​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship                    Joel 1, 2
The Word of the Lord to the prophet:
I will pour out my Holy Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old shall dream dreams, and your young shall see visions.
 
Prayer of the Day                  Christina Rosetti, 1830-1894
As the wind is your symbol, so forward our goings.
As the dove, so launch us heavenward.
As water, so purify our hearts.
As a cloud, so abate our temptations.
As dew, so revive our languor.
As fire, purge out our dross.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  291     Spirit, verses 1 and 2
 
Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, you poured out your Spirit upon the gathered disciples,
creating bold tongues, open ears, and a new community of faith.
We confess that we hold back the force of your Spirit among us.
We do not listen for your word of grace,
speak the good news of your love,
or live as a people made one in Christ.
Have mercy on us, O God.
Transform our timid lives by the power of your Spirit,
and fill us with a flaming desire to be your faithful people,
doing your will for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
*Hymn  698   Take, O Take Me as I Am
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
The Lord separates us from our sins as far as the east is from the west.
Know you are forgiven and freed to live in peace, to testify to the saving love of God through Jesus Christ, and are empowered by the indwelling Spirit. Amen.
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Reading from Scripture     Acts 2:1-8, 11b-21
Morning Message
 
It was a beautiful July day at Cooper’s Rock State Forest near Morgantown. The loud, fierce storm that had blown thru the night before had left the world a bright, fresh green.
 
Wedding guests had assembled…as many as could be seated under the roof of the picnic shelter. The music had begun…there’s nothing more lovely to a West Virginian than the sound of stringed instruments against a backdrop of majestic mountains and sweet summer air.
 
Nothing lovelier except the bride, my daughter. In antique white lace, an exquisite veil falling from the crown of her head, over her shoulders, gently blowing in the breeze.
 
Prayers, promises, rings, and the moment for which all the little cousins waited…the kiss…and the wedding party made their way of out of the shelter to pose for a few quick pictures before joining the guests. Perfect. This was the second time I was officiating clergy and mother of the bride and I was feeling a great sense of relief. I was looking forward to the cake and champagne.
 
And then we heard the groom’s father shout, “Dad!” And then the groom shout, “Papaw!”
We all turned to see a woman in a green taffeta dress streak across the shelter, hurdling benches. She started slapping the head of an elderly man with the crowd rising to their feet, some running toward the commotion and others making room for help to move in, the gentle strains of guitar and violin drowned out by gasps of guests and cries of family members.
 
And then we saw it…the plume of smoke…and it seemed to be coming from Papaw. On his way out of the picnic shelter, he had tripped on the stone floor and stumbled into the unity candle, catching his hair on fire! My sister, Amy, was the one smacking him on the head in an effort to put out the flame. She was successful and no permanent damage was done, though it gave us all a fright.
 
Later, trying to elicit a smile from me, my husband observed that we had re-enacted the Pentecost event as described in the book of Acts. A crowd gathered from the four corners of the country, a service of worship, lots of conversation in all kinds of dialects, and flames dancing over the head of at least one person. I wasn’t amused and only stopped shaking sometime in the middle of the next week.
 
Pentecost, Shavout, in Hebrew, is a Jewish festival held on the fiftieth day after Passover, to celebrate the spring fruits. Later, it was expanded to include the arrival of the Hebrew people from Egypt to Mt. Sinai, and the gift of Torah. At the time of the event described in the text, devout Jews were obligated to assemble each year in Jerusalem in celebration of both Passover and Shavout.
 
In our text, we find Jesus’ disciples and other followers gathered in the upper room on that day. In addition to the obligation to assemble in Jerusalem for this festival, the disciples were following the explicit instructions given by Jesus to remain there until that time when they are baptized by the Holy Spirit and empowered to take the Good News of salvation to the ends of the earth.
 
So on that day they were waiting. And suddenly from heaven came the noise and the wind and the fire, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.
 
Pilgrims from every nation were gathered in Jerusalem that day and they were drawn to the site of all this commotion, amazed, because they were hearing about God’s mighty acts of power each in their own language, in a way they could understand.
 
What was this language? Was it the kind we speak, with subjects and predicates, verbs that can be conjugated, and participles threatening to dangle? Or was it the phenomenon of ecstatic language, glossalalia, described as a gift of the Holy Spirit?
 
I can’t answer that. But one of my go-to scholarly sources, Dr. Bob Newman, offers this helpful information: “God’s Holy Spirit does not eliminate cultural differences from his modus operandi, but on the contrary, moves in and inhabits cultural differences, co-ops them, in this case different languages, so that these cultural differences become working instruments, tools valuable and necessary in order to make witness real and true. It is worth remembering that the Hebrew Torah insists one time that “you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” while there are many, perhaps innumerable, examples throughout the Hebrew canon which insist upon love for the alien, or the stranger whom you may encounter.”  
 
It is about the importance of language, a valuable and necessary tool, that can make witness real and true, that I want to lift up today.
 
Here’s why: I recently sat with a session engaged in a pastoral search. We talked about what initially attracted them to the church and what might be said to a newcomer about what they find meaningful there. I saw a look of pain cross the face of one of the members. His grief and concern were evident as he shared his observation that there is a palpable sense of depression in the community, and in the wider world, but people aren’t turning to the church for help, for fellowship, guidance or support. This church member asked the question we should all ask: “Where do people find help, where do they find meaning for their lives? We find it in a relationship with Jesus Christ, but have we lost our ability to bear witness to Christ’s message in such a way as the family of faith expands?”
 
As I drove away, I recalled a sermon I once heard given by Rev. Dr. James Forbes. Before he retired, Forbes was the Senior Minister of the famed Riverside Church in New York City. I have been blessed to hear him preach from that pulpit. His reputation is that of a strong progressive voice for the mainline Church and social justice issues in particular.
 
Briefly, the sermon I remembered was titled “Are All the Children In?” Forbes grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, one of eight children in a Christian home. When the family would gather around the table each night for supper, before anyone prayed over the meal or took even a bite of food, his mother would look around the table and ask, “Are all the children in?” And if someone was missing, they set about fixing a plate so that the one absent would have something to eat when he or she did arrive.
 
