Christ sends us our into the World

Rev. Harriette Cross

First United Methodist Church of Wilmington

July 6, 2025

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Christ Sends us out into the World

4^th Sunday of Pentecost

Year C

 

Prelude

 

Greeting

 

 

Call to Worship for Independence Day

L: We gather this morning appreciating our  freedom to worship God.
P: May God continue to bless the Church of Christ in this land.
L: We draw near to the God who rules over all nations
P: May God continue to bless our country and all the countries in the world.
L: We seek to live in harmony and peace together with all peoples on the earth.
P: May God continue to establish peace on earth and help us understand that it begins in our hearts.
L: Come, let us worship the Lord! (DesparatePreacher.com,  Karoline Leavit) 

 

Independence Day Prayer:

Almighty God, bless our nation and make it true to the ideas of freedom and justice and brotherhood for all who make it great. Guard us from war, from fire and wind, from comprise, fear and confusion.

Be close to our president and our statesmen, give them vision and courage, as they ponder decisions effecting peace and the future of our world. Make me more deeply aware of my heritage realizing not only my rights but also my duties and responsibilities as a citizen.

Make this great land and all its people know clearly your will, that they may fulfill the destiny ordained for us. (Desparatepreacher.com, Karoline Leavit)

 

 

Song      America     UMH 697

 

 

 

A Sermon for all Ages

Globe – God sending the message of love from Israel to America to Wilmington – how did that message spread.  The story of the 72 missionaries

 

 

Affirmation of Faith (Adapted from Presbyterian Confession of Faith 1967)

 

To be reconciled to God

is to be sent into the world

as God’s reconciling community,

to share God’s labor

of healing the hostilities

which separate people from God

and from each other.

Christ has called the church to this mission

and given it the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The church follows Christ’s pattern

in the form of its life

and in the method of its action.

So to live and serve

is to confess Christ as Lord.  (Presbyterian Outlook, Carol Prickett)

 

 

Scripture      Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

 

Sermon    Christ Sends us out into the World

 

With all of the stuff going on in the world today, there are few topics more controversial than the use of AI – or artificial intelligence.  Is it our friend or is it our foe.  Does it help humanity, or will it eventually start to control and take over the world.  It seems that AI has taken over every aspect of our lives.  And even though the church sometimes is famous for being eons behind the times, AI has even made its way into the functioning of the church.  Instead of spending hours on writing and researching for a sermon, I could just asl ChatGPT to write one for me in a matter of minutes.  Many of my colleagues have used programs to create a social media presence.  It keeps track of data. It sends reminders, it can even wake us up in the morning.  On the one hand I have been told that it wants to serve us and to make our lives easier.  On the other hand, we have been warned about computers taking over our world for decades.  We have been told not to trust a world run by computers, we have been told that if things get out of hand, then computers will start to take over and enslave us.  Even though I try to learn as much as a can about evolving technology, I honestly cant say that I look forward to AI and all that it would do to transform our world.

 

The Kingdom of God Is Here

The main message of these 72 workers is the simple declaration “The kingdom of God is near.” Dallas Willard once said that when he was a young boy, rural electrification was taking place throughout the United States. For the first time ever, tall poles popped up across the landscape of the countryside with huge electric wires strung from pole to pole to pole. But initially at least, not everyone trusted electricity and so not a few rural families opted (for a time) to not hook up. They heard the messages of the electric company of how much easier life would be with electric washing machines replacing hand-cranked wringers and electric vacuum cleaners bringing to an end the old practice of hauling heavy carpets outside to have the dirt beaten out of them. They heard these promises but did not trust or believe them.

So in a sense, Willard wrote, you could have said to those folks, “My friends, electricity is at hand!” But if they opted to not tap into that power that was running right over their heads, then the nearness of the power would do them no good. Maybe the message of the kingdom’s nearness was like that. With Jesus in the world, the kingdom of God was near, at hand. All the goodness and glory and power of that kingdom was right there, but if they kept it at arm’s length, it would do them no good. Their lack of participation did not weaken the power of the kingdom. But it did land them in an unhappy (and unnecessary) spiritual situation of staying in the dark when the light of the world was right there.

Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations

People must have felt the same about a 30 year old carpenter, going through the countryside  encouraging them to rethink and reexamine their relationships with God.  Things were working just fine before his message.  And yet he felt that his message was urgent, and that he had to get people to change their ways before it was too late.  He wanted them to know that peace and joy was available to them now.   But that there was a future in store for them that was beyond anything they could imagine, if they just stopped what they were doing and listen and come to follow God in their lives.

 

I am not sure about where AI will lead us in the future.  And I have to say that I am pretty glad that electricity caught on, and that most of the world has embraced it.  I can’t imagine how life would be without it.  But I am still convinced that the spread of the religion of Christ is the best news that the world has ever seen.  Not only is it is world-wide phenomenon, can you imagine our lives if Christ has not been so passionate to spread the good news of God’s love, peace and joy for the world.

 

Our scripture for today is the story of how Jesus was able to spread his message to the world.  In Luke 10, Jesus recruits 70 other persons to go out to the world and spread the good news.  This story has no other parallel story in the gospel.  The number 70 is important, Moses also recruited 70 ambassadors to help him create a god centered community.    When he gathers the 70 – he prepares them to go out into the countryside telling people that the Kingdom of God is at hand.  Knowing human nature – we don’t like change, and we don’t want to listen to people who encourage change.  Jesus tells the 70 to be prepared for resistance, but stick to your message.  They are prepared for adversity, but Jesus reminds them that God will protect them.  Jesus’ mission was to transform the current situation of the world and to prepare us all for a future beyond our expectations.  Someone recently said that the future is filled with new friends, new situations, expressions of love and peace that we have not seen, joy that we have never seen.  But in order to get to that point we have to have hope in a world full of despair.  We have to see light in a world full of darkness.

