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Prelude
Lighting the Candle of Hope The Moore Family *Hymn 82 Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus Prayer of Confession God of the future, you are coming in power to bring all nations under your rule. We confess that we have not expected your kingdom, for we live causal lives, ignoring your promised judgment. We accept lies as truth, exploit neighbors, abuse the earth, and refuse your justice and peace. In your mercy, forgive us. Grant us wisdom to welcome your way, and to seek things that will endure when Christ comes to judge the world. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Pardon Surely God is our salvation, we will trust in God and not be afraid, for the Lord God is our Strength and Might. Shout aloud and sing for joy…for great in our midst is the Holy One of Zion, and he will save the people from their sins. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. Old Testament Reading Isaiah 2:1-5 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Matthew 24:36-44 The Morning Message “In my beginning is my end.” These are the words of TS Elliot in Four Quartets. Much of what we believe about God and Jesus is reflected therein: the God who made us will be the God who judges us; Christ is the Alpha and the Omega; the God who created the world out of nothing will at its consummation be “all in all.” So, with ritual cycles. We begin them where we end. The Advent season begins the liturgical year and the lectionary cycle with stories about the end time. In fact, we’ve been visiting those scriptures for a few weeks now. These scriptures say, “Stay awake! Live in expectation!” Watch for the signs of God!” Watch for the signs of the reign of God!” But in our end is our beginning: the signs of God’s reign point us to something new and unfamiliar. The colors for Advent are deep blue or purple. For some, the blue reflects the color of late Autumn’s night, a sky lit by moon and stars. The days are short. The long nights mark the end of the year’s growing season. But the long nights are fertile ground for dreaming- imagine the desert blossoming and sheltering a mother and child; imagine peace prevailing; imagine God all in all. Joseph dreams in this season-of the child to be here soon, whom he is to name Emmanuel, God-with-us. I love to find expressions of hope in art and music and literature. Sometimes they are so different from my own experience that they startle me and I miss the beauty and the message. In many of the stores which sell items produced by cottage communities, we may find art work from Africa or Latin America-places in which hope is often hard to find. There is a style of cross popular in El Salvador that depicts hope in a world of despair. It takes a fertile imagination to project that hope. In one of these crosses, a woman stands at the cross beam, arms stretched wide, reminding us of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Her expression is one of victory, though, and after all, that is the eternal hope we claim, the death and resurrection of Jesus, and in his resurrection is the promise of ours. Surrounding the woman are images of Salvadorans going about their daily tasks-teaching, healing, farming-in the extraordinary time of war. They persevere because they cling to God-with-us, Emmanuel. Sometimes we find hope closer to home. Clara Rose has expressed her delight in spending time with her grandchildren, who are now raising their children. In them, she finds hope. Their young lives demonstrate an active intentionality, an embracing of purpose and responsibility, parenting richly flavored with love and grace. Where do you see or hear signs of God’s in-breaking reign? For me, it’s music. My life has been filled with it. I would wake in the summer to my grandmother’s students practicing scales and beginner pieces, progressing to the classics, hymns and popular tunes. I seriously considered a career in music, but, my piano skills were weak and I followed a different path. But, I married a musician, and the blessings continue, especially at Christmas time. Maybe you find signs of God’s in-breaking rule in doing for others, helping in a time of crisis, being the friend who listens, or sitting with the suffering, simply bearing witness to their pain. Maybe you work for needed change in a public way. This takes heaps of courage. One of my dear pastor friends, Stephen Baldwin, has served as a state senator for several years. He lost his race in the recent election. On Facebook, someone made the comment that he would be missed by area citizens. To which came a quick reply that he wasn’t going anywhere…you don’t need to have a title to serve. True, Stephen, and thanks for the challenge. Advent is a fertile time to watch and dream. The world’s needs are great. God is greater. It was for this season that Miriam Therese Winter penned these lovely lines: Root of Jesse Rising From many an ancient prophecy Promised child To all who would be reconciled Breaks through at last. A virgin shoot accepts God’s seed Bows to the Mighty Deed. One branch Bears bud, flower, fruit: Christ blossoms on David’s root. Lord, you are stem, stalk, tree! Let your fruit take root in me. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Christmas Doxology (insert) *Prayer of Dedication Holy One, in this season, we wait in hope. and we give in hope: hope for your coming reign, hope of your presence with us even now. Receive our gifts, that they may be used to bring hope to our community and beyond. Amen. *Hymn 92 While We Are Waiting, Come *Blessing Go now, and let the Lord steer you in the way of truth. Be on your guard so that you will not be caught up in the anxieties of the world. Be alert at all times and pray for strength to escape the traps that would keep you from God. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Revelation 22:13 The Lord is a great God who says, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” *Hymn 367 Come, Ye Thankful People Come Prayer of Confession Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things to your well-beloved Son, our Lord and King, grant that the people of earth, including ourselves, now divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his gentle and loving rule, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The Lord’s mercies never end. They are new every morning and sure as the sunrise. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. Your sins are forgotten. Be at peace. First Reading Psalm 150 Time With Our Young Disciples Scripture Reading Matthew 25:31-46 The Morning Message I have two questions for us to consider today: 1. Do you choose to live in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ…or not? 2. How can you make your choice real? I confess that this is not an original idea, but one I heard during a presbytery meeting. I ask these questions, because, we have come to the end of the liturgical year, the very last Sunday. Advent, preparing for the birth of Christ, begins next week. As we move through the months, we meet Jesus at the mileposts of his life- his birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension. Then comes Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the early believers and the Church was established. Kingdomtide, or Ordinary Time, follows Pentecost and brings us to today. When we get to this Sunday, Christ the King, or Reign of Christ, we are called on to consider the year we’ve traveled, how we have related to Christ, and how we have exhibited his kingdom on earth. Christ the King Sunday also makes us stop to consider our concept of time. The time is surely coming for Christ’s second Advent, though we do not know the day or the hour. But we do know this: time moves forward and our time on earth is finite. Christ the King Sunday may mark the end of the church year, but it does not mark the end of our challenges. Our public health crisis wears on, although there are more resources available to manage it. The war in Ukraine rages on and her people suffer new atrocities daily. Another election has transpired and Americans are all over the place predicting success or failure, depending on your team’s reaction. Then there’s inflation. But, there is good news. While the past two holiday seasons have come with warnings about travel and the dangers of large gatherings, we aren’t hearing that now. The Harklesses are happy. We can’t wait to see our kids and grandkids. Although we will see them in stages. It’s like filling up at the emotional fuel station. And we need that. Like many of you, our family has had some challenges this year. That word that strikes terror in all of us, cancer, was raised a couple of times. We are reminded of how fragile life is and how fast we can become anxious and fearful. And, thankfully, there is nothing like being in the embrace of your loved ones to be reminded that through it all we are family and love is our creed. So, here we are. Christ the King Sunday, the feast day that celebrates the fact that, earthly rulers come and go, and even at the height of their power, they only rule over a very small part of the created universe. Their reign is time-sensitive. It will end. But, Jesus’ reign is eternal and cosmic in its proportions. His platform doesn’t change and there are no maps to tell us who is and who isn’t in Jesus’ district. We all are. Jesus’ realm is founded on the principals of justice and integrity-where those who live according to the values of the Kingdom will feel at home- and those who do not will find it an alien place. Christ knows us, all of us, no matter our circumstances. And Christ knows that how we live our lives, day in and day out, shows what kind of person we are. In this text, Jesus identifies people based on their actions, how they live out their days on this earth. Those who do the tasks of Kingdom living-feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned are acting as though they are ministering to Jesus himself. This shouldn’t have been earth-shaking news. This is what they had witnessed Jesus himself doing. Jesus also said that when they, or we, refuse to help a person in need, we are refusing him. This was a surprise, too, but, it shouldn’t have been. Jesus was teaching, or re-teaching-a fundamental rule of kingdom-living: We are the body of Christ. We are united with him- in life, death, and resurrection. What we do, one for another, builds up, enriches, and heals the body. What we fail to do, when we fail to serve as Christ serves, weakens and diminishes the body. Jesus is a king unlike any ruler of this earth. For which we can truly thank God. Jesus is