He says this simple question has served as a guide to his life and ministry over the years, especially when working through areas of conflict. Many conflicts erupt in the church about who’s in and who’s out, who’s worthy to be a member, or an ordained officer. That little question had served to clarify many issues that arose in church life.
 
When he asked himself if this sort of radical hospitality would advance the kingdom, the answer was always yes. God made us for God’s self and calls all of us to the table.
 
That was not an easy sell. Ever. But when he applied himself to listening, really listening to the various concerns, he heard the language of fear. Once the language was identified, he could work on that, and in time, through love and grace and lots of reassurance, folks would come around. He says, quite honestly, he could relate to their fears, because he had once had them, too. But, as scripture tells us, perfect love casts out fear. We may not be perfect but Jesus is and he will show us the way.
 
Friends, I don’t have to tell you the church has changed.  We simply can’t do church the way we did it fifty years ago, or even two years ago. But, our call is still the same: to be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth.  We Presbyterians do that thru works of justice, kindness and mercy.
 
In practical terms, what does that mean?
 
It means that when we gather for worship, or summer camp or circle meeting or session, or a work project, or any other time or place we may assemble in order to bear witness to our faith, the question that rises from our lips should be, “Are all the children in?”
 
My husband and I visited a church for a wedding once. There was a sign hanging in the entryway of the church that read: “These things are not allowed in God’s house:
Women in pants, make-up, jewelry, drinkers or smokers.”
 
Something told us they were deadly serious about these prohibitions, though we knew God had bigger problems to solve.
 
It’s been forty years since we saw that sign, and I still don’t think those things are what offends God. I believe what offends God is for his people to intentionally welcome some people and reject others.
 
I want to be part of the church that welcomes everyone without applying a litmus test. I made that speech many times and it sounded pretty good until I was directly questioned about it.
 
Not long ago, I sat in my doctor’s office. It was the day after Easter and he wanted to share some of the ways his church had observed Holy Week. He is a Christian and he enjoys talking about his faith. Then he looked right at me and asked if my church allowed gay Christians to participate in worship and church activities. There was a gay man in their church choir and the pastor had told him that he was not permitted to sing in the choir any longer. This troubled him.
 
He asked some other very pointed questions that I don’t feel comfortable sharing here, but, were important in that moment.
 
Before responding, I sent up an emergency prayer, “Help!”
 
And I said, “When a person walks through our doors, I am their pastor.  Just as when a patient walks into your office, you are his or her doctor. They are entrusting themselves to your care and you seek to serve them to the best of your ability.  Same with me.”
 
Friends, the divisions in our society are many. They are like fault lines about to open up and swallow us whole. Everyone is shouting at once: neighbors, families, politicians, some pastors. We are grieving a multitude of losses. Following closely on the heels of grief is anger.  And we can’t or won’t understand each other while we are angry.
 
How different could this world be, how different could this year be, if we would pause at the end of our day and just ask, in whatever sphere of influence or belonging in which you dwell,  “Are all the children in?” Is everyone being cared for? Do they a safe home, adequate food? Are they lonely? Do they have human interaction/
 
Consider our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. So many will be forever broken as they look around their tables. Never again will all their children be in this side of heaven.
 
Consider the families in Uvalde, Texas, suffering from the terrible violence that was unleashed on Robb Elementary School. Longing to gather their children in their arms once more and knowing that will never happen.
 
And then there are our adult children. Are they in? The ones who have been rejected by their pastors or their parents?
 
I don’t have the answer for ending violence or resolving international or even family conflict. But, I have confidence that the same fire and wind that birthed the Church can empower us today to bring healing and wholeness to our community and beyond.
 
We can find a common language. Let’s start with love. We all need and want love. We can find common goals. We all want to live. We want our children and their children to live long and prosper.
 
But, we won’t live long and we won’t prosper unless and until we make this question a part of our every day: “Are all the children in?”
 
* Hymn  291   Spirit, verses 3 and 4
*Affirmation of Faith            From A Brief Statement of Faith, p. 38, section 4
*Hymn   581     Gloria Patri
 
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
 
Celebrating the Sacrament of Communion
Invitation   Words of Institution  Great Prayer of Thanksgiving  Distribution of the Elements
Prayer After Communion
Loving God, you have fed and blessed us in this sacrament,
united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory.
For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering
Offertory
*Hymn 606   Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
 
*Hymn   338   America the Beautiful
 
Congregational Meeting  
 
*Blessing
Women:  Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
Men:       Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
Leader:   Melt us, mold us, fill us, use us.
All:         Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
 
*Postlude

​Welcome and Announcements
Prelude
*Call to Worship                    Revelation 5:13
Then I heard every creature in heaven
and on the earth and under the earth
and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
To the one seated on the throne
and to the Lamb,
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!
 
*Prayer of the Day
God of heaven and earth,
we rejoice today before the throne of Christ’s power and peace,
for he has put down tyrannies that would destroy us,
and unmasked idols claiming our allegiance.
We thank you that he alone is Lord of our lives.
by your Spirit,
give us freedom to love with his love,
and to embrace the world with his compassion.
Accept the offering of our lives,
that we may obey your commands to witness and serve.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
*Hymn     826     Lift High the Cross, verses 1 and 2
 
Prayer of Confession
Lord Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and ascended for us, we have not loved you as our Redeemer, or obeyed you as our Lord, we have not brought our prayers to you, or heeded your tears shed over the world you created. Forgive us, breathe into us a new spirit of compassionate service, and make us joyfully adherent to your will and way.  Amen.
 
 
Hymn    Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Forgiveness
The mercies of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting. They are new every morning and sure as the sunrise. Know you are forgiven and be at peace.
 
Scripture Reading                    Luke 24:44-53
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Scripture Reading
Morning Message
 
Does the name Peggy Whitson mean anything to you?
 
Ms. Whitson, age 63, became the oldest woman in space when she when she rocketed off the planet on Thursday. She headed for the international space station, where she will celebrate her next birthday.
 
Peggy’s first mission was in 2002, which was an extended stay aboard the international space station. She became the first woman to command the ISS, the first woman to become NASA’s Chief Astronaut, the most senior position in the NASA Astronaut Corps.
 
She holds the records for the oldest female spacewalker and the most spacewalks by a woman. She retired in 2018, but, returned to the field as Axiom’s commander of Axiom Mission 2.
 
