Remembering John

December 14, 2025 Third Sunday of Advent Matthew 11:2-11 Year A Remembering John Prelude Greetings Lighting the Advent Candle First Reader: In the midst of our waiting and longing for God to make the world right again, we cling to the truth that God has saved, God is saving, and God will save. So today, we join our voices with the prophet Isaiah, who calls us to live in the joy of the truth of God’s salvation. All: We choose to believe that the day is coming when “the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). Second Reader: We light this candle of joy as a sign of the Truth that sets us free to live in joy as we wait and work for the day when all creation will flourish together. Light the third candle (pink) of the Advent wreath. (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Call to Worship One: Rejoice! We’re halfway through this season of preparation! Many: Why is that important? One: We’re anticipating the coming of Jesus, celebrating because our lives can model the joy of connection to God’s Beloved, our Redeemer! Many: Isaiah proclaims, “Be strong! Fear not! God will come to save you!” One: As God’s people, we gather, sing, and drink in the gladness. Many: Today, we look for the signs. See how the land, the animals, and all God’s people celebrate God and the Holy Way which is coming! ALL: Let’s sing aloud! (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer Beloved, we come now seeking to recognize moments of delight when we feel connected to you. We bring our fragmented hearts filled with good cheer, gentle reverence, and utter amazement; we share our secret hopes, dependable comforts, and cozy moments of advent peace. Rise up within us as we cherish the divinity of all that is good. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Maria Mankin) Song Angels From the Realm of Glory UMH 220 A Sermon for all Ages So speaking of God moments when God comes to us in unexpected ways- I found this cool children’s time while doing my sermon research this week. I liked it, but it called for a bag of chocolate coins in foil. I decided that there was no way I would be able to find them by Sunday. But I went to the chamber of commerce Christmas party and what was on the table – lots of gold coins, the nobody wanted to take home. So I took that as my sign. There was a young man name Nicholas, who lived in the land of Myra. He loved Jesus with all of his heart, and he tried to do as much good as he could in life. Unfortunately at that time it was not safe to be a Christian. The emperor outlawed kind acts and put Nicholas in jail. Luckily there was another emperor, Constantine who loved Jesus as much as Nicholas. Not only did Constantine free Nicholas – he made him bishop of Myra. Now that Nicholas was free, he could continue doing good. There were three sisters who wanted to get married, but couldn’t pay the fees. Nicholas provided. When people were starving he have food. When people were poor, he gave money for basic needs. Nicholas sound familiar – Saint Nicholas – we know as Saint Nick. Nicholas is an example that we can follow this time of year. Give money, but doing acts of kindness – volunteering, helping each other, sending notes of love, eye out for ways to help others. Nicholas is our example then so it Jesus. Personal Testimony Scripture Matthew 11:2-11 Sermon Remembering John Think about how many of us have ordered something online and waited eagerly for it to arrive. You track the package. You imagine what it will look like. You expect it to come in a certain box, a certain size. Then it arrives—and at first glance, it looks wrong. The box is smaller than expected. Or dented. Or wrapped differently. For a moment, you wonder: Is this even what I ordered? It is not what you expected, and inevitably, your high expectations turn into disappointment. Well in some ways the bible is just like amazon, or in the olden days like a catalog company. The bible tells us of all of these wonderful stories of how God worked miracles, how people were rescued from danger, the bible even tells of all of these promises of people living in peace, a world where everyone has a chance to live in happiness and experience love. And then you listen to the news and hear of one more mass shooting where someone has been shot, or of elderly people being beaten and robbed in their own houses – and you are disappointing, God is not living up to what God promised. If only one person could come along and fix it – that person would be a savior, a messiah, or maybe even superman. You know, if you read the Hebrew bible, - this messiah is alluded to, but there is no set description of the messiah – because there was no set belief in someone coming to save the world. There were just a bunch of rumors and expectations of what this person would be when they came into the world. – by Jesus day, all of these expectations has grown. People were expecting the messiah to solve all of their problems. Matthew 11:2-11 is all about the expectations of a messiah in a world in desparate need of saving. In the interest of time I want to focus on just two lessons from this story. First, this