A God for Everyone

October 19, 2025 Jeremiah 31:27-34 A God for Everyone 19th Sunday after Pentecost Prelude Greeting Call to Worship We have gathered once again, Lord of all and Lord of us. We come to lift our prayers, and to sing your praises once again. We come to ask and hope and long to see your justice in the land. We worship in that hope and will work in that Spirit. Derek Weber, March 2025 Opening Prayer Holy God, we turn to you this morning, aware of the gift you give us in scripture. You offer us your truth in story, in song, and in hard teachings. Help us recognize the goodness of what’s offered. Encourage us to seek what you offer. Challenge us to discipline ourselves to learn. Inspire us celebrate the love which expands in us as we draw closer to you and to your ways. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart UMH 500 A Sermon for all Ages Grapes and apples Good morning, everyone! Have you ever eaten a grape that was really sour? (Make a funny face—pucker up!) Yeah, it makes your mouth wrinkle up, doesn’t it? Let’s pretend I gave you a sour grape, and then your friend’s mouth puckered up instead of yours! Wouldn’t that be strange? That’s what the people in the Bible were saying in Jeremiah’s time. They said, “The parents ate sour grapes, and the children’s teeth were set on edge.” That means, “We’re having a hard time because of what someone else did.” But God said, “No more sour grapes! I’m going to plant something new.” God wanted each person to take care of their own heart and choices. God said, “I will plant and watch over you.” Isn’t that wonderful? (Chat GPT.5) Object: an apple for display and apple seed packets, enough for everyone Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like apples? I do, too. I want to tell you a little story today about a famous man named Johnny Appleseed. His real name was John Chapman. Back around 200 years ago, John Chapman traveled all across the United States planting apple orchards. Everywhere he went all across America, John Chapman planted apple seeds. He loved apples, and he believed they were healthy for people, and so he planted them wherever he went. And soon people started calling John Chapman by the nickname of Johnny Appleseed. We can be thankful that Johnny Appleseed decided to spread good stuff like apple seeds wherever he went. But Johnny also spread a weed called dog fennel everywhere he went. Johnny thought that dog fennel was a good plant, but actually it's not. The dog fennel weed gets into gardens and crops, and keeps the good crops from growing. Also, dog fennel weed is really smelly. So everywhere Johnny Appleseed went, he spread a good thing, apples, and he spread a bad thing, dog fennel weed. You know, you and I are like Johnny Appleseed. Each day, we choose whether to spread good stuff or bad stuff in other people's lives. If we are nice to other people, if we share our things, if we tell other people about God's love, then we are spreading good things in their lives. If we are mean to other people, if we are rude, if we don't show God's love to others, then we are spreading bad things. We can choose what we spread. This new year, let's choose (start handing out the apple seed packets) to only spread the apple seeds. Let's spread goodness wherever we go. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Prayer for Transformation and New Life Beloved God of All, We often feel deserted by Divine Justice and Peace, especially after absorbing the news each day. We allow ourselves to fully walk away from spreading Good News of your love and grace after feeling the lack of mercy in our world. We would rather be silent in places of comfort instead of shining your light in our pain-present reality. Our hearts can not bear knowing of any further wrongdoings. Open our souls to your healing. Embolden us to be persistent in our quest to do justice and love kindness. May we follow your light when the shadows attempt to swallow our resolve. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Michelle Torigian)) Words of Grace Our souls continue to open to the healing and hope of God. May we embrace the glow of God’s grace as we seek ways to care for our neighbors. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Michelle Torigian) Testimonies Joe and Joellyn Byers Scripture Jeremiah 31:27-34 Sermon A God for Everyone The Blame Game Sour grapes culture in the bible Jeremiah’s use of the blame game The last chapter of Jeremiah – change of heat and a change of tone. Very heavy seems like there is no hope A town with no hope A Little town in Maine, flagstaff was scheduled to be flooded in order to make way for a new damn. People knew for months that their town was doomed. Roofs needed to be repaired, buildings needed to be fixed. But no one was willing to spend on a house that they knew was going to be destroyed in the future any way. People noticed that as time got closer for the town to be destroyed – thinks started to look more and more bedraggled. No one was willing to fix anything or clean up anything. There was no hope, there was no freedom, no reason to try to do anything different. If God doesn’t love you, if God is threatening to divorce you and to forget all about you – what is the point of living in God’s will? Why obey laws that are designed to mess you up? Jeremiah knew that he had to create a new future, a future with hope, a promise that if you mess up, God will let you start all over again. God wont hold sin against When we have no hope, we don’t try. Song that God loves you. Gives us three promises – thus says the lord 3 promises. Final message that god loves you, and will be with you Boy and the comic books Son moved by fathers tears Wangerin has a wonderful story, called "Matthew, Seven, Eight, and Nine" about how he tried to stop his son Matthew from stealing comic books. He tried various uses of the law over several years and continued to fail. Finally, he resorted to something he rarely used: a spanking. He did it deliberately, almost ritualistically, and he was so upset when he finished that he left the room and wept. After pulling himself back together, he went in to Matthew and hugged him. A number of years later, Matthew and his mother were doing some general reminiscing, and Matthew happened to bring up the time when he kept stealing comic books. "And you know why I finally stopped?" he asked. "Sure," she said, "Because Dad finally spanked you." "No!" replied Matthew, "No, because Dad cried." He cared for me, and his tears made all of the difference. Tone of the Hebrew religion starts to change. Less about blame shame and guilt and more about love, forgiveness, mercy. Jeremiah’s story is about hope through God’s love. Understands us – wants us to succeed. So that we can show love to others Piano teacher A piano teacher once told her students, “My goal isn’t that you play from memory—it’s that you play from the heart.” Years later, one student became a nurse. During a long night shift, she sat beside a dying patient and quietly hummed that same piece she’d learned years ago. She said, “I didn’t need sheet music. The song was still in me.” Finally all familiar with passwords – if you don’t write it down, you lose it Don’t need a password for Gods love - inside of us. Mission We are God’s co-gardeners. The mission field isn’t just “out there”—it begins in the soil of our hearts and spreads wherever God plants us. When we invest our prayers, presence, gifts, and service, we join God’s renewal project. Discipleship True discipleship is not memorizing commands but embodying Christ’s compassion. It’s when forgiveness flows naturally, generosity feels joyful, and service springs from love—not duty. Stewardship Stewardship is not a program—it’s a response of people whose hearts are alive to God’s presence. When the covenant is written on our hearts, generosity becomes second nature. We give, serve, and care because we know God personally. Let us pray….. Song Love Divine, All Loves Excelling UMH 384 Prayers of the People (Do not print) O Lord our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You created the heavens and the earth and placed us in your world to glorify and enjoy you forever. And yet we have recognized the despair, dismay, and injustice; the violence and the disasters of the world in which we live. We seek to be faithful to you and your glory and yet, our hearts and souls are unsettled and troubled. We come to you in need of the healing and peace that only you can provide. And so, we pray for rest. We pray for rest for those weary from the demands of a culture that has turned us into consumers. Rest for those weary from unmet requests and unjust treatment. Rest and healing for those weary from illness, grief, loneliness, and loss. We pray for attention. We pray for attention for those distracted by too many good things. We pray for attention for those who feel like a pinball instead of a plant with roots running deep. We pray for attention to your gifts of grace that we might know delight. We pray to say no. We pray to say no to destructive forces and idols that pull us away from you, O Lord. We pray to say no to the ways we take your creation for granted and destroy what you have placed in our care. We pray to say no to all that addicts us to unhealthy behaviors and relationships. We pray for nourishment. We pray that we might nourish our souls with your Word. We pray that we might nourish our bodies with fruits, vegetables and exercise. We pray that we might nourish our minds with the truth. We pray for the log in our eyes. We confess that we are overly concerned with the behavior and belief of others. We confess that we fail to accurately see our own faults and failings. We confess that we pull back from others instead of working together for justice, freedom, and peace. We pray that you might speak to us. We pray that your Word might dwell within us and be engraved upon our hearts. We pray for the right words to speak in troubled times. We pray that your Spirit might give us eyes to see and ears to hear the new Word you are still speaking today. We pray for wonder and awe. We pray that beyond our hope and imagination, you might bring peace to war-torn lands. We pray that you might surprise us in the ordinary after long waits. We pray that we might see your fingerprints in our own. Finally, we pray for all those needs unnamed that trouble and unsettle our souls, needs known to you and bigger than we can handle on our own. Into your hands, O Lord, we place these prayers, longing for the day when you will make all things new. As we wait with anticipation and hope, we join our voices with disciples of all the ages to pray as Jesus has taught us, “Our Father …” (Presbyterian Outlook, Matthew Rich) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Jesus asked the question in Luke 18: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Today as we come to our time of offering, let’s recognize this is one act which demonstrates our faith. We give because we have faith, expressed through the ministries and work of this congregation (name one or two). We give because we have faith, knowing our financial support will help build up this congregation, allowing us to show God’s love in the midst of apathy, distrust, and selfishness. We give because we have faith in Jesus, the one who taught his followers to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the least – to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. So this invitation is for each and all of us to give financially, to give our talents, to give our time. Give in response to the abundance we have received: life, air, water, food, and so much more! Let us share our morning tithes, gifts, and offerings. Prayer of Thanksgiving Generous God, thank you for your abundant gifts by which our lives are blessed. Thank you for the ways you offer us your commandments and decrees to support the destitute and care for the widows and orphans. Thank you now for these gifts and for each one who has given, that we might use these resources to help create life on earth as it is in heaven. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May the God of Hope stir us to awaken to Divine dreams. May the Christ of Light embolden us to use our voices May the Spirit of Peace fill us with the resolve to transform our world. With help from the Holy One, we will never lose heart! (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Michelle Torigian) Community Time – Sharing of Joys and Concerns Benediction Here in this place, God transforms us into disciples, so we may share the grace etched upon our hearts. Here with these people, compassion is written on our hearts, so we may join Jesus in bringing justice to all. Now, in these moments, the Spirit is breathed into us, so we can be as persistent as God in bringing hope to the world. © Thom M. Shuman Additional illustrations You could answer every question on the Jeopardy board in the Bible category and still not have a living relationship with God. That's knowledge about God. And it has very little use in life. But personal knowledge of God comes from a relationship with the Lord. We get this knowledge when we invite Jesus to become the Lord and Savior of our lives. Only when we make that commitment do we begin to know the Lord in a personal way. A father took his young son to a major league baseball game along with one of the father's friends. The father's friend had a son who was a pitcher for one of the major league teams. It was the father's intention to stay after the game and have his friend's son introduced to his own boy. After the game, the trio made their way to the locker room door and waited for the players to come out. As they waited for his friend's son to come out, some of the star players pushed away the fans and made a dash for their cars. Other players came out and signed autographs, but the boy didn't really get to talk to any of them. But when his father's friend's son came out, because the lad was with his dad, the player took the time to shake his hand, to talk to him, and to greet him as a real human being. After that experience, the young boy paid a lot of attention to that player's career. He did so because he felt he had a relationship with the player. He had met him face to face, and that made all the difference. A symbol of God’s love A baby bird asked his mother, that is air – she said no words to her baby, she just spread here wings and flew. A baby fish asked its mother- what is water – she said nothing, she just swished her tail and started to fly. A baby ant ask his mother what is dirt, she said nothing she just dug a little more. A baby child asked her mother what is love – she opened her arms and hugged the baby. A God fearer asked God what is forgiveness – he sent his son to the cross to die for you. What better promise do you need of God’s love for you? Live your live dwelling in the love of God.