Whitson was chosen years ago as Christa McCauliff’s back-up teacher in space, which she finally accomplished in 2007. Her academic background is rich. She received degrees from Iowa Wesleyan and Rice Universities in biochemistry. She also studied overseas in preparation for her career.
 
I know there are outstanding male astronauts in our country’s history, but Peggy Whitson was the astronaut whose contributions were on the news this week.
 
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be launched into space? According to one astronaut,  the main engines ignite at six seconds before liftoff, the entire orbiter rattling and shuddering like a skyscraper in an earthquake. A deep rumble shakes the cabin as the main engines came up to thrust. At T-minus zero, the solid rocket boosters ignite, giving the astronauts a massive kick in the back as the ship blasts off the pad, accelerating at 2.5 Gs, ripping through the atmosphere, eventually reaching 3 Gs for a final minute to reach orbit. They say it feels like two of your friends are standing on your chest until the main engine drops to zero. Then the pressure on your body vanishes, and you are afloat under their straps, in free fall at last. You lived to make it through orbit with  an exhilarating sense of physical and mental relief to pass through the risky phases of lift-off and ascent into orbit.
 
There are only a few select individuals who know what it means and how it feels to slip earth’s bounds and ascend to heavenly heights.
 
I do not know if these are people of faith, but, it seems if there were ever an occasion to seek God’s presence and protection, streaking though the earth’s atmosphere at unimaginable speed, leaving kith and kin behind, this would be it.
 
Such other-worldly things could not have been achieved in Jesus’ day. We do know people of Jesus’ day thought about heaven and located it high above us in a place called heaven, or paradise. They must have wondered how to reach it. And, according to witnesses, this is the way Jesus slipped earth’s bounds and ascended to heaven.
 
But, what about those he left behind? They must have been equally awed and grief-stricken. They would not see their friend again in this life.
 
Jesus is fully aware of the impact of his leaving- first at his death and then again at his ascension. And so he turns to prayer.
 
The exquisite passage in John’s gospel has been affectionately called “the other Lord’s Prayer.” Sometimes it is called “Jesus’ high priestly prayer.”  Words describing it fail us.
 
The setting is the upper room, where so much has happened that very night…a Passover meal, the institution of the Lord’s Supper, the washing of feet, a betrayal.
 
Still in Jesus’ presence, the disciples remain attentive to his words. But now, the words are not directed to them.  Here, Jesus is praying for them. Jesus is praying for that time when they would carry on his ministry, but without his earthly company.
 
Commentators say this is the most detailed prayer of Jesus in all the gospels. In the fifth century, CE, the Bishop of Alexandria, whose name was Clement, said that in this prayer Jesus was fulfilling his role as a high priest for his people. This is the origin of the term, “high priestly prayer.”
 
In the Old Testament, there were three holy offices: Prophet, Priest, and King. No one assumed these offices on their own. Only those called by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit entered into these offices.
 
As we look back over the entirety of Jesus’ life, we can see how he came to fulfill these holy orders. At his birth, Jesus is referred to as the infant king. You recall that Herod decreed that all baby boys two years of age and younger were to be put to death because Jesus’ birth was interpreted as a threat to Herod’s rule and reign. Throughout his ministry, from the time he read scripture in the Temple, to his trek down to the seashore, in visiting the crowded cities, and dining at the homes of his friends, Jesus was prophet. Remember, when we come across the term “prophet” in scripture, we may substitute the word “preacher.” Jesus preached, or prophesied, wherever he went.
 
But, here, in these last few moments with his disciples, in the upper room, their gathering place, it is Jesus, the High Priest, speaking. The work of the priest was to mediate between human beings and God. People would bring their sacrifices to the temple and the priest would present them to God. There were thank offerings that were burned. There were memorial offerings that were waved.
 
And then, there were the sin offerings that were sacrificed. As the people brought their offerings forward, the priest would take the animal, present it to the Lord, sacrifice it, throw some of the blood on the curtain in front of the Holy of Holies, and then throw some of the blood on the sinner. As he performed this rite, the priest would say, “The Lord has forgiven you all your sins.”
 
The High Priest did not mediate for a specific man, woman, or family. The High Priest mediated for the whole nation of Israel collectively. The High Priest carried out one special offering to the Lord. Every year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter alone into the Temple. No one else was permitted to enter. He would take one animal, a lamb, into the temple, on behalf of the whole nation, and sacrifice it at the altar. He would then take the blood of that one lamb behind the curtain, into the Holy of Holies, and pour it out onto the Ark of the Covenant, where God himself was believed to dwell. The High Priest would atone for the sins of the whole nation by one sacrifice, “once for all.”
 
We can see how Jesus is, for us, the Great High Priest. He mediates between us and God. He offers himself, the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world, to take away our sins.
 
In this prayer, Jesus gives us a glimpse into the warmth and depth of the relationship between himself and God. He prays for his friends. He prays for us in our generation. This passage is exclusively prayer. There are no instructions, no charges, no challenges. Jesus is asking God to bless his friends with the kind of relationship he has with God, whom he calls Father. He asks that God bring his friends together as one, as he and God, Father and Son, are one. He pleads for unity among them. He expresses his deep desire that they love one another as he has loved them.
 
How very important these things will be to the fledgling church. To be united in purpose and love would strengthen and empower the believers in the strife-filled years to come. The love of Christ will compel his followers to mighty heroic acts, breaking the chains of oppression and bringing relief to those who suffer. They would advance the kingdom, in size and in spirit, and bear it to generations yet unborn.
 
This idea about unity is important. Jesus asks God to bring his followers together like he and God were united. You know, we may claim to be united, but, it is a hard-to-achieve state.
 
Yesterday the Presbytery of West Virginia examined a young woman for ordination. She will be serving the largest of our churches, First Presbyterian in Charleston. The candidate is presented with a series of questions about Bible and Theology, Polity, Worship and Sacraments, and Christian faith. Then any presbyter in attendance may ask the candidate a question.
 
This candidate was asked how she would pastor opposing factions in a church. It almost took my breath away, for I am aware of the challenges such a high-profile church in the state capital face.
The red and the blue can clash, and do. How does a pastor respond? How can a pastor lead opposing groups of Christian people to set aside their tightly-held issues in order to serve Christ and his Church?
 
