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Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading John 12:20-33 Robin McComas *Call to Worship Isaiah 43:19 Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. *Hymn 35 Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty Prayer of Confession Merciful God, we are a people prone to wander, tempted to satisfy our immediate desires, or the most efficient solution to our challenges, instead of seeking a wider view that would lift up a just, peaceful, and plentiful world for all. Holy One, remind us of your love and purpose for all your children. Restore all our relationships and guide us home. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Our God is loving, just, and merciful. God delivers us from sin and restores us by grace. Friends, I declare to you, in the name and by the power of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we can be at peace. First Reading Psalm 126 Moments With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading John 12:1-11 Morning Message In my very first week of seminary, in New Testament Survey, I was introduced to a new word and a new theological concept. Like any first week in any school, new words and concepts come at you so fast it’s like trying to drink from a fire hose. This was no exception. On that particular day, the word was kenosis. Every class began with a time of worship- prayer and a hymn or chorus. On this particular morning, my new friend and classmate, I’ll call her Sue, walked to the front of the room, boom box in hand. She was leading worship, and it would begin with a contemporary Christian song, “Broken and Spilled Out.” I had never heard it, but, this song had special meaning for Sue. It describes this gospel text in which Jesus and his disciples had gathered for a meal, and then, as an act of devotion, Mary broke a jar of sweet, expensive perfume and poured it over Jesus’ feet, drying it with her hair. It was an act of pure devotion. Some were shocked by it. It was too intimate a gesture. Judas ridiculed Mary, claiming that the perfume should have been sold and the money given to the poor. Like the perfume, Mary’s own life had been broken and spilled out before Jesus, only to be filled with a new life, following his example of humility, compassion, and love. Here she ministers to Jesus in an act of extravagant love. Likewise, Sue’s life was broken and spilled out through many years of ups and downs. She was no slacker. She gave and gave and gave til there was almost nothing left of her. Her physical and mental health were both suffering. She was in a spiritual desert. Sue’s life was wholly unsatisfying. She was headed toward disaster. It was in kneeling in humility before Jesus, admitting her failures, and seeking his mind and heart, that she found life. You see, what’s behind that type of problem is a kind of spiritual arrogance. We think we can do it all. And maybe we can do a lot, but we aren’t God. We need God and the people God places in our lives. Sometimes that’s a hard and painful lesson. It was for Sue until her life was broken and spilled out before God and God’s grace came spilling over her like a rushing waterfall. Which, on that first class meeting, left us all prepared to receive the word of the day: “kenosis.” Kenosis is a Greek word which describes the self-emptying of Jesus’ own will in order to be entirely receptive to God’s divine will. Paul writes: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death- even death on a cross.” Paul is urging the good people at the Church of Philippi to adopt a kenotic way of life. Why? Because there had apparently been conflict and it was damaging the church. The members were not imitating Christ. People bring baggage to church with them. Of course we do, because it is a safe place to lay down our burdens. Our church is often times our second home and family. Church folks may be the only family some people have. And have you ever known a perfect family? A family where everyone brushes AND flosses and never brings the car home on empty? Me neither. So, at the First Church of Philippi, there’s conflict and it is so serious that it threatens to fracture the fellowship. Oh, my. I could tell you some stories. I was once dispatched to mediate a church conflict. The plan was to work with the session two nights and the next week work with the congregation. Well, the first thing that happened was the session got into an argument about the interpretation of a Bible passage we were using for a devotion. This did not inspire confidence. The second night, the pastor had a heart attack. We were doomed. That situation could have been resolved satisfactorily, if everyone had taken Paul’s advice and emptied themselves of their tightly-held biases and taken on the mind of Christ. According to Paul, when Jesus emptied himself, he poured out his love. With an outpouring of love comes the other fruit of Spirit-joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The kenosis ethic invites us to imitate Christ, who took on a human body, growing and changing, feeling hunger and thirst, fatigue and pain, joy and love. This moment with friends comes at the end of Jesus’ time with them, indeed, he was in his final days on earth. Jesus was no doubt grateful for their hospitality. A good meal in good company. A gift. He welcomed the gentle anointing Mary provided. When Judas complained, Jesus told him to leave her alone- she was preparing him for his burial. Can we place ourselves in that scene? If you were one of the guests that night, what might you be feeling? Not only was the room filled with the scent of rich perfume, it was filled with memories, miracles, acts of compassion, confrontations with the powerful, acts of love. Their hearts must surely have