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).

The Great Commission

June 4, 2023 Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission Trinity Sunday Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 8) One: Gathered to worship the Creator of the stars and all of life, Many: we lift our hands and hearts to praise God, whose glory is greater than all the heavens. One: Formed as God’s own people, we are just a little lower than God. Many: And it is God who gives dominion to humans! One: How excellent is God’s name in all the earth! Many: How majestic is your creation! (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer God, maker of all life, we’re together to give you our praise and offer you our heart-felt gratitude for making us in your image. We’re surrounded by a billion stars, and yet we only know ONE where you’ve given dominion to your creatures. You’ve called us by name, and made your home with your human sons and daughters. So we praise you and ask you to draw us close so we may be filled once more by your Spirit and led into a new week of love and service. AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Song Sweet Sweet Spirit UMH 334 Children’s Sermon Greet children, prepared with your mail or postal items of your choice. Hello, children of God! Today I want to talk with you about a very important job we have as Christians. Before Jesus went to Heaven, He gave His disciples some special instructions, and they apply to us, too! First, though, I want to show you some items I just picked up from the Post Office. See, here’s a letter from my Grandma, and this one is a card from my friend who lives far away…this one is a boring bill, but this one has some important news for me! Ooh, and this one is an invitation for a birthday party. I enjoy getting to pick up the mail from the box, and seeing what is inside. Do you like to receive mail? What do you think would happen if the mail carriers decided they just didn’t want to do their jobs anymore, and they quit bringing the letters? All of those important notices, and letters, and bills and information and invitation, all of that would never reach people! They might miss out on something they really needed to know. Did you know that our Post Office is actually controlled by the Government? If the mail delivery agents don’t properly drop off mail, it’s actually considered a crime! They have to do that job, and it’s an exciting one. Did you know that we have an essential task to carry out, as well? Jesus gave us some important instructions to fulfill. Before He ascended into Heaven, He reminded the disciples that He would always be with them. And He told them to go into all of the world and make disciples of other people. That meant they were commanded to spread the Gospel, start churches, and tell others of Christ. We often refer to this sending as the “Great Commission”, as Jesus was sending us out to perform an essential task. Guess what? Those directions were not just for the disciples. It’s our turn, now! God wants us to serve others and tell them about the good news of Jesus. That’s something that Jesus commanded us to do. It’s not something we can just choose to do if we feel like it, but a critical part of who we are as Christians. Just as mail is sent out, we are sent out, and it’s our job to share God’s love with one another. We can do this around the whole world, but we can also do it with people near to us. What are some ways we can follow that Great Commission of Jesus? Well, we can tell people about Jesus. We can invite them to church or Sunday School. We can Copyright © Ministry-To-Children.com – Permission granted for any non-profit use. Written by Kristin Schmidt . Illustrations from ChristianClipArts.com Scripture quotes The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016 Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles. send them cards or letters…and we can just love them and be their friends! That’s a great way to share and spread the good news. When we are faithful to God, we can make more followers. And it’s a beautiful thing! This is not just a task we have to do, but something we get to do! It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to take part in helping God bring the world into relationship with Him. People need to get those good news messages. Let’s deliver them! Children’s Prayer Moment Dear God, Please help us to love and serve others Those near us, and around the world Thank you for allowing us to be part of your great plan Help us to share the good news And spread your love to one another Thank you for your love We love you, God! In Jesus name, Amen! Affirmation of Faith UMC 880 Scripture Matthew 28:16-20 Sermon The Great Commission The mission statement of the United Methodist Church is to go make disciples of all nations for the transformation of the world. When we are baptized, it is in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit. These are both statements that come from the last few verses of Matthew 28. Christ has risen and he tells his disciples to meet him on a holy mountain in Galilee. Before Jesus rises to heaven, he gives them these last words, words that will stick with us until the end of time. Matthew has told an epic story of the messiah and his impact on the world, and in the end Matthew reminds us all that the ball is in our hand now – Jesus simply tells us to go….that is the great commission. Get on with It! A college choir was all set to present its package of music in a large church. The program of sacred song was to be carried live by a local radio station. When everything appeared to be ready, the announcer made his final introduction and waited for the choir director to begin. One of the tenors was not ready, however, so the venerable conductor refused to raise his baton. All this time, nothing but silence was being broadcast. Growing very nervous, the announcer, forgetting that his microphone was still on and that he could be heard in the church and on the radio, said in exasperation, "Get on with it, you old goat!" Later in the week, the radio station got a letter from one of its listeners--a man who had tuned in to listen to the music from the comfort of his easy chair. When he heard "Get on with it, you old goat!" he took the message personally. He had been doing nothing to further God's work, and this startling message was enough to convict him and get him going again. Sometimes we need a wakeup call. We need to be reminded that before Jesus left this earth, He gave us all the instructions we need. He told us we should go and make disciples. We need to get on with it! Revive us, Lord! Is zeal abating while harvest fields are vast and white? Revive us, Lord--the world is waiting! Equip Thy church to spread the light. It's what you're doing today that counts, not what you're going to do tomorrow. Our Daily Bread There is a difference between a command and a commission. When we were a child, our parents would tell us to do something. If we dare talk back and ask why – they would always say “because I said so that’s why – that is a command. God tends to not do that with our faith. If God wants us to truly do something and understand what and why we are doing it, God shows us, stands with us, and gives us the tools to do the job – that is a commission. The last words of Matthew chapter 28 is called the great commission. We read them today on father, son and holy spirit day. Trinity Sunday is important – because Easter is the season of the power of Jesus, Pentecost, even though it is only one day – it is the season of the holy spirit with us right now. Trinity Sunday reminds us that God is the guiding force behind everything. God is creator, redeemer and sustainer. God is the power of Christ and the holy spirit. The trinity is the wholeness of God at work in our faith. The trinity reminds us that God is everywhere. In the scripture Jesus tells us to go in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit. This is the only place in the bible where Jesus says that. This is a very short scripture – but it tells us everything. Annual Conference is coming up for us this week. Last week, the clergy met together in order to handle our business. Bishop Scherwin also taught us about spiritual development. He says that every morning, he begins his devotional time by reading the psalms and picking out a word that speaks to him. I enjoy reading his devotional on facebook. The process that he used is called lectio divina – or holy words. In this scripture, the word that stood out to me – is doubt. When Jesus called his disciples to the holy mountain, they worshipped, but some of them doubted. Worship is the normal response when you realize that Jesus is our saviour. But for some of us – life is not that easy – we have questions and concerns. But I would not say that there is a division between the worshippers and the doubters. No matter who we are – we all have questions. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have questions. We would not have real faith, if we had not gone through times when none of this made any sense. The good news is that a God that gives us the commission, is a God who gives us permission to wrestle. Just as Jacob wrestled with an angel, we too get to wrestle with our beliefs. Where there is adoration there is indecision, where there is prayer, there is puzzlement, where there is worship there is doubt. That is okay, As long as we remember the great commission – go – keep it moving. The best way to work through our doubt is to continue to work, the have a sense of purpose, and to know that God is with you no matter what. A Blanket Order I love the story of the raw army recruit standing at attention on the drill field. The drill instructor yells, "Forward, march!" And the entire ranks begin to move, all except this one raw recruit. He's still standing there at attention. So the drill instructor strolls over to him and yells in his right ear, "Is this thing working?" "Sir, yes, sir!" The recruit yells. Then the drill instructor walks around to the other ear and yells, "Is this thing working?" "Sir, yes, sir!" The soldier says. "Then why didn't you march when I gave the order?" "Sir, I didn't hear you call my name." Some of us are like that soldier standing around waiting for God to call our names. But the great commission is a blanket order. It has everyone's name on it. And you can be sure that the man in charge says, "Go! Disciple! Teach!" Stephen M. Crotts / Stan Purdum, Sermons for Sundays: After Pentecost (First Third): Hidden In Plain View, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. The primary purpose of everything that we do in the church and in our faith is to glorify Jesus, which in turn glorifies God. Jesus says that he has been given all authority to help us with the mission of spreading love all over the world. Jesus does not make a distinction between the worshippers and the doubters, he is talking to us all. My fear is that sometimes we get so caught up into doing to work of the church – that we lose sight of why we are doing the work. The work of the church becomes a chore. Church of God Grill A story was told about a church in Atlanta. A man noticed in the Yellow Pages, in the listing of restaurants, an entry for a place called Church of God Grill. The peculiar name aroused his curiosity and he dialed the number. A man answered with a cheery, "Hello! Church of God Grill!" He asked how the restaurant had been given such an unusual name, and the man at the other end said: "Well, we had a little mission down here, and we started selling chicken dinners after church on Sunday to help pay the bills. Well, people liked the chicken, and we did such a good business, that eventually we cut back on the church service. After a while we just closed down the church altogether and kept on serving the chicken dinners. We kept the name we started with, and that’s Church of God Grill." The easiest thing in the world to do is to lose sight of the mission of the church. The clearest and most comprehensive command of our Lord is given in Matthew 28:16-20. This command was the last command given to the chosen disciples after Christ's resurrection and just before Jesus ascended to heaven. Jim Davis, The Call of Discipleship The great commission is important to us – it helps us to stay worshippers in spite of our doubt. William Willimon said: "In baptism we are initiated, crowned, chosen, embraced, washed, adopted, gifted, reborn, killed, and thereby sent forth and redeemed. We are identified as one of God's own, then assigned our place and our job within the kingdom of God." Billy D. Strayhorn, From the Pulpit, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. A Marathon Not a Dash I can't imagine a football player coming off the field in the third quarter, walking up to his coach, and saying, "Coach, I've been thinking. I've played enough. Let some other guys finish the contest. I'm going over there for a box of popcorn and relax with my girlfriend." It'd never happen! Yet it does happen in the church. "For ten years I've labored for you, Jesus. Sunday school, group prayer, worship, small groups. I've done it all. So now I'm going to buy me a sailboat and head for the beach every weekend I can. Let somebody else do your work for a while." And Jesus says, "Until the close of the age." You see, the Christian life is not a 100-yard dash. It's a lifelong marathon. Stephen M. Crotts / Stan Purdum, Sermons for Sundays: After Pentecost (First Third): Hidden In Plain View, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. If Christ will always be there for us, then we can be there for him. Amen Song Lord, You Give the Great Commission UMH 584 Prayer Creating God, we marvel at your work; the way you shaped this world from a formless void into our beautiful earth; we live because you loved. Hear our thanks and praise, Creator, for your wondrous work. Redeeming God, we needed a teacher, a prophet, a guide through the wilderness, a savior. You blessed us with Jesus and redeemed us through his death and resurrection, hear our thanks and praise, Redeemer, for your wondrous work. Sustaining God, you fill us with inspiration, a fire burning within us to seek your Word and your way. Holy Spirit of God, you call us together for community and communion. Hear our thanks and praise for your wondrous work and hear these prayers from our community: We pray for those who are ill and for their caregivers… We pray for those who grieve… We pray for those are isolated and alone… We pray for those who are overwhelmed and exhausted… We pray for those who are lost and afraid… In your mercy, Beloved God, hear the prayers of your people (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri Ott) Stewardship Moment Matthew’s Gospel ends with a blessing from the resurrected Jesus, framed as “marching orders” for the disciples. Early Christians would have heard these instructions as a job description for followers: 1) go make disciples 2) baptize the new believers 3) teach them everything I commanded you 4) remember “I am with you” As we prepare for our offering, we recognize our financial gifts, joined with our gifts of time and talent, make it possible for us to make disciples, inviting others through _________ [please describe specifically: advertising? On-line presence? Billboards? License plates? Support of a food pantry? Free classes?) welcome newly baptized (describe! with a reception or lunch? Banners at baptism? Introductory classes to link newcomers?) teach Jesus’ commandments (Sunday School? Bible study? Book groups?) remember Jesus will always be with us (communion, small groups who pray together?, support groups for those grieving?, groups for those recovering from addiction?) Knowing your offering makes a difference for this congregation and for many who yearn for a community with which to identify, let us share our tithes and gifts. Prayer of Thanksgiving God of all creation, thank you for each one who is present, and for all who continue to offer portions of their time, their talent and their treasure to follow Jesus’ instructions. Inspire each of us to be grateful for all you’ve given each of us, and generous in our giving, that we might continue to share the Good News of the Gospel both here and around the world. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Invitation for Communion (you do not need to print) (quotation from F. Buechner and reflection from Joanna Siebert, found at https://www.joannaseibert.com/daily/2018/8/5/buechner-memory-eucharist) “There are two ways of remembering. One way is to make an excursion from the living present back into the dead past. The old sock remembers how things used to be when you and I were young, Maggie. The faraway look in his eyes is partly the beer and partly that he’s really far away. The other way is to summon the dead past back into the living present. The young widow remembers her husband, and he is there beside her. When Jesus said, ‘Do this in remembrance of me,’ he was not prescribing a periodic slug of nostalgia.” (Originally published in Wishful Thinking and later in Beyond Words) Buechner gives us two ways to remember, going back and bringing memories forward. The going back to past memories can allow us to relive a scene from our lives. Anthony de Mello writes that sometimes that scene was too powerful to experience at the first time. As we relive it, we can participate in it again and again perhaps with a greater sense of its meaning. Bringing memories forward is like doing active imagination with a friend or someone you deeply loved who has died. You imagine their presence with you. My experience is sometimes you will feel their presence even without trying to imagine it. Buechner believes that when Jesus said, “Do this is remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24), Jesus is calling us to bring him back into our presence and know and feel his love so that we might go out and do the same for others. Some believe Jesus is actually present in the bread and wine at the Eucharist. Others believe the bread and wine are messengers or symbols reminding us of Jesus’ presence and love in our lives. Either way, the God of love is present. (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Communion Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go, therefore, because you are children of the Triune God and partners in God’s work of light, life, and love that even now is at work all around us. May the mystery of the Trinity enfold you, the glory of the Trinity astound you, and the love of the Trinity companion you on your way. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, November 2022. Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Lord dismiss us in your light and in your love. Let us leave this worship experience stronger and wiser than we entered it. Let us leave with a renewed sense of hope and healing. Let us leave this space walking and serving in authenticity understanding that our greatest witness is our truth. The truth that you offer love and peace to every person as they are no matter who they are. Thank you God. Amen (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Derek Terry) Additional Illustrations Understanding the Trinity This is Trinity Sunday. God in three persons--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Do we fully understand this wonderful doctrine? No, but some of us will fight for it. You may remember that ancient story about St. Augustine. One day he took a break from writing about the Trinity to take a walk along the seashore. There he came across a child with a little pail, intently scooping up a pail full of water out of the ocean, then walking up the beach and dumping it out into the sand, then going back down to scoop out another pail of water to pour into the sand, etc. Augustine asked the child what he was doing, and the child explained that he was “emptying the sea out into the sand.” When the Bishop tried to gently point out the absurd impossibility of this task, the child replied, “Ah, but I’ll drain the sea before you understand the Trinity.” There’s truth to that child’s comment. We don’t understand the Trinity, but we’re ready to go to war to defend it. Well, maybe not anymore. But there was a time when battles were fought over church doctrine, and even today churches are being split over whose interpretation of the Word is correct. And it’s tragic. King Duncan, Collected Sermons.www.Sermons.com Who, Me? Unfortunately, most of us act like the out-of shape, overweight man who decided to take up tennis. He took lessons from a pro. He read several self-help books which advised him to "think positively" and "develop a winning attitude." A friend asked him how his tennis was going. With a positive, winning attitude in his voice, the man replied, "When my opponent hits the ball to me, my brain immediately barks out a command to my body: 'Race up to the net.' Then, it says, 'Slam a blistering shot to a far corner of the court. Then immediately jump back into position and return the next volley to the other far corner of the court.' And then my body says, 'Who, me?'" I'd be willing to bet, if we could go back in time, that the first words out of the mouths of all the Disciples after Jesus spoke these words were the same: "Who, me?" You have to remember that the events of this passage actually took place before Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But the question is still pertinent. "Who, me?" Billy D. Strayhorn, Go! “Feeling Like…” I rather like the story Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick once related from his own childhood days. His father had said to his mother, upon leaving the house one Saturday in the morning hours: “Tell Harry that he can cut the grass today, if he feels like it.” Then, halfway down the walk, his father turned once more to add: “And tell Harry that he had better feel like it.” Well, in its own rather humorous way, there is something essential about life wrapped up in that. For there is a difference between knowing we are supposed to do something, and ‘feeling like” doing it. There is a difference between a sense of obligation and a sense of generosity. There is a difference between obedience and desire. And the one of those weighs us down, while the other lifts us up. Christianity says to us, you do not know God, if you know Him only as a sense of authority over your life. Furthermore, you do not know God, if you merely believe intellectually that God is a God who cares and loves. You do not know God somehow at all, unless the same spirit of His authority and His love captivates you from within, so that you live knowing the spirit of it for yourself. You do not know God, unless all this that we have been saying about Him becomes for you your own way of life and not an obligation imposed on you by the Church, or by the fear of death, or by anything else. Paul van Dine, Not the Nature, But the Character of God – Trinity!, Cathedral Publishers. Following Orders Have you ever been given orders for which you could get no reason? I suspect so. Everyone of us, at some time were told by Mom or Dad to DO something; we asked "Why?" and got the response, "Because I SAID so, that's why." We followed those orders because we had no choice in the matter - the one who gave them had the power to back them up. But we probably did not carry them out with as complete conviction as we might have had we understood why they were being given. As we grew older, others gave us orders...orders that were not to be questioned. "Ours is not to reason why; ours is but to do and die." One fellow, on getting out of the military, filled out an application for some insurance. When he came to the question, "What did you do in the service," he wrote in large letters, "AS TOLD!" No doubt. But again, what conviction might have been brought into the completion of any task was diminished because the superior felt no need to give any rationale for doing it. At least Jesus gave his troops a reason before he told them what their orders were. David E. Leininger, ChristianGlobe Illustrations Evangelism Most people expect me and every other minister in the world to witness and do the "E" word thing. You're sort of like secret agents. Most folks don't expect you to talk about your faith or be involved in this whole Evangelism deal. But you know what, you are exactly who Jesus would have chosen. Jesus called fishermen, tax collectors, and the every day ordinary kinds of people. He didn't have a single Pharisee, Sadduccee, Priest or Levite on his staff. It was all run by the laity. And after Pentecost their ministry exploded. _________________________________ Why the Word ‘Doubt’? Who doubts? Most English translations render v. 17: "When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted" (NRSV). However, the word "some" doesn't occur in the text. The little Greek word de is often translated "but," but it can also mean "and". With this understanding, the verse could be translated: "And seeing him they worshiped and they doubted." Those who worship are also those who