​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
 
Lenten Reading   Psalm 22: 23-31    Jon and Caroline True
Reader 1: Friends, once again we invite you to observe a holy Lent, that by practicing the spiritual disciplines, you may draw closer to Christ the Savior and your life may more closely follow his.
 
Reader 2: Hear these words from the psalmist:
All you who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he did not despise or abhor the affliction or the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
 
Reader1: Please join me in prayer.
Look with favor, Lord, upon your household. Grant that, though our flesh may be humbled by setting aside human comforts and appetites, our souls, hungering after you, may be resplendent in your sight.  Amen.
 
*Hymn   450      Be Thou My Vision  
 
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 live in your light and abide in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior.  Amen.
 
Hymn   698    Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting.
I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ,
we are forgiven.  Amen.
 
Old Testament Reading              Genesis 17: 1-7; 15-16
 
Moments With Our Young Disciples
 
New Testament Reading             Mark 9:2-10
 
Morning Message
 
If you are a teacher of the fine arts, taking your students on a trip to New York City is probably at the top of your to-do list. Ed has taken his students about every three or four years and I have benefitted from those trips.
 
Theatres, the Met, museums, and much more are like magnets, drawing young people, and those who accompany them, into the magnificent buildings and performance settings. Just don’t try to take a picture while you are inside those exquisite places. A security guard may just ask you to hand over your phone until you leave. My sister, who memorializes everything, was caught trying to snap a quick pic of her son during intermission at the Metropolitan Opera. It can be pretty intimidating.
 
And, advised both the travel guide and the bus driver in the early years after the 9/11 disasters, when you go by the site of the Twin Towers, the bus will stop and you may take a photo, but, it is considered very bad manners to take a picture of yourself or anyone else standing by Ground Zero with a smile on the face. We can understand why.
 
You can take pictures of a million other things, including the new One World Trade, which we visited the last time we were there with students. It was a miserable day. Rain was pouring buckets and the wind was whipping. We would pay our respects at the 9/11 Memorial Fountain before ascending the 102 stories to the Observation Tower, enjoying the Big Apple’s skyline from the tallest building in the western hemisphere.
 
Truth be told, I would have preferred staying on the ground, at the 9/11 Memorial. There is something gravid and mysterious about that place where so many lost their lives that tragic September day. A few moments felt too short a time to acknowledge the depth of pain and suffering. Water runs over the surface of the granite walls bearing the names of the dead, like so many tears coursing down the cheeks.
 
But, I joined the others and up we went, by elevator and stairs, finally reaching the first observation deck. The enthusiastic tour guides pumped us all up for the big reveal. You see, when you get to the observation deck, there are ceiling to floor windows, like Windows on the World, the famous restaurant that once topped the World Trade Center. Shades cover the windows to add to the suspense. At the moment of greatest suspense, the shades rose slowly to reveal…
 
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We were shrouded in fog so dense you could see nothing of the great throbbing city below. No Statue of Liberty beckoning to the tired and poor, no Empire State Building or Rockefeller Center or St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We knew they were there. We had seen some of them from the busy Manhattan streets.
 
But, in that moment, all we could see was a solid white wall of fog. We were so high up, it was like being enveloped in a cloud. And being in a cloud is disorienting.
 
The transfiguration of Jesus is a beautiful and mysterious story found in all three of the synoptic gospels. It is a theophany- an appearance of the holy. A visual manifestation of God.
 
Jesus has taken his closest disciples-Peter, James, and John, the brother of Jesus, up Mt. Horeb for some time set apart, to pray, to think about this ministry God has called them to, to be strengthened for the days ahead.
 
The transfiguration not only supports the identity of Jesus as the Son of God. But the statement, “Listen to him,” identifies Jesus as the messenger and voice of God. The significance of this identity is affirmed by the presence of Moses, the law-giver, and Elijah, the great prophet.
 
What a moment for Peter, James, and John. Not just to see, but fully experience Jesus in all his glory. And yet, they were terrified. Scripture says so. So terrified that they could do nothing else but fall face down on the ground and worship God.
 
The disciples didn’t anticipate this event. But, they were in the company of Jesus, and when they were with Jesus, all kinds of unusual things could happen. They had witnessed his compelling preaching and teaching. They had seen him perform miracles. They knew deep down in their hearts that Jesus was of God.
 
