Christmas is not over

First Sunday after Christmas Matthew 2:13-23 A Christmas Story Prelude Greeting Call to Worship Wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” On this first Sunday of Christmas, we, too, have come to worship Jesus the Messiah: the son of David, the son of Abraham. When the wise men saw the child with Mary his mother, they knelt down, paid him homage, and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. On this first Sunday of Christmas, we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you, O God. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all. Glory to God in the highest heaven! (Presbyterian Outlook, Phillip Gladden) Invocation Holy Love, we delight in your presence among us. We anticipate your wisdom, assurance, and challenge. Soften our hearts, enliven our spirits, and expand our minds so that we may reflect your heart, spirit, and mind. Through our remembering, give us courage to face these times and hope to seek your kingdom. In the name of the One who came to us and lives and reigns with you, we pray. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Song Joy to the World UMH 246 A Sermon for all Ages What did you Get for Christmas? Children’s Sermon: “Christmas Is Still Going” (Have a small nativity figure, a baby doll, or even a flashlight with you.) Good morning, friends! I have a question for you. Who got Christmas presents this year? (Wait for hands.) Who ate Christmas cookies? (Wait, smile.) Now here’s a trickier question: Is Christmas over? A lot of people think it is. The tree comes down. The lights go off. The songs stop playing on the radio. Sometimes it feels like Christmas just disappears. But today’s Bible story tells us something surprising. After Jesus was born, something scary happened. A king named Herod was afraid of baby Jesus. So God sent an angel to talk to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, “Get up. Take Mary and Jesus and go somewhere safe.” So Joseph got up. Mary got up. And they took baby Jesus on a journey. That means the first Christmas didn’t end with everyone staying cozy and safe. Christmas went on the road. Let’s pretend for a moment. Everyone, stand up. Now quietly tiptoe in place—because they had to leave at night. (Do it together.) Now hold your arms like you’re carrying something very precious. That’s baby Jesus. Mary and Joseph had to protect him. They had to love him. They had to keep going—even when it was hard. And here’s the important part for us: When Christmas ended for them… Christmas was just beginning. Because Christmas isn’t only about presents or lights or cookies. Christmas is about love. Christmas is about helping people feel safe. Christmas is about being kind. Christmas is about caring for others—especially when they are small or scared or hurting. So when you share your toys, that’s Christmas. When you help someone who is sad, that’s Christmas. When you say thank you, or I’m sorry, or I love you—that’s Christmas too. Christmas doesn’t stop when the decorations come down. Christmas keeps going—through you. Let’s say that together: “Christmas is not over. Christmas is just beginning!” (Repeat once more.) Let’s pray. Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for Jesus. Help us carry your love everywhere we go. Help us be kind, brave, and loving— because Christmas is still going. Amen. ________________________________________ If you’d like, I can: • shorten this to 2 minutes • adapt it for very young children • or add a simple object lesson (like moving nativity figures or a flashlight for “light in the darkness”) Is this conversation helpful so far? Affirmation of Faith In Jesus of Nazareth, true humanity was realized once for all. Jesus, a Palestinian Jew, lived among his own people and shared their needs, temptations, joys, and sorrows. He expressed the love of God in word and deed and became a brother to all kinds of sinful men and women. But his complete obedience led him into conflict with his people. His life and teaching judged their goodness, religious aspirations, and national hopes. Many rejected him and demanded his death. In giving himself freely for them, he took upon himself the judgment under which everyone stands convicted. God raised him from the dead, vindicating him as Messiah and Lord. The victim of sin became victor, and won the victory over sin and death for all. (Presbyterian Confession of Faith 1967) Passing of the Peace Song Welcome to Our World Worship and Song 3067 –(see insert) Scripture Matthew 2:13-23 A Post Christmas Story Christmas Has Just Begun By December 26th, most of the world has moved on. The radio stations switch back to regular programming. The stores rip down the decorations overnight. Trees sit at the curb, stripped of ornaments, waiting for pickup. Even in our homes, boxes come out, and we begin the quiet work of putting Christmas away. We do it almost automatically—because that’s what we’re used to. Christmas is something we finish. But the Gospel of Matthew tells us something very different. Matthew does not end the Christmas story with angels and shepherds and lullabies. Matthew tells us that after the celebration, danger arrives. After the gifts are opened, fear enters the story. After the holy night, there is a knock in the dark. Joseph has a dream—not a comforting dream, but a disturbing one. “Get up,” the angel says. “Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.” No choirs. No star. No peaceful ending. Just urgency. Mary and Joseph do not get to linger in the glow of Christmas. They don’t get to stay where it feels safe. They gather what they can, wake the baby, and leave—because love sometimes looks like running toward the unknown in order to protect what matters most. That is the part of the Christmas story we don’t put on greeting cards. And yet—it may be the most important part. Because this is where Christmas stops being a moment… and starts becoming a way of life. ________________________________________ A few days after Christmas, Mark noticed that his neighborhood looked different. The inflatable snowmen were gone. The lights were dark. A discarded Christmas tree lay on the curb, needles already browning, one string of lights still clinging to its branches. One bulb flickered on and off, stubbornly refusing to go out. Mark smiled at that. At home, Christmas was already being dismantled. Ornaments wrapped carefully in tissue paper. The stockings folded and tucked away. The nativity set sat half-packed on the dining room table. The shepherds were back in their box. The animals were missing. The wise ones hadn’t been packed yet—still waiting on the shelf, as if mid-journey. His daughter stood nearby, holding the small figure of Mary. “Why are we putting Jesus away already?” she asked. Mark paused. He gave the answer most of us give. “Well… Christmas is over.” But even as he said it, the words didn’t sit right. Later that night, he scrolled through the news. Stories of violence. Families displaced. Children caught in systems too big and too cruel for them. Fear dressed up as policy. Power protecting itself at the expense of the vulnerable. And suddenly Matthew’s story felt uncomfortably current. Herod was afraid of losing control. So he chose cruelty. And Christmas—the real Christmas—found itself on the run. Mary and Joseph became refugees. Jesus became a child whose life depended on the courage of others. The Savior of the world became someone who needed protecting. Christmas did not end with peace on earth. It collided with the reality of a broken world. And still—God stayed in it. ________________________________________ The next morning, Mark kept thinking about that flickering light on the tree at the curb. About how easy it would have been to unplug it. About how tempting it is to say, “That season is done.” But Matthew reminds us: Christmas isn’t a story we admire—it’s a story we continue. Joseph didn’t argue with the angel. He didn’t say, “Can we wait until after the holidays?” He got up. He moved. He acted. So Mark tried to do the same. At the coffee shop, he noticed the barista looked exhausted. Instead of rushing off, he thanked her by name. It felt small—but it mattered. At work, he listened instead of interrupting. At the grocery store, he slowed down instead of snapping. On the way home, he stopped at the food pantry—not because it was convenient, but because it was necessary. None of it felt dramatic. None of it came with angels singing. But it felt… faithful. That night, he took the nativity back out. This time, he didn’t put it in the center of the table like a finished display. He placed it near the edge—Mary and Joseph angled as if they were moving forward. He left the wise ones off to the side, still traveling. He kept the scene unfinished. “This is how the story goes on,” he told his daughter. Because Christmas isn’t something we protect behind glass. It’s something we carry into the world. ________________________________________ Matthew 2 reminds us that the Christmas story is not sentimental—it is courageous. It tells us that following God may lead us into uncomfortable places. That loving Christ means protecting the vulnerable. That light does not deny the darkness—it shines within it. The child grows up. The family returns home. The story continues. And now, the angels are quiet. Now, we are the ones who must get up when love calls us to move. Now, we are the ones who must shelter hope when fear threatens it. Now, we are the ones who carry Christ into a world that still needs saving So if you feel a little disoriented after Christmas—good. If you feel like something is unfinished—good. That’s because it is. Christmas is not over. It has just begun. It begins every time we choose compassion over convenience. Every time we protect the vulnerable. Every time we refuse to let the light go out—even when the season has passed. The tree may be at the curb. The music may have changed. But the child is still on the move. And so are we. So let me ask, when is Christmas over for you. Are you one to take down the decorations as soon as Christmas is over, or do you let it linger. Well this year, I didn’t get the chance to decorate my tree until Christmas day. I am one who has a hard time letting go of the Christmas spirit, so I knew that the lights stay on for me until January 9th, and then it still takes a few days to put it up. Different traditions have different opinions about the end of Christmas – for most it is January 6th of January 7th for us – Epiphany Sunday. For others ends at the feast of the baptism, which is the second Sunday of January, for others it is Candlemas, which isn’t until February 2. Of course, Jesus would want us to keep the spirit of Christmas going all year. Can you imagine what a different place the world would be if we gave to the world the way we do for Christmas. I saw a Facebook post that said the even though the giftgiving is over, Christmas just begins. Howard Thurman – the dean of Boston University as well as a civil rights leader also tells us that the work of Christmas has just began. When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among brothers, To make music in the heart. Dr, Thurman takes his cue from Matthew chapters 5 and 6 where Jesus tells us the work of a Christian. To reach out to those who are seeking, to pray for those who are in need, to not only provide food for those who are hungry, but to reject systems that keep them impoverished, to be an intentional part of the community, to be nice to those around us, to praise God in all that we do. Jesus did all of those things for others, and he showed us how to continue that work. Basically, Jesus came into the world – to transform the world through unconditional love. He loved us so that we could love others. Unconditional love does not have a set circumstance, unconditional love does not a specific person to save, it is intended for everyone. Unconditional love does not have a set time to show itself. Anytime that we show unconditional love – the Spirit of Christmas, the spirit of Christ is in the air. Let us pray – for Christ Spirit to be with us all of the time……. (ChatGPT six) Song It Came Upon a Midnight Clear UMH 218 Prayer for the Arrival of Christmas (do not print) Almighty and eternal God, we praise you for the joy of Christmas and for the gift of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. In this season of goodwill, we remember your covenant promises and your mighty acts for all of your people. Once again, we have been comforted by the story of Jesus being wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. We have taken heart when we again heard the news that a Savior was born for us in Bethlehem. We have enjoyed the celebrations and the giving and receiving of gifts. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Christmas. And yet, Lord, we know Christmas comes in a world in which there is not much peace, joy and goodwill. Rulers use their power to get rid of anyone and anything that threatens their control. Innocent children suffer and die. So many people live with injustice every day. Death seems to have the final word. Gracious and loving God, we pray for our world that needs to hear the good news of Christmas. We pray you will give us the courage and strength to be witnesses to our Savior, not just in what we say but especially in how we live. Help us remember and share the joy of Christmas throughout the year. During this Christmas season, may we not forget to share the love you have so freely given in Jesus Christ. Guide us in all we do that we may respond with compassion to those in need. Help us be a church that takes the good news of Jesus Christ beyond the walls and traditions and safety of our buildings. Help us always to put our trust in our Lord who says, “Follow me.” [Here the prayer leader may add particular concerns of the congregation and the world, especially for those for whom the Christmas season is particularly hard because of sorrow, health issues, and other concerns.] We love you, Lord. Show us how to love others with the same grace and love you have given us in Jesus Christ. Amen (Presbyterian Outlook, Philip Gladden) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Invitation to Generosity Generosity is a spiritual gift and a discipline. Let us cultivate our practice of trusting in God’s provision, abundance, and love by giving generously to meet the needs of our community and beyond. Prayer of Dedication and Thanksgiving Wise God, we present these offerings to you and dedicate our time, talents, and treasures for your kingdom. May your will be done, our siblings needs be met, and your name be known through what we share in praise and thanksgiving for all you have given to us in time, talent, and treasure. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Announcements Community Time - Joys and Concerns Benediction When we leave this place, we keep our connection to one another. When we leave this time, we keep our focus on the God we trust. When we leave this service, we keep our worship going in service in the world. May our commitments bloom, our hope flourish, and our ministry prosper as we go forth in God’s love. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay)

The Greatest Among Us

September 22, 2024 Mark 9:30-37 18th Sunday after Pentecost The Greatest Among Us Year B Prelude Greeting Call to Worship L: Jesus calls us to servant ministry. P: We must be willing to help others, not counting the cost or rewards. L: Pretense, disharmony, greed have no place in discipleship. P: Serving God means receiving each person as though they were a beloved child. L: Lord, help us to truly become your disciples. P: Create in us hearts for ministries of compassion and kindness. AMEN. ( United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer Lord, be with us this day, helping us to put our priorities in order; so that we may faithfully serve you by serving your people. Heal our spirits. Enable us to follow your ways all the days of our lives. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song Jesu Jesus UMH 432 A Sermon for all Ages Good morning, boys and girls. What's one of the biggest, strongest animals on earth? It's got a great big body, and thick legs, and tough skin, and a really, really long nose. Do you know what animal I'm talking about? That's right, it's an elephant. Elephants are one of the biggest, strongest animals on earth. They weigh thousands of pounds, and they can eat over one hundred pounds of food a day. Can you believe that? And elephants are so strong that they can knock over trees, or turn over a car with their long noses. But did you know that elephants are really gentle animals too? Elephants take care of one another. If one elephant gets sick, others will stay with it to protect it until it gets better again. Bigger elephants always stay around the baby elephants to keep them safe until the baby elephant is big enough to take care of itself. Elephants may be big and strong, but they can be loving too. Our Bible story today is about the disciples, the men who followed Jesus around and helped Him with His work. One day, the disciples started arguing over who was the best disciple. Who was the biggest, who was the strongest, who was the most important? But Jesus told them to stop arguing. Jesus didn't care who was the biggest, or the strongest, or the most important. Instead, Jesus wanted to know who was the most loving, the most gentle, the most caring. Those are the things that are important to Jesus. Jesus doesn't care if we're big or we're little, if we're rich or we're poor, if we're white or we're black. Jesus only cares if we love other people and do nice things for other people. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Affirmation of faith (from A Brief Statement of Faith) In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen. Passing of the Peace Jesus came to bring peace among us. Let us sow the seeds for peace in our world by sharing the peace of Christ with one another, stranger and friend alike. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Rebecca Gaudino) Scripture Mark 9:30-37 Sermon The Greatest Among Us Today I invite you to listen to the lessons of Chapter 9. I will tell you 3 seemingly unrelated stories, each with a lesson of their own. They each have their own lesson related to Jesus lesson. The scripture begins, Jesus was on his way – his way to Jerusalem to be crucified. It started in chapter 7, and will continue to the end of the gospel lesson in November. Now that the disciples know who the messiah is, he is telling them that the messiah must suffer. This is not a time of hope and resurrection. But a time of suffering, of facing tough times, of dark days of finding faith in the everyday struggle of life. Jesus us preparing his friends and us – what it means to be disciples. What is means to follow Jesus to the Cross. The virtues for today – service and humility. First off – Jesus loves the little children. In the midst of his discipleship lessons, jesus always brings in the children. In church we are reminded that children are an important part of who we are. We have to make sure that the children are included in what we do. Including the children are important part of our discipleship journey. Children are the hope of the future. But sometimes in the church it can be hard to connect to the younger generation, they don’t always see life the same way we do. Dealing with them does not always turn out the way we expect. The Turtle Picnic A turtle family went on a picnic. They had prepared seven years for their outing. The family left home, searching for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey, they found it. For about six months they cleared the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. They discovered, however, that they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt at home. Although he was the fastest of the slow-moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on only one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left. Three years passed—and the little turtle had not returned. Five years. Six years. Then in the seventh year of his absence, the eldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and began to unwrap a sandwich. At that point, the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, “SEE! I knew you wouldn’t wait! Now, I’m not going to get the salt.” Where to Take It from Here… Some of us, like that little turtle, don’t trust anyone or give anyone the benefit of the doubt. We waste away our whole lives waiting for Jesus loves the little children, and sometime so do we. Young people can challenge us, but they teach us valuable lessons about being family, especially being the family of God. Jesus will bring children into his discipleship lesson a few more times. But you have to know that in Jesus day, children were not anything special, they were not the hope of the future. They represented people with no power or control. Children were to be seen and not heard. People really didn’t care about children’s feelings, they were to work along side of adults, with no thanks and no acknowgement. Jesus uses children as the ultimate object lesson on service and humility. In God’s kingdom everything is flipped. The greatest among us must be like a child- a humble servant. The Measure of Greatness - Mark 9:30-37 Some years ago St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City was seeking a new president. Over one hundred candidates applied for the position. The search committee narrowed the list to five eminently qualified persons. Then somebody came up with a brilliant idea: let's send a person to the institutions where each of the five finalists is currently employed, and let's interview the janitor at each place, asking him what he thinks of the man seeking to be our president. This was done and a janitor gave such a glowing appraisal of William MacElvaney that he was selected President of St. Paul's School of Theology. Somebody on that search committee understood, in a flash of genius, that those who live close to Christ become so secure in his love that they no longer relate to other people according to rank or power or money or prestige. They treat janitors and governors with equal dignity. They regard everybody as a VIP. Children seem to do this intuitively; adult Christians have to relearn it. It is a telling little piece of scripture in verse 32: "But they did not understand." That's a picture that can be hung in the halls of the museum of mankind. When confronted by true greatness, we simply do not see it… The president was picked based on his service and his humility. The janitor would have a similar status as the children. Jesus loves the little children. Jesus is patient and kind and understanding with them. Jesus also has to be kind and understanding with the disciples – who often