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Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship God of grace, you have given us minds to know you, and voices to sing your praise. Fill us with your Spirit, that we may celebrate your glory and worship you in Sprit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Hymn 14 For the Beauty of the Earth Prayer of Confession Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings, and our offenses against you. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we are sorry for all we have done to displease you. Forgive our sins, and help us live in your light, and walk in your ways, for the love of Jesus Christ our Savior. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Hear the good news! The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin and alive to all that is good. I declare to you in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Be at peace. First Scripture Reading Psalm 85 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 11:1-13 Morning Message Lord, teach us to pray. Prayer groups, prayer chains, books about prayer, prayer retreats, prayers before meals, prayers before bed, prayers to open sessions of congress and legislature, prayers on the 50 yard line, prayers sung, prayers walking a labyrinth, praying the psalms, praying the church directory, prayers for the world, prayers at times of crisis, prayers for the community, the denomination, for leaders of all sorts and those who have no agency, prayers for safety, for travel, prayers at graduations, prayers at the bedside of a loved one, prayers at the graveside, prayers over newborns, when tears become words, prayers when starting a new job, when leaving home, prayers when establishing a new home, prayers for direction, prayers for pilgrimage to Lourdes or Craoah Patrick or Prayers of confession, of anguish, when we have failed, when we have been wounded, when someone needs help, prayers for what seems hopeless, prayers of praise and thanksgiving, prayers of confession, for all in need, especially for the suffering, for victims of violence, victims of disaster, prayers for strength and direction and discernment, prayer beads, candles, icons, prayers from great liturgical works, spontaneous prayer. How many of those types of prayers have you experienced? Most of them, I’d guess. They are all effective means of prayer. For many years I met weekly with two members of the church I served. All were invited, but only two regularly showed up at nine o’clock on Monday mornings. Sisters. We prayed the newspaper, we prayed for individuals, we prayed for the church, for all local churches, we prayed for our Jewish neighbors, our Muslim neighbors, our neighbors who seemed to have no use for faith. We started this practice in 2004, right before a presidential election. For the next four years we prayed for the Bushes, then for eight years, we prayed for the Obamas. We prayed to understand the point of view of those who differed from ourselves. We prayed for resolutions to great problems as they emerged. We prayed for peace. We prayed for one another. And then the time came for one to “go up,” as she put it, and we sang her to heaven. And then, my other prayer partner suffered a heart attack and joined her sister. I prayed over her still body in the emergency room at Cabell Huntington Hospital late one Sunday night. She knew all evening that she was in trouble, but, said nothing, as she was determined to see the latest episode of Downton Abbey with her family, so that would be their last memory. Lord, teach us to pray. Who taught you to pray? Your mother or father? Sunday School teacher? My first memory of prayer came when I was just about a year old. Now, developmental psychologists will tell us that we really don’t retain memories until later in childhood, but, I remember this. I was at my grandmother’s house. I was learning to walk. I saw the colorful flames of a gas space heater in her living room and crawled over to it. Then I tried to pull myself to a standing position grabbing the grate across that heater. My grandmother did not reach me in time. I don’t remember the moment, so much as I remember the pain and then being rushed to my father’s car, my grandmother holding me in her arms, as we sped away to the hospital. A parade going on that day and I remember a policeman leaning into the driver’s window of the car, speaking with my dad, and the sound of a siren. Held close to my grandmother’s heart, I didn’t hear a formal prayer, or even an informal prayer, so much as I felt the urgency, the anguish, and the love of those who were taking care of me. They didn’t have to speak a word, yet the car was full of petitions to a very present God. What is the purpose of prayer? Listen to the witness of Mark Skinner, pastor and author. It’s a very personal, intimate thing, one’s prayer life. Getting started at praying is less like learning how to drive, how to play the banjo, or even how to preach. It is more like learning how to kiss. You learn some by watching others do it. You should be discerning about whom you will allow to teach you. You certainly make mistakes. And maybe you worry that you might be doing it wrong. When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them about prayer, I don’t think they were asking about technique or method. Nor do I believe the intention was to get Jesus to institute a prayer that Christians could gather round and speak in unison, even though we do adhere to the practice of praying the Lord’s Prayer each and every Sunday. I think it is such an important part of our Christian formation, that I include it in services of marriage and at funerals. Even though members of a variety of denominations will be present at such events, each with their own version of the Lord’s Prayer, it is foundational to all of us. It gives us something in common to left up in celebration or cling to at times of grief and loss. According to Skinner, the request, “Lord, teach us to pray,” comes from the desire to see God’s reign come to full fruition. They believe in the good news of the gospel. They have witnessed lives transformed. The disciples want to know how to be in communion with God. They want to experience the love and close relationship to the One whom Jesus calls, “Father,” or “Abba,” meaning “Daddy.” In this text, Jesus offers us much more than an invitation to imitate his prayer practices. He gives us tools to imagine who God is and how God is in relationship with us. The prayer lifts up several theological claims: God hears. God provides. God forgives. God protects. God calls on us to be generous with one another. Matt Skinner says Jesus urges his followers to be persistent in prayer. This doesn’t mean we need to increase the volume and pray the same things over and over all day. It means that with a God like this the door is always open. An occasion for relationship always exists. Writer Anne Lamott says in her book, Help, Thanks, Wow, “Prayer means that, in some unique way, we believe we’re invited into a relationship with someone who hears us when we speak in silence.” That day when my dad and grandmother rushed me to the hospital, there was a lot of activity going on between them and God. I believe God heard their prayers, even though they were spoken, or cried out, in silence. Psalm 141 makes this request before God: May my prayer be set before you as incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” Silent or spoken. In church or on the lakeshore. In a crowd or in solitude. In times of distress or moments of blessed peace. I pray it is so for all of us. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Loving God, having received your grace in the redemption of Christ Jesus, we live strengthened in the faith, with lives overflowing with gratitude. From the depths of our hearts, we offer to you the very best we have-time, talent, and treasure. May our offerings be a sign of our true devotion and thanksgiving. Amen. *Hymn 175 Seek Ye First *Blessing May the God of peace make you holy in every way, and keep your whole being- body, mind and spirit, free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Psalm 95 O come, let us sing to the Lord! Shout to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving, singing joyful songs of praise. *Hymn 1 Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God, Almighty! Prayer of Confession Mighty and merciful God, you have called us to be your people and claimed us for the service of Jesus Christ. We confess that we have not lived up to our calling. We have been timid and frightened disciples, forgetful of your powerful presence, ignoring the strength of your Spirit among us. O God, forgive us in our weakness, strengthen us anew, and gift us with everything we need to fulfill our common calling, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. *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 Psalm 103 Pew Bible p. Time With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading Luke 10: 25-37 Pew Bible p. Morning Message Someone I love is a lawyer. Early on, the stress of the courtroom, the imposing figure of the judge on the bench, the attorneys on the other side of the courtroom, the fate of her client- all of it depending on how well each attorney presents his or her case, playing by the rules- evoked insurmountable anxiety. A few years into her career as a defense attorney, she changed direction and that seems to suit her better. And, in a simplified sense, that is what is going on the opening scene of today’s scripture. A learned man-spit-polished and noble, with a spine seemingly made of steel and no compassion in his voice, confronts Jesus. The man, an expert in Mosaic law, stands up to test Jesus. Like the Pharisees, who were his colleagues, he wants to know if Jesus will use the Torah properly to answer the following question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life? Cite the chapter and verse please.” But this is Jesus. And this is the gospel of Luke. Anyone expecting or demanding a direct answer is bound to be disappointed. Jesus employs a different method of engaging this man. The Socratic method: answering a question with another question. “What is written in the law? What do you read there that might address your question?” He might also have asked, “What do you think is the answer?” How many times growing up did I ask my parents’ permission to do one thing or another, something I knew would challenge their idea of safety or expense or what is an appropriate activity for a teenager. I could count on getting one of those looks that said, “You know the answer to that.” The lawyer responds with the prescribed answer: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus congratulates him on the answer, but, draws him in a little closer and we know, because we’ve heard the story so many times, that Jesus wants more. He wants all of us, as the scriptures say. “Do this and you will live.” And the man takes the bait. After all, he has a reputation to maintain. “Who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus begins to tell stories, and his stories are always packed full of meaning and this one doesn’t disappoint. Jesus puts his new lawyer friend in the story so he can’t miss the point. When our grandson was here a few weeks ago, we entertained him for hours showing him all the videos of him-from birth on-that were saved in my phone. A day or so later, he climbed up on our bed and said, “Fifif, let’s whatch videos of me.” I’m not sure the man in our story would really want to watch videos of himself. But this is how Jesus tells the story: Two experts in the law walk by a man lying by the side of the road, beaten within an inch of his life. They know the commandments: to love God and neighbor. They memorized those verses as kids. But, even though they know them by heart, they don’t stop to help the man in need. No, they pass by on the other side. But then a third traveler comes by, and seeing the injured man, shows hospitality and kindness and mercy- all in generous measure. You know this- Jews and Samaritans had been at enmity for generations. Jews believed Samaritans were infidels. And yet, in Jesus’ story, who does the right thing? The Samaritan. The unlikely one. The one who is the theological enemy of the Jewish lawyer. But listen to this twist of a response: “The one who showed him mercy.” It is the motive of the Samaritan’s ministrations that hit their mark with the lawyer. And we know, this is a matter of the heart. How many of your hearts were broken Monday when you heard the news of the sniper attack in Highland