not a despot who orders his subjects to be at his beck and call. A tyrant who wields insults and inflicts pain to intimidate and control. Nor does he abandon or betray his people. Ever. No. Jesus, is the king who throws open the doors of his dwelling-place and invites us all in. Jesus welcomes us into the fullness of his life. A life that could compel the friends of a paralyzed man to cut a hole in the roof of a house so he can be lowered into Jesus’ presence. To follow Jesus is to sign up for a life of spiritual adventure. Christ the King Sunday asks us if we will choose kingdom-living in the year ahead? It asks how will we use the gift and limits of time? This time question has created a sense of urgency for me. A few days ago I learned that a friend of long-standing has been diagnosed with dementia. At a time in life that most of us expect to be enjoying retirement, playing with our grandkids, maybe taking that dreamed-about vacation. This husband, father and grandfather is losing his memory and losing touch with reality. Instead of more time together, they are separated. They don’t live together at this point. This is for his safety and security, and his family’s peace of mind. They are devastated. He has a brand new grandchild, but I don’t know if he is even aware. What were your highs and lows this year? How did you cope with the lows? How did that affect your faith? Are there changes you want to make in your life? What steps are you taking toward that? What can you do for others, to advance the kingdom? How will you use your time? Will you know the joy of a peaceful heart, deep peace that comes from God? I think we know how 2022 ends. What we don’t know is what the future holds. But we know who holds the future. And we know who holds our hand. *Wellspring of the Gospel *Hymn 37 Let All Things Now Living *Affirmation of Faith The Nicene Creed p. 34 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer O God, the first and the last, our beginning and our ending, hear our prayers on this Christ the King Sunday. Remind us that our true citizenship is in your kingdom and empower us to seek your love, justice, and mercy in all we do and say. Grant us courage to speak out against any hatred, prejudice, or abuse of power that seeks to harm others. Inspire us to work toward a fuller image of your kingdom here on earth, where all are treated with respect, where none go without life’s basic necessities, and people of all races, religions, and circumstances are welcomed and valued. As we review these last days of the church year, may our good intentions be blessed and may we be granted grace where we failed. We pray for those who are need of healing and wholeness this day, those in our fellowship of faith, and those we name in our hearts. As the days turn colder and darker and winter illnesses discourage, strengthen us to persevere. While we certainly miss our departed loved ones in this season, comfort us with your presence and remind us that we are all members of the Communion of Saints, past, present, and future. We pray in Jesus’ name and for his sake, saying, Our Father…Amen. Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Blessed are you, O God, Maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with the gifts of ourselves, our time, and our possessions. Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love; through the One who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. *Hymn 268 Crown Him With Many Crowns *Blessing Through every season of every year, may God’s blessing be upon you that you may be strengthened to do your part in advancing Christ’s Kingdom. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Come and worship, you who love the Lord with all your heart, and with all our souls, and all our minds, and all our strength. Come into the community of God’s people and worship with the neighbor you do not know: the stranger seeking welcome, the hungry, the homeless, the hurting. Come, and worship, you who love the spirit of the law, and the One who showed us how to live in kin-dom. *Hymn 336 We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing Prayer of Confession O God, Rock of our salvation, you give children to the barren, and strength to the feeble. You exalt the poor and lift up the needy. We praise you from morning to night, yet we build walls that separate us from you, from one another, and from the world. We place stumbling blocks in the way of goodness and truth. We are led astray by promises of earthly desires. We confess our failings, and seek solace in the source of our joy, Jesus Christ our Lord. Guide us in our efforts to encourage one another, to work together for good in the world you made, and to prepare for the coming day of the Lord. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me as I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Our hearts are sprinkled clean with the water of God’s love. Through salvation won for us by Jesus Christ, God assures us that we are forgiven, absolved, and released from the sin that binds us. Alleluia! Amen. First Reading Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading Morning Message The Rev. Janet Hunt was leading a confirmation class. For one of their meetings, the class left the building for awhile as they engaged in a service project. Some of the kids returned ahead of the others and gathered in their classroom where they would be dismissed for the day. One of the adult volunteers, Jim, asked Janet if she would like to test the telepathic ability of one of the students, Joe. She was game. She was sent to the whiteboard where they had drawn a square which had been marked off in nine smaller squares, kind of like Tic-Tac-Toe. Joe left the room and Jim told Janet to choose a square. She pointed to one. They called Joe back into the room. Janet watched him closely as he stood and pondered the board. Then with only a smidgeon of hesitation, he pointed to the exact square Janet had chosen. They tried again. And again and again. Joe always chose the square Janet had pointed to while he was out of the room. It wasn’t long until others wanted to try their skill at this test. One by one the students would try. They would try to interpret the way Joe stood, whether he cleared his throat or tapped his pants leg. But none could match Joe’s skill. Janet was almost convinced they had another David Copperfield in the making. After the closing blessing, and the students having gone on their way, one of the adult leaders explained the trick to Janet. Apparently, Jim had been the first to arrive. He taught Joe some signals he would use and Joe was a quick study. Every time Joe returned to the room, Jim threw him the signals. The problem was, Janet was not looking at Jim, but at Joe. She was looking in the wrong direction and failed to see what was right before her eyes. The gospel passage before us today is classified as “eschatological,” or literature referring to what we refer to as the “end times.” I never know how to approach these texts. We Presbyterians believe in the second coming of Christ, when the whole creation will be redeemed. We affirm that every time we recite the Apostles’ Creed. But, we do not espouse dispensationalism, theology popularized in the late 19th century and adhered to by many fundamentalist traditions. We usually hear it referred to as the “Rapture,” which is believed to be the event whereby Jesus descends to earth and takes the saved to heaven and leaving the rest for a “time of trial.” Janet says she wonders at times if her experience with the confirmation class doesn’t begin to get at why we struggle with these “end times” texts. It is true that you and I don’t live in the same context as the people who first heard these words shortly after Jesus’ death and resurrection. But like those who first heard these texts, it may be completely understandable that we could find ourselves looking in the wrong direction. It is impossible these days to miss reports of war and rumors of war and other catastrophes. We hear and see them in graphic and unforgettable detail all too often. But even so, do these reports turn our thoughts to Christ’s return or does it even register? Is it possible we have turned our attention away from the foundational truth that we are moving toward a larger future? Janet Hunt says bad things have happened to the world and its people for as long as she has been paying attention, and yet, it would seem, Jesus is no closer to returning. She suggests, that, part of the message from a passage like this is that, from generation to generation, under this one’s rule and that one’s tyranny, through feast, famine, plague and plenty, God was, is, and ever shall be, active among us, working his purpose out. Maybe these words urge us to simply live in the certainty that we are always called to keep our focus on Jesus, to respond as he did. And how did Jesus respond to hardship, or injustice, or disease or ignorance? He did what God requires, of his Son and of us: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. Whether he comes today or a million todays in the future, we can be the body of Christ- head, heart, hands and feet, until he comes again. And in this season, we have many opportunities to live this out. When I was in high school, most of my friends were made in the music department. Considering rehearsals and performances, during school hours and outside of them, we probably spent more time with fellow choir students than with our families. Some of us planned to study music in college, or at least sing in a choir, but, there was one startling exception. The student with the best skills, in piano as well as voice, failed to apply to college or make any plans whatsoever beyond graduation day. When he broke this news to us, we were all shocked. Why? What has happened? What’s wrong? He had a promising future ahead of him. His response was that nothing was wrong. He believed Jesus would come before he had need of college or anything else. We were stunned and troubled by his answer and his resolve. The kids in our small, close-knit group were all Christians, even though we came from a variety of traditions. And we were all obviously looking in different directions, or maybe we weren’t reading the signs right. And, to this day, I am confounded by this experience. We lost touch after graduation. At our twentieth reunion, he was listed as deceased. And, I have to think that, though the “rapture” didn’t occur, he did see Jesus ahead of the rest of us. I love all the seasons of the year. Each one is my favorite when it unfolds. And so right now I’m loving this season: the beginning of school, fall sports, warm sweaters, spiced cider, the brilliant colors that bathe our landscapes. Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas. God’s blessings are everywhere. We choose this season to focus on stewardship. In one of the churches I served, the pastor would post signs all over the church that read “Gratitude for grace given.” You’d find them taped above the water fountains, beside the coat rack, taped to the coffee urn, on the restroom mirrors. Simple reminders that life is gift and it is defined by God’s grace. A message that compelling demands a response. It calls us to a stewardship of life…to examine what is the best use of our time, our talents and our resources. One of our more recent confessions, A Brief Statement of Faith, concludes with this affirmation: In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for a new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” Then the Church Triumphant come, raise the song of harvest home! All be safely gathered in, free from sorrow, free from sin. There forever purified, in God’s garner to abide. Come, ten thousand angels, come. Raise the song of harvest home! *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 634 To God Be the Glory *Blessing Go out in peace, for the Lord has heard your prayers. Do not allow anyone to lead you astray. Hold fast to the hope you have claimed. Continue to meet together, encouraging one another and provoking one another to put love into action. And may God be your rock of strength. May Christ Jesus usher you into God’s presence. And may the Holy Spirit write the laws of love and life upon your hearts. Amen. (from Laughingbird.net) *Postlude Prelude
*Call to Worship Holy God of wind and fire, dance through our worship today. Holy God of earthquakes and illness, share our memories, our tears of sadness and loss. Holy God of creation and new beginnings, show us again your vision of healing and wholeness and the promise of life here and in the world to come. *Hymn 326 For All the Saints Opening Prayer Eternal God, you have knit together your people of all times and places into one communion in the mystical body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant us your Holy Spirit that we may be encouraged and strengthened, seeking your forgiveness in our moments or seasons of failure, persevering in our part of faith’s course, until such time as we join the great cloud of witnesses in our eternal home. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Jesus said, “For the Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” Friends, believe in the good news of the gospel. Our sins are forgiven. Alleluia! Amen. First Reading Revelation 21:1-6 Time With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading Matthew 5:1-12 The Morning Message Who knows who Saint Dympha is? That’s what I thought. No one. I didn’t either until this past week when I read an article by Nadia Bolz-Weber, a Lutheran minister. Nadia says St. Dympha is her favorite saint. In her, we can clearly see the Beatitudes enacted. Dympha was the daughter of a pagan Irish king and his Christian wife in the 7th century. Before her death at the young age of fifteen, Dympha and some other Christian missionaries founded a home for the anxious and mentally ill in Belgium. Reports were positive about the home. Many who suffered from mental and emotional problems became less afflicted having been cared for in the mission. Dympha is officially the patron saint of the anxious, the patron saint of the emotionally disturbed, the patron saint of the mentally ill, and the patron saint of those with neurological disorders. Nadia Bolz-Weber says that with those things to her credit, Dympha seems like just her kind of saint. Nadia’s history makes quite a story. Suffice it to say, she has waged her own mental, emotional and spiritual battles. She suffered from debilitating drug addiction and it seemed she was headed for certain destruction and an early death. But God had other plans and so she clings to the faith of Dympha, with whom she identifies. But today we celebrate All Saints, not just some saints, most of whom will never have a prayer card made with their likeness on it or their name carved on the front of a church. We Presbyterians do not ascribe to the belief that we need special people to intercede for us as if God listens to them more than God listens to us because they are advance placement Christians or something. What we celebrate today is not the superhuman faith and powers of a select few but rather God’s ability to use flawed people to do divine things. We celebrate all on whom God has acted in baptism, sealing them, as Ephesians says, with the mark of the Holy Spirit. We celebrate that God engenders faith within us, and through ordinary acts of love, the Kingdom of Heaven moves closer to earth. We celebrate the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, and that the faithful departed are as much a part of the body of Christ as we are. We are connected to so much faith; so many witnesses; so much courage and sacrifice and adventure and daring and so much trust and so much divine love it is overwhelming. In this turbulent age, when we are always looking for “our” people, we desperately need to hang onto this fact: what connects us in a real and lasting way is not Facebook, or what school we graduated from, what we do in our leisure time, or anything other than this truth. We have membership in the body of Christ, the Church with a capital “C.” And even more importantly, what connects us isn’t so much our beliefs about God, or our theology, or our doctrinal positions. No. It’s God and God gathers up all of God’s children into the Church eternal. So, today, for a little while, let’s remember all the deeply faithful and flawed saints through whom the glory of God has been revealed and will be revealed as year succeeds to year. In our community is a saint whose name I don’t know, but whose heart is Christ-shaped. That makes her part of our tribe. We are all well aware of the tragedy that the Cabell Midland community has suffered in recent days. Some of you have experienced it personally. As tragic as it is, there are some some grace-filled moments. It’s important to recognize those. On Friday, many of my husband’s students needed to talk. One of the students shared that he was at his after-school job on Thursday night. A customer came into the store complaining of the traffic tie-up that had pretty much paralyzed eastern Cabell County for hours. The student heard the customer say something like, “Some dumb kid at Cabell Midland ran out in traffic and got hit.” Ed’s student said he spoke up and said, “Ma’am, that kid was one of my best friends.” There was no response from the complainer. No apology. Nothing. But, another woman, who overheard the exchange, came up to the young man and offered him a hug. And that’s what he needed most. Someone to simply recognize his loss, or at least, to not ridicule a seventeen-year-old boy who lost his life in a moment of anguish. As I prepared for today, I had a recurring thought: how will we be remembered? As saints? Sinners? There are times, and they occur with greater and greater frequency, that I cringe at comments I hear on TV or read on-line. Often, they sound like the cold comment that grocery store customer made. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is too vile or vulgar. People speak or write in the most provocative and strident ways possible. Every situation is somehow seen as the most consequential event in history. We demonize those who disagree with us and sever relationships. Reasonable thinkers know this further divides a conflicted public, but reason is often in short supply. Friends, there are days when I wonder if we have lost our collective minds. Which brings me back to Saint Dympha. Dympha was a very young girl when her mother died. Her father was inconsolable. His courtiers decided what he needed was a new wife. But no woman in his kingdom pleased the king. Eventually, someone dared to suggest the unthinkable: the king should marry his daughter. Terrified at the prospect, Dympha fled with some others to Belgium where she established her mission, a home for the mentally and emotionally challenged. She was suffering great anxiety and found meaning in helping others. Unfortunately, Dympha died at fifteen by her father’s hand. That’s another way people become saints-through martyrdom, to give one’s life for one’s faith. People of faith still find themselves in life-threatening situations. And some indeed give their lives for the cause of Christ. But, thanks be to God, death is not the final word. In 1985, as a sign of shared faith and purpose, the General Assembly of the newly re-united Presbyterian Church, adopted the Declaration of Faith. This was a welcome and celebrated accomplishment, as the church worked to heal the split that had deeply divided north from south for over one hundred years. Many scoffed at the idea of re-union, declaring the church irreparably fractured, as good as dead. I would go as far as to say some preferred death to forming a relationship with those they considered infidels. But, the church is the body of Christ and he is very much alive. In part, the Declaration states: “In the death of Jesus Christ, God’s way in the world seemed finally defeated. But death was no match for God. The resurrection of Jesus was God’s victory over death. Death often seems to prove that life is not worth living, that our best efforts and deepest affections go for nothing. We do not yet see the end of death. But Christ has been raised from the dead, Transformed, and yet the same person. In his resurrection is the promise of ours. We are convinced the life God wills for each of us is stronger than the death that destroys us. The glory of that life exceeds our imagination, but we know we shall be with Christ. So we treat death as a broken power. Its ultimate defeat is certain. In the face of death we grieve. Yet in hope we celebrate life. No life ends so tragically that its meaning and value are destroyed. Nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is Lord! He has been Lord from the beginning. He will be Lord at the end. Even now he is Lord.” Glory be to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p.35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Prayers of the Faithful and the Lord’s Prayer Romans 6:3-5 This morning we remember family, friends, and loved ones who have joined the blessed company of the saints in light during this church year. When we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism unto death, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life. For if we have been united with Christ in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Received into the Church Triumphant this year: Joan Sharp February 17, 1947-January 13, 2022 Brett Brownfield March 27, 1959-June 8, 2022 Margaret Keenan December 5, 1941-July 11, 2022 Eternal God, we bless you for the great company of all those who have kept the faith, finished their race, and now rest from their labor. We praise you for those from this fellowship of faith whom you have received into your presence and others we name now in our hearts… We lift our concerns for our community, our nation, and the world, that all may be supplied their daily needs and know the security of freedom, security, and peace. We pray for those who suffer from illness and other circumstances. We give you thanks for all gifts of healing and compassion offered in your name. Help us to believe where we have not seen, trusting you to lead us through our years. Bring us at last with all your saints into the joy of your home, through Christ Jesus who taught us to pray, saying, Our Father… Amen. Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 730 I Sing a Song of the Saints of God *Blessing Go out in the confidence that your lives are safe in God. Keep your hands clean and your hearts pure. Do not act falsely or deceitfully. Trust in the Lord, even in the face of death, and follow in the footsteps of all God’s saints. And may God keep a protective eye on you; May Christ Jesus show you his grace and mercy; And may the Holy Spirit give you a vision of the life of the world made new. *Postlude Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 Prelude Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship As Jesus called to Zaccheus, so he calls us. Jesus longs to abide with us: Here in this place, in our homes, at our games, in the marketplace, and wherever the body of Christ is gathered. Jesus invites us, just as we are. Let us worship God, who calls us by name, who came to seek and save the lost. Let us praise God’s name together! *Hymn 39 Great Is Thy Faithfulness Prayer Athlete’s Prayer Gregg Easterbook God, let me play well, but fairly. Let competition make me strong but never hostile. Forbid me to rejoice in the adversity of others. See me not when I am cheered, but when I bend to help my opponent up. If I know victory, allow me to be happy. If I am denied, keep me from envy. Remind me that sports are games. Help me to learn something that matters once the game is over. And if through games I set an example, let it be a good one. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Friends, God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. Never giving up on us, God’s love pursues, guides, and “coaches” us our whole lives long. God is always in our corner, ready to forgive and set us free from sin. Be at peace. First Scripture Reading Hebrews 12:1-3 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 19:1-10 Morning Message Do you remember the song? Zacchaeus was a wee little man And a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the Savior passed that way, he looked up in that tree. “Zacchaeus, come on down! For I’m ging to your house today. I’m going to your house today.” One of my kids always insisted Jesus said, “I’m going to your house for tea.” I’ve always liked Zacchaeus. He was short. Short people have some unique problems. They’re always picked last for games. No athlete aspires to be short in adulthood, unless they’re a jockey or maybe a gymnast. When we were still at Marshall, I had to drive Ed to the ER one day. He had fallen at a rehearsal and his ankle looked like it might be broken. The driver’s seat in Ed’s car wasn’t adjustable. He’s a foot taller than I am. I drove with Norton’s anthology of English Literature behind my back. I did what I had done all my life: adapted. Zacchaeus had probably lived a lifetime of not being acknowledged, overlooked, pushed to the back of the crowd. And since he was a dreaded tax collector, he probably endured frequent ridicule. If his temple had Bring a Friend Sabbath, I don’t know who he would invite. But, like all short people, Zacchaeus had learned to adapt to his environment. Which is why he was up in that tree. He had a bird’s eye view of the gathering in the town square. He achieved his goal. He did see Jesus. And Jesus saw him and something unexpected happens. Pastor and author Bruce Epperly suggests in The Adventurous Lectionary, the story of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus portrays the quest for spiritual stature. Jesus is passing by but Zacchaeus can’t see him because he is short in stature. While the gospel writer is pointing to Zacchaeus’ height; he is also describing his spirit. Before he heard of Jesus’ visit, Zacchaeus had a small soul. Some commentators think he may have even cultivated a cramped spirit, focusing primarily on his occupation which had him assessing property and prosperity to the exclusion of forming healthy connections with his community. His small spirit allowed him to deny the pain and hardship he inflicted on others. Small in stature, Zacchaeus climbs a tree. He needs a larger vision. He needs to see Jesus more clearly. He needs a wider perspective. Zacchaeus is being called from self-focus, from that rugged individualism we Appalachians love to tout, to a broader interest in the world around him. When Jesus notices Zacchaeus, he invited himself to the tax collector’s home. Now, if Jesus called me or sent me a text saying he was on his way over to my house, I confess my first thought wouldn’t be about what a blessing this is. Nope. My first thought would be, do I cook or do I clean? So, we see, Zacchaeus isn’t the only one who needs a wider vision. The community may have been scandalized that Jesus was having dinner with Zacchaeus. His self-righteous neighbors are grumbling. He may be rich and powerful, but, Zacchaeus is a social outcast because of his profession. He is a Roman agent. Surely Jesus doesn’t want to dine with this man. But, Jesus is always surprising us, which makes some people uncomfortable and some even angry. Once again, Jesus demonstrates a new way of life. Jesus’ spiritual stature allowed him to eat with sinners and women, to embrace the clean and unclean, the socially acceptable and the social misfits. Jesus thinks big. He looks beyond appearances and beyond social expectations to discern God’s deep work taking place in Zacchaeus’ soul. His spiritual stature grows. He sees a larger vision of himself. He sees the error of his ways and the importance of setting things right. He makes a commitment to a higher standard in his work, work based on honesty and integrity generosity. People were never again to be exploited, taken advantage of, but honored and respected. In this way the whole community could be transformed. Jesus now proclaims that salvation, wholeness, and healing have come to those who were thought to be lost. Salvation is about a larger perspective, a new vision of reality, and values, and maybe even vocation. The Christian faith is about conforming to those qualities we see in Jesus. Jesus proclaimed the value of every man, woman, and child. He cared about what was right and true and good for the community. He was always opposed to exploitation and derision, and injustice. In large part the Protestant Reformation was about these things, too. When Martin Luther nailed those 95 theses to the door of the Wittenburg Chapel, he was standing up for the people the Church had exploited. And thanks to the printing press, which came along in that era, people like us would finally be able to read the Word of God, the Bible, in their own language. Until that moment in history, Scripture was read and interpreted by clergy, and it wasn’t always beneficial to the masses. In fact it could be twisted and contorted in devastating ways. Much more could be said about the Reformation, but, we will save that for another time. Poet Howard Thurman penned these words: Each night by bonny, sturdy lad persists in adding to his “now I lay me down to sleep,” the earnest wistful plea: “God, make me big.” And I, his mother, with greater need, do echo in a humbled, contrite heart, “God, make me big.” Current events, tragic events like what happened to Paul Pelosi on Friday, can constrict our visions. Fear creeps or crashes in on us. We can become imprisoned by our desire for security, safety, and affluence. God is calling us to larger visions and larger spirits to match the challenges of our time. Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and so can we. God can “make us big,” And we can discover that even within limitations, no matter our physical stature or skill, we can adapt and the possibilities are unlimited. I pray that God will make our spirits big, too. *Hymn God, You Give Us Recreation (There’s a Wideness In God’s Mercy) Verses 1 and 2 Carolyn Winfrey Gillette *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Gifts of Tithes and Offering Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn God, You Give Us Recreation, Verse 3 *Blessing As we move from this place to our fellowship hall, let us give God thanks: For food in a world where many walk in hunger; for faith in a world where many walk in fear; for friends in a world where many walk alone; we give you thanks, O Lord, and go out to love and serve you. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good; For the Lord’s steadfast love endures forever. Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or declare all God’s praise? Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. *Hymn 475 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Prayer of Confession O God, who alone can probe the depths of the heart, you hear the prayers of the faithful; you justify the repentant sinner. Grant us the gift of humility, that we may see our sins clearly and refrain from judging our neighbor. We make our prayer through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness God pours out mercy and grace, never giving up on us, but freeing us to live lives worthy of our calling. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel: Jesus Christ saves us from sin and sets us free to enjoy newness of life. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen. First Reading Joel 2: 23-32 Moments With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 18:9-14 Morning Message You may know that one of my favorite TV shows is Blue Bloods. At least once an episode we see the Reagan clan gathered around the Sunday dinner table hashing out the highs and lows of the week. There is a lot of mirth and sometimes, some deep and dark angst. Dinner always begins with a blessing over the meal: “Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from the bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.” Traditional Catholic table grace. If danger has come calling, if grief or loss is upon them, someone may add to the prayer that particular concern. Likewise, should there be a reason to celebrate, the prayer sounds much like a cheer. But, one night, following lively, irreverent banter, daughter-in-law, Linda, offers to say grace. “Lord, bless these sinners while they eat their dinners. Amen.” Sounds a little like the prayer of the Pharisee in our text today. “God, I thank you that I am not like those other people, those sinners.” Rev. Mandy Sayers of Elliot City, Maryland, says she had to fight the urge to think something similar when she was asked to submit a sermon to a well-respected radio program and web-site, Day 1.org. There are many famous, popular preachers who are invited each Sunday of the year to proclaim the Word of God on Day 1. She was honored to be included though she is very young and inexperienced. Feeling her Cheerios she thought for a moment, “I thank you, Lord, that I’m better than at least one of the great multitude of preachers they’ve had in their decades of amazing ministry.” But, after some self-reflection and sober thought, her prayer changed to, “Be merciful to me, a preacher.” I confess that’s where I am most weeks. “Help me, Lord! Your Word is precious and I can do harm, or through my feeble attempts, your word can inspire, enlighten, correct and challenge. Help me.” Sayers says, two men went up to the Temple to pray-one leading with his extensive resume. He’s a Pharisee, a church regular, a charter member, city council chair, faithful in marriage, raises well-heeled kids, honest, forthright, thrifty, brave, and even a tither. A church valedictorian in the making. The other fellow, the tax collector, seems to have staggered in there at the last minute. He’s in the corner, in the back row. You can bet he forgot his homework at home and has to borrow a pencil. He has little to commend him by way of righteousness. A tax collector is despised and rejected by most. Tax collectors and sinners seem to be paired in scripture like we pair peanut butter and jelly or nuts and bolts, mac and cheese. Jesus asks which one does God love most? The saint or the sinner? Let’s break it down a bit. At first, the Pharisee’s prayer seems to be directed toward God in thanksgiving, but if you look closely, it’s really a form of bragging and ridicule. The man is trusting himself for righteousness, as if to say, “Don’t worry about me, God. I got this. Send me a job to do because nobody can do it better than I can.” The Pharisee regards other people with contempt. He’s thankful he’s not like the other screw-ups and misfits. Convicts, addicts, dead beats, people who vote for the other party. Meanwhile, the tax collector is exhausted by his self-inventory. These moments of confession leave him so spent and aggrieved that he is beating his chest. He can’t even look up. The tax collector knows he is a sinner who found his way to the temple, and other than that, it’s all about God. If the Pharisee’s prayer is “I got this,” then the tax collector’s is, “I got nothing. Nothing but you, God.” Sayers says she thinks that whenever we get to the place where we realize we cannot achieve or earn our way into God’s heart, that’s when God’s eyes begin to sparkle. Because that’s when we are ready to be purposed by God. We are ready to serve, to show and share the love of Jesus with Pharisees, tax collectors, and everyone in-between. Jesus demonstrates humility over and over. He says take the last place at the banquet. If you want to be great, be a servant. Become like a child to enter the kingdom. Take up a towel and wash each other’s feet. Sayers says a few times in her ministry, she has had the privilege of going up to the temple to pray with some folks in recovery groups. Or rather down to the basement to pray. She finds it humbling and inspiring to hear the stories from those who are very clear that they need God’s help, they can’t do this on their own, that they need and want the help of their brothers and sisters here in their daily walk. Every single person is welcomed. There is coffee, hospitality, acceptance. There is love. People of all ages, pedigrees, conditions, in biker jackets and business suits and yoga pants. Whenever she is there, Sayers feels like it’s an oasis where those in attendance are able to be themselves, with no need to pretend they are anything other than the beloved children of God, freed from the endless torrent of judgment and shame, and competition, if even for a couple of hours. One evening, when the program was over, a man named Tom got out his harmonica and Chuck played the out of tune piano. “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” She wonders if, when we all get to heaven, if it may look more like that church basement than a beautiful stained-glass sanctuary. The surprise ending is this: a tax collector knows he needs God, that he is saved by God’s grace and not by his own achievement, or how well he kept the commandments. People who are saved by grace, whose hearts are broken and re-made make great Sunday School teachers, and choir members, and committee members and even preachers. They are wonderful at setting the table for Communion. They know what it is to be hungry and thirsty for the things of God. Those who are forgiven great debt can be the most forgiving. They are the ones who sit with people in the hospital waiting room or at the bedside, not counting the time, just bearing witness to the pain and fear and unknown. If they have a theme song, it’s probably more like “Standing On the Promises” than “I Did It My Way,” no offense to Frank Sinatra. Two men went up to the temple to pray…and we can see ourselves in both of them, can’t we? I’ve had some eye problems lately. Thankfully, they are being resolved. I’m going to have cataract surgery after the New Year. But, at the end of a doctor’s visit a few days ago, I was told I would have to return in a week for another exam…this time I was to to go without eye makeup for a minimum of 48 hours before the appointment to avoid any stray particles of the products affecting my readings. Seriously? Forty-eight hours without mascara? I am so self-concious about my hair loss, and absentee eyelashes, that I used to get eyelash extensions and had them refreshed about once a month. The Pharisee in me is afraid to be seen as I really am. And that’s my spiritual work in the days ahead. So, when we go up to the temple, or down the street, or kneeling beside our beds to pray, let us let go of all the vain things we carry, and bow before the one who calls us beloved, the one who made us in God’s own image, called us God’s people when we were no people, the one who, when we were in a far-off country, threw us a party and put the best robe around our shoulders, and said, “Come home.” *Affirmation of Faith A Declaration of Faith, PCUSA, 1985 We are certain that Jesus lives. He lives as God with us, touching all of human life with the presence of God. He lives as one of us with God. Because he shares our humanity, He has bound us to himself in love. We declare that Jesus is Lord. We have an advocate in the innermost life of God. His resurrection is a decisive victory over the powers that deform and destroy human life. His lordship is hidden. The world appears to be dominated by people and systems that do not acknowledge his rule. But his Lordship is real. It demands our loyalty and sets us free from all the lesser lords who threaten us. We maintain that ultimate sovereignty now belongs to Jesus Christ. In every sphere of life, Jesus is Lord. He has been from the beginning. He will be Lord at the end. Even now he is Lord. *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 36 For the Fruit of all Creation *Blessing May the God of endurance and encouragement, grant you to live in such harmony with one another that with one voice we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Go now in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen. * Hymn 48 Rain Down Psalm 33 Rain down, rain down, rain down your love on your people. Rain down, rain down, rain down your love, Lord of Life. *Postlude Prelude
*Call to Worship Shine like stars in the world, holding fast to the word of life. *Prayer of the Day Lord, tireless guardian of your people, Ever-prepared to hear the cries of your chosen ones, teach us to rely, day and night, on your care. Support our prayer, lest we grow weary, drive us to seek your enduring justice and your ever-present help. Grant this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen. *Hymn 14 For the Beauty of the Earth Verses 1, 2, and 3 Prayer of Confession Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings, and our offenses against you. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. Have mercy on us, Lord, for we are sorry for all we have done to displease you. Forgive us our sins and help us to live in your light, and walk in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. *Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Chrsit died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life is gone and a new life has begun. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen. First Reading Psalm 121 Moments With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 18:1-8 Morning Message “If we can just get him in the house, she’ll let us keep him.” My friend chuckles as she describes the day she overhears her young children, their earnest logic, their hopeful voices. They had found yet another stray animal, a little dog this time, and they were compelled to bring it into the warmth and shelter of their home. But, first they had to win over their mother. And that would require a plan. The plan worked, of course, as they knew it would. In today’s text, Jesus speaks to the act of persistence. Like children who beg their mom to keep a cold and hungry stray puppy, he lifts up persistence in prayer…steadily approaching God for God’s help or favor or healing, or whatever the need is. By the time Luke was writing this gospel,l a generation or so after Jesus’ life on earth had ended, people were starting to feel discouraged. They were tired of waiting for Jesus to bring all things to fulfillment. They were weary of being persecuted as a small minority going against the grain in a vast and powerful empire. They were anxious and suffering. Jesus reasons with them that if an unjust, disrespectful judge hears the case of a poor widow because she has worn him out with her pleas, then, Jesus asks, how much more will God-the God of the universe, the God of compassion and justice- how much more will God listen and respond to his beloved children in their hour of need? Once again, Jesus uses someone from the margins of society, a needy, powerless widow, to make his point. Bible scholar John Pilch says the Hebrew word for “widow” is “silent one,” or “one unable to speak.” In the patriarchal Mediterranean world, only men could take on a public presence. They speak for women who are not allowed to speak for themselves. They have no voice, no agency. So this “silent one” is acting outside the normal bounds when she finds her voice and speaks for herself. Maybe it’s because she knows that there’s a special place for her in the heart of God. Widows, orphans, and aliens are all very close to the heart of God. We would do well to ask ourselves who the widows, orphans, and aliens are of our day. Who are the ones without a voice. Pastor Kate Matthews reminds us of the true story of Greta Thune. Do you remember her? She was a sixteen-year-old Swedish environmental activist who called attention some years ago to the urgent need to protect the environment.She was quiet strident in her speeches and serious in her presence. Many appreciated her advocacy, but others ridiculed her. Greta is only one example of the many young people who have become activists to bring attention and raise a hope for change for the deep problems we encounter these days. I am reminded of David Hogg and other young people who have traveled the country following the violence that devastated the residents of Parkland, Florida several years ago. Their particular position is for stricter gun control, a hot issue for many American citizens. The young people have found support and they have been met with criticism. Still, they carry on with their cause. Episcopal priest, Barbara Brown Taylor, takes a close look at the heart of the woman in the parable. Society may tell her that she is to be silent and remind her of her powerlessness. But, she rejects that position. She would persist. “She was willing to say what she wanted-out loud, day or night, over and over-whether she got it or not, because saying it was how she remembered who she was. It was how she remembered the shape of her heart.” The shape of her heart: it makes us wonder about the shape of our own hearts and the health of our prayer life. Why does Luke find this story necessary? To pray without ceasing. Why does he ask if Jesus will find any faithful people left on earth when he returns in the fullness of time? Several years ago, during news coverage of the terrible injustices against the people of Myanmar, a BBC reporter shared the story of Ma Thida, a writer and doctor who was held in solitary confinement for six years after she wrote about the abuses of the government. When asked how she survived those long years of waiting and suffering, she cited inspiring books that were like vitamins to the prisoners. Then she described her spiritual life. She meditated 18-20 hours a day. The reported noted Ma Thida’s commitment to her Buddist faith. She had a deep engagement with a “Holy Other” from whom she sought peace and solace and strength. Sometimes we have to wonder how many of us Christians are as deeply engaged with our “Holy Other.” Barbara Brown Taylor says in Jesus’ day and ours, so many of the religious adherents practice prayer like they brush their teeth…morning and night like a kind of spiritual hygiene program. Prayer shapes our faith, and in turn, our faith gives shape to our prayer life. Kate Matthew says she believed for a long time that faith had to do with believing the “right” things. Learning and memorizing the faith of our mothers and fathers as handed down to us in creeds and catechisms and religious textbooks. Keeping the faith was about guarding a treasure of beliefs and handing them down to the next generation, safe and intact and unchanged. Faith was something you had in your head. Theologian Marcus Borg writes that “you can believe all the right things and still be miserable. You can believe all the right things and still be relatively unchanged. Believing a set of claims to be true has very little transforming power.” Instead, Borg suggests, faith has to do with relationship-our relationship with God, and giving our heart, and our trust, our radical trust, to God. Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, says that “Faith is like floating on a deep ocean. Faith is like floating in seventy thousand fathoms of water. If you struggle, if you tense up and thrash about, you will certainly sink. But if you relax and trust, yiu will float.” Borg describes faith as trusting in the buoyancy of God. Faith is trusting in the sea of being in which we live and move and have our being. Kate Matthews had a life-long fear of water. She could not even float. She couldn’t put her face in water. She made sure her children all learned to swim and she says they took to water like ducks. One summer they were staying in a place with a pool. Her son, Doug, was about ten years old. He decided, on a day when they were the only two in the pool, that this was the day that Mom was going to learn to swim. He had utter confidence in his ability to teach her to do something that forty years of fear had prevented. “Mom,” he said, “If you close your eyes and hold your breath and relax, the water will hold you up. Just believe me. It works.” And then he demonstrated. He floated right there on top of the water. And so she gave it a try. And it worked. Kate says, “I floated there, held up by the buoyant water but also by the buoyant hope and confidence-and persistence- of my own unlikely little teacher who had already gone ahead of his older, more fearful parent, and discovered new experiences and new possibilities.” So, this little parable isn’t about a nagging woman or a corrupt judge who gave in to save face. It’s ultimately about the character of a loving God who listens to the cares of our hearts, especially when they point to human need or suffering or longing, freedom, or justice. It’s about aligning our will and intentions with that of God. Barbara Brown Taylor says our prayer life sustains us even in the worst of times, and it keeps us close to God. “You are going to trust the process,” she writes, “regardless of what comes of it, because the process itself gives you life. The process keeps you engaged with what matters most to you, so you do not lose heart.” Taylor writes, “prayer keeps our hearts chasing God’s heart. It’s how we bother God, and it’s how God bothers us back. There’s nothing that works any better than that.” *Hymn Faith of Our Fathers (Insert) *Affirmation of Faith p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 14 For the Beauty of the Earth, Verses 4 and 5 *Blessing Go now and continue in what you have learned and believed. Pray always, and do not lose heart. Proclaim God’s message, endure hostility, carry out your ministry fully. And may God be quick to answer your prayers, may Christ Jesus inspire faith within you, and may the Holy S[irit tutor your hearts and equip you for every good work. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship God says,” I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts; And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” *Hymn 2 Come, Thou Almighty King Prayer of the Day Merciful God, in Jesus Christ you do not call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. Draw us away from the easy road that leads to destruction, and guide us into paths that lead to life abundant, that in seeking your truth, and obeying your will, we may know the joy of being a disciple of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from sin and free us to live holy and joyful lives. This is the good news of the gospel. Your sins are forgiven. Be at peace. First Reading Psalm 66 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading Luke 17:11-19 Morning Message Pastor Debie Thomas says she remembers well the day when she was snooping in her father’s study. She was four years old and bored. She began rummaging thru his files and found a manila envelope. She looked inside to find a small bundle wrapped in tissue paper. It held four little blue books. Upon opening one of the books she was delighted to find a baby picture of herself. There were a lot of big words in the books which she couldn’t read. She took a pencil from her father’s desk and began doodling in the one that held her picture. Her father came into the study at some point and shouted at her, “What are you doing? “ And he grabbed the book out of her hands. She said he immediately set to work carefully erasing her drawings, his hands shaking. “What are they?” Debie asked. “Our passports, “ he said. These are our American passports. They prove we belong here. Without them…” he didn’t finish that sentence. Even now, years later, Debie says she remembers her father’s fear that day. It was the immigrant fear of not belonging, of being cast out. To this day, Debie treats her passport with great care, as though it might disintegrate in her hands. The memory of her father’s reaction to the defacing of her passport is a reminder of how seriously he took his citizenship and his role in keeping his family safe. The scripture text points to at least three things for our attention. One is healing. Jesus healed ten very sick people. One is gratitude. One leper returned to Jesus to express his gratitude. And one is identity. Within this text we find questions of inclusion and exclusion, exile and return. Debie Thomas says, as the daughter of immigrants, she feels these questions deep in her bones. They aren’t intellectual or abstract. They are emotional and urgent. Where is home? What is my identity? Her security is bound up in these questions. A few years after that day in the study, Debie’s family travelled to India, her parents’ homeland. One day while waiting in line at a village train station, her little brother pointed to two people huddled in a corner. “What’s wrong with them?” he asked. They had been in India about two weeks by this time. They were getting used to seeing beggars, women with rail-thin babies on their hips, men who were blind or lame, at the mercy of passers-by for a few coins a day. Debie and her brother had never witnessed such devastating need and were moved to help with whatever change or small bills her parents could spare. But somehow these two at the train station seemed different. They were in need but their appearance scared Debie. She didn’t want to approach