act like children. In the scripture they are arguing amongst themselves, but refuse to tell Jesus what they are arguing about. They all want to be number one, because number one gets to sit closest to Jesus. Jesus reminds them that the greatest is the one who is able to serve and remain humble. In the God’s world, the first is last and the last is first. Everything is turned upside down. Even today we still struggle with what that means. – to strive to be humble and to put others first and to serve. The way up- is always to look down. The Way Up Is Down! - Mark 9:30-37 There once was a palace servant who longed for more than anything else in life to be a knight. He yearned to represent his king and vowed within himself that if he ever had a chance to be a knight he would serve his king as the noblest knight who ever lived. His dream came true. His great day came. At his knighthood ceremony, the former servant, now a knight, made a special oath within himself. He vowed that from that day forward he would bow his knees and lift his arms in homage to no one but his king. As a knight, he was assigned to guard a remote city on the edge of the kingdom. On the day he took up his duties standing at attention in full armor at the city gate, an elderly peasant woman passed by on her way to the market. In a rickety cart, she carried some vegetables she had grown and hoped to sell. As she passed the knight, her rickety old vegetable cart hit a bump on the road and turned over. Potatoes, onions, carrots, and peas spilled everywhere. The peasant woman scurried to get them all back in her cart to no avail. She looked toward the knight in hopes he would help her but already he had forgotten what it was to be a servant. The knight stood there, unmoved, holding his pose. He would not bend to help her. He just stood at attention keeping his vow to never again bow his knees or lift his arms in homage to anyone but his king. Years passed, and one day an elderly one-legged man hobbled by on his old crutch. Directly in front of the knight, the old man's crutch finally gave out and broke in two. "Sir knight," the old one-legged man begged, "please reach down and help me to get up again." The knight, unmoved by the old man's predicament, made no response. He held his pose proudly and remembered he had vowed that he would neither stoop nor lift a hand to help anyone but his king. Decades passed, and the knight grew older. One day his granddaughter came by and said, "Papa, pick me up and take me to the fair." But, even for his own granddaughter the knight would not stoop, for within himself he had made a vow to bow only to his king. Finally, the day came for the king to come. This was the day for which the knight had longed since the day of his knighthood. As the king approached to inspect him, the knight stood proudly and stiffly at attention. As he did, the king noticed a tear rolling down the proud knight's cheek. "You are one of my noblest knights," said the king, "why are you crying?" "Your majesty," the knight replied, "I took a vow that I would bow and lift my arms in homage to you alone, but now that you are here I am an old man unable to keep my vow any more. The years of standing here stiffly at attention, waiting for you to come, have taken their toll. The joints of my armor are rusted and I can no longer lift my arms or bend my knees." The wise king replied, "Perhaps if you had knelt to help all those people who passed by you, and lifted your arms to reach out to all the people who asked for your help, you would have been able to keep your vow to pay me homage today." Jesus Christ says, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all" (v. 35)… Discipleship is about service and humility. It is about how we live out those virtues in our everyday life. It is about practicing those virtues in everything that we do. It is making a commitment to follow Jesus in every situation, with every person. Following Jesus to the cross is the only way to see the hope of the resurrection. When we live as the children of God- we become the hope for the future. What is Hope? There is a theologian named Victor Havel who defined hope in this way. "Hope," he said, "Is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out." I believe that part of what that means is that hope looks to the intrinsic value of people and of whatever we do. Hope determines the worthwhile-ness of someone or something at the very beginning, so that outcomes become secondary to that person, or that project’s very existence. Edmund L. Hoener, Jr., Losing Place Discipleship, service, humility, hope. Let us pray….. Song Are You Able UMH 530 Prayer God, how amazed we are at the solutions Jesus offers to his disciples when they question their importance to him and his kingdom. They want to know if they will receive the great rewards, if they will be recognized and praised for their accomplishments or at least their efforts. We are still so much like those early disciples. We want you to know how hard we work. We want to be praised and recognized for our efforts and successes. And we want you to pass over our failures as though they were inconsequential. When Jesus was confronted with their fears and concerns, he responded that they should be ready for service rather than adulation, And then he placed a small child in their midst; a child with no guile, no pretense. “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but the One who sent me.” Help us to reach out to others, not with thought of importance or gain, but in love and compassion; truly caring for each one we meet. When we have done this, we will have truly give our hearts and our service to our Lord. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering (Proverbs 31:20, Mark 9, James 3) (just print the title) The writer of Proverbs teaches that God’s Wisdom is present and active in our lives in this way: “She opens her hand to the poor, / and reaches out her hands to the needy.” Jesus lived this wisdom in his life, and called his disciples to this same generosity. Let us give out of this same generous wisdom—a wisdom that seeks a presence and purpose in our lives on behalf of all. Offering Prayer (James 3) You are the generous one, full of mercy and goodness for your creation. Send your wisdom with these gifts, that they may reach those who need your love and welcome. Bring about a harvest of goodness through these gifts sown in peace. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Rebecca Gaudino) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go forth into the world in peace. Be of good courage. Hold fast to what is good. Render to no one evil for evil. Strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak, help the afflicted. Honor all people. Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit nourish you, animate you and lead you — this day and forever more. (Episcopal Book of Common Worship) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Go in confidence and peace, joyfully serving the Lord who walks with you. Bring hope to the hopeless, joy to those who sorrow, peace to the afflicted. Be true witnesses to the love of God through Jesus Christ. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations Teaching The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William A. Ward Carry Someone with You There was a tribe of Indians who lived a long time ago in the state of Mississippi. They lived next to a very swift and dangerous river. The current was so strong that if somebody happened to fall in or stumbled into it they could be swept away downstream. One day the tribe was attacked by a hostile group of settlers. They found themselves with their backs against the river. They were greatly outnumbered and their only chance for escape was to cross the rushing river. They huddled together and those who were strong picked up the weak and put them on their shoulders; the little children, the sick, the old and the infirm, those who were ill or wounded were carried on the backs of those who were strongest. They waded out into the river, and to their surprise they discovered that the weight on their shoulders carrying the least and the lowest helped them to keep their footing and to make it safely across the river. Jesus is trying to teach the disciples an object lesson about greatness, about servanthood, about leadership. He is saying to them and to us, "Have you lost the childlike joy and love and faith that once were yours?" He is also saying to them and to us, "If you want to walk on secure ground in this world it helps to carry someone with you." King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Good Enough to Teach Years ago, after a celebrated international career on the stage, the world-famous violinist Jascha Heifetz became a professor of music at UCLA. When someone asked him why he had left the glamour of performing to become a teacher, Heifetz answered, "Violin-playing is a perishable art. It must be passed on; otherwise it is lost." Then he went on to say, "I remember my old violin professor in Russia. He said that (if I worked hard enough) someday I would be good enough to teach." From a speech by William Graves, editor of National Geographic magazine, Speaker's Idea File The Disciples' Culture Shock In the summer of 1971 I had gone to Munich to study German. It was my first time in "the Fatherland," and I suppose I had half expected to find blond, blue-eyed kids yodeling on street corners, or adults heading to work in Lederhosen humming Beethoven’s 9th. Instead, blaring from every Italian Pizza Parlor, every Turkish shish kabob stall or ubiquitous McDonald’s was the 1971 Lynn Anderson hit song, "I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden." Some of you may even remember the words: it was a rather banal ditty, uttering the commonplace wisdom that sunshine and rain are part of every life. But hearing this American hit song in Munich played havoc with my expectations. In fact, it was such a culture shock that the memory remains vivid even today, three decades later. Two millennia later Mark’s Gospel continues to recall the culture shock the apostles had when the cost of discipleship finally dawned on them; when their expectations of the reign of God came face-to-face with hard-nosed reality; when fascination and enthusiasm with this Jesus began to be transformed into self-sacrificing commitment. Father George Griener _________________ A Biblically Illiterate America Pollster George Gallup Jr. has long referred to America as a "nation of biblical illiterates." Only four in 10 Americans know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. A majority of citizens cannot name the four Gospels of the New Testament. Only three in 10 teenagers know why Easter is celebrated. Two-thirds of Americans believe there are few, if any, absolute principles to direct human behavior. A poll by the Barna Research Group suggested that religious illiteracy has increased. For example, three out of four Americans (and nearly half of "born-again" Christians) believe the Bible teaches that "God helps those who help themselves." George Barna argues that self-reliance is not only not scriptural, but that it contradicts revelation. Only God determines a person's destiny, the pollster notes. To believe otherwise "exposes our false theological cornerstone - that we are the center of things, that it is up to us to determine our destiny, and that God is merely our assistant ..." A similar number of born-again Christians deny the existence of the Holy Spirit and Satan. One in five denies Jesus' physical resurrection and believes he was a sinner. Earlier surveys of mainline Protestants revealed that barely half of Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians believe in the devil, but 56 percent of Lutherans and 49 percent of Methodists believe in UFOs. One-third of Methodists and Presbyterians have faith in astrology. While nearly three-fourths of all Americans believe in hell, hardly any believe it to be their likely destination in eternity. This Barna poll is intended to help Christian pastors and groups focus their ministries. The sheer number of "errant theological positions" among believers underscores "the magnitude of the challenge facing churches today," Barna notes. University of Wisconsin historian Thomas Reeves indicts popular religious belief and service. "Christianity in modern America is, in large part, innocuous," he writes. "It tends to be easy, upbeat, convenient, and compatible. It does not require self-sacrifice, discipline, humility, an otherworldly outlook, a zeal for souls, a fear as well as love of God. There is little guilt and no punishment, and the payoff in heaven is virtually certain." Former Secretary of Education William Bennett concludes that "We have become the kind of society that civilized countries used to send missionaries to." These are harsh judgments. Perhaps we have been so busy pursuing the American Dream of the good life that we have neglected to nurture the faith on which the Dream is founded. If so, our only fault is inattention. If at the millennium our common faith has faltered, or has shriveled for lack of nourishment, or has been supplanted by sentimentality, at least we have not succumbed to cynicism. Faith has not been lost, only misplaced. As a people, we can retrieve it together. David Yount, "Beggaring Belief," September 04, 2000, Scripps Howard News Service. _________________ The Difficulty of Dealing with Death Russell Anderson tells a story about the time his father was nearing the end of his earthly life. He had finally realized the gravity of his situation. "I got some bad news," he said. "What's that?" Russell responded. "I'm not going to make it," he retorted. Summoning my store of knowledge from my Clinical Pastoral Education course and years of dealing with sickness and death, I asked, "How do you feel about that, Dad?" My father, who was always loathe to reveal too much of his feelings, shot back: "How do you feel about it?" (He had turned the question on me, asking me how I felt about my own death). I remained mute. My first thought was, "But, Dad, I'm not dying, you are." On a deeper level I knew that he was right, I too was dying. I needed to deal with my death as well as his own. Yet I wanted to deny that the shadow of my own death was looming ever larger. The reaction of Russell Anderson is about the same reaction that all of us have when reminded of our own mortality. And it was the same reaction as the disciples in our text for today. They did not know how to deal with Jesus' death or with their own. Denial had set in. Russell Anderson, Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Series V, Cycle B, CSS Publishing, p. 294 people to live up to our poor expectations of them—and they always do. We can be thankful that God doesn’t treat us that way. He accepts us just the way we are. He believes in us. He cheers us on. He thinks the best of us. He is proud of us. When we mess up, he forgives and forgets, and gives us another opportunity to do good. That’s how God treats us, and that’s how we are to treat others. Let’s not think the worst of each other. Let’s expect the best.

The Sacrifice of Service

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington May 26, 2024 Isaiah 6:1-8 Trinity Sunday Year B “The Sacrifice of Service” Prelude Greeting Welcome: Welcome! It’s so good to be together to celebrate faith and community today. My name is ____ and I’ll be leading our worship time today. Tomorrow [or this weekend] is Memorial Day, a very special day when we remember and honor the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Who here served either stateside or overseas in any war? Which branch of the service were you in? [Let people mention their branch.] We salute you today and give thanks for your service, as we remember those who fell in the line of duty. And we recall God’s promise and fulfillment of triumph over death. Today is also Trinity Sunday, and Peace with Justice Sunday) Spiritual Eldercare Call to Worship One: Let us begin our time of worship with a moment of remembrance. All: We remember fallen soldiers, and the sacrifice they made for the sake of others. One: Let us begin our time of worship with a moment of thanksgiving. All: We thank God for brave men and women that have given their lives so that we may worship without fear. One: Let us begin our time of worship with a moment of silence; for a moment is the least we can do for those that gave their eternity.(Rev. Robb McCoy) Opening Prayer God of majesty and power, how awesome you are to us! The mountains tremble, the seas roar at the sound of your name! Yet you have chosen to come to us in love and tenderness. You have called us to be people who will act in ways of peace and justice in your world. Open our hearts and our spirits, Lord, to hear your word, and having heard, to act in ministries of hope and peace for all your earth. These things we pray in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song Holy, Holy,Holy! Lord God Almighty UMH 64 A Sermon for all Ages Children's Sermon: Memorial Day (1 Corinthians 7:23-24, John 15:13) I brought an American flag with me this morning in honor of a very special holiday we get to celebrate this week. How many of you know what holiday it is? (Pause for response.) On Monday we’ll celebrate Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a day we stop to remember and to honor the military men and women who’ve died while fighting to defend our freedom. Ask: Tell about some freedoms we have living in the U.S. We enjoy a lot of freedom in our country. We are free to attend church and worship. We are free to choose what we want to be when we grow up. We are free to choose where we want to live. And we are free to choose most of the things that affect our daily lives. But that freedom wasn't free. Many courageous men and women gave their lives to pay the price for the freedom that you and I enjoy every day. They are who we honor this week as we celebrate Memorial Day. Just like so many brave men and women sacrificed their lives for our freedom here on earth, Jesus sacrificed His life for our freedom as well. In fact, the greatest freedom that we have is the freedom that we have in Jesus. The Bible teaches that the penalty for sin is death, but you and I have been set free from this penalty. We have been set free because Jesus paid the price for us. Instead of death, we have been given eternal life. This freedom wasn't free, Jesus paid the price. This week as we celebrate Memorial Day, let us remember to stop and thank God for those who have paid the price for our freedom. Let us also remember to thank God for Jesus, who has set us free from the penalty for sin, because He was willing to pay the price for us. Dear God, thank You for the freedom we enjoy. We are thankful for those who paid the price for that freedom, but even more importantly, we thank You for the freedom we have because Jesus was willing to pay the price for our sin. In Jesus’ name, amen Sermons4Kids.com Prayer of St. Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. Scripture Isaiah 6:1-8 Sermon The Sacrifice of Service We Have Forgotten God - Abraham Lincoln In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us. (Jeff Simms, Sermon Central) Remembering to stay humble, and focused on God is a struggle for the ages. It is something that is always a struggle. Isaiah’s lesson is important to us. Any time an important person dies, people are faced with a vacuum that must be filled, a time to question the purpose of life, a search for a pathway forward. King Uzziah died from being disrespectful. The prophet had reminded him to stay in a King’s place and to let the priest handle dealing with the presence of God. He had been told to listen to them. But Uzziah felt that no one should tell him what to do. He touched the Holy of Holies on his own, and died from leprosy. So now, only are the people trying to process his death, they are also trying to process what his disrespectful act will mean for them. Isaiah encourages them to look for God in the midst of everyday. To praise God and call God holy. To listen to God’s call on your life, humble yourself, prepare yourself, purify yourself, and live your life in service to God and to others. We are to acknowledge the holiness of God in everything that we do. We have a constant need for purification. Whether it is of the lips, or the feet, or the hand, the heart, the thought, there is need for cleansing. Is it maybe at crisis times in our lives, or in our families, or in our nation and world that we are most conscious of our frailties and sins? God uses especially these critical times to address us. When we think the end for us has come, God gives a new beginning. When the difficult times come, the days of extreme guilt or remorse; when the sins of the hour, the day, or a life-time weigh heavy on us, and we pronounce our own "woes" upon ourselves, and beg freedom from them, God has a word for us. It is a word of forgiveness. In his book, Reality In Worship, J. P. Allen likens our worship to entering a planetarium from a busy, noisy street. Dimming lights hush the sounds and the universe opens up over our heads. Earth becomes one of the smallest of planets and we become one of its smallest creatures. In that awesome moment, we focus upon the greatness, the goodness, and the grace of God. Our worship should be like that. It should not begin with the focus upon ourselves and our own needs, but upon the character of God; we should not proceed without the expectation of the visitation of his Spirit, but wait in his holy presence until He comes; we should not assume there is nothing new under the sun that we have not seen, but come expecting a glimpse of his glory.[4] It is in this humbling experience that we begin to realize that we can be imprinted by his holy mark on our lives. There is nothing in all the world that we can do to imprint ourselves when it comes to holiness. If we have been with God, we will bear his holy mark and people will observe his mark upon our lives. They will see his purity, compassion, joy, reverence, justice, and love stamped all over us. Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart. And try to love the questions themselves. Do not seek the answers that cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer. Prayer: O God, thank you for the sheet wonder of our creation, preservation, and redemption - and for stout promises and bright hopes that keep us thinking kindly of the future. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Promise Of Life, The, by Roger Prescott MEMORIAL DAY, A TIME FOR HEALING Memorial Day, perhaps more than any other holiday, was born of human necessity. Deep inside all of us lies a fundamental desire to make sense of life and our place in it and the world. What we have been given, what we will do with it and what we will pass to the next generation is all part of an unfolding history, a continuum that links one soul to another. Abraham Lincoln pondered these thoughts in the late fall of 1863. His darkest fear was that he might well be the last president of the United States, a nation embroiled in the self-destruction of what he described as "a great civil war..testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure." He began his remarks with those words as he stood on the battlefield near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19th of that year. The minute’s speech that became known as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address turned into what might be called the first observance of Memorial Day. Lincoln’s purpose that day was to dedicate a portion of the battlefield as a cemetery for the thousands of men, both living and dead, who consecrated that soil in the sacrifice of battle. Said Abraham Lincoln: "That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause which they gave the last full measure of devotion...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom..." The next year, a pleasant Sunday in October of 1864 found a teenage girl, Emma Hunter, gathering flowers in a Boalsburg, Pennsylvania cemetery to place on the grave of her father. He was a surgeon who had died in service to the Union Army in that great Civil War. Nearby, Mrs. Elizabeth Meyer was strewing flowers upon the grave of her son Amos, a private who had fallen on the last day of the battle of Gettysburg. Emma respectfully took a few of her flowers and put them on the grave of Amos. Mrs. Meyer, in turn, laid some of her freshly cut blooms on the grave of Dr. Hunter. Both women felt a lightening of their burdens by this act of honoring each other’s loss, and agreed to meet again the next year. This time they agreed they would also visit the graves of those who had no one left to honor them. Both Emma Hunter and Elizabeth Meyer returned to the cemetery in Boalsburg on the day they had agreed, Independence Day, July 4, 1865. This time, though, they found themselves joined by nearly all the residents of the town. Dr. George Hall, a clergyman, offered a sermon, and the community joined in decorating every grave in the cemetery with flowers and flags. The custom became an annual event at Boalsburg, and it wasn’t long before neighboring communities established their own "Decoration Day" each spring. About that same time in 1865, a druggist in Waterloo, New York, Henry C. Welles, began promoting the idea of decorating the graves of Civil War veterans. He gained the support of the Seneca County Clerk, General John B. Murray, and they formed a committee to make wreaths, crosses and bouquets for each veteran’s grave. On May 5, 1866, war veterans marching to martial music led processions to each of three cemeteries, where the graves were decorated and speeches were made by General Murray and local clergymen. The village itself was also decorated with flags at half-mast, evergreen boughs and mourning black streamers. Also, as the Civil War was coming to a close in the spring of 1865, Women’s Auxiliaries of the North and South moved from providing relief to the families and soldiers on their own sides to joining in efforts to preserve and decorate the graves of both sides. A woman of French extraction and leader of the Virginia women’s movement, Cassandra Oliver Moncure, took responsibility of coordinating the activities of several groups into a combined ceremony on May 30. It is said that she picked that day because it corresponded to the Day of Ashes in France, a solemn day that commemorates the return of the remains of... On Holy Ground The 5th New York Volunteer Infantry, "Duryée’s Zouaves," was one of the most renowned fighting regiments of the American Civil War. Their colorful Zouave uniform, precise maneuvers, effectiveness in combat and steady bearing under fire, won them universal respect and recognition. "I doubt whether it had an equal," General George Sykes said of the 5th New York. On the afternoon of August 30, 1862, the third day of the Second Battle of Manassas, John Bell Hood’s famed "Texas Brigade" launched a massive attack. There were few Union troops to meet the onslaught, among those, were two Zouave regiments: the 5th and 10th New York In less than 10 minutes, 85 lives of approximately 525 men of the 5th New York were lost. Brevet Brigadier General Hiram Duryea, former commander of the 5th New York, would later comment on that fateful day in a Memorial Day tribute at Manassas in 1907, on land he had purchased for the erection of a monument to his beloved Zouaves: “We stand on holy ground! For this field was the altar of God. The Master said, ’Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ Here, our comrades laid down their lives for love of country, for human right, for the love and service of man. We sorrow at their loss, but we rejoice at their glorious death and achievements. God grant that the fruits of their sacrifice be preserved to our country." SOURCE: http://www.zouave.com How will you honor the sacredness of Memorial Day tomorrow? Whatever we do let us make sure that we are reminded of the important lessons of sacrifice, service, dedication and remembering to say Thank you for the countless Americans who have made that sacrifice for us to enjoy the day. Memorial Day is always a bittersweet day, a day where life and death intermingle. A day of rest, but also a day of intention. A day of celebration of the beginning of summer, yet the end of life. A day where we are at places that give us life, but we are also at the cemetary. ILLUSTRATION Someone has said that life is like a piano, the white keys represent happiness and the black keys represent sorrow... APPLICATION As you go through life, remember that when played together, they make beautiful music. "And we know that God causes black and white keys to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28). On Memorial Day, but on each and every day of our lives, it is so important for us to find ways to keep God present in our lives. God can come to us in so many different ways with a message. We all have a calling to which God has summoned us. God uniquely equips each of us with gifts and graces for the special calling that is ours. This is how we actively fulfill God's plan for our lives as we work among God's human family members. At a young age, Rick Curry felt called to be a Jesuit priest. As he pursued holy orders, he was told that the priesthood was not open to him. The reason? He had been born without a right hand and forearm, a handicapping condition that would render him incapable of elevating and breaking the communion bread during mass. The Jesuits did welcome him as a monk, however. While studying for his Ph.D. at New York University, Brother Curry was surprised to learn that several of his classmates were supplementing their incomes by acting in television commercials. This was in the old days when you did not have to be a famous superstar to act in commercials. An "average Joe or Jane" could get paid to brush their teeth on national television. Curry was living in New York City under a tremendous financial strain. After obtaining approval from his Jesuit superior, Curry scheduled an appointment to audition for a mouthwash commercial. He thought he would be wonderful gargling nationally.4 Arriving at the agency prepared to audition for a mouthwash commercial, he was greeted by a receptionist who burst out laughing at the man with the empty right sleeve. She was sure her boyfriend had put Curry up to this as a joke on her. When Curry assured her that he was a serious applicant, she replied, "Please leave. I couldn't possibly send you upstairs to audition. If I send you upstairs, I could lose my job."5 Curry felt deep hurt and anger. Painful as it was, that moment of looking directly into the face of prejudice changed his life. "Nothing had prepared me for this rejection," he said. Two days later, Brother Curry decided to begin the "National Theatre Workshop for the Handicapped," which has now been in existence for over thirty years. This theater experience has been transforming the lives of performers and audiences alike for over three decades. Brother Curry urges all people to celebrate their differences and to use their imaginations to change the world. "Artists," he explained, "have the gift of imagination, and imagination has no physical boundaries." Prophets are like artists, helping us to see what we had been looking at but had not noticed. Jesus did not call any rabbis or priests to be his disciples. He called laypersons exclusively. God calls disciples from all walks of life to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. The church is called to equip disciples and to send them into the world to accomplish God's work. Some of you, I know, have found your ministry among us, while others are searching for a way to use your gifts. Some of you even believe you don't have any gifts God can use, but let me assure you that God can use you. God empowers and equips us for the work within the church and community. Prayer is important. Take time to pray and take time to listen. Each one of us is an integral part of the body. God's work in our lives is not entirely contingent on our knowledge or even our agreeing to work for God. Throughout your lifetime, God has always been at work within you. Examine your skills, interests, the needs of the Christian community, and even the needs of the world. Each of you is invited to participate in God's work of reconciling the world to God. When holiness comes calling, what will be your response? God is calling you right now with a special job that only you can do. Is your spiritual cell phone turned on? Listen to God's call. Every day we can live under God I live under His heavens, The nations are under His authority, My destiny is under His direction, My past is under His grace, My future is under His control, My cares are under His wing, My sin is under the blood! Conclusion The really meaningful times in our lives come when we realize how very small we are - yet cared for and important. The mystery overwhelms us. We see ourselves in Isaiah as he struggles with the mystery and awe of his vision, in the year when King Uzziah died. And a more recent poet helps put it all in perspective for us: We look, too, to the sensational in human activity to catch a glimpse of the Creator who put all things together. But, once again, that Creator steals in through the smallest of activities. God is so close sometimes that we can’t see the presence. For instance, I see the Spirit of God working in the simple imagination of one human being: There was a family who always had trouble on vacations. Each year they would get about 75 miles out of town, and Mom would cry, "Oh, no! I left the iron on." Each year they would turn around and go back. But it was never plugged in. One time the carload was headed for Yellowstone National Park and, sure enough, almost to the mile marker, Mom gasped, "I just know I left the iron on." Her husband didn’t say a word. He just pulled over, got out, opened the trunk and handed her the iron. And every year after that, he made sure that the iron was in the trunk before they left on vacation. We smile at that, but such quiet imagination puts us in awe. We can see God smile too. God is revealed in the drama of humanity as well as in the