “I have become a Christian. I am trying to do what Jesus would do.” Her parents responded, “If Christ can do that for you, we want to know more.” Paul teaches us that, if any one is in Christ they are a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come. Christ is making all things new. May His love abide in your home. May His comfort come to your soul. May He create in you a new heart and a steadfast spirit that His kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven. Into our homes, into our homes, come into our homes, Lord Jesus, Come in today, come in to stay. Come into our homes, Lord Jesus. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Faith Breaks, by J. Howard Olds CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons for Sundays in Lent and Easter: But!, by Steven E. Albertin I recently heard a story about an urban congregation in a changing neighborhood of one of our eastern cities. The congregation had decided not to flee to the suburbs but to stay in the city and serve the needs of its crumbling neighborhood. The congregation had decided that in order to save souls, it had to start by saving its neighborhood. As a result, the church council decided that instead of repairing aging stained-glass windows, it would simply replace them with a more functional clear glass. Repair would not only have been costly but also would have meant repairing the glass of an image of the heavenly Jerusalem. The council felt that such an image was too otherworldly for a congregation committed to justice in the city. Then someone pointed out that when you stood in the sanctuary and looked out through that old stained-glass image of the heavenly Jerusalem and saw the neighborhood surrounding the church, suddenly that decaying neighborhood appeared in a whole new light. That window literally reflected the mission of that congregation. Through their ministry of compassion and to the needs of their neighborhood, they would be a bit of heaven on earth. Through them the people in their neighborhood, struggling to eke out a meager living in a hostile world, could catch a glimpse of the victory already won through the blood of the lamb.

The Resurrection of Tabitha

May 4, 2022 Acts 9:36-43 Mother’s Day Fourth Sunday of Easter Tabitha’s Resurrection Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship (from Revelation 7) One: ALL, and that means ALL (here, on-line and in spirit), come to worship God! Many: With the multitude from all ages, we cry out with a LOUD voice, “Holy victory belongs to God and to the Lamb!” One: Together, we are ready to worship the God who shelters us. Many: Together, we claim the Lamb as our shepherd. One: Together, we sing praise to God, who guides all to the water of life. Many: With grateful hearts, let us worship God. (Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer God of the ages, we offer you our praise this day, for the ways you continue to make your presence known to believers in every age. Thank you for the Lamb, who is our shepherd. Thank you for your tender care for each and for all. Thank you for welcoming those who come with joy, and those yearning for you to wipe away every tear from our eyes. We offer you our hearts, our hands and our voices. AMEN (Center for Faith and Giving) Song Great is Thy Faithfulness UMH 140 Candle Lighting for Mothers (Just print the bold responses and the line before) Leader: We gather this day in worship esteeming the Light of Jesus Christ—-who is both God and human, born of his mother Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is from God, the source of all light, that every good and perfect gift has come, including the gift of Mothers. May we thank God for this good gift, today and always. All: We light the candle of memory. (gold) Leader: We remember the light of the women in our lives who birthed us, adopted us, fostered us, nurtured us, cared for us, shaped us and disciplined us who are no longer beside us. May God’s light shine upon each one and may God’s comfort embrace each grieving family. All: We light the candle of honor. (pink) Leader: We honor the women in our lives who bring forth new beginnings, embrace us as their own, foster our growth, nurture us, care for us and help form us into better people by the power of their love which comes from God. May God’s blessings be upon each one. All: We light the candle of peace. (blue) Leader: We pray for the mothers who have buried children. We pray for the women who long to be mothers, but are not. We also pray for each mother-child relationship that has been strained or broken by action, in-action, distance or illness. May God grant peace to each one who finds this day difficult. All: We light the candle of hope. (green) Leader: We encourage the many mothers are overwhelmed trying to make ends meet who while exhausted love anyway. We encourage parents who must raise their children alone, grandparents and other guardians who nurture children in their parent’s stead. May God empower each one with hope. All: God, teach us to recognize Your light in all of its many forms as we remember, honor and reflect on especially the gift of Motherhood this day. Fill us with your hope that we might shine your light to the generations after us. Amen. Scripture Acts 9:36-43 Sermon Tabitha’s Resurrection So here we are at the fourth Sunday of Easter – we are looking at the resurrection stories – the stories of Jesus appearing to his disciples after the crucifixion and before the ascension. In these stories, the disciples are grappling with a new sense of faith, all the while grieving the loss of the times of teaching from Their Lord and Savior. They too are trying to understand the significance of the resurrection. Our scripture for today is one of several stories in the new testament about a faithful person being brought back to life. First there is the story of Lazurus, there is the story of the young daughter of a centurion, and we have this story, the story of Tabitha/Dorcas. I wonder if other than in the bible, whether you have a story of experiencing a resurrection for yourself. I do, I was about 4 or 5 years old. My grandmother took me with her to spend a few days with one of her nephews and his family. I think it was a significant birthday for him, and he had invited all of our pretty large family to join him. We travelled a few hours to get to their farm. I remember him talking about how excited he was that his daughter and her boyfriend were driving home from college to be there. So it seemed surreal when we woke up the next morning to be told that she has died in a carwreck. Everyone was already coming for a joyful celebration, the nephew decided that the gathering would go on, but for a different reason. This was the first person that I knew that died, and I spent a lot of time trying to process what this meant. The funeral was packed, I remember her in a pink open casket. Everybody, including me had to pass by the casket. After the funeral I lost it, I cried the whole day because I could not understand why she was not coming back. I was sitting on the bed crying when she came to me to tell me that everything was going to be okay, and that she would always be with me. At least that is what my 4 year old mind heard her say. It was many years later that I realized that she had two younger sisters that looked just like her. I just assumed that she came back alive and spoke to me twice. In my first experienced of