story gives honor to the ministry of John the Baptist. We hear his story every advent. He was Jesus cousin, born six months before him. When Jesus disappeared from the scene for 30 years, John stayed with his people – gathering them at the water, helping them to take responsibility for their sin and turn their lives to God. Eventually John is imprisoned and killed for telling the truth to power. Only after John is killed does Jesus take over his ministry. In this story – Jesus visits John in prison. And John asks the question on all of our minds – are you the one or should we be looking for someone else. Why are you convinced the Jesus is the one? Imagine a friend coming up to you and asking – how can you be sure that Jesus is the one? What have you seen and felt in your own life that makes you so sure? Advent is our time to really sit down and come up with an answer to that question. Is Jesus the messiah or our we still waiting for someone else? Advent is also a time of expectations. How does one person line up with are expectations? All of us are different and all of us have different needs. And all of us have different expectations of what the messiah should be doing. If Jesus spent his time living up to all of our expectations, then when would he have time to be in ministry? I am just asking a question. Jesus answer to John is an answer to us all – I don’t have to live into expectations, because I am the messiah. My actions and my life speak for itself. – he says the blind see, the deaf hear, the poor are fed, - what more are you expecting. He even says a new beatitude – blessed are those who are not thrown off from their faith because of me. A Place of Dreams There was once a woman who was disappointed, who was disillusioned, who was depressed. She wanted a good world, a peaceful world, and she wanted to be a good person. But the newspaper and television showed her how far we were from such a reality. So she decided to go shopping. She went to the mall and wandered into a new store - where the person behind the counter looked strangely like Jesus. Gathering up her courage she went up to the counter and asked, "Are you Jesus?" "Well, yes, I am," the man answered. "Do you work here?" "Actually," Jesus responded, "I own the store. You are free to wander up and down the aisles, see what it is I sell, and then make a list of what you want. When you are finished, come back here, and we'll see what we can do for you." So, the woman did just that. And what she saw thrilled her. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty, peace in families, no more drugs, harmony, clean air. She wrote furiously and finally approached the counter, handing a long list to Jesus. He skimmed the paper, and then smiling at her said, "No problem." Reaching under the counter, he grabbed some packets and laid them out on the counter. Confused, she asked, "What are these?" Jesus replied: "These are seed packets. You see, this is a catalogue store." Surprised the woman blurted out, "You mean I don't get the finished product?" "No," Jesus gently responded. "This is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give you the seeds. Then you plant the seeds. You go home and nurture them and help them to grow and someone else reaps the benefits." "Oh," she said, deeply disappointed in Jesus. Then she turned around and left the store without buying anything. Adapted by Susan R. Andrews, as told in Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, F. and M. Brussat, editors (New York: Scribner, 1996), p. 359. __________________________________ Advent is our time to plant seeds of hope, knowing that God will water them and make them grow. What seeds are you planting? Our expectations point us to the places where God spirit can enter into the world in love. Look. Listen. Where mercy is practiced. Where the broken are restored. Where the poor hear good news. Where love shows up in unexpected places. The kingdom of God is already among us—and still coming. Good News for the Waiting Church Jesus honors John because John stayed faithful to his calling—even in the dark. And Jesus honors us when we keep pointing toward hope, even when answers feel incomplete. Advent reminds us that God often arrives not with fireworks, but with healing hands. Not with force, but with compassion. Not with certainty, but with presence. So rejoice—not because everything is finished, but because God is faithful in the waiting. The One who is coming is the One who has come and the One who is still at work among us. Let us pray…… Song Lo How Ere A Rose is Blooming UMH 216 Prayer God who approaches: you gather the ignored, so you can accomplish the unexpected for a world which no longer cares; with bread broken into pieces, you restore your shattered creation; as you let go of your Child, our emptiness is filled with immeasurable grace. Ever-new, always-scarred Jesus of the forgotten: through you, those whose voices are silenced hear the whispers of angels on hillsides and in shelters; by you, those who are knocked over lead the way into your kingdom; with you, those who wander in shadows are clasped tight in your