awesomeness of the ordinary. The voice of God came to Elijah as he was holed up in a cave, not in the strong wind, earthquake or fire, but in "a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12). A few years ago, while on a retreat at the Dunrovin Retreat Center, just north of Stillwater, Minnesota, I noticed a banner hanging on the wall with these words, attributed to Peter Marshall: There is a beauty in homely things which many people have never seen: • Sunlight through a jar of peach-plum jelly; • A rainbow in soapsuds in dish water; • An egg yolk in a blue bowl; • White ruffled curtains sifting moonlight; • The color of cranberry glass; • A little cottage with blue shutters; • Crimson roses in an old stone crock; • The smell of newly baked bread; • Candlelight on old brass; • The soft brown of a cocker’s eyes. If we read this slowly and reverently, we catch a glimpse, I think, of what Isaiah must have felt when he saw the seraphim and exclaimed, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. (6:3) Song This is My Song UMH 437 Pastoral Prayer We are struggling, Lord. You know how difficult it is for us to hear the news of violence and warfare and to see dear lives lost in battle and strife. We long for your peace to flood the world. We cry out for your presence. We wonder if you hear our cries. How small is our faith! From the very beginnings of time, you have poured your love into the world. People have made decisions about how to respond to that love. Some have chosen to act in ways of peace, justice and mercy, loving ministries of kindness and compassion. Some have chosen to impose their will on others, never acknowledging the rights and lives of those they oppress. Sometimes, we, by our attitudes as well as actions, have acted in ways of oppression. But you forgive and heal us. You call us to be your witnesses of peace to the world. We do not need to crawl to you during the night of our fears for healing. You have given us new life in Jesus Christ, who taught us about your love. Through Christ we are adopted as your heirs, your beloved children. You have given us opportunities to bring hope and peace to others. Let us seize these opportunities for ministries of hope. Encourage our hearts. Strengthen our spirits and our commitment to serve you. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Scripture has a way of working inside us as we hear, read and contemplate. In Romans, Paul teaches clearly that “brothers and sisters” have not been given a spirit of slavery, but a spirit of adoption. For many who have been adopted, their adoptive parents work to assure them of their place in the family. Sometimes adoption means a change of name. Paul uses this image to assure those who will hear his language that “adopted” means “claimed”. Adopted children are heirs, just as children born into a family. Believers, now adopted into the family of God, are God’s heirs, and joint heirs with God’s Son, Jesus Christ. What a gift! In joyful recognition of being claimed and named as heirs, our natural instinct is gratitude. So, with full delight, let us share our gifts to support this part of the Body of Christ as we receive our morning offering. Prayer of Thanksgiving We are grateful, Abba/God, for the ways you claim us and name us as your own beloved children. Thank you for this adoption, and for our ability to recognize we are fully yours. Receive our thanks offerings. Inspire us to use them wisely. Help us be a nurturing community into which all your adopted children will be welcomed. AMEN ( Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Prayer For Our Country UMH 427 Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook As we go into the world May the Divine Parent lead us to be agents of peace with justice May the Holy Spirit fill us with a spirit not of fear, but of adoption So that all who we meet will know the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Go now in peace. (United Methodist New York Annual Conference, Rev. Melissa Hinnen) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benedictions God of infinite patience, loving presence, and dazzling surprises, be with us as we leave this place today. Guide and guard our lives and bless our witness to your love. We go in peace seeking ministries of justice and hope. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations Interactive Homily: Let’s pause our singing for a moment and reflect a little more on the meaning of sacrifice. • What does it mean to sacrifice? o Give up something • What would make a person do that? Why would you give up something for something else? o You’re willing to pay a price for something more valuable or worthy than what you have to give. o Who here loves baseball? In baseball, what’s a sacrifice hit or bunt? ▪ “a bunted ball that puts the batter out but allows a base runner or runners to advance.” • With sacrifice, there’s a tradeoff: something is willingly given up to gain something more valuable. o When we consider the sacrifice that men and women made as part of their service in the U.S. Armed Forces, what does that mean? What did those men and women sacrifice? ▪ their lives, health, time with family, other careers o Why did these men and women sacrifice these good and valuable things? What did they consider more worthy or valuable than even their lives? ▪ freedom, democracy, safeguarding our country▪ We often say the Pledge of Allegiance at patriotic events: (recite with the group:) “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” ▪ “Liberty and justice for all” – is this yet a full reality? • No. Those who serve in our military are still sacrificing for this great goal of liberty and justice for all. • Where do we see this notion of sacrifice in the Bible? o John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that God gave (that is, sacrificed) his only Son, that whoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life.” o What did God determine as so valuable that he was willing to sacrifice his son? ▪ US! For God SO LOVED us…. to build a bridge between us, faulty people, and himself, holy and pure. • “The message for Remembrance Day [Memorial Day] is the message that lies at the core of our faith: that death is not the end, because Jesus has defeated death.”2 … Let’s take a moment to silently pray and reflect on the meaning of sacrifice. (Spiritual Eldercare) A pastor stood at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and watched as a man in tears lay a wreath at the base of the memorial. The pastor put his hand on the man’s shoulder, and the man said, “Twenty-five years ago he stepped into the line of fire for me, the least I can do is say, ‘Thanks.’” Source: Unknown However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind.” — Douglas MacArthur “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”— President Ronald Reagan Top Five Memorial Day Illustrations A History of Memorial Day The custom of placing flowers on the graves of the war began on May 5, 1866, in Waterloo, NY, and Waterloo has been recognized by Congress as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1868, Gen. John A. Logan, then president of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared that May 30 would be a day to decorate with “flowers the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion.” After World War I the day was set aside to honor the of all American wars, and the custom was extended to pay homage to deceased relatives and friends, both military and civilian. The most solemn ceremony conducted on Memorial Day is the placing of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns located in Arlington national Cemetery. Some Southern states observe Confederate Memorial Day--April 26 in Georgia, the last Monday in April in Alabama and Mississippi, and May 10 in South Carolina. Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina do not observe the general holiday, and in Virginia the last Monday in May is called Confederate Memorial Day.” SOURCE: Encyclopedia Americana, 1991 edition Contributed by: David Whitten Jeff Greenfield is a news correspondent for ABC News. He lives in Salisbury, Connecticutt and has attended the same Memorial Day observance in his community for the last 15 years. He writes: "At 10 a.m., the parade begins moving down Main Street. It is a small parade: two vintage cars, bearing the region’s oldest war veterans; the men and women who served in the military; the Salisbury Town Band; the Scouts; the Housatonic Day Care Center; the fire trucks from the volunteer fire departments in and around the Northwest Corner. We fall in line behind the fire trucks, and follow the parade to the cemetery. There’s a hymn, and a prayer, followed by a Scout who reads the Gettysburg Address, haltingly, shyly. Then come the names of the men who died in the World Wars, in Korea, in Vietnam. A minister recites the 23rd Psalm, a bugler plays taps (with another bugler far away playing the echo), the flag is raised from half-staff, and we all walk the few steps back to the Village Center. It is as artless, as unaffected a ceremony as can be imagined. There are no speech writers, no advance men measuring the best angles for TV (there is no TV) and by the end of it, I—along with many other allegedly sophisticated urban types, are in tears. The men whose names have been read indeed gave what Lincoln called “the last, full measure of devotion”—some in wars whose purpose no one could doubt—some in wars whose purpose will never be clear, some for the folly and arrogance of the men in charge. When they fell, their deaths were a small part of a bigger story. But every Memorial Day, the lives they never got to live, and the people they left behind, are the only story that matters. That is why it matters that their names are uttered aloud before people who never knew any of them. That is why it matters that we were there this year—and will be there the next and the next and the next. SOURCE: Jeff Greenfield. ABC News InFocus, May 28, 1997. During World War II a young soldier named David Webster of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne wrote his mother: "Stop worrying about me. I joined the parachutists to fight. I intend to fight. If necessary, I shall die fighting, but don’t worry about this because no war can be won without young men dying. Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice." A little 7-year-old boy named Alex was staring at a large plaque in the church foyer. The plaque was covered with names and small American flags. As Alex looked at it, his pastor walked up and said, “Good morning Alex.” Alex said, “Pastor, what it this?” “Well, it is a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.” Soberly, they stood together staring at the plaque. In a tender voice Alex asked, “Which service, the 8:30 or the 11:00?” The custom of placing flowers on the graves of the war veterans began on May 5, 1866, in Waterloo, New York. Waterloo has been recognized by Congress as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1868, General John A. Logan, then president of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared that May 30 would be a day to “decorate with flowers the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion.” After World War I the day was set aside to honor all of the American wars, and the custom was extended to pay homage to deceased relatives and friends, both military and civilian. (Source unknown).