 

There was a show that came on ABC – years ago now….

I think it’s been cancelled now, but at the beginning of the year there was this show that came on ABC – I think it was called Flashback, or something like that. I never really got into the show, but I do remember the line from one of the commercials that has always stuck in my mind. In it a little girl of about six years old woke up in her bed crying. Her mother stood over her and asked – baby what is the matter. She said, mommy I had a bad dream. The mother asked, so baby – what was your dream. She said momma I dreamed that there were no more good days. There are only bad days ahead.
The scene sticks in my head , and I thought there is a sermon in that statement – I immediately thought this little girl was having my bad dream - my nightmare. The nightmare of no more good days. Things are never going to get better for me. You don’t pay bills and the bills pile up, you pay the bills and the bills still pile up. You work as hard as you can, tirelessly every day and there is still someone telling you that it is not enough. You try and things still don’t change, you don’t try and things don’t change. What is the use – there are no more good days. There was a time in my life even where I believed that.

 

We also have to know that everything that we need in life is contained in the peace of Christ. Peace means justice, wellbeing, wholeness, and joy.
Jesus sends his disciples out into the world 2 by 2 charging them to give peace to the world. He tells them to take nothing for the journey – in other words leave you stuff at home. Peace is not in our stuff, it is in our love for God.
Just like a car needs gas, a spirit needs the spirit of Christ. When the spirit is not connected to God – we are empty. The peace of Christ for a Christian is everything. It is our healing, our teaching, our guiding light, it is our light in a dark spot, our joy in times of trouble, our hope when nothing else works. Most importantly it is our message to the rest of the world that we are all God’s children and everything is going to be okay.
The peace of Christ is the fuel our spirits use, the food our souls feed on – we can’t be happy apart from the spirit of Christ. Christ can’t give us happiness and peace apart from himself – it’s just not possible. Those are not my words – but the words of the famous Christian author C.S. Lewis.



The presence of joy is a sign that Christ is alive in ourselves, our hearts and the world.
When Jesus send his disciples out 2by2, he told them to pass the peace, travel light, heal the sick, and to return with joy. Scripture says – I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, over come the power of evil and nothing will harm you.

Jesus didn’t say the journey would be easy, as a matter of fact he says the exact opposite. But he did say that nothing will harm you and that you will have joy.
Billy Graham tells the story of visiting a carribean island. He was invited to have lunch with one of the wealthiest men in the world. The man was 75 years old – and he seemed close to tears the whole time. I am the most miserable man in the world. He point to his yacht and said that he could go wherever he wanted. He could do whatever he wanted, he could have whatever he wanted – I have all I want to make me happy – but none of it mattered. Nothing gave his life meaning, nothing made him happy. The grahams talked to him and tried to lead him to Christ – to help him understand that true happiness was in the presence of Christ in his life.
Later that day they had dinner with a pastor – 75 also, he too had lost his wife and spent his free time taking care of his sick sisters. But in the midst of it all – he was happy and full of Christ. He loved witnessing to the love of Christ. I don’t have a dime to my name he said, but I am the happiest man on the island. When the Grahams left his house – Billy asked his wife – which one of these men was richer?

We got some tough times ahead –  what happens if our worse fears come to light and life really might not get better.   What if there is  is rejection, failure, and pain in the future  Our world is always changing, and AI is just one of the many factors that may cause us to loose control of our destiny.  Computers may indeed take over the world, but only the children of God can have faith in God.  We are the only ones who can bring love, peace and joy into the world.  Those are the true tools to transformation.  
But there are also good days ahead – Christ promised us. God gives us a future with hope, even in the presence of electricity and AI and unkown developments in life to come.

 

The greatest development in the world is Christ commission to us to live in faith- and tell others that the best in life is still to come.

 

Let us pray……..

 

 

Song   Eternal Father Strong to Save   (see Insert)

 

Prayer

What a weekend it is, Lord. It is time to gather and celebrate, time to reflect on the blessings of the freedoms that have been so sorely fought for and won, time to commit ourselves to offering the freedoms we cherish to others. We have gathered here in the midst of the business of the summer season to seek your will, to find peace and directions for our lives. Bless us, O Lord, with wisdom tempered with compassion. Remind us that we have such freedom because others who have gone before have stood for principles of hope. Do not let our pride of country overwhelm the needs that still abound within our walls and our land. Where there is hatred, help us to bring your words of love. Where there are injustices, help us to correct unjust systems and become advocates for the voiceless and powerless. Where there is apathy, empower us to bring the good news of your gracious transforming love. Be with us this day and all our days as we seek to follow you. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN.  (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley)

 

 

 

Lord’s Prayer

 

Stewardship Moment

At our best, Christians exude joy.  We delight in being “hands and feet of Jesus”, seeking to serve others and sharing God’s love with each person we meet.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus sends out 70 people to go (two by two) to all the places he intended to go, as a “preparation” visit.  The travellers were instructed to depend on the generosity of people in each village for food and housing when they began to cure the sick and teach of God’s Realm coming near.

Not many of us would be willing to go out two-by-two on behalf of our faith.  Many, however, including _____________, have gone with a mission team (lift a particular story of one who has done that from your congregation). Others have provided financial support, snacks, transportation or a place to stay for the travellers.

It takes ALL the gifts, working together, to support the outreach of our congregation.  When those gifts, and we, the people, join together, the J.O.Y. fills us up and spills over to those we encounter.

Today, you’re invited to share your joy as you bring your tithes, your gifts and all that you’re willing to offer.  