Park, Illinois? I couldn’t bear to watch the news coverage but I couldn’t walk away from it. Where are the helpers, as Mr. Rogers would ask. Who is taking care of the people who abandoned those lawn chairs and purses and hats and baby strollers? Dear God, why? Why must innocent people die in such a savage, senseless way? And then the stories started coming in about the victims. And then there were stories about the first responders…and the fellow by-standers, the neighbors, the merchants, the regular folk like you and me. A well-loved Highland Park tradition, one that was sheer frivolity with bands and fire engines and floats and candy tosses. What could go wrong? Everything. The next morning, I saw a couple being interviewed who had been at the parade. They were not injured. A young man came running up to them, thrusting his baby in their arms. Will you watch him? My wife was hit and I need to check on her. They exchanged phone numbers and the little boy stayed in the home and the arms of perfect strangers for hours. The mother survived. And then there was the couple that shielded their two-year-old son with their own bodies, literally laying down their lives for their child. There was no time for debate or consultation or background checking ar anything else but the will to survive and trust. An uncommon amount of immediate action that saved the lives of some while ending the lives of others. There were other similar violent scenes all around the country last week. Late Thursday night we heard that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had been shot. In the morning we learned he had died. Who will be neighbor to the Japanese? Much closer home, we had a tragic event in our neighborhood. The beloved dog of one of our families attacked the beloved dog of another family while walking around the block. The dog died. We know who the neighbors are. But how do we show mercy in this terrible circumstance? What is the most merciful thing we can do? And are we to judge who receives mercy? *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 * Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Service of Ordination and Installation Through the voice of the church, God has called the following members to ordained and active service: Harold Bias, Betty Dennison, Tim Moore, and Judy Napier Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 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 church. Amen. *Hymn 187 Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us *Blessing Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Alleluia! Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship A Litany for Independence Day As we remember the birth of our nation, and the gifts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, let us offer our thanks and prayers to God, giver of all good things. For the women, men, and children who braved the long journey by sea to come to this new world. For the tribes and nations who inhabited this land for generation upon generation. For patriots who dreamed of, and labored for, a free nation. For the men and women who laid the foundations of our democracy, and who pledged liberty and justice for all. For those who built this country brick by brick, road by road, and town by town. For the brave soldiers who have left hearth and home to serve our country, for all who paid for our freedom with their very lives. For the innovators and artists, poets and teachers, farmers and factory workers, for all who labor and provide for the common good. For those who protect our community in emergencies and for all who work to restore order. For the exquisite beauty of this land, with its peaks and valleys, coasts and deserts, fields and meadows. For our own community, for those who came before us in this place, and for our neighbors near and far. Lord, we pray for these United States, that we might always be a nation which defends and promotes liberty and freedom, truth and justice. That we might always be a nation where all are free to worship and pray. That we might be a beacon of freedom to all those who live under the shadow of terror and hopelessness. That those who are elected to govern and lead would look to you for wisdom and guidance, and carefully guard the public trust. That we would be a people who repent from our sins, and who always return to you and to your ways. Gracious God, Father of all the nations, bless and defend us and our land, prosper the work of our hands, and increase in us your courage, grace and compassion. Hear our prayer, O Lord, our rock and our salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Hymn 338 O Beautiful for Spacious Skies Prayer of Confession Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips fear to tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past we cannot change, open to us a future in which can be changed, and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image, through Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Lord. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Declaration of Forgiveness Hear the good news! Who is in a position 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 has begun. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel: in Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven. Alleluia! Amen. Time With Our Young Disciples Scripture Reading Isaiah 58:1-12 Morning Message *Hymn *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 * Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Almighty and merciful God, from whom comes all that is good, we praise you for your mercies, for your goodness that has created us, your grace that sustains us, the discipline that corrects us, your patience that has borne with us, and your love that has redeemed us. Receive our gifts, offered in humility and gratitude, that the world may know, love and serve you. We give in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Hymn 8 Eternal Father, Strong to Save *Blessing Go out into the world in peace; have courage; hold onto what is good; return no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak and help the suffering; honor all people; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. *Postlude |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
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