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 ___________________________________

Mary's Hope for the World

December 11, 2022 Luke 1:46-55 Mary’s Hope for the World Year A Third Sunday of Advent Opening Song Welcome Advent Hymn Lighting of the Advent Candle CALL TO WORSHIP One: Our souls magnify the Lord. Our spirits rejoice in God our Savior! All: We come today with eager hope, awaiting God’s new revelation. One: The mighty One has done great things! God’s mercy covers generations. All: We come today with ready peace, trusting with anticipation. One: The One who lifted up the lowly And filled the hungry, dwells with us. All: We come today with fervent joy, we worship with great expectation. (Inspired by Luke 1:46b-55, The Magnificat) (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Mia McClain) INVOCATION God of Mary, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Rahab— God of us all, your children here and your children afar— We enter this moment of worship with eager anticipation. We know that even before a child would come to lead the way, You were leading our way. From the valleys of the shadows of death to the tables in the presence of enemies, you have never left us nor forsaken us. You rod and your staff have guided us. Guide us now, O God. Make your presence known as we worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Mia McClain) Song Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming UMH 216 Children’s Sermon Object suggested: Magnifying glass and objects that would be interesting to view when magnified such as a leaf, blade of grass, print in a book, a bug. It is fun to look at ordinary things through a magnifying glass. The magnifying glass makes an object appear larger. We can see details we didn’t know were there. A magnifying glass helps us get a closer look at things. Let’s take some time to see what we can discover. See how the print in this book gets larger as you pull the magnifying glass away from the page? Look at your fingernails and hands through the magnifying glass. Do you see anything that surprises you? (Provide various objects that would interest children.) The word “magnify” has two meanings. It means to make things larger, as when we look through a magnifying glass, and it also means to “praise” or “give thanks.” In the Bible, as we read about the birth of Jesus, we learn that Mary felt joy because she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus and she gave thanks to God. She said, “My soul magnifies the Lord” (1:46). “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior…” (1:47). The joy that Mary felt, as she prepared for the arrival of Jesus, is available to us as we celebrate his birth. Tonight, Christmas Eve, we have the opportunity to praise God and give thanks for his love. We “magnify the Lord” as we sing Christmas carols, read from the Bible, light candles, pray, and listen to the story of the birth of Jesus. Take a closer look at God’s love that is offered to us through the Christ child. “Magnify the Lord.” Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2008, Richard Niell Donovan Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 35, Luke 1, Matthew 11) Upside-down God, you announce your coming with exciting news: the hungry will eat their fill, the oppressed will dance in newfound freedom; you proclaim your mission with hard news: the well fed will go hungry, the powerful will lose their status. We find ourselves squirming as we acknowledge our participation in structures that oppress and marginalize. Help us accept and proclaim the coming of your Son as truly good news. Give us the courage to set aside our privilege, and help bring about this upside-down world, where everyone can sing together for joy. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Laura Bartlett) Words of Assurance (Isaiah 35) The desert shall rejoice and blossom. Waters shall break forth in the wilderness. The burning sand shall become a pool. The God who can transform the dry lands can also transform the desert of our lives. Abundant forgiveness is ours from the God who turns sorrow and sighing into joy and gladness. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Laura Bartlett) Passing the Peace of Christ (Isaiah 35) The coming of Christ turns the world upside down. For folks who are quite content with things as they are, this may not feel like good news! But a greater vision lies before us—God’s vision of real life for all. Comfort one another with these words of encouragement: “Be strong, do not fear.” Respond in kind with these words of hope: “God will come and save you.” Scripture And Responsive Reading Luke 1:46-55 UMH 199 Sermon Mary’s Hope for the World Have you ever imagined that your life was a Broadway musical? And you are just going about your everyday life, say washing the dishes and all of a sudden, you just break out in a song? I bet you think that it would never happen – perhaps you are saying that there is nothing worth singing about in your life, or perhaps you are not that dramatic, or maybe you think that you are not that good of a singer. What if I told you that you do it every week. We come to church, we listen to scripture, we pray, we take it all in, and what do we do – we sing about it. We even stand up and sing songs that we all know (most of the time). We sing about whatever the lesson is for the day. So you see, being a Christian is a lot like starring in a Broadway musical. You probably never realized that the book of Luke is actually written as a musical. Luke loves for his main characters to burst out in song, praising God and celebrating the good things that God has done for them. There is the book of psalms – which are songs of faith for every occasion in life. In the first two chapters of Luke, there are 4 important songs that are critical to our faith. Today, we focus on the Song of Mary. Imagine the scene – Mary has been visited by an angel and told that she will bear a son – this son is the answer to the prayers of the nation. The angel tells her that she does not have to bear the child alone – because she has a cousin (or perhaps an aunt) Elizabeth who also has a special pregnancy. She needs to get a way and process all of this, so she decides to visit Elizabeth. When she arrives, Elizabeth and the unborn baby celebrate Mary. And right on cue – Mary breaks out in the song – My soul magnifies the Lord. She says that she is blessed and special because God has showed her mercy – God will provide for those in need. Before Jesus gives the sermon on the mount and says blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they will be fed. His Mother said He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away. Now some say Mary was just singing the words of a hymn that she would have known by heart, some say that this song was an impromptu response to the joy of the moment. We are not sure where Luke got this song – but we do know that the broadway moment continues today – not only when we sing, but as we live out our faith and follow her son jesus in everything that we do. Through this song of Mary we feel her expressing her faith and vision, and asking the right questions. In an old biography of Francis of Assisi, the story is told of a night he spent in the castle of an Italian nobleman. The host was curious as to the secret of Francis' remarkable vitality, so he arranged to have Francis spend the night in the chamber adjacent to his own. As soon as they retired, the nobleman watched to see what Francis would do, and it turned out to be quite simple. He knelt by his bed and prayed over and over again, "O Lord, who art thou, and who am I? Who art thou and who am I? Who art thou and who am I?" The biographer concludes that this is one of the clues of Francis' greatness. All his life he continued to ask the right questions, he never tired of trying to penetrate ever more deeply into the core of our existence. After all, the God-question and self-question are the ultimate realities. If we would grow in spiritual intensity, here are two frontiers on which the Magnificat is built. I love St Francis’ questions to God – Who are you and who am I. Advent is our season for asking the same questions. This is sort of the season for questions isn't it? Especially questions about the Christmas Story. There are so many elements that are just barely touched on. We get the smallest glimpse of what they really were. Yet we read them with the familiarity of our favorite children's bedtime story. We know every detail of the story. We know everyone of the characters. And we don't dare leave one out. You know, at the time of her conversation with Gabriel, Mary didn’t think of herself as the mother of God. There are a lot of misconceptions about Mary. Nowhere in the Bible does it say where to worship Mary. Nowhere in the Bible does it say we are to pray to Mary. Nowhere in the Bible does it say she was perfect or sinless. Nowhere does it say that she was God or even co-equal with God. What is so special about Mary is, she was so un-special. God took an ordinary, run of the mill, teenage, peasant girl and used her in an unbelievably extraordinary way. At the time of the conversation, not only was Mary Unspecial, she was also unlikely. But that is why she is singing – God has turned everything upside down. For once – the little guy wins and finds favor with God. The people who were lost in the dessert are now redeemed, those who were exiles are now favored children of God, God is not only the defender of the poor and vulnerable – God gives them justice and gifts. Brayden was about nine years old when he came to the church after school program. He was staying with his grandma who had to work until 6. The principal recommended that he come to the program so that he would be alone at home. Everything changed when he walked in. In Sunday