Let us receive our morning offering.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Holy God, in this gathered congregation, we lift our voices, giving thanks for generous spirits and supportive people working together to make possible our outreach.  
Accept all that we now present.  Help us utilize every offering to the max, knowing each one is important for the whole.
Grant us your Spirit as we continue to respond to the call for laborers for the harvest you’re already preparing.  AMEN  (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving)

 

 

 

Communion    Page 13

 

Invitation to Communion  

Luke’s telling of the travels of the 70 (Luke 10) remind me of a story told by Joey Jeter in Re/Membering:

“One of my heroes is mountaineer and naturalist John Muir (1838-1914). I read his books and thrill to his beautiful perceptions of the natural world.  Writing of his adventures, he often described mountain interludes in this way:  “I ate my crust of bread on the summit…”  Muir lived and ate simply.  He would take what he called his “crust of bread” (a small loaf, I assume) with him on his climbs.  When he reached the summit he would eat the bread and survey the panorama that spread before him in every direction.  I further assume that the bread thus became for him both reward for the climb and energy for the return to civilization.

“This service is like that.  We have come a long way in our spiritual journey.  So rest here a spell, eat your crust of bread, and remember.  Survey the past, present, and especially the future that spreads out before you.  We still have a long way to go in fulfilling the task to which we have been called.  So be energized in Christ for the mission in front of us.  Rest.  Give thanks.  Remember.  Walk on” (p. 74 of Re/Membering by Joseph R. Jeter, Jr. Chalice Press, 1996).  (Center for Faith and Giving)

 

A Great Thanksgiving for Independence Day

L: The Lord be with you.

P: And also with you.

L: Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Almighty God, Creator of the universe, Ruler of all nations, Judge of

all flesh, you have placed us, your people, in this land made rich with

rivers, forests, mountains, and creatures gre at and small. Here, you

set before the founders and pioneers of this nation an opportunity

beyond measure to build a realm of justice, peace, and freedom.

Here you continue to call your people, freed from the law and

baptized into Christ Jesus, to be a sig n of your reign in all the world.

For such a place, such a vision and such a calling we give you thanks,

praying we may ever join afresh the dreams you set before us as we

join with your people in every land on earth and with all the company

of heaven in y our unceasing praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are

full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in

the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Above all we give you thanks for the gift o f your Son Jesus Christ,

who sends us into the world to declare the good news of your

kingdom to every creature: Justice to all peoples, good news to the

poor, release for prisoners, sight for the blind, and freedom for the

oppressed. On the night before h e was arrested and sentenced to

death by the authorities of his own nation, he took bread, gave

thanks, broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is

my body which is given for you." When supper was over, he took the

cup, gave thanks, gave it to his disciples, and said, "Drink from this,

all of you; this is my blood of the covenant poured out for you and for

many, for the forgiveness of sins." And so, we remember and

proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

We pour ourselves out before you in praise and thanksgiving, a holy

and living sacrifice in union with Christ’s offering for us. So pour out

your Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make Christ

know n to us in the breaking of this bread, and the sharing of this cup.

Renew our fellowship in him, that we may be for the world his body

poured out for the world at this time in this nation, and at that great

banquet in the fullness of your new creation wher e justice flows like

rivers, righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, where none shall

hunger or thirst, neither shall they learn war anymore.

By him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory

and honor is yours, almighty God, now and ever. Amen.  (Oaklette United Methodist Church)

 

 

 

 

Announcements

 

Closing Prayer for Facebook

Go and say, “Peace.”
Say peace when despair threatens to overwhelm you.
Say peace when the news of the day invites you to apathy or avoidance.
Say peace when a ceasefire is not enough.
Say peace because a loving approach to conflict can build it.
Say peace because a faithful people can realize it.
Say peace because the God of Peace is with you.
Go and say and be peace in the world. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay)

 

Community Time – Joys and Concerns

 

Benediction

God of fireworks and good works, bless us this day as we go from this place. May our celebrations be joyous and memorable, and may our service to others reflect your love and peace. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley)

 

Additional Illustrations

 

 

A Brave Life among Roses

Francis Meilland dedicated his life to raising roses. He knew each plant intimately. As he strode through the nursery he came across one very special rose. "Ah, this one," he said, "this one," as he rubbed the particularly glossy leaf with a finely serrated edge. It was a masterpiece, unlike anything he had ever seen. Of all his plants, this one was sensational.

Meilland was anxious to give his precious rose a name and continue to work in his nursery but the year was 1939 and the threat of war hovered over Western Europe. His only hope was to preserve the precious flower from eminent danger. Soon thereafter, Nazi Germany had occupied northern France and were moving toward Paris. Waging blitzkrieg, the Nazis attacked one town after another spreading defeat and disaster everywhere.

With little time to spare Meilland took cuttings from his beloved plant and methodically packaged and shipped them throughout the world. He had no idea if they would survive. He could only hope. On one of the last planes that left France just before the Nazis gained control of the airport, one of his precious cuttings, cushioned in a diplomatic pouch, was destined for the United States.

Four long years passed. Meilland received a letter that one of his cuttings had reached a rose grower in Pennsylvania. It was ruffled and delicate. The petals were of cameo ivory and palest cream, tipped with a tinge of pink. His rose had survived. Later, on the very day Berlin fell to the allies, there was a special ceremony that took place in California. To honor the occasion, white doves were set free. After many years the fragile rose had survived the war and now received a name. It was called "Peace."

The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. We are sent out as lambs in the midst of wolves. We need few resources to be faithful followers. All we need is guts.

Keith Wagner, It Takes Guts, adapted from Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, Of War and Roses

 

Real Evangelism

If we are going to be effective in reaching people for Christ we are going to have to start showing people that we really care. Evangelism and missions must be relational in nature. There is no record of Jesus walking up to someone out of the clear blue sky and saying: I am the Messiah and then him beginning to show his care for them. No, he showed his care for them first and then he revealed himself to them.