She answered simply that a starting point would be to identify those things they hold in common, which she hoped would inspire them to realize they had more hopes, dreams, and desires in common than  ideologies that divided them. May it be so. Especially during the legislative session.
 
Where have we witnessed some significant demonstrations of unity? I recall that about two years ago, a crack was discovered in the Hernando de Soto Bridge that spans the Mississippi River between Arkansas and Tennessee. The discovery called for an immediate closing of the bridge. An inspector actually called 9-1-1 to report the emergency and seek help stopping traffic. But that wasn’t the only concern. The traffic passing under the bridge, the boats and barges, would have to be re-directed, too. Think about that a moment. Picture yourself trying to cross that bridge. Maybe its rush hour and you are anxious to get home, pick up your kids, let the dog out. And you are not alone. Hundreds of others have urgent reason to get to the other side. Those on the river have products to move, deadlines to meet. We can almost feel the adrenalin pumping.
 
With a single goal, a unified purpose, that community prevented a tragedy. The repairs would take awhile and inconvenience everyone. But on the other side of this crisis is a great unified celebration, with the governors of both states in attendance, and high school bands marching from one side of the bridge to the other on the day it re-opens to traffic.
 
Sadly, we can point to incidents when the power of unity is mis-used. People can be compelled to unite around destructive ideas. They can be emboldened to perform heinous acts that seem to be increasing in frequency and degrees of destruction. Jesus recognizes the presence and power of evil and asks God to protect his friends from the evil one.
 
 
 
We don’t talk much about Covid these days, though it is still a threat to our health. Health professionals taught us that the antidote to Covid is a vaccine. Being vaccinated is a process. I’ve been through it and survived. In the beginning you had to qualify by age or condition or occupation. Get your name on a list. Show up when its your turn. Roll up your sleeve. Feel a tiny pinch. Wait fifteen minutes, then off you go. Hopefully, you will not suffer side effects.
 
The antidote to evil is love. No qualifying, no waiting, no pain, no side-effects.
 
For God is love. And, as you’ve heard before, those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. In heaven and on earth.
 
 
I’m not a very quantitative person, but I think it’s safe to estimate that approximately none of us has witnessed a person being taking up from earth into the clouds and vanishing from sight to be transported to the right hand of God.
 
Which presented me with a problem this week as I considered the message I would share with you. I stumbled around my theological attic a bit until I learned that an extended family member had just that day been delivered to the entrance of a local hospital by family members, to have joint replacement surgery. No one was permitted to accompany him. I wondered how that felt on both sides of that event. What does it feel like to be a patient, or to face surgery alone, and what does it feel like to drop off a loved one and see the doors close behind him, shutting them out. When would they see each other again? Would they see each other again? I know many of you have experienced this same thing recently.
 
And then I remembered how this scripture text connects to our life and faith.
Since Advent and Christmas, I have been thinking a lot about the nature of Jesus, fully God and fully human. We celebrate his humble birth at Christmas. This is Emmanuel, God with us, a baby like we once were, who would grow and learn and experience the full range of human life. We call that “low Christology.”
 
Here, in his ascension, we witness his divinity. Though he was born like us, he ascends to heaven, unlike us. This is high Christology.  In my preparation, I was getting stuck in how we could relate to the divinity of Jesus, when all around me, and indeed, around all of us, are testimonies of his humanity, his presence with us in this time that has brought separation, mortal threat, fear, and a real “cloud of unknowing.”
 
This is a very disquieting and discomforting time. We may not want to acknowledge it. We were raised on rugged individualism here in the mountain state. We’re strong and sturdy and nothing can shake us or shake our faith.
 
So, dear friends, why did we strip bare the grocery shelves and fight over toilet paper? Oh, we can justify it. We needed to be prepared. I said that, too. Why? Because we had been plunged into a disaster we hadn’t anticipated. We were not in control. So, we took control in whatever way we could. This is human nature.
 
Several weeks later, we are in a different place. We are making plans to return to church and other gatherings. We are thinking about going out to lunch or shopping at the mall for the first time in months. Maybe we will even dare to make vacation plans. I can hear the beach calling my name.
 
But, in our efforts to get back to life as we knew it, let’s think of how we have been changed…for the better.
 
I think one of the most important lessons we will have learned as we emerge from this Covid 19 era, is that the last time we kissed a loved one good-bye, hung up the phone, turned in an assignment, borrowed sugar from our neighbor…may well be the last time we see that person for awhile. And, those precious moments, that we probably took for granted because we couldn’t anticipate how the pandemic would interrupt life, may have been the last time we will be with that person this side of heaven.
 
And that is sobering.
 
The story of Jesus’ ascension is repeated in the book of Acts, which is also attributed to the writer of Luke’s gospel. In the Acts account, as Jesus disappears, a couple of angels appear to the disciples. Now, usually when angels show up in scripture, they say, “Fear not!” That’s the first message.
 
Not here. In this text, the angels ask the disciples why they were standing still, staring at the sky.
And in the Luke text, Jesus gives them their job description: repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in Jesus’ name to all the world, beginning at home right there in Jerusalem.
 
If we take these two accounts together, we might interpret the message to be:
“Shake a leg, people! There’s work to do. You will miss Jesus. You will grieve his loss. Do something with what Jesus taught you. Love people. Forgive offenses. Show people the abundant life that results from turning away from sin and turning toward God.
 
And, that’s what I would offer to all of you who have seen a teacher for the last time, or a classmate, or a neighbor, or a loved one. Do something with what he or she taught you. It will be a tribute to their life and give purpose to yours.
 
*Hymn  826   Lift High the Cross, verses 3 and 4
*Affirmation of Faith            The Apostles’ Creed  p. 35
*Hymn   Gloria Patri
 
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer Including the Lord’s Prayer
God of Goodness, grace, and love,
like the Apostles, we stand looking toward the sky,
not fully understanding all that this day means.
We fail to grasp the wonder of your ascension.
Forgive the smallness of our vision,
the narrowness of our outlook,
the weakness of our love,
the nervousness of our witness,
our repeated failure to recognize
the fullness of your revelation in Christ.
Give us a deeper sense of wonder,
a stronger faith,
and a greater understanding of all you have done for us.
We have many concerns on our hearts today and we lift now the names of those in need…
…the sick, those in the midst of treatment, the recovering, their families and caregivers;
the lost, the lonely, the confused, and the forgotten;
those in the halls of government, boards of educations, and all public servants;
for those who are returning to work and those who must now search for it;
for all those who are given charge of family and loved ones;
give us your strength, wisdom, and love that we may care for them as you have cared for us.
We pray in the way Jesus taught us saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
*Hymn 839   Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine
 
*Blessing
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the King of glory,
give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
that makes God known to you.
May the eyes of your heart have enough light to see
what is the hope of God’s call,
what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers,
and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power
that is at work among us.  Amen.
 