School he would ask questions that were not appropriate for children. He would terrorize the girls in the class by pulling their chairs from under him. The teachers were always on edge with him. The staff would have special meeting, just to talk about what to do with him. Unlike a lot of the children he was there every week. When he saw the staff on the street, he would point them out. He even introduced his Sunday school teacher to his grandma who worked at the local grocery store. One lesson before Christmas, the class was talking about home – they were talking about where they were going to celebrate Christmas. When it came Brayden’s turn he could not talk about the place where he felt the spirit of love. First he said that he had lived a lot of different places. Then he was asked where he felt the most secure. Matter of factly, Brayden said – right here in my church. The person that the teacher felt was the least likely to get the message – understood the best. God comes to us in the least likely people, in the least likely places and the least expected places. – and when he does – we break out in song – or at least Luke’s characters do. Mary’s song is just the beginning of Luke’s story. There are at least 40 songs of faith in the book of Luke. For Luke, when we sing – we are invited into a triangle with God. We are called to live a life of service to bring about a balanced world for all. Just as the birth of the messiah came through the life of an ordinary unspecial young woman, miracles happen every day. When we get together and sing – the world changes. On Christmas Day a small manger scene sat on a table just inside the doorway to a neatly kept home. People hurried past it all day. They barely noticed tiny figures gathered around the infant tucked in the straw. In the morning children raced by it on their way to the Christmas tree. At noon, arriving guests pushed past it to get to the dining room. One accidentally knocked over a shepherd as he took off his winter coat. Later in the afternoon a well-fed group of adults and children moved somewhat slowly by the manger again as they drifted from the dining room back to the living room. Almost none of them stopped to look at the manger. In fact, none of them even noticed it, except two. An elderly woman, walking with a cane, paused in front of the scene. Gently she set the shepherd back in an upright position. Then she looked at the Christ child in the middle of all the figures. As she stood there, she became aware of her small grandson standing by her side. As the voices drifted in from the living room, the two continued to look at the manger scene. At length a smile spread across the woman's face and the child took her hand. In the midst of a day filled with so much busyness, food and opening, the two of them quietly received God's gift. Today we come face to face with a mind-boggling, bumfuzzling, unlikely idea and story. It's a story that is almost incomprehensible in its simplicity and truth. It's a story that is, in itself, a gift. It's a gift wrapped with the most exquisite paper imaginable, a bundle of swaddling clothes. This gift was left for each of us, under the tree of life nearly 2,000 years ago by Him whose birthday we celebrate today. This gift has been offered to everyone. Some have left their packages unclaimed. Others have graciously accepted the gift and carry it around everywhere they go. Unfortunately, they've failed to begin unwrapping and discovering the hidden splendor and grace of God's love. The packages are all alike: in each one is a scroll addressed to us individually, on which is written, "I love you!" and it's signed God. Although it seems like such an Unlikely Gift, born in such an Unlikely Place, to such Unlikely Parents and for such an Unlikely Purpose, it’s really the work of God. All you have to do is reach out and accept the gift which God has for you? Don't leave it under the tree. Find the gift in Mary’s story and her song. Now it is time for us to stand and sing the finale! Amen. Song I want to Walk as a Child of the Light UMH 206 Prayer Lord of delight and surprises, you come to us each day with opportunity, love, support. You pour your blessings on us, reminding us of your compassionate presence with us. Help us to be people of loving service. Help us to see the ways in which you enter our lives and enable us to serve you by serving your people. As we have come to you this day, bringing our concerns for healing and hope, remind us that you are with us all and that your healing mercies are given. Give us the courage to be faithful stewards of your creation and bring us together with one another in celebration and service. Lift us up, bring us forward, give us peace. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook God forth with great expectation Waiting for God’s mercy to fill us Wait for the God’s grace to surround us Wait for God’s child to lead us And in that waiting, May God bless and keep you May God’s face shine upon you May God be gracious to you And give you peace. Amen ( United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Mia McClain) Community Time Benediction Let the love of God flow into your hearts. Believe in the power of God to change your life. Behold the goodness of God in creation and in others. Be at peace and celebrate God’s good news. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations An eight-year-old girl was showing her preschool sister a picture of Mary and the baby Jesus. The younger girl examined the picture closely and then she asked, "Where's Joseph?" The older sister thought for a moment and then replied, "He's taking the picture." (1) Bruce Larson tells a beautiful and true Christmas story that appeared sometime back in the Denver Post. It seems, a week or so before Christmas, a pastor told his congregation about a needy family facing a bleak Christmas. One young father decided to do something about it. He and his son set out in the family pickup to cut down a fresh evergreen and deliver it to this needy family. They ran into a rock slide and a boulder hit the truck. It was totally wrecked. The windshield was smashed and while the father wasn't hurt, the young boy was cut by the glass and bleeding severely. They tried to wave down a passing motorist to help, but to no avail. Finally, after over two hundred cars had whizzed by, one stopped. The couple in the car took care of the injured boy, returned the two to their home, and then went on. The father and son never got the names of their two ministering angels. I'm sure it was a little bit of Christmas miracle, because in a week's time the truck was repaired and the boy's injury healed. On Christmas Eve, the pastor asked this same man if he'd deliver a basket of food and toys to the needy family he'd set out to bring the tree to earlier. He loaded up his truck and drove to the address he was given and rang the doorbell. Who should answer the door but the couple who'd stopped to help him on the highway just weeks before? (2) Life does not always work out quite that neatly. But the story does point to what Mary teaches us. Life IS Hard but in the midst of all the hardship the world can throw our way, God Is Good. An eight-year-old girl was showing her preschool sister a picture of Mary and the baby Jesus. The younger girl examined the picture closely and then she asked, "Where's Joseph?" The older sister thought for a moment and then replied, "He's taking the picture." (1) This is sort of the season for questions isn't it? Especially questions about the Christmas Story. There are so many elements that are just barely touched on. We get the smallest glimpse of what they really were. Yet we read them with the familiarity of our favorite children's bedtime story. We know every detail of the story. We know everyone of the characters. And we don't dare leave one out. It's right under your nose, so don’t miss it like the editor of that paper did when the Wright brothers made their first flight. In the year 1870 the Methodists in Indiana were having their Annual Conference. At one point, the president of the college where they were meeting said, "I think we live in a very exciting age." The presiding bishop said "What do you see in our future?" The college president responded, "I believe we are coming into a time of great inventions. I believe, for example, that men will fly through the air like birds." The Bishop was indignant and said, "That's heresy! The Bible says that flight is reserved for the angels. We will have no more such talk here." After the Annual Conference was over, the bishop, whose name was Wright, went home to his two small sons, Orville and Wilbur. And, of course, you know what they did to their father's vision.(1) You probably remember that when they were older, the Wright brothers, had a bicycle shop, which was the source of their income for their experiments in flight. They had tried repeatedly to fly a heavier-than-air craft. Finally on December 17, 1903, on the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, they did what no one had never done before. They actually flew under engine power! Elated, they wired their sister Katherine, "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Their sister was so excited, she ran down the street, shoved the telegram with the news scoop of the century, into the hands of the city editor of the local paper. He read it carefully, smiled and said, "Well, well! How nice the boys will be home for Christmas!" And the next day, buried on page 16, underneath the obituaries, was this notice: "Local bicycle merchants to spend holidays at home." Can you believe it? One of the major events of the twentieth century, and the editor completely missed it, even though it was right under his own nose! (2) Why? Because at the time it seemed so unlikely. The Christmas is about the Unlikely as well