A story is told about a man who was on a luxury liner and suddenly he falls overboard. He can't swim and in desperation he begins calling for help. Now it just so happens that there were several would be rescuers on deck who witnessed the incident. The first man was a MORALIST. When he saw the man fall overboard he immediately reached into his briefcase and pulled out a book on how to swim. He now tossed it to him and he yelled: Now brother, you read that and just follow the instructions and you will be alright.

The man next to him happened to be a IDEALIST. When he saw the man fall overboard he immediately jumped into the water and began swimming all around the drowning man saying: Now just watch me swim. Do as I do and you will be alright. The person next to him happened to be a member of the INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH. He looked upon the drowning man's plight with deep concern. He yelled out: Now, just hold on friend. Help is on the way. We are going to establish a committee and dialogue your problem. And then, if we have come up with the proper financing, we will resolve your dilemma.

The next man on deck happened to be a representative of the school of POSITIVE THINKING. He yelled out to the drowning man: "Friend, this situation is not nearly as bad as you think. Think dry!" The next man on board happened to be a REVIVALIST. By this time the drowning man was going down for the third time and desperately began waving his arm. Seeing that, the revivalist yelled out: Yes brother, I see that hand, is there another? Is there another? And finally, the last man on deck, was a REALIST. He immediately plunged into the water, at the risk of his own life, and pulled the victim to safety.

My friends, the harvest is plentiful, but the WORKERS are few. We need realist in the church willing plunge into the water and go to work.

Staff, www.Sermons.com.

 

Evangelism

An executive hirer, a "head-hunter" who goes out and hires corporation executives for other firms, once told me, "When I get an executive that I'm trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him a drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he's all relaxed. Then, when I think I've got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, "What's your purpose in life?"

It's amazing how top executives fall apart at that question.

"Well, I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up and said, 'What's your purpose in life, Bob?' And he said, without blinking an eye, 'To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.' For the first time in my career I was speechless."

Josh McDowell

_____________________________

Jesus and Moses Both Delegated

Delegation is more difficult than it sounds. Delegation is especially difficult for talented and extraordinary leaders, and even more difficult for leaders who seem to have a special calling from God.

That was the case with Moses some 13 centuries before Christ. After successfully leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt toward freedom in the Promised Land, Moses had problems with a somewhat rebellious and cantankerous group.

So he complained to God, "I am not able to carry all these people alone, the burden is too heavy for me" (Numbers 11:14). In fact, Moses was so discouraged he asked God to kill him unless he helped him.

So God asked Moses to gather 70 men whom he knew to be natural leaders and officers and to bring them to the tent of meeting, where God manifested his presence. God said, "I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take some of the spirit which is upon you and put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone" (Numbers 11:17). So God's spirit did come upon the 70 and Moses had people to whom he could delegate responsibility and leadership.

Thirteen centuries later, Jesus uses the same number -- 70 -- to recruit men to help him spread the word about the new kingdom of God. If Moses and the 70 elders were developing the Old Israel, Jesus and the 70 were about to develop the New Israel.

Maurice A. Fetty, The Divine Advocacy, CSS Publishing Company

 

Acting like Teenagers

Like teenagers who get to drive their dad’s sports car for the first time, these disciples came back with great enthusiasm over the power they had at their command. But Jesus reminds them to focus their joy on their Father in heaven rather than on the horsepower of their mission. Often we are tempted to act like teenagers when it comes to the gifts God has given us. We are excited about our money, our friends, our good looks, our work, our spouse or children, and even our religiousness — as if these things were really entirely ours to have and to keep. We forget the God who has given them to us, the God to whom they shall all return when we come to the end of our life on earth.

Jan Campbell

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Biblical Passages Are Like Rental Cars

Biblical passages are, in some ways, like a fleet of rental cars. Some get driven a lot, some are less popular. Some are easy to handle, others take more skill and experience to manage. Almost all of them get abused by their drivers.

If today’s gospel text were a rental car, it would be a great big SUV with a lot of miles on it. One look at it, and you would know that this one has hauled a lot of people’s baggage over the years. Big and unwieldy, it tends to go off in other directions regardless of where you are steering it.

C. Joshua Villines, Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Off to Work We Go

________________________

The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty." So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel.   Preaching, November-December 1985

_____________________

The Cost of Freedom

On July 3, 1776, the day before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington wrote a letter to his wife, anticipating the hardships which would soon occur. Here in part are his words, "In a few days, you will see a Declaration setting forth the causes which have impelled us to this mighty revolution and the reasons which will justify it in the sight of God. I am fully aware of the toil and blood and treasure what it will cost to maintain this declaration and support and defend these states; yes, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory."

Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com

 

An Inner Struggle of Allegiance

On a holiday weekend like this one, we are reminded of the inner struggle of allegiance. We want to celebrate this land that we love, and rightly so, and yet we want to be careful that our allegiance to country never supersedes nor is ever equivalent to our allegiance to God. We sing “God Bless America,” and yet we know that our faith will not allow us to ask God’s favoritism toward us over other nations. We know there are no national boundary lines with God.

We struggle to love our country when our government acts in ways we feel are contrary to God’s ways of justice and peace. But we love our country by calling it to God’s ways of justice and peace. We must not let our fear and struggle render us silent and still. Our first allegiance is to the God whose truth still marches on.

W. Gregory Pope, The Inner Struggle

 

French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said, "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!"

Alexis de Tocqueville - He was a political scientist, historian, and politician, best-known for "Democracy in America," 4 vol. (1835–40), a perceptive analysis of the political and social system of the United States in the early 19th century.