death, I was relieved that it didn’t last forever, because they really do come back alive just like the preacher said about Jesus. That is my resurrection story – even today, 50 years later, the baby sister still keeps in touch with me. She has been a real comfort, especially after my mother died. She kept her promise to always be with me. The true significance of the resurrection is in the hope and peace that it gave to those who followed Jesus. Jesus promised to be with us even to the end of the age. Now this woman Dorcas must have been a very special person. She is the only person in the bible with he title mathitrea – or female disciple. We don’t know a lot about her life, but we do know that she served the widows and the poor just as Jesus told her to. Crowds had gathered at her house mourn her and to bathe her body. She died way too soon – if anyone could bring her back to life, it would be one of Jesus disciple. They send for Peter, who is 25 miles away. When he arrives at the house, everyone shows all of the garments Dorcas had made just for them. Funerals are an opportunity for the living to remember the ways that they have been touched and changed by this person. It a chance to gather in community and to share our grief. Jesus has told the disciples that a faith of a mustard seed can move mountains. He also demonstrated the power of resurrection and bringing people to life. Peter sends everyone out of the room and repeats Jesus miracle – she has come back. This resurrection story has a happy ending- Dorcas gets to continue to serve. Unfortunately, not all resurrection stories have a happy ending. In 1977, Dr. Martha Myers moved to Yemen to serve as a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology. Her target audience was Yemeni women who often lack medical care and, because of their religion, were prohibited from seeing a male doctor. Myers worked at a Yemeni hospital founded by American Baptists. But she also traveled into the most remote areas around the hospital to make house calls for her patients. Her love and commitment earned her both admiration and enemies. One day, a patient of Dr. Myers told her husband that she had never experienced such love and compassion in her life as she did at Dr. Myers’ hospital. That was the wrong thing to say to her husband. Concerned that his wife might be influenced by the doctor’s Christian faith, her husband promptly went to the hospital and gunned down Dr. Myers and two of her colleagues. At the time of her death, Dr. Martha Myers had served the women of Yemen for more than 25 years. The result? Over 40,000 Yemeni people attended Dr. Myers’ funeral. The former president of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, Jerry Rankin, said, “Martha’s colleagues said the gunman did not take her life. She lost her life to Christ years ago when she trusted him. Martha was not living for herself, but to serve others.” (7) For one moment, I want you to listen to this quote and put your name in it: “She lost her life to Jesus Christ years ago when she trusted him. Martha was not living for herself, but to serve others.” Does that describe your life right now? Is it how people will describe you after you are gone? You and I were made to be Jesus in the world. That means living with a sense of purpose and translating our compassion into action. And if we commit to living this way, then our lives will have an eternal impact too. Resurrection is not just about immortality, but also about new life especially within the community. The message is in how it changes lives and situations. Even in Dorcas story, we never hear about how she is affected. But the story ends by saying that those in mourning, saw the change and not only came to believe themselves, but they brought others to the miracle of resurrection. So let me ask you, how many Dorcas’ do you know. I only know one, and I just remember that she always felt that she had to live up to the reputation of her name. And the only Tabitha that I know is the little girl character in Bewitched. But the good news is that I know countless women with he title Matritea. – female disciple. There are countless women who have been an example for me, who want to make a difference, who are always in service, who opened the doors of life for me and for others. This Mother’s day let us honor those female and male disciples who have made a difference. Just as the resurrection of Dorcas was a bittersweet moment – this day can be bittersweet for so many. Resurrection is always the story of death and life. And yet resurrection shows us how Christ is present with us in the community around us, and the disciples who lead us. Let us pray…. Song Awesome God TFWS 2040 Prayer Help us to move beyond the “sampler” prayer so often found printed on pillows, on wall hangings: "The Lord is my Shepherd." Help us to understand what those words truly mean, O Lord. We can count on you. You are the one who holds our lives, guides our steps, comforts and sustains us. You want for us the lush greenness of verdant pastures and the alluring draw of still waters; yet you know that our lives will not be smooth; there will be rough times. We can count on you, Lord. We can place our trust in you. Help us to feel the power of the Psalmist’s words: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Nothing can trouble, nothing can threaten. You are with us. As we reach out in love and service to others, remind us that the work we do in your name, with love and compassion, is an echo of your tender mercy and loving care. Strengthen us and give us enthusiasm to follow the Shepherd all the days of our lives. AMEN. (Nancy C. Townley) Offering Moment for Stewardship (from Psalm 23) Perhaps the most well-known of all 150 Psalms is one you may have memorized as a child. The 23rd Psalm sometimes is a night-time prayer, sometimes recited at funerals, and often is sung in our own time of worship (CH 78 and 79; either of which could be sung during this service, by the congregation, as an offertory, or by the choir). Have you ever thought about this familiar Psalm as a report of what God gives us? Like a shepherd caring for sheep, God gives us abundant nourishment, safe water, and leads us toward peace in life. With God’s leading , we need not fear, knowing God is with us. Our cup overflows! We may not have everything we desire. We may live with challenges and difficulties. But this Psalm speaks to each of us, reminding us we’re followed by goodness and kindness, everywhere we go. What better response could we make to God-the-Giver than to offer back our lives! Offering our time, our abilities, and our finances (which can all work together), becomes a regular and life-long “thank you”. Today, I invite you to be a grateful lamb, filled with all the gifts offered by the Shepherd…and eager to offer more than our words. Let us share our gifts, our tithes and our offerings! Prayer of Thanksgiving Shepherd God, We offer these gifts to you, filled with gratitude for all you offer us. Receive what we’ve presented, and inspire us to use these resources to help create a world in which each person knows abundance, safety, and security. AMEN (Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Facebook Closing Prayer Let us go forth knowing that we are led by God, that we are sheltered by God, that God never leaves nor forsakes us even in the bleakest valley. In God, may we hunger and thirst no more, and may a