Prelude
Announcements
Call to Worship     2 Corinthians 5:19
In Christ, God was reconciling the world to God’s self,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 
 
Hymn          Spirit, Open My Heart     
       Music: Irish Melody, Text: Ruth Duck, 1994
Spirit, open my heart
to the joy and pain of living.
As you love, may I love,
in receiving and in giving.
Spirit, open my heart.
 
God, replace my stony heart
with a heart that’s kind and tender,
all my coldness and fear,
to your grace I now surrender. Refrain.
 
Write your love upon my heart
 as my law, my goal, my story.
In each thought, word, and deed,
may my living bring you glory. Refrain.
 
May I weep with those who weep,
share the joy of sister, brother.
In the welcome of Christ,
may we welcome one another.  Refrain.
 
Gathering Prayer
O God, you invite the poor and sinful to take their place
in the festive assembly of the new covenant.
May your Church always honor the presence of the Lord
in the humble and suffering,
and may we learn to recognize each other as brothers and sisters,
children of one heavenly Father.  Amen.
 
Old Testament Reading           Exodus 3:1-15
New Testament Reading         Romans 12:9-21
 
The Morning Message
This morning we have two beautiful scripture texts. The Exodus text is what we Christian educators like to call a “bookmark story.” This is a biblical passage that you mark as important. You will return to it many times in your walk of faith. It is one of the passages we want our children to learn at an early age so that they may experience something of the awe and mystery of a God who speaks from a burning bush.
 
The Romans text is a letter from Paul to the Christians in Rome. These believers were finding themselves on the outs with their friends and family members who had not converted to Christianity. They could not or would not understand or respect that these new Christians had made a commitment to a different way of life. They had abandoned some non-Christian practices, such as worshiping idols. This set them apart from their peers and their peers disparaged them. Paul wrote to encourage them.
 
Pastor and Professor Amy Allen, says, “Christians are not called to ignore despair, but to help sow joy in its wake; not to condone hate, but to be all the more zealous in their own loving in its face. The politics of overcoming evil are about neither ignoring nor condoning evil, but rather, fighting it with the strongest possible power-love.”
 
In the wake of recent troubles across our nation- the pandemic, the Presidential race, and now, Hurricane Laura, Paul’s words seem particularly important. Amy Allen says “In the midst of the human temptation toward disparagement or retribution, this discourse on love provides a timely call to what Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians as ‘a still more excellent way.’”
 
The topics of conversation in our house lately seem to always work themselves around to what we have accomplished that day while observing all the safety measures necessary during the pandemic. Now that Ed has returned to school, we have less control over our environment, and our risk of infection has increased. Once students start arriving, the risk will escalate.
 
But, Ed is a teacher, and somehow, he has to create a learning environment and teach music. Students and parents are expecting this, and he, and all teachers, are committed to this purpose.
 
It is a heavy lift and the unknowns will likely make it heavier.
 
Would Paul have a word for us in this moment?
 
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.”
 
If I were a teacher, or other school system employee, I might just write this on a slip of paper and carry it in my pocket every day.
 
Hurricane Laura caused havoc across the south. Storm surges, ferocious winds, falling trees, destruction of homes, injuries, death. I saw on the news a man standing in front of his brother’s home. The house had sustained a tree crashing through its roof and badly injuring the man’s sister in law. In the driving rain, an army of neighbors had shown up to clean up the mess. The man expressed his love and appreciation for these acts of charity from his neighbors and friends. “It’s what we do for one another.” Simple as that.
 
Elizabeth Barrett Browning penned these words:
“Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God; and only he who sees takes off his shoes; the rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.”
 
And when neighbors show up to bear one another’s burdens, to haul limbs off roof and gutters, and patch holes so it is habitable, they are standing in God’s presence on holy ground.
 
Where else might we encounter holy ground?
 
I’ve witnessed moments that I would call holy. The birth of a baby. The death of a saint. The reconciliation of warring parties.
 
We have witnessed too many events this summer that were anything but holy: the death of George Floyd and others victims of oppression; violence and destruction born of hate; fear in the streets of our country; people lining up on opposing political sides, hurling insults, accusations, falsehoods, blame back and forth.
 
When I was in elementary school, we sometimes played war ball in gym class. It’s evil. I mean that. Because I was always a target. Shorter than the others and not nearly as fast, I was always hit first and hit hard. As I headed for the bleachers, where you went went you got “killed,” I would struggle to hold back tears, even if my face were bruised and my nose bleeding. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. I’d often spend the rest of the day thinking up terrible things I could do for revenge.
 
I’ve wanted to react with that same sense of revenge recently in response to what I would call injustice. A response is demanded of us. But what? What will it take to restore peace in the streets?
 
Some may buy weapons. Some may install razor wire around their property. Some may march in protest. Or take a knee.
 
What we must not do is assassinate that which is holy in every human heart. Friends, we were, each one of us, made in the very image of God. When we attack, hurt, or destroy another human being- we fail to recognize the image of God in the other and as a result, we become separated from God.
 