We are in this Together (Part II)

September 14, 2014 Matthew 18:21-35 We are in this together (Part II) Year A 14th Sunday After Pentecost Forgiveness Is Not Innate William Willimon writes: "The human animal is not supposed to be good at forgiveness. Forgiveness is not some innate, natural human emotion. Vengeance, retribution, violence, these are natural human qualities. It is natural for the human animal to defend itself, to snarl and crouch into a defensive position when attacked, to howl when wronged, to bite back when bitten. Forgiveness is not natural. It is not a universal human virtue." Peter and forgiveness. Relatedness to the scripture. Not natural, so would comeup with laws to forgive. He is expecting Jesus to say: “Excellent Peter. You go to the head of the class. You get A+.” According to Jewish law, Peter had the right to think that he had done something good. Scribal law clearly read: “If a man transgresses one time, forgive him. If a man transgresses two times, forgive him. If a man transgresses three times, forgive him. If a man transgresses four times, do not forgive him.” What Peter has done is to take this law of limited forgiveness, multiply it by two and add one, and then sit back with a smile on his face and say: Now how is that for being a great guy? And he surely must have been taken aback when Jesus said you must forgive seventy times seven. Forgiveness is key to our relationship. Sometime in life we have to forgive. On order to be a community we have to be able to forgive. Not to forgive as our minds tell us, but as God tells us. Jesus says that you should forgive people 7 x 70 times. How many times is that it is 490. That is a lot. I think that it may be hard for one person to sin against us 490 times. But if they do, does that mean that the 491st time we have permission to stay mad and not forgive them? More important, Jesus tells us that we need to stop keeping score. Get rid of the score card. Stop worrying about what others owe us. He gives the example of a slave who gets mad at another person for owing him, but he is thrown into jail for a debt so large that he can never repay. On his salary, 2000 years later, he would still be trying to earn the money.and yet he was forgiven. We have a lot to be forgiven about, and God paid it all. Forgiven: Too Poor to Pay (A good sermon closer) When the books of a certain Scottish doctor were examined after his death, it was found that a number of accounts were crossed through with a note: "Forgiven--too poor to pay." But the physician's wife later decided that these accounts must be paid in full and she proceeded to sue for money. When the case came to court the judge asked but one question. Is this your husband's handwriting? When she replied that it was he responded: "There is no court in the land that can obtain a debt once the word forgiven has been written." And that is the good news that the Gospel offers us this morning. God's attitude is not "I'll forgive but I won't forget," but rather, "Forgiven, Forgotten Forever." Across our debt has been written the words, "Forgiven--too poor to pay." Once a debt has been cancelled there is no one who can collect on it. God wipes it out of his mind. Oh, if we could only do that. If we could forgive others like that; If we could forgive ourselves like that. But I that was last week’s sermon. This week I think Jesus is telling us to go even further. Forgiveness is not about what God has done for us. I think Jesus us really trying to tell us that we need to throw away the score card. We have to stop keeping score of all of our wrongs and all of our rights. God does not keep a score card, with the intention to make us pay up. That person who cut us off on the road this morning, is a child of God, just like we are, God is in their life as God is in ours. The score is even for us all in the eyes of God. You still keeping score? There's a scene from a movie a few years ago called "Nobody's Fool." There's a working man named Donald Sullivan. Everybody calls him Sully. He's about sixty years old, and spent his whole life in the same town. When his parents died, he inherited their house. He never moved in. Instead he left it alone. It was the house where his father beat him as a child. So he has left it alone, and every day he drives by to watch it slowly fall apart. One day he takes one of his friends, a builder, through that broken-down house. The builder says, "Sully, you could have saved this place. You could have fixed it up a little bit, rented it out. You could have sold it and put the money in your own pocket. Instead you stick it to your old man. What's it been - - thirty, thirty-five years? You still keeping score? Well, here's the good news: you won." Meanwhile the house is falling down . . . Sometimes we have to make to decision do we want to be right, or do we want to be well. Tending to Spiritual Wounds Human beings created in the image of God need to be held accountable. If a shark bites you while you are swimming off the California coast, you would never talk about forgiving the shark, much less of trying to find ways to communicate why what he did hurt you. He's just a shark! He thought you were a seal. That's that. But it's very different when a person acts like a shark and takes a bite out of your soul. Here is someone who must be dealt with as a responsible moral agent. Here's someone who needs to know the damage she did, including if that means your saying, "I can't forgive you right now. I am that hurt. I've got to recover before I will have a chance to rally the resources I'll need to forgive you." If someone is mangled in a car accident, the first priority is to get the physical wounds healed. If there are mental wounds like post-traumatic stress syndrome or the like, then they need to be healed with therapy eventually. But even if you are a therapist who passes by the accident, you'd be a fool to kneel down next to the wrecked car and say, "Let's talk about this accident so you can deal with it in a healthy psychological way." Of course not! Even a therapist would need to grab a hankie and staunch the flow of blood first. Get to the other stuff later. So also with great spiritual wounds: the immediate injuries need to be tended to first. Then, sometime later, you may be in a position to move on toward forgiving the one who inflicted the wounds. And, of course, there are any number of phenomena that can make forgiveness a long, tortured process. It is exceedingly hard to forgive people who refuse to admit they were wrong. It is very difficult to proffer forgiveness to people who slap the gift of grace out of your hand saying, "Keep your forgiveness! I don't want it!" It is difficult to forgive the person who won't speak with you, refuses to look at you or meet with you. Scott Hoezee, The Long Haul I think that Jesus is trying to help usto understand that it is only when we understand what it means to forgive greatly, that we come to understand the value of God’s great mercy. When we are able to forgive others, then we can appreciate what God has done for us. Why Forgive? Two decades ago (1981) there was an attempt on the life of Pope John Paul. Fortunately, the Pope lived. After he recovered, he shocked the world when he made a visit to Rome’s Rabbibia Prison to see the man who had attempted to assassinate him on Christmas day. Millions watched on television as the Pope visited with Mehmet Ali Agca, who only two years before had tried to assassinate him. The white-robed Pope and jean-clad terrorist huddled in the dark prison cell for 20 minutes, talking in low voices that could not be heard. When he emerged John Paul explained, "I spoke to a brother whom I have pardoned." I will never forget the headline the next week in Time Magazine, "Why forgive?" That is a good question, one that has been asked for centuries. It was asked by Peter in verse 21 of the passage that was read this morning. If you have not asked the question; wait, you will someday. Adapted from Randall H. Perry, ‘Who Me? Forgive Who?’ Text Illustration: Forgiveness is not about making the other person right in what they did… forgiveness is about 2 things, first it is obedience to your calling as a Child of God, and 2nd it is an instrument that frees you from the bondage of resentment and revenge. Matt 18:21-35 Bobby Stults (Aug 2007) How Many Times? by Brett Blair Passage: Matthew 18:21-35 · Lectionary: Proper 19 Item 6 of 19 | Back to Results Exegetical Aim: There is no limit to forgiveness Props-Suggested: A portable marker board (or writing pad), a marker, and eraser. Lesson: Good morning. Hold up the board. I want to do a little math this morning but first let me ask you a question. What does "I forgive you" mean? (response) What does it mean when I say, "I forgive you?" (response) I've been wondering this week how many times I am so suppose to forgive someone. As you count up to seven write each number along the top of the board. The children will probably allow two or three but no more. If they allow five make six and seven too many. What if someone does ONE bad thing to me? Should I forgive them? (response) What if they do the same thing to me again? Write the number 2.(response) Ok, I should forgive them TWO times. But let's say they do something else to me that's bad. That makes THREE bad things they have done to me. Should I forgive them three times? (response) Alright, one more time I'll forgive them. But they do four things now. Do I forgive them? (response) Now they do FIVE. What do I do? (response) What's the next number? (six) That's a big number. What if this person does SIX bad things against me? Should I forgive them that many times? (response) What comes after six? (seven)Now, I can understand forgiving someone 2 times or even three but if they do something bad to me seven times am I suppose to forgive them that many? (response) How many times am I suppose to forgive them? (response) Why? (response) Jesus said something that is pretty amazing. Someone asked him, "Lord, how many times am I suppose to forgive my brother when he does something wrong to me? Am I suppose to forgive him seven times?" Circle the number seven. Jesus said to him, "No, not seven times but seventy times seven." Does any one know how many times that is? (response) Let's find out. Let's do a little math. Write the equation out and solve it-some of course will need help solving the math problem: 70x7 490 7x0 is how many? (response) and 7x7 is how many? (response) that comes to 490. Now what is Jesus saying? Is he saying we are suppose to forgive 490 times and no more or is he saying something else? (response) What is he saying? (response) We are always to forgive. You see that is the way God deals with us. He always forgives us. Every time. No matter how many times you come to him-seven times or 491 times-he will forgive. And since God is so forgiving he asked us to be forgiving as well. Let's Pray: Dear Lord you forgive us of all the bad things we do help us to forgive others too. Brett Blair, ChristianGlobe, 2000 Back to Results | Item 6 of 19 Will Willimon Two Million Dollar Mistake John D. Rockefeller built the great Standard Oil empire. Not surprisingly, Rockefeller was a man who demanded high performance from his executives. One day, one of those executives made a two million dollar mistake. Word of the man’s enormous error quickly spread throughout the executive offices, and the other men began to make themselves scarce, not wanting to cross his path. One man didn’t have any choice, however, since he had an appointment with the boss. So he straightened his shoulders and walked into Rockefeller’s office. As he approached Rockefeller’s desk, he looked up from the piece of paper on which he was writing. “I guess you’ve heard about the two million dollar mistake our friend made,” he said abruptly. “Yes,” the executive said, expecting Rockefeller to explode. “Well, I’ve been sitting here listing all of our friend’s good qualities, and I’ve discovered that in the past he has made us many more times the amount he lost for us today by his one mistake. His good points far outweigh this one human error. So I think we ought to forgive him, don’t you?” Dale Galloway, You Can Win with Love, in The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Charles Swindoll, Word Pub., p. 215. www.eSermons.com, Staff Forgiving As God Forgives Someone once said that the scariest, most sobering word in the entire New Testament is that tiny little word "as." "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." That vital connection between God's abiding forgiveness of us and of our in turn forgiving others tells us that we must forgive. This is not some weird demand on God's part, however. This is not some hoop we must jump through to earn our salvation or to perform like some trained dog just because God enjoys watching us do tricks. No, the reason for the connection between God's forgiving us and our forgiving others is because of the sheer power of God's forgiveness. It is so great that it simply must and will change us. The reason God expects us to forgive as a result of our being forgiven is the same reason you can expect to be wet after diving into Lake Michigan: water is wet and when you immerse yourself in it, you get wet. So also with forgiving grace: grace is magnetic and beautiful. When God immerses you in grace and saves your life eternally by it, you will be dripping with grace yourself. You will be full of grace and truth and so spread it to others. Scott Hoezee, The Long Haul Keeping Score William G. Carter, The Arithmetic of Forgiveness DO YOU WANT TO BE RIGHT, OR DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL? Dr. David Seamands tells the story about a young woman he counseled in college several years ago. She had suffered every kind of abuse in her own home--psychological, sexual and physical. The very place that was supposed to be nurturing was instead a frightening and brutal place. He had been counseling with her several times. At last she said she was ready for him to pray for her emotional healing of the past. But as he was praying, she suddenly let out a scream that chilled him to the bone. It was so loud that he was concerned about what the secretary and people in the hall of the church might think. He turned to her and said, "What is happening? Why did you cry out like that?" She said, "I can't give them up." He was unsure of what she could not give up and said, "Please explain what you mean." She said, "My resentments. I cannot give them up." Dr. Seamands said, "Why not?" She said, "They are all I have." Twice more they met for counseling, but it was evident that her heart was no longer in it. She had come to a fork in the road and gone another way. She never returned for counseling after that. Years later, Dr. Seamands was preaching a series of meetings in another state, and at the close of the last meeting a woman came up to him who looked older than her years. She said, "Do you remember me?" He said, "I'm sorry, but I am afraid I don't." She told him her name and said, "Surely you remember the counseling session we had where I screamed in the middle of your prayer." Then it all came back to him, and she said through bitter tears, "Two divorces and one nervous breakdown later, I should have given them up." And then she walked away, and would not turn back. There is a question I sometimes ask people: "Do you want to be right, or do you want to be well?" Do you want to insist that you were not wrong and hold on to your pride, resentment and bitterness, or are you willing to let them go and be healed? Do you want to cling to the things that are destructive to you or do you want to bThere is a question I sometimes ask people: "Do you want to be right, or do you want to be well?" Do you want to insist that you were not wrong and hold on to your pride, resentment and bitterness, or are you willing to let them go and be healed? Do you want to cling to the things that are destructive to you or do you want to be well? You can be sick, or you can be made whole. The choice is up to you. (From a sermon by Rodney Buchanan, From Death to Life, 4/10/2011) ________________________