Postlude:

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
*Call to Worship
We gather together in worship.
as a mother calls her family around the table.
A loving, nurturing God,
Who, like a mother, loves us unconditionally,
teaches us in the way we should go,
and comforts us in times of need.
All praise be to God,
the source and sustainer of life.
 
Prayer of the Day
We bless your name, O Lord,
for sending your own incarnate Son,
to become part of a family,
so that, as he lived his life on earth,
he may experience life’s worries and joys.
We ask you, Lord,
to protect and watch over all our families,
so that in the strength of your grace,
its members may enjoy the priceless gift of your presence and peace,
and, as the Church alive in the home,
bear witness in this world to your glory.
In the name of Christ, our brother, Amen.
 
*Hymn 14  For the Beauty of the Earth, Verses 1-3
 
Prayer of Confession
Eternal God, in whom we live and move and have our being,
whose face is hidden from us by our own sins,
and whose mercy we forget in the blindness of our hearts:
Cleanse us from all offenses,
and deliver us from proud thoughts and vain desires,
that with humble hearts we may draw near to you,
confessing our faults, confiding in your grace,
and finding refuge and strength, through Jesus Christ your Son.  Amen.
 
*Hymn        Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Pardon
Hear the good news!
Who is in a condition to condemn?
Only Christ,
And Christ 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 is begun.
Know you are forgiven and be at peace.  Amen.
 
First Reading    1 Peter 3:13-22
 
Time for Young Disciples
 
Reading from Scripture      John 14:15-21
The Morning Message
 
I have vivid memories of the days before mandatory seatbelts and child safety seats. We were not a seatbelt kind of family, which could be the subject of therapy. My dad would stuff them down deep between the seats of his baby blue LTD because he thought the buckles were only good for marring the car’s upholstery.
 
But, we still had a restraint system…it came by way of an arm flung out across the seat to keep whoever was in the front seat from flying head first into the dashboard. Thank goodness we have evolved since those days.
 
Leonard Sweet, prolific preacher and writer, calls mothers “the original seat belt.” I have found myself doing the same thing whenever I come to a sudden stop. I sweep my arm out, like my mother and my grandmother did, whenever I perceive a sudden threat while driving. Even though we all know it would be wholly ineffective in an accident on today’s crowded, roaring, over-driven roads, it is still a gesture of love to me, tucked deep into my memory.
 
What gesture, or phrase, or activity speaks love to you? Murray Bowen wrote the textbook on Family Systems Theory. He says, “Watch what people do, not what they say.” You’ve heard that before. The credit goes to Bowen.
 
An outward gesture of care is the culmination of words made flesh and ideas put into action. It is one of the constant challenges for Christians: how will we engage in actions that demonstrate what we believe about love, hope, confession, forgiveness, redemption, regeneration?
 
Yesterday our fellowship hall was full…of women gathered to do what church women have done for ages…welcome a new baby into the fold and surround his or her mother with love and support, to celebrate with the family. Cake, coffee, presents, and punch were there as were the things we could not see: faith, hope, joy and a whole lot of love.
 
I love it when nature, we can call that God, plops a sermon right before my eyes.
 
Last spring, Ed discovered a couple of robins were building a nest on the ledge outside our kitchen window. He confessed he didn’t know what it was at first and swept and hosed it down. Then, he witnessed those tenacious birds re-constructing a nest. Now he was in protection-mode.
 
Soon we could see one of the birds flying up to the windowsill with a mouthful of twig or a dollop of mud. One of nature’s masterpieces began to take shape in the corner of our window, and we found ourselves drawn to it repeatedly during the day. Mostly an earthy brown, to disguise the little home, we noticed that this robin family was into contemporary nest architecture…around the base of the nest were long strips of something that looked like the backing of our pool cover, providing a foundation of blue and white stripes.
 
One morning Ed reported there was one brilliant blue egg in the nest. I had to climb up on the pool deck to see into the nest. What I noticed first was that the blue and white fabric strips were serving as camo of the base of the nest against our white window frames. Smart birds.
 
The robins took their place on the nest to brood. We went to the Google machine to read up on robins. We learned that both male and female, mama and daddy robins, build and shelter. We have witnessed it. If we made a sudden movement in the kitchen, turned on the overhead light, or make a noise, the bird flew away, but, just a few feet to the railing around the back deck. They were right back when the threat was over.
 
Soon there were two blue eggs in the nest and the birds are spending even more time there, waiting, waiting, making plans for feeding those hungry mouths and teaching those babies to survive outside the home that had protected them thus far. Eventually, there were four eggs in the nest.
 
When they hatched, we witnessed a real labor of love, as the moma and daddy birds brought food and deposited it into thse little beaks. It was days before their eyes opened. And sonn they began the hard work of teaching them to fly.
 
Oh, my goodness, what lessons we saw, as they taight them to perch on the rime of the nest and make the short flight to the deck just a few feet away. We witnessed them leave the nest, one by one, until there was only one left. And them something really remarkable happened. Not only did the parent birds continue to urge that baby out of the nest, the others the brothers or sisters would appear and coax that reluctant bird. You could almost hear them, “C’mon. You can do it!? And eventually, dasy after the others, it balanced on the rim of the nest. One foot attached and one wobbling in the air while testing the proverbial winds.
 
And then it sailed. Just a few feet at first. And then up, up, and away to places we won’t see or imagine.
 
Like I said, I love it when God sends me a sermon and this one was all gift-wrapped. The connection is obvious, isn’t it? This is Mother’s Day and the season of graduations. Most of us have made that move from nest to the wide world already. We made it. We succeeded. Many of us have passed the baton to the next generation in our professions and roles.