love. Breath of Advent: you pour the promises of the Word into the shy and silent so they can carol of grace; you stretch out your hand to all in despair’s exile, to place them on the holy way of hope; you gather up the scraps of our scattered fears, to build a new crib for a refugee family. Come, God in Community, Holy in One, come to us, as we pray together saying…. (Lectionary Liturgies, Thom Shuman) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment The prophet Isaiah uses word pictures to draw us in and fill us with eager anticipation for what is not yet. Isaiah 35 poetically sings, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.” (If you can, show this image.) That’s the expectation of what happens when “the ransomed of the Lord shall return…everlasting joy shall be upon their heads…and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). Sharing our gifts, our tithes and our offerings provides opportunity for us to step into this picture, and join the celebration. Come! Bring your best gifts! Let the joy of the Lord explode in this place! Prayer of Thanksgiving Creator God, Receive these tokens of our praise, given with joyful hearts. Open us to rejoice in the giving and the sharing of this offering. Help us serve you and your beloved world with these gifts and with all we are and all we have. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer God, lead us from this time of prayer and reflection with dancing! Allow the joy within each one of us to shine upon those who suffer. Let our light be magnified by your grace each and every day! Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Maria Mankin) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Advent people, go now in the blessing of God’s joy, confident that the day we await is close at hand and ready to cooperate with God in building the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, June 2025. Timing Is Everything I was reading about steamships. It was a wonderful article in which the author said that the dream of a self-propelled ship had been a dream of humankind for hundreds of years. Then one day the time came when it was theoretically possible, but it was still not practically possible. The dream was kept alive for another hundred years or so by inventors and experimenters, some of whom were considered to be eccentric. Later on people looked back and said of them, they were just ahead of their time. Then the times changed. The next person to come along wasRobert Fulton. It was not so much that Fulton invented the steamboat, but that he just happened to be there when the time was right. As the author wrote, "The inventor's eminence may be more a trick of chronology than anything else, due to being active at the very moment when fruition was possible." It's a wonderful statement. It tells you that timing is everything. That's what we learn from the Bible. Look at our lesson for this morning. The disciples of John the Baptist come to Jesus, and ask, "Are you the one, or do we look for another?" It is a critical question for John. John has preached that the time has come. The Messiah, he said, is about to appear, so repent, get ready, put your lives in order. He has devoted his whole life to the belief that the time has come. But he is in prison now. He is about to lose his head. So he sends his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one that we have been waiting for, or do we still look for somebody else?" Mark Trotter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ___________________________________ Who Jesus Really Is I don't know where life may be defeating you this Advent. I don't know how Jesus may be disappointing you this Advent. But I would suggest to you this Advent that any disillusionment you feel may not necessarily be a bad thing. For what is disillusionment if not, literally, the loss of an illusion? And, in the long run, it is never a bad thing to lose the lies we have mistaken for the truth. Did Jesus fail to come when you rubbed the lantern? Then perhaps Jesus is not a genie. Did Jesus fail to punish your enemies? Then perhaps Jesus is not a cop. Did Jesus fail to make everything run smoothly? Then perhaps Jesus is not a mechanic. Over and over again, our disappointments draw us deeper and deeper into who Jesus really is ... and what Jesus really does. William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com __________________________________________ Only Jesus An anonymous author made this striking comparison: "Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men, who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from him. Jesus wrote no poetry but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world's greatest poets were inspired by him. Jesus composed no music still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratorios they composed in his praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth. His unique contribution to humanity is the salvation of the soul! Philosophy could not accomplish that. Nor art. Nor literature. Nor music. Only Jesus Christ can break the enslaving chains of sin. He alone can speak peace to the