And still…they were afraid. Is there any other way to respond? How do you explain what happened? Who would believe you anyway?
 
That’s a good question for us. Has Jesus come to you in some transcendent way? Maybe he has spoken to you, or appeared in a dream, or comforted you in a time of trouble. How did it make you feel? Did you tell anyone? Why? Why not?
 
Tova Sido, is a minister in the United Methodist Church. She shares this story:
She says, “When I was a child the only thing I ever wanted to be was a mom. So, in the year 2000, when I became pregnant, I was ecstatic. This was the beginning of all my dreams coming true. Over the next five years, my husband and I experienced unspeakable tragedy. We lost our first pregnancy at nine months with the birth of our stillborn daughter. The next pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Our third pregnancy, I finally gave birth to the most beautiful boy the world has ever known, Charlie. However, I lost Charlie just eight short months later. I also lost his baby sister, Louisa, after eight months, in the summer of 2005. They were born with a rare metabolic disease- untreatable, incurable.
 
The summer of 2005 proved to be the darkest of Tova’s life. She was suicidal. She felt like she had no purpose, no joy, and no hope for a future without children. Her dreams of becoming a mom had only ended in heartbreak. She was deeply depressed and very afraid.
 
This season of tragedy made it very difficult to trust that life was worth living. I want to pause here a moment and acknowledge the reality of that pain. Most of us hope to be parents one day. To take our place in the eternal circle of life. But, when parenthood doesn’t come, or you have experienced reproductive trauma after trauma, it can become the thing that defines you. The loss is magnified until you can see or appreciate nothing else.
Tova says was not a particularly spiritual or religious person at the time. But something within her told Tova that the only way out of this was something much bigger than she.
 
She made an appointment with her pastor. On a hot summer day, Tova sat down with him, describing how sad, lonely, and depressed she was. She told of all the losses she and her husband had suffered. She cried what she called an ocean of tears.
 
When she quieted down, her pastor looked at her, and after a long pause, gently asked, “Are you done?”
 
Now, that would have made me cry even more. Didn’t he hear me? Could he not at least sympathize with my pain and grief? If I were Tova, I probably would have left never to return.
 
But, that’s not what happened. Tova’s pastor asked her, “What are you going to do now?”
 
She replied that she had no idea and that was why she was there. She needed help sorting that out. She had great fears. She didn’t know how to live or go on, her dreams now shattered.
 
He looked at her and said what might seem like harsh words. “Tova, God did not put you on earth to sit around and cry about things you cannot change. The scriptures say, “ This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!”
 
The pastor then left the room and soon came back with the church’s human resources director. He said, “Tova, you need a job. You need to get out of your home, and we need help at the church.. I will see you at 9 am on Monday.” Then he promptly left the room and left Tova and the HR director to work out the details.
 
Tova says she thought her pastor had lost his mind. Never in a million years did she expect this kind of response from him. Was this how God gave comfort? It sure didn’t feel like it.
 
Walking into the church that day had taken monumental courage. Tova was so weak and broken and suffering. She was filled with feelings of worthlessness and failure. Heartache. Sometimes it was hard just to breathe. It was excruciatingly hard to hold a conversation. How in the world could she commit to a job? It all seemed impossible.
 
But Tova was in for her own transformation story. The first six months were the roughest. Some days, just getting out of bed took all the energy she had. She still cried a lot, but soon the clouds began to lift. Sometimes she even caught herself smiling. In that church, God revealed himself to her in ways that she never imagined. She experienced God’s love, witnessed his miracles- healing power in her own life.
 
Over the next few years, she moved from serving in adult ministry to youth ministry, to eventually becoming one of the church’s pastors. God’s healing power called her out of her grief and pain and showed her how to be Christ’s disciple.
 
Even so, with all the reassurances of God’s presence and power and activity in her life, Tova sometimes becomes fearful.
 
That’s natural. We are human. Being a follower of Jesus isn’t always easy. Jesus is not Santa Claus, appearing occasionally to lavish gifts on us. Sometimes being a disciple requires more of us than we think we can handle. And sometimes following Christ requires sacrifice. 
 
Jesus didn’t leave Peter, James, and John up on that mountain alone. In short order, Jesus would be put to the ultimate test. When he came down from that mountain, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem. He didn’t abandon his disciples even then, when his very life was threatened. No. Jesus was faithful to the end.
 
And that’s good news for us. Jesus will never forsake us or leave us. He will be with us to the end.
 