 
Last year we had many, but, we have no new graduates this year. This year we can congratulate young people, a neighbor or family member, around us for accomplishing their academic, vocational goals. They should be celebrated. A friend of mine is at Princeton Theological Seminary this weekend for the graduation of her daughter. It hardly seems possible. We watched this young person learn to ride a two-wheeler!
 
Tempis fuget. Time flies. Her future is before her. So much has changed and more changes will come.  The way in which her parents relate to her will change. It’s inevitable. And someday soon, this new grad and all the rest taking that big step into the future, will write our laws, pave our streets, teach our students, diagnose our ailments, and sell us groceries.
 
It’s their time. For the parents who have raised them, it’s their time, too. Time for a change.
 
Moms and dads have prayed, planned, anticipated, welcomed and celebrated their children. They have educated, evaluated, and vaccinated. They have hosted play dates, scrutinized car dates, marked milestone dates. They have loved wholly and completely, even sacrificially, always unconditionally, even if that love was tested.
 
We rarely use the word “success” in church conversation because it seems prideful. But, I will break that taboo today because you mothers and fathers, and those who were like parents, need to hear, you need to feel, you need to celebrate your success in raising your family, even if those days are far behind you.  I would tell parents of the newly-launched to take a trip, if they have any funds left after writing those tuition checks. Or take up a new interest. Write that book they have always wanted to pen. Replace the bunk beds with a treadmill and weights.
 
We bought a treadmill. We hang clothes on it.
 
To the newly empty-nested, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your service has ended, your contributions are not needed, your joy is complete. Because it’s not. If you can’t figure it out,  call me or call a counselor. You can figure out the next steps. Mother Teresa said there’s always someone’s porch to be swept. Start there. See where God is at work in the world and join God there. Take your broom.
 
In this gospel text, we are in the front seat with Jesus. And it is Jesus who puts his arm around us in the face of what is to come.  “Little children,” he says, “you cannot go where I am going.”
And then, in the text, Jesus uses both words and actions to prepare his friends for his absence, He washes their feet. He offers them bread. He prepares them for the harsh reality of the next days. He prays for their future. Like a father. Like a mother.
 
We don’t know everything that the future holds, but, we know who holds that future. It is bigger, more expansive, with more opportunities than we can ever know or imagine. When our youngest daughter was five, according to a little booklet made in kindergarten, her chosen profession was to be a “dolphin-chaser” and be on Jeopardy! She also wanted to live with Mommy and Daddy forever.  She changed her mind about that. Today she is a pediatric nurse in an endoscopy clinic in Raleigh, NC. Did we envision that for her future? Of course not. But we believe God did and does guide her through all the stages of life.
 
Like I said, it’s a big, wide, vast, important, needy, hurting, exciting world out there. It is a gift of love from God to us. We may not be actively parenting these days, but we can support those who are. Listen to their concerns, celebrate the milestones, and imagine with them how their children’s or grandchildren’s future will unfold. What professional direction will they take? To what purpose might God call them?
 
I’m pretty sure God could still use some dolphin-chasers!
 
 
*Hymn  14  For the Beauty of the Earth, Verses 4 and 5
 
Affirmation of Faith          The Apostles’ Creed
*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 607   Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
 
*Hymn 92   While We Are Waiting, Come
*Blessing
Go out into the blessing of a new week.
As Christ prays for you, pray for one another.
As Christ forgives you, forgive one another.
As Christ loves you, love one another.
And may the grace of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
go with you today and always.  Amen.
 
*Postlude

Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
*Call to Worship 
 I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord.
Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
 
*Prayer of the Day
O God, form the hearts of your people into a single will.
Make us love what you command and desire what you promise,
that amid all the changes of this world, our hearts may be fixed where joy is found,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
*Hymn   361      Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation, verses 1 and 2
 
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 mercy, help us live in your light and walk in your ways,
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
 
*Hymn     Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Pardon
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting.
Believe the good news of the gospel:
our sins are forgiven. Be at peace.
 
First Reading            1 Peter 2:2-10
 
Time for Young Believers
 
Gospel Reading        John 14: 1-14
 
The Morning Message
What is the story of your home?
How would you describe it to others?
Would you begin with the price, the design, or the builder, or the neighborhood, or the fine schools that attracted you in the first place?
 
Maybe it is the home’s history that is so compelling.
 
We’ve lived in the same house for over thirty-five years, but, our present home has been bought and sold so many times, that when a “For Sale by Owner” sign once went up in the front yard, it simply read:
“Look what’s for sale again!”
 
One of the families who lived there had ten kids. We had only three and when company came, we had bodies all over the place. I can’t imagine how we’d manage a family of ten in the confines of our house.
 
What comes to mind when Jesus says he goes to prepare a place for you? What image comes to mind? How does the promised future shape your life now, today? Do you even think about it?
 
Pastor Janet Hunt writes that she recently saw an exhibit at the Minnesota History Museum. It was called, “If These Walls Could Talk.” She describes the experience of walking through the history of one house in St. Paul- to hear about the different families who lived there: immigrants all, and also to witness how their lives had been changed by the rapid advances in industry and technology in the years many had arrived.
 
Janet says it was her privilege to officiate at the funeral of the woman, who, along with her husband, had built the home in which Janet now lived.
 
It was in visiting with the woman’s children that she gained a glimpse into the house’s personality, a window into the lives and faith of those who had first called it “home.”
 
She says she can only imagine the hope that filled them when the woman welcomed her husband  home from war, got married, and bought land on Meadow Lane where they would build a home. The first build was a simple one: a kitchen and living room, two bedrooms and a bath, all sitting atop a basement they never felt the need to finish. The house was small and sturdy and just right for their family of three. They had just been blessed by the birth of a daughter. A son followed close behind and they found they needed more space. So they hoisted the roof right up and turned the attic into more bedrooms and a bathroom and remodeled the downstairs to better suit their changing needs.
 