been breaking at the notion of Jesus’ death. It should occur to us that to break something may be a desirable thing. Like breaking a piñata at a child’s party, or cracking an egg for breakfast. We hope how soon we can housebreak a new pet. We are relieved at the breaking of a habit. Athletes thrive on breaking records. In some cultures, breaking plates after a wedding is supposed to bring the newlyweds good luck. Those of us who follow Jesus hope to break the ways of sin that bring so much destruction upon God’s people. The promise of Easter is that, in his death and in his rising, Jesus has broken the powers of sin and death. Centuries before this night, the psalmist wrote, “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” About this psalm, theologian Frederick Buechner writes: “You never know what may cause them. The sight of the Atlantic Ocean can do it, or a piece of music, or a face you’ve never seen before. A pair of somebody’s old shoes can do it. Almost any movie made before the great sadness that came over the world after the Second World War, a horse cantering across a meadow, the high school basketball team running out onto the gym floor at the start of a game. You can never be sure. But of this you can be sure: Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not, God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and is summoning you to where, if your soul is to be saved, you should go next.” The same health issue that has me taking frequent sips of water standing at this pulpit, causes great problems for my eyes. They do not tear and this has damaged my vision. But, my doctor has me trying something new and I am hopeful. Last weekend, I had little Freya in my arms and she was fussy. It was naptime, but she couldn’t quite get there on her own. So, I claimed the rocking chair. And you know what happened. The combination of motion and squeaking worked its magic and soon Freya had wiggled herself to sleeping position, working her little blond head under my chin, her soft breath brushing my neck. I closed my eyes, just enjoying the silence, the sweetness, and I must have fallen asleep, too. You know, it’s amazing what God can do when we’re not looking. I woke to find something wet slipping down my cheek. A breakthrough. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 * Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Gracious, loving, and abundant God, we praise you for the gifts presented today and for the intentions of your people in giving. Bless these offerings, of hearts and resources. May they equip the saints for their ministry and be a comfort to those in need. Amen. *Hymn 702 Christ Be Beside Me *Blessing The cross…we will take it. The bread…we will break it. The pain…we will bear it. The joy…we will share it. The gospel…we will live it. The love…we will give it. The light…we will cherish it. The darkness…God will perish it. From Stages On the Way: Iona Community, Wild Goose Worship Group *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading John 3:1-8 Michael and Stephanie Noel *Call to Worship St. Columba, 521-597 Kindle in our hearts, dear God, the flame of love that never ceases, that it may burn in us, giving light to others. May we shine forever in your temple, set on fire with your eternal light, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Amen. *Hymn 802 The King of Love My Shepherd Is, verses 1, 2, and 3. Prayer of Confession Holy One, you know our hearts. You have knitted our inmost being and you know our deepest desires, fears, and worries. Help us to journey during this Lenten season into a new awareness of your presence in our lives. Save us from our own temptations, so that we may more freely follow you. Amen. Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The Lord removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. In this is our great comfort in life. Friends, believe the good news. Our sins are forgiven. We may rest in God’s peace. First Reading Psalm 23 Moments With Our Young Disciples The Gospel Reading John 9: 1-41 The Morning Message John Morgan *Hymn 451 Open My Eyes that I May See *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer God of mercy, grace, and love, the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ makes every day new. Especially today we thank you for the beauty of creation, the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness, the sustaining love of family and friends, the fellowship of the faithful in your church. Merciful God, renew this weary world. As the earth breaks forth in bud and bloom, may our hearts be opened afresh to the power of your love. Heal the hurts of all your children, put your words in our mouths, and bring about your peace for all in Jesus Christ, the living Lord. We pray for those who govern the nations of the world, the people who live in countries damaged by strife and warfare, for those who work for peace and international harmony and those who devote themselves to the care of your natural world. We pray for our friends and family who are in need of wholeness in body, mind, or circumstance. Assure them, and those who provide their care, that your love surrounds them and give them a sense of your presence and peace. Safely guard all those who are far from home, and those who long for home. We pray for all who worship you, dear God, though we may call you by different holy names. We pray for ourselves, that you might find us faithful today and on the day of your promised return. We pray in Jesus’ name and as he taught us, saying, Our Father…Amen.” Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication All our resources are gifts from you, gracious Lord. In gratitude, help us to use them wisely, that we may serve the needs of your people and spread the good news of salvation near and far. Amen. *Hymn 802 The King of Love My Shepherd Is, verses 4, 5, and 6 *Blessing May the Three that are over you, the Three that are below you, the Three that are above you here, the Three Who are above you yonder, the Three Who are in the earth, the Three Who are in the air, the Three Who are in heaven, the Three Who are in the great, pouring sea- bless you. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three in One and One in Three. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading John 2:13-22 Judy Napier *Call to Worship Someday, the house of God will stand on the highest mountain. People will come from every place to learn how to walk in God’s path. God will show us what is fair and put an end to our fighting. People will turn their old weapons into new tools for mutual benefit and blessing. Come, people of God. Let us walk in the light of the Lord. *Hymn 441 Hear the Good News of Salvation Prayer of Confession Holy God, you have called us to love you with heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. But, if we are honest, we know that sometimes we hurt each other and fail to keep our promises to you. Forgive us, God of grace. Teach us, day by day, to turn away from what is wrong and to turn to you in faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Hear the good news: We are dead to sin and evil and alive to God in Jesus Christ. Friends, I urge you to walk in his light- forgiven, reconciled, and free! First Reading John 4:5-26 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading John 4: 27-42 Morning Message *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Thank you, Lord, for your many gifts-for the world’s helpers, peace and security, recreation and rest, friends and family, life and health. We thank you for your Son, Jesus, who came to embody your love and compassion for the world, calling us into lives of joyful service. Amen. *Hymn 443 There Is a Redeemer *Blessing May God bless you and keep you safe. May God smile on you with grace. May God watch over you always and give you peace. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Lenten Reading Betty Dennison *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 Psalm 121 Moments With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading Luke 13:31-35 Morning Message “Who do people say that I am?” That was a loaded question Jesus asked his friends. As we have traveled through the scriptures of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, we learn the importance attached to the name of Jesus. When he is born, Mary and Joseph call him, “Jesus,” which in Hebrew is “Yehoshua,” because he will save his people from their sins. Cruden’s Bible Concordance lists 198 names given to Jesus, each one packed with meaning. Like many of you, I’m sure, we get pictures and videos almost every day of our grandchildren. One of my favorites is of Tad, when he was just a few months old. Sturdy enough to propel himself in his exer-saucer, we hear his father call his name, “Thomas!” and his little round head turns in the direction of the iphone video-ing the moment. A smile forms on his chubby little face. “Thomas!” dad calls again, and the smile grows. “Is your name Thomas?” and his little body just starts to bounce for all its worth, his bright eyes locked onto his dad’s in this grand moment of recognition. Our names are important. Your name is important. If I hear your name, I am immediately on alert, asking questions, like, are you in the hospital? Should I give you a call? It is with this kind of attention that I read the paper. One night last winter, I settled in with a cup of tea and the Herald-Dispatch. As I turned to the obituaries, I noticed the name of a dear friend, Robert, and shook my head in disbelief. Surely this couldn’t be right. While our kids were still at home, we saw Robert and his wife regularly. But we saw less of each other now that our nests had emptied. In recent years, Robert and his wife had moved to Ohio to be closer to their daughter and her family. We understand that, don’t we? The funeral home visitation was that night, so I rushed upstairs and got myself put together enough to make a visit. I tried to reach Ed while I drove. He was at a music conference out of town with students. I knew this news would hit him hard. I finally reached him as I was walking into the funeral home. I could hear the grief and disbelief in his voice. I detected a note of guilt that we had lost contact with this couple. I was feeling it, too. When we confess our sins each week in worship, we ask God to forgive us the wrongs we have done and those things we have failed to do. I was feeling the full awful truth of that in those moments. I waited behind a long line of friends, neighbors, and colleagues to speak to the family. Then I was wrapped in a warm embrace that closed the gap that absence and neglect had created. I started to apologize to Rachel that I was so completely out of the loop and so sad about her husband’s death. She gave me one of those looks that said, “You need to hear the rest of the story.” And so I did. I learned that for nearly the whole time they had lived in Ohio, her husband had been battling a brain tumor. He underwent surgery and radiation treatment to no avail. He suffered two massive strokes. The illness devastated his body and his mind. For his loved ones, his death was a blessing. His suffering and theirs, had ended. He had been received into the mercy and everlasting arms of God. My friend described their lives as being consumed by Robert’s illness. There was no time for much of anything else. The pastor and members of the church they had joined were very supportive and helpful, present with them through the whole ordeal, just as their friends here would have been. And