peace that surpasses all understanding abide with us, now and forever more. Amen. (Rev. Mia M McClain – UCC Worship Ways) Community Time Benediction Go forth in peace and hope this day, for God is your guardian and guide. Bring news of God’s love to all whom you meet. AMEN. (Nancy C. Townley – Ministry Matters) Childrens Sermon Tell kids: Gifts don’t always come in boxes, especially gifts from God. The gifts God gives are often in the shape of people. He gives us special people, like Moms, to love us and raise us with kindness. (Show kids a gift box with a lid. Place a picture of a Mom in the box.) Do you see this box? Inside it is a gift more valuable than gold and silver. More expensive than jewels or a fast car. No gift is better than this gift. (Open the box and show the picture.) This is my Mom! She’s a nice lady who loves God and taught me all about Him. She is more precious than any gift I have ever received. Additional Illustrations He Knows Our Names There is an old story of a census taker who was making his rounds in the lower East side of New York, who interviewed an Irish woman bending over her washtub. “Lady, I am taking the census. What’s your name? How many children have you?” She replied, “Well, let me see. My name is Mary. And then there’s Marcia, and Duggie, and Amy, and Patrick, and...” “Never mind the names,” he broke in, “just give me the numbers.” She straightened up, hands on hips, and with a twinkle in her eye, said, “I’ll have ye know, sir, we ain’t got into numberin’ them yet. We ain’t run out of names!” The image of God as the Good Shepherd tells us that is the way it is with God. He knows us by name. Donald B. Strobe, Collected Words, www.Sermons.com Numbers. Our lives are filled with numbers. Each year we file our income taxes. Now that's an exercise in numbers to end all numbers games. Pages upon pages of numbers: earned numbers, spent numbers, invested numbers, and saved numbers. When it is finally prepared, we send it off to the Internal Revenue Service with our Social Security number on it. And the IRS takes all those numbers and puts them into a computer, along with the numbers of thousands and thousands of other people. And to them, we become a number. The government knows us by our tax number. The state knows us by our driver's license number. The bank knows us by our account number. And when we retire, we'll be remembered by our Social Security number. And it goes on and on. In fact, sometimes I wonder if anybody knows us at all without a number! And that's why this morning's Gospel reading is so significant, because it tells us that God knows us. He knows us intimately, in fact, better than we know ourselves. And that's important to remember. In spite of the fact that the image of sheep and shepherd is foreign to our experience, the words of the Gospel this morning hearken for us a truth that our human hearts long to hear. The Old Testament writer put it even more clearly when he wrote, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Jesus says it this morning, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me, and I give them eternal life." Lee Griess, Taking The Risk Out Of Dying, CSS Publishing Company Missionary Herb Schaefer tells about a thirteen-year-old Chinese girl who continued with her family to worship God secretly in their home during the Cultural Revolution in China, that time when religion was forbidden and worship was banned by the Chinese rulers. One evening the Red Guards burst into their small home and threatened them for worshiping Jesus. A small altar with a crude cross stood in one corner of the room. Determined to put a stop to their worship and command complete allegiance to the Communist state, the Red Guard lieutenant demanded they spit on the cross. They refused. The lieutenant became indignant and shouted at them that unless they spat on the cross they would be killed. Finally the elder in the group came forward, spat on the cross and left. One by one they followed, doing the same disgusting thing until only the thirteen-year-old remained. She refused to do what the others had done. "I cannot and I will not," she replied. Then she told the lieutenant the depth of her faith and said that she was willing to die for it. Remarkably the Lieutenant seemed pleased. "This is the kind of devotion we want for the new China: people who will commit themselves so totally that they are willing to die for what they believe." But he wanted that devotion directed toward Chairman Mao. "We will change you," he promised and left. She was spared, but she never saw the rest of her family again. The story doesn't end there, however. For shortly thereafter, that little girl fled to Hong Kong and was taken in. Later she entered the Lutheran seminary there and today she is a pastor of the Hong Kong Lutheran Church, serving the needs of countless souls. She prays for the day when she will be allowed to return to her village and minister to her people there and perhaps even to that Red Guard lieutenant who spared her but murdered her family. She was able to endure, to overcome that tragedy in her life, because she knew the Good Shepherd. Lee Griess, Taking The Risk Out Of Dying, CSS Publishing Company

God Calls Everyone - repreach of 8/27/10

August 25, 2019 (repreach of 8/27/10) God Calls Everyone Year C Jeremiah 1:4-10 15th Sunday after Pentecost Children’s Time Text: Jeremiah 1:4-7 The word of the Lord came to me saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Ah, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak, I am only a child." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I commend you." Materials: There are no materials required; however this sermon has been designed for presentation by two people (designated I and II), if desired. Message: I. Today we are going to talk about the things we do as we start to get older. We thought we would start by asking how old all of you are. II. That's right. When I say your age I want you to raise your hand. We are going to start with the youngest ... How many of you are three years old? How many are four or five years old? Is anyone here six years old? And how many of you are seven years old or even older than that? I. You were all really great at that. Before we move along I want you to take a close look at each of us and tell us how old you think we might be. (Encourage numerous guesses, but, of course, there is no need to disclose ages.) II. One of the things we all know is that as you become older you get to do more and more things. When you were a baby you slept in a crib, but now you have a bed. Your moms and dads used to push you in a carriage, but now you can ride a tricycle or a bike. And it won't be too long before you all start to go to school. I. And as you get even older, you will do even more things in grade you will begin to take communion. And when you reach grade you will be confirmed. And when you get to be sixteen you can even start driving your parents' car! II. So the bigger you become the more you get to do. But we were wondering how old you need to start telling other people about how great Jesus is. Do you have to be ten or fifteen or even a grown up before you can talk to people about God? I. Not at all! In fact the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament tells us that God chose Jeremiah to tell people about God when he was only a young boy. And each of us can do the same! CSS Publishing Company, FROM A MUSTARD SEED, by Mark A. Hultquist Jeremiah 1:4-10 Common English Bible (CEB) Call of Jeremiah 4 The LORD’s word came to me: 5 “Before I created you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart; I made you a prophet to the nations.” 