When we hurt, or see our loved ones, or even a stranger, hurt, our fallen human nature wants someone to pay. And if laws are broken, penalties must be paid. We don’t want to live in a lawless society.
 
But there is law that goes deeper. The law of love.
 
Paul says, “If it is possible, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God. If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
 
Amy Allen says, we have to find that more excellent way, Paul speaks of.
 
The politics of overcoming evil are neither about ignoring nor condoning evil, but, rather, fighting it with the strongest power possible- the power of love.
 
“Earth’s crammed with heaven. And every common bush afire with God, and only he, or she, who sees, takes off his or her shoes…”
 
Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer
Lord God, of goodness and grace, we come before you at the beginning of a new week, a week of possibilities and promise, a week of hard work and compromise. Give us strength to meet this week’s challenges. Lead us to honor the holy image in which you have made all your children. Help us in our weakness and forgive our failures as we try to faithfully serve you in spirit and truth.
Hear now our prayers for the world…
For our country and its leaders…
For victims of the hurricane and other disasters…
For those who re-construct and restore to order…
For those in places torn by racism, violence, and those things your Word calls sin…
For those who work to bring peace…
For ourselves, that we may be faithful to you and your ways…
For those who give of themselves, bearing up burdens…
For those in need, for those who are ill, for the anxious, the grieving, for all caregivers…
Praying in Jesus’ name, saying,
Our Father,
Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory forever.  Amen.
 
Blessing
In everything, let us offer our thanks to God.
In our darkness and questioning,
in our relief and rejoicing,
in the assurance that God holds us in love,
that we may cheerfully serve others
replacing fear with the hope born of Eternal Love.  Amen.
 
Postlude 
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Prelude
Announcements
Update on the air conditioning situation: It is anticipated that work will begin mid-October to replace the heating and air conditioning in the sanctuary. Heating and air conditioning will also be installed in the fellowship hall. These improvements will help to make our time of worship, fellowship, and other activities more comfortable. Inquiries are underway to re-locate our worship service to another facility while we are awaiting the project’s completion. Thank you for your patience in these efforts.
 
Call to Worship
O God, we come into your courts with thanksgiving and praise!
We come in celebration and song.
We come in gratitude for our inheritance.
We come as those who have received blessing upon blessing.
 
Hymn                 This Is My Father’s World 
 Text: Maltbie D. Babcock, 1901; Music: Franklin L. Sheppard, 1915
 
This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears,
all nature sings and ‘round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world, I rest me in the thought,
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas, his hand the wonders wrought.
 
This is my Father’s world, O, let me ne’er forget,
that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world, the battle is not done.
Jesus who died shall be satisfied, and earth and heaven be one.
 
Prayer of the Day
Gracious God,
your people are suffering.
Where there is woundedness,
help us bring healing.
Where there is discouragement,
help us offer comfort and support.
Where there is dismay or mourning,
help us bring the power of new life and new opportunities.
Hear us, O God,
for you are our help and hope.
In the name of the Great Physician, we pray.  Amen.
 
Scripture Reading      John 5:1-9
The Morning Message
We took a brief road trip last week to deliver a piano to our daughter in Raleigh. It’s the same route we take to the beach. And every time we travel that way we come to a place where a road sign directs travelers going north and travelers going south to take the same route.
 
It’s a bit of a family joke. I can still hear my dad, on every single one of those drives between home and Myrtle Beach, ask, “Now, how in the bleep can you go north and south at the same time?”
 
Indeed, how can something be true and false at the same time? It doesn’t make sense.
 
The conundrum  Dad raised is called a “dialetheism.” Dialetheism is a concept born in the field of logic. It refers to a statement that is simultaneously true and false. I learned this word from my friend, Phillip Gulley, Quaker pastor and author. Now, I’ve always heard you have to use a word ten times before it is yours. So, here goes.
 
Phillip Gulley says he has recently been thinking of this word, dialetheism, as it applies to a phrase we all use from time to time:”There’s nothing I can do.” It can be true and false, depending on the circumstances.
 
“There is nothing I can do.”  I’ve said that. I attribute it to the Appalachian tendency toward fatalism, but apparently it applies to Hoosiers, too. Gulley is from Indiana.
 
“There’s nothing I can do” is a profoundly wise and true statement. Think how much happier we would be, Gulley says, if we could remember those five words. We might quit tilting at windmills or fighting other lost causes, in our futile attempts to control that which is beyond our control.
 
Gulley’s father has recently died, and he has been experiencing depression, feeling physically and emotionally wrung out. He says he hasn’t been interested in much of anything. The world just seems to be all gray and boring.
 
I’ve been there. Maybe you have, too. The way it shows up in my life is that I sleep a lot and eat ice cream right out of the carton. But, seriously, when I’m in this state, I get nothing done. Every task seems overwhelming.
 