The Prodigal Family

March 30, 2025 Luke 15:1-3,11-32 The Prodigal Family Year C 4th Sunday of Lent UMCOR Sunday “Delight” Lent Four Prelude Greeting Over the Threshold Leader: We might not think of Albert Einstein as a mystic, but his quotes about life and spirituality have lived as long as his scientific theories. He said this: “We are slowed down sound and light waves, a walking bundle of frequencies tuned into the cosmos. We are souls dressed up in sacred biochemical garments and our bodies are the instruments through which our souls play their music.” Sing Verse 1 of Open My Eyes that I May See UMH Lent is a time of spiritual journeys and spiritual practices. We have visited several elements of spiritual depth thus far, including Beauty, Wonder, Meaning, and Curiosity. When we incorporate these as spiritual practices, research shows that there are all kinds of benefits to our lives and our involvement with the world around us. Biblical authors often used these words to describe our response to the Holy, and this week’s word is no different. ‘Delight’ is a word that winds itself through scripture–we are invited to delight in the presence of the Holy, to delight in God’s creation. In a time when our delight is often depleted by the forces that threaten destruction or simply what feels like the tediousness of everyday life, we hear the call to co-create experiences of delight. Sing Verse 2 of Open My Eyes that I May See UMH We humans love repetition… up to a point. But sometimes, we just need a good “Wow!” and some goosebumps to help us feel fully alive. Our physical response to awe-filled moments come from a very ancient part of our evolution–even before language. And those goosebumps? They helped us forge connections with others as we faced the vast mysteries of life together. Delight still plays an important role in our spiritual needs and in our sense of a deeply relational life. 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 delight. Too often, we forget that we are made to delight in the diversity and abundance of your gifts. Open us to perceive anew. Inspire us to receive our surroundings with awe. Forgive us when we get complacent, when we choose routine over opportunities for new experiences. 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 [fade into silence… after a time, the leader speaks softly into the silence] The Holy delights in their creation, in our very existence. 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 Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling UMH348 In Awe of Children (A Sermon for all Ages) Children’s Message (Luke 15:1-3; 11-32) Parable of the Prodigal Son. By Kristin Highley Message: Note: All elements are open to adjustment. Cater to the needs of your group “Good morning! I hope you’re doing well today. I have a couple of things to show you, and I want to see if you can recognize what they might be for. (hold up a trophy or medal). What is this? That’s right, it’s an award. Would you receive this for doing something bad? Of course not! This is a special winner’s treat. Now, what do you think about this one…do you know what this is? (Display speeding ticket, or maybe a poor report from school if it’s more familiar) This is something your mom or dad might see if they do something wrong while they are driving…and it usually means you have to pay money. You wouldn’t expect to get a medal for speeding down the highway. But it sort of happened in the gospel reading today. Someone got what they did not deserve! You see, the son in the story asked his dad for all of his money, basically. But then he ran away and wasted it. Have you ever disobeyed your parents or done something wrong? (allow responses if time and children willingness allow) Well, this guy did much worse things. He pretty much abandoned his family. But eventually, the money and fun times ran out, and he realized he’d made some pretty big mistakes. He thought he could make it and ignore his dad, but finally decided he needed to apologize and hope that maybe he could accept punishment and just live like a servant. He didn’t think his dad would even let him back home as a son. But did you hear what happened? Not only did his dad rejoice when he saw his wandering son, he even through him a party and gave him special presents! He was so happy to see the boy, it was like he hadn’t done anything wrong. This may seem strange. Shouldn’t we be disciplined when we do bad things? Well, in a lot of ways we should… But, the good news of the Bible is that even though we sin and do bad things, God still lets us be part of His family. It’s called “grace.” We deserve the punishment that our sins have earned. But when we tell God we’re sorry and let Jesus rule in our lives, grace gives us positive rewards instead. God loves us so much that He wants to find us no matter where we are or how far we stray. Nothing can get us so far away from God that He won’t let us back in His arms. And He lets the death of Jesus cover over the things we do. Jesus didn’t do anything wrong, so He didn’t deserve to die. But He took on the punishment for our bad things, so that we could get the reward of His goodness. That hardly seems fair! But we can thank God that life is not always fair. Just like the Father in the story, God celebrates over us when we come to Him. Isn’t that great? Optional take home: give each child a small “winner” ribbon or star sticker to remind them that we are winners in God’s eyes, no matter what we do. Prayer of Confession Lord, it is interesting that it is easy for us to identify with today’s scripture about the “Prodigal Son”. Some of us are easily reminded of our own selfishness and stubbornness when we willfully sought our own way. Others are reminded about how angry we were when others were not held accountable for their actions, when we have been so careful not to displease anyone. Still others can identify with the father who, feeling the loss of his son, welcomes him home again, reminding the brother that he has always been in the love and care of the Father. We hear this story and it’s a pleasant memory. But do we really understand what it is about? Do we know that we have also been stubborn and selfish, angry and unforgiving, sorrowful and caught between two conflicting factions? We are no different from these characters, in our own unique way. Yet, in God’s infinite love, we also are forgiven and healed. We are called to turn our lives back to God’s care, which is always extended to us. Forgive us and heal us, gracious God. Open our hearts and our spirits to truly receive the blessings of your healing love. For it is in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, that we pray. AMEN. Words of Assurance Once we were “dead” to all the things that God hoped for us; but in God’s love we are again brought to life. Rejoice, dear ones, you are forgiven! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) 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 Dacher Keltner’s research called, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life: “Our tears register our awareness of vast things that unite us with others. Our goose bumps accompany notions of joining with others and facing mysteries and unknowns together. Today we may sense these laws of bodily awe when moved by a favorite musical group, or in calling out in protest with others in the streets, or in bowing our heads together in contemplation. And in such rushes of tears and chills… we may glean a sense of what our souls might be.” Ancient Reading Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (Make Sure you gave Margaret the right verses) In Awe of Music In Awe of the Word The Prodigal Family How this story fits in with Luke chapter 15 There are three stories of things that are lost in chapter 15 – There is a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. All three of these things are cause for celebration. A time to gather and to think about the important things in life and to celebrate when you finally find them. The most well known of these stories is the story of the lost son, the Prodigal Son. This is a story of a family, it is the story of their complicated relationship. In each of these stories Jesus uses the yearning for possessions to point out his love for God’s people. Jesus’ whole mission was to find God’s lost people. In his search for lost people, even Jesus recognized that the mission was so much bigger than that. God is not in search of lost bodies, but lost hearts. Sometimes it can seem like life is a constant pursuit of physical things, but we are really looking for more. Money Can Buy a Bed But Not Sleep Someone said that money can buy you a bed, but it can’t buy you sleep. It can buy you books, but not brains. It can buy you food, but not an appetite. It can buy a house, but not a home. It can buy medicine, but it can’t buy health. It can buy all kinds of amusements, but it can’t buy happiness. Money can buy a fine dog, but only love will make the dog wag its tail. What kind of wealth do you want? We celebrate the wealth of God’s love in Jesus Christ. The wealth of God's love brings us what the wealth of the world cannot touch: Peace, understanding, fulfillment, life. These things are eternal. In Milan, Italy, there is a great cathedral with three doors. On the door to the right is written, "All that pleases lasts only for a moment." The door on the left proclaims, "All that troubles lasts only for a moment." And the large center door reminds all that approach, "Nothing is important except that which is eternal." In this life you will experience pleasures and troubles. What lasts forever is the wealth of God in Jesus. Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com This is a very familiar story You know it is interesting, I have preached this story 3 different times in this congregation alone. I have preached it countless other times in other congregations. As a matter of fact, this is one of the most famous stories in the bible. People who don’t know anything else about the bible know this story. Most of us have heard it a million times before. The lesson of the son who squandered away his inheritance is so famous. I struggled all week with how to make this sermon different from all of the other sermons that I have preached about this. We usually hear this story during the Lenten season. But this story has not always been a part of lent. It wasn’t added to the lectionary until 1992. It used to be told during Pentecost, but telling this story during lent gets to the heart of why this season is an important part of our relationship with God. There are so many lessons that we can learn. We learn about family dynamics, we learn about forgiveness, we learn about ourselves. This is a popular story, but it is not always a well liked story. I can speak for older siblings everywhere who take this story as a personal conviction. I shared this story at preschool chapel this week – even preschoolers recognized that siblings in a family are not always treated equal. There is always someone in the family who gets away with everything and never gets held accountable. In this story, the father forgives the son and welcomes him back into the family. But this is also a story about judgement. This is the first time that I actually thought about the first sentence of our scripture. There was a man who had 2 sons. The younger son is really not the center of attention in this story. He is not the only person in need of forgiveness. Some people judge the father because they think that he went way too far in forgiving. But we don’t have to like it What Would You Have Given the Prodigal Son? Fred Craddock preached one Sunday in a neighboring town when the regular minister happened to be away. Fred preached on this text ... not by choice, so much as by assignment. Leading a fellow to say after the service: "I really didn't care much for that, frankly." Fred continues: I said, "Why?" He said, "Well, I guess it's not your sermon. I just don't like that story." I said, "What is it you don't like about it?" He said, "It's not morally responsible." I said, "What do you mean by that? "Forgiving that boy," he said. I said, "Well, what would you have done?" He said, "I think when he came