then she said, “I want to tell you something. You will understand.” One Sunday, she explained, “Our pastor spoke about finding our purpose. And I spent a good deal of time thinking about that. What is my purpose? What is Richard’s purpose?” Now, I would have said she had found her purpose in being a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and for more than thirty years, an outstanding teacher. And her husband’s purpose could be found in much the same way through his family connections, and as a mechanical engineer. They were both valuable community members and faithful Christians. That’s a lot of purpose in my estimation. As she was contemplating the question about purpose, she went to the facility where Richard was a patient and found herself at the nurses’ station. She said she hadn’t planned it, but, she heard herself ask if they had ever thought of holding a worship service there. The nurse said no, but, sounding interested, asked Rachel if she knew of a church that might be approached. Rachel said she pointed out the window. “See that church across the field? I go to that church. I’ll ask the pastor about it. The next Sunday, a worship service was held for patients, family, and staff. And from one spontaneous inquiry, a relationship was born and has grown beyond a single worship service. She said that was confirmation that she and her husband were exactly where they were supposed to be. Their lives still had purpose. Robert’s very altered life still had purpose. In fact, they had a fresh purpose, even at 70 years of age. Why do I tell you this story? After all, you heard it last year during Lent. Because the kingdom of heaven and eternal life are gifts of God and we don’t have to wait til life on the other side to appreciate their benefit. They may be enjoyed now. Today. Nicodemus asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life, how he could be born again. Surely, he couldn’t literally be birthed from his mother’s body again. That is a powerful, blunt question. It strikes at the heart of the matter. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, one of the most devout Jews of his day. He was one of the most highly educated people of his community. He was important, respected. His life had purpose. It was nighttime when Nicodemus sought Jesus out. It was believed that the most serious, most dedicated study was undertaken at night. So, here he was, a faithful Jew, a law scholar, asking Jesus about life after death. What does our reformed tradition tell us about life after death? We start with what we know of Jesus’ experience. The Jesus story is our story, too. We will follow him. Through the witness of Scripture and our confessions it is understood that we are destined, when we die, to follow Jesus into God’s presence. In Second Corinthians 5:8 we read these comforting words: “We do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Sometimes we interpret that verse as “absent from the body, present with the Lord.” We also take counsel from our confessions. The Scots Confession declares, “The chosen departed are in peace, and rest from their labors, not that they sleep and are lost in oblivion as some fanatics hold, for they are delivered from all their fear and torment, and all the temptations to which we and all God’s chosen are subject in this life.” Westminster is even more precise, declaring that “the bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God.” Of course, we would amend that to include women. And the verse I read at every funeral service : “If we are buried (in baptism) with Jesus in a death like his, we will also be raised in a resurrection like his. Romans 6:5. If there is a Presbyterian narrative about life after death, this is it: When we die, our souls, or spirits, go to be with God, where we enjoy God’s glory and wait in anticipation for the promised day of the kingdom fully revealed. Say this with me: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” This is the gospel in a nutshell, isn’t it? It is the most-often quoted verse in the Bible. And this was the ultimate answer to the deep and probing questions Nicodemus brought to Jesus. That verse announces that the story of our salvation begins with God and God’s love. God initiates a relationship with us out of love. God sent his Son to live among us, to be one of us, to close the gap between God and ourselves, to save us. Behind everything is the love of God. In the Letter of First John we read, “God is love. Those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” This is not the image of God to which some cling. Some Christians cling in fear to the image of God as judge and monarch whose subjects adhere to a strict code of conduct in order to please him. But the God Jesus describes that night to Nicodemus, is the Father whose greatest desire is to have all his children home. Augustine said, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love.” And that is the essence of what my long-time friend shared with me that night at the funeral home. God had loved them in West Virginia. God loved them in Ohio. God loved them in the hospital, and God loved them in the nursing home. And God loved them so much that the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ shone through their suffering, to bring comfort and courage to others of similar need. And if that was the purpose at the end of Robert’s life, then God’s kingdom did come. *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 crises and opportunities 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, and Turkey, 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 725 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 |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
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