Gulley says he thought his malaise came from taking care of his dad in those last months of his life. Any of us who have been caregivers can testify to how exhausting a job that is. But, what he discovered was it was coming from an even deeper and more complicated place. For twenty long years, he had been trying to fix his father’s alcoholism. And the effort had left him exhausted and defeated.
 
Have you ever tried to fix someone who didn’t want to be fixed? Have you ever tried to save a marriage the couple didn’t want to save? I’ve blundered into that one. Have you ever tried to teach someone who wouldn’t be taught? Or help them break a habit?
 
I was talking about this recently with a church member who is a nurse. It shows up in both of our professions. She says her colleagues have a name for those seeking help but refusing to follow directions that would resolve their problems. They are called, “help-rejecting complainers.”
 
That pretty much says it all.
 
Don’t you hate it when someone you love lives a paltry, pitiful life? You have tried to help but at some point, you have to admit, there’s nothing you can do to change the situation? It is an awful, depressing thing, to realize you care more about the outcome of a problem than the person caught in the problem.
 
In the Gospel of John, there’s this story of a man who had been ill for nearly 40 years, sitting by a pool of water known for its healing powers. When Jesus came by there and saw the man, he didn’t move to heal him right away. Instead, he said to the man, “You have been sitting here for as long as I can remember. Are you sure you want to be healed?”
 
We wonder about that, too, don’t we? Don’t we all know someone who is quite content to remain broken, or angry, or alone, or…fill in the blank.
 
But, if you devote your life to fixing people who don’t want to be fixed, your life will be as miserable as theirs. You’ll be sitting right there beside the pool with them. It’s sad to say, but, sometimes you just have to admit, “There’s nothing I can do.”
 
That said, “There’s nothing I can do” can also be a false statement. Scripture calls us to pray for others. And so we do. Do our prayers always result in the outcome we want? No. But, we can’t really evaluate our prayers based on what we want or expect. The important thing is that we lift our friends and loved ones before God, asking God to work in their lives that they might find peace and fulfillment. As a result, our own sense of empathy deepens, and we find ourselves better aligned with the will and ways of Jesus…regardless of the response of the one in need.
 
Gulley says that there are times when we can do something in the face of threatening circumstances. And he speaks of a man named August Landmesser. He worked in a shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, when in 1936, Adolf Hitler came to christen a warship.
 
All the workers were gathered, thousands of them, lined up in rows to salute Hitler upon his arrival. One man stood with his arms folded across his chest. August Landmesser. Why would he dare to go against the orders of his superiors? Why risk his own freedom and maybe his own life?
 
Because August Landmesser was in love with and planned to marry a young Jewish woman. Scripture reminds that “perfect love casts out fear.” Gulley says he recently ran across a photo of this brave young man, arms crossed, a scowl on his face. He was only one man standing in contrast to a big compliant crowd. It would have been easier, even advisable, for him to conclude, “This is terrible. I hate what’s happening here. But, there’s nothing I can do.” And, stand up straight and salute along with the others, many of whom shared his opinion.
 
But, instead, he summoned up his courage and said, “There is something I can do. I can express my moral disgust with this cruel regime.” And that’s what he did.  
 
Most of us will never face a moment of decision like this. Thank God. But, we all have moments when we must simultaneously accept the inevitable and work to change the outcome of a problem.
 
Here’s where I think we are facing this reality today:
School will soon begin in our community. The school culture has a major impact on the life of this and every community. It is very much the hub of life and activity. It gives a community its identity. What we value in life is often formed by school teachers and coaches and administrators. Citizens invest a tremendous amount of money and expectation in our schools. We look to our schools to produce the future’s leaders and problem-solvers.
 
There is a great deal of anxiety associated with this year’s return to school because of the complicating factor of the pandemic.
 
 
 
 
So, let’s think about it as a dialtheism:
 
Covid 19 will change the school experience. There is nothing we can do about it. This is a true statement.
Covid 19 will change the school experience. There is nothing we can do about it. This is a false statement.
 
Here’s how it’s false:
We can live it out with meaning and purpose, growing in knowledge, wisdom, character, and grace. Our creativity and ingenuity may be stretched. Our sense of empathy may grow. Our commitment to a common goal may strengthen community spirit.
 
The response is really up to each of us. Even those of us without children or other family members in the system. All of us are community members and people of faith. Let’s use the gifts of faith, hope, and love to support, to advocate, to act when and where needed. I believe we will have plenty of opportunity.
 
And remember, sometimes you really can go north and south at the same time.
 
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Lord God, of heaven and earth, with gladness we praise you,
for your create and sustain all things.
For making us in your image, to love one another and to care for your creation,
we give thanks.
For the gift of Your Son, who redeems and teaches us according to your will,
we give thanks.
By your Holy Spirit, empower us to show your love to others.
We pray for the needs of the world:
for the church and those who lead it,
for the earth that we may care for it,
for those who govern the nations of the world,
for those who serve others as teachers, healers, and caregivers,
for the poor, the homeless, the sick, the hungry,
for those who mourn, and for the lonely,
for the oppressed of every nation,
for those who suffer for the cause of Christ,
for all who need help, especially those who reject the efforts of others,
for those in our family of faith who have needs of body, mind, or circumstance,
for ourselves, that we may love you with more devotion each day.
We pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
 
Blessing
By our words and deeds, we show God’s presence in our lives.
So, go now, and take God’s gifts into the world,
remembering the needy, in body, mind, or spirit,
and be God’s healing balm in all you do.  Amen.
 