them. Didn’t want to drop a few coins in their hands. They were missing fingers, their feet were mere stumps. Their faces were misshapen. “They’re sick,” said their father. “They have leprosy.” And though the train station and the city streets were crowded that day, what struck Debie was how very alone those two seemed to be. She says it was like an invisible barrier, solid as granite, separated them from the rest of humanity, rendering them untouchable. The disease was frightening, but what frightened her more was their isolation, their not-belonging. The lepers in the text also lived in the shadows, in the region “in-between.” It was a no-man’s land. They were required to live in seclusion, to keep their distances from others. They had to warn the public by announcing, “Unclean! Unclean!” whenever they came close. When Jesus heals their disease, he also restores their identities. He enables them to return to their families and their communities. They could enjoy human interaction once again. They had a place to belong. They could go home. He healed ten, but only one returned to thank Jesus. I think we miss the point if we say the others weren’t grateful. We know they were. But this one man has the deck stacked against him. He was a Samaritan. He was a “double other.” He was marginalized by both illness and foreignness. Jews and Samaritans bore years of enmity. They disagreed about where to worship God and how to interpret the scriptures. They avaoided interaction with each other. This reminds me of the first time Ed and I were in Ireland. WE were talking with the host at the bed and breakfast where we spent the night. Our plan was to go into Dublin. The host informed us that U2 was giving a concert that night in the city so it would be crowded. “And mind your purse, dear,” the woman warned me, “The damn English will be there.” Debie Thomas suggests that this man in the text, by virtue of his disease and his foreignness, is enabled to see his truest place of belonging lies at the feet of Jesus. Jesus embraces all of him-leper, foreigner, exile. So, what are we to take from this story? In a much less dramatic way, we have probably all experienced the discomfort of being alone, or new, or unfamiliar. Next weekend Ed and I are participating in our nephew’s wedding. We will be doing things we do every week in worship with no nerves at all. But the size of the sanctuary, the power of the organ, the massive marble altar and beautiful shrines are enough to take your breath away. When we visited on Thursday night, I felt like I didn’t belong there. But, the most lovely thing happened. The church music director was extremely hospitable, showing Ed around the organ and showing me all around the sanctuary, leading me up to the pulpit. He took me on a tour, describing the artwork, the beautifully carved statues, the fresh red roses that are replaced several days a week at the feet of the shrine of the infant king, the statue of the pregnant Mary, bearing God’s Word into the world. It was evident that here was a place where you could truly worship God with all the senses. It was very reassuring, comforting. I was realized that we fit just fine because our ultimate, eternal, most satisfying home is with Jesus. Jesus is home for the well and the sick, the immigrant and the native-born, Jesus is home for Catholics and Protestants. Jesus is home for the faithful in prayer and for babies in the cry room. Jesus is home for those who live in luxury and for those who have no place to lay their heads. And those who recognize home when they find it, can do none other than fall to their knees in gratitude. May it be so for all of us. Amen. *Hymn 647 Give Thanks *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Generous God, who creates, redeems, and sustains, we present our offering, signs of the work you have called and gifted us to do. Use it, use us, in service to your world, to the glory of your name. Amen. *Hymn 772 Live Into Hope *Blessing Go now, and may God be glorified in your life, in your song, in Christ’s church, and in God’s world. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship From north and south, from east and west, we come; God’s people called to the Table where simple grace nourishes us. From down the street to across town, from single households to apartment dwellers, God’s people are called to community. Where we live and serve one another from every class, every race, and every status, from little ones with sippy cups to elders with overflowing hearts, God’s people are called to witness to God’s hope, God’s people are called to offer peace to a shattered world. *Hymn 1 Holy, Holy Holy Prayer of Confession Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. In your mercy, forgive what we have been, help us amend what we are, and direct what we shall be, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Hear the good news! The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin and alive to all that is good. I declare to you in the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Be at peace. Amen. Time With Our Young Disciples Scripture Reading Matthew 15:29-38 The Morning Message The air conditioning in my car went out some time ago. It was finally scheduled for repairs last week, meaning Ed and I made two trips to the Honda dealership in South Charleston. On our way home on Friday night we stopped for dinner at a place we like in Teays Valley. Ed arrived first, but, he told the hostess I may have beat him because I had a head start. Could he just walk thru the restaurant to see if I might already be there? To which the hostess replied, “Well. Do you know what she looks like?” We got a lot of mileage out of that this weekend. When we entered the sanctuary today, we probably noticed something different. The paraments have been changed to white. The Table is set for Communion, the holy meal to which Jesus calls us. We know what it looks like. Bread and wine. Simple. And profoundly filling. Food and drink were important to Jesus. The forst of the miracle stories happened at a wedding in Galilee. He turned water into wine. Then he multiplied a little boys lunch of bread and fish to feed thousands of hungry people. He read a poignant story of Jesus being the dinner guest at the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. After the resurrection, he shows up at the beach to cook breakfast. Food is important to Jesus. Who remembers their high school love interest? I clearly remember one boyfriend. We had a debate one day: Which is better- to live to eat or eat to live? He argued that I seemed to live to eat, whereas, he had taken the better, higher understanding- he ate to live. I fired that boyfriend. Today Christians around the globe are celebrating World Communion Sunday, a day when we are urged to embrace the Biblical vision of unity and peace. Not as a far-off dream, but as Christ’s calling to us. World Communion Sunday is a gift of the Presbyterian Church to the larger ecumenical body of Christ. The first observance was at the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, in 1933. The Rev. Dr. Hugh Thompson Kerr was the pastor. It was from his vision that the day was set apart for the purpose of promoting peace and global witness. Years later, his son, the Rev. Dr. Donald Kerr, reflected on his father’s vision. “The concept spread very slowly at the start. People did not give it a whole lot of thought. It was during the Second World War that the spirit caught hold, because we were trying to hold the world together. World wide Communion symbolized the effort to hold things together, in a spiritual sense. It emphasized that we are one in the Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” It seems to me, we are trying to hold the world together in the 21st century. Hurricane Ian wrought all kinds of destruction in recent days, the pandemic just keeps raising its ugly head, cereal is $5.00 a box, civic unrest seems ever more contentious, many have experienced job insecurity, food insecurity exists even here in our community. That should not happen. Noted theologian, Karl Barth, is remembered for saying this about preaching: “Hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” Faith, apart from real life, is irrelevant. Rev. Christine Chakoian of Los Angeles says the first time she heard the gospel preached that way wasn’t at her church, but in her parents’ family room. It wasn’t from a pulpit, but a record player. It was Simon and Garfunkel’s “7 O’Clock News/Silent Night.” Silent Night is one of our most beloved Christmas carols, a lullaby that the Christ Child and the world he came to save, would “sleep in heavenly peace.” But, in this particular recording, over that carol, another sound intrudes, growing louder and louder. The voice of a reporter announces that demonstrators have been forcibly evicted from the US House of Representatives. And then the grim announcement that unless there is a substantial increase in the effort in Viet Nam, the US should look forward to five more years of war. And then the reporter signed off, “That’s the 7 o’clock news. Good night.” Christine Chakoian says she has been thinking about that Simon and Garfunkel song a lot lately, and Barth’s words of preaching advice. There is a taught tension between the Bible’s vision for the world and the world’s news. Let’s consider just a few. The Bible says: “No more shall there be the sound of weeping, or the cry of distress.” The New York Times says: “An incalculable Loss: America has reached a grim milestone in the Coronavirus outbreak.” The Bible says: “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” The newspaper says: Political Battle Erupts Over Homeless Encampment on Venice Boardwalk.” The Bible says: “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” The newspaper says: Collateral Damage of COVID-19: Rising rates of domestic and social violence. We find these competing truths in our own town. What are we supposed to do? God promises peace, but violence exists, poverty exists, disease and death exist. One way we can respond is to just look the other way. Don’t concern ourselves with social ills. Ignore the Bible. It’s irrelevant today. It certainly doesn’t compel many people to action. Judging by the inactivity in my own neighborhood on Sunday mornings, I’d say this is the prevalent attitude. But, Christians have to do better than that. We could take the eschatological approach and lean into the time to come when Christ returns to make all things new and establish the peaceable kingdom. God will take care of this in God’s good time. No worries. This approach reminds me of a high school