Tova says she wakes every morning and asks God to light her path and show her the way. Sometimes, it scares her that this is her prayer. What if God takes her someplace she doesn’t want to go? Or directs her to do something she doesn’t want to do?
 
She knows the answer and so do we: if God calls us into a work, God will give us the skills and courage to accomplish it. What if we don’t feel equipped to handle this task? Then we can borrow from God. In God’s storehouse, we find a supply of strength and courage that never runs out or passes its expiration date.
 
Our last stop that cold spring day in New York, was to visit the Statue of Liberty. Rain drizzled as we boarded the ferry that would take us across the harbor. Visibility was no better than it had been at One World Trade. And now we were on the water and there was a great big ocean out there. The majority of the kids went up on the top deck, where they would be assaulted by the wind and rain. They were so in hopes of seeing that iconic symbol of welcome.
 
I found a seat and started counting life vests. And I started listening . To the sounds of the passengers, of course, but also to the sounds of the ferry’s motor. To the sounds of the choppy water slappimg its sides. To the sounds of the fog horn, its lone voice calling mournfully across the water, reminding us of the presence of one we could hear, but could not see.
 
 
*Affirmation of Faith             The Apostles’ Creed  p. 35
*Hymn    580    Gloria Patri      
 
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Intercessions for Lent
Jesus, remember us when you come into your kingdom.
As we journey with you toward Jerusalem, may we be aware of both crisis and opportunity in this life of discipleship. Increase in us our capacity to empathize, to work for peace, to forgive as you have forgiven us.
Hear now our prayers for the world, our neighbors, and ourselves:
For your church around the world, we ask for new life.
For all who carry out ministries in your church, we ask grace and wisdom.
For those who have accepted the spiritual disciplines of Lent, we ask inspired discipleship.
For Christians of every land, we ask unity in your name.
For Jews and Muslims and people of other faiths, we ask your divine blessing.
For those who cannot believe, we ask your faithful love.
For governors and rulers of every land, we ask your sober guidance.
For people who suffer and sorrow, especially your sons and daughters in Ukraine, Syria, Turkey, Israel, Gaza, and Palestine, we ask your healing peace.
Holy God, Your Word, Jesus Christ, spoke peace to a sinful world
and brought humanity the gift of reconciliation,
by the suffering he endured.
Teach those who bear his name to follow the example he gave us.
May our faith, hope, and charity
turn hatred into love, conflict to peace, and death to eternal life.
We lift our prayers to you now for the health and well-being of our church members, families, and friends in their particular circumstances. Silence.
Save us from weariness, but, strengthen us to seek health and wholeness for all people, here and everywhere.
We lift our prayers with the confidence of the children and God, saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
Offertory
*Hymn  607      Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Blessed are you, O God, giver of all things. Through your goodness, we have these gifts to share.
Use us and what we have gathered, in serving the world with your love and compassion,
through the one who gave himself for us,
Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.
 
*Hymn    724      O, Jesus, I Have Promised
*Blessing
Go now, and live before God in openness and integrity.
Set your minds on the ways of God,
not clinging to your own life,
but taking up your cross to follow Jesus.
And may God give you a share in the eternal covenant;
may you be found faithful when Christ comes again in glory;
and may the Holy Spirit strengthen you in faith and courage,
and lead you in the way of righteousness. Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Lenten Reading       Nancy Jackson and Melvin Richardson
Reader 1: Brothers and sisters in Christ, I invite you to observe a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance, by prayer and fasting, by self-denial, and by reading and meditating on God’s Word. 
Lent is a period of forty days- like Moses’ sojourn at Mt. Sinai, Elijah’s journey to Mt. Horeb, Jonah’s call to Ninevah, and of Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness. Like the story of Noah and the flood.
Reader 2: In Genesis 9:8-17 we read: Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “I now establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you- the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you- every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you, never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood, and never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, a covenant for all generations to come. I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and all the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all the living creatures of all kinds.  Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”
 
Prayer
Merciful God, in Christ you make all things new. Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
*Hymn  12   Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
 
Prayer of Confession
O God, our strength and fortress, forgive us when we fail to trust in you.
We fall easily to temptation,
swayed by false words,
and false statements of our own making.
We choose ease and comfort over the claims made upon us
as Christians devoted in faith and service.
In turning from you, we settle for less than the abundant life you intend.
We keep the Good News to ourselves and neglect to demonstrate your generosity to those desperate to find relief.
Forgive us, Lord, and do not put us to shame.
Show us your salvation when we call upon you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, who died that we might live.  Amen.
 