home he should've been arrested." This fellow was serious. He's an attorney, I thought. I thought he was going to tell me a joke. But he was really serious. He belonged to this unofficial organization nationwide, never has any meetings and doesn't have a name, but it's a very strong network that I call "quality control people." They're the moral police. Mandatory sentences and no parole, mind you, and executions. I said, "What would you have given the prodigal?" He said, "Six years." William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com We Can be very judgemental I have been so caught up in sympathizing with the older son in the past, that I never really payed attention to the heart to heart talk that he has with the older son. He had to remind him that it was his right to do what he wanted with his own money – if he wanted to spend it on welcoming the brother back that was his business. He would have done the same for the older brother. He reminds the older son of the importance of forgiveness. As a matter of fact he had to look past the older son’s need to judge and forgive him too. The elder brother showed himself a Pharisee. He was quick to judge his brother. Right was right and wrong was wrong and there was no room for shades of grey. Such persons are possessed of a judgemental spirit. The problem with pharisees, and I readily admit that I have a tendency within myself, is that we tend to view principles and rules as having greater weight than people. There were clearly in the wrong, their behavior is destructive; throw the book at them! An extreme case of this mind set was exhibited by Carrie Nation, the fanatical abolitionist of the pre prohibition days. Carrie was an extremely manipulating woman. Her husband was a minister and Carrie sat in the front pews, orchestrating his sermon. When she felt that he had said his piece, she summarily announced “That is all for today, David.” If he displayed the temerity to continue, she would simply mount the pulpit, close the Bible, and hand her husband his hat. She also despised smoking and was known to knock cigars from the mouths of unsuspecting smokers. Her zeal for righteousness, really self righteousness, robbed her of respect and consideration for those whom she purported to want to help. I am afraid there is a little bit of Carrie Nation in all of us. There is a little bit of the older son in all of us. Especially when we are Christians striving to do the right thing and we see others who are not. I called this sermon the Prodigal Family – there is a little bit of ourselves in each of the characters in the story. Sometimes we are need of forgiveness, sometimes we are judging others, sometimes we are the one who forgives. We are all a part of the story. We all play a part. You don’t want to be a the fatted calf Who Resented The Prodigal’s Return? The Religious Ed teacher was reading this story of the Prodigal Son to his class, clearly emphasizing the resentment the older brother expressed at the return of his brother. When he was finished telling the story, he asked the class, “Now who was really sad that the prodigal son had come home?” After a few minutes of silence, one little boy raised his hand and confidently stated, “The fatted calf.” Staff, www.Sermons.com God actions are love We probably don’t want to see ourselves as the fatted calf. We don’t learn anything from being the fatted calf. He is cooked and eaten, do don’t want that to happen to us. Jesus tells this story to help us to understand our own relationship with God. God is actually not a character in the story. The father in the story does not represent God. This is a story about the people of God. All of the people in the story were in need of understanding, grace and forgiveness. All of them needed to work on their relationship with God. Maya Angelou was a famous African American poet. At one time she was the Poet Laureate of the U.S. I did not realize that she was United Methodist. She was a member of Glide Memorial UMC in San Fransico. He Seeks Until He Finds You There is a wonderful story about Maya Angelou. She is an active member now of Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. She wrote that years ago when she first came to San Francisco as a young woman she became sophisticated. She said that was what you were supposed to do when you go to San Francisco, you become sophisticated. And for that reason she said she became agnostic. She thought the two went together. She said that it wasn't that she stopped believing in God, just that God no longer frequented the neighborhoods that she frequented. She was taking voice lessons at the time. Her teacher gave her an exercise where she was to read out of some religious pamphlet. The reading ended with these words: "God loves me." She finished the reading, put the pamphlet down. The teacher said, "I want you to read that last sentence again." So she picked it up, read it again, this time somewhat sarcastically, then put it down again. The teacher said, "Read it again." She read it again. Then she described what happened. "After about the seventh repetition I began to sense there might be some truth in this statement. That there was a possibility that God really loves me, Maya Angelou. I suddenly began to cry at the grandness of it all. I knew if God loved me, I could do wonderful things. I could do great things. I could learn anything. I could achieve anything. For what could stand against me with God, since one person, any person, with God form a majority now." There are many people who are just like that. They think it is unbelievable that God would know me, that God would love me, that God would know my name. Just the grandness of it, as Maya Angelou says, that God would really love me. But that is the gospel. He seeks you until he finds you. She found that God found her, in San Francisco. Mark Trotter, Collected Sermons, Sermons.com I Have Been Found In every other religion we have to go to God. In every other religion God's holiness meant that we couldn't get close to God until we, ourselves, became holy. So in every other religion, God is way, way up there, and we are down here, and some of us are way, way down here. The job of the priests in all those religions is to mediate, to appease God through offering sacrifices so that God will like us, and we will be acceptable to God. But in Christianity the proclamation is just the opposite. It says we don't have to find our way to God, because God has found his way to us. What is unique, Montefiore said, is that God seeks us and God finds us. That is why the classical, prototypical Christian experience is, "I have been found." "I once was lost, but now am found." Mark Trotter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com The Greatest Sentence Ever Written A teacher, every year in her fifth grade class, had what she called the Scholastic Olympics. What happened was that she would ask each child to pick a sentence from literature, name the author and source from which it came, and then explain why this sentence could be called the most important sentence ever written. You can probably guess what some of the entries were, like "Fourscore and seven years ago," and "All people are created equal." A lot of political phrases like that. There were also a lot of literary phrases, like "To be or not to be." The girl who got the most points for knowing that "To be or not to be" was from a play got some points taken away because she said the author was a writer for the Bill Cosby Show. There were fourteen entries of the same biblical verse, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," probably because the teacher had said that was her favorite verse. You know what sentence won? It was not written by a famous author at all. It wasn't to be found in any literary source. It appeared on a postcard from Hawaii that one of these fifth grade girls received from her stepfather, who was on a honeymoon with the girl's mother. The teacher was uneasy about this, because the children were supposed to explain why this is the most important sentence ever written. But she let her speak. The girl said that until she received that postcard, she didn't know how her stepfather felt about her. The girl's entry won the prize. It was written on the back of a postcard from Waikiki Beach . It said, "Charlotte , I love you." That's the greatest sentence ever written. And there are many variations of it. And wherever it is heard, and from whatever source it comes, it constitutes a blessing. It is here in this text this morning. It's here in the parable of the Prodigal Son, and it's addressed to everyone. To sons and to daughters, to prodigals and to the righteous: "Come home. I love you." Mark Trotter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com __________________________________ God loves us in so many ways. And are pursuit of money possessions is a hunt for the love of God. God shows love in so many ways, God’s love comes through so many people. God loves us in so many circumstances. God’s love comes through in rebellion, judgement, and extravagant forgiveness. How do we take the time to say thank you? In the meantime let us pray. Amen. Hymn There is a Wideness in God’s Mercy UMH 121 Approaching an Awesome God [Prayers] Holy and Living God, we approach this time of prayer with delight at your world. With all our senses, we open to you. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love others as you perceive and love us. We imagine in our mind’s eye now the people in our lives, the people of our communities, and the people of our world. Each of them is beloved by you, and this alone creates awe in us. We especially lift up those who need our prayers in this moment… [continue with prayers of thanksgiving and care for people]. For all these people and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love your creation as you perceive and love it. Each resplendent rainbow, each stunning snowflake, each chirping squirrel reminds us that delight can be found everywhere. You are making all things new all around us. Help us to care for the nature around us. This week, we name… [continue with prayers about specific entities of nature in your area]. For all these places, creatures, and lifeforms, and those we name in our hearts, Hear our prayer, Awesome God. Give us lenses of awe with which to perceive and love life as you perceive and love the life you have given us. Fill us with delight in your presence and your work in our lives. 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) (Do not Print) UMCOR is present wherever there is a disaster. This year they have been present to help those affected by the wildfires in California. Last year they were present in places that had tornados, hurricanes, winter storms, and other natural disasters. They are also present in Ukraine, Gaza and Honduras. It is such a blessing to be able to help them in their work. Let us Pray this prayer for the ministry as a whole. PRAYER (Print) Gracious and loving God, we thank you for your faithfulness and provision in the midst of every storm. We thank you for organizations like UMCOR that reflect your love in the world. We offer our hearts, our hands and our resources to you, asking for your guidance as we walk with those who suffer. May we be vessels of your love, bringing hope where there is despair and restoration where there is brokenness. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Offering/Offertory Doxology Prayer of Thanksgiving "Loving and Compassionate God, as we give today, we lift up this offering with hearts full of gratitude, knowing it will support UMCOR's vital work in responding to disasters and helping those in need. May our generosity ensure that UMCOR's hands are never tied, so that when help is needed, they can act immediately. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen." (AI generated) 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 of the delight of this life, 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 “Mystic” Einstein’s words: “We are souls dressed up in sacred biochemical garments and our bodies are the instruments through which our souls play their music.” Be a purveyor of awe this week. Be an instrument of awe through the music of your soul, as you play and imagine and dream a better world into being, as you invite delight 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 Concens Benediction May God’s grace go ahead of you, trail behind you, and encircle you each and every moment, that with every move you make you would know with absolute assurance that God’s steadfast love will never leave you alone. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, September 2024. Postlude Worship Notes Contemporary reading excerpted from the following source: Keltner, D. (2023). Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life. Penguin Random House. Additional Illustrations God Said... Is there a better picture of forgiveness in the whole Bible? It reminds me of a story about a woman who had upset her pastor because she claimed that she had conversations with God. She had attracted quite a following in the church and every day people gathered at her house, got on their knees, prayed, sang hymns and listened to her describe what God was saying to her. The pastor thought all this was getting out of hand, so he went to visit her. "I know you say you are talking with God," he said, "but what you hear talking back at you is just your imagination. Just to prove it, I want you to ask God to name three of the sins that I confessed this morning. Then tell me what God said. If you can name those sins, I'll believe that you really are talking with God." The woman sat there for a long while, praying. Then she looked up and said, "I asked God to name your three sins, but God said, 'I forgot.'" Norm Linville, The Prodigal Father Where Are We At the Parable’s End? Let's step back outside with the older brother, still in need of a shower, arms folded across his chest, the moral high road. "But when this son of yours came back ... you killed the fatted calf for him." He cannot even bring himself to acknowledge his brother with a name -- "this son of yours." A sense of unfairness, as you know, can turn venomous rather quickly. So where are we at parable's end? Are we inside the party celebrating? Or are we standing outside with our arms folded, refusing to come in? Jesus will not tell us how this story will end. The father passionately invites the older son inside, "pleads with him" to join in the welcome. Curiously, however, we are never told what the older brother decides to do. The story ends but it doesn't end. You can almost hear the voice of Walter Cronkite saying, "You are there." Will we RSVP to a party thrown by an unfair God? Or will we stubbornly remain outside? In a world where God does not play fair, this parable forces us to make a choice. Who is the real "prodigal" here? Who is the real "waster"? From the beginning Jesus says that this is a story about two brothers. Which one is the authentic prodigal? Which one has yet to come home to the Father's extravagant love? Frank G. Honeycutt, Sermons on the Gospel Reading, Cycle C, CSS Publishing God Loves the Elder Brother Too God loves the older brother just as much as he does the younger brother, and I think that it is time that the older brother hear about it. There have been a lot of elder brothers in the history of the church. There was St. Teresa, who lived in the 16th century. She never left the Father’s home. She went into a convent at an early age and developed a life of self-discipline that would fill anyone with awe. She spent hours a day in prayer. One day, when she was in her mid 40’s, she was entering the chapel to pray as she did everyday. And as she entered she noticed a picture, a picture which had been on the walls for years. It was a picture of Jesus being scourged prior to the crucifixion. And suddenly the realization came to her the Christ had been scourged for her. And those who have studied her life say that this was the great turning point. She had stayed at home in the Father’s house. She had done the right thing. But she needed to know that the Christ who was whipped was whipped for Teresa. And there was joy in heaven that day — not over a soul returning from wild living but for a soul returning from the fields after a hard day’s work. United Methodists certainly know about the elder brother, because their own John Wesley was the best of them. He was so earnest, so methodical about his devotional life that people called him a Methodist and the name stuck. But it was not until his 35th year, after years of ministry, when he was at Aldersgate, that Wesley experienced God in such a way that he was able to write: “I suddenly felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt that Christ had died for my sins, even mine and had saved me from the law of sin and death.” Wesley had never gone to the far country. But Wesley needed to know how much God loved him too. He needed to feel some excitement about his religion. He needed a homecoming party. Staff, www.Sermons.com Our Own Sin Is Hard To See Let me tell you a true story. Back in 1893 there were a group of four sisters. The Cherry Sisters they called themselves, who made their stage debut in Cedar Rapids in a skit they wrote themselves. For three years, the Cherry Sisters performed to packed theaters throughout the Midwest. People came to see them to find out if they were as bad as they had heard. Their unbelievably atrocious acting enraged critics and provoked the audience to throw vegetables at the would-be actresses. Wisely, the sisters thought it best to travel with an iron screen which they would erect in front of the stage in self-defense. Amazingly, in 1896 the girls were offered a thousand dollars a week to perform on Broadway -- not because they were so good, but because they were so unbelievably bad. Seven years later, after the Cherry Sisters had earned what in that day was a respectable fortune of $200,000, they retired from the stage for the peaceful life back on the farm. Oddly enough, these successful Broadway "stars" remained convinced to the end that they were truly the most talented actresses ever to grace the American stage. They never had a clue as to how bad they truly were! The parable this morning does not tell us what the elder brother did when his father came out to speak to him. It doesn't reveal to us whether he realized that his envy and disdain had made him just as bad as his younger brother. Yes, the elder brother had never stooped to find himself in the pigpens of life. He would never have been caught dead carousing with prostitutes or wasting his resources in riotous living but in the end his refusal to rejoice at the return of his sinful brother was, to Jesus, just as offensive. The tragedy was that he never realized just how bad HE truly was! Lee Griess, Taking The Risk Out Of Dying, CSS Publishing Company. We Prefer Justice to Mercy Perhaps you remember the cartoon strip, Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin is a little boy with an overactive imagination and a stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes to life as his imaginary friend. In one cartoon strip, Calvin turns to his friend Hobbes and says, "I feel bad I called Susie names and hurt her feelings. I'm sorry I did that." Hobbes replies, "Maybe you should apologize to her." Calvin thinks about it for a moment and then responds, "I keep hoping there's a less obvious solution." We have trouble accepting those whom God accepts because we take God's acceptance for granted and God's forgiveness as our right. We are much like the elder brother who preferred justice to mercy. We have worked for what we have (or so we think), and it's unfair that everyone else should not have to do the same. We have earned God's favor (or so we think) by "staying at home." We have merited his acceptance by the good life that we live. So how dare God receive and accept our sinful brother who has returned home saying he's sorry. Lee Griess, Taking The Risk Out Of Dying, CSS Publishing Company. Familiarity Breeds Contempt In 1986 Henri Nouwen, a Dutch theologian and writer, toured St. Petersburg, Russia, the former Leningrad. While there he visited the famous Hermitage where he saw, among other things, Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal Son. The painting was in a hallway and received the natural light of a nearby window. Newman stood for two hours, mesmerized by this remarkable painting. As he stood there the sun changed, and at every change of the light’s angle he saw a different aspect of the painting revealed. He would later write: “There were as many paintings in the Prodigal Son as there were changes in the day.” It is difficult for us to see something new in the parable of the Prodigal son. We have heard the story so many times we believe that we have squeezed it dry of meaning. Not only that, but, as the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt. When we hear the opening words of the parable once again, “And there was a Father who had two sons,” we greet the words with ho-hum. Heard it. Heard it. Heard it. Yet, I would suggest that just as Henri Nouwen saw a half dozen different facets to Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal Son, so too are there many different angles to the story itself. Staff, www.Sermons.com Humor: He Took Out His Lunch and I Took Out Mine There is a story out of the Middle Ages that goes something like this. It seems people were putting pressure on the Pope, saying to him, "Your Holiness, this is the capital of Christendom. There ought to be only Christians in Rome. Let's get rid of the Jews." The Pope however, replied, "I don't know. Before I do anything, I will have a theological discussion with the chief rabbi of Rome. If the rabbi says the right things, the Jews will be allowed to stay. If he says the wrong things, they will have to go." So they invited the rabbi in. The Pope dismissed all the Cardinals and said, "Rabbi, we are both theologians. Theologians deal in symbols. Since we use symbols in our communication, let this discussion be entirely in symbols." The rabbi said that was fine with him. First, the Pope made a large circle with one hand and the rabbi responded by pointing to him. Then the Pope thrust out both arms to the chief rabbi. The rabbi responded by pointing to the Pope with two fingers. Finally, the Pope looked around for an apple and held it up. The rabbi went through the pockets of his long caftan and took out a piece of matzoh. The Pope concluded, "This is one of the finest statements I have heard of. Of course the Jews will be allowed to stay," and he sent the rabbi away. The Pope, then, brought in the Cardinals and said, "I don't know what you people have been fussing about. I said to the rabbi, 'There is one church and it encompasses the world.' And he said, 'You are the head of it.' Then I said to him, 'There are two swords, the secular and the ecclesiastical,' and he said, 'You hold them both.' And then I said, 'There are foolish people who say the earth is round,' and he said, 'No, the earth is flat.' " The rabbi went home to his wife and told her. "You know, I haven't the foggiest idea what the fuss was all about. I got in there and the Pope said, ‘We’ve got you surrounded.’ And I said, 'But we can get to you too.' Then he said, 'We can hack you to pieces,' and I said, 'We can poke your eyes out.' Then he took out his lunch and I took out mine." Communicating with our hands and arms can be dangerous, it appears. But there are many times and in many ways that we do communicate with symbols and most of them are easily understood. For instance, what does this stand for ... (peace)? How about this ... (number one)? This ... (okay)? And this ... (power)? And what do we try to teach babies even before they can speak ... (bye-bye)? How about this one ... (bad person)? Or ... (come here)? Or ... (come here now!)? I think there is a symbol present in the story of our gospel for today that is worth pondering for a few moments. The story is all too familiar. There was this son who got tired of working in his father's pizza shop, so he went to his dad and asked him for his part of the inheritance now, so he could go out on his own. The father agreed and the son was off. He immediately bought himself a Porsche 944, picked up Donna Rice, and headed for Las Vegas. There he bought drugs and booze and friends and when the money ran out, so did the drugs and booze and the friends. He ended up working as a busboy for Wayne Newton, so he could pay off his gambling debts, and he had to eat the leftover food on the plates he cleaned from the table to keep alive. One day, while gnawing on a leftover rib, he realized how foolish he had been and wrote home to dad for help. Without a moment's hesitation and without reading the whole letter which was full of apologies and regrets, dad sent a first class plane ticket back home. The son arrived home and was greeted by dad with the biggest pizza party ever thrown in Baltimore. Now, your translation may be different from that, but what symbol do you see at work here? Can't you just see the father running to greet that long lost son with arms outstretched and hands opened in welcome and love? That's precisely how God loves us -- arms outstretched, running toward us always, welcoming us home. Jesus says through this parable, "That's how God loves us." Glenn E. Ludwig, Walking To Walking With, CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio. ___________________ There Always Comes an End Brady Whitehead, chaplain of Lambuth College in Tennessee, tells the true story of a student whose parents were tragically killed in an accident. This student suddenly became the beneficiary of the estate. According to Brady, he started squandering the money on lavish trips. He would even invite other students to go along at his expense. He was spending the money so fast that Brady called him into his office one day and had a talk with him. He said that as Chaplin of the school he felt it was his responsibility to question his spending habits. The student responded: “But what you don’t understand is just how much money I have inherited.” Well, that may be so, said Brady, but even to a large estate there comes an end. Well, the student did not listen, and Brady revealed that by the time he graduated from Lambuth, all of his parent’s money was gone. Brett Blair and Staff, The Prodigal Son, www.Sermons.com A Heart that Sings with Joy “I saw them eating and I knew who they were.” That saying, or some version of it, is well-known now. And it certainly describes the Pharisees whom we encounter in Luke 15:1-2. Jesus was welcoming the very folks whom the religious establishment had written off. Worse, he was at table with them, which was an intimate act of fellowship that implied a kind of personal bond and connection. So we’re told the Pharisees muttered into their beards about this. Jesus overheard their comments and knew their hearts and so told them three stories that reveal the heart of God. And that’s really what is going on in Luke 15: we’re not here first of all being given stories of the “go and do likewise” variety. The parable in verses 11-32 is not in Scripture first of all to encourage fathers to be forgiving of their naughty kids any more than the first two stories were an instruction to shepherds or a cautionary tale to take better care of your fiscal assets. No, all three reveal the heart of God — a heart that is broken clean in two by lostness but a heart that sings with a joy as wide as the cosmos when even the silliest sheep or the meanest of sons comes back and/or is found again. Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations

Beginnings and Forgiveness