friend of mine who decided not to apply for college admission because he believed the Rapture, or Christ’s return, was imminent. We could concentrate on our personal salvation. It is important. Jesus saves. Our eternal security is sealed. But, Jesus saves us for what purpose? What is the work or mission to which Jesus has called us? Christine Chakoian says we could set all those approaches aside and try another way- the prophetic way. “A way that lifts up God’s end game vision and at the same time, opens our hearts to let Christ make a difference now.” That’s the prophetic way, the Gospel way-where God’s reign can be real, even now. Where peace is not a pipedream, where God assures that none of his beloved sheep goes hungry.” Is that too naïve, too idealistic? Or is there a way to embrace that vision for the world God created and loves? Seminary Professor Fred Craddock shares this story of how the reconciliation of faith and current events came together in his classroom. At the beginning of many seminary classes, a student leads the class in prayer or shares a brief devotion. Maybe the student brings along a guitar and invites everyone to sing a hymn or chorus. This was a part of seminary education that I loved. Every lecture, every assignment, was wrapped in the Word read and proclaimed, and sealed with prayer. On this particular day the student leading devotions stepped up to the front of the class with her yellow legal pad. It had a lot of writing on it. Fred thought this could take a long time. The student spoke sofly, first in one foreign language, then another-one sentence repeated over fifty times in different languages. Fred said it was only when she spoke in German, Spanish and French, that he began to understand what she was saying. She ended in English with these words: “Mommy, I’m hungry.” And then she sat down. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Jesus asks all of us here, “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Christine Chakoian offers these thoughts to us who are even now praying about the world’s great problems and waiting in hope for the coming kingdom: “Cynicism is the fate of realists who clearly see the present, but see nothing of God’s vision for the way the world could really be. That vision is before us now: where wolves and lambs can feed together; where all of God’s hungry children are fed at the table of grace.” It takes some imagination and not a little courage to live into God’s vision. But, that is the call of Christ on our lives: to feed his sheep, so that every single one of the children of earth is fed- fed with security, fed with love… and bread. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p.35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Celebrating the Sacrament of Communion With Our Brothers and Sisters Around the World The Invitation, Words of Institution, Great Prayer of Thanksgiving, Communion of the People Prayer after Communion And the Table Will Be Wide by Jan Richardson And the table will be wide. And the welcome will be wide. And the arms will open wide to gather us in. And our hearts will be open wide to receive. Women:And we will come as children who trust there is enough. And we will come unhindered and free. And our aching will be met with bread. And our sorrow will be met with wine. Men: And we will open our hands to the feast without shame. And we will turn toward each other without fear. And we will give up our appetite for despair. And we will taste and know of delight. All: And we will become bread for a hungering world. And we will become drink for those who thirst. And the blessed will become the blessing. And everywhere will be the feast. Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Hymn 500 Be Known to Us In Breaking Bread *Charge and Blessing Go out into the world in peace, rejoicing in the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today we celebrate the Sacrament of Communion with our brothers and sisters the world over, uniting in purpose and prayer. To receive the elements, come forward when invited, remove a cup from the tray, and return to your seat. We will eat and drink together when all have been served. If you prefer to remain seated, the elements will be brought to you. Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Psalm 100 Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come into God’s presence with a song! Prayer of the Day Gracious God, give us pure hearts that we may see you, humble hearts that we may hear you, hearts of love that we may serve you, hearts of faith that we may live in you, reverent hearts that we may worship you, here and in the world beyond our doors, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Hymn 32 I Sing the Mighty Power of God Prayer of Confession Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our failure to be what you created us to be. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. By your loving mercy, help us to live in your light and abide in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life is gone and a new life has begun. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we may be at peace. Amen. First Reading Psalm 91 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 16:19-31 Morning Message This week’s gospel lesson could be “The Hard Sayings of Jesus, Part 2.” We could go off in a number of directions, but, we are going to take a pretty focused view today. Have you ever felt invisible? Maybe you are in a restaurant and all the customers around you have been waited on, but, you and your party are overlooked. Or maybe you are trying to join in a conversation with others and someone interrupts you and talks over you, as though your contribution were unimportant. I was in an exam room at a doctor’s office one day. The wait always seems long when you are wearing nothing but what amounts to a big paper towel and the air conditioning is registering a North Pole temperature. I waited. And waited, My stomach started growling. It was lunchtime. Finally, I heard a voice and the door cracked a little and an arm reached into the room to turn off the light… before the nurse realized the room was occupied. She screamed, “Oh, I didn’t know anyone was in here! You should have let us know!” Right. I was about twelve months pregnant and I was going to climb down from that table and waddle out into the hall in my paper towel and find a staff member? Fat chance. That happened to my dad once in his doctor’s office and he passed the time by tearing off a piece of his paper sheet and made a toe tag. When his doctor finally came in, he played dead. He had a better sense of humor than I did. No one appreciates being overlooked or brushed aside or being made to feel their presence or their concerns are unimportant. Churches receive their fair share of people dropping by in need of help. It is to be expected. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” That’s part of the charge Jesus gives the Church. These are often people others fail to notice, or ignore, the last to be served. The problems can run deep. Generations deep in dysfunction. Some years ago a family came repeatedly to Beverly Hills in search of help. They were legitimately in need. There were small children involved. We did what we could, but our small church had limited resources, and we were about tapped out. We had to let them know that we were no longer able to assist them. But, we could direct them to resources that could help and we would gladly take them to a social service agency where they could find assistance. Our hope was that they might get to the root causes of their dysfunction and come up with a plan to turn that around so that they didn’t have to resort to begging for help. We failed. Or did we? There is a South African phrase, “Ubuntu.” It means “I am because of you.” In his book No Future without Forgiveness, Desmond Tutu defines “ubuntu” like this: “Ubuntu speaks of the very essence of being human. We say, ‘So and so has ubuntu.’ That means you are generous, you are hospitable, you are friendly and caring and compassionate. You share what you have. It is to say, “My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours.” We belong in a bundle of life. We say, “A person is a person through other persons.” A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are tortured or oppressed, or treated as if they were less than who they are.” Author Bruce Epperly says that the tragedy of this parable is that the rich man, who isn’t named, by the way, has all the resources to uplift his neighbor but was seemingly indifferent to Lazarus, who is obviously suffering. Why was that? Maybe he saw his wealth as a matter of entitlement and effort and saw the poverty of the beggar as a matter of laziness or lack of initiative. His failure to see and hear, to empathize, created a gulf in this life that echoed into eternity. When we fail to recognize the plight of those in need, when we fail to have compassion, when we are apathetic to others’ pain and suffering, we aren’t just alienated from them. We are ultimately alienated from God. Epperly says God called the rich man to a simple spiritual exercize that would have changed everything and awakened him to a new way of life: Pause, notice, open, stretch, and respond That’s all it takes. . We know there are limits to what we can do, how far our resources can stretch, the type of counsel we can give. But we are never off the hook from noticing opportunities to live into “ubuntu, I am because you are.” When we think about our efforts in this way, we measure our work differently. Sometimes our efforts are abused and we sour on any further help. That’s natural. But, hang onto this thought: we can’t control the actions of others. What’s important is our response. John Wesley penned these words centuries ago. They are packed with meaning for Christians of this age as well: Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. And you will find ubuntu. *Hymn 714 God of the Fertile Fields, verses 1and 2 *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 * Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 714 God of the Fertile Fields, verses 3 and 4 *Blessing Go now and take hold of the life that really is life. Shun eagerness for fortune, but be rich in good works. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. And may God be your refuge and fortress; may Christ Jesus free you from all that ensnares you; and may the Holy Spirit provide you with peace and contentment. Amen. *Postlude |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
November 2022
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