6 “Ah, LORD God,” I said, “I don’t know how to speak because I’m only a child.” 7 The LORD responded, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a child.’ Where I send you, you must go; what I tell you, you must say. 8 Don’t be afraid of them, because I’m with you to rescue you,” declares the LORD. 9 Then the LORD stretched out his hand, touched my mouth, and said to me, “I’m putting my words in your mouth. 10 This very day I appoint you over nations and empires, to dig up and pull down, to destroy and demolish, to build and plant.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Our Creativity as a child Gordon McKenzie worked for the Hallmark company for over 30 years, one of his ways of giving back to the community was to go into the schools and to give creativity workshops. Over the years he says that he noticed a pattern that never seemed to change. He would work with the first graders and ask who was an artist – and every hand would go up. He would go to the second grade and notice that when he asked that same question, only about half of the kids would raise their hands – by third grade it was down to ten, and in the six grade only about 2 would be brave enough to raise their hand just because they asked.
I would think that there is just something about life, about peer pressure, about the way we relate to one another that holds down our creativity. Once we start to get rational an dto think- we also start to limit ourselves and our opportunities. We start to think that we have an obligation to do somethings, so we put aside that creative side, that exciting side of ourselves, the side that is willing to take risk and to step out of our comfort zone.
Because that spirit of stifliness is not just in the schools – it is in the church. If I were to ask you all how many of you are called by god – I would get the same response. We have made up in our minds that those words mean something specific, and whatever it means it does not apply to me How many of you feel that you have a calling from god on your life? Every hand in the room should go up- but it doesn’t for some reason. Why is that?
Mr Makenzie concluded that there was a time in our lifes, perhaps when we were very young when each of us believed that we could do anything. We were geniouses at everything and we were not afraid to show it. We were also not afraid to be wrong, to make a mistake, for someone to tell us that we did not know what we were talking about. We were willing to take risk at what we wanted to believe we were called to do. But something happened in life.
He said that were were waiting for the authority figures in our lives to validate us – to tell us that we were the best, that we could indeed make our dreams come true – and for some reason the validation never came- no one cared, no one patted us on the back and we gave up on our dreams. We assumed that maybe we were not a geniious, and that perhaps the world did not need us – and we gave up on our call. That is devastating for that to happen to anyone in the schools – and perhaps that is a wonderful back to school message to think of as our children go back to school – to do everything that we can to encourage them, to tell them that they are genious – and that the world does indeed need them. We need to give all of the opportunities that we can to express their creativity and their willingness to grow and to learn.
We need to do that in the schools and in the homes, but more importantly we need to do it in the churches Our calling in the church – where else can you encourage a relationship with the divine, the unknown, the new, the ultimate creator. Where else do we get our inspiration to do anything in the world, if we don’t get it from God. Where else do we get our instructions from God to go out into the world and do anything – unless it comes from God? That’s what I want to talk about this morning – is being called by God – exactly what does that mean anyway? What special qualities do you have to have in order to have that relationship with God? What qualities do we need in order to do the special work of God – to perhaps be a prophet? Jeremiah the prophet Jeremiah was a prophet of god – I like him the best, because he seems to be the most grounded. Prophets did a lot of strange things in order to get the attention of the people – hosea gave his kids strange names like – bad luck or something really unfortunate, Isaiah was willing to die by being stretched apart, amos constantly criticized the government. People even criticized John the Baptist for wearing strange clothes. Jeremiah got the attention of others, by living with them, by addressing the issues of his time, and by giving hope to the people. I mentioned a few weeks ago that jeremiah considered himself to be a prophet of the people, his message was not to the leaders, but not the people, it was not his job to preach gloom and doom to a sinful people who did not listen – but to preach walk with a people in trouble an distress and to give them hope by encouraging them to stand strong until things changed. Most prophets were concerned with only saving the chosen people. Jeremiah realized that in order to save them, that he had to save everybody – he reached out to the rest of the world. Many of the prophets and others talk about how they came to be “called” by god – how god gave them a special task to reach out. Many didn’t start thier jobs until they became adults, some as children, only jerimiah says that his story started way before he was born. That his relationship with god started with god, and not with his awareness that there was a god. We will be able to read and listen to what jerimiah has to say to the people of god for the next nine weeks. But today, we start with chapter 1 – how he came to have this special relationship. He didn’t do anything t was given to him.
He talks of being that young boy – full of ideas and creativity waiting for an adult to validate his call – he talks of being too young to really make a difference in the world. He also talks of god’s response to him and his need and his fear – that he was not to be afraid of what people would say to him, how they would shoot him down and tell him that he was too young to make a difference. God says that if I give you something to do you are not too young to do it, as a matter of fact- you have an obligation to listen and to respond God calls all of us to do something. We have a calling to do something – to be a prophet, or a writer, or a teacher, or a carpenter, a bus driver, or a preacher or something to further the world and the kingdom of God. But as Christians, we also have a calling to be something in the world – something that the world needs. A doctor speaks of god calling him to be a plastic surgeon, why a plastic surgeon – changing your appearance, what does that have to do with building the kingdom ? most of his clients could care less about God. But he was also called to pray and to start prayer groups for those who worked in the hospital and to reach out to other plactice surgeons to encourage them to live a life of faith. In his call to be a faithful Christian in the workplace – he made a difference in the lives of others.