human heart, strengthen the weak, and give life to those who are spiritually dead." David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com _____________________________________ Matthew 11:2-11 – Time to Unpack Advent is an intentional season of “preparedness.” We think of Advent as a “journey,” to use Oprah Winfrey’s favorite word. We think of Advent as a progressive path we take in order to arrive at a destination — the sleepy village of Bethlehem. Preparing. Making plans. Charting a way. Scouting and scoping the landscape. Assessing and overcoming obstacles to avoid or override. Sounds like life as usual. Sounds like something we can get our heads and hands and hearts around. Sounds like something we can get down and get done. But wait a minute! Advent is not our journey. We are NOT in charge. Advent is not a journey we make, a journey we prepare for, a road that we navigate. No, Advent is the journey GOD makes. Advent isn’t a trip we prepare to go on. Advent is the time we prepare for God’s trip to us. Advent is the time we ready ourselves to RECEIVE God. The God who, against all reason and for our redemption, is making a journey TOWARDS us. This week’s gospel text reminds us just how long God had been preparing for this journey. Before the baby Jesus was even born, God had arranged for the ideal advance man, the perfect prophet to be conceived and born and nurtured to adulthood. Generations before John the Baptist there were other prophets whom God provided with selected slices of insight, like a freeze-framed GPS map. Moses and Isaiah, Malachi and Daniel: all provided peeks at the pathway God was paving… Pay Better Attention Annie Dillard tells of the pastor whose pulpit prayer included some wonderful petitions for the betterment of life in this world. Then, before signing off, he included these words: "But thou knowest, O God, that we ask for these same things Sunday after Sunday. So we confess to you our discouragement that so little progress is made." Said Annie: "His prayer was so painfully honest that I knew I had finally found a preacher who knows God." Frankly, I do not know why....if God is truly in charge....that things do not go better or happen faster. But when John raised a similar question to Jesus ("If you're the one, tell us what we're missing"), Jesus said: "Look again. Look closer. Pay better attention. Things are happening." Which, apparently, was good enough for John. And, most days, is good enough for me. William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ________________________________ When Jesus tells John's people what to look for, it's not big, grandiose stuff. As concerns signs of the kingdom, Jesus points to people who couldn't see much, seeing more...people who couldn't climb out of bed in the morning, playing Ring Around the Rosie in the town square...Previously untouchable lepers kissing their wives and hugging their children....and the poor, hearing a good sermon for a change. And I suppose if you're blind, lame, poor or your skin used to be all scales and scabs, that's big time stuff. But can you build a kingdom on it? Apparently, Jesus thinks you can. He doesn't care whether it's "big time stuff" or not. As concerns the kingdom, it breaks through in little ways. But it breaks through. As if to illustrate his point, he talks about a seed that nobody can see growing. But it's in there. I mean, it's already in there. You aren't going to see it come to maturity all at once. In the version we sang last Sunday: "First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn shall appear." No, you may not see it. But neither are you going to be able to stop it. It's like that dandelion that finds a crack in the asphalt. Or creates a crack in the asphalt. Not only does it have presence, but there is an inevitability to its appearance. William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com

Those Who Weep Will Be Comforted

November 2, 2025 All Saint’s Day Luke 6:20-31 Those who weep will be comforted Year C Prelude Greeting Introit Invitation to Worship A thousand days are but a moment to God; All flesh is grass, and withers away. Still we treasure our days with those whom we love, And reluctantly give them back to God. On this day, we thank God for the saints in our lives. Let us worship God. In the beginning, God called the world into being, saying, “Let there be light!” In the fullness of time, Jesus came from God to us, saying, “I am the Light of the world.” In our everyday life, we see the work of the saints, The ones in whom God’s light shines. So let us give thanks for the saints this day, And let us worship God. We gather this morning to remember our call: To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. We bring with us the events of the week in the world and in our lives, Trying to know how to be just and loving and humble in the midst of it all. We gather here, and see those who are doing justice, who are kind beyond measure, who set the example for humility. With gratitude for living saints, with thankfulness for the purpose of faith, let us worship God. “Written by Beth Merrill Neel on her blog, ‘Hold Fast