Postlude
​

Prelude
Call to Worship
The heavens are telling the glory of God.
The firmament declares his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech
And night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard.
Yet their voice goes out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs his course with joy,
its rising from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and nothing is hid from its heat.
 
Hymn                                  Great Is Thy Faithfulness  
Text: Robert Chisholm, Music: William M. Runyan, Hope Publishing, 1923
 
Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father.
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
 
Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness.
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
 
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest.
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above.
Join with all nature Thy manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.  Refrain.
 
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside. Refrain.
 
Affirmation of Faith                The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
 
Prayer of the Day
Great God of mercy, help us to forgive, as you have forgiven us.
Help us to trust you, even when hope is failing.
Help us to take up our cross daily and follow you in your redeeming work,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
Scripture Reading     Mark 7:31-37  
The Morning Message
 “Ephatha!”
 
One of my fears on Sunday mornings is to step up to the pulpit to find the microphone dead. It is a great comfort to look back to the balcony and see Tim or Brennan operating our sound system. In years past, I didn’t have this anxiety. But, asthma has taken a toll on my voice. So, a good mic helps you hear what I’m trying to convey.
 
I am personally aware of the serious nature of hearing loss. Many of you are, too. It is a growing concern for me. My right ear works better than the left one. My mother turns the volume way up on her tv. I have actually walked into her house and right into the living room before she realizes she has company. Then, she is startled and that’s not really a good thing.
 
Hearing loss is frustrating, it can lead to misunderstanding and even anger. Hearing loss can be dangerous.
 
As I worked on this message, I was reminded of a time long ago, when we were raising our daughters. When Caroline was three years old, her pediatrician voiced his concern that she was not talking yet. She had said a few words around her first birthday, but, then she went silent. She managed to communicate with gestures. Her sisters interpreted for her. We understood her for the most part. She was a very easy child to raise. Compliant and pleasant.
 
But we knew there was something amiss in her development. So, at the doctor’s direction, we bagan a series of tests. We met with an audiologist to determine her ability to hear. I have to admit, I was very worried. The doctor had told us that it was urgent to reach a diagnosis because she would need intensive therapy at Marshall’s speech and hearing clinic. The whole family would need to learn sign language. We would have to adapt our home and family life according to her needs. But, we needed to find out what those needs were.
 
Ed and I felt the pain of grief and loss for the wonders of sound Caroline might never know. Our home was filled with sound like any other home with kids. But, the sounds in our home often came on the notes of song. It is part of who we are.
 
The first tests the audiologist conducted were inconclusive. They were administered with light sedation in a doctor’s office. But, now we would move on to a more invasive procedure, under heavy sedation, in the hospital, to test her auditory nerve. Our fears were stacking up.
 
We were referred to the speech and hearing clinic for initial enrollment.
All this was happening at the end of summer vacation. School was just around the corner for our two older daughters. They were excited. But it was hard to share that excitement. We had so many questions. So many fears about Caroline’s education and her future.
 
We were fortunate that the school bus stopped right in front of our house. So, on the first day of school, Caroline and I stood on the driveway with Katy and Sarah Beth. The bus stopped in front of us.  The girls climbed on. The driver waved and they were off to Nichols Elementary.
 
As the bus pulls away, Caroline turned and looked up at me and said, “What are going to do now, Mommy?”
 
No kidding. Full sentence. Problem apparently solved.
 
We did consult the specialist, but we never unraveled the mystery of her lack of speech. Or its sudden appearance. But we were grateful, and our eyes and ears were more fully opened to the needs of children and adults with speech and hearing challenges.
 
In this text, Jesus travels toward the Sea of Galilee. The people bring him a man who is deaf and mute. The people beg Jesus to lay hands on him and heal him.
 
So, Jesus sort of complies. He has a different method, though. He puts his fingers in the man’s ears and then spits and touches the man’s tongue.
 
That’s unthinkable today, isn’t it?
 
Immediately, the man’s ears are opened, his tongue is released, and he speaks plainly. Jesus calls out a word in Aramaic, “Ephatha!” And, in case we haven’t studied Aramaic, it means, “Be opened!”
 
Nelson Mandela once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
 
Aramaic is Jesus’ original language, the language of his heart. The use of the word “Ephatha” in Scripture is unusual because the Gospel of Mark is written in Greek. But, all these many generations later, Jesus’ native language for this command is retained.
 