To be called could mean doing a specifc job, but it can also be to respond in a Christian way to life, it can be to encourage and support others in what they are trying to do, most importantly it means being willing to listen to God at all times in all circumstances. That is our biggest and more important calling – to obedient to the will of God.
And we are all a part of that. Everydbody is called, not everyone has the ears to listen attentively. If we listen, we may not get that validation from the world – but we always get it from god. The call of Willie Borden The borden family is from Chicago – the company that makes milk and other products. I do believe that the factory is on the Westside. But anyway – William borden was being groomed to take over the family fortune. He worked hard, he went to school, and a graduation present was a trip around the world. But as he went around the world and learned the conditions of most of the people in the world – he wrote a letter to his parent explaining that god was leading him to be a missionary to those in need. He wrote two words in his bible – no reserves. Through prayer he realized that he wanted to go to china to work with people there. His parents convinced him to go to graduate school and get more aeducation – he went to yale and started several bible studies. He was offered several high paying positions, but turned them down. He needed to in china - he wrote in his bible – no retreats – and he left.
He went to china, he also went to the middle east to learn Arabic to talk with the muslims. A few months later he contracted spinal meningitis. He died from it at age 25 – a few months before is death he wrote in his bible – no regrets. No reserves, no retreats, no regrets. That was his answer to gods call in his life. What are your responses to gods call on your life? The question is not have you been called, the question is are you listening? Jeremiah want us to know that the need to be creative starts way before we are in the first grade.- it starts before you were born, it starts in the circumstances that you were born into, it starts in your willingness to listen and to say yes. The good news is that when god calls, he commissions – he tells us what we have to do and why – he tells us what we are up against and what we have to overcome. We are also always given validation – an assurance that you can do this, an assurance that others recognize gods call in you. A test that in the midst of circumstance, your work will not be in vain. No reserves, no retreats, no regrets. So what is it that you need to do now? Let is pray…..Amen.

Choose You This Day Whom You Will Serve

November 9, 2014 Joshua 24:14-28 Choose Who You will serve Year A Joshua This is one of the most important lessons in the bible for me. Moses of course was the leader who led the Isrealites out of Egypt. But it was Joshua who had to take them to the next level. Joshua led them to the promisedland, and it was Joshua who helped them to understand what it meant to be a child of God. God requires something of us all – we all have work to do. The isrealites had started to get comfortable in the promisedland, but along with being comfortable, they seemed to forget about God’s place in their life. It was God who led them out of Egypt, It was God that provided manna for him, It was God who led them in timesof trouble, It was God who provided a place for them. But now that all of those promises has been fulfilled, life was about them, and what they did, how hard they worked, and what they depended on to get through every day life. What do we depend on besides God? Today, we may not have quite reached the promisedland in our lives, but we all do have a life routine. We all have people, practices, and things that we rely on to get through every day life. What things do you rely on to get through your life? Some of us depend on our jobs, or a monthly check in order to pay our bills, some of us depend on a friend or family member to get us through hard times. Some of us depend on our car – to get us where we have to go. We all depend on somebody to get us through. What are the things that you depend on every day? There is nothing wrong with depending on something to get through life. The problem comes when we forget that all of those things, those people are agents of God’s grace in our lives. The problem comes when we put the things that we depend on first, and God last. God should always be first. If we depend on the Lord to get us through, then everything that we need will fall into place That is what Joshua was trying to get the children of the promise to realize. They had gotten comfortable in their life. But in their comfortableness, they started to rely on themselves, and not God. So Joshua calls them together and challenges them. - choose you this day whom you will serve, Will you serve the gods of the past, or the God of the present. When we set others things in our lives as more important than our relationship with God – those things become our god – with a little g. The Choices we make Choose ye this day whom you will serve? Are you going to serve God, or are you going to choose other things. Eleanor Roosevelt once said that you can tell a lot about a person from the choices that they make. BILLY GRAHAM: CHOICES Billy Graham said, "The strongest principle of life and blessings lies in our choice. Our life is the sum result of all the choices we make, both consciously and unconsciously. If we can control the process of choosing, we can take control of all aspects of our life. We can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of our life. So start with what is right rather than what is acceptable. "If you don’t make a decision, then time will make it for you, and time will always side against you." Where do we put God in the midst of our choices. There were a lot of people who constantly reminded Joshua of how wonderful things were in Egypt. They did not have to worry about anything, life was easy. They did not have to make any hard choices. Remember how you used to make a choice when you were a child? Suppose you had to chooses between wearing the red shirt or the blue shirt – and you couldn’t decide – you would go eeny meeny miny moe – catch a tiger by the toe if he hollers let him go, eeny meeny miny moe. And wherever your finger was pointing – that was the choice that you made. Choosing to serve God is not a eeny meeny miny moe choice. It is much deeper than that. Joshua says – choose ye this day whom you will serve. If we don’t make a choice, a choice makes us In Egypt life may have been easier, but you were a slave – a slave to every day life. That things that you depended on to get you through life became your master. But the things that hold us in bondage – do not always have our best interest at heart. People who hold us hostage – don’t have our best interest at heart- they only care about themselves. Former president Ronald Reagan once had an aunt who took him to a cobbler for a pair of new shoes. The cobbler asked young Reagan, "Do you want square toes or round toes?" Unable to decide, Reagan didn't answer, so the cobbler gave him a few days. Several days later the cobbler saw Reagan on the street and asked him again what kind of toes he wanted on his shoes. Reagan still couldn't decide, so the shoemaker replied, "Well, come by in a couple of days. Your shoes will be ready." When the future president did so, he found one square-toed and one round-toed shoe! "This will teach you to never let people make decisions for you," the cobbler said to his indecisive customer. "I learned right then and there," Reagan said later, "if you don't make your own decisions, someone else will." Today in the Word, MBI, August, 1991, p. 16. colored divine was