Mission and Discipleship

October 5, 2025 World Communion Sunday 17th Sunday After Pentecost Psalm 137 Mission and Discipleship Year C Prelude Greeting Good morning on this first Sunday of October – It is good to see each and everyone of you here. It is also glad to see those who I can’t see on Facebook. No matter who we are – we all are a child of God, Gods grace is with us, and god has called us into this space. Welcome – god is glad that you are here, and wants you to feel comfortable and at home. October always starts our with world communion Sunday – where are reminded that God calls us to be the hands and feet of grace. We re reminded of the stories of others, and as John Wesley used to say the world is my parish – we are all one no matter where we are in the world. This is also the first day of our stewardship campaign – where we are encouraged to think about our commitment to our church. Our theme for the next six weeks will be mission, discipleship and stewardship. This is an interesting time in the church, lots of special things are happening this time of year. Let us begin as we feel the presence of God all around…… Introit Call to Worship LEADER: Come, all who sit by rivers of sorrow, who have hung up their hope and wondered if God still sings. PEOPLE: We come carrying exile in our bones, dislocation in our hearts, and longing in our prayers. LEADER: This is the table where memory is honored, where story is sacred, where strangers become siblings. PEOPLE: We come to taste and see that the Lord is good, to feast on grace, to believe again in belonging. LEADER: table is set. Around the world, across languages and landscapes, a holy PEOPLE: We come not because we are worthy, but because Christ calls us in love. ALL: Come, let us worship the One who welcomes, the One who remembers, the One who feeds the whole world with hope. Opening Prayer Gracious God, with grateful hearts we gather to bring you praise. May your praises fill the whole earth. We are thankful for your mighty works, and for the tender care you give us. We praise you with our voices, our bodies, our instruments, ourselves. We join all of creation to give you praise. In the name of your Son, our Lord, amen. (Peace and Global Witness, Charles Wiley) Song Bread of the World UMH 624 A Sermon for all Ages ITEMS TO GATHER • A globe or world map; • Small pieces of different kinds of bread (pita, tortilla, challah, etc.) or pictures of bread; • Communion cup (or grape juice box) SCRIPT Good morning, friends! Today is a special day in our church called World Communion Sunday. That means Christians all over the world…people in Africa, Asia, South America, and right here in our own city…are all celebrating communion today. We are all different, but Jesus brings us together like one big family! Look at this globe. Can you find a place you’ve heard of or where someone you love lives? (Pause and let a few respond.) People there and there and there and there and even us right here are taking communion today! Isn’t that amazing? And look at this bread…different kinds of bread from around the world. Do you recognize the bread we use here in our church? Just like the bread might look different, the people might look or sound different, yet they’re gathered with church friends to eat the bread and drink the juice. No matter who eats the bread or where they eat the bread, we all remember Jesus’ love for each of us and how he taught us to love like God loves. When we take communion, we remember Jesus and his life. We remember that Jesus loves us, and we are called to love others too. No matter where they live or what kind of bread they eat. So today, let’s thank God for people all around the world, and let’s remember we’re part of one big family...Jesus’ family. church? Just like the bread might look different, the people might look or sound different, yet they’re gathered with church friends to eat the bread and drink the juice. No matter who eats the bread or where they eat the bread, we all remember Jesus’ love for each of us and how he taught us to love like God loves. When we take communion, we remember Jesus and his life. We remember that Jesus loves us, and we are called to love others too. No matter where they live or what kind of bread they eat. So today, let’s thank God for people all around the world, and let’s remember we’re part of one big family...Jesus’ family. Have children repeat after you phrase by phrase as Dear God, Thank you for loving everyone, Everywhere in the world. Help us to share your love, With all your people. We love you God. Thank you for loving us. Amen. Dear God, thank you for loving everyone in the world. Help us to share your love with all of your people. We love you God. Thank you for loving us. Amen Derywhere in the world. Help us to share your lo Affirmation of Faith The Nicene Creed UMH 880 Anthem Scripture Psalm 137 Sermon Mission and Discipleship Introduction: When the World Feels Strange Have you ever felt like the world around you has changed so much that you hardly recognize it anymore? Like the ground beneath your feet has shifted—and suddenly, you’re not quite sure where you belong? That’s where the people of God found themselves in Psalm 137. They were exiles—taken from their homeland, dragged to Babylon, and surrounded by a foreign culture that didn’t share their faith, their values, or their hope. They sat by the rivers of Babylon and wept. Their harps—symbols of worship—hung silent on the trees. Their captors mocked them: “Sing us one of your happy songs about Zion!” But the people couldn’t. Their hearts were broken. Their faith was shaken. And they cried out, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” ________________________________________ I. Exile: A Reality Then and Now For the Israelites, exile was literal. They were torn from Jerusalem, from the Temple, from everything that gave their lives structure and meaning. But exile comes in many forms. Today, exile might look like this: • A church that once thrived but now feels empty. • A believer who feels out of place in a world that has forgotten God. • A person whose faith feels foreign even in their own home. We too sit by the rivers of Babylon at times—longing for a world that once felt more faithful, more grounded, more holy. Illustration: I once visited a congregation that had nearly given up. Their pastor said, “We’ve been shrinking for so long that we stopped dreaming. We hung up our harps.” But then they started a small food pantry. Week after week, hungry families began to come. Soon, worship attendance grew—not because people came for food, but because they found hope. That church learned to sing again in a strange land. ________________________________________ II. The Temptation to Silence The psalm says, “We hung up our harps.” That’s not just a poetic line—it’s a spiritual danger. When life gets hard, when ministry feels futile, when culture shifts away from faith—it’s tempting to go silent. To stop singing. To stop serving. To stop believing our small efforts matter. But discipleship is not conditional. We are called to follow Jesus even in exile. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Faithfulness is not about comfort—it’s about calling. Even when the land feels foreign, the mission remains. Illustration: A missionary in Eastern Europe once said, “We came thinking we’d build a church. Instead, we learned to plant seeds of hope in soil that looked barren. Now, people are singing who didn’t even know the song before.” Disciples don’t hang up their harps—they tune them to God’s heart, wherever they are. ________________________________________ III. Remembering Who We Are The exiles said, “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.” Even in Babylon, they remembered who they were—the people of God. Memory became their survival. They couldn’t sing for Babylon, but they could sing to God. Mission begins with memory. Before we can go out into the world, we must remember who sent us. Before we serve, we must remember Whose we are. In baptism, we were named and claimed. In the Great Commission, we were sent: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… and remember, I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:19–20) The exile wasn’t the end of the story. It was the training ground for renewal. ________________________________________ IV. Singing as an Act of Resistance To sing in exile is to resist despair. It’s to declare, “God is still God, even here.” Think about the spirituals sung by enslaved Africans in America. In the deepest oppression, they sang, “Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.” Those songs were acts of resistance and faith—songs that said, “You may chain my body, but you can’t silence my soul.” That’s what mission looks like: singing hope into hopeless places. Illustration: When Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Acts 16, they didn’t despair—they sang hymns. And Scripture says, “the prisoners were listening.” That’s discipleship. The world listens when God’s people sing through suffering. Every act of love, every meal shared, every prayer whispered in a broken world is a song of the Lord in a strange land. ________________________________________ V. The Hard Ending: Anger and Hope Psalm 137 ends with disturbing words—violent, vengeful cries for justice. They sound shocking to modern ears. But don’t dismiss them too quickly. They are the honest cries of a wounded people longing for God to set things right. Mission and discipleship don’t mean pretending everything is fine. They mean bringing our whole selves to God—anger, grief, and all—and trusting Him to transform our pain into purpose. Through Christ, God took the cry for vengeance and turned it into a call for redemption. “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) The cross is where exile ends—and mission begins again. ________________________________________ VI. Application: Singing Where You Are So what does it mean to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? It means this: • If your workplace feels hostile to faith—sing there by living with integrity. • If your community feels broken—sing there by serving. • If your church feels small—sing there by loving one another deeply. Illustration: One small rural church in Illinois—just 15 members—started “Mission Meals.” Once a month, they made hot dinners for anyone who needed them. Over time, they served hundreds. One woman said, “I came for food, but I found family.” That’s singing the Lord’s song in Babylon. ________________________________________ VII. Conclusion: Don’t Hang Up Your Harp The world may feel strange. The culture may shift. The church may shrink. But our mission has not changed. We are disciples of the risen Christ, called to love, serve, and witness in every land—familiar or foreign. We sing not because life is easy, but because God is faithful. So take your harp off the tree. Lift your voice again. Because the world still needs to hear the song of God’s grace. “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.” (Psalm 98:1) ________________________________________ Closing Prayer Lord, when the world feels foreign, teach us to remember You. When we are tempted to give up, help us to keep singing. Let our lives be songs of hope, faith, and love— until every land, and every heart, becomes Your home. In Jesus’ name, Amen. sermon written by Chapt GPT version 5 Song One Bread, One Body Pastoral Prayer God of the rivers and the wilderness, of Babylon and Jerusalem, we come to you today with the deep ache of a world that still knows displacement. We pray for all who are wandering, refugees fleeing war, immigrants seeking welcome, souls lost in systems that forget their name. May they find rest. May they find home. We pray for the ones whose faith feels the size of a mustard seed, tiny, unsure, overwhelmed. May they know that even the smallest act of trust can plant forests of transformation. Help us show up, as servants, as neighbors, as those willing to set the table for others. We lift up those in sorrow, those grieving loss, carrying illness, navigating fractured relationships. Hold their brokenness with tenderness. Bring healing where healing can come, and peace where it cannot. We pray for the church universal, each congregation celebrating Communion this day, each voice singing in their own key of grace. Let our unity not erase our difference, but celebrate it, a foretaste of the kingdom where every tribe, every language, every story has a place. And God, where the world breaks trust and justice is delayed, let your Spirit stir us toward equity, let your church rise to embody compassion, and let your table always remain open, never guarded. In the name of Christ who breaks bread with the broken, we pray. Amen.WORSHIP & PRAYER Lord’s Prayer A Stewardship Moment Invite several folks to bring coins or bills from a variety of countries (or use images on the screen), to help identify how congregations around the world are receiving an offering this morning. Whether we share kwatcha, francs, pesos or dollars, we are invited to bring an offering today, to support this congregation and our world-wide ministries. (Describe one or two specific outreach ministries which are underwritten by your offering.) From the smallest coin to the largest check, every