Different Types of Pray-ers

October 26, 2025 Luke 18:9-14 Different types of pray-ers 20th Sunday after Pentecost Year C Prelude Greetings Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 65) Leader: From the east and from the west, we come to praise God! People: Today we celebrate the ways God is at work in our world. Leader: From the fields ready for harvest to the majesty of the mountains, People: from the abundance of gentle rains to the blazing color of fall leaves Leader: God crowns the year with good blessings! People: And today we gather to praise God, Creator and Sustainer of life! (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer Bring us to deep silence, God, as we give thanks for the gifts you pour out on us and on all creation. Help us focus on you, and on the ways you sustain us in this life, even as we offer you our praise. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song Lord I Want to be a Christian UMH 402 A Sermon for all Ages The Problem with Keeping all of the Rules Object: Picture of a camel Good morning, boys and girls. What is this picture I have in my hand? That's right, it's a picture of a camel. Today, I'm going to tell you a story by Rudyard Kipling about the problem of pride and how the camel got its hump. When God first created the earth and all the animals, He gave each of the animals a different job. All of the animals did their work, except the camel. Whenever the other animals asked the camel to do some work, the camel just said, "Humph!" and walked away. Whenever the other animals asked the camel to play with them, the camel just said, "Humph!" and walked away. You see, the camel thought that he was better than all the other animals. He had too much pride. So whenever the other animals talked to the camel, he just said, "Humph!" and walked away. Well, God didn't like for the camel to have so much pride. Because of his pride, the camel was not nice to the other animals. So God put a heavy hump on the camel's back to remind him of the time when he had too much pride and said, "Humph!" to all the animals instead of being nice. Of course, this is just make-believe. That is not really how the camel got its hump, is it? But it makes an important point. Our Bible story today is about two men who go to church to pray. The first man says his prayer very loudly. He acts like he is better than everybody else. He has too much pride. The second man prays quietly and asks God to forgive him of his sins. God listens to the prayer of the second man, because this man is not proud. God wants us to be like the second man. When we go to pray, we shouldn't act like we are better than others, and we shouldn't be a show-off about our religion. God likes us to be humble, and to glorify Him, not ourselves. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Call to Reconciliation When we pray to God, do we do so with pride in what wonderful people we are, or with that humble hope which recognizes how we have not lived as God’s children, and how we need God’s forgiveness and grace in our lives? Join me as we pray to our God, saying, (Lectionary Liturgies, Thom Shuman) Unison Prayer for Forgiveness Watching God, like the Pharisee, we think we can stick our thumbs into life, pull out a prayer, and congratulate ourselves for being such good Christians. Then, we remember the harsh words we have spoken this week, the hurt we have inflicted on someone we loved, the lack of compassion we failed to offer to someone who needed our help. Forgive us, God of Grace, and deal gently with us. May we become more like the tax collector - humble, penitent, acknowledging our faulty lives to you. Then, may we receive the mercy promised to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen. (Lectionary Liturgies, Thom Shuman) Silence is kept Assurance of Pardon Forgiven and healed, we open ourselves to the grace, the peace, the hope offered to us through our loving God. This is the good news we have received! Graced and blessed, we are able to live our lives for others, taking them by the hand to reach that finish line called the Kingdom. Thanks be to God. Amen. (Lectionary Liturgies, Thom Shuman) Passing of the Peace Scripture Luke 18:9-14 Sermon Different types of Pray-ers Are You Really Listening? In his book Directions, author James Hamilton shares this insight about listening to God: "Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the icehouse during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. I closed the door,'' the boy replied, “lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.'' Often the question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are being still enough, and quiet enough, to hear. Yes, Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father always listens to us, but do we really listen to God? Do we follow the instructions of Psalm 46, "Be still, and know that I am God"? Eric S. Ritz, The Ritz Collection,www.Sermons.com Prayer is listening for God’s voice in our lives. When we pray we are connecting our lives to the source of all life. Prayer is at the heart of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Discipleship is connecting our lives and the world to the God. Prayer also lies at the heart of the gospel of Luke. Luke is intended to be a training manual for disciples. Luke demonstrates the power of prayer in all 24 chapters, from the birth of Christ to the resurrection – Luke shows the power of prayer, he tells us stories of Jesus praying, he models what prayer looks like, shoe shows ordinary persons praying, and he even shows how God answers prayer. In chapter 18, he gives us examples of three types of prayer in the mouths of three different lay persons. We didn’t look at the first part of chapter 18 – but it is the story of a faithful widow praying for justice and God hears her prayer. Our text for today is about 2 very different men with 2 very different prayers. When our children were small and we were trying to teach them to pray, we had three kinds of prayer: "Please prayers," Thank you prayers," and "Sorry prayers." S. Briscoe, Getting into God, p. 55. So the widow’s prayer was a please prayer, the pharisee’s prayer was a thank you prayer, and the tax collectors prayer was a sorry prayer. Actually in spiritual life there are five kinds of prayer. The five major types of prayer, intercession on behalf of others, adoration, confession, petition and thanksgiving. Luke gives models of all of them.As a matter of fact, there are 3 models of prayer in chapter 18. Last week we heard of the woman persistent in her prayer. – prayers of petition. You could say that the Pharisee was praying a prayer of adoration – even if it was adoration of his own faith. And the tax collector prayed a prayer of confession. Which is a better prayer? Which is better for us to pray? There is no comparison. There are times in our lives when we need to pray all five prayers. The comparison is not with the widow, the Pharisee and the tax collector. The comparison is with Jesus Christ – does the prayer draw us closer to Jesus. Luke gives us an example of all 5 types of prayer and I would encourage you to use them all at some point in your daily life. So when Jesus tells this parable, it is probably not based on a real story – Jesus is just using examples of people that he knows are in the crowd that day. Another major them of Luke is bridging the gap between insiders and outsiders. Jesus wanted to encourage the beloved community to understand those that they didn’t know so that they could open the door of acceptance. Tax collectors would have flocked to Jesus, because they didn’t feel accepted by the community. Tax collectors were nothing like IRS agents of today. They were considered traiters, because they would take money from their own people. Some time it made it to the government, most of the time it did not. They pocketed it. In a crowded room people would have felt uncomfortable around a tax collector. They were outsiders On the other hand, the pharisees were considered the ultimate insider. They were well respected and were looked up to as leaders. The pharisees were haters, they were in the crowd just to stalk Jesus and find something to criticize. Not only were they insiders, they were the authority for who was in, and who was out. When Jesus uses them in his parable, he is actually giving them a compliment. He is helping his followers understand their role in religious society. Pharisees were the first lay leaders – they studied the bible constantly, they did all that they could to support the congregation, they prayed for themselves and for others, they were expected to always go above and beyond. They were supposed to be better than anyone else. When he says thank you God that I am not like the other people, he is actually praying • Pharisee prays Psalm 17:3-5 “If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress. As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.” His prayers are sincere – yet Jesus points out that prayer is not just words, it is also attitude and actions. The pharisees words were close to God, his attitudes and actions were not. Being a better Christian is about connecting to others – reaching out, not looking down on people. C. S. Lewis once said, "A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and of course, as long as you are looking down, you can't see something that's above you." • The tax collector on the other hand prayed Psalm 51 - Tax Collector prays Psalm 51:1 "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions” In Jesus eyes, the pharisee’s prayer wasn’t wrong, and the tax collectors prayer was not right. Both are equal in God’s eyes. They are both children of God. The pharisee is a model of faith, and the tax collector is closer to the ordinary guy. Jesus knows that in our minds, we tend to look for the good guy and the bad guy. Jesus is counting on us finding good and bad in the story. We like to stalk out the bad, the wrong, the problem. There is a story of a famous well liked knight who was a dragon hunter. He took is task very seriously. Everything that he did during his day, was geared toward making him a better dragon hunter. He thought about dragons night and day. He spent every available minute practicing hunting dragons. For him, in order to catch a dragon, you have to think like a dragon, you had to understand their motivation. His every thought was directed toward hunting dragons. One day, after years of discipline, he happened to see his reflection while looking at a river, and he was horrified at what he had seen. After years of focusing on hunting dragons, he discovered that he had become the thing that he hated the most – he has become a dragon. If we leave the sanctuary this morning focusing on the faults of the pharisee – thinking that he is the bad guy – then the lessons of Jesus has failed you. Jesus wants you to see the self- righteousness in yourself. Our text actually stars out by saying – there were certain people in the audience who had become self righteous. Those people he is talking about is you and me. As soon as we start to draw the line between us and them, between right and wrong, between good and bad, between insider and outsider – Jesus can automatically be found on the other side than us. Humanity is constantly trying to order ourselves regarding power and worth. The challenge of the Gospel is all people are beloved and that challenge is lived out in the Beloved Community (& the Kingdom of Heaven). In what ways are we humbling and exalting others or ourselves in appropriate (leveling) ways and inappropriate ways? Sometimes our greatest gifts, can become our greatest burden to listening to God clearly. The pharisee prayed a genuine prayer of thankfulness, but he focused on his gifts, and didn’t mention his faults. Discipleship is seeing others as beloved children of God- balancing love of God and love of other That is why prayer is so much a part of our discipleship. All 5 types of prayer ( intercession on behalf of others, adoration for God’s grace, confession of our sins, thankfulness and petition) need to be a part of our daily life. God hears the prayers of both the saints and the sinners. Our prayer life shapes our attitudes and our actions. May the grace that we receive from God be the grace that we pass on to others. Let us pray……. Song Leaning on the Everlasting Arms UMH 133 Pastoral Prayer We know that you listen to the prayers of the faithful, looking in our lives, and looking upon the world. Ask that you be with each and every person here and their concerns. Many things for us to pray about. • Pray for peace within the wars and disagreements in the world • Pray for the tensions in our country. We pray for people who are demonstrating and that you hear their concerns. • Pray for people in danger, and separated form families • Pray for many people and places that have been affected by hurricanes and horrible weather • People who are dealing with loss help in their grief • People who are dealing with illness of themselves and family members • Farmers who are working in the field, keep safe and not let labor be in vain • Violence and crimes unsolved. • Grace, peace, mercy Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment So the question still remains, who do you see yourself as in the story of the pharisee and the tax collector. Are we the model of what it means to be faithful to God, or are we just the ordinary person just trying to be faithful. Most of us are probably somewhere in between. And the next question is which of these two people would Jesus want us to model on our own faith journey? Does Jesus really want us to cheat those around us, and to hoard money for ourselves, and then ask for forgiveness without any thought of repentance. Jesus would probably want us to be more like the pharisee – the pharisee studied the bible, he served his church, he reached out to others, he was in constant communication with God, and he was very intentional about tithing. He took what he gave to God very seriously. If the bible called for him to give 10% of everything to God, he did that. Those are all of the lessons that we are reminded of during our stewardship campaign – giving our gifts, our prayers, our talents, our service and our witness. Jesus wants us to be like the pharisee - like a pharisee who has a little humility and an awareness of the prayers of others. Jesus does not discourage giving 10% of our income back to God. But the good news for us is that Jesus gives us grace. In today’s economy, when we look at our income. 10% may be way too much to give on a regular basis. He encourages us to pray and consider the cost and to give in a way that helps us to feel good about our gift. If 10% is too much, then perhaps we can consider 5%, or 2% or 1%. In a few weeks, we will be asked to consider our gifts to the church. I hope that we can all use our skill in prayer and connection to God as we commit our pledge for the year. God loves a cheerful giver, which is why we usually ask for a pledge and not a straight tithe. Jesus also stressed that when we give, that we consider the mission – what needs to be done and how much does it cost to do it. If each of us gives what we can – we can fulfill that mission. The mission of our church is to grow as disciples of Christ and to create a space for others to have a relationship with God, whether they are a pharisee or a tax collector. As we come to a time of sharing our tithes, offerings and gifts, Today, I invite you to look deep within your own self. What can you offer? What WILL you offer in gratitude for the ways Jesus lifts you up in his love, and God’s Spirit draws you close? Prayer of Thanksgiving God, we want to know, deep down, how we can live into the person you’ve created each of us to be. Receive the gifts we’ve offered here: the finances, the time, and the talents of each of our lives, but also the vulnerable recognition of our individual souls. Today, send us from this time of worship eager to be true followers of Jesus, who ate with sinners; crossed racial, social, and gender restrictions; and called ordinary folk to be his disciples. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May we leave this house of worship today, quick to listen, slow to speak, open to hearing and responding to God’s truth. May God bless you and keep you, be kind and gracious to you, may God look upon you with favor and bring you peace. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri McDowell Ott) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction What greater joy can we know that to go home justified because of our humility before God who redeems? Let us leave this place to live as we came in – openly and desiring to praise God and witness to a saving love. Go in humble grace. In Christ’s name. Amen. Derek Weber, March 2025 Additional Illustrations An Absolute Standard One rabbi said, "If there are only two righteous men in the world, I and my son are these two; if there is only one, I am he!" –Reminds me of two friends talking, one said, "We're the only two honest people left in the world, and sometimes I'm not so sure about you!" With a human measure, righteousness is relative, you can always find someone better and someone worse. Take the right point of comparison and you feel pretty good about yourself. A little boy announced to his mother, "I'm like Goliath. I'm 9 feet tall." "Why do you say that?" asked his mother. "Well, I made a little ruler and measured myself with it; I'm 9 feet tall!" Human standards don't count. The only evaluation that counts is by an absolute standard! The righteousness of God Himself; with that measuring stick, we all come up short! Lee Compson, Holier Than Who? ___________________________________ What Impresses God - Luke 18:9-14 There was a very lost, wicked, rebellious man who decided it would be good for business if he went down to the church and joined it. He was an adulterer, an alcoholic, and had never been a member of a church in his life. But when he went down to the altar to join the church, he gave public testimony to the church that there was no sin in his life, and that he had grown up in the church, and they readily accepted him as a member. When he went home he told his wife what he had done, and his wife, a very godly lady, exploded. She excoriated him for being such a hypocrite, and demanded that he go back to the church the next week and confess what he really was. Well, God used his wife to really break him, and he took it to heart. The next Sunday he went back to the church, walked down to the front again, and this time confessed to the church all of his sins. He told them he was dishonest, an alcoholic, an adulterer, and he was sorry. They revoked his membership on the spot. He walked out of the church that day scratching his head and muttered to himself: "These church folks are really strange. I told a lie and they took me in; and when I told the truth they kicked me out!" The Lord Jesus told a story of two men in a similar situation who had totally different results. One man tried to talk himself into God's kingdom, but he didn't make it. One man tried to talk himself out of God's kingdom and he did make it. Now Luke makes it plain who Jesus told this parable to. For he says in v.9, "Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others." I promise you, every one of you will find yourself somewhere in this story. Because at one time or another all of us are guilty of trying to impress God. You are going to learn, surprisingly, what does impress God, and what doesn't. I. The Pharisee Who Fooled Himself II. The Person Who Faulted Himself III. The Principle That Fulfills Itself _________________ Pride I heard about a fifth grader that came home from school so excited. She had been voted "prettiest girl in the class." The next day she was even more excited when she came home, for the class had voted her "the most likely to succeed." The next day she came home and told her mother she had won a third contest, being voted "the most popular." But the next day she came home extremely upset. The mother said, "What happened, did you lose this time?" She said, "Oh no, I won the vote again." The mother said, "What were you voted this time?" She said, "most stuck up." Well this Pharisee would have won that contest hands down. He had an "i" problem. Five times you will read the little pronoun "i" in these two verses. He was stoned on the drug of self. He suffered from two problems: inflation and deflation. He had an inflated view of who he was, and a deflated view of who God was. His pride had made him too big for his spiritual britches. James Merritt, Collected Sermons, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc. Can You Hear the Music - Luke 18:9-14 Who doesn’t like an “attaboy!” when they do something good? It’s why we have “honor society” in school. It is the reason we have scholarship awards as we head into college. “Attaboy!” stands behind all those accolades high achievers get throughout life — Rhode’s scholarships, purple hearts, Silver stars, gold statues, merit raises for school teachers, making partner in a big firm, getting re-elected (in any organization, at any level). “Attaboys!” reward the gracious, good, above-and-beyond behaviors we see in others. Good persons deserve good things. The problem is that our vision of “good behavior” can get extremely myopic, extremely near-sighted. We only are able to see the good in those who stand closest to us. Those far off become, if not “bad,” at least “other.” “Otherness” is perhaps the most insidious form of prejudice. Why? Because “otherness” makes close closed. “Otherness” disassociates our close family and other loved ones from outsiders and strangers. As soon as we identify some people as “others,” the game is over. We have drawn up “us” vs. “them” battle-lines. In this week’s gospel parable the good-living, well-meaning Pharisee and the ne’r-do-well tax collector are set up as ideal types of the “acceptable” vs. the “other.” The contrast could not be sharper. The Pharisee examines himself, and finds no fault with himself. The tax collector lets God examine him, and throws himself on the bar of God's justice (receiving mercy as God does).Ironically, the Pharisee treats God as a debt collector and the Tax collector, who IS a debt collector, treats God as a Savior…. The Best Treatment for Loneliness Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous American psychiatrist, once gave a lecture on mental health & was answering questions from the audience. One man asked, "What would you advise a person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?" Everyone there expected him to answer, "Consult a psychiatrist." To their astonishment he replied: Leave your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone who is in need, and do something to help that person. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com Everything He Says Is True When you read the story about the Pharisee, a number of specific statements are made about his piety. Please note this. Everything the man says about himself is true. For instance, when he says, “I thank you that I am not like other men,” indeed he wasn’t like other men. He had a standard of morality that was far above the standard of that day. When he said, “I fast twice a week;” it happens to be literally true. The Pharisees fasted on Monday and Thursday of every week. When he says, “I give tithes of all I possess,” he means he tithes on the gross and not on the net. He went beyond the Law of Moses. That’s no big deal; all the Pharisees did that. And when he says, “I am not a crook,” he really isn’t a crook. When he says, “I am not like this filthy tax collector,” he’s really not like that guy. When he says, “I do not commit adultery,” he really doesn’t commit adultery. He is faithful to his wife. When he says, “I am honest, I am faithful, I am zealous for my religion,” he means it and every word of it is true. He truly is a genuinely good man. When I read his prayer, I am reminded of that country song that says, “Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.” What we are to understand is this. When he prayed he was telling the truth. When he said, “Lord, you’re lucky to have a guy like me, because I’m one of the best guys I know,” it was really true. He really was a wonderful guy. While he prayed, people would be standing around watching. And they would say, “He’s a fine man.” While he prayed, they probably applauded. He was the kind of guy you’d want living next door to you. A good citizen. A law-abiding man. A good, religious kind of person. If he were to come to this church today we’d love him because he would be faithful, loyal, and give us a lot of money. We’d probably make him an elder or a deacon. He’s just that kind of guy. He looks really good on the outside. Everything he says about himself is absolutely true. Ray Pritchard, How to Be Right with God ___________________________________ The Cunning Craftsman In her play, "The Zeal of Thy House," Dorothy Sayers imagines a stonemason working on an intricate carving for the chancel of Canterbury Cathedral, who clumsily lets his tool slip and spoils the whole great piece of stone assigned to him. It is a sad moment as the valuable and custom-cut stone stands misshapen. The architect, however, takes the tool out of the artisan's hand and although he remonstrates with him for his clumsiness, begins to enact forgiveness. He redesigns out of the spoiled carving a new and different figure which has its own part to play in the ensemble of the Cathedral, and then permits the blundering mason to complete it in all its glory. "So works with us," concludes Dorothy Sayers, "the cunning craftsman, God." On reading it, I could not shake the phrase from my mind: "The cunning craftsman, God." As used, the word cunning does not mean some kind of craftiness which might be our modern interpretation. But taken in its pure sense it indicates skill, wisdom and ability. The phrase then really means that the Master artist God can take our blundering efforts and still make something useful out of them. He takes our mismanaged lives, our failed efforts, our missed marks, our shameful deeds, our alien attitudes, our sinful lives and out of his divine resourcefulness he saves the day by creating something new, worthy and wonderful that still has usefulness and beauty in the divine plan of things. It is a reassurance that we desperately need, but one on which we cannot presume. Allan J. Weenink, Only The Wounded Can Serve, CSS Publishing Co., Inc. ________________ What Kind of Sinners Can Be Members Samuel Colgate, the founder of the Colgate business empire, was a devout Christian, and he told of an incident that took place in the church he attended. During an evangelistic service, an invitation was given at the close of the sermon for all those who wished to turn their lives over to Christ and be forgiven. One of the first persons to walk down the aisle and kneel at the altar was a well-known prostitute. She knelt in very real repentance, she wept, she asked God to forgive her, and meanwhile the rest of the congregation looked on approvingly at what she was doing. Then she stood and testified that she believed God had forgiven her for her past life, and she now wanted to become a member of the church. For a few moments, the silence was deafening. Finally, Samuel Colgate arose and said, "I guess we blundered when we prayed that the Lord would save sinners. We forgot to specify what kind of sinners. We'd better ask him to forgive us for this oversight. The Holy Spirit has touched this woman and made her truly repentant, but the Lord apparently doesn't understand that she's not the type we want him to rescue. We'd better spell it out for him just which sinners we had in mind." Immediately, a motion was made and unanimously approved that the woman be accepted into membership in the congregation. God accepts us as we are. There's not a sin too black, not a deed too awful, not a thought too horrible for him to forgive. Larry R. Kalajainen, Extraordinary Faith for Ordinary Time, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. I Used to Be an Intellectual Albert Schweitzer was laboring one day, under the hot African sun, building his hospital at Lambarene. A large timber had to be raised into place, and try as he might, Schweitzer couldn't manage it. He looked up and saw a well-dressed African man standing in the shade of a tree, and asked him to lend a hand. "O, no," the man said, "I don't do that kind of work. I am an intellectual." And Albert Schweitzer, with five earned doctor's degrees, said, "I used to be an intellectual, but I couldn't live up to it." When we are Christians we don't have anything to live up to, no pretenses to maintain, no privileges to guard. We can't be too low in the eyes of the world. We can't be losers enough. There is a wonderful peace and freedom in that. William R. Boyer, Sorry, Thank You, Please _________________ Bent to the Ground A city boy visited his cousin who lived on a farm in the country for the first time. The city boy had never seen wheat growing in a field. It was an impressive sight for him, the wheat golden brown and ready for harvesting. He noticed that some of the wheat stood tall in the field, whereas some of it was bent low, touching the ground. The city boy said to his cousin, "I bet the ones standing tall are the best ones, aren't they?" His cousin smiled knowingly and reached over and plucked the head of one of the tall-standing wheat stalks and one that was bent to the ground. He rubbed each of them and the city boy saw that the tall one was almost empty of seeds. But the one bent to the ground was full of the promise of a rich harvest. R. Curtis Fussell, Deadly Sins and Living Virtues, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Learn To Empty Yourself A martial arts student was meeting with his master and teacher at a table, having tea. The student said to his master, "I've learned all you have to teach me about defending myself. I want to learn one thing more now. Please teach me about the ways of God." The master took the teakettle and starting pouring the student's cup full of tea. Soon the cup was full and began to spill over onto the saucer. But the master continued to pour the tea until it spilled over the saucer and then onto the floor. The student finally said, "Stop, stop, the tea is spilling over. The cup can't take any more." The master then looked at the student and said, "You are so full of yourself that there is no room in your life for God. It is not possible for you to learn the ways of God until you learn to empty yourself." R. Curtis Fussell, Deadly Sins and Living Virtues, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Worshipping Who She Used To Be Girolamo Savonarola was one of the great preachers of the fifteenth century. He preached in the great cathedral of Florence, Italy, which contained a magnificent marble statue of the blessed virgin Mary. When Savonarola started preaching at this great cathedral, he noticed one day an elderly woman praying before this statue of Mary. He then began to notice that it was her habit to come every day and pray before the statue. Savonarola remarked one day to an elderly priest who had been serving in the cathedral for many years, "Look how devoted and earnest this woman is. Every day she comes and offers prayers to the blessed Mother of Jesus. What a marvelous act of faith." But the elderly priest replied, "Do not be deceived by what you see. Many years ago when the sculptor needed a model to pose for this statue of the blessed Mother, he hired a beautiful young woman to sit for him. This devout worshiper you see here everyday is that young woman. She is worshiping who she used to be." The first and perhaps the deadliest of the seven deadly sins is pride. R. Curtis Fussell, Deadly Sins and Living Virtues, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. ____________________ They Only Ironed The Parts That Showed Mike Cope, in his article "Righteousness Inside Out," tells of inviting a college student and his girlfriend back to his home after church, to have lunch with him and his wife. "When we got to the house, I took off my suit coat and invited him to do the same. The boy hemmed and hawed for a long time until he could pull me aside, and what he whispered to me then reminded me of the way I used to live when I was in college." It seemed he had only ironed the cuffs and collar of his shirt. If he took off his jacket, his girl would see the rest of his shirt and know what a slob he was. He had only ironed the parts that showed. That was one of the major, ongoing complaints Jesus brought against the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day. That they were phony. That they were not what they seemed to be. That they were hypocrites. That they only ironed the parts that showed. William R. Boyer, Sorry, Thank You, Please ______________________ Our Own Vices Dwight L. Moody and Charles Spurgeon were great preachers of the nineteenth century. Moody admired Spurgeon from a distance and looked forward to the opportunity of meeting him in London. On that historic day, Spurgeon answered the door with a cigar in his mouth. Moody was aghast. "How could you, a man of God, smoke that?" Spurgeon took the cigar from his mouth, put his finger on Moody's rather inflated stomach, smiled and said, "The same way you, a man of God, could be that fat." Because we are usually blind to our own vices, we are hardly qualified to judge others. Eric S. Ritz, The Ritz Collection,www.Sermons.com ____________________________ • Ask your congregation who they are- the tax collector or the Pharisee? Why do they think that? Who do they view as the other? Why? Do they feel they deserve to be exalted or humbled? In some ways this could be thought of as a modern day version of the old parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.