God Bless America

Gene Simmons of the group KISS visited the Pentagon to promote military service on May 16, 2019 where he talked about his mother, who recently died at the age of 93. She was 14 when she was put in a Nazi concentration camp. As he spoke he had to stop on numerous occasions to gain his composure. This is what he said:

"I was born in Israel. I am a proud son of a concentration camp survivor, Nazi Germany. My mother was 14 when she was in the camps. My mother just passed at 93, but if Americans could see and hear my mother talk about America they would understand. I'll just cut to the chase. When we first came to America my mother let me stay up and watch TV with her. I couldn't speak English very well and my mother could barely get by. She worked 6 days a week and at night we would watch the news and whatever and by 12 o'clock the 3 or 4 TV stations would go off the air and we would hear sssssss, just noise and people would presumably go to sleep. Before then we saw a jet flying through the sky and a man with in very deep voice was saying something, i couldn't understand it, and the jet then turned skyward and flew seemingly into the heavens through the clouds and I remember what the man said, "...and saw the face of God."

And then it melted into a black and white, because in those days we didn't have color TV. The flag was full screen, billowing, and I heard, 'da da da da da da,' you know the National Anthem. I didn't know what it was or what was going on and it was almost time to go to sleep. It was late. And, every time, my mother saw the flag, she would start crying. As an eight year old boy I didn't understand why, but from my mother's point of view we were finally safe. I may have been born in the country, that people throughout history have referred to as the promised land, but take my word for it...America is the promised land. For everybody. And don't be ashamed. Don't hesitate. We need to teach young people to be comfortable saying, 'God bless America.'"

Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com

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Sufferings for Independence

Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Their conviction resulted in untold sufferings for themselves and their families. Of the 56 men, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the war. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships sunk by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty.

At the battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson's home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly ordered General George Washington to open fire on the Nelson home. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and mill were destroyed. For over a year, he lived in forests and caves, returning home only to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion.

Such were the sacrifices of the founding fathers. There are no movements that have shaped the world where sacrifice was not called upon. And of course in the church we have all our grace predicated on a sacrifice and it didn't stop at the cross. Jesus told his disciples that they too would need to take up the cross. And that's what they did:

• Matthew suffered martyrdom by being slain with a sword at a distant city of Ethiopia.
• Mark expired at Alexandria, after being cruelly dragged through the streets of that city.
• Luke was hanged upon an olive tree in the classic land of Greece.
• John was put in a cauldron of boiling oil, but escaped death in a miraculous manner, and was afterward banished to Patmos.
• Peter was crucified at Rome with his head downward.
• James, the Greater, was beheaded at Jerusalem.
• James, the Less, was thrown from a lofty pinnacle of the temple, and then beaten to death with a fuller's club.
• Bartholomew was flayed alive.
• Andrew was bound to a cross, whence he preached to his persecutors until he died.
• Thomas was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel in the East Indies.
• Jude was shot to death with arrows.
• Matthais was first stoned and then beheaded.
• Barnabas of the Gentiles was stoned to death at Salonica.
• Paul, after various tortures and persecutions, was at length beheaded at Rome by the Emperor Nero.

Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com

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"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."

- George Washington

 

"In reading over the Constitutions of all fifty of our states, I discovered something which some of you may not know: there is in all fifty, without exception, an appeal or a prayer to the Almighty God of the universe…. Through all fifty state Constitutions, without exception, there runs this same appeal and reference to God who is the Creator of our liberties and the preserver of our freedoms."

- D. James Kennedy

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when I felt that I was moving forward, getting ahead, happy enjoying life. But that was a long time ago – not today.  
But you know – I also think that I am forgetting a very important lesson about my faith in Christ.
Namaan must have felt that way when he set out to isreal looking for a cure. There were no good days ahead. We get that way when we feel we have been robbed of the life that we know and understand.
Namaan was the general of the greatest army in the world at the time. The bible says that God gave victory to the army of Aram through Namaan. He was used to people bowing to him and giving him whatever he wanted. He was used to special priviledges, used to invitations from important people, used to being with the rich and famous of his day.
But he lost all of that the day he got a disease – what he thought to be a skin disease. He didn’t know what it was, but he was not taking any chances.
He thought he had leprosy – a skin disease that made all of his friend keep their distance. But really it was something deeper.
Physical symptoms are always a sign of something deeper. Every illness that we have has a physical component, a mental and emotional component and a spiritual component. Physical illness is our bodies way of getting our attention to warn us that something needs to change in our lives and in our spirits.
The second symptom of his deeper illness, of his need for a cure, was in his stuff. In order to take this journey of healing he needed to take 10 changes of clothes, horseloads of jewelry, food and other gifts. He was convinced that his stuff was going to find a cure.
No wonder when he did get to the prophet Elisha, the prophet didn’t even bother to greet him. He just sent a message to bathe in the river.
Elisha knew that Namaan’s complaint was not his problem. Remember physical symptoms are always a sign of a deeper spiritual issue.
Namaan didn’t need to be cured of his leprosy, he needed to be cured of his pride.
Pride that his stuff could bring him healing. Pride that his life was all about him – who he was and what he had. Pride that just because he was important that he was not supposed to suffer.
Elisha didn’t want to have anything to do with his stuff.
Pride stands in the way of us seeing how God works in our lives. Humililty opens the door to see how God is working in spite of ourselves, our ego and our pride. Let me repeat that – pride stands in the way of us seeing how God works in our lives, humility opens the door to see how God is working in spite of ourselves.
You see this is not a story about Namaan and his high horse, his illness, his unwillingness to listen, his arrogance that just because he has a problem someone is supposed to take care of him.

This is really a story about the miracle of everyday life and everyday people. It is a story about a slave girl who knew of a prophet who could really cure Naaman. It is about a servant who told him the put his pride aside and do what Elisha said, it is about a down to earth prophet – who had spiritual eyes to see what was really going on.