once asked to explain the doctrine of election. Said he, “Brethren, it is this way: The Lord he is always voting for a man, and the Devil he is always voting against him; then the man himself votes, and that breaks the tie!” Choose ye this day whom you will serve – will you serve the gods of your life, or will you serve the living God who loves you, who supports you – who led you through the wilderness – who promised you a fulfilling life, and who never goes back on his choices. Rechoice a recommitment Joshua offers this time of decision, just as he is about to die. This is his last conversation with the people. But he reminds us that sometimes when you make a choice –you will find in life that you will have test in your life, when you will have to make that choice over and over again. When you get married, if the relationship last for a long time, you will have to make a choice to marry that person all over again, and again, again. When we choose to follow God – we will have to make that choice again, and again. When we choose to join a church, we will have to make that choice again and again. When we make a decision to have faith- there is no guarantee that things will turn our well. We will all come to those times when we have to ask ourselves if me made the right choice. Choosing God does not mean everything will be perfect. As a matter of fact, most of the time it makes things worse. And yet when we choose god we cant go wrong. God has no policeman to pass around and grab us by the neck and say you must read your Bible, or you must go to Church, or you must give to Missions. When God created man, He made man superior to all other creatures. He gave man the power and privilege of CHOICE. Up to now the Lord respects that privilege. He will not force us. With that privilege of Choice, goes the terrible responsibility of abiding by the results or consequences of our choices. Perhaps you’ve heard about the man who died, then awoke in a splendid city of golden streets and fine homes. He was shown to one of thefinest, one with arolling front yard, lovely flowers, luxuriant shrubs. Wondering how to care for those things, hewastold that others would dothatforhim. So, he climbed in a hammock and spent the daycontemplating his happy state. Days passed, thenweeks. Finally,bored, he sought to do someyard work but was told that hecouldnot. He then inquired what kindofwork hecould do. He was told by thefellow incharge that he was not allowed to do anything butrest. Finally, theman complained. He said, I neverthought heavenwould bethisboring. The man in charge asked – whatmakesyou thinkyour areinheaven? Choose the Lord God requires something of us always – to make a choice and to live in that choice. I love Joshua’s final words so much, I have them on the wall in my house – as for me and my house – we choose to serve to Lord. Choose you this day whom you will serve. when I was a child, and played games with my friends we used to use the “Eenie, Meanie, Miny, Mo” method to make decisions concerning which game to play, or who would be in the game. And at the end of that ryhme we would say, “if he hollers let Him go... eenie, meanie, miny, mo.” Well... now that I’m grown, physically and spiritually, I realize that Jesus is the best choice for my life! AND CHURCH... I CAN’T LET HIM GO! I’ve made up my mind to be like Jacob, who wrestled with God all night long... I won’t let Him go until He blesses me! And guess what... He doesn’t have to holler... I’ll holler myself!! Somebody said, “When I think of His goodness and all that He’s done for me, my soul has to holler hallelujah, I think Him for saving me!” Let uspray…..Amen. Children’s Sermon…… Theme: Choosing to follow Jesus - Proper 18 (23) Year C Object: A soccer ball and a book of piano music. Scripture: "And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:27 (NIV) A soccer ball and a music book -- two very different things that play an important part in a story about Katy, a girl about the age of some of you. Katy faced a very difficult decision. Many of her friends had signed up to play soccer. Katy liked to play soccer too, and she wanted to be with her friends, but she also liked to play the piano and had been taking piano lessons for a couple of years. Soccer practice was at the same time as her piano lesson and playing soccer would take away from the time she needed to practice the piano. There was no way she could do both. What should she do? Should she quit piano and play soccer with her friends, or should she finish what she had started and continue with her piano lessons? Finally, Katy came up with an idea. She sat down with a sheet of paper and drew a line down the center of the page. At the top of the page on one side of the line she wrote, "Piano." On the other side of the line she wrote, "Soccer." Below the word soccer, she wrote all of the advantages of playing soccer with her friends. Below the word piano, she wrote all of the advantages of being able to play the piano. After she had considered all of the advantages and disadvantages of each choice, Katy made her decision. She decided to continue her piano lessons. After all, she could still see her friends at school, and playing the piano was something that she would enjoy for the rest of her life. We all face important decisions in life. The most important decision we face is whether we will follow Jesus or not. Perhaps you might say, "Oh, that is an easy decision. Of course I will follow Jesus," but Jesus warned that it isn't always easy to follow him. He said that we should sit down and count the cost. Will we choose to follow him if it means giving up friends who are making bad choices? Will we choose to follow him if it means moving to a far away place and leaving our family behind? Will we choose to follow him if it means we will never live in a big house or drive a fancy car? Jesus said, "Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Where did Jesus carry his cross? He carried it to Calvary. It was on that cross that Jesus gave his life so that you and I could have everlasting life. When we choose to carry our cross, it means that we are willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. It is a choice we have to make. Dear Jesus, we thank you for being willing to carry your cross to Calvary. Help us to make the choice to take our cross and follow you. Amen. Text Illustration: THE BIG BLACK DOOR An Arab chief tells a story of a spy who was captured and then sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. This general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment for execution drew near, the spy was brought to the Persian general, who asked the question, "What will it be: the firing squad or the big, black door?" The spy hesitated for a long time. It was a difficult decision. He chose the firing squad. Moments later shots rang out confirming his execution. The general turned to his aide and said, "They always prefer the known way to the unknown. It is characteristic of people to be afraid of the undefined. Yet, we gave him a choice." The aide said, "What lies beyond the big door?" "Freedom," replied the general. "I’ve known only a few brave enough to take it." -- Don McCullough, "Reasons to Fear Easter," Preaching Today, Tape No. 116. FAITHFUL INSTRUCTIONS There was a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note. The note read: "pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need". Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveller.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “ Please prime the pump, believe me it works”! We have the same choice to make, do we hold on to what we have because we don’t believe there are better things in store for us, and settle for immediate satisfaction?