A Pharisee was a lay person, who committed to following the law to the letter. He did what was right all of the time. He tithed, the prayed, he studied the scripture, he lived right. The tax collector of Jesus day, was not the IRS man of today. The tax collector was thought of as a thief and a traitor. He stole from his own to give it to the government. Sometimes the money made it to the government, most of the time it did not. He kept it in his pocket. Jesus understood the plight of the tax collector very well – he had lunch with them all of the time. Jesus did not get along real well with the Pharisee.

The Value of One

September 14, 2025 Luke 15:1-10 14th Sunday after Pentecost The Value of One Year C Prelude Greeting Call to worship (based on Luke 15:1-10) Have you come here to grumble? No! We are here to rejoice! Oh. Are you lost? No! We are found! Okay, I see. Do you seek a welcome at this table? Yes! We are here to let go of the past and begin fresh. We are here to celebrate the joy of heaven. We are here to feast with Christ, our Lord! Wonderful! You are in the righ place. You are welcome here. Let’s worship God together! (Presbyterian Outlook, Walter Canter) Invocation Maker of Heaven and Earth, we rejoice in your presence. In you, we find joy and strength, comfort and courage, truth and insight. Speak to us again. Reveal your power in and through us. Show us your glory and be glorified in our worship. May your glorious light shine through hidden spaces. May your blessed darkness make space for rest. Fortify us for this journey and make us instruments of your kingdom. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Song Come Thou Font of Every Blessing UMH 400 A Sermon for all Ages "'Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?' " Theme: Separation from God; children of God. Visual Aid: A cardboard box containing lost and found items (perhaps a sweater or cap, a pencil, a comb, and so forth). "How many of you have ever heard of a lost and found box, at your school or daycare center?" Several children raise their hands. "Have any of you ever lost anything and then found it again?" Again, several children raise their hands. One of the more outspoken ones says, "I lost my blanket once; it took two days to find it!" I suspect there is an interesting story here, but rather than get into unknown territory I just tell him I'm glad he found it after it was lost. "It's difficult to lose something you really care about, isn't it -- especially if you don't ever find it again. When I was your age, the whole idea of a 'lost and found' box just didn't make any sense to me. Obviously if something was lost, it was lost; if something was found, it was found. How could something be both lost and found? "Finally it dawned on me one day that in order to be found and get taken to the 'lost and found' box, an item first had to be lost by someone else. And since the person who lost it didn't know it had been found, it was still lost. Then the combination of 'lost and found' at last began to make sense. "Have any of you ever gotten lost in a department store or a grocery store?" Once again, several hands go up. Acknowledging their responses with a nod, I continue. "It's a frightening experience, isn't it? I used to be afraid that I might get lost like that when I was your age. I knew if I did, someone would eventually take me to the store's office. Then the store manager would use a microphone to ask in a loud voice, throughout the store, 'Would Kathleen's parents please come to the office. We have your child.' I did NOT want that to happen, so I was careful not to let my parents get away from me whenever we went shopping. Besides, if I did get lost and taken to the manager's office, what guarantee did I have that my parents would even know how to find the office? And if they couldn't find it, I'd really be stuck! It was better not to get lost in the first place. "You know, sometimes people get lost from God, just like in the store. At first I thought, 'God doesn't have a lost and found box to look in. And God doesn't have a store manager either.' Can't you just hear the announcement? 'Would God please come to the office? We have your child.' "However, I was talking with a friend the other day about these ideas and she said, 'But God DOES have store managers, lots of them!' She pointed out that every time any one of us knows of a friend who is hurting and feeling alone and we ask God in our prayers to be with that person, we are, in effect, doing the same thing the store manager would have done. We are saying, 'God, my friend is feeling lost and needing you right now. Won't you please come be with my friend?' "Well, eventually I did get lost in a store -- but it was only a couple of years ago." The children greet this confession with looks of surprise. "That's right!" I assure them. "I was an adult! I had been shopping with my husband and we had gotten separated. I really didn't want to go to the manager and hear the announcement: 'Would Mr. Fannin please come to the office. We have your wife!' "While I was looking for my husband, it occurred to me that he was probably looking for me too. Therefore, it would make more sense if I just stopped where I was and waited for him to find me. I did; he did. "I think sometimes our relationship with God is like my experience in the store. Something catches our attention and we wander away; often we don't know how to find our way back. But we are all children of God, and we need to remember that God is searching for us just as we are searching for God. Sometimes all we have to do is stand still and stop looking long enough to be found." CSS Publishing Company, Inc, Cows In Church, by B. Kathleen Fannin Unison Prayer for Forgiveness Although we believe we are experts at faithfulness, Holy God, we must confess we are unskilled workers at doing good for others. Too often, we turn a deaf ear to the cries of people we have judged to be fools. We easily scoff at those we believe have nothing to teach us or share with us. How foolish, Searching God, how foolish we are! Forgive us, and restore us to your goodness. Then, send us forth to search for all who sit in the shadowed corners of our world, yearning for someone to come and find them, even as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, came to find us. Amen. Silence is kept Assurance of Pardon Our actions sometimes show we do not know God. Our words and lives show we do not understand God's hopes for us. But with utmost patience, God sets aside our foolishness, and fills us with mercy. Mingled with faith and love, grace is poured into our sin-parched souls, giving us new life, restoring us as God's children. Thanks be to God. Amen. ( Lectionary Liturgies, Thom Shuman) Scripture Luke 15:1 – 10 Sermon The Value of One Many years ago a friend of mine who was a high school teacher went to the nearby city for a Saturday shopping trip. She and her young son, who was about 4, were in Woolco and they became separated. By the time she discovered that he was not where he was supposed to be an announcement came over the loud speaker - it was his voice - he gave his name and where he was from (though not exactly as an adult would pronounce the names) My name is ............. and I’m from ............. (adult translation My name is ............ and I’m from .................) for privacy reasons the names have been removed from the internet version and then said, “My mother is lost”. Well, by the time she arrived at customer service to collect him, every colleague from her school was there waiting for her and laughing. Seems that everyone from ............... went to Woolco to shop on Saturdays (I shopped there too, except I went on Mondays!) “My mother is lost” - as far as the little boy was concerned, that was the truth. His mother had wandered off and left him all alone in the aisle with the cars and trucks. All of us are familiar with the feeling of losing something or someone in our lives. All of us are familiar with the feeling of finding something or someone in our lives. I think losing something is one of the hardest things for me to do. Whenever I lose something, there is this urge to replace it, I don’t want to feel the emptiness of doing with it. I am learning to deal with it, sometimes you cant replace every single thing that you lose. I really do hate to lose things. I have a system of making sure that whenever I get home, I check to make sure that I have the important things that I left with – my keys, my cell phone and my wallet. Lately that system has been failing me. Two weeks ago, I left my cell phone in the basket while putting my groceries in the car. Luckily, when I got home I was able to go online and use my find my phone app and see that it was still in the cart at Jewel. It was certainly a celebration when I found the phone. Interestingly when I found my phone, I discovered someone else had lost their wallet in the same way. Just last week, I discovered that I lost my credit card in the same way, and I have not had the same luck in tracking it down. Until I find it, nothing else in life matters, all of my attention goes to searching for my credit card. The good news for us – is that in God’s eyes, we are far more valuable than a cell phone or a credit card. When we are lost, God will do everything in God’s power to find us. God will not rest until we all are found – that is why God sent Jesus in the world to show us how important we are. Luke is actually the only person who reports these three stories of lost things. I think Mark or Matthew reports two of these stories. But Luke 15 is a story of a shepherd losing a sheep, a woman losing a coin, and a father losing a son. Apparently God hates to lose things also, because Jesus uses these stories to tell about God’s love for us. God always loves us, sometimes some of us, as a matter of fact, all of us get lost in the store by ourselves and we lose our way. Jesus wants us to know that is the whole purpose of Jesus mission here on earth. God feels a sense of emptiness when we are not close to him in relationship, and Jesus came to bring us closer to God. Life is a story of being lost and getting found. It is a story of grumbling in emptiness and celebrating when found, it is a story of feeling empty and then rejoicing. We all have a place in that story. But I think just like to little boy in the first story, sometimes, especially in the church we may be a little confused about where we fit in in the story. Are we the one who is lost, or are we the one who lost something. I wasn’t going to use this story, but it makes a wonderful point. What the World Expects of the Church On a cold, dreary December evening, several hundred people gathered at a large downtown church in Winston-Salem to celebrate the Christmas season. I had gone down a long hallway to help a small boy who was pushing against massive oak doors trying to get outside. The boy appeared to be about 2 years old. He was crying as if his heart would break. I picked him up, thinking he belonged to someone at one of the Christmas parties. Investigation, however, revealed nothing. I rushed outside and spotted an old-model car speeding away in the darkness. Gradually, it began to dawn on me that the child had been abandoned. I made a few calls, and soon the church was filled with people wanting to help in any way they could. Within moments, the local TV stations interrupted their usual programs to ask if anyone knew the identity of the little boy. The next morning, one of the city's newspapers had the child's picture on the front page. Under the picture there was an article describing the events of the evening before. The reporter began his story with this striking line: "Someone trusted the church last night, and the church came through!" It will be a long, long time before I can forget that newspaper headline. So much of the world's future depends on the faithfulness of the "People of God" to the "Great Commission." There is a deep hunger across our land as countless people grope for answers to the deepest questions of the human spirit. The message of Christ speaks to these questions, bringing hope and light to people who now stumble in the dark and live in despair. Our world will be changed as the hearts of people are changed. Evangelism is no longer an option for the church. It is essential to the survival of our world. The line in that Winston-Salem newspaper is a haunting reminder of what the world expects of the church. "Someone trusted the church last night, and the church came through!" May that always be true! Bishop Ernest Fitzgerald, "Someone Trusted the Church," Michigan ChristianAdvocate, May 5, 1997, p. 8. Unfortunately, sometimes in the church, we get convinced that we are the ones who find everyone, and that everyone else in the world that is lost. We know everything about Christ and it is our job to find everyone else. We become like the pharisees that Jesus would have been telling this story to. Even we in the church get lost sometimes. Jesus wants us to rethink what it means to be lost and found. Jesus is telling these parables of lost and found to the pharisees and religious authorities who were convinced that they were the ones found, and that everyone else was lost. Jesus wanted them to know – that all are valuable in the eyes of God. Which Color Would You Be? Ralph Milton tells of the teacher who, for reasons of her own, asked the kids one day, "If all the bad children were painted red and all the good children were painted green, which color would you be?" Think about it. What color would you be? Red or Green? It is a tough question isn't it when you pose only two options. One very wise child answered the teacher: "Striped" The reason I am going on about this point is simple. It seems to me that in the frame of the story - everyone but Jesus is striped. It is the same in the world today. We are a curious combination of the lost and the found. We are striped. We are, in some sense, not completely complete. It is hard language, this language of lost and found, especially for folks in the middle, as most of us are most of the time. It seems too