Jesus backs our Covenant Prayer

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

A Glory like no other

Transfiguration Sunday March 2, 2019 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 Year C A Glory like no other Children’s time…….. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. Object: A veil or very fine piece of netting. Good morning, boys and girls. What do you like most about Jesus and the things that he taught? (Let them answer.) How many of you love Jesus and wish that he were with you right now? (Let them answer.) Some people say that they don't understand Jesus or that they can't find him anywhere. They say that Jesus is like a person hiding behind a veil. (Put your own face behind the veil or netting.) It is kind of hard to know who a person is if they wear a veil. Don't you think that a veil is a good disguise? (Let them answer.) If everyone wore a veil, it would be very hard to tell who they are. We would have to guess if it was you or one of your friends. We would never be sure who anyone was. But that isn't true. At least it is not true for people like you and me. God is not hiding from us. As a matter of fact, God is always asking us to study and learn more about him. He wants us to know him as well as we can. He sent Jesus to tell us about him and Jesus taught other men to be his disciples so that they could teach us. God tells us to pray and talk over our problems and our joys with him. God tells us to come to church where we can meet other Christians who know about him and who want to share what they know with us. God doesn't hide from us, but instead, he does everything that he can to help us know him better. But some people like to think that God is wearing a veil. They like to think that God is hiding from them so that they don't have to live the way God teaches us to be. They think if they keep telling everyone that God is hiding, everyone will soon believe it and then everyone will be like them. The bad people in this world always like to pretend that they do not know what is right and what is wrong. That way, it doesn't make any difference what they do. They like to think that God is hiding. But you and I know differently. God is not behind a veil or a screen. He tells us something about himself every day and he wants us to learn what he tells us. Don't let other people kid you and tell you that God is hiding. God is not hiding and the only people who are being kidded are the people who tell you stories like that. God is happy that you know him, and he only wants you to know him better. 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 Common English Bible (CEB) 12 So, since we have such a hope, we act with great confidence. 13 We aren’t like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites couldn’t watch the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. Right up to the present day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. The veil is not removed because it is taken away by Christ. 15 Even today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But whenever someone turns back to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. 18 All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 4 This is why we don’t get discouraged, given that we received this ministry in the same way that we received God’s mercy. 2 Instead, we reject secrecy and shameful actions. We don’t use deception, and we don’t tamper with God’s word. Instead, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God by the public announcement of the truth. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible The question that seems to be on everyone’s mind recently, is what happened at General Conference last week. I have tried to be very careful in answering that question, because in a lot of ways, it all depends on your perspective. Every four years, delegates from all over the united Methodist Church gather to make decisions about the church. In 2016, they called for a special general conference just to discuss the churches stance on sexuality. So last week, they gathered and discussed two different plans on how the church would be structured, and what the official stance on sexuality would be. Presently, according to the 2016 Book of Discipline, the book says that homosexuality is not in keeping with Christian teachings. That means that the united Methodist church does not recognize homosexual marriage, and that those who openly claim that lifestyle cannot be ordained. There are many people in our churches, who want to be recognized as Christian. So the bishops came up with a plan to give each church and each annual conference a chance to decide for themselves if they could change the official stance or not. And even if there were different opinions, we would still be one united Methodist church. Another plan was presented – called the traditional plan which would leave the language as it is, and put sanctions on pastors and bishops who disobeyed. As the delegates gathered for three days, the first day they voted to prioritize which proposals were most important to talk about, the next day they discussed and perfected the plans and the final day they took an official vote. The traditional plan was passed and the one church plan was defeated. There were a few other plans discussed to allow churches to leave the denomination and keep property, and for pastors to keep their pension. The whole conference had to end at 6:30 pm because we had to be out of the conventional center. So the final vote was taken at 5:30, and once the traditional plan passed, it was referred to the judicial council to see if the plan even fits in with our consitition. So the easy answer to what happened, is nothing, we wont know until we get a ruling in late april. The longer answer is that it seems that each person took away from the proceedings what they were looking for. Those who were conservative were happy with the vote, but they were planning to leave the denomination anyway. The liberals took the vote personal and felt that the church doesn’t love them and they started to protest. And now, people are in their feelings, and asking what it next for our denomination. Many pastors and bishops have made statements about next steps. The president of the council