to What Is Good’. Used with permission. Song For all the Saints UMH 711 A Sermon for all Ages 🌿 Children’s Moment: “Seeds of Love” (Props: a fresh pomegranate and a small bowl or plate) Opening (Hold up the pomegranate.) Good morning, everyone! Do you know what this is? That’s right — it’s a pomegranate! It’s a fruit that’s full of hundreds of tiny red seeds. You can’t tell from the outside, but when you open it up, you find that all the good things — the juicy, sweet seeds — are hidden inside. Connecting Story A long time ago, people told a story about a mother named Demeter who loved her daughter Persephone very, very much. One day, Persephone had to go away for a while, and Demeter was so sad that she stopped making things grow. But after a time, Persephone came back — and when she did, flowers bloomed again and the world was full of life. It’s a story that reminds us something important — that love never really goes away. Even when someone we love has to go to heaven, that love is still here, like seeds planted in the ground. And God helps those seeds grow into kindness and memories that keep blooming in our hearts. Faith Connection Today is All Saints Day — a special Sunday when we remember people who loved us and taught us about God. Some of them might be in heaven now. We may miss them — and that’s okay. Jesus said, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” That means God is close to us when we are sad. Just like this pomegranate, our love for others is full of seeds — seeds that can grow into acts of kindness, generosity, and joy. Closing (Gently tap the pomegranate or scoop out a few seeds.) Each seed is like a memory, or a piece of love we can share. Maybe one seed is helping a friend. Another is saying “I love you.” Another is remembering Grandma or Grandpa and smiling when we think of them. Every seed of love we plant helps God make the world a little brighter. Let’s pray: “Dear God, thank you for the people we love and the people we miss. Help us plant seeds of love and kindness every day, until we see them again in your heavenly garden. Amen.” Scripture Luke 6:20-31 Sermon Those who weep will be comforted Here’s a 10-minute All Saints Day sermon based on Luke 6:20–31 (“Blessed are you who weep now… love your enemies… do to others as you would have them do to you”), weaving in the story of Demeter and the pomegranate as a tender reflection on grief and love. (Sermon totally generated by ChatGPT version 5) Sermon Title: “The Blessing Hidden in Our Tears” Scripture: Luke 6:20–31 Jesus looks at his disciples and says, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” These are strange blessings—words that reach into the ache of human life. Jesus is not blessing pain for its own sake, but the deep, transforming love that pain can uncover. On All Saints Day, when our hearts remember those we have lost, these blessings speak directly to the mystery of grief and grace. The Story of Demeter and the Pomegranate There’s an old Greek story about Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and her daughter Persephone. One day Persephone is taken to the underworld by Hades. Demeter’s grief is so vast that the earth itself stops producing grain; nothing grows, the world turns cold. Eventually, Zeus intervenes, and Persephone is allowed to return—but because she has eaten six pomegranate seeds in the underworld, she must spend six months each year below and six months above. So the seasons were born—winter and spring, death and rebirth, grief and joy intertwined. It’s an ancient story, not Christian, but it tells a deep truth we know too well: love and loss cannot be separated. Where there is deep love, there will be deep grief. And where there is grief, love still lingers—ripening like seeds in the dark earth. Once there was a beautiful young girl called Persephone. Her mother was Demeter, the Goddess of the growing things. Demeter and her daughter lived in a world where it was always summer. Green things were always blooming and the sun shone warm and sweet. One day while she was out with her friends, Persephone felt a trembling beneath her feat and heard a rumbling. The ground split open and Hades, God of the underworld, appeared driving a chariot. He snatched Persephone and took her back into the earth with him. The ground closed up again with a huge roar and all that was left of Persephone was a bunch of flowers on the ground. Demeter searched everywhere, but she could not find her daughter. For days and days she looked for Persephone. Her grief was so great that the earth began to grow cold and all the green things died. There was no food, and a terrible hunger came to the people. In the underworld, meanwhile, Persephone came to see that Hades wasn’t as scary as she first thought. He had been so lonely in the underworld, he told her of his longing to keep her there with him. Persephone missed her mother and the bright world above ground. But her new status as Queen of the underworld and her love for Hades gave her reason to stay with him. She believed that she had important work to do deep under the ground. Persephone knew that if she ate or drank