absolute. Rarely are we completely lost. And rarely are we completely found. There is always a part of us that needs to be dragged and cajoled into the light, and there is always a part of us that is already there in the light. For some it is more and for some it is less, but always some part. The wonderful thing is - that God wants us to enter fully into the light. The wonderful thing is that God wants to bless us all richly to keep us safe, to make us strong, to help us be like a Shepherd who really cares for his sheep, or like a poor widow who really values all her coins. Richard Fairchild, Seeking the Lost I know that I have told this story before. As a matter of fact, I preached a similar sermon in 2019. Not everyone was here at that time. But I also think that sometimes it is a good idea for us to hear the same sermon again. Afterall, we can’t think about God’s grace in our lives too many times. When I went to visit the Vatican, I took a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica. Even though it is the center of the Catholic Church, there is also a worshipping congregation in the building. The sanctuary as you can imagine is huge and has a lot of history. I don’t remember all of the technical terms of the parts of the sanctuary. I think it is over the altar, there are these four huge post in a square with a dome over it. I want to say there is a fence the connects the post, and there is a opening in the front for one person to come and kneel and pray. As each of us kneeled in that open space, the tour guide encouraged us to look at the fence and to notice that there were 99 candles on the fence surrounding us. The 99 candles represented the sheep in this story who were found, and as we kneeled next to the candles, we were the hundredth sheep that the shepherd has found – welcome home. At some point in each of our lives – Jesus says to each of us – welcome home. I have been looking for you all of this time, I am so glad that you returned to the fold. We are all sinners, Jesus welcomes us all home. Create Him Not The love of God is indescribable but a old Jewish legend does a pretty good job. It describes what happened when God created man. The legend says God took into counsel the Angels that stood about his throne. The Angel of Justice said; 'Create him not … for if you do he will commit all kinds of wickedness against his fellow man; he will be hard and cruel and dishonest and unrighteous.' The Angel of Truth said, 'Create him not … for he will be false and deceitful to his brother and even to Thee.' The Angel of Holiness stood and said; 'Create him not … he will follow that which is impure in your sight, and dishonor you to your face.' Then stepped forward the Angel of Mercy, God's most beloved, angel, and said; 'Create him, our Heavenly Father, for when he sins and turns from the path of right and truth and holiness I will take him tenderly by the hand, and speak loving words to him, and then lead him back to you.' Brett Blair, Sermons.com There is just one more thing that I want to point out about this story of being lost and being found. First of all the first two stories, of the sheep and the coin, neither intentionally ran away, and neither of them did anything to get found. Jesus did all of the work. But the other thing in common in all of these stories is that these were not lone items. The shepherd had 99 other sheep, he could have done without the 100th one. The woman has 11 other coins, if she lost one she would not have been totally broke. Even the father has two sons, one who was very faithful. But they could not deal with the emptiness of losing something. The Paradox of Christian Life There's a strange paradox about the Christian life. Often, it's more about being lost than found. It's more about feeling incomplete than whole. It's more about feeling excluded than included, because many of us live in those places most of the time. • These stories are about sin and repentance, righteous and sinner, and grumbling and rejoicing. Who is the one that needs to be found? It seems as if the tax collectors and sinners have already found Jesus. They have done so, and are still considered on the outside. It seems as if it is the ‘righteous’ that actually need to be found. Is it possible to be righteous and still need to be found? David Lose asks: o Might the parents who want their children to succeed so much that they wrap their whole lives around hockey games and dance recitals be lost? o Might the career minded man or woman who has made moving up the ladder the one and only priority be lost? o Might the folks who work jobs they hate just to give their family things they never had be lost? o Might the senior who has a great pension plan but little sense of meaning since retirement be lost? o Might the teen who works so hard to be perfect and who is willing to do just about anything to fit in be lost? o Might the earnest Christian who is constantly asking whether people have accepted Jesus into their hearts be lost? But that's why we need redemption. That's why conversion is at the heart of who we are, because we all get lost in the desert, even when we're part of the fold. And we all need someone out there, willing to go looking for us. We're always in the process of trying to turn back, to find our way home again. And it's a struggle. But it's a joyful struggle, because repentance is a joyous activity. It's the endless way that we turn back toward the truth and wholeness. How great is that? And life becomes this process of shouldering one another, of walking each other home. And sometimes we're the carrier, and sometimes we're being carried. But all the time, it's a movement toward wholeness, toward being included again, toward being under one roof again. A sheep. A coin. Two sons. Us. And what joy at being found. Edward Beck, The Joy of Being Lost and Found Finding that one, made the situation whole and complete. That missing son coming home meant that they could be family again. We are found in the spirit of God – God is happy, but we are whole and complete. And that is ultimately all that God wants for us – is wholeness in mind, body and spirit and even in the community of the church. Jesus has given us a lesson of what it means to be lost and what it means to be found, a lesson of being sinful and finding repentance, of celebrating and of grumbling. After each instance of finding what was lost, there was a celebration. The owner called everyone they knew and had a big party. I am probably not going to call you all if I find my credit card, but we all should celebrate when a new person finds salvation. Whenever someone seeks God, or wants to get closer to God – we should rejoice. These stories encourage us to see others as God sees them, join in the search for new people, and to celebrate grace every time that we can. Conclusion Luke 15 reminds us: God doesn’t settle for ninety-nine. God doesn’t shrug at one missing coin. God’s love is personal, persistent, and joyful. And here’s the good news: you are that sheep. You are that coin. And so is your neighbor. So is the person you’re tempted to give up on. Heaven rejoices when the lost are found. May we rejoice, too. Amen. Song Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling 348 Prayers of the People (Don’t Print) Holy One who creates, liberates and loves, we are your creation. You have set us free, and you have sought us out with love. Trusting in your character, hoping in your memory, and believing in the movement of your Spirit, we ask that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Open your ears to your creation, to your people, to your children, who you have called, who you have rescued, who you love and who now bow p2before you and open the contents of our hearts to you in prayer. (Depending on the culture of the congregation, either hold an extend- ed period for silent prayer or offer a time for the congregation to share prayers aloud.) God, who seeks us, who offers us grace, and who celebrates our pres- ence, hear us as we join together in prayer using the words Jesus taught his disciples, “Our Father…”. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment In Luke’s gospel, we hear Jesus tell two parables of finding what’s lost: the lost sheep and the lost coin. In both, people rejoice when the lost is found. A found sheep and a recovered/found coin call for sharing JOY! About 14 years ago, an 11-year-old Southern California girl, Jessie Rees, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Instead of focusing on her own struggles, Jessie began to share toys with other children with cancer. Jessie’s middle name, Joy, gave her the idea of naming this effort “JOY JARS,” which she personally packed and delivered while she was able. Since that time, her family has created a foundation which continues to pack and share JOY Jars to honor Jessie’s life and her vigorous desire to care for other children by challenging them to “Never Ever Give Up (NEGU).” Jessie discovered her own short life took on greater meaning when she was able to help others by sharing her joy. Her family now has continued that with over 500,000 jars sent around the world. Sounds like that shepherd with 100 sheep! Sounds like that woman with 10 coins! Sounds like what Jesus continues to teach us. How will you share your joy today as we offer our morning gifts? (Is there someone in your congregation who can share their own “lost & found” story of joy? Invite them to offer that in a 2 minute form!) Prayer of Thanksgiving Giver of all good gifts, we offer these symbols of our daily living to the glory of your name: gifts of our hands, our hearts, our hope! Use them. Use us as true disciples of Christ, Christians who are known by our love. AMEN. (Disciple of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Sending for Prayer Sending Prayer foe Face We have been found by our God, so now we will go to search for those forgotten by the world. We have been welcomed by Jesus, so now we will go to embrace the ones people look down their noses at. We have been gathered as a community by the Spirit, so now we will go to be a family to the people who long to draw near to hope. (c) Thom M. Shuman Community Time Benediction May God bless you with the clarity to recognize the world as it is, the hope to dream God’s dream together, and the power to make God’s dream a reality here and now. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, April 2025. Additional Illustrations

The Last Prophecy

Malachi 3:1-4 The Last Prophecy 2nd Sunday of Advent Year C Prelude Greeting Lighting of the Advent Candle Reader One: The prophet Malachi calls us to watch for the messenger God will send us, a messenger who burns with a passion for God’s coming salvation. “For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness” (Malachi 3:2b-3). Congregation: In a world driven by a passion to maintain the status quo, we choose to live with a passion for God’s peace, to listen to those who call us to righteousness, and to submit ourselves to God’s grace, that we might be refined and purified until we reflect God’s love throughout the earth. Reader Two: We light this candle of peace as a sign of our commitment to passionately pursue the work of making peace in our hearts, our families, our communities, and throughout the earth until God’s kin-dom comes on earth as it is in heaven. Light the second candle of the Advent wreath. (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Call to Worship Children of God, prepare the way! The Word of God is coming! We come to listen and receive God’s Word among us. Children of God, the prophets call to us now and from generations past, urging us to prepare and refine our hearts for the coming of the Word of God. Are you listening? We come to listen and prepare to receive God’s Word among us. Children of God, this is the mark of our preparation: that passion for God’s Word would burn within us, cleansing us and renewing us to reflect God’s love throughout the world. May God ignite our passion for God’s Word that has come among us as we listen, prepare, and receive all that God has for us today. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, June 2024. Opening Prayer Compassionate God, greet us with your grace this day, for we need you. We cannot save ourselves. Though we may be frantic with activity, our efforts do not yield peace, peace as you can give. Today we would be quiet enough to hear your voice. Today we would be still enough to feel your touch. Help us to find that place where we can receive as well as give, wait as well as act, and listen as well as speak. Our whole world needs your peace. Let us come before you and learn your ways, laying down our weapons and feeding the hungry. Come to us now, through Jesus the Christ. Amen. Written by Ruth C. Duck in Touch Holiness: Resources for Worship, Updated(Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2012), 5. For use in worship, using the following attribution: Reprinted by permission of the publisher from Touch Holiness, ed. Ruth C. Duck and Maren C. Tirabassi. Copyright © 1990 by The Pilgrim Press. Song Angels from the Realms of Glory UMH 220 A Sermon for all ages Each of us is holding a copy of the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word to us. The Bible is true. The Bible teaches us about God’s promises and plans for all men, women, boys and girls. Everything that God says He is going to do is going to happen. As we have studied God’s Word together we have had opportunities to see how God made promises to His people and how He has kept His promises. We have seen how God promised His people that if they would repent and turn away from their sin and turn back to Him, He would forgive them (Joel 2:13). God loves His people and will never stop loving them. Because He loves them He has to punish their sin. The Jewish people ignored the prophets God sent to warn them to turn away from their sin. God kept His word and punished them by sending them to Babylon for 70 years to be prisoners (Jeremiah 25:11). After 70 years God kept His promise to let His people return to Jerusalem. God sent prophets to encourage the Jewish people who returned to their city that was destroyed. He sent prophets like Haggai and Zechariah to remind His people that the Messiah would come and they would finally live peacefully with God’s blessings. God used Ezra and Nehemiah to help rebuild the temple and the walls. Today we are going to be studying Malachi the last minor prophet in the Old Testament. Let’s open our Bibles and find the Book of Malachi. The name Malachi means “my messenger”. God had a message for His people. Malachi reminded the people that God loved them. 1. What does Malachi’s name mean? (My messenger) 2. What did Malachi remind God’s people? (He loved them) 3. Why was God disappointed with His people? (They weren’t bringing the best offerings, the priests were not teaching the people to live according to God’s truth, they were robbing God and they said it was useless to serve God) 4. What kind of offering did God require the people to bring for a sacrifice? (An animal that wasn’t sick or injured, one without blemish) 5. What is the Day of the Lord? (The day God will punish all the wickedness on the earth) 6. How long was God silent after Malachi gave His message? (400 years) 7. What change do you need to make in your life to give God your very best? (Ministry to Children, Kelly Henderson) PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of Grace, you blow the breath of life into our lungs, you have formed us in your image. And yet we acknowledge that sometimes we are not who you would have us be. You challenge us to embrace the refining fire of your love, to meet you on the threshing floor of life, to be washed as with fuller's soap. But in our heart of hearts we would rather keep those things that would be removed in such an encounter. Through your Grace, life-giving God, accept us as we are, Unrefined, unwashed, the chaff mixed in with the grain. And help us to move into a new way of being ...time of silence... Listen! For this is Good News! God's Grace is wider than our wildest imaginings. God's Grace embraces us as we are and where we are and draws us out to be the people we were created to be. Thanks be to God! Amen. Written by Rev. Gord Waldie on his blog, Worship Offerings. http://worshipofferings.blogspot.ca/. Re-posted on the re:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/08/prayer-for-grace-malachi-3-1-4.html. Scripture Malachi 3:1-4 Sermon The Last Prophecy The major themes of the advent season are prophecy and promise. In the 4 weeks before Christmas we look at the ancient promises that God made to the people of the world. And we follow along with how those promises and prophecies have played themselves out in modern times. Malachi is the last prophecy of the Hebrew Bible. It is believed that Malachi was the prophet Ezra – he convinced the Hebrews to purify themselves and to rebuild the temple so that they would have a place to come and worship God. The Hebrew bible never really says why – but it seems that after the words of Malachi – God slowed down in sending God’s words through prophets. There are 400 years between the end of the book of Malachi and the beginning of the book of Matthew- the New Testament begins in prophecy. In the new testament, we hear confirmation that all that the prophets said was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. There are several places where the new testament says that God will not send any more prophets to the world. To be fair, the muslims do consider Jesus to be a prophet, but they say that Muhammad was the last prophet that God sent to the world. Either way, it is significant for us that as the age of prophecy ends, the age of fulfillment begins. The Holy Spirit speaks to us in a brand new way, the spirit works in the hearts of the righteous, in the life of Jesus Christ and in the words of scripture. It is interesting, that the last big question of the last Hebrew prophecy is still a question for today. Where is the God of justice? For some reason it seems like evil prevails. Crooked people seem to get aways with anything now. It seems like we live in a world where there are no rules, no respect, no need to do the right thing. Malachi is a series of conversations between God, God’s messenger, and God’s people. In our scripture, the message to us is two fold or may even three fold – first, don’t worry, justice is coming. God sees what is going on in the world. God does not have a police force to enforce righteousness, but God knows what is going on and who is doing it. The presence of God came to us in the life of Jesus Christ. - Second we need to prepare ourselves for the coming of justice in the world. It is easy for us to expect justice for other people. But God’s justice is for us all. Instead of focusing on what others are doing wrong, we need to focus on our own lives. When justice comes into the world permantly, how will that affect our own actions. - Third we have to be careful what we ask for. In order for the world to heal, it will be painful. God’s justice will be painful, but it will be in our own best interest. Sort of like old school medical cures. Today, medicine is sugar coated. They do everything to make medical cures comfortable. That was not so in the olden days. I used to hate to come down with a cold, because my mother would make me drink nasty cod liver oil. And as a child, it was never a good day when my mother would pull out the mercurochrome to put on a scape or sore. That stuff would burn and hurt so much more than the original wound. And yet supposedly, it bought about healing. The day they took that stuff off of the market was a good day. And yet that is a good image of what God’s justice is like. Malachi says that it is like a refiners fire – it will burn, but it will make you a better person. Justice leads to repentance, and repentance leads to forgiveness, grace and peace. Justice is coming, but it will affect us all. With God’s judgement better days are coming. If you thought that 400 years was a long time to wait for the biblical story to continue with the birth of Jesus, imagine to 2024 years since Jesus’ birth that we are waiting for Jesus to return. When we look at the news it is easy to believe that the spirit of God is not around. It seems that things have gotten out of hand. Even I ask God, if God is all powerful and has control of all of life, why does God allow the things in the world to go on? When will Jesus return and end all of this craziness? When will justice prevail? When will the prophecy be fulfilled? Experiment of couples juggling too much There was as advent experiment – where couples were asked to stand on stage and to literally juggle some important symbols of life – 10 couples were given a wedding ring, a soccer ball, a tablet computer, a crystal vase, a cup and a saucer, and a cross. As you can imagine, as the couples lined up and started juggling, you could hear broken glass, and bouncing balls everywhere. Every couple dropped these symbols as they tried to juggle them all at one time. That is the sound of the beginning of advent – the sound of chaos and broken glass. The sound of God shaken up our symbols, our priorities, our beliefs, our hopes and our dreams. But there was one couple that did not drop the things that they were juggling. They realized that they couldn’t keep everything in the air – so they took some time to prioritize what was most important to them – their faith – the cross, their children – the doll, and the wedding ring. Everything else had to be put aside. Most of the things that come to us that shake us – is God’s way of telling us that we cant have everything, we cant do everything, we cant be everywhere – so we have to be forced to pick what is really important to us – and focus just on those things, and let everything else fall to the ground and breaking. Being shaken up is a sign of God’s love. It is a sign that God plan for salvation is working full speed ahead. On the second Sunday of Advent – that is what the world sounds like – chaos, confusion, and wanting of a sense of justice. If 400 years is a long time, 2024 is so much longer. Advent starts with us wating for Jesus to return. When will that be? The New Testament prophecy sais that there is no way of us every to know. Remember the words of Malachi – the day is coming – so now we wait, we prepare, we open our hearts. God’s justice will affect all of the world. God’s peace will benefit us all as well. The coming of Christ is a moment for everyone to rejoice. Did you know that some of the most popular Christmas songs were actually written by Jewish people? These songs include: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Let is Snow, The Christmas song, It is the most wonderful time of the year, Santa Baby, Silver Bells, Winter Wonderland. There are many others. Perhaps it is just a matter of making money for them, perhaps they understand what it means to wait for the messiah, Perhaps God’s vision of a world where justice prevails and we all chose to live as righteous people is the fulfillment of a promise made to all of humankind, regardless of our religion or creed. This advent, remember that even in the midst of silence God still speaks. We can find peace, in a world where the unjust prevail. Let us pray…….. Song All the Earth is Waiting UMH 210 Pastoral Prayer Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment In Advent and during the Christmas season stories are often told of people eager to offer something to the baby Jesus. The story of the poinsettia comes from Mexico, focusing on two young children, so poor they picked weeds on the side of the path they walked to church. When they arrived to offer their weedy gift, they found the weeds blossomed into brilliant red when they laid them at the manger bed. The classic story of “The Other Wise Man” by Henry Van Dyke details the travels of Artaban, who wanted to join the wise men following the star. He had several gifts when he began his journey. Side-tracked when he used a gift to help a dying man, Artaban finally got to Bethlehem, only to discover Jesus and his family had left for Egypt. Artaban traveled for 33 years, searching for Jesus until he finally comes to Jerusalem, where his last gift is used to redeem a woman who was up for sale as a slave. What story might be told because of the gifts you bring to offer to the Redeemer today? Let us share our gifts with joy. Prayer of Thanksgiving With grateful hearts, O God, we bring our gifts and ourselves to offer our lives back to you. Thank you for redeeming us. Thank you for claiming us as your own beloved children. Accept this offering. Help us put it and ourselves to use this week, that we might share the Good News of your peace with the world. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May the Spirit of Light, The Christ of Love, And the God of Joy Infuse our souls with peace and a song of thanksgiving As we seek the presence of God in our world. Community Time Joys and Concerns (United Church of Christ Worship Ways) Benediction Go, now, blessed with a passion that refines, molds, and shapes each of our hearts to reflect God’s glorious love that transforms despair into hope, violence into peace, and distress into flourishing. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, June 2024. Postlude

Following Jesus into the Water

January 8, 2023 Matthew 3:13-17 Baptism of the Lord Following Jesus into the Water Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship L: In the very beginning, God separated the darkness and the light. God called the Light "Day" and the Darkness, God called "Night". P: We were once people who dwelled in darkness, but God has given us the true Light, Jesus Christ. L: God has blessed us and adopted us as God’s own beloved children, through the sacrament of Baptism. P: The water of baptism brings to us healing and reconciliation; it is a symbol of nourishment and cleansing. L: This day is the day of the remembrance of Jesus’ Baptism. P: As we hear the words of his baptism, let us be reminded of our own adoption by God and celebrate the joyous connection to the Almighty God. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Invocation Voice, Body, and Spirit, You make your presence among us. We receive your love and affirmation. We cherish your guidance and direction. We follow your path and example. Remind us of our connection to you and your covenantal relationship with us. Wash us in the baptized life for renewal and revitalization. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsey) Song Fairest Lord Jesus UMH 189 Children’s Sermon Greet the children, and ask a few questions… Hello, children of God! Do you see what I have here? What is this? (Hold up a glass, pitcher, or bottle of water.) That’s right, this is water! Now, what does water do? What can we do with water? (Encourage kids to come up with a variety of water uses, such as drinking, swimming, cooking, and bathing.) So water is powerful and important stuff. And did you know that your body is made up largely of water? That’s why it is essential that you drink it and stay hydrated. But water also makes me think of baptism. Do you know what baptism is?? Baptism helps us remember that God has saved us and washed our sins away! Some people do baptism in different ways… some sprinkle water onto people (feel free to demonstrate with a small toy and your water); some people dip all the way into the water; some baptize people when they are little babies; some when they are older…there are a lot of ways to do it. But it is a wonderful and important thing to be baptized because it shows us that we are new in Christ! We are born sinful, and will likely do a lot of bad things in our lives, whether we mean to or not. But we can rest assured that God will forgive us. He sent Jesus to take our place and die so that we can live with God. He loves us no matter what we do! And did you know that Jesus was baptized, too? Now, that might seem strange, because we know that Jesus never sinned…so why would He need to be baptized? Well, John asked that same question. Remember John, the camel hair-wearing, locust-eating guy? He baptized people in a river. Jesus came to him one day asking to be baptized, and John tried to send Him away. But Jesus insisted, saying He needed to do it. This lets us know that baptism is a blessing and a great thing. And when Jesus was baptized, something remarkable happened. Heaven opened up, and the Holy Spirit came down like a dove (hold picture of dove or toy), and the voice of God was heard, saying “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.” So all parts of the Trinity were present at once. And God was announcing who Jesus was, His beloved Son. We can take heart that Jesus was and is who He proclaimed. That is a comforting reminder. He lived and died so that we might have eternal life, and be made clean and new in Him. This is something that we should help us to live joyfully every day. We are made in God’s image and we can live in His presence. We were sinful, but can be cleansed in Christ. So the next time you wash your hands or take a bath, remember how God has washed away our sins. Why don’t we Thank Him for that right now? Children’s Prayer Moment (Have kids repeat each line) Dear God, Thank you for baptism Thank you for washing our sins and making us clean Help us remember that, and live in your presence Thank you for your son Jesus Thank you for your love We love you, God! In Jesus’s name, Amen! By Kristin Schmidt Affirmation of Faith One: Do you believe in the One of Many Names, God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit? Many: We believe in the God of Many Names. One: Do you reject the powers of oppression in this world, the systems that marginalize and degrade human beings and communities created by God, and the norms of the world at odds with the way of the kindom? Many: We do, with the help of God. One: Do you embrace grace as God’s gift, to be freely given and freely received? Many: We do, with the help of God. One: Do you recommit to the covenantal and baptized life, the cost and joy of discipleship, and the community of belonging as a member of the Body of Christ? Many: We do, with the help of God. Through baptism we enter the covenant God has established. Within this covenant God gives us new life, guards us from evil, and nurtures us in love. In embracing that covenant, we choose whom we will serve, by turning from evil and turning to Jesus Christ. (from the Second National Meeting of United Church of Christ Women and the Book of Common Worship) Remember your baptism Scripture Matthew 3:13-17 Sermon Following Jesus into the Water Water plays an important part in our lives. We would die in about a week if we were not able to have food or water. But if you have water then you can live about 2 or 3 months. Water is also an important part of our weather. The presence of water can also affect our moods. Perhaps that is why we say things like I am under the water, or deluged with stress. We are all washed up, or caught in the undertow. How often do we have a sinking feeling in our guts, or sometimes we need to come up for air. Everyone can relate to the presence of water and the effect that it can have on our life or death. Water is also an important part of our faith. That is why today we are remembering our baptism. Every Christian denomination has a concept of baptism. Now we don’t all agree on how to baptize, or when to baptize, or even what baptism means. Some sprinkle, some dunk, some baptize babies, others only professing adults. But in some form we all do it. Quakers and the Salvation Army don’t perform baptisms, but they do understand the importance of baptism. Saved Twelve Times Garrison Keillor tells the story of Larry the Sad Boy. Larry the Sad Boy was saved twelve times, which is an all-time record in the Lutheran Church. In the Lutheran Church there is no altar call, no organist playing "Just As I Am," and no minister with shiny hair manipulating the congregation. These are Lutherans, and they repent the same way that they sin -- discreetly and tastefully. Keillor writes, "Granted, we're born in original sin and are worthless and vile, but twelve conversions is too many. God didn't mean us to feel guilty all our lives. There comes a point when you should dry your tears and join the building committee and start grappling with the problems of the church furnace and the church roof and make church coffee and be of use." William B. Kincaid, III And Then Came the Angel, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. _____________________ Perhaps it was not the fault of the sad boy that he was baptized 12 times. In the Methodist church, we don’t baptize people who have already been baptized. God doesn’t make mistakes. So whatever the circumstances, it is not necessary to rebaptize, because God was present the first time. The spirit of God was present in the water. When we look in the Bible, Jesus does not help us as Christians to come together in the meaning of baptism. Jesus never baptized anyone. Ironically however, the one thing that all gospel accounts agree on is that Jesus was himself baptized by his cousin John the Baptist. If Jesus is the Son of God, why would be seek out John the Baptist? If Jesus never sinned, then why would he come to repent? Some scholars believe that Jesus sought to be one of John the Baptist’ disciples. Baptism would have been his way of saying that he was a follower. Some scholars think that Jesus being baptized by John was an embarrassment that they can not explain away. In Matthew’s story- even John the Baptist asks Jesus what is going on. This is chapter 3 of the book of Matthew. In chapter 1 we learn about Jesus family. In Chapter 2 he is a baby and the wise men come to find him. By chapter 3 Jesus is 30 years old and speaks for the first time. Jesus tells John the Baptist that his baptism is necessary in order to fulfill all righteousness. What does that mean? The word righteous appears in Matthew 7 times – and each instance has a different meaning. Righteous means to do God’s will. Perhaps he meant that he had to do God’s will. Or perhaps he was saying that the worlds of the old testament had to be fulfilled in his life. By the grace of God, during my sojourn at seminary, I was assigned by one of my professors (although I didn’t consider it a blessing at the time) to read and report on a little book by a German theologian named Oscar Cullmann. The book was entitled Baptism in the New Testament. Now, the writings of German theologians quite often are difficult for me to understand, sometimes because of linguistic problems in the translation, and sometimes just because their logic escapes me. Not so in this circumstance. This little book was a Godsend. In it, Dr. Cullmann not only acknowledges the difficulty in understanding why Jesus submitted to a baptism of repentance. He also offers a simple explanation for it, one that had for some reason eluded me. I had dived deeply into the pool of the intellect searching for an answer that was floating in plain view on the surface. Cullmann says, "It was not a baptism of repentance for HIS sin; it was a baptism of repentance for MY sin, and yours. Just as Jesus died on the cross, not for his own sin, but for yours and mine, so also was he baptized in solidarity with, and on behalf of, you and me." By this act of going to John to be baptized, by this act of joining people who were acknowledging that their lives were totally messed up and empty and uncertain and in need of a fresh start, Jesus publicly demonstrated the meaning of Emmanuel. God is with us; God has come to us; God has joined us in this world, in our human condition, in our human predicament. God understands! God knows what life and death are really like for you and me! Johnny Dean, www.Sermons.com Perhaps Jesus knew that through baptism he was connected to God and to all of us at the same time. Through baptism we can be connected to God and to one another. Perhaps righteousness is fulfilled through all of us. Baptism is the foundation of our faith, it is who we are and what we do. Jesus did if for us and with us. Jesus was the son of God, but he was also a human. He was seeking meaning, and guidance. HE Found it, in the voice of a dove – saying This is my beloved Son. Matthew’s story about the dove is unique. The spirit of God says this is my beloved son. – The spirit speaks not just to Jesus – but to all of us. It tells us that we have found the messiah. When we follow Jesus into the waters – we find our meaning too. Welcome To a Journey The story is told of a pastor's words to a baby shortly after he had baptized her. No doubt, the minister was speaking as much to the congregation as to the infant. "Little sister, by this act of baptism, we welcome you to a journey that will take your whole life. This isn't the end. It's the beginning of God's experiment with your life. What God will make of you, we know not. Where God will take you, surprise you, we cannot say. This we do know and this we say -- God is with you." And God will be with us as we live out our baptism. William B. Kincaid, III, And then Came the Angel, CSS Publishing Company We are all God’s children – connected and called into service. Remember your baptism and be thankful. Amen. Song Spirit Song UMH 347 Pastoral Prayer – (if you don’t have room, leave the words to prayer out) Creator God, when everything first began, water became a symbol of refreshing, of washing away, of renewing. Through the waters of creation you brought forth abundant life. We have gathered this day to remember Jesus’ baptism, how your Spirit proclaimed that He was your beloved Son in whom you were very well pleased. Our spirits resound with that proclamation. In His baptism, Jesus’ ministry was initiated. He dedicated his life to you completely and without reservation. Help us to dedicate our lives to you, to offer our best for you, to be of service to you by serving in your world. As we have lifted before you the names of people near and dear to us who need your healing touch and your tender mercies, we have also lifted ourselves up as people in need of your grace. In our world there is war, oppression, hunger, and alienation. We have not been good stewards of the world. We have not cared for one another. Heal us and this world, Lord. Renew us with your life-giving waters and re-affirm our baptisms as your children. Let us go forth to be people of peace and mercy. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment In the book of Acts, Peter meets up with Cornelius, shares the Gospel with him, and sees how God pours out the Spirit on Cornelius. Changed lives for BOTH Cornelius and Peter! Not everyone has such a monumental story of coming into faith in Jesus as the Christ, but we all have been given opportunities to receive God’s loving kindness, forgiveness, and invitation to follow Jesus. For all of us who are baptized, today is a reminder of the power of dying with Christ and being raised up to new life. As we begin this new calendar year, today is a great day to respond to this Good News with a firm commitment to share our time, our talent and our treasure. In grateful answer to God’s love-poured-out, let’s present our gifts. Prayer of Thanksgiving God of all good gifts, thank you for the gift of baptism which marks us for life here and life eternal. Please accept our offerings as signs of our love for you and our desire to share Good News with all who are eager to claim new life. AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Prayer for the Baptized Voice, Body, Spirit, we give thanks for the gathering of your people into a beloved community of belonging. By our baptism, we accept the invitation to public and faithful witness to the ministry of Jesus Christ in the world and to be instruments to that work. May we live the baptized life in the Spirit as caring companions of one another, with accountability, support, and grace. Shelter us in your love, nourish us in your truth, and uphold us in your word. May it be so. Amen. (United Church of Christ, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsey) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Beloveds, remember your baptism. Go from here with the confidence that God sees you, that God calls you, that God delights in you. In you, God is well pleased. In this confidence, let us open hearts to the Spirit that we may work together, with the Holy Spirit, to bring compassionate justice in every aspect of our lives. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Rose Schrott Taylor) Community Time Benediction Go forth joyfully. God is with you. Bring peace and hope to all you meet. And may God’s eternal love shine through you always. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations Jesus' Consecration Some years ago, a Scottish minister told his congregation about dreaming he had died. When he came to the pearly gates, to his dismay, he would be denied entrance until he presented his credentials. Proudly the Pastor articulated the number of sermons preached and the prominent pulpits occupied. But Saint Peter said no one had heard them in heaven. The discouraged servant enumerated his community involvement. He was told they were not recorded. Sorrowfully, the pastor turned to leave, when Peter said, "Stay a moment, and tell me, are you the man who fed the sparrows?" "Yes," the Scotsman replied, "but what does that have to do with it?" "Come in," said Saint Peter, "the Master of the sparrows wants to thank you." Here is the pertinent, though often overlooked, point: great and prominent positions indicate skill and capacity, but small services suggest the depth of one's consecration. And so it is with Jesus' Baptism. He submits to John's baptism of repentance even though he himself was perfect and had no need to repent. Jesus identified with our sins by being baptized. He joined in the popular movement of his day. It was a grass roots movement started by a desert monk named John the Baptist. John was calling for the repentance of Israel. Jesus chose to be baptized because he wanted to participate with the people in their desires to be close to God. Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com. Adapted from G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching, Nashville: Broadman, p. 241. We Draw the Circle Too Small Roy Lloyd, a Lutheran minister, once interviewed Mother Teresa. He said that one of his questions and one of her answers stands out in his mind as "a bright sun burning in my mind." He asked her, "What's the biggest problem in the world today?" And she answered, without hesitation, "The biggest problem in the world today is that we draw the circle of our family too small. We need to draw it larger every day." With all that is evil and wrong in this world today it would be easy to answer that question with a hundred different events. That's what makes Mother Teresa's response so jilting. She is saying that the problem is not so much with the world as it is with us. We need to see more people as our neighbor than we are currently doing. I see Jesus doing this in his baptism. In his baptism he included us in his righteousness. He identified with humanity, with our need to be cleansed, and our need to be made pure. If you have been baptized you have been drawn, by Jesus' baptism, into the circle of God's family. Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com. The Puzzle Began to Fit About 2000 years ago (give or take a few) a small group of Jewish people, living under the tyranny of Roman rule, began to listen to the words of an itinerant preacher. They saw him reach out in love to the hurting people, the broken people, to comfort them and heal them. They heard him give radically new interpretations of the ancient Scripture. Then they watched in horror as he was arrested, tried on trumped-up charges, beaten, mocked, spat upon, and finally nailed to a cross to die between two thieves. They experienced the incredible pain of seeing him dead and buried on Friday, and the equally incredible joy of seeing him alive again on Sunday morning. They heard his promise that his spirit would remain with them all the days of their lives and beyond. And as they remembered what he had said and done, maybe they remembered the day of his baptism by John in the Jordan River. Maybe they remembered that a voice from heaven had declared, "This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And maybe the pieces of the puzzle began to fit a little better for them. Johnny Dean, www.Sermons.com The Restaurant in Downtown Jericho The way it happened in my mind is that he walked into this little restaurant in downtown Jericho, took a deep breath and hollered, "Repent!" Folks stopped eating mid-bite. It got so quiet you could hear the motor running in that tall machine over in the corner that kept slices of pie turning around behind the glass all day. Every eye in the place was on him, and that was what he was waiting for. He started talking, and shouting, and waving his arms, and every time someone would try to laugh at him and go back to their coconut cream pie, he would walk right over and slam a fist on their table, or just stand and stare at the pie eater until their appetite simply disappeared. All this without missing a beat of his sermon. And what a sermon it was. He started out, "Some of you folks are from around here, aren't you? Born and raised right here? Well, that don't count for one blasted thing in God's book. Your ancestral tree might take you all the way back to Abraham himself, but as far as God is concerned, that won't pay for that cup of coffee you got sitting in front of you." He went on for quite some time, made his way from one table to the next, even the big round one in the back where the Pharisees sat at their weekly noon-time alliance meeting. People couldn't help but smile when he walked around that big round table and called them all a bunch of hissing old women who couldn't spell salvation if they had a dictionary in their hands. Then he was done. He walked out of the door just as he had come in. Except on the way out he was not alone. Several from the restaurant walked out with him, and followed him straight to the river. From there on it was history. More and more people came, and more and more went back home to tell their friends they had better go, too. By the time they got there, the crowds were huge. At one point in his baptizing, John looked up to see who was next in line, and when he did he froze in his tracks. There standing before him was Jesus. He recognized him immediately. This is where the story gets a bit hard for me to follow. Jesus steps up to be baptized like everyone else, but John shakes his head and says, "How can I baptize you? You ought to be baptizing me." They debate that fact for a bit and John finally gives in and baptizes him. Then, as Jesus gets out of the water, the sky opens up just like it had French doors, and this dove flies down and lands on him. Then, to confuse me even more, a voice comes out of that same door and says, "This is my Son, who I love; with him I am well pleased." And the story is over. John B. Jamison, Time’s Up!, CSS Publishing Company ___________________________________

Children of Snakes

December 12, 2021 3rd Sunday of Advent Luke 3:7-18 Children of Snakes Year C Opening Song Welcome – Joy Sunday Call to Worship ( adapted from Zephaniah 3) 1. Gathered to worship God, we shout for joy! 2. (shout this out) REJOICE! 1. Why? Because when the day comes for true joy, we will have no more evil to fear. 2. When that time comes, God will exult with joy over us, renewing us in God’s own love. 1. When that time comes, God will gather us in, 2. restore our fortunes Everybody: and dance with shouts of joy! Opening Prayer (from Philippians and Luke) Mid-way through this Advent season, God, we do rejoice, anticipating the coming of the Christ! In the midst of preparations, we pause from our to-do lists, coming together to remember the foundation of our faith. In this worship hour, fill each of us – and all of us – with the joy of your presence. Reach into our minds, hearts and spirits. Inspire us to act out our faith each day. Bring us to repentance from our selfish ways, and inspire us to share with those in need of clothing, food, and honest relationships. AMEN Stewardship Moment When we’ve spent all this worship hour focused on joy, the serious challenge from John the Baptist seems out-of-line. Yet John comes in fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah’s demand that we “prepare the way of the Lord”! Many of us work, preparing for special events here at church, with our friends and family, in our neighborhood, at school and at our jobs. Food is purchased, invitations are sent, special music floods the air. But what of our inner preparation? We follow the people recorded in Luke’s Gospel, saying “what must we do?” John’s response becomes a steadfast reminder of the work we must do: 1) repent! (turn away from evil and toward God) 2) produce appropriate fruits in our lives 3) don’t rely on where we go to church, who is our minister, when we were baptized…but rely on caring for those in need (clothe those in need of clothing, feed the hungry) and being in right relationship with those we encounter. This is a great opportunity to respond. I invite you to dig deep, think clearly, and find ways you can offer significant gifts to support our _____________________ (whatever is your special Christmas offering) in addition to contributing to our general funds and year-end appeals. Let the feeling of expectancy fill you, as we look for the coming of the Christ, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire! Prayer of Thanksgiving All things come from you, Giver of Life. These gifts and offerings are symbols of our lives, given as signs of our desire to give you thanks. Please accept them. Help us put these resources to use in our community, and in our congregation, even as you inspire us to be merciful and generous each day of our lives. AMEN Prayer of Confession It is getting more and more difficult, Lord, for us to keep our attention on the holy things. Our lives are caught up in the planning, parties, gifts, and other such things. We get side-tracked too easily and exhausted, we fall into restless sleep. The cries of those in need abound and we are overwhelmed by the need. Too often we turn a deaf ear because we feel we just can't meet all the needs that are presented to us. Heal our hearts and spirits, Lord. Help us understand that you do not ask us to heal everything but rather to find a simple way in which we might lighten someone else's burden, as you have lightened our lives. You have brought hope and peace to us. Now cause us to rejoice in the wondrous things that you have done. Teach us to use our gifts for the common good, and that in helping, we find great and abundant joy. In Jesus' Name, we pray. AMEN. Words of Assurance The messenger has been sent to you, proclaiming that there is One who is Coming who will heal and lead you. Know that this is a great gift from God, who has always and will always love you. AMEN. Passing of the Peace Scripture Luke 3:7-18 Common English Bible 7 Then John said to the crowds who came to be baptized by him, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? 8 Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire.” 10 The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He replied, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.” 14 Soldiers asked, “What about us? What should we do?” He answered, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.” Responses to John 15 The people were filled with expectation, and everyone wondered whether John might be the Christ. 16 John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.” 18 With many other words John appealed to them, proclaiming good news to the people. Sermon Children of Snakes Okay, I have to confess that it has taken me 26 years to understand the scriptures of Advent. I know that we always learn about John the Baptist, Mary the mother of Jesus and Jesus. But I never quite got the connection, until preaching on Zechariah last week. John and Jesus are cousins, both are special babies who were appreciated and loved. John was the prophet, and Jesus was the promised messiah. Jesus has a profound respect for the ministry of John the Baptist. In a lot of ways he felt that he had to continue his cousin’s ministry. Advent is about prophecy – the fortelling of God’s presence. So our scriptures are more about John the Baptist then they are about Jesus. You Must Get Past John William Willimon, Chaplain at Duke University, says that John the Baptist reminds us of boundaries we must respect and gates we must pass through. At Duke, Willimon reminds the students, "If you are going to graduate, you must first get past the English Department. If you are going to practice law, you must pass the bar. If you want to get to medical school you must survive Organic Chemistry." Likewise, "If you want to get to the joy of Bethlehem in the presence of Jesus, you must get past John the Baptist in the desert." The word from John is "repent," which means "about-face" or turning 180 degrees. Richard A. Wing, Deep Joy for a Shallow World, CSS Publishing Company During advent, we see images of angels, stars, and even the manger everywhere. But you will never go into a store and see a display about John the Baptist. You will get all kinds of Christmas cards this season, but I can guarantee you that you will not get one with John the Baptist on it. There are many symbols of the prophecy foretold. But John message is not one that very many people really want to hear. In our scripture – when John gets older he is determined to go throughout the countryside telling people that the messiah was coming. He doesn’t do that by complimenting people. He calls them snakes in the grass. He talks to the leaders and the government officials telling them that the way they treat people is not right, and they need to do something different. He calls them into the wilderness and tells them it is time to get their lives together. Even John is surprised when they listen to him and ask what they must do to get right with God. John message is not just that God is coming, but that we all need to repent before God gets here. Taking Sin Seriously In John Steinbeck's story "The Wayward Bus" a dilapidated old bus takes a cross-country shortcut on its journey to Los Angeles, and gets stuck in the mud. While the drivers go for assistance, the passengers take refuge in a cave. It is a curious company of people and it is obvious that the author is attempting to get across the point that these people are lost spiritually as well as literally. As they enter into this cave, the author calls the readers’ attention to the fact that as they enter they must pass a word that has been scrawled with paint over the entrance. The word is repent. Although Steinbeck calls that to the reader’s attention it is interesting that none of the passengers pay any attention to it whatsoever. All too often this is our story. Yet, John the Baptist calls upon us to take our sinning seriously. Why? Because God does? Staff, www.Sermons.com Today, we are a lot like the crowd listening to John. We are nice people, we are Christians, we go to church, we do the right thing, we try at least. But no matter we are, we all get comfortable with our faith. After a while, we get comfortable with life. And we stop thinking about how are actions affect others. And the truth be told, our actions start to resemble more the world, then what is in the bible. Our actions become self serving and we just are not paying attention. Until John the Baptist reminds us that it is time to repent. That is why people were willing to travel 18 miles into the wilderness to listen to JB. They had just gotten to comfortable with life and had forgot their faith. They didn’t even mind when JB called them snakes in the grass. JB’s message is told every year – because we too need to be reminded that it is time to repent. There are people out there who are waiting to be reminded to get focused. Even today, people out there are still seeking the truth. They are searching for a word from God. They look forward to Christmas to hear from the church. We are good at telling them about the angels, the stars, but we don’t say anything about John the Baptist, the