*Hymn   698      Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
The Lord is generous to all who call on him.
God does not turn us away, but, desires to bring us into the glorious freedom offered in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Friends, know you are forgiven and be at peace.
 
Moments With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading    Mark 1:9-15
Morning Message
 
On Wednesday night, some of us gathered in the chapel to begin the Lenten season with the sign of ashes. The sign of the cross traced across our foreheads in dark, grimy ash. Two symbols in one: the dust of the earth, reminding us that from dust we came and to dust we will return. But, the second symbol-ashes formed into a cross, the symbol of resurrection, life after death. Death and rebirth contained in two swipes across our faces.
 
I stopped off at a store briefly on Wednesday night and received a few looks like, “Should we tell her she has dirt on her face?” One of my dear, dear friends did that at the mall one Ash Wednesday. She was shopping and noticed another customer, well-dressed and accessorized, and thought she would want to know she had a little something on her face. My friend said she was mortified when the woman responded with, “I know. I’ve just come from church. You know-Ash Wednesday.”
 
Presbyterians have not always observed Lent. Many of the Reformers who shaped our Protestant faith, set aside practices that they considered empty rituals or because they were just “too Catholic.” That’s unfortunate. Our rituals and symbols become meaningful as we regularly acknowledge and practice them and as we make our way through the many experiences of life.
 
For example, when I look at my wedding ring, I don’t see how thin the band has become, or that it doesn’t sparkle like it did when Ed first placed it on my finger. What I see is forty plus years of living. And while I wouldn’t trade mine for anyone else’s life, it has not all been sweetness and light. And that is how it should be. My ring means more to me today than it did on that Thanksgiving day in 1979 when I first received it. It is an important symbol.
 
When Jesus submitted to Baptism by John in the Jordan River, he did so in obedience to God his Father. It was the sign to the world that he was being called to a life set apart for a particular purpose.
 
Something I had never noticed before in the many, many times I have read Mark’s account of this event, is that it was the Spirit, God’s Holy Spirit, who drove him out into the wilderness. I hope after three years of my work here among you, you know that I don’t believe God causes bad things to happen to us. God doesn’t make us fall victim to disaster or disease or any kind of malady. But, if we find ourselves in trouble or hardship or the worst kind of loss, God is there, too. God is there to bear witness to our grief and pain and strengthen us to live through it. God is there on the other side to help us sort out how to live once the crisis has passed. In a lot of ways, I have come to believe that’s what the fellowship of the church is all about- celebrating with one another and bearing witness to one another’s pain. Today it may be my turn to support you and some other day it will be your turn to support me.
 
When the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, it was not to starve him or torment him with tests of faith. It wasn’t to teach him magic tricks. God-Father, Son, or Holy Spirit-doesn’t cause us harm. God doesn’t trifle with us. God teaches us-if we are teachable.
 
Morgantown has been the setting for the state high school swimming finals this weekend. We followed it because Ed had students competing. The outcomes of the events were faithfully posted to Facebook. The accomplishments were impressive. But what almost always followed, were remarks about how far the team members had come since the beginning of the season, or freshman year or the neighborhood pool when they wouldn’t even get their faces wet. The skills involved in that sport, or any sport, didn’t come overnight. They were practiced and perfected.
 
An effective faith is one in which a teachable human heart opens itself to the impulses of God. In order to become more like God created us to be.
 
In scripture, we know something important, something transformational is happening when the text says this process took forty days or forty years. Something transformative was happening when Jesus was in the wilderness forty days and forty nights, hungry and thirsty, tried and tempted, taunted by Satan. This was not like an episode of Survivor. This is how Jesus was shaped and formed and strengthened to be the Savior of the world.
 
A friend of mine was a family and marriage therapist. When talking about raising children, he used to say we want our children to experience occasional failure. Who wants their kids to fail? Not one of us. But, don’t we want our kids to be able to cope with adversity? Don’t we want them to be prepared to make their way in a world that is not all sweetness and light? Don’t we hope they will find a way to advance society? Don’t we pray that one of their objectives will be to bring peace to our troubled world?
 