The Greatest Gift

January 20, 2013 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Year C “The Greatest Gift” Pastor turns water into wine One day a young girl was helping out in service, as a communion steward. The pastor got ready to wash his hands, so he called the young girl over. As he was washing his hands, he saw that the liquid was purple. He whispers to the little girl, I thought I told you bring me water, this is wine. It was water when I bought it to you…replied the little girl. The inaugural event of Jesus Today we can celebrate that this is the official inauguration of the 57th president of the united States. This is a new day for him, a new day for us. We can only anticipate the good things ahead for the next 4 years. This familiar story of Jesus turning water into wine, is in many ways, the inauguration of jesus as the messiah. The first demonstration of his power. What is the meaning of this story? John does not give a whole lot of explanation of why he was at this party, why his mother thought it was so important for him to help out, it does not even tell us how he was able to turn water into wine. Maybe John feels that this story does not need any explanation – the story is a point within itself. From this story, we learn that Jesus likes to party. He likes to have fun and to celebrate. We see that God is a God of joy and of celebration. But we also see that God is also a God of mercy – who will supply our needs and who will help us when we ask. John the Baptist speaks of a God of justice who judged, but he is also a God of mercy who helps. When we give what we have, God gives us more – that is the point of my sermon today. God doesn’t come to us in extraordinary ways, but in the simple ways in our life. Most of the times in places where we are not expecting anything great to happen. Sign vs. miracle If you read the other gospels, there are 35 miracles that Jesus performs during his ministry on earth. But interestingly enough – John is not concerned about miracles. In the book of John there are seven signs of Jesus power – this is the inaugural sign. I am trying to get you all out of here early, so that the district superintendent can come. Every time I say that I am going to give just a short sermon – more and more good things that you need to know come up. I don’t want to give you a list of all seven signs in the book of John – but if you need to know ask me I have them listed. 1. Water into wine – chapter 2 2. Healing of the officer’s son – chapter 4 3. Healing of the cripple – chapter 5 4. Feeding the multitude – chapter 6 5. Walking on water – chapter 6 6. Healing of a man born blind – chapter 9 7. Raising of Lazurus – chapter 11 Sign is God coming into your life in a meaningful way The point for john is that God is not always in the unusual – but the usual. We don’t have to look up in the sky and look for money to fall out of the sky - God does not usually work that way – God works within our lives. Speaking of money falling out of the sky – this is a true story A knowledge of the Bible can be rewarding, as any Bible college professor can attest. Especially Richard McNeely of Biola College in suburban Los Angeles. Somehow he got picked as a contestant on the television game show “50 Grand Slam.” The show is based on the contestants’ knowledge of the given topic of the day. On McNeely’s day, the topic was the Bible. When it was over he had won the top prize of $50,000. God usually works within the confines of our lives. A sign is a act of our everyday lives that brings wonder and meaning to the event. Something that happens in your life, and you know that only God could make that happen. A sign of God’s presence is not a quick fix, not a big thing but a bunch of little things, a sign is not always in the estatic – but in the purposeful. Paul does not want us to be ignorant Speaking of knowing the difference between a sign and a miracle. I thought it was interesting that the first line of the scripture in 1 Corinthians says – now concerning spiritual gifts, I don’t want you to be uninformed. The King James says it better – I don’t want you to be ignorant. Now, let me pause for a moment to point out something interesting . . . Paul used that particular phrase--“I do not want you to be ignorant”—six times in his letters. . . twice in reference to the Jewish people, whose disobedience brought judgment, once in reference to his plans to visit the church at Rome, once regarding the sufferings he and his team had endured throughout Asia, once in reference to the end times and the resurrection of the dead, and here, where he says “I do not want you to be ignorant” about spiritual gifts. Excitement not necessarily a sign of God As I was researching this sermon, many people were saying that in Paul’s time there were a lot of charismatic people. People who believed that their excitement and charisma meant that they were holy. And Paul wanted new Christians to understand that excitement and charisma was not always from God. Sometimes their water is just that – water and not wine. There excitement is not infused with the presence of the holy spirit. Charismata – excitement and meaning That is why he says that no one speaking by the spirit of god ever says Let Jesus be cursed. If their actions don’t demonstrate the love of Jesus – then it is not from God. Then he goes on to talk about spiritual gifts. Or charismata as they are called. Along with excitement, there has to be meaning and understanding – the two have to go hand in hand. Paul goes on to give a list of spiritual gifts – once again this is a sermon within itself. I just want to say that it is not an exhaustive list – it is just a list of sign in your life that the holy spirit is present with you. Gift from the common good Paul says that to each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. Gifts are given to you for the good of the community, not just for you. When people say that god gave them a gift, you ask and what are you doing to help others with it? Gift is not a talent A spiritual gift is not a talent. A spiritual gift is not really what you do – it is why you do it. Does what you do glorify God? Scripture says that we all have talent – we don’t all realize where that talent came from or why we were given it. How do you get a spiritual gift? – through prayer and through practice, but most of all honoring the grace of God. Discernment How do you know if your gift is from God, or man or the devil? The community has the gift of discernment. God gives us joy and excitement, but he also