anything in the underworld, she would have to stay there forever. Even though Hades begged her too have just a sip, or one bite of food, she didn’t’. Demeter had finally learned where Persephone was. She insisted that she be returned to her. Hades sadly hitched his horses to his chariot and prepared to take Persephone back. But before they left, he offered Persephone one last thing to eat – a ripe, blood red pomegranate. Looking him in the eye, Persephone took six seeds and ate them. They went back above ground, up through a crack in the earth. Persephone threw herself into her mothers arms, joyous to be reunited. The earth again grew rich with flowers and the sun shone once more. But, because Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, it was decided that for six months of each year, she must return to the underworld with Hades, on Mabon, and winter would come to the world. In spring she would once again return to her mother, allowing the earth to bloom. The Blessing of Those Who Weep When Jesus says, “Blessed are you who weep now,” he is not denying the pain of Demeter’s winter or our own. He is naming it as sacred ground. The tears of those who love are holy. The ache we feel for the saints—our family members, our friends who have gone before us—is the measure of the love they left behind. And in God’s mysterious way, that love never dies. It goes down like a seed into the soil, and in time, it grows again—perhaps as peace, perhaps as kindness, perhaps as the courage to love others more deeply. Love That Keeps Returning Every spring in the story, Persephone rises again. Every spring, Demeter’s joy returns. And every time we remember the saints, tell their stories, laugh at their quirks, or carry on their compassion—we are seeing resurrection break through our winter. This is why Jesus calls us to love our enemies, do good, bless those who curse us. Because love—real, generous, risky love—is the only thing that survives the grave. It’s the only thing that can transform mourning into hope. A Word for the Grieving If you are missing someone today, if the world feels colder without them, hear this: Your tears are not weakness—they are seeds. Every act of love, every memory cherished, every kindness done in their name becomes part of God’s great harvest of life. The saints are not gone; they are with God. And God is with you—in the kitchen where you set one less plate, in the quiet moments where memory catches your breath, in the laughter that surprises you when you thought you could only cry. Closing Demeter’s grief turned to spring when her daughter returned. Our hope turns to joy when we remember that in Christ, love never leaves us. The saints we remember today live in the fullness of that love. And someday, when God makes all things new, we too will rise—like seeds breaking through the dark earth into the light. “Blessed are you who weep now,” says Jesus, “for you will laugh.” Amen. (ChatGPT 5) Song Kum Ba Yah (sing twice) UMH 494 Stewardship Moment As followers of Jesus, we claim our intention to learn from him, to claim him as our Lord, as the Christ, as the Master of our lives. If that’s our true identity, one way to demonstrate who we are is to see if our giving reflects what’s most important to us. If you were to check out your giving statement from the church, or the record on your credit card statement, or the graph of how your expenses are divided by category, you would have a visual description of what your dollars declare is important. As we remember “the saints” today, I’m grateful for ________________. (Use someone from your congregation who was a faithful giver or adapt this to fit your situation: “I’m grateful for my own parents who taught us not only with their words, but with their weekly offering checks and their end-of-life proclamations and legacy gifts.”) Today, we celebrate the giving of you saints! Prayer of Thanksgiving Alleluia! We give you praise, God of all life, for these gifts, and for the saints who are gathered to share in this offering. Receive this collection. Call each of us to your life and your service in the coming days, that together we might remember Jesus, and seek to live out his ministry each day of our lives. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Litany of Remembrance and Celebration (Print) Henry Ward Beecher wrote, “What the heart once owned and had, it shall never lose.” Tonight we remember those whom our hearts have owned and had, and whom we know we will never lose. We recall those who have touched our lives in such a way that we will never be the same. We are grateful for the ways in which they have blessed our lives. We lite candles in memory of those who gave us the gift of life. We honor those who gave us birth and nurtured us, those who endowed us with a heritage and raised us. We remember mothers and fathers, grandparents and great-grandparents, and all our ancestors through the ages. We remember also those who were as mother or father to us, loving us by choice rather than chance. We lite candles in memory of those who have linked us into the ongoing chain of family life. We honor those who have shared