Of course we do. And it will take their own forty-day or forty-year missions to accomplish the work God calls them to. And, while we have our plans for them, we can’t possibly see or know what challenges and opportunities they will encounter.
 
But, God knows and is preparing them, as God prepares us, to respond in ways that affirm life, that calls and encourages people to reach for what is good and kind and faithful in order that their corner of the world is a growing reflection of the kingdom of heaven?
 
I have a dear cousin who lives in Oregon. One of his adult daughters lives in Kansas City. As it is with everyone, life is full, busy, complicated. It is often blessed. But one day last week, it was full of terror and grief.
 
She wrote and posted to Facebook a message I would like to share with you
:
I still believe in Kansas City.
I am angry and disappointed and sad that someone tarnished our name. That can never be erased and should never be forgotten. But, I still believe in Kansas City.
 
We may not like your team, but we’ll make sure you have enough to eat. We’ll razz you and tease you and make sure you feel welcome. I still believe in Kansas City.
 
Parade Day-Anytime I bumped into someone we both immediately said, “Oh, I’m sorry,” then helped the other pass thru. I still believe in Kansas City.
 
Someone in front of me dropped a $20 bill, so I picked it up and ran to them to return it. Five minutes later someone ran up behind me to hand me my favorite Chiefs hat that I dropped. I still believe in Kansas City.
 
In the crush of the crowd I was met with smiles and high fives and GO CHIEFS! bellowed in bass voices, from black and brown, white, and yellow, from young and old, men and women, unified by the most beautiful of colors, an absolute sea of reddest of reds. I still believe in Kansas City.
 
We’re good people. Hardworking. We’ve known struggle and heartache. But we’ve also known love. We’re welcoming and kind. Giving and respectful. I’ve seen these things shining from the eyes of the hardest of faces. We’re good people.
 
I hope we remember. The shared joy and pride and excitement to see the Chiefs parade down Grand. How our children’s faces lit up when they spotted their favorite players. Remember the grin on Mahomes’s face, so fun to see him being a silly kid. Andy Reid all dressed in black (what the heck), and Kelse just straining for that microphone. I hope we remember the beautiful weather and the sun on our faces, and how happy we were crushed together amongst community. Remember the high before the low. I hope our spirits aren’t sullied by this horrific event. Instead I pray we are lifted by reaching out to each other, helping each other, and healing together.
 
Because I see you. I know you are good as I am good, and because of us, our city is beautiful.
I still believe in Kansas City. I still believe in all of you. And I love you all.
 
#kcstrong
#ChiefsKingdom
 
Forty days from last Wednesday, the stone will be rolled away. I still believe in Jesus. I still believe in the power of life after death.
 
#jcstrong
#God’sKingdom
 
 
*Affirmation of Faith         Apostles’ Creed p. 35
*Hymn   580     Gloria Patri
 
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Prayers of the Faithful and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
*Hymn   607   Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Gracious God, we give you thanks for all your gifts, including these forty days of Lent.
May they be to us a time of deep searching, be it during walks in the wilderness or by making courageous choices.
May we dedicate ourselves anew to discipleship, even as we dedicate our gifts to your kingdom.  Amen.
 
*Hymn   215   What Wondrous Love Is This?
*Blessing
These Lenten days will take us to the cross of Christ.
Go forward, knowing that you do not walk this way alone.
Do not fear, for the Word of God empowers us and the Holy Spirit sustains us.
May the God of the exodus lead us into freedom.
May the Holy Spirit bind us to God’s will and to fellowship with believers over time and space.
May Christ Jesus, God’s own Son, show us the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
 
Announcements
Next Sunday is ECCHO and Cents-ability Sunday. Your contributions for those in need are appreciated.
 
A Lenten study will begin March 3 at 10:00AM in the chapel.
 
A congregational meeting will be held immediately following worship February 25. This is the Annual Meeting during which committee chairs present a review of mission and ministry.
We will also elect one member of the congregation to serve on the Nominating Committee.
 
The Presbytery of West Virginia met yesterday. Tim Moore served as our Elder Commissioner.
 
*Postlude

​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 singing!
For the Lord is a gracious God,
whose mercy is everlasting;
and whose faithfulness endures to  all generations.
 