doubt -- like being simultaneously saint and sinner, or the divine and human natures in Jesus, or the body/bread, blood/wine of communion. We frequently talk about two things existing at the same time. Mark Allan Powell writes about this verse in his book, Loving Jesus. ... I want to note that the word some is not actually found in the Greek Bible. Why is it in the English version? Well, Matthew uses a particular construction here that allows translators to think that the word some could be implied. He also uses that construction in seventeen other instances, though no one ever seems to think the word is implied in those cases. It could be implied here, but why would it be? I asked a Bible translator that question one time and got the following response: "The verse wouldn't make sense otherwise. No one can worship and doubt at the same time." I invited this fellow to visit a Lutheran church. We do it all the time. [p. 121] Exegetical Notes, Brian Stoffregen Trinity: The Power of God Is Real In David Dunn’s book entitled “Giving Yourself Away,” he tells of a lesson he learned from a bus driver whom he once had met. Riding the bus this day, Dunn noticed a driver who was exceptionally cheerful in every imaginable circumstance. There was a kind and happy word from him for everyone who stepped on the bus, and again for everyone who left. As he was about to get off, Dunn told the driver he was the happiest bus driver he had ever seen and wondered what the reason was. “Well,” the driver said, “to be honest, I read in the paper a few months ago about a man who died and left a lot of money to a bus driver who was nice to him. So, I thought maybe I would try it myself. But (now) I’ve enjoyed myself so much being nice to people, I don’t care whether anybody ever leaves me any money (anyway).’ I would suggest to you the doctrine of the Trinity tells us something about God which is akin to that. If you would know Him, you cannot fully know Him with your mind. There must be the discovery of the spirit of it all somewhere living within you. There must come that point in your life when you know both of the love and power of God are real, and they are true--not because you have run up against God’s authority and fear to do otherwise, nor even because you have seen His love expressed and feel attracted to that in return. For to know God is to have chosen for yourself to live like that, simply because the spirit of it has become your own. Trinity! Does it say very much to us of God? Perhaps not very much, as only a word --not very much at all. But, if you mean by “Trinity,” this reality of how men and women have to come to know God in their own lives, if they know Him at all, then Trinity is surely a word we can scarcely do without. Paul van Dine, Not the Nature, But the Character of God – Trinity!, Cathedral Publishers. ____________________________________________________ M. Eugene Boring (Matthew, NIB) says this about the verse: "Whatever the nature of the resurrection event, it did not generate perfect faith even in those who experienced it firsthand. It is not to angels or perfect believers, but to the worshiping/wavering community of disciples to whom the world mission is entrusted." [pp. 502-503] We are commissioned even if we don't fully comprehend the doctrine of the Trinity or if we are unable to understand the Athanasian Creed or even if we waver in our own faith. Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes. Paying Attention to Business A good many years ago now, a brilliant theologian by the name of Reinhold Niebuhr noticed and wrote about an interesting thing that happens in groups and organizations. Put any group of people together, Niebuhr said, no matter how high and noble their initial purpose may be, and it doesn’t take too long before two things begin to happen: they start becoming self-serving and self-protective. And when that happens, their own self-preservation becomes more important to them than their mission or their reason for existence. Pretty amazing, huh? A classic example from business is IBM. They used to rule the world, with a business machine dominance nobody, anywhere, could match. But then a subtle shift started occurring. Niebuhr would say they became more fixated on their preservation and self-interest than their mission. And so for a time there, to people watching from the outside, it looked like IBM was spending more time, money, and energy building huge, impressive corporate office buildings, filled with gifted managers and executives, than improving and selling what had been state-of-the-art, cutting edge products. And in that gap, little upstart companies like Apple and then later Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Compaq and others, stepped in and took a huge slice of the pie. Now IBM’s a great company, and it was smart enough to fix that problem and regain a whole lot of their strength and market share. But it’s a classic case of not paying attention to business; of shifting away from the assignment, and worrying more about taking care of yourself than paying careful attention to your whole reason for being. Phil Roughton, Inviting the Unchurched The Difference Between Believing and Believing I grew up in the NiagaraPeninsula, and so, all through my childhood, I heard stories of barrels, wheelbarrows, acrobats and publicity stunts that happened over Niagara Falls. One of the most amazing stories I ever heard was about the French acrobat Blondin. Blondin would do amazing feats on a tightrope stretched out over the Niagara Gorge. One day, Blondin's manager was standing on the Canadian side of the gorge, doing his best to attract a crowd for his acrobat to perform. Blondin had just done a series of stunts (walking on his hands, doing cartwheels, using a unicycle, etc.). His feats were really quite spectacular. The Frenchman took up a wheelbarrow and got onto the rope between the two sides and turned to his manager. In front of the crowd, he asked him, "Do you believe that I can push this wheelbarrow across this rope to the other side?" The manager said, "Yes, I do." Blondin said, "Get into the wheelbarrow!" As you can tell from that story, there is a profound difference between believing and believing. David Chotka So Much Extra Love We're told that when early printers, using handset type, received an order to print a collection of Alfred Lord Tennyson's poems, they immediately ordered hundreds of extra letters L and V for their presses. They knew Tennyson. He used the word `love' so often in his poetry that the average set of type could not possibly supply all the necessary letters. It is with that same kind of extravagant love that God loves us. God so loved the world. King Duncan, ChristianGlobe Illustrations __________________________ Parable of the Cafeteria Two counter girls stood at their post of supply in the cafeteria. As they kept the display of foods replaced, they conversed. One said, "It just aggravates me to watch these hungry wolves snatch up the beautiful salads we have made. I don't think they see any of the beauty or skill in our work. In a few moments the artistic salad is torn to pieces by their teeth." Said the second girl, "I look at it in a different way. It pleases me to think that these hungry people will shortly leave our place feeling stronger and better able to do whatever their work may be. I like to think of our supplying the power, that they use to serve, as a result of eating our food. Each time they take one of my salads I accept it as another person who has voted in favor of my service and one who has been attracted by my display. I consider it a compliment." The lives of all humanity are interwoven endlessly. We live in a world of many choices. As different foods are attractive to different people and each may go forth from the cafeteria having chosen to his satisfaction; so we choose our own happiness by what we see and how we interpret it. The Christian life is ruled by a God of love and a Savior who seeks to bless all who have eyes to see and ears to hear. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Sermons.com Illustrations One step won't take you very far, You’ve got to keep on walking. One word won't tell folks who you are, You’ve got to keep on talking. One inch won't make you very tall, You’ve got to keep on growing. One deed won’t do it all, You’ve got to keep on going.