gives us knowledge of right and wrong in the scriptures. Remember Paul says I do not want you to be ignorant. – He makes important statement that the most important gift that we can have is to be able to say that Jesus Is Lord. We can only say that if the holy Spirit is present amongst us. True faith – is to be like Jesus mother Mary – to have faith in Jesus to complete the task. Faith produces results Faith calls forth the presence of the holy True faith is from God Whatever we do, whatever our gift (and we all have one) – we have to be faithful in our service to God. Whole town bought water There was a town, who had a tradition that whenever there was a wedding, you were supposed to bring a jug of wine from home, and put in the collective pot – so that there would be enough wine for everyone. Well times have gotten tough for this one particular family – and they decided that instead fo bringing wine to the wedding, that they would bring a jug of water. Their little jug of water would not make a difference in the collective pot of wine – so they thought. It turns out every family felt the same way – everyone bought water instead of wine. In community our gifts matter Paul’s point for us – is that in community all of our gifts really do matter, and that God has given us all a gift or two. But they are only useful when we are faithful to Jesus as the Christ. Jesus is the wine of our celebration! Jesus us the life of our party! Jesus is the source of our faith! This week as we celebrate the contributions of Martin Luther King, as we celebrate the second inauguration of our President. Let us also celebrate our faith in Jesus Christ – be in service to the world, but be in all that you do, be in faithful service to God! Let us pray…… Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant (1 Corinthians 12:1, NIV). Why do we bring Christ into the wedding ceremony? Because if we would only bring Christ into our marriages, we would have better marriages! A few years back psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers was quoted as saying that for about half of all American couples, marriage is a “quiet hell.” Many other marriages have degenerated into a “tired friendship,” as someone put it. I submit to you that this is a tragedy, and in order to prevent such tragedies, we ought to take the traditional marriage ritual seriously and invite Christ to be a guest at our weddings, just as He was invited to the wedding at Cana in Galilee. Above all, in this quaint and lovely little story, John is proclaiming the Good News that Jesus Christ is the Life of every party, that he is the one who livens things up, brings life abundant for all, even anonymous brides and bridegrooms in an out-of-the-way peasant village located somewhere (where, we are not sure) in the Galilee. As William Barclay put it in his commentary on this passage: “...whenever Jesus comes into our lives there enters a quality which is like turning water into wine. The trouble with life is that we get bored with it. Pleasure loses its thrill. There is a vague dissatisfaction about everything. But when Jesus enters our lives there comes a new exhilaration!” Nearly one hundred years ago, there was an American inventor named Louis Enricht who announced that he had discovered a cheap additive that would turn ordinary tap water into automotive fuel. At the time World War I was raging in Europe and gasoline was enormously expensive. Enricht claimed that his new additive would bring the per gallon cost down to a single penny. That certainly got everyone’s attention. Enricht even gave a demonstration to a crowd of reporters. He had the reporters check that his jug was full of ordinary tap water, then poured in a small amount of greenish liquid, stirred it up, and invited everyone to test this miraculous mixture in their own vehicles. They did and it worked! Enricht’s demonstrations were so convincing that even the world famous automaker Henry Ford offered him millions to buy the rights for his additive. And no wonder. We’re still looking for such a cure to our energy ills today. Actually, Enricht had merely discovered that if you add a very cheap chemical called acetone to water it will run an engine for a while. Then it will destroy it. But before anyone found that out, Enricht had managed to convince not only Henry Ford, but several other famous American businessmen who should have known better, to give him millions of dollars for his worthless invention. Enricht was a scam artist. His invention looked convincing, but ultimately it destroyed the engine it was supposed to power. The power of Christ, on the other hand, took that which was inferior ordinary well water and made it rich and full and delightful. Anything Christ touches is going to be improved by that touch. The water was not only going to be transformed to wine. It would be the best wine possible. In this he was but reflecting the nature of God. God is a giving God. The God who has given us a beautiful and a bountiful world does so because that is God’s nature. Andreas Schroeder, Scams, True Stories from the Edge (Buffalo. NY: Annick Press Ltd., 2004), p. 1., adapted by King Duncan,www.Sermons.com A Whole New Era What about the underlying meaning? What did this strange first miracle signify? In a departure from custom, John fails to interpret for us the miraculous "sign," which for him almost always means a symbol, a kind of acted parable. Some commentators see in it a preview of the last Supper, when Jesus transforms not water into wind but wine into blood, his blood shed for all humanity. Maybe. But, I think not. I prefer a more whimsical interpretation. Tellingly, John notes that the wine came from huge thirty-gallon jugs that stood full of water at the front of the house, vessels that were used by observant Jews to fulfill the rules on ceremonial washing. Even a wedding feast had to honor the burdensome rituals of cleansing. Jesus, perhaps with a twinkle in his eye, transformed those jugs, ponderous symbols of the old way, into wineskins, harbingers of the new. From purified water of the Pharisees came the choice new wine of a whole new era. The time for ritual cleansing had passed; the time for celebration had begun. Prophets like John the Baptist preached judgment. Jesus' first miracle, though, was one of tender mercy. The lesson was not lost on the disciples who joined him at the wedding that night in Cana. Don't let it be lost on you! Adapted from Phillip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew, Grand Rapids: Zondervan 1995, p. 168.