*Hymn  33   Praise the Lord! God’s Glories Show
 
Prayer
Almighty God,
you have taught us that all our deeds without love are worth nothing.
Send your Holy Spirit to pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love,
the very bond of peace and of all goodness;
forgive us where we have failed to show your love and bear one another’s sorrow, and turn us to your way,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
*Hymn  698      Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting.
I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ,
you are forgiven.
May the God of mercy,
who forgives all your sins,
strengthen you in all goodness,
and by the power of the Holy Spirit
keep you in eternal life.  Amen.
 
Old Testament Reading
Moments With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading     
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.
 
he night we were to make the return trip to the US from Ireland with a school group, I couldn’t find my passport. I took everything out of my purse more than once, searched my luggage and carry-on and Ed had pulled out the copy he makes of everyone’s passport when we travel with a group. I finally found it- safely tucked away in a little hidden pocket of my purse. In fact, it was that episode that alerted me that I had growing cataracts. Passports are dark blue and I just couldn’t see it against the black leather.
 
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 their 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 take the train into Dublin. The host informed us that U2 was giving a concert that night in the city, so it would be crowded. And unsafe.
 
“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. Discomfort is a far cry from rejection though. Immigrants are still held suspect, depending on their country of origin. The poor, those reiant on welfare. There’s a local political ad running about that right now. Makes me angry every time I see it. We don’t hear much about it now, but HIV/AIDS is devastating to those who suffer from the disease and those who suffer as family and loved ones. I’ll speak more on that some week.
 
More than a year ago now, Ed and I are participated in our nephew’s wedding, 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 a night before the wedding, I felt like I didn’t belong there. It’s a basilica, for heaven’s sake.
 
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 times a week at the feet of the shrine of the infant king, the statue of the pregnant Mary, holding a Bible, bearing God’s Word, in word and in person, 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.
Jesus is home for those who have left the children of earth behind them to enter the realm of heaven. That gives me great comfort today.
 
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   692    Spirit, Open My Heart
 
*Affirmation of Faith         The Apostles’ Creed p. 35
*Hymn    581     Gloria Patri
 
Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
*Hymn    607      Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Blessed are you, O God of all creation,
through your goodness we have these gifts to share.
Accept and use our offerings for your glory
and for the service of your kingdom. Amen.
 
*Hymn    693   Though I May Speak
 
*Blessing
Go now, and give your life to the Lord.
Trust in God and do good.
Love and bless everyone, even your enemies.
Do not judge others, but be merciful and generous to all.
Treat others as you would have them treat you.
And may God be quick to act on your behalf,
may Christ Jesus raise you to new and everlasting life;
and may the Holy Spirit go before you to prepare a place for you.  Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements                                                         
*Call to Worship                    Psalm 147
How good it is to sing praises to our God.
For God is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
God heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
God is our Lord, and abundant in power.
God’s understanding is beyond measure.
 
*Hymn  335    Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
 
Call to Confession
Isaiah exclaims, “Have you not seen? Have you not heard? “The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. God does not faint or grow weary,” but comes to us to renew our strength and restore us to right relationship with God and others.
 
Prayer
O God, our creator, redeemer, and sustainer, we confess our feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, doubt and fear, brought on by winter illnesses, extreme weather events, acts of senseless violence, and other threats. We mourn our losses, thinking of what might have been. We look for help, but, sometimes it seems you are far away. Remind us that you are present to us, and to all your vulnerable children, to comfort and to bless in times of suffering and need. Renew our strength and restore our joy that we might mount up with wings like eagles to carry out each day’s purpose.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  698              Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Pardon
The God who fashioned the stars and the moon has come close to each of us with mercy and love. Hear the good news of the gospel: We are forgiven and freed to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint. Know you are forgiven and be at peace.
 
Old Testament Reading                Isaiah 58:1-12
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading      Matthew 5:13-20
The Morning Message
 
 
*Affirmation of Faith   Apostles’ Creed 
*Hymn   Gloria Patri
 
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer                  
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
Offertory
*Hymn   Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Blessed are you, O God.
Through your goodness, we have been blessed with the gifts of time, talent, and treasure. Use us, and what we have gathered, to strengthen your kingdom on earth and benefit those who have need in body, mind, or circumstance.
We offer our gifts through Jesus Christ, who died that we might live. Amen.
 
*Hymn    19   Praise Him! Praise Him!
 
*Blessing
Go now, and follow Christ wherever he leads you.
By the grace of God, be all you have been called to be,
and cast wide the net of God’s love.
Remind one another of the good news, and hold fast to your saving faith.
In peace, go out to love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
*Postlude