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Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Joshua 24:15 Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. *Hymn 321 The Church’s One Foundation Gathering Prayer O, Lord, our God, wellspring of all that is, you are the sea on which we float, the wind that fills our sails, the storm that buffets, the calm that brings us peace. Open our ears to hear your word, our eyes to see your beauty, our hearts to be warmed by your love. Free us from the bonds of sin and selfishness, and make us over to be bearers of your joy and peace. Amen. Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am First Reading Exodus 1:8-2:10 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading Matthew 16:13-20 Morning Message Its that time of year again…driving alonf fifth or sixth Avenues in downtown Huntington and you see college