  

God's Investment Plan

September 25, 2022 Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15 God’s Investment Plan 16th Sunday After Pentecost Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship Come to this place and time of promise. We are becoming the house of hope, the field of sunflowers, the vineyard of great caring. Come to a shared commitment to abundance possible for all people. We are an earthenware jar, to keep safe the tomorrow of children. Our security question is – the word of God, and our password is love. Invocation God, we give you thanks that you make us redeemers, not just receivers of redemption. You bring us among friends and then ask for each one of our signatures to change your world. We hold the earthenware jar you call the church and fill it with all your promises. amen. (Rev. Maren Tirabassi, United Church of Christ Worship Ways) Song God will take Care of You UMH 130 Children’s Sermon Leah Pittsinger – Ministry to Children It’s hard to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes God asks us to do challenging things as a part of his plan. In “The Story of Jeremiah for Kids,” children will learn that Jeremiah obeyed God and shared a message of impending judgment (even though the message was not welcome and Jeremiah himself didn’t escape the consequences of the message). Life can be tough, but God promises that we can trust his methods and his will. So, will we obey the Lord even when it’s difficult? Reiterate to the class that even though Jeremiah was obedient to God, he experienced some hard things (such as being taken to Egypt and having to share bad news with God’s people). Comment, “We’ve all experienced some hard, heart-breaking, and frustrating things because we are God’s children. So, we’re going to make a craft to remind us that the Lord is greater than anything bad we could ever experience.” Give each child at least three stones and ask them to carefully write the name of something that has challenged their faith on each stone (e.g. sadness, loss, death, insecurity). Then give each child a plastic favor bag and help them write, “GOD IS GREATER!” on the bag. Help the class understand that placing the stones inside the bags (and sealing the bags with a tie or knot) symbolize our trust in God to take care of even the deepest hurts. Say, “The Lord knows we have these ‘heavy’ stones in our hearts! But he asks us to trust him anyway and make the choice to serve him, like Jeremiah did, even when things are hard.” Conclusion (5 minutes) RECAP: Jeremiah obeyed God even when it was hard and God protected him. We can trust that God will help us when we experience a challenge, especially when we are seeking to obey him! CLOSING PRAYER: “Lord, give us the desire to obey you know matter what. And please help us trust your plan for our lives. Amen.” Prayer of Illumination God, your holy word invites us to place our trust in you. May the words we hear here today, take root in our lives. May the words we receive in our hearts, strengthen us to live more boldly in faith, that we may trust you in disaster and boon, in good times and bad, in death and in life. “The word of the LORD came to me.” I know this is the word of the Lord. (Amy Hunter, United Methodist Ministry Matters) Scripture Jeremiah 32:1-3,6-15 Sermon God’s Investment Plan I was listening to a lecture on leadership by Dr Ron Heifetz, where he says that people can only take so much bad news. We can only handle so much. If we are in darkness and can see no light at the end of the tunnel – then we lose hope and no longer thrive. If we are asked to change and to do something different – the only way we can move forward, is if there is something that remains the same that we can relate to. Our world has gone through a very stressful time within the last few years. The pandemic has changed so much of our everyday lives. It has even changed the way that we do church. Every year, there are more and more churches that are closing, because of the changes of the pandemic. In our lives, in many ways we are looking for that light at the end of the tunnel. I and many people thought that it was interesting that the president declared that the pandemic has ended. I did not get a chance to listen to his speech, I just heard about the headlines. I hope that we are entering into a time of healing and moving forward from all of this. But we all know that the virus is still out there. And not only does it affect the lives of people, it’s still defines our life. Where do we look for the light at the end of the tunnel? What role does our faith play? The book of Jeremiah is actually a genius in giving us advice at how to find hope in the midst of despair. The book of Jeremiah is kinda like a book of sayings from an old uncle. It has no rhyme or reason, the stories are not really in order of time, and it is a story of how the nation that he was trying to help rejected him. And yet the book remains in the bible generations after it was written, because it tells us how our faith can help us to see the light at the end of the tunnel. God is our light. Cynthia stood before a church group in a neighboring town. She had been invited to share the story of her faith in her successful struggle against death. She stood before the group with a candle in one hand and a pocket lighter in the other. She began, "Three years ago I went to the hospital for a series of tests and I was told that I had malignant cancer. I was also told that, although it was possible for me to take chemotherapy treatments, the chance of them offering any help at all was very slim. My doctors said treatments would most likely only bring misery to my final days. This was, of course, very bad news for me. I fell into a deep despair. I was ready to give up. All I could see was darkness. "As I lay in this dark despair in my hospital bed, I started reading a Bible that was in my room. I happened to turn to the book of Jeremiah. What I read there changed my life. It also literally gave me life. "In the darkest moment of my life, I read about the dark times that Jeremiah and the nation of Judah experienced. Following directions that he had received from God, Jeremiah prophesied for 12 years that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Finally, having angered the king by saying such things, Jeremiah was sitting in prison watching his prediction of doom come true. The Judean nation was on the brink of destruction. Her enemies were making their final assault upon the city. The Judeans who had already been killed lay unburied and those who were still alive suffered from famine and pestilence. The end was very near. Soon the enemy would break through and drag the survivors from their homeland into a captivity in a foreign land. It was a very dark time for them. As I read, it was easy for me to relate to the despair of their situation. "In the midst of this hopeless and despairing situation, God led Jeremiah to do an incredibly hopeful thing. At the moment when things looked the worst, God led Jeremiah to purchase a field. He bought land in a country that was about to be taken over by the enemy. In this action Jeremiah was making an investment in the future. In the midst of a very bad time, he looked with hope to a better future of better times. Jeremiah knew that the hard times of exile were about to come upon the people of Judah, but God also led the prophet to symbolically proclaim