Writing for Christian Century magazine, Ladonna Sanders Nkosi reflects on her pastoral experience in Durbin, South Africa. In that culture, she learned that the biblical texts are understood to hold the quality of what they address. They transcend time and space to distill something of their essence to hearers down through the generations.
In other words, scriptures that speak of healing bring a healing quality to a person, place or situation. Scriptures about peace and God’s Shalom bring a real sense of peace when proclaimed in the Christian community.
 
If we follow that understanding, when we proclaim Jesus’ command, “Ephatha!” or “Be opened!” we should receive a sense of openness, or clarity.
 
Now, what implications could that have today? What are some issues that need to be opened up for discussion? What gates should be opened to help our community function in a better way? Whose minds might be opened to hear God’s word for them? Might you be open to something you have refused to hear? How might you be open to a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with Jesus Christ?
 
When Martin Luther composed the baptism liturgy in 1523, the rite actually called for the priest to take some of his own saliva and touch the ears and lips of the child being baptized. Then the priest would repeat the words of Jesus, “Ephatha! Be opened!”
 
Aren’t you relieved that we don’t practice that anymore? But the idea is a good one. The rite implies that we will hear the promises of faith from our earliest days and in time, speak of them ourselves.
 
Language lives deep within us. It is part of our formation. The words of scripture, the tunes of hymns, the movements of our worship liturgy are all part of our spiritual formation, our spiritual mother tongue.
 
There is something satisfying when we successfully communicate with another in a way we both understand. Ask a teacher. When a child learns that letters strung together make sounds and sense, their whole world opens up. I still remember the first book I read in first grade. The teacher let me take it home to read to my parents. They have a snapshot of me reading it to my infant brother. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to read another. When I learned the language of algebra, I had a hope of going to college. Sometime I’ll tell you more about that. If my mother hears her doctor’s words and advice clearly, she is more likely to follow it and her fears for her future are relieved.
 
True story. One of my colleagues made a home visit to his parishoner’s home. He had gone there because the church members had suffered an assault. The pastor rang the doorbell repeatedly. Eventually, he could see some movement through a window in the door. He could also make out the shape of a handgun.
 
So he spoke up in hopes that his church member could hear him. “John, it’s me. Don’t be afraid. I just came to check on you.”
 
Slowly, slowly, the door cracked a fraction of an inch, then a little more, until the door was opened wide enough to let my friend into the house, where he would sit and listen and bear witness to his friend’s pain.
 
Ephatha! Be open! And you will be blessed.
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Gracious God, who has reconciled all things to yourself in Jesus Christ, hear our prayers.
We pray this day for peace among the nations, that the world may be free of violence, allowing all people grow in justice and harmony.
For those who serve in public office, that they may wisely work for the common good.
For people of faith everywhere, that we may joyfully proclaim the saving works of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For those who suffer from hunger, sickness, loneliness, bigotry, or poverty.
Bring justice that lifts them from despair to hope.
We pray for the suffering in our community of faith, for family, neighbors, and friends, that the presence of Christ may bring them to health and wholeness.
We commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray, to the mercy and protection of God.
We pray as Jesus taught us saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Blessing
Go now, proclaiming all that Jesus has done for you.
Be as one with each other in Christ.
Wait for the Lord, and be ready to hear God’s voice,
even in the sounds of sheer silence.
 
Postlude
 
 

​​Prelude
Call to Worship                             Isaiah 40:31
Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Come, worship the holy One who meets you where you are.
Come, open yourselves to God, who lifts us up.
 
Hymn    Love Lifted Me       Text and Music: James Rowe, 1912
I was sinking deep in sin
far from the peaceful shore.
Very deeply stained within,
sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea
heard my despairing cry,
from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
 
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
love lifted me!
 
All my heart to him I give
ever to him I’ll cling.
In his blessed presence live
ever his praises sing.
Love so mighty and so true
merits my soul’s best songs.
Faithful, loving service, too,
to him belong.  Refrain.
 
Affirmation of Faith           The Apostles’ Creed   Book of Confessions, PCUSA
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell .
The third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
 
The Old Testament Reading      Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45
 
Prayer
God of presence,
as you walked upon the water to meet the disciples,
meet us in the storms of our lives.
God of renewal,
as you lifted Peter from the water, lift us
from despair to hope, from distraction to focus, from death to life.
We pray in the name of Jesus, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
The Gospel Reading   Mark 4:35-41
           
The Morning Message
 
Jesus Stills the Storm
On the afternoon of February 7, 2013, Matt and Melissa Crusan boarded the cruise ship the Carnival Triumph in the port of Galveston, Texas, wearing their vacation best. For weeks, the middle-age couple had been looking forward to four leisurely days aboard the ship as it sailed south toward its destination of Cozumel, Mexico.
 
On Sunday, February 10, in the middle of the night, a fire broke out in the machine room, sending the ship’s crew and 4200 passengers scrambling for life vests.
 
Matt, a retired Marine, describes those first moments as chaos. However, it was what came after that is really burnished into his memory. While the crew was able to extinguish the fire without too much damage, the power, sewage, heating and air-conditioning systems failed and the ship was adrift off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the gulf of Mexico for days.
 