Janet says when she met with the family, they pulled out the photo albums, and she found herself searching for glimpses of the house she lived in in its original shape. She looked for pictures of the additions or re-models as they happened. But, those pictures didn’t exist. The albums were full, but, the subject of all the pictures were of what? They were of the family members, the young couple who became Mom and Dad, of babies wrapped in fringed shawls being borne into the house from the hospital, a son in a scout uniform, a daughter in a prom dress.
And so it is for all of us, at least those of us who know the privilege of having a home. While the architecture or garden or workshop of a particular domicile are meaningful, the most interesting part of a house is the story of those whose lives were built within it.
I know some of you have moved in recent months, and some are planning moves. All three of our daughters sold and bought new homes during the pandemic. There were some anxious times when all that was going on. Frustration, deadlines, upgrades, repairs, open houses, moving from one city to another, finding new jobs, in the case of one of our daughters and her husband. Having a place to lay our heads is important and can become complicated.
So, we should welcome Jesus’ first words about the home he is preparing for us: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled, and don’t be afraid.”
I have no idea what this promised home will look like. I don’t think my wish list will include a fireplace this time or stainless steel appliances. It won’t matter if the school bus comes by the house, or if the neighbors keep their lawn mowed.
I can imagine it will be a place of peace and welcome, a place so comfortable that I never again think about the need for safety and security. It will be the place we have strived to create here on earth, where our children were loved and nurtured and friends and pets welcomed. Where we dropped into a cozy chair at the end of a hard day, where aromas from the kitchen smelled like love.
Some of you knew Gray Hampton. Gray was a long-time and much-loved pastor in Huntington. At his funeral, one of his daughters described what happened in the Hampton home when a summer thunderstorm arrived. Gray would rearrange the living room, turning the sofa, where it stood with its back to the big picture window, completely around so that the whole family, all six of them, could sit together, tucked safely inside the house, sheltered from the wind and rain and lightning, while watching the meteorological show outside.  
This home Jesus is preparing for us will be something like that-designed and created out of love, constructed by the master designer. There will be plenty of room-no need for bumping out a wall or raising the roof. No need for power or heat sources or paint.  No need for keys.
I don’t know the dimensions, or if it will be brick or frame or stucco. It doesn’t matter. But, my friends, I do know this: when we arrive we will know we are home.
It is no surprise that these words in John’s gospel are often read at funerals. They are a great comfort when we need to hear them most. We are reminded of a great promise- that when our time for making a home on earth is done, a place is waiting for us in God’s own house.
I visited Sue Yoak this week and she told me about the family tree of photos she planned to create on one of the walls of her single room at the nursing home. She has plans to hang three new pictures-pictures of her grandchildren and her great-grandson who is yet to be born. And, I have no doubt that such a view will bring her joy and comfort. To hear her describe it brought me joy. Her face just lit up in anticipation.
So, until we join the Church Triumphant, and enjoy the hospitality of heaven, we can so order our lives and homes, even if they are a room in a nursing home, to be a foretaste of what is yet to come.
May it be so for all of us.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 361   Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation, verses 3 and 4
*Affirmation of Faith      The Apostles’ Creed   p. 35
*Hymn  580   Gloria Patri
 
Joys and Concerns of the Church
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings   
Offertory
*Hymn  607  Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
 
*Hymn   462    I Love to Tell the Story
 
*Blessing
Just as God’s Word was sent into the world to heal and redeem,
so God sends you into the world this day
to be light and love, healing and hope.
Go now, and share the good news generously,
and may the grace of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with you today and always. Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
 
*Call to Worship
O Come let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For the Lord is our God;
we are the Lord’s people;
the flock that God shepherds.
 
Prayer of the Day
God of all power,
you called from death our Lord Jesus,
the great shepherd of the sheep.
Send us as shepherds to rescue the lost,
to heal the injured,
and to feed one another.
with knowledge and understanding.
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  39  Great Is Thy Faithfulness
 
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done and 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 us, and call us back to your fold, that we may walk in your ways and delight in your will, to the glory of your name.
 
*Hymn   698       Take, O Take Me as I Am
 
Assurance of Pardon
Ours is a gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He gathers us to him as surely as the shepherd rescues his wayward flock.
I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. We are safe in the arms of God.
Be at peace. Amen.
 
 First Reading    Psalm 23           
 
Time for Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading                           John 10:11-18
The Morning Message
 
My next door neighbors have three grandchildren, two boys and a girl. Since their daughter and son-in-law both work, and they live in the area, the grandparents have provided child care from the days the children were born.
 
One day when a grandson was just a toddler, he toddled into the kitchen and held out his sippee cup, indicating that he wanted more of whatever it was he was drinking- water, juice, milk.
 
His grandmother took the cup and re-filled it, taking her eyes off the baby for just a second or two. When she turned around, he was passed out on the floor. Still as a stone. He didn’t respond to her attempts to rouse him.
 
You can imagine the fear that pierced her heart. She gathered him up and ran for the phone to call 9-1-1. Then she called her husband, who worked in the west end of Huntington, yet, somehow he arrived before the paramedics!
 
More than one emergency vehicle showed up on Iroquois Trail, lights flashing, sirens blaring, ramping up the anxiety.
 
By this time, little Adam had regained consciousness, but, he was showing signs that he had suffered a seizure. He had no history of seizures at all, which is one reason the incident was so terrifying.
 
Of course, he was transported to the hospital asap.
 
We have good neighbors. Three sets of us moved into our present homes in 1987. We’ve taken care of each other’s kids, borrowed cups of sugar, fixed each other’s sinks and computers, picked up the paper and mail for each other when we are away. And so much more. We are blessed.
 
So, naturally I headed to the hospital. My clergy ID badge got me into the ER and to the exam room where I would find Adam, looking so very small in that hospital bed, his mother’s arms around him, and his grandparents just a breath away, speaking to him in soothing tones.
 
I’ve been in a few ERs and have witnessed some pretty scary things. But, as I stepped into the room, I saw something I had never before seen and it was so profound and so deep that I felt the roots of my hair tingle.
 
The women acknowledged my presence, but, didn’t take their eyes off Adam. The grandfather turned toward me.
 
One look at his face and I knew…
I knew the man would die for that little boy.
 
Thankfully, a few days and lots of tests later, it was determined that Adam’s seizure was not a sign of some life-threatening condition. He had had a febrile seizure and the family learned about how to treat another one should it happen.
 
The gospel of John is known for the many “I am” statements of Jesus. We have a few of them in today’s text.
 