Christmas Message

December 24, 2019 Christmas Eve Service Psalm 96 Luke 2: 1-20 Christmas Message Year B Luke 2:1-20 Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus’ birth 2 In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. Announcement to shepherds 8 Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11 Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14 “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” 15 When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” 16 They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. 18 Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. 20 The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible The most important line of this story - Do not be afraid, good news of great joy for all people! Sermon So here we are at another Christmas Eve celebration. Every year we sing the same songs, and hear the same old story. If we are not careful, when we hear this story of a baby born into a manger who grew up to become the savior of the world – we can start to believe that this story has no meaning for us. when we think about all of the things that is going on in the world today, all of the challenges of the coming year – we can ask what difference this story makes. Sort of like Jerry Turner, a ten year old on his way to rehearsal for the Christmas play with his mother. Do I have to be in another Christmas pageant he asks. No his mother replied but it is a good reminder for us of what Christmas is all about, besides, it is tradition in our church. Well, Jerry goes on, it is the same old thing every year. And why do I have to be a shepherd anyway. I don’t like having to wear a bathrobe in front of all of those people. Why are shepherds even important to this story. His mother explained that the shepherds were the first to witness and to see the miracle of Christmas. The angels delivered a message from God.- and what are angels anyway. Messengers from God – explained his mother, messengers, why didn’t God just put it in the newspaper? His mother went on that God speaks to us in ways that we understand – God always delivers the message of love in a timely and relevant way. A way we can understand. Jerry still didn’t really understand, but he went along. I will be a part of this story for at least one more year – but I still don’t understand why we make such a fuss about a little baby. One pastor said that some stories that we hear are true to fact, and some are true to life. This is the story of life, of life that Goes on and on, and that reveals itself in unexpected ways time and time again. It is not about looking back at Bethlehem, it is about looking forward to today in our world. And in each revelation is a story of love. God needs us just as much as we need God, but God has such a problem getting through to us. We get so caught up on the news, on the mail, on facebook – that we forget to listen to God, and we miss that message of God’s love for us. But who doesn’t listen to little babies speak - can our children ring our bells…. This year as we here the story of Jesus birth – I thought that we should focus on the psalm. We read psalm 96, there are three readings for Christmas . Psalm 96, Psalm 97 and Psalm 98. All three of these psalms are known as enthronement psalms. They all honor God on the throne. Each of them encourages all of us to sing- song a new song. Joy to the world is based on psalm 98 which says that all of creation, should sing and celebrate that Jesus Christ is born. Psalm 96 says sing, sing, sing, acribe, come ascribe, ascribe, come worship, tremble. We sing three songs three different times Sing a new song in the morning, sing all of the earth in the daytime as we witness creation and sing at night the God is faithful and steady and will hold us together no matter what. We ascribe to God that God is king – king of us all whether we are hear or not, God loves all people. If God is lord of all creation, heaven and nature – that opens the door to our understanding – beyond ourselfs, beyond our family, beyond our community, to all of the world. That is a very wide door! And we worship – worship is not just about gathering in this sanctuary – worship is the life we life anywhere, at the grocery store, at the family table, in the hospital room, in a manger. God is with us in all of our lives, and worship is just acknowledging God’s presence. Someone said that God and our modern politicians have something in common – they make a lot of promises – God is King because all of those promises come true. That is why we are encouraged to sing, sing our faith, sing our Christmas songs, sing for a life full of hope and joy. This is the night we celebrate Christ is with us, Christ has come to us in a brand new way, so we can sing a new song. Bishop Sprague once said that Christ coming is not about the first coming or the second coming. Christ has come into the world a 3, a 4th a 20th time. Every day we can wake up is a new day, and a new day always calls for a new song. If we can sing a song in a new way – we can have hope that things will change, things will be different this time. Who is it that brings joy and good news to the situation of today? – that is God coming to us in human form – Jesus Christ. Where is Christ breaking into our world anew today? Where does joy seep into the darkness? It is in our singing, in Christ born anew. (Can our children ring bells to remind us of Christ presence). Amen. Stewardship moment Each line if psalm 96 gives us a directive, something that we should be doing. We are instructed to sing, sing, sing, tell, declare, ascribe, ascribe, bring an offering, come, worship and tremble. Whenever we are in the presence of God it is important for us to remember to tremble. To stand in awe of the power of God. But the psalm also says that we should bring an offering to God. It is time for us to bring that offering to God, an offering of our gifts, but more importantly our lives, our gratitude, our hearts our worship, our lives. In this season of giving, I want us not to focus on what we give, but what we receive. What have we received from God, this may have been a hard year, but we could not have done it without God. the greatest gift we receive in this season, is the ability to say thank you. Our offering is a part of our total worship of a loving, peaceful, joyful, hopeful God. Christmas Blessing Happy Holidays. This Christmas let hope warm your heart, love warm your family, and the Holy Spirit warm all mankind. May the harmony of Christmas stay in your heart all year round and may the Lord send his blessings. May God bless you and let this Christmas season bring comfort and joy to you and your family.Sep 5, 2018 Additional illustrations……… 6. KIERKEGAARD'S STORY OF THE PRINCE We affirm a belief in the Son, Jesus Christ. We say that God took on human form, came and lived among us, suffered the same trials that we suffered, experienced the same Feelings that we experienced. Jesus was purely human and purely divine. Jesus was not God. Jesus was God incarnate. There is a difference. Jesus never drew attention to himself but always pointed to God. Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish theologian of another century tells a story of a prince who wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day while running an errand in the local village for his father he passed through a poor section. As he glanced out the windows of the carriage his eyes fell upon a beautiful peasant maiden. During the ensuing days he often passed by the young lady and soon fell in love. But he had a problem. How would he seek her hand? He could order her to marry him. But even a prince wants his bride to marry him freely and voluntarily and not through coercion. He could put on his most splendid uniform and drive up to her front door in a carriage drawn by six horses. But if he did this he would never be certain that the maiden loved him or was simply overwhelmed with all of the splendor. As you might have guessed, the prince came up with another solution. He would give up his kingly robe. He moved, into the village, entering not with a crown but in the garb of a peasant. He lived among the people, shared their interests and concerns, and talked their language. In time the maiden grew to love him for who he was and because he had first loved her. This very simple, almost child like story, written by one of the most brilliant minds of our time explains what we Christians mean by the incarnation. God came and lived among us. I am glad that this happened for two reasons. One, it shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is with us, that he is on our side, and that he loves us. Secondly, it gives us a first hand view of what the mind of God is really all about. When people ask what God is like, we as Christians point to the person of Jesus Christ. God himself is incomprehensible. But in Jesus Christ we get a glimpse of his glory. In the person of Jesus we are told that God, that mysterious other that created the stars and the universe, is willing to go all of the way, to be one of us, talk our language, eat our food, share our suffering die on a cross. Why? So that a single person, you, me, might be redeemed. And, grow to love Him. 7. GET THE JOB DONE -- OPENER It's a startling fact but true -- Jesus and politicians have a lot in common. This no doubt comes as a surprise to those who regard politics as a dirty business, or who think of politicians essentially as liars, and who believe steadfastly that politics and religion don't mix. Nonetheless, Jesus and the politicians have a lot in common. When you think of it, politicians get elected by promising us something better. Twenty years ago President Reagan was elected and then re-elected by asking the public, "Are you better off now than four years ago?" The first time, the people answered, "no," and elected Reagan for the promise of something better. Four years later they responded "yes" to the question and elected Reagan for another term in hope for an even better four years. Jesus and politicians do have a lot in common. Not always, however. A little girl asked her mother whether all fairy tales began with, "Once upon a time." "No," replied the mother. "Today most of them begin with 'If I'm elected.'" Jesus made promises, but not like that. Was Jesus, 2,000 years ago, promising something better? Indeed he was. He said he had come to bring in the kingdom of God, the rules of God's righteousness in the world. For 900 years, Jews had been hoping for a restoration of the glorious kingdom of David and Solomon. For 500 years they had been longing for an end to foreign tyranny and a return to prosperity and freedom. And in Jesus' time the longings and expectations were at an all-time high. For Jews of that time, the hopes of a better life were often focused on a Messiah, a new King David who would come and restore their good fortune. Others spoke of a messianic age about to arrive, the coming of the kingdom of God, a time when God would reign supreme over his people, and freedom and prosperity and the good life would be enjoyed. It would also be a time when righteousness and justice and peace would prevail. Had there been people who claimed to be the promised Messiah? Indeed there had been, and the Romans, then occupying Judea and Palestine, promptly disposed of them. But now Jesus appears on the scene, announcing far and wide that the kingdom of God is at hand, and that he is God's agent to bring in his kingdom, the new and better life. Not only is Jesus like politicians in promising a new and better way, he is like them in his struggle to get the word out to all the people, to announce the kingdom is coming, to raise expectations and to prepare them to receive Jesus' message. Without newspapers, radios and television, how do you get the job done? You do it in person and you delegate emissaries, advance men, to prepare the way and to excite anticipation for Jesus' arrival and for his message of hope. The sermon goes on to develop the idea of how Jesus got the job done and poses the question: How do we get the job done in our time? The sermon uses Jesus as our model and goes on to answer this questions with the following outline: 1. To get the job done we must delegate 2. To get the job done we must discover new opportunities 3. To get the job done you must dedicate yourself to the task