that things would eventually get better and that God would return the people to their home. In faith Jeremiah saw that future. As a symbol of hope, he invested himself in that future by buying a piece of land." Cynthia said, "When I read about Jeremiah's purchase of the field, it was as if God had suddenly brought a light into my darkness." At this point in her story Cynthia lit the candle she was holding. She continued, "I had a candle brought into my hospital room and I lit it that day as a sign of my hope -- a sign that I was going to trust God like Jeremiah and invest in the future. Cynthia continued, "Against the recommendation of my doctors I took chemotherapy treatments. In the process I got very sick and I came quite close to death. But, as I stand before you today, my cancer is in total remission." She raised the lit candle in front of her. "God gave me hope during my darkest times, during my bad times. Like Jeremiah, I put my faith in God and invested in the future. Now I praise God and celebrate the good times of health that the future has brought me." At this point in her talk everyone in the group broke into spontaneous applause. Everyone, that is, except for a quiet man in the back row. After a moment he raised his hand and asked to speak. He said, "Your story sounds similar in many ways to a story that was a part of my life. It is very similar, but only up to a point. My wife also had cancer. She too had hope that God would move her through the dark times into better times. She invested in that future. She trusted God as the light to see her through her darkness. She took all kinds of treatments and she too got very sick. Together we hoped, together we prayed, and then she died." He said, "Please don't get me wrong. I am very glad that the future in which you invested turned out to have good times in it for you. But as you stand there holding that candle, I have to ask you -- what do you think Jeremiah's hopeful action of purchasing a field has to say for my wife?" All eyes were upon Cynthia. It was very quiet as they waited for her response. She also waited for her response, and then, discovering that she did not have one, told the man that she was sorry for his loss, blew out her candle, and sat down. How are we to make sense of the man's question? Cynthia did understand this story correctly, didn't she? The purchase is a symbol of hope, is it not? The small plot of land that Jeremiah bought is a symbol of the whole land and the prophet is a symbol of all who will own property in the new age when Yahweh will restore the fortunes of Israel. Cynthia heard the story saying that we can make it through even the very worst times by focusing on the future -- the time when God will finally set things right. Jeremiah's symbolic action seems to proclaim that there will be better times ahead. So, how do we respond to the man in the back row whose wife lit a candle in her darkness only to have it snuffed out by unsuccessful cancer treatments and finally by death? What can be said to the people who join Jeremiah in hoping for those better times, but then never experience any better times? Pamela's pastor went to see her in the hospital. The pastor took Pamela's hand and said, "I'm so sorry. Is there anything that you would like me to do for you?" Pamela said, "Yes, there is." The pastor said, "Just name it." Pamela said, "I would like a candle." The pastor was considerably surprised by the request, but said, "Fine, I'll be sure to bring one when I come next time." Pamela said, "No. I want one now." The pastor said, "Don't you even want to talk a little bit first?" Pamela shot back, "If you really want to do something for me ...." The pastor interrupted, "Okay. I see that it is important to you. I'll go get one right now." It was a 15-minute drive back to church from the hospital, but the pastor made the round trip and returned to Pamela's room with a candle in hand. Approaching her bed the pastor asked, "Do you want me to light it for you?" Pamela said, "Oh, no. Just hand it to me." She took the candle in her hands gripping it tightly. She then clutched the candle against her and said, "During these last months I have often thought of myself as a candle about to go out. I thought that everything I am is tied up in being able to see. I expected that when blackness came then there would be nothingness." She then said, "Now I'm blind. It's dark." She held the candle tightly. "But the candle is still here. I'm still here. I'm still me. God is still God. It's going to be okay somehow." Perhaps in her blindness Pamela was able to see something in her candle that eluded Cynthia when she held up her lit candle before the group. Cynthia saw the flame of her candle as a symbol of hope. The flame was the symbol of light in darkness -- God helping us out of bad situations. This can be a powerful symbol for people who have passed through darkness on the way to better times. But it did not speak to the man in the back row. And there may be times when this will not speak to us either. Pamela, however, experienced the candle in a different way. She discovered that a candle is more than a fragile light. Flames come and go on candles. But, as Pamela discovered, a flame doesn't make a candle. It's the candle itself that makes a candle a candle. For her, the candle proper was a symbol of hope, because, regardless of whether there is a flame or not, her hope came in the promise of candleness itself. She came to realize that hope is not grounded in what will happen to us, but in who we are. Each of us have our own terrible times. You know what yours have been. Perhaps you are in the middle of some pretty bad times right now. Yet, when things go badly for us that is not a time to despair, but a time to invest ourselves in the future. When Jeremiah bought the plot of land, he invested in the future. In the middle of terrible times he made a symbolic purchase -- a statement of hope grounded in God. Yet, ultimately, Judah's hope did not rest in whether or not good things would happen to them, but in who they were, a people grounded in a covenant with their God. Yes, the land was an important issue, but its importance lay in the fact that it was a part of the covenant promise. Their hope came not in what would happen to them, but in who God had made them to be -- a people of the covenant. We, like Jeremiah, are called to invest in the future. We do so not because we are certain that God has something better in store for us, but because we know who God has made us to be. Like Pamela, we can think of ourselves as a candle. We have good times and we have bad times. The flame may come and the flame may go. Ultimately it does not matter. Our hope is not grounded in the promise of good things happening to us. Our hope is grounded in the fact that we have become children of God. The hope we receive from God is not a promise of a constant and steady flame that will take away all the dark times. Our hope comes in the promise of candleness itself. Our hope comes at the core of who our God has created us to be. We are a people washed in the waters of divine forgiveness and acceptance. We are a people who live in and live through the church -- a community based in love and service and justice. That is the very essence of who we are. Our identity is in Jesus Christ and his church. That is the core of who we are. That is our candleness. That means that even in the