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.”
“I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me-just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
 
In Jesus’ day, it was commonplace to see shepherds all over the landscape. The Judean countryside was a rough and craggy plateau. The distance between Bethel and Hebron was about 35 miles. The width of the plateau was around 14 feet across. The land dropped off sharply on each side, a death sentence if a sheep or shepherd should fall.
 
So, the safety of the flock was of primary concern. The dangers were many: predators like wolves and predators in human form-thieves and robbers.
 
The shepherd had few tools: an animal skin in which food was carried, a club imbedded with nails for fighting off the wild beats, a staff, with a hooked end to retrieve a straying sheep.
 
And a good shepherd had instinct and intuition. He could anticipate the needs of his flock. He could sense the lurking threats.
 
At night, the flock was herded into a sheepfold. It was typically a walled-off space with an opening to go into and out of. The shepherd would stretch out across the opening to prevent any of the flock from straying in the night and to avert any threats to their safety.
 
Jesus describes himself as the “good shepherd.” In Greek, there are two words for “good.”
The word “agothos” describes the moral quality of a thing. The word “kalos” means that a thing or a person is not only good, but in the goodness there is a sense of winsomeness, loveliness, beauty, In this text, when Jesus is referred to as “good,” it is written as “kalos,” meaning Jesus is more than efficient, or dutiful. There is a certain beauty, loveliness, sincerity, graciousness. When our family lived in Ohio, the girls’ pediatrician lived just down the street. He took piano lessons from Ed. We would often refer to him as “the good doctor.” By that we meant he was competent in his profession, and more than that, he cared about his patients outside the office. He was neighborly. He appreciated and supported the community in which he lived and worked.
 
The image of Jesus as the good shepherd holds within it a sense of fidelity and skill, for sure, but it also conjures up a rich description of the one who defines compassion and sympathy and love.
 
Which leads us to the most astounding of his comments. Contained in the “I am” discourse, is the greatest of revelations, the one thing that sets Jesus apart from all others:
“And I lay down my life for the sheep.”
 
I found these words in Barclay’s commentary:
 
The difference is this (between the good and the bad shepherd) A real shepherd was born to his task. He was sent out with his flock as soon as he was old enough to go; he grew into the calling of a shepherd; the sheep became his friends and his companions, and it became second nature to think of them before he thought of himself.
 
The false shepherd came into shepherding not as a calling but as a means to an end. He did not care to learn of each sheep’s personality, or go the extra mile when presented with challenging circumstances. In fact, it was not unusual for some such people to run away from his post, abandoning his flock.
 
Jesus seems to be saying that our lives can be motivated by reward or motivated by love. When we are called to a task or responsibility, the man or woman who works for love thinks more about the people they are trying to serve than about him or herself.
 
Jesus was the good shepherd, who so loved his sheep that for their safety, he would risk, and one day give, his life.
 
Rev. David Roberts says the shepherd image of Jesus is one of gentle power, of someone who can control the uncontrollable in our world. And isn’t that what we want of Jesus?
 
We want Jesus to tame what is wild and unruly in the world, who, with the crook of his staff, can solve what is unsolvable and answer what is unanswerable in life, who can protect and defend against the thieves and bandits of this world who would steal, kill, and destroy.
 
While we hold that ideal image in our hearts, we also have to recognize that all is not sweetness and light in our world. The world can be an unpredictable place, with trouble and danger lurking around every corner. There are questions without answers, where good people are devastated by calamity and babies can have seizures.
 
He says he always assumed the shepherd was leading the flock to safety, and that is one of the shepherd’s roles. But, with each day’s sunrise, the shepherd wakes and calls the sheep to follow him out of the sheepfold. And they follow. Not to safety, but to the open wilderness. And it is in the wilderness that we find abundant danger but also where we find abundant life.
 
When we look over each of our texts today, we see three images of shepherding:
the one being comforted, the shepherd who provides care, and the faith community as shepherd.
 
Psalm 23 recounts the experience of the psalmist being cared for by the Spirit of God. Being led to still waters, comforted as he walks through the valley of the shadow of death, whose life-long companions are named “goodness” and “mercy.”
 
In the gospel passage, Jesus describes what it is like to be the one doing the shepherding: calling forth his sheep in a voice his flock recognizes as uniquely his. This is a generous shepherd, giving abundantly, sacrificially, laying down his very life for his own.
 
And then we have the Acts text which speaks of the community that shepherds. And I think it is a good description of where we, here on Main Street, find ourselves today. We are “one-anothering.” We are caring for, shepherding, each other in ways that were off limits to us during the heights of the pandemic. A cup of coffee and a piece of cake become almost sacramental after the isolation we experienced. Planning a routine event like a work party, such as we have coming up this Saturday, generates enthusiasm rather than yawns. We have responded to a request for help for this summer’s revived work camp. We are taking intentional steps as the beloved community living out God’s call for us.
 
All these things are reflections of what we find in Acts 2: our shepherding of the flock involves generosity, hospitality, the gathering around worship, and rejoicing in simple togetherness.*
 
If you think it doesn’t sound like much, remember this: one of the most important needs of every human life is belonging…finding our identity within and among others who accept, affirm, and support us, offer counsel, look out for our welfare, love us.
 
A community of faith can give birth to such a culture that “one-anothers” its flock with all the best fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
 
The community as shepherd gathers around us in celebration at the font and walks with us in the valley of the shadow and welcomes us to the Church Triumphant.
 
This is our call.
This is our challenge.
This is our joy.
 
*Jenna Smith, The Christian Century
 
 
*Hymn    I Cannot Tell Why He Whom Angels Worship, verses 1 1md 2
 
*Affirmation of Faith      p.35                 The Apostles’ Creed
*Hymn  581   Gloria Patri
 
Joys and Concerns of the Church
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Presenting our Tithes and Offerings
Offertory
*Hymn   607   Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
 
*Hymn   I Cannot Tell, Why He Whom Angels Worship, verses 3 qnd 4
 
*Blessing
Go now, following the voice of the shepherd.
Fear no evil, for God is by your side.
Devote yourselves to the works of God, to words of mercy, to good deeds and to acts of love.
And may God wipe every tear from your eyes;
May Christ Jesus be your shepherd and all that you need;
And may the Holy Spirit tend you with goodness and love all the days of your life.  Amen.
  
*Postlude