Gifts from God

15th Sunday of Pentecost Year B James 1:17-27 Every Good Gift September 2, 2018 Children’s Sermon…… Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. (v. 19-20) Object: Sunday comic pages Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like the Sunday comics in the newspaper? (Show the comic pages and let them answer.) What are your favorite comics? (Let them answer.) Some of my favorites are Garfield, Beetle Bailey and Hagar the Horrible. One thing that I always notice about the comics is that there is usually someone who is always getting picked on. Do you notice that Garfield always picks on Odie and Jon, his owner. Sarge always picks on Beetle Bailey. There are people always shooting arrows at Hagar the Horrible. The funny thing is that these characters who get picked on never appear to really get angry. (Have an example of this ready and read it to the children. Then express your opinion that the character has a chance to be angry, but never shows it.) That's what I like about this comic strip. It reminds me of this morning's lesson. In the lesson we are told to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. Anger does not make us good. God wants us to be good. If I didn't know better, I'd say that (name the comic character who didn't become angry) is doing what God wants. He is not becoming angry, even though he may have a good reason to be. Here's what I want you to remember this week. We all have reasons to become angry at something every day. Sometimes we can't help but become angry. It's okay to be angry. God wants us to think before we become angry. Listen to others who may make us angry. Think before you say something in return that may make an argument worse. Try very hard not to become angry with someone. Anger doesn't make us good. The next time that someone is making you angry remember our lesson this moining. Think of (name the comic character). Try not to become angry. Try to love the other person. That's what God wants of us. CSS Publishing Co., James 1:17-27 Common English Bible (CEB) 17 Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above. These gifts come down from the Father, the creator of the heavenly lights, in whose character there is no change at all. 18 He chose to give us birth by his true word, and here is the result: we are like the first crop from the harvest of everything he created. Welcoming and doing the word 19 Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to grow angry. 20 This is because an angry person doesn’t produce God’s righteousness. 21 Therefore, with humility, set aside all moral filth and the growth of wickedness, and welcome the word planted deep inside you—the very word that is able to save you. 22 You must be doers of the word and not only hearers who mislead themselves.23 Those who hear but don’t do the word are like those who look at their faces in a mirror. 24 They look at themselves, walk away, and immediately forget what they were like. 25 But there are those who study the perfect law, the law of freedom, and continue to do it. They don’t listen and then forget, but they put it into practice in their lives. They will be blessed in whatever they do. 26 If those who claim devotion to God don’t control what they say, they mislead themselves. Their devotion is worthless. 27 True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties and to keep the world from contaminating us. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible The Hebrew faith has a long tradition of wisdom literature – practical advice on how to live from day to day. As a matter of fact there is a whole section of the old testament which is considered wisdom text – Job, proverbs, song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes are all considered to be practical advice. In the new testament – the Christian book of wisdom or practical advice on how to be a Christian. The book of James is an interesting book. There are those like Martin Luther who hate this book. There is no mention of Jesus or Christ in this book. It almost did not even make it into the bible. No one is for sure of who James is- the popular belief is that he is the brother of Jesus, who became an important bishop in the early church. James does speak of the church – but he is not specific about which church. This book is considered a universal letter- not addressed to a specific congregation for a specific reason. I think that James offers a powerful message for all of us to take into consideration. I don’t think that you even need to be a Christian in order to take the advice of James – but it sure does help. The book of James begins with the words – Count it all Joy – what ever happens in life to be positive and to find the joy in it. There are two ways of dealing with life – we can be positive or we can be negative – but we should be positive – because God is positive. Today I want to focus on 4 messages in James chapter 1 Our scripture for today starts out with the words every good gift comes from God. In a village in Africa, a teacher taught her students the meaning of Christmas. Of giving gifts in honor of the new born king. The children were not Christian, but they understood anyway. One little boy was so taken with the idea, that he gave his teacher a gift the next stay. A beautiful stone, she noticed that this kind of stone could only be found in a village by the sea – that was some distance from where they lived. She thanked the little boy and asked where he go the stone – he told her that village. She said that is a little far, you didn’t need to go through that much trouble to give me a gift, you could have gotten me something simpler. No replied the little boy – the trip was a part of the gift to show you that I care. Often when we get a gift, we are not aware of what the person needed to do to achieve the gift. We don’t know the labor and love that went into acquiring it for us. Think about the gifts that God has given us – the earth, our food, our well being, our lives, our families and the countless other blessing we have in life – what did it take for God to create those gifts? What about the gifts that Christ has given us – salvation, understanding, new life, - how much did he have to sacrifice to come to earth and to die on a cross? Labor Day is our chance to think about our gifts, and the hands that gave them to us. We get to rest, but we also think of theneeds of others. Many who work in order to survive and to help their families – and yet who work tirelessly to give us the gifts of comfort and life, many of which