What unfolded next has become something worse than any reality show. The images are hard to forget: the tilting boat with sewage seeping down the walls, passengers sleeping outside in the cold and rain to escape the noxious fumes inside their cabins. Inadequate food and water supplies due to lack of refrigeration and any ability to cook.
 
Many people became quite sick from a number of maladies. Melissa had two bouts of food poisoning and ended up in the hospital hooked up to IVs when the couple finally came home. Their three young sons, having seen the accounts of the disabled ship on the news, worried that their mom and dad might die. One of the boys wrote a loving good-bye poem to them in case he never saw his parents again.
 
It would not surprise me if some passengers and crew members penned precious words to their loved ones as well, hoping for the best while fearing the worst. Some of them may have even raised their voices in anger and protest, not only to the Carnival Cruise line, but to God, asking, “Hey, where are you, God? Don’t you even care that we are about to die?”
 
That’s what the disciples asked Jesus, that night out on the water. They were seasoned fishermen. This surely couldn’t have been the first time a storm blew up while they were out to sea. Maybe they exhausted all their usual options for getting things under control and they have begun to panic. At this point in Jesus’ ministry, they have witnessed both the power and the compassion of Jesus. He had healed people of life-long health conditions. He had restored some to society, to their grateful families. And on this night, he was sleeping while the very ones who were closest to him, were in peril. The boat was about to sink. Even faithful people experience fear and hopelessness in the face of a violent fate.
 
It is worth noting that in Jesus’ day, extreme weather conditions were thought to be works of the devil, or the product of evil spirits. One reason this story is included in the accounts of Jesus’ life and work is that it demonstrates that Jesus has ultimate power. Power beyond what any human can ever accomplish: Jesus had authority over the weather.
 
So, what are we to make of this story today? Where does it hold significance in our own lives?
 
Well, we have had some crazy weather ourselves lately. One day this past week, when I stepped outside, there was something about the temperature, the blowing wind, the variegated blues of the sky, the scent of impending rain, that reminded me of the hours before the derecho that hit a few years ago. That weather system wreaked havoc upon several states and this one was hard-hit. Power outages lasted for days creating all sorts of trouble for thousands of residents. Damage from the wind and rain left a number of towns looking like a pile of match-sticks. Recovery was long in the making.
 
In the seconds that it took for me to step out onto my front porch, all those memories came flooding back and I felt the old sense of fear and dread.
 
Though another derecho didn’t materialize, we were tossed about in recent days by storms that left damage in their wake. We were also struck by other storms: Hurricane Isaias, a deadly gas leak and explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Public servants betraying the people they were called on to help or protect. Issues galore erupting from the corona virus. Neighbors at odds with each other over how best to respond. Children and young people who thrive on routine now facing an uncertain and complicated school year. Broken minds, broken hearts and broken spirits leave us wondering where God is and if God even cares.
 
We find some answers in the text. When the wind stirred things up and the boat was getting swamped, where was Jesus? Jesus was in the boat. This is one of our greatest and most profound truths. Our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is ever-present. This is why God incarnate, Jesus Christ, came to live with us on the earth. Emmanuel. God with us. Through the good, the bad and the ugly. God is with us. God is always with the vulnerable, the weak, the troubled, the hurt. This is always a comforting thought and I prayed it many times this past week: “Lord God, hold the hurting ones in your embrace and assure them of your presence.”
 
And, yes, God cares. Jesus cared that his friends were about to capsize. He loved them. When you love, you protect, you set things right, even at personal risk. And even then, sometimes, things can’t be fixed. At least they can’t be fixed this side of heaven. And when that happens, and it happens to all of us, it’s even more important to remember that:
1. God is still in our boat.
2. God always loves us.
3. God is the first one to cry when one of God’s children is hurt.
4. And God will equip us to respond. Remember David was the youngest and least experienced of Saul’s sons, yet David was anointed to lead God’s people. Not an easy job. They didn’t tell him everything in the interview.
 
Friends, there are days when it hurts to read the newspaper or watch the news broadcast. I am shocked and sometimes I even feel sick when I read of, or see images of, the atrocities people suffer. You may be affected in this way, too. At times like that, it helps me to remember the God who gave us the capacity to love, is the God who gave us the ability to feel another’s pain, to empathize with their suffering. And, it is a good and necessary thing. It is the foundation of order and our hope of a peaceable kingdom.
 
And this is what elicits a response. A tender word. A warm dish. A kind note. Or, depending on the circumstances, maybe a march, a protest, a movement. Maybe even a sling-shot.
 