worst of times we can invest in the future, for in the love of Jesus Christ, God has invested everything in us. CSS Publishing Company, Stepping Inside, by Thomas G. Rogers For me, Jeremiah in all of its imperfections, is the place that I go to find the light at the end of the tunnel. Jeremiah was put in jail, because he told people that things were not going to get better. He gave them bad news, when they were looking for good. But he reminded them that God was there on the journey with them. This story shows how he gave them hope in the midst of despair. Jeremiah was actually sent to Egypt and never returned. And yet the day came when Jerusalem was free and life went on. Jeremiah never had any children of his own, but the land that belonged to his family was still in the family name. And his family was able to reclaim the land that they had lost – because of Jeremiah’s act of redemption. Jeremiah’s message to us, that in the midst of despair, God is our redeemer. Christ came to be the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes if we don’t claim the future – it wont happen. Sometimes hope for the future is bigger than our pain. Where are the fields of faith that we need to reclaim and redeem. How do we pass that hope on to the next generation? Let us move forward in faith. Amen Song A Charge to Keep I Have UMH 413 Prayer Holy One, our world moves at a rapid pace of work, school, care of loved ones, paying bills, and all the other things that are important but can overwhelm us. Help us to find the holy in the midst of it all: the brief moments of quiet, the time to read a chapter of a book, the sunshine breaking through the clouds, the task of watering plants. Wherever we find a bit of Sabbath rest, O God, may we find it a holy moment. Whenever we find a bit of good, O God, nurture that goodness in us. May we seek the holy in our daily lives, for it escapes us in the world that pursues values away from You. May we find the holy moments already among us. Amen. (Rev-o-lution Resources by Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment We so often look to scripture for words of encouragement or comfort. It seems few of us look deeply into the words of the Bible for counsel about how to live our lives as daily followers of Jesus, especially if it would mean making big changes. But occasionally we find a particular text which speaks directly to us. I had that happen when reading I Timothy 6:17-18 (NRSV), and want to share that today as we prepare to receive our morning offering. “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provide us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share.” Friends, that’s US! How grateful I am to know we have a fine opportunity this very moment to step into alignment with this teaching. Setting our hopes on God, let us take this time to do good, to be generous, and to share a portion of what we identify as “ours”. Prayer of Thanksgiving Merciful God, It’s not easy to hear some parts of the teaching of Jesus, especially when we’re directed to let go and share our finances. Renew in us a sense of gratitude for Jesus, for the lives he impacted in the flesh and for our lives, which we (at least sometimes) want Jesus to impact on a daily basis. We pray you will bless these gifts, bless each one who has made a gift, and strengthen us to follow more clearly the Way of Jesus, AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May you be as blessed as Jeremiah – with a word-of-God whisper when you are waiting, a glimpse of freedom when you are confined, a friend to show you the way forward, an earthenware jar of God’s love in which your signature is precious. (Maren Tirabassi, United Church of Christ Worship Ways) Community Time Benediction Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Live boldly, trusting God with everything you are and everything you have. Take hold of the life to which God calls you. Go forth, rejoicing in God. Thanks be to God! (Amy Hunter, United Methodist Ministry Matters) Additional Illustrations For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. — Jeremiah 29:11-14 In the tiny town of Flushing, Ohio, amidst the coalfields of Belmont County, stands a brick building which used to house the Citizens' National Bank. Like a lot of community financial institutions of its day, this bank specialized in small loans made to local farmers, sheepherders, and working-class folks in the nearby area and harbored the hard-earned dollars of their working-class neighbors. Their capital was fortified with investments of some local coal tycoons and a congressman from the area; and for nearly two generations, it served the community well until it was swallowed up by a much larger financial institution from a much larger city. Instead of the local farmers and businessmen who originally constituted the board of directors, financiers who have likely never set foot in the town, and probably couldn't even find it on the map, now operate the bank. The story of this little bank is not much different from a lot of community banks in lots of small towns across the country that have similarly been bought by larger financial corporations. But what is most noticeable about this bank was its founding date — smack in the middle of the Great Depression! One has to ask — who would invest money in a financial institution at a time when banks were going belly up and in a place where cash money was so scarce? Yet, that is precisely what this group of farmers, shepherds, and small-business operators did. And, for nearly two generations they succeeded in providing the capital that built homes, purchased equipment, expanded businesses, and paid college tuition for folks in that tiny town. But you have to wonder — in 1931 was it optimism or insanity that inspired the investors? For the founders of that little bank in that little town, investing their hard-earned cash money in the future of their community proved to be a good deal despite the economic climate of the Great Depression. But God offers us so much more. In Christ, we are given the strength to stand on hope when others are bailing out. In faith, we sign the deed to our lives over to him in full view of a skeptical public just as Jeremiah did so long ago. In confidence, we lay his claim on us out for all to see, even as he takes us unto himself to preserve us safe and secure for all eternity. CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost (Middle Third): The Hard Task of Truth-telling, by Lee Ann Dunlap The weekend is shot (almost). Tomorrow it is back to the “real” world, back to the grind, at least for most of us. Where will God be in all that? Be honest with me: Do you feel God’s Presence on the job, as you go through the usual Monday routine? Is God directing you as you attend to your e-mail, run through your voice mail, review the reports, or check your assignment? Let us be frank with each other. The businesses which employ most of us are part of the “secular” realm, not of the “sacred” realm that concerns God. That is the way most Americans see it. Religion is one thing; business is another. Our commitment to the principle of separating church and state has led to a “culture of disbelief,” one in which it is all right to be religious in private, but not publicly when we are on the job.1 But that is not the way that the Bible views the world of business! This morning’s First Lesson makes that clear.