we don’t even think of. The second message of this passage is To be quick to listen and slow to anger. We have to learn to control our emotions and reactions to life. The ear, the tongue, and the temper — all three elements of our personal and physical anatomy, yet all three ruled with special distinction when they become integrated within the anatomy of our faith. The ear, the tongue, the temper — even these for the Christian are subject to the rule of Christ in our lives. Amen. We have to control each of those things. I love going to the Brookfield zoo. It was a great experience to see not just the animals – but the relationship that we have with them as people. How we learn to live together. The primate building – starts out like a maze, and you had to choose which way to get in. Making the point that primates are the only animals in the world who are able to make a choice about anything. All other animals don’t really think about what they are doing they just automatically do it. They rely on their instincts to live and survive. Some choices we take for granted – and some we ponder over for months. But are lives are always full of choices. Our faith reminds us that we even have a choice about how we deal with life. When cant control the events of our life – but no matter what we can always choose joy – and the joyful path. We can choose to heal and move on from hurts, or we can stay stuck and constantly remember what someone said or did. Life for humans is full of choices. The third lesson of this chapter – faith without works is dead. That is one reason that Martin Luther hated this book. For him – grace is the crux of our faith. We are saved by God’s grace alone. We don’t and can’t do anything to earn our favor with God. Actually James does not negate that, but he says that if we are saved by grace, then we live in grace by saying thank you with our actions. The book of James, the new testament book of wisdom also is based on the premise of choice. We can choose what is wise or we can choose what is foolish. The consequensces are different for each choice. James also wants us to know that one is alive and one is dead. Its is sort of like two plants – one alive and one dead. The dead one looks beautiful and takes no work but a little dusting. The living one must be waters and sunned and taken care of. Which type of faith do you have – living are artificial? Faith without works is dead. The final lesson of James chapter 1 – faith without works is like looking in the mirror and forgetting what you see. We should see God in all that we do. Why do we come to church every Sunday? Why did we come this Sunday? But here’s the reason we Christians gather for worship week after week: We worship to wake up. We worship to come alive and take notice of the presence and power of God in the world, in our lives, in everything we see and do and touch and feel. The Latin “re-ligare” from which we get our word “religion” has the root “lig” — which scholars have traced back partly to meaning “pay attention.” Any religious service, any religious act, should make us sit up, shake our heads, and focus in on the divine. When our lives adhere to a set schedule of work, when everyday routines can be acted out without even thinking about them, we lose consciousness to the wonders that surround us. The wonder of God’s creation. The wonder of love. The wonder of family. The wonder of breathing in and out. The wonder of life. What labor of love goes into what you do for others. More importantly what labor of love has gone into what others have done for you? Look at the gifts in your live – who gave them? How did you get them? What is your response to those who gave them to you? This labor day – may we remember the practical things about life. Being a Christian is not about what we think in our hear – it is about what we do in our life. We come in here, so that we can be better persons out there. We can be bitter about the things that life gives us – or we can recognize the gifts we receive from God. It is our choice. Be practical in your faith, even in times that you may not say Jesus – live Jesus in your life. Amen. Other illustrations…… The “Gratitude Salute” – James 1:17-27 by Leonard Sweet Why are you here? Why did you come to church this morning? What made you voluntarily choose to spend the last summer Sunday -- before the too busy, too crowded Labor Day weekend -- inside a church? Why aren’t you lolling on some beach? (Okay, okay--maybe you will be later this afternoon!) Maybe you are here out of habit. Maybe going to church is “what you do” on Sunday morning. Maybe you are here because your parents dragged you into the car, kicking and screaming, and you would rather be anywhere else. Maybe you are here because you are lonely. Maybe you are here because you feel something is wrong or missing in your life. Maybe you are here hoping that something in here will make you different in here (point to heart). None of these are bad reasons to be at church on a sunny September Sunday (nope, not even being brought by your parents). G. K. Chesterton, one of the most important writers of the last century, put it like this: “The world shall perish not for lack of wonders but for lack of wonder.” This week’s epistle text is from the Letter of James, the letter Martin Luther famously pooh-poohed as “an epistle of straw.” Luther’s words gave a lot of us a “free pass” on James. James was seen as “weak sauce” — not worthy of much attention. But skipping James lets us slip by to our peril of slipping up and missing some of the most real life, faith-in-action admonishments in the New Testament. Could that be the real reason it is so tempting to keep James on the back burner? James won’t let us get away with some things we like getting away with? Judge Lienhouts, who established one of the most successful probation programs in the United States, told of a time he had listened to a young man pour out his tale of woe for an hour and a half, without his saying a word. At the end of this time, the young man said, "Thank you. You have been the greatest help of anyone I've ever known. No one else has ever taken the time to listen to me." The late Dr. Charles Jefferson once said, "So prone is anger to mix itself with base and unlovely elements, so frequently does it stir up the mud at the bottom of the soul, that it is not easy to free our minds from the feeling that anger has something sinful in it; or, if not actually sinful, an unlovely flaw in conduct, a deformity in character from which we may wisely pray to be delivered."