gift is valued, appreciated and will be used to sustain the work of Christ in the world. With generous hearts and open hands, let us share our offering. We all work together to build the kingdom of God, to being all to the table of God. We have an opportunity to give, but you also received. In your bulletin in a gospel dollar – to remind us that the currency we give to God is all the same in Jesus eyes, he uses our gifts to spread the gospel to the world and to people who need to hear it. If you take the time to look at the gospel dollar – you will see that it has all of the lessons of the new testament, all of Jesus words to us, all that Jesus wanted us to know. As we gp through the next six weeks, I invite you to hold onto it – to remind us of the importance of mission, stewardship and discipleship. Even though it is in the form of a dollar bill, stewardship is so much more than how much we put in the offering plate. It is how we live out God’s word in our life. It is what we do to serve others. It how well we listen to God. The dollar that you receive is a reminder of what it means to be a disciple of God. I would invite you to hold onto it during the stewardship campaign to remind us of what the next six weeks is all about, you can pass it on to someone else. Some people have used it in addition to their tip to encourage others and to tell others about the gospel. Or you can return it into the basket in the narthex. Let us remember to be generous disciples living in mission together. Offertory Prayer Generous God, You have set a table that stretches from Charlotte to Kinshasa, from Bogotá to Seoul. You have fed us with grace and invited us into your holy community of justice and joy. So now, we offer back to you a portion of what we have received. May our gifts, of money, time, and lives, be used to extend your welcome, to build tables in places long denied a feast, and to nourish hope in hearts still waiting for home. Bless and multiply these gifts for your glory and your people. Amen. Intro to Communion By the rivers of Babylon, they sat down and wept. They hung up their harps and could not find the strength to sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land. Psalm 137 doesn’t ease us in; it begins with grief and rage, a people displaced and aching. And yet, on this World Communion Sunday, we come to the table bringing our own songs and silences, our own longings for home, wholeness and healing. The question is not merely how to sing, but what it means to sing when your heart is heavy, your identity is questioned, and your community feels fractured. Psalm 137 is not an abstract metaphor. It names the human experience of dislocation, emotional, spiritual, political. Many people today, immigrants, exiles, refugees, the displaced and the disillusioned, still sit by rivers with harps hung up. And yet this day, across time zones and nations, we lift up the cup and break bread. We proclaim that there is a table wide enough for every pain, every accent, every story. We do not forget the city of God because the table reminds us of where we belong, and with whom. Rowan Williams writes of the Eucharist as a place where we come not because we’re good at being faithful, but precisely because we are not. We come not because we’ve figured it out, but because we’re still lost in many ways. And yet Jesus invites us in, week after week, to sit and eat and remember. To be known. To be transformed. Communion is more than ritual. It is more than nostalgia. It is a prophetic declaration that in a world of walls, there remains a place where the table extends further than we ever dreamed. It is a declaration that in a culture of me-first, there is still a gathering centered around mutuality, grace and a Savior who feeds all without condition. World Communion Service. UMH 13. (do not print all of the words) The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. The pastor may lift hands and keep them raised. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty (almighty God), creator of heaven and earth. You have made from one every nation and people to live on all the face of the earth. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn: The pastor may lower hands. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The pastor may raise hands. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. He commissioned us to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth and to make disciples of all nations, and today his family in all the world is joining at his holy table. The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread, or touch the bread, or lift the bread. On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the cup, or touch the cup, or lift the cup. When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." The pastor may raise hands. And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. The pastor may hold hands, palms down, over the bread and cup. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. The pastor may raise hands. Renew our communion with your Church throughout the world, and strengthen it in every nation and among every people to witness faithfully in your name. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father (God ), now and for ever. Amen. Copyright: “The Great Thanksgiving for World Communion Sunday,” Copyright © 1972 The Methodist Publishing House; Copyright © 1980, 1985, 1989, 1992 UMPH. Used by permission. Announcements Trustee meeting next week Closing Prayer for Facebook Go now as those who have been fed, not only with bread and cup, but with remembrance, mercy, and the wild welcome of Christ. Let your faith, even if only a mustard seed, uproot indifference, plant compassion, and prepare a place for someone else to be seen, to be heard, to be healed. Wherever you go, Babylon or Jerusalem, downtown or dirt road, may you carry the table with you. And may the Spirit of God go before you to stir courage, walk beside you to offer peace, and dwell within you to keep setting the table of grace. Go in love, go in justice, go in belonging. Amen. Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Let us go from this place trusting that God is with us and for us in every place. May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the companionship of the Holy Spirit be with you and abide with you this day and forever-more. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, John Wurster) At the end print These worship resources are part of the World Communion Sunday pastor and leader kit. They can be adapted for your context and integrated into your worship service

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