Genesis Back to School Blessing August 20, 2023 Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship L: This is the day that the Lord has made! P: Let us rejoice and be glad in it! L: This is a day of new beginnings! P: This is a time for growing into new disciples for Jesus. L: Come, let us prepare ourselves for worship P: Let us be prepared for service to God. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters) Song This is a Day of New Beginnings. UMH 383 Children’s Sermon (eraser object lesson) Responsive Prayer Leader: There is always something wonderful about returning to school, O God. Even those of us who no longer go to school remember it fondly at this time of the year. People: Seeing old friends again, meeting new ones, having good teachers, going to ball games, exploring new subjects—it is always exciting and promising because it opens new vistas in our lives. Leader: We thank you for the opportunity of pursuing our education. Learning is one of the great privileges of life. People: We are grateful for chances to grow all of our lives, and to develop constantly into wiser and better persons. Leader: We pray that you will help us to seek renewal of our selves in this new season. People: Let your Holy Spirit challenge us to new goals and achievements in our spiritual lives, so that we may become the persons you have intended us to be. Leader: Teach us the things Jesus knew about love and service and sacrifice. People: And show us how to share our wonderful lives with other people who have been less fortunate than we, so that together we may attain your kingdom, All: And rejoice in your power and your glory, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters) Scripture Genesis 45:1-15 Sermon Beginnings and Forgiveness The title of our sermon today is Beginnings and Forgiveness. As we take the time to bless all those who are beginning a new school year, what does that have to do with a scripture on forgiveness. One of the prayers for back to school that I saw this week was a prayer for peace in dealing with all of the mess we have to deal with in the coming year. As long as there are a community of people in school there will be conflict and the need to forgive. Anyplace that there is a community of people – there is the need to forgive. All of us have been in a situation where we feel slighted. How do you deal with that situation? How do you move on? We had a friend who had a good sales position, making almost $50,000 a year. But then the office ran into hard times. Stress mounted and relations between sales representatives and the management broke down. When the office closed down, those who remained refused to give our friend a helpful reference. He was unemployed for two-and-a-half years and never did find a decent job in his profession. He was bitter. He often wished he could bring down those executives who still had cushy jobs but had sent him out without even as much as a good word. I would say that one of the most important lessons of the bible – is that when something happens to us in life, we need to get over it and move on. Whatever it is, deal with it, and get over it and move on. That is hard to do in real life. There are things that we are going through that will take years to get over, and many times we never move on. And yet that is what life is all about. Perhaps that is why Jesus spends so much time teaching us how to forgive, teaching us what forgiveness means and teaching us that God is always in the act of learning how to forgive. Suddenly that world hears a familiar voice: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Are you listening, Joseph? "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you." We have to remember, that forgiveness is not about releasing our feelings for the situation. Forgiveness is about releasing ourselves and not carrying around the pain. Chuck Swindoll illustrates this in his book, Seasons of Life. He writes that during his time in the Marine Corps he and his wife rented a studio apartment from a man in south San Francisco named Mr. Slagle. During World War II Mr. Slagle was captured at Wake Island and for years he languished in a prison camp. It was in the prison camp that an enemy soldier struck him with a rifle butt and injured his back, which plagued him the rest of his life. Swindoll tells that every single time he visited his landlord he would relate story after story of how barbarically he had been mis¬treated. Using vile language and intense emotion, he spoke of the tortures he endured at the hands of his Japanese captors and his utter hatred for them. His pain and misery were constant reminders of his hatred. But there was another factor which made his existence even more lamentable. Our landlord became a bitter man. Even though (at that time) he was thirteen years removed from the war ... even though he had been safely released from the concentration camp and was now able to carry on physically ... even though he and his wife owned a lovely dwelling and had a comfortable income, the crippled man was bound by the grip of bitterness. He was still fighting a battle that should have ended years before. In a very real sense, he was still in prison.[2] You cannot conceal bitterness because it raises its ugly head often. The root of bitterness bears the fruit of bitter actions. Bitter¬ness imprisons us as we refuse to forgive a friend, relative, or stranger for a sinful, foolish, or sometimes ignorant act. Inner tor¬ment will ride alongside us every day of our lives until we forgive. When we decide to disclose the problem to Christ, that is the be¬ginning of forgiveness and healing. We all know that bitter person who holds a grudge for something that happen years ago. When the man fired was able to move on, he was able to enter in to a new field of work and was much more fulfilled in life. The landlord on the other hand remained bitter for years, It was as if he was carrying that burden with him forever. When we think of the lessons that Jesus taught us, we often assume that Jesus was correcting the religious values that he grew up with. We have all heard that the old testament is all about justice. That it was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If someone did something wrong to you, then justice was making sure that the same thing happened to them. Revenge was a part of justice. But we forget that where there is God’s justice, there is also God’s mercy. The book of Genesis, the very first book of the bible has two very moving stories about forgiveness. We read the first one a few weeks ago, when Essau embraces his brother Jacob after years of disrespect. The story of Joseph is the second story of reconciliation and forgiveness within the family. Joseph was a man of integrity, he showed mercy along with justice. Our lesson in this story is we all should do the same. Joseph was spoiled and entitled growing up as a child. He was a terror to his older brothers, so much so that they felt that they had to get rid of him. They sold him into slavery in Egypt. The circumstances in his life helped to develop his character. Not only was he honest and upright. But as he matured in a strange environment, he chose to remain a God fearer. God was a big part of his life. He paid for his faith, and yet he stuck with it. The bible tells us of the struggles that he went through, but his faith allowed him to overcome. His greatest temptation was how to treat the brothers who has wronged him so long ago. Joseph not only forgives them, he helps them. Before Jesus, Joseph is our example of faith and integrity. Mark Twain once quipped, "Don't expect too much of human beings. We were created at the end of the week when God was tired and looking forward to a day off." Nonetheless Richard J. Leider and David Shapiro have listed common threads of people who possess lifestyles rich in purpose: • They have a purpose larger than their own needs, wants, and desires -- a sense of how their lives and work fit into the larger scheme of things. • They have an internal compass which keeps them "truing" to their purpose in life. • They have clear boundaries around their two most precious currencies -- time and money. • They have a sense of their potential talents, the limits of which have not been fully tested. • They have marked adaptability when faced with obstacles. • They have a strong spiritual core. • Their abundant energy is infectious. • They have a feeling of lightness -- a sense of being unburdened by the burdens they are carrying.2 Do you need to forgive someone? "To forgive is to put down your 50-pound pack after a 10-mile climb up a mountain. To forgive is to fall into a chair after running a marathon. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that prisoner is you. To forgive is to reach back into your hurting past and recreate it in your memory so that you can begin again."(6) Then that ancient spiritual takes on a wonderful new meaning: "Free at last, Free at last. Thank God Almighty, I'm free at last." Amen! Close your eyes. I want us to use our imagination now. God, sanctify the imagination of each person here. Help each of us to use this remarkable capacity of imagination which you’ve given us to bring healing and power to our lives. Now keep your eyes closed as I guide your imagination. Picture yourself with a trash bag. Get it. A big trash bag, moving through every room of your life; select the stuff you need to leave behind, I’m talking about self-pity and illegitimate responsibility. Put it into the trash bag. What cancelled sin still has power over you, what hidden hatred, what frustrating fear, what devastating doubt, what powerful prejudice. Put it in the trash bag. Do it. Act it out in your imagination. Put it into the trash bag. Is there an unresolved relationship with a husband or wife, a parent or a child, a neighbor? Is there a jealousy you’ve never brought out into the open? Put it into the bag. It could be any number of things. You know what weighs you down, and what stuff you don’t need to take into the New Year. Put it into the bag. Be specific now, in identifying and visualizing all the stuff in your mind to put into that bag. Now stay with me in your imagination. Get in your mind the picture with which be began the sermon – the junk man with his cart filled with cast off clothing, discarded furniture, all sorts of abandoned useless things. Do you see it in your mind? He’s passing by. In your imagination now, throw your trash bag onto the junk wagon and let it be taken away. Have you done it? In your imagination, just cast it onto the junk wagon to be taken away. Be silent now and enjoy the relief and release of getting rid of that burden. Open your eyes now, but keep the image of the trash man in your mind for a moment, taking all your trash away. Now substitute for the image of the junk man, Christ himself. Do you see him? Jesus. Listen. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Leave your stuff behind - all your junk. Leave it. You are forgiven. Your failure and weakness is accepted. Your past is buried in the sea of God’s loving forgetfulness. Go into the New Year with Christ, and go joyfully. Maxie Dunnam, MaxieDunnam.com, by Maxie Dunnam Forgiveness is a lesson for us all. We have to learn to trust God’s presence in the situation. If we let go, then God will take over. God whole point of being involved in human history is to being reconciliation to all of creation, but especially to us as people. Reconciliation happens one relationship at a time. That is why Jesus spends so much time teaching us how to relate to one another. brothers went into business together. Their fights continued and, if anything, the older brother was even more critical and hostile. Yet the younger brother remained diligent in their business and faithful in their relationship. Everyone marveled at this saintly behavior. One day a terrible accident ended both of their lives. Saint Peter was waiting patiently for the younger brother's arrival at the heavenly gates. Finally when he did not appear, Saint Peter ventured down into the fiery place of torment. "You belong in heaven," said Saint Peter. "Come up with all the saints." Up to his neck in slime and stench, the younger brother replied, "No. I choose to remain here." Puzzled, Saint Peter urged him even more fervently. "Please come with me. You have been faithful. A place has been made ready for you. Why won't you take your rightful place in eternity?" By this time the burning slime had nearly covered the chin of the younger brother. Lifting his face to Saint Peter, he shouted, "If I come with you, I will have to stop standing on my brother's head." We have all found ourselves caught up to our chins in hot, bubbling, boiling conflict. We have all felt the gut-wrenching anxiety of discord and dissension. We have all tried in vain to control for ourselves that which seems to be unending chaos. But God is in charge. We are not. God's plan is forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus Christ. God takes initiative. In the midst of chaos, God brings order to preserve life. In the midst of an apparently hopeless conflict, God invites us to a transforming opportunity for love and forgiveness. Here is a story of what could happen in church It happened to a rural Lake County, South Dakota, Lutheran church in August of 2000. Vandals attacked the fieldstone St. Peter Lutheran Church building with vengeance -- breaking windows, smashing light fixtures, flipping over the baptismal font, slashing a large "Jesus the Good Shepherd" painting, scribbling, and carving obscenities into the sanctuary walls and fixtures. The golden altar cross had been swung like a bat to gouge pews and walls. In the basement, kitchen dishes were broken and objects flung hither and yon. The vandals caused more than $40,000 worth of interior damage to the congregation's building. Services were held outdoors that following Black Sunday. "There were many tears. Everyone was so devastated and shocked that someone could do this to a church," recalls Susan Janssen, congregational vice-president. "No one could believe how terrible it was." Three months after the vandalism took place, police arrested two area teenagers, ages sixteen and nineteen, who confessed to the crime. When the boys, let out of jail on bond, returned to apologize publicly to the congregation before serving their sentences, they were shocked to be received with love and forgiveness. As the nineteen-year-old left the lectern to return to his seat, a member greeted him and hugged him. Others stood to shake his hand and, after the worship, members surrounded the two boys, saying they forgave them. The act of forgiveness shocked the two families so much that they joined the church, and the church in turn has experienced a