our heredity and who have experienced our common bonds. We remember sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, relatives near and distant through time. We lite candles in memory of those who have walked beside us in so many ways. We remember those who have worked with us and played with us, who made our time on earth more enjoyable and our experiences in the world more memorable. We remember friends and co-workers and neighbors who lifted us and expanded our horizons. We lite candles in memory of those to whom we ourselves passed on the precious gift of life. We hold dear in our hearts those we have held dear in our arms. We remember children who have gone before us, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We remember those who lived only within the womb, those who lived a very brief time after birth, as well as those who lived on this earth for any number of years. We lite candles for those who have died In disasters, wars and violence of the world. For those who have sacrificed their lives so that we could have ours, For those whom we hold within our hearts. Robert koornneef A Service of Remembrance Invitation to Communion (Do not print words) The invitation is simple: come! Eat here, sharing in this feast. Not a meal to nourish the body, but more than enough to feed the soul. We receive the bread and wine connected to the ages: to the saint of old who felt unworthy, to the seeker eager to know God, to the teenager who wonders what it’s all about, to the child who eats with unburdened faith. Woven into this time, the tears and the hopes of generations. Come! No one will be turned away, for we know God as our Creator, Jesus the Christ as our host and the power of God’s Spirit to gather us in. Come! Remembering John Muir, renowned naturalist, who spoke of “great thousand-year days” experienced when hiking in the Sierras: Today, at this table, we share a thousand-year moment; for here we’re not just with one another in this sanctuary, but we’re surrounded by the “great cloud of witnesses” from Paul and Lydia on to the children among us. Communion. Page 13 THE GREAT THANKSGIVING FOR ALL SAINTS AND MEMORIAL OCCASIONS This text is used by the pastor while the congregation uses A Service of Word and Table II (UMH 13–15) or III (UMH 15–16) or one of the musical settings (UMH 17–25). The pastor stands behind the Lord's table. The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. The pastor may lift hands and keep them raised. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty (almighty God), Creator of heaven and earth: God of Abraham and Sarah, God of Miriam and Moses, God of Joshua and Deborah, God of Ruth and David, God of the priests and the prophets, God of Mary and Joseph, God of the apostles and the martyrs, God of our mothers and our fathers, God of our children to all generations. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: The pastor may lower hands. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The pastor may raise hands. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread, or touch the bread, or lift the bread. On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the cup, or touch the cup, or lift the cup. When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." The pastor may raise hands. And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. LORD’S PRAYER The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread and cup. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. The pastor may raise hands. Renew our communion with all your saints, especially those whom we name before you— Name(s) —(in our hearts). Silence may be kept for the remembrance of names. Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, strengthen us to run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father (God), now and for ever. Amen. Copyright: “The Great Thanksgiving for All Saints and Memorial Occasions” Copyright© 1972 The Methodist Publishing House; Copyright © 1980, 1981, 1985 UMPH; Copyright © 1986 Abingdon Press; Copyright © 1987, 1989, 1992 UMPU. Used by permission.” Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May God grant you grace, that in pain you may find comfort, in sorrow hope, in death resurrection. Amen – From United Methodist Book of Worship, Service of Death and Resurrection, pg. 142 Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benedictions Go into the world as the living body of Christ, bringing eternal life to all who seek God’s face. Amen. (Psalm 24, Revelation 21) Additional Illustrations There is a sound, God, when grief spills from the corner of an eye, and stains the earth with its wetness. It is not a quiet sound, although it may be difficult to hear, and it is not a strange sound; we know its compelling rhythms all too well, because it is, after all, the sound of your voice. You fill every tear with your nail-scarred presence, and breathe into every gasp, your comforting Spirit. And in every broken voice, you call, inviting us to find you in the weeping. Thank you for the grace that shouts in the pain of our world, and that teaches us to listen for life in the sound of tears.