prophecy, the repentance. We too are searching for something different. In a lot of ways we too are facing the wilderness. I would say that the pandemic has been a wilderness experience for us all. We too have to be reminded to prepare ourselves for a big change in life. John reminds us that God does not have special people, and that even though we have the best of intentions, that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The people who need to be reminded of what it means to be the followers of God asks the question – what must I do to repent. It seems like common sense – But John says to repent. We have to be reminded that following jesus in not a priveliedge, but a never ending journey. John the Baptist was concerned about the politicians, the supervisors, those in charge. He wanted them to make good decisions and to hold god accountable in our decisions. Many of them asked what must they do to be saved – and the answer was simple – do what is right. Scripture says don’t take more that what you deserve, leave some for others, don’t make a profit off of others, and don’t threaten others, be satisfied with what you have. Christian Hope Had Changed His Life Some years ago a military airplane crashed at Sonderstrom Air Force Base in Greenland. Twenty-two people were killed. The runway and the nearby fields were strewn with bodies. It was a tragic and horrible moment. There was only one chaplain on the base at the time… and the entire burden was laid on him to bring comfort and the Word of Christ to a shocked community staggered by the horrendous accident. But there was little time to mourn that day. The grisly task of gathering up and identifying the bodies needed to be done. And so, the chaplain, along with a young lieutenant who had been assigned the duties of a mortuary officer and a group of volunteers went about the awful business of picking up the mutilated bodies and trying to identify the dead, so that their families and loved ones back home could be notified. It was a heart-breaking and exhausting task, but it had to be done. The people worked in shocked silence well into the night until they almost dropped from fatigue. When every last remnant of death had been picked up, they each went silently to their individual rooms. That night, after midnight, there was a knock on the chaplain’s door. Outside stood the young lieutenant, the Mortuary Officer. He said nothing. He just stood there and wept. After some moments, the young lieutenant spoke through his tears and he said to the chaplain, “As we were picking up the bodies today, I realized something. I realized that the only other people out there with us were the people who go to church here. I have always been an unbeliever, and I used to ridicule these same people who were out there with us. Yet they are the only persons who would, or perhaps could, do what we had to do today. It must have been their Christian spirit that could help them see beyond the horror to the hope.” That tragic day turned around the life of that young lieutenant. As he had admitted, he had never been religious, had seldom gone to church except for weddings and funerals, but from that time on he was a new man. Christ was born in his heart. From that time forward, he took an active part in the Christian ministry of that base. Then he did an unheard thing – he extended his tour of duty in Greenland for an extra year. He was the first person in the history of that base to do that. He did it because he wanted to be able to tell others the story of how the power of the Christian Hope had changed his life. If you want to give your loved ones a great Christmas present this year, give them the gift of Christian Hope. On page after page of the New Testament we find it: the Good News that God will win, that nothing can defeat Him; that ultimately God and goodness will have the victory and that when we put our hope in Him, nothing, not even death, can separate us from His watch care and His love and His triumph. Once each year, Christmas comes along to renew our hope and to remind us that the darkness of this world cannot overcome the light of the world. James W. Moore, Sermons.com Hope, Joy, Love and Peace – they all live together. Finally I leave you with a version of chapter 13 of Corinthians for the Christmas season….. 1 CORINTHIANS 13 – - A CHRISTMAS VERSION - By an unknown author If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love, I’m just another decorator. If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love, I’m just another cook. If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing. If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point. Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure. Hope, love, peace, joy all live together. This is the week of joy. Our joy comes in the presence of a messiah who will bring light to a dark life so that we all can live a better life. And it all starts with us – who are preparing for a messiah – by watching our actions and knowing that they make a difference in the world. In the midst of a pandemic word – may we all find joy. Not a giddy feeling, but a joy deeply connected to the reality of the world. Joy in the presence of God In this third week of advent, that is our focus on joy. Joy is not the absence of trouble, it is the presence of God in our lives. And more importantly the presence of god in our actions. And the realization that even for the most seasoned Christian, that there is a difference in what we do , when with god, then without God. We must never forget that we were made in the image of God, and not in the image of humans. Who we are should reflect God. Joy is what we are chosen for to serve god, and joy is what we have to give to others. The joy of being a child of god. Let us pray….. Pastoral Prayer "It's the most wonderful time of the year" - the music swirls toward our ears from countless speakers in stores, on the radio, on TV. But we aren't so sure about that. We have been so wrapped up in preparation for the "wonderful season" we can't seem to find the joy. So many people are in need. We have friends and family members who are suffering from illnesses, loss, alienation. We want them to be happy, but we can't make that happen. We bring the names to you, Lord, for your healing mercy and rest in the assurance of your loving presence with them. That is a comfort to us. But we also stand in need of your healing restoration. We are feeling depleted, discouraged, and exhausted. Slow us down, Lord. Help us to feel the joy of your love from the "inside out" and in every direction! Remind us that your gift of love is freely given to us so that we may be healed and be a blessing to someone else. Touch our hearts and spirits, so that your joy may spring from our lips and our lives. For we ask it in Jesus' Name. AMEN. Song What Child Is This UMH 219 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Dear Lord, Through the darkness, I look for your wisdom. I want my heart to be open to you. But sometimes in these days, it seems that so many things come between us. Help me to be awake and aware of the radiance you bring to my life. Help me to be grateful each day for the blessings of family and friends. Let me be a peacemaker in my own life, and in the world. Let me pray especially for this difficult world and those who are so in need of an end to violence. My heart begs for this as my Advent prayer today. Community Time Benediction God has indeed made us Glad; for God will send us a Savior who will teach us how to live joyfully, peacefully, hopefully. Rejoice people of God, for such is God's great love for us. Children’s Sermon Week 3: Joy Light the pink or rose colored candle in the Advent Wreath. Christmas is a joyful time for most children as it should be. The Bible talks a lot about joy and how Jesus being born was a joyful occasion. Talk to the children about how Christmas is a time of great joy. Ask them what makes them joyful at Christmas. There are other things that cause people to be joyful like the birth of a baby. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of a baby. But this baby was different than any other child. Jesus is the son of God, and He came to Earth to be our saviour. Because of this, He has brought joy to the world. You may want to have the children sing the song Joy To The World. Bible Story: For week three of advent, read Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:1-20. Tell the story of the visitors after Jesus was born. First talk about the angels who appeared to the shepherds and told them that a baby was born that would bring joy to the world. The shepherds went to see baby Jesus and were filled with joy. Some time later wise men arrived from the East. They had followed a star to Bethlehem and wanted to worship the new born king of kings. They were filled when great joy when the found Jesus and gave him gifts. Additional Illiustrations Blessed Are They Who Find Christmas… Blessed are they who find Christmas in the age-old story of a babe born in Bethlehem. To them a little child will always mean hope and promise to a troubled world. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the Christmas star. Their lives may ever reflect its beauty and light. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the joy of giving lovingly to others. They shall share the gladness and joy of the shepherds and wise men of old. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the fragrant greens, the cheerful holly and soft flicker of candles. To them shall come bright memories of love and happiness. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the happy music of Christmas time. They shall have a song of joy ever singing in their hearts. Blessed are they who find Christmas in the message of the Prince of Peace. They will ever strive to help him bring peace on earth, goodwill to men (author unknown). James T. Garrett, God’s Gift, CSS Publishing Company But here is a practical application. May our politicians will make decisions about guns that will prevent all of these shootings. But in the midst of tradgey, Mister rogers said that his mother always said look for the helpers, those who know that change come first with them. Change in the world comes with you and your repentence. Be one of those helpers….but I have even more faith in you. The brood of vipers And even John was surprised at the response that he got. Normal people in his life, people who disrespected him, who ignored him, who knowingly did what was wrong. There were many people who wanted to turn their lives around. Who wanted to live a life in relationship with God. You brood of snakes, how can you have to nerve to be saved. James Eckard makes an ethical decisions In the 70’s the Eckard drugstores were the biggest chain in the country. Eckard was not a Christian, but he had a Christian friend. He had no intention of living a Christian life, until one day he listened to his friend. He came to understand what God expected of him – he came to learn truly what was ethical behavior. And he realized that his drugstores were buying into the glamorous lifestyle of do what you want. People could come into the store and at the front counter buy penthouse and play boy magazines. He sold so many magazines that he was making 3 million dollars a year. But after he has stood by the waters and been cleanses by god - he decided that it was not right to sell the magazines. I love god enough to give up three million dollars. But it didn’t stop there – he called all of the other drugstores and convinced them to stop selling the magazines also. You cant go to the drugstore chains to buy inappropriate magazines anymore. That was the power of one man’s repentance. Through his repentance, doing what was right before god was more important than making money. In this advent season, John reminds us that the first step to preparing our hearts for salvation, is to stand on the waters of repentence, and to see our glory shining as God intended. In order for us to get to the joy of the season. We have to stand before God and take an honest toll of ourselves. Our sins, our vulnerabilities, our weaknesses. And turn them truly over to God. When we subject ourselves to god’s judgment, we also have to subject ourselves to God’s mercy. God’s strength to give us a better life. A heart changed by God is a heart that brings forth fruit. How does god need to change your heart- sometimes we don’t realize until we see our selves in the reflection of the waters of repentance. What does it mean to live in a way that is truly pleasing to God? You have to pass through repentance to get to salvation William Willimon, Chaplain at IDuke University, says that John the Baptist reminds us of boundaries we must respect and gates we must pass through. At Duke, Willimon reminds the students, "If you are going to graduate, you must first get past the English Department. If you are going to practice law, you must pass the bar. If you want to get to medical school you must survive Organic Chemistry." Likewise, "If you want to get to the joy of Bethlehem in the presence of Jesus, you must get past John the Baptist in the desert." The word from John is "repent," which means "about-face" or turning 180 degrees. Time to Act Once the eminent philosopher John Dewey found his son in the bathroom. The floor was flooded and he was mopping furiously trying to contain the water in that room, keeping the damage to a minimum. The professor began thinking, trying to understand the deeper ramifications of the situation. After a few moments, the son said, "Dad, this is not the time to philosophize. It is time to mop!" Baptism is our statement that we are ready to stop philosophizing and ready to start mopping. Zig Ziglar reminds us that the largest locomotive in the world can be held in its tracks while standing still simply by placing a single one-inch block of wood in front of each of the eight drive wheels. The same locomotive moving at 100 miles per hour can crash through a wall of steel reinforced concrete five feet thick, but it must be moving first. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.sermons.com