Jesus meets us at our point of need

March 27, 2011
Third Sunday of Lent
John 4:5-42
Jesus meets us at our point of need
Year A

One image that stands out in my mind this week is the picture of a governor in Japan drinking a glass of water to prove that everything was okay with the water, even though we all know that is not the case. I thought he must really love his country.
I can’t imagine living somewhere where the basic essence of life has been tainted by a substance that you can’t see, you can’t taste – but will eventually destroy your body.
Water is so much a part of our lives – we in America take water for granted. Water is so readily available to us- that we can afford to say that we don’t like water. Imagine if you lived in a place where water was not readily available just by turning on the faucet? We would love water, whenever we could get it, however, we could get it.

In Jesus’ time you had to go to the well everyday to get your water. It was the woman’s job to get water for the family. She usually went in the morning, so that she would not have to run into a man. It was not appropriate for men and women to be in the same places in public.

So why was the Samaritan woman at the well at noon? Why was Jesus sitting at the well by himself? Why would he be disrespectful enough to talk with a woman in public? He was single, even if he was married; he was not allowed to talk to his own wife in public, much less a stranger. And if he was a Jew, why was he talking to a Samaritan?

If Jesus us the symbol of righteousness for us, why would he be in the wrong place, at the wrong time talking to the wrong person?

He wanted to help us understand the nature of God. There are too many of us who spend our lives in the wrong place, at the wrong time, talking to the wrong people.

There are too many people out in the world, who even though it is Sunday- who are in the wrong place at the wrong time talking to the wrong people. And they need to know that there is a man named Jesus. Jesus understands them perfectly. Jesus understands their needs perfectly.

In the book of John, there is a series of encounters of Jesus with ordinary people. Last week it was a faithful man with a genuine question – Nicodemus. Today it is a not so faithful woman, looking for water and finding so much more.
A man who knew all about her.

We tend to think of the Samaritan woman as one of the bad girls in the bible – we know her reputation. She had 5 husbands – the one she is with is not her husband. Some churches however, call her a saint. Saint Photini. Photini means one equal to the apostles. Yes, she was a woman with a reputation, but she got the chance to talk face to face with Jesus. An honor many of us dream of. Because of that encounter, she was able to go out and save others.

This passage is so long because this is the longest recorded conversation that Jesus has with anyone. Also if you look at the verses, you will see that she talks 7 times and Jesus talks 7 times. There are no happenstances in John.
Jesus tells her that she has 5 husbands and that the one she is with is not her husband. Everything in John has a double meaning. This could be a conversation about 5 husbands; it could also be a conversation about idolatry. The things in our lives that stand in the way of us having a relationship with God.
There were 5 times that the Samaritans had intermarried with other people – and diluted the purity of their worship to the one true God. The one they are living with now who is not a husband – could be Rome. There were in control of the whole region, but had no allegiance whatsoever to the people and their beliefs and values.
For the Samaritans, the thing that stood in the way of their truly loving God was their need to identify with another people. What about us? Who are our five husbands? What stands in the way of our relationship with God? Is it our career? Friends? Consumerism? Nationalism? Needs? Addictions? Desires?
Why was Jesus at the wrong place, at the wrong time, talking to the wrong person? To give you the message that whatever your soul is married to besides God, you can let go of.

And whatever it is in your life that you are committed to that has no commitment to you – you can let that go too. God is always going to be with you no matter what. If you work on your relationship with God, everything else falls into place.
Why was Jesus at the wrong place at the wrong time talking to the wrong person?

Jesus and the Samaritan woman get into an interesting conversation about worship. Where is the proper place to do worship? That Samaritans believed this mountain, close to Jacob’s well. The Jews believed only the temple in Jerusalem was the place to worship. But Jesus says that the day is coming when worship won’t be about a time and a place, but about our relationship with God and the condition of our hearts.

This last illustration is in honor of the spring concert tonight….o worship experience.

When my son was in kindergarten, his first field trip was to the Milwaukee Zoo. I was so excited that I signed up to be a chaperone. We all had to prepare a bag lunch to take on the trip. I was so excited – it reminded me of field trips when I was a little girl. I went to the store the night before to get all of the ingredients. I prepared my lunch and put it in the brown paper bag. That morning we had a fun time at the zoo. At lunch time I was excited to talk with the boys about what we had done that day. Until I opened my bag to eat. I don’t eat cold food, I don’t eat processed food, I don’t eat white bread, I don’t eat cheap processed meat, I don’t eat store bought cookies, or hot store brand pop. I knew that when I went to the store to buy that crap in the first place. But I honestly believed in my mind that if I put that junk in a bag and carried it to the zoo – that I was going to be caught up in the moment enough to eat something that I don’t even like. I tell that story because that is how we do church.
We come to church expecting to be wowed. We leave church saying that I was not touched by anything. It did not make a difference. I didn’t like the sermon. What did you bring with you this morning in your brown paper bag? Something that you would eat- or something that you know you don’t like. Worship is a celebration of the relationship that we have with God before we get here. If we don’t bring the hot Jesus with us- we won’t find it when we get here.
Worship starts at home. Worship comes with you; worship is what you already have with God.
We need to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.
Why was Jesus at the wrong place at the wrong time talking to the wrong person – so that you can worship God will all that you are…..Let us pray…… Amen.