revival. Worship attendance has tripled in two years and membership in this 117-year-old declining country church is growing. "We had been separated from organized religion since our oldest daughter died of cancer," said the father of one of the boys. "We rejected the whole religion thing. This event has pulled us back into the church." Pastor Terry Knudson likens the dramatic episode at St. Peter to the Old Testament story of Joseph. "The vandalism was one of our darkest moments," he says. "God can find a way to bring good from evil." The book of Genesis is important for the church. It is the story of a family. Throughout the book, we learn about the ups and downs of the family. We hear about the members shortcoming and graces. The story of salvation is the story of how this family survived. What is interesting about this family – is how normal they are. We can all relate to this family. The bible constantly points out that these were not really nice people. They were actually pretty mean people that God had a use for. Joseph is the last story in this book. Joseph is unique in that he had a little growing up to do, but he was not a bad person. He was a model of intrgrity. He became a leader in this family. But we was respected even by others not in the family. Not only did he save the family from starvation, he took them in and gave them a better life in Egypt. When he reconciles with his brothers, he tells them not to feel guilty -that God had a plan. God meant for him to not only save his family, but to save the world with his story. Several bible characters tell us that things always work out for the good of those who follow the Lord. Joseph is not justifying slavery. He not justifying his brother’s behavior. He is not saying that when things happen that the damage is okay in the end. He is saying that the act of being able to move on from a situation when we are wronged, is an act of God. We have to trust God to make things right. This story sticks out to me, because it is not a happy ending. It is actually the beginning of all of their troubles as a people. After Joseph dies, they stay in Eqypt in bondage for 400 years. The story is not a happy ending. It is told as an answer to the question how did we get hear in the first place. Genesis answers all of those questions of why life is the way it is for our family. Well at one time we have an ancestor who was a really nice person, who had really good intentions. He taught us how to forgive and to be free. And then life happened and what had freed us at one time, put us in bondage in another. Genesis is a human story. It is a story that we learn about Joseph’s limited perspective. But in spite of all of its humanness, we learn to forgive one relationship at a time. Forgiveness wont change the course of history, but it does help us to move forward from our present situation. The Bible states, "Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:13). As we battle forgiving others we should remember that we are forgiven individuals when we yield our lives to Christ. God sets the standard and mentors us in the process of forgiveness. * Forgiveness is a debt of sin cancelled. Everything that we have done against him all of our lives is forgiven when we ask for his forgiveness. * Forgiveness is a journey. The awful gulf of sin that separates us from God has been bridged by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can continually walk across that bridge as necessary. When the mind or emotion resurfaces those feelings, we can go immediately to God and ask him to help us deal with the feelings. The fact that forgiveness has taken place does not necessarily mean that feelings don't resur¬face. It is a process. * Forgiveness is also a choice. I choose to forgive as part of my willingness to give it up. Forgiveness is not done with¬out our knowledge. It is not a surprise! It is a choice. * Forgiveness allows God's love to flow through me to some¬one else. As a Christian I cannot horde Christ's love, but rather, I must give it away. Even when hurt comes I want to demonstrate God's love. I have to be practical in my response, but I must love. There are few stories in all of literature more important for our lives than this one. Why? Because following his example, we can live successful lives, too. It requires no special talents or gifts. Be a person who can be trusted. Be forever true to your values. Trust in the goodness of God. And no matter what twists or turns your life may take, I can assure you that when the final record is written of your life, yours too will be a life of success. ________________________________________ 1. James H. Billington, "Keeping the Faith in the USSR after a Thousand Years," SMITHSONIAN (April, 1989), pp. 131-142. As a child, I remember reading this story. I was touched at how Joseph was able to regain his brothers, and how as an adult he was able to help them and to move them forward. He gives each brother the gift of land and blesses them. The book of Genesis is about how that is all that they ever wanted was a blessing of love and belonging. I remember, at the end of he story Joseph makes one request of them. When you leave Egypt and go home – make sure that you take my bones with you and bury me at home. Joseph’s bones are buried in the promisedland and the story moves on. In life, we have to be free to move on too. Forgiveness is the first step in that process. Forgiveness is the first step in reconciliation. And God will not stop that process until all of us are free. The story continues on, forgiveness is not an ending or a beginning – forgiveness is an ongoing journey Mahatma Gandhi once said something that deserves our thought. "The weak," he said, "can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Dunc Amen Song God of all Learning (Sung to the tune of Morning Has Broken UMH 145) Insert Pastoral Prayer OUR LIVES ARE MARKED, O God, by the changing of the seasons. We take unusual delight in these times, for they are periods of heightened expectancy and new growth. It has been a long and busy summer. We have exulted in our various activities. And now it is time to prepare for the fall and winter, and many are going back to school, some here at home and others at a distance. We thank you for all the good events of the summer months—for work and play and relaxation, for fun and friendships and frivolity, for trips to the lake or the beach or the mountains, for a chance to unwind and experience more leisure time. Now we thank you for all the good events that lie ahead—for exciting classes and new friends and ball games and plays and concerts and a raft of holidays. We pray for all our students at every level, and ask that this may be a good year for them. Let their learning be rewarding as well as challenging, and let them enjoy the growth that comes from new experiences. Give them spirits of joy and confidence, and help them to live gratefully at all times, aware of the gift of life and its incredible richness. Bless their teachers and coaches and counselors, and all others who are involved in their educational process. And grant that all of us may share the excitement of the season, whether we are in school or not. For you have made our world extraordinarily beautiful and fascinating, and we are happy to praise you for everything through Christ our Lord. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters) Lord’s Prayer Blessing of Backpacks Stewardship Moment Thanksgiving Prayer In faith and love, help me to do your will. I am listening, Lord God. Speak your words into the depth of my soul, that I may hear you clearly. I offer to you this day all the facets of my life, whether it be at home, at work, or at school—to be patient, to be merciful, to be generous, to be holy. Accept this offering as our part to build your kingdom on Earth. Amen. (adapted from prayer from the Catholic Diocese of Springfield,IL) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May the Lord Bless You . . . Bless you with courage, patience and understanding for the challenges ahead. And Keep You . . . Keep you sane, engaged and safe in all that you do. May the Lord Make His Face to Shine Upon You . . . Shine upon you with love that never ends and never wavers Shine upon you with the truth that you are completely worthy of that love. And Be Gracious to You . . . Grace to everyone as they get through their daily activities May the Lord Turn His Face Toward You . . . And Give You Peace . . . Peace with yourself Peace with teachers. Peace with students Peace for each day. One. Day. At. A. Time. (adapted from John Page) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
 (source: from Saint Clare, Enriching Our Worship 1) God of All Learning BUNESSAN 5.5.5.4 D ("Morning Has Broken") God of all learning, God of all knowing, We bring these backpacks filled with supplies. Bless all these tools of learning and growing. Use them, we pray, to change many lives. Bless all the students, young ones and old ones — Walking or riding, traveling by bus. May they remember that you go with them, And that they all are precious to us. Some kids are poor and some kids are wealthy; May we give all the tools that they need. May we make sure they're safe, loved and healthy So that they all may thrive and succeed. Bless all who learn and bless those who guide them, Bless those who teach and counsel and care. May they remember you walk beside them. Through all their school days, you, Lord, are there.

An Encounter with Yourself

August 6, 2023 Genesis 32:22-31 An Encounter with yourself 10th Sunday of Pentecost Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship L: Good Morning! Welcome to a celebration of God’s love for us! P: We surely need to see that love; stresses weigh us down. L: You’ve come to the right place. This is a place where all of us can seek God’s presence and share our deepest inmost concerns with God. P: We are glad to hear that, for we wrestle with our faith far too often. L: Don’t fear! God is with you always, loving and transforming your lives. P: Lord of mercy and compassion, be in our hearts this day. Help us to reach out with love to others. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer In the darkness of night and the brightness of day, you, O Lord, are present to us. As we wrestle with situations which seem to drain us of our energy; as we struggle to find out who you call us to be, you reach out to us with reassurance of empowerment and courage for the days ahead. Calm our spirits and prepare our hearts and lives to receive your awesome grace. It is in Jesus’ name that we pray. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song Break Thou the Bread of Life UMH 599 Children’s Sermon Put the ice cubes in a bowl and keep them frozen until you’re ready to use them. Set out the rest of the supplies. Keep the hair dryer out of sight until you use it. You’ll need to be near an electrical outlet. Have you ever watched a wrestling match? Wrestling is a popular sport all over the world. Wrestlers have to be strong and determined to win. Wrestling isn’t a modern invention, though. It’s one of the oldest sports in the world, and it dates back thousands of years. Have everyone show you their best wrestler face and pose. In today’s Bible lesson, Jacob spent an entire night wrestling with an angel of God. After an entire night of wrestling, God’s angel told Jacob to walk away. Jacob left the wrestling match with a new name and a limp from his hurt hip. We sometimes struggle with God, too. We may want to do things our way instead of His way. When is it hard for you to obey God? (Allow time for responses.) Give each child a paper towel. Explain that they’re in charge now. They’ll each have to choose how they think they can most quickly melt an ice cube. They can use a straw to blow hot air on it, sprinkle salt on it, or hold it to try to melt it most quickly. Pass around the supplies so kids can choose, then distribute the ice cubes. Give kids one minute to try to melt their ice cube using their chosen method. Meanwhile, turn on the hair dryer and blow hot air on your ice cube. Call time, then compare everyone’s efforts. How did your way compare to my way of melting the ice cube? Why was my way more effective? My ice cube melted much faster because I had more power. And with God’s power, we can do greater things. We can stop doing things our way. We can surrender to God’s will and trust that He knows best. Dear God, please help us remember that You are the One who knows what’s best for us. We can surrender to Your will and trust You. In Jesus’ name, amen! Responsive Reading Psalm 17 UMH 749 Prayer for illumination Since we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from your divine mouth, make us hunger for heavenly food, that it may nourish us today in the ways of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, the bread of heaven. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Dana Mould) Scripture Genesis 32:22-31 Sermon An Encounter with yourself How many of you are into the sport of wrestling? I guess I should clarify which kind of wrestling I’m talking about, because there are a surprising number of competitions with the word “wrestling” in them that aren’t exactly sports. I’m sure all of us have tried arm wrestling or thumb wrestling at one time or another. But have you tried toe wrestling? Two barefoot opponents lock their big toes together and try to pin each other’s foot down. Ouch. Some folks in Staffordshire, England, created the World Toe Wrestling Championships in 1976. Reportedly, they were trying to create a competition “where Brits could reign supreme” and this is the best one they could think of. (1) Lancashire, England is home to the World Gravy Wrestling Championship, which happens every year in August. There are separate competitions for men and women. Wrestlers earn points for “fancy dress, entertainment value and wrestling ability.” The man and woman wrestlers with the most points at the end are declared the winners. The World Gravy Wrestling Championship is a charity event that raises funds for the East Lancashire Hospice. (2) In case you’re envious of the Brits for getting all the good wrestling competitions, Barnesville, Minnesota, is home to a mashed potato wrestling competition every year during its Potato Days Festival. The competition takes place in the parking lot of the Assumption Catholic Church in Barnesville. A pool is set up and filled with potato flakes and water. Competitors get two three-minute rounds in the pool. The competitor with the most 3-second pins per round moves on to the next round. At the end of the day, local cattle are brought in to eat up all the leftover mashed potatoes in the pool. (3) Wrestling, no matter whether it’s with arms or thumbs or toes, in gravy or in mashed potatoes, is not for the faint of heart. For many competitors, the secret to success is in holding on until your opponent simply wears out. Of course, that strategy won’t work if you’re wrestling an angel of God. So, what did Jacob hope to get from his wrestling match in Genesis 32? In our scripture, Jacob is in a wrestling match that changes his life. Who don’t know who he’s wrestling with, or even if he wins the fight. This story is a good one to remind ourselves that life is difficult. Now Life is a blessing, life is a gift, life is a journey. But most of all, life is a struggle. No ones comes out of life alive. And at some point in the midst of that ongoing struggle, we find ourselves in a wrestling match – with an opponent that we can clearly see, but we just can’t give it a name. We may wrestle with a relationship, a feeling, a challenge, a situation, a condition that we just can’t overcome. For Jacob, it was all fo the above. The book of Genesis tells is Jacob’s whole life story. He was born on the heels of his twin brother. That is what he name Jacob means – grabber. The modern translation of the name Jacob, is John. Jacob had to fight for everytrhing in his life, his blessing, his wives, his children, his animals, his livelihood. And now he must face the fight of his life, reuniting with his twin brother. After living in exile for 14 years, on the night before his encounters his brother. He sends his family on ahead of him. He is all alone with his thoughts in the middle of the night. At least he thinks he is alone. But he ends up wrestling with all of his regrets, his misdeeds, his resentments. All of the things that stand in the way of reununting with his brother. The story says that he ends up wrestling with a man. But the story never tells us who the man is. Was it his conscious? An angel, God or even Jesus. The poet, James Thurber, once said, “All men must learn before they die, what they are running from and to and why.” Henri Nouwen, in one of his last writings, says, “I found myself in a hospital following a car accident. At first I thought it was nothing. Then I was told I was bleeding internally and might not live. Surprisingly, I found the threat of death to be peaceful beyond my understanding. It was when I woke up and discovered myself still alive in this world, that I became re Sometimes the struggle that makes for growth is simply a tension between an old idea and a new one. For years all sane and stable people knew that human beings could never fly. But when the Wright brothers flew their airplane, the world had to adjust its thinking – but not without a struggle. Centuries ago, some crazy people came along insisting that the world is round instead of flat. They were ridiculed and persecuted until someone sailed around the globe and reached the east by sailing west. We’ve had to change our way of thinking – but not without a struggle. In fact, some people haven’t given up yet. In England there is a group of people called “The Flat Earth Society,” still stubbornly insisting that the earth is flat! An old, false, or inaccurate idea will not be released until it is pushed out of our minds by a new and better idea. I may insist that the sum of two and two is three – I may invest myself emotionally in that contention – and I will stubbornly hold on to that until someone, in the battle of ideas, proves to my satisfaction that the correct sum is four. Without such a conflict of ideas there is no intellectual growth. Such growth is often difficult and painful. It does not come without the struggle of ideas. Now, as difficult and painful as that is, even more difficult is the growth occasioned by changes in our life situation. We lose a job, or we take on a new job. We experience divorce or difficulty in our family. We experience a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. A financial reversal comes to us. We or a loved one becomes ill. Someone close to us dies. Someone we care about betrays us or disappoints us. We are presented with an opportunity and our resources are inadequate. You could add to this list, but you know what I am talking about: something happens to shake us to our foundation. All of our trusted ways of coping are called into question and we are forced to grow. We have to think new thoughts, or try new things, or reach out for new resources. That’s all called growth! It’s frightening. It’s unsettling. Often it’s painful. But without such experiences we would not grow. I’m convinced of it. We would settle down and become comfortable with far less than our best efforts. The familiar and the safe would become good enough for us, and we would never become all that we can be. God has a way of coming to us in so many ways and forcing us to rethink, reform and move forward in a whole new way. For Jacob, before he could even think about forgiving his brother, he had to forgive himself. But that was a process, a struggle, a wrestling match. But when we wrestle, we learn 2 things. We learn to encounter God and we learn that there is always a blessing in the end. There is no way for us to grow without a struggle and without some pain. This story has a lot of meaning. But one important theme is the forgiveness with our sisters and brothers. The ten commandments gives us direction on the relationship with our parents. In Sunday School a teacher, was teaching about the ten commandments. She said the commandment for our relationship with our parents is honor your mother and father. She asked what is the one for sibling. One little boy said – Thou shalt not kill”. But this story is closest to what it means to deal with our siblings. We fight all of the time, but how do you move beyond that. We have brothers and sisters that we grew up with, but we also have brothers and sisters in church, in the groups that the live in, in the nation that we live in and even on the plane together. We have to learn to get along. There can be no continuing relationship without forgiveness and reconciliation. The story says that Jacob wrestled with his opponent all night, until daylight. No one won the fight, but the opponent was getting tired of fighting. He touched Jacob in the side wounding his hip socket, But Jacob said that he would not give up until he received a blessing. Once he got that blessing he was at peace with himself, so he could not seek peace with his brother. The reconciliation with Essau is not a part of our story – but I think it is one of the most important story in the bible. It gives us hope that reconciliation with our siblings can happen. First Jacob sends gifts to his brother, then he sends his family. At last he comes face to face with his brother. All is forgiven. They agree that they can live together in the same land and be civil with each other. Their parting words to one another becomes a beautiful Christian benediction. May the Lord watch between you and me, one another, while we are absent one from another. What a wonderful blessing. But it actually meant that reconciliation is tentative. They were twins, they knew each other. They still didn’t trust one another, but they both trusted God. And may that is how it should be with us all – we don’t know what will happen in the future, but we put our people, relationships, situations, conditions, our unnamed opponents, into the hands of God and just leave them their. Throughout this process, God gives Jacob.a wound that all of his desendents carry on from generation to generation. But God also gives Jacob a new name. He was born the grabber. His new name Isra el. Isra means one who prevails. El means God. Life is a struggle for all of us. All of us are wrestling with things that we cant name. God is there for us. The good news is that in Jesus – we are all new people. We all receive God’s blessing. We all have to the power to prevail. The writer of Genesis closes this chapter in Jacob's life with a beautiful picture. It is a picture of a limping Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau. He is no longer afraid of Esau. After all, he has wrestled all night with God. How can he fear a mere mortal? But now he is a new Jacob. He even has a new name, Israel. He will become a prince among men. Forevermore his descendants, millions of them, will be known as the children of Israel. As the sun rises over Peniel we see him standing there with a dislocated thigh indicating his brokenness. Yet, he is stronger than he has ever been before. His life is now aligned with the eternal purposes of God. How about you? Have you been wrestling with God? Isn't it time to let God be Sovereign over your life? There is a story about a man who had mis-spent most of his life. A friend was teasing him about it. "Say John," he asked mischievously, "You still spending a lot of time wrestling with the old Devil?" The fellow answered good-naturedly, "Nowadays, I spend most of my time wrestling with God." His friend asked incredulously, "Wrestling with God? How do you hope to win a wrestling match with God?" John smiled and answered, "Oh, you misunderstand. In this wrestling match, I'm hoping to lose." Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan When our will loses, God wins. When God wins – everybody wins. Amen. Song Let us Break Bread Together UMH 618 Prayer As the crowds followed Jesus, eager to be filled with hope, we come this day to this place, seeking nourishments for our souls. We hunger and thirst for the word of hope and truth, but our lives are battered by anger and hostility. Our hearts are filled with concerns for family and friends, for our country and our world. We don’t see how we can be of help to others. Sit us down, as Jesus seated the multitude. Calm us down, as Jesus reassured the disciples that all would receive care. Lift us up, as Jesus encouraged others to reach out in compassion. Give us hearts of confident faith in your presence, O Lord. Place your hands of healing on the many situations which we name at this time with our voices and in our hearts. [Prayer concerns are lifted up here]. Lord, we ask your merciful goodness for these situations and these loved ones. It is in Jesus’ name that we pray. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Perhaps some of you can sympathize with Jesus. He’d been working non-stop, healing, teaching, and responding to the demands of the crowds. When he heard of the murder of John the Baptist, he tried to break away for some time alone. Yet when he looked up from the boat he’d taken across to what he hoped would be a deserted place, a crowd had already gathered! Instead of turning around, or simply dropping anchor out on the water, Jesus came ashore, and “had compassion for them”. Even when we are exhausted, discouraged, uncertain or depressed, we have the model of Jesus standing before us. Jesus engaged, once more, with people who needed food in that deserted place. So he took what was available, gave thanks to God for the bread and fish, and gave the food to his disciples to pass to the crowds. Today, we have opportunity to demonstrate our compassion – our “pity with” others. Not the only way, but one way to respond to the needs of those without food, without shelter, without clothing, without hope, comes by sharing our morning offering. Will you put compassion to the forefront for this moment? Will you respond, knowing a portion of our offering goes to ____________________ (support the food pantry, provide new underwear for those coming to our free clothing shop, pay our minister as s/he counsels with disconsolate folks)? Let us present our gifts as signs and symbols of the compassion we know most clearly from the life of Jesus, the Christ. Prayer of Thanksgiving As one family we sing while these, our gifts, to God we bring; who in love has made us one in the church of Christ, God’s Son. Use us and use our gifts, good Lord, for holy service in the world. Hope to all your people give as to your glory we now live. AMEN (adapted from P. 126, Gifts of Many Cultures, Maren C. Tirabasi and Kathy Wonson Eddy, 1995, Pilgrim Press) Invitation to Communion (inspired by Matthew 14) Each time we come to this Table, we hear an invitation extended to all who will come. Here there are no tests to pass, no threshold of giving to exceed, no affirmation from some authority to present. Here we find the gifts of God for the people of God, presented in simple bread and juice. Counting on the compassion of Jesus Christ, we recognize our hunger and our thirst may be assuaged here even as we remember in a deserted place, long ago, Jesus took simple foods, blessed them, broke the bread and gave the bread and fish. So, today, knowing these gifts will not fill our stomachs, but can satisfy our soul hunger, we remember Jesus taking bread, blessing it, breaking it, giving it. With gratitude, come to receive the bread of life and the cup of salvation. Communion Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go out into the world in peace; have courage; hold onto what is good; return no on evil for evil; send no one away; instead, feed all those who are hungry; support the weak; help the suffering; honor all people; love thy neighbor as thyself; love and serve the gracious and merciful Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Dana Mould) Community Time - Joys and Concerns Benediction Go today full of God’s love and ready to notice God in your neighbors’ hungers. Go today at rest in God and ready to struggle in loving service for your neighbors. And as you go, may you find the face of God in the hungering, feeding, wrestling, and resting. Amen. (United Methodist Discipleship Ministries) Additional Illustrations