of bishops reminded us of what our bishop said before the conference even started. That on February 28th – we will still be the united Methodist Church, and we are still called to serve God and to be in mission to the world in order to transform the world into a better place to live. I felt that the message of 2 corinthians was an important message for us to think about on this transfigurations Sunday. In it, Paul makes two very important points. First he says that our understanding of God is like wearing a veil, we cant see things very clearly. In order to understand the ways of God all we have is our perception, and all of our perceptions are limited and flawed. But Paul goes on the talk about the old covenant and the new covenant. For many of us, that is the difference between the covenant of the jews and the covenant of the Christians. The covenant of the jews still stands and is alive and well, we call it the old testament. It talks about the laws of God, of obeying the laws, and keeping the original understanding of God. Whereas we understand the new covenant, to be the new testament, where we learn about Jesus. Paul says that the new covenant is like taking the veil off and seeing God clearly. And yet we know that God still loves both groups of each covenant. I think that is an important lesson for united Methodist today as well. It seems that all general conference did was highlight our differences. It seems that each person left more convinced that they were right and the other side was wrong. I am often hesitant to say what happened at general conference, because I am not on either side. I see the point of both sides. My personal concern is more for the unity of the church, of the church being able to live together. Even though each have a different understanding of God. All throughout religious history, in every generation the understanding of God changes. And the tension between the old and the new becomes unbearable. Very early in our biblical history, God changed God’s name from el to jah, then the tension between the old testament and the new testament. Today we live in a world that is changing, and its attitudes on sexuality are changing too. Today, most states have allowed same sex marriage. Today if you fill out a form you can chose male, female, or nonbinary. And more and more people are choosing nonbinary. Many parents have went from allowing their boys to play with dolls, to saying that they are not going to raise their child as a boy or girl – they will let them choose who they are when they are an adult. Even here, as I teach the parenting class – one of the first lessons points out in Genesis,that God created us male and female. But our youth today don’t want to identify as either. With all of these changes, in the next generation or two I think this religious discussion on sexuality will become a moot point. Yet we will still be the Methodist church in some form or another. My prayer is that as the church, we spend less time attacking one another, and more time interacting with our changing culture. God never stays the same god is always changing. I think that it is important as our young people are redefining identity, they the church be a part of that conversation. So does the church follow God or does God follow the church? That is the point of this whole debate. But I felt that 2 Corinthians gives an important message in times like these. Since we have such a hope, we act great confidence. We don’t get discouraged. We can hold our heads up high and be United Methodist – There is nothing wrong with the discussion that our church is struggling with. And God will win in the end. A God that stands with all people, whatever they believe and whatever they feel. But as we enter into the future, we can enter it with hope and confidence – to serve, to be in mission and to believe in God. Amen. Additional illustrations……. Sermon Opener - Face to Face - 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 The 2010 drama film “The Social Network” portrayed many interesting features of Mark Zuckerberg’s development of his online creation. But they missed a big one: the name he chose for his baby --“Facebook.” Let’s face it: humans are obsessed with the unique, defining nature of our faces. The arrangement of our eyes, nose, mouth, chin, cheeks, forehead, never ceases to amaze and fascinate us. More than 5000 distinguishable facial expressions have been identified, and that is probably just a start on the human face. The 18th century German satirist Georg Lichtenberg called the human face “the most entertaining surface on earth.” How could we possibly resist pursuing and endlessly perusing an online site called “Facebook?” We recognize friends — and enemies — by their face. Bank robbers wear masks to hide their faces, knowing full well that, no matter how clear the pictures of their bodies might be, without a full view of their face, they cannot be accurately identified. When the Protestant Reformers came across images of the saints and the Virgin Mary, they defaced them on paintings and had their faces gouged out of carvings and sculptures. Babies look at faces — learning how to put the pieces together and how to recognize and trust the familiar, and reject and be fearful of the unfamiliar. It is in our human DNA to look into the face of others for critical, life-preserving, information. “We find ourselves in the faces of others” says Siri Hustvedt in her novel The Summer Without Men (2011). We become human through our relationships with others. In short, long before “virtual life,” human beings were walking, talking “Facebooks.” Our language reflects this fixation. We speak of taking things at “face value,” or of doing an “about face,” or of “facing off” against opponents. We “face the music,” make “face time,” and when dishonored we “lose face.” “Face cards” carry the most value and to stand “face-to-face” with another signifies being in the most valued of positions. One of the most advanced new computer identification techniques is the science of “facial recognition” — computer programs that can scan and identify individual faces without any other physical information. In the “transfiguration” scene described in this week’s gospel text (Luke 9:28ff), Jesus’ face shines…