Hymn                Love Lifted Me Refrain     Text and Music: James Rowe, 1912
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Holy One,
We come to you with thanksgiving for this Sabbath day. Let us feel the refreshing benefits of resting. Save us from imposing our needs upon others who must work today. Give them spaces in their labor that they might stop and renew their strength.
We lift our prayers for the world…for the people of Beirut, Lebanon, and all affected, by the catastrophe this past week; for rumors of war and conflict, for everyone the world over coping with the impact of the pandemic, for those closest to us in need of an acute sense of your presence, power, and love, especially those in our community of faith who are hospitalized, recovering, care-giving, and grieving.
We pray for ourselves…that we find moments of joy this and every day, that we pay attention to our loved ones, friends, and neighbors in need of help, that we remember the importance of our citizenship, for those who watch over and protect our community, for the gifts of faith, hope, and love.
We lift our prayers in Jesus’ name and for the sake of his realm, saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Blessing
You have been raised with Christ.
Do the work of Christ in the world.
Extend a hand to those in need,
Speak up for those others would cast aside,
Build bridges of reconciliation,
strengthen the bonds of community,
and offer the invitation of life, community, and purpose.
May the God who created you, the Son who redeems you, and the Spirit who empowers you be with you this day and always.  Amen.
 
Postlude
 
Liturgical elements from Worship Ways, United Church of Christ

Prelude
Call to Worship                        Christine Longhurst, re:Worship
Come and worship,
everyone on earth,
everywhere the sun shines.
Let’s praise God together!
 
For listening when we call,
answering our prayers,
forgiving our mistakes,
and providing what we need.
Let’s praise God together!
 
Come and worship,
everyone on earth,
everywhere the sun shines and the rain falls.
Let’s praise God together!    
 
Hymn        One Bread, One Body          Text and Music: John B. Foley, SJ, 1978
One bread, one body, one Lord of all,
one cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth,
we are one body in this one Lord.
 
 Gentile or Jew, servant or free,
 woman or man, no more. Refrain.
 
Many the gifts, many the works,
one in the Lord of all.  Refrain.
 
Grain for the fields, scattered and grown,
gathered to one, for all.  Refrain.
 
Prayer of Confession
Lord of abundance, compassion, and mercy, when we see the overwhelming needs of your world, our spirits deflate. Sadness, despair, anger, guilt, and fatigue overwhelm us.
We know we are the body of Christ in the world, but, relieving pain and suffering seems impossible.
We confess to turning our heads, we confess to weak resignation, we confess to indifference, oblivious to the ways we may contribute to the sin of injustice, or fail to show up when we are called on to help.
God, save us from ourselves and our rationalizations. Tune our hearts to your control, that we may respond in faith and commitment, working to alleviate circumstances and systems that would do harm to your beloved community.
Forgive us when and where we fail, remove any wicked way in us, and restore us to right relationship with you, made possible through the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Amen.
 
Response        Take, O Take Me as I Am.
                        Text and Music: John L. Bell, 1995, WCRG, Iona Community
Take, O take me as I am;
summon out what I shall be;
set your seal upon my heart and live in me.  Repeat.
 
Assurance of Pardon
The Lord is just in all ways, and kind in what God does. God is near to all who call upon him, who come in repentance, turning away from sin and turning toward God’s grace.
Friends, believe the good news of the gospel: in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. Be at peace.
 
Scripture Reading       Matthew 14: 13-21
The Morning Message
Here we are on the first Sunday of August. Our usual and customary practice at Kuhn is to celebrate Communion on the first Sunday of the month. Since we can’t be together to do that, I wanted to set aside a time to at least think about the role of bread in our lives. Bread commands center stage in the story of our faith, both the Christian faith and the faith of our forebears, the Jews.
 
I love bread…when I was a kid, driving past Heiner’s bakery could send me into ecstasy. My Brownie troop toured the bakery once and I was so disappointed. They gave us all little packaged cupcakes, which most of the girls just raved over. But, I was hoping for that warm, yeasty bread.
 
Bread. I love it and I struggle with it. There are some diet plans popular today that call for the elimination of bread and all grain products and other starches. I tried that once for several weeks. It did work, but, I was miserable and I made everyone around me share in that misery.
 
It’s still a choice for me. But, my daughter is gluten intolerant. My son-in-law has celiac disease.  These are very serious conditions. It can take a long time to diagnose. In the meantime, people with these issues can become extremely sick. Healing comes with the elimination of gluten and all wheat products. It’s hard to plan meals around zero wheat products. Do you know how many food items have wheat in them?
 
My son-in-law had a death in his family last week. I made a shepherd’s pie for them. I could make that dish in my sleep. But, when I started gathering the ingredients, I realized I would need to make some substitutions.
 
Bread was Ed’s mother’s specialty. She grew up making it daily for her large family. She was one of ten children. When she made bread, she made loaves, rolls, monkey bread, sticky buns, fried apple pies, pepperoni rolls. She would mail those to her kids when they were in school away from home. We haven’t had a loaf of that good bread for a few years now and we all miss it and we miss her.
 
In Bible times, bread was a food that was made daily. Bread made early in the day was much favored over that which was several hours old. You can understand why: no preservatives, no ziplock bags to keep it fresh. No Kroger.
 
So, today we have this beautiful story of Jesus preaching to a crowd hungry for the good news of the gospel. In time, they grew hungry for dinner, too, but, all the shops were closed. So, gathering up a meager few loaves and fishes, Jesus prays over them, and miraculously, a feast results, baskets and baskets full.
 
We are wowed by that. But, we might want to look back a few verses to see what was going on with Jesus that day. He had just learned of the hideous death of someone he loved, his cousin, John, the Baptist. In his grief, Jesus withdrew, probably to have some moments to himself to grieve this loss.
 
But, the crowd followed him. He would not rest yet. No, he would bear witness to their suffering, their pain, their diseases, their needs. And then he gave them bread.
 
But, he wants them to understand the deeper meaning: he is the bread that can truly satisfy them. In the gospel of John, Jesus actually calls himself “the bread of heaven.”
 
Jesus offers them food. He offers them himself. He offers us himself.
 
Jesus still reaches out to those who are hungry and offers them a place at the table. We enter into the graciousness of Christ through the act of eating and drinking with our fellow believers. We receive something of the real presence of Christ through the Sacrament of Communion.
 
You can’t get much closer to something than when you eat it. Taste, touch, smell and sight remind us, teach us, who God is, and who God’s Son is… the very bread of life.
 
When we eat and drink, anytime, we should be aware of the providence of a God who started a relationship with human beings in a garden rich with food. We should recall that God called his people to follow him to a land flowing with milk and honey. We should remember the people of faith whose food was scarce and yet, God provided a way through it with a little flour and a little oil, with manna and quail, with fish and bread, and the best wedding wine.
 
But, when we eat, we take a risk. We have chosen to participate in a kingdom way of life.
 
We can no longer eat and forget.
We can no longer eat and walk away.
We can no longer eat and go on unchanged.
We can no longer eat and not be concerned about those who can’t.
 
We seem to be smack in the middle of the summer of our discontent. Summer started around the middle of March and who knows when it will end. The human need around us is monumental. There is no Covid crisis in our town that I know of, there are no violent demonstrations in Barboursville, West Virginia, but there is need, fear, grief, illness, family conflict, addiction, hunger…who will fill all the hungry hearts in our community? Who will fill your hungry heart?
 
It has been said that at the end of World War II, in the refugee camps for orphans and dislocated kids, the children couldn’t sleep. Of course, they couldn’t sleep. They had been through a real live hell. But, the adults who cared for them found that after they were fed the evening meal, if they would give the children a piece of bread, just to hold, they would drift off. It was their holding bread. There was more to eat if they were hungry. This was bread to hold, to remind them and to connect them to a great truth…that morning will come, there are grown-ups who cared, and were watching over them to keep them safe, and there would be more to eat when they woke up. 
 
Ghandi said there is so much hunger in the world that God comes to earth as bread.
 
Oh, my friends, we need that bread, don’t we?
 
One of my cousins is a nurse who works with newborns who enter this life very sick due to their mothers’ drug use during pregnancy. She is their holding bread.
 
A colleague of mine worked night and day following the harrowing floods a few summers ago in southern West Virginia.  He organized relief efforts of all sorts, but, housing was his primary focus. He placed people in homes, hotels, apartments, campers, trailers, and tents. He was their holding bread.
 
For years, two friends of ours drove to a federal prison early every Sunday morning to meet with prisoners, lead a Bible study, and pray. They became the inmates’ holding bread.
 
This week, our youngest grandson spent some time with us. He stayed overnight. He has been having trouble sleeping, no doubt because his life has been upended since the onset of the pandemic. He has lived in three places and was enrolled in three day care centers in two different cities. No wonder he is having sleep terrors. We were prepared for a long night. We were ready to be his holding bread.
 
We were surprised and relieved that he slept pretty peacefully. He did wake much earlier than we usually do. So, we tucked him into bed with us and we all caught a few more Zs. We were satisfied with that.
 
But, the surprise came later in the day when we took him to join his mom and dad and the rest of the family. They had just come from the funeral of a family member, the patriarch in fact. A hard day for anyone.
 
Mommy, Daddy, and Grand Daddy all came out to meet us. As his father lifted the sleeping two-year-old from the car, we could see the grief and pain of the day melt from all the adults’ faces. One little squeeze was all it took.
 
And a little child became their holding bread.
​
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
As the crowds followed Jesus, eager to be filled with hope, we come to this time of worship, seeking to nourish our souls. We are so burdened by the unstable nature of our lives due to the pandemic. Our hearts are filled with concern for family and friends, for our country and our world. Will we ever be normal again? What does normal even mean today?
Fill us with a word of hope and truth that we might not sink into despair, but, look to you for comfort, strength and peace.
Sit us down, as Jesus seated the multitude. Calm us down, as Jesus reassured the disciples. Lift us up, as Jesus encouraged others to reach out in compassion. Give us hearts of confident faith, dwelling gratefully in your presence. Place your healing hands on the places, people, and circumstances we name now in our hearts…praying as Jesus taught us saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Blessing                   1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Go out into the world in peace. Have courage, hold fast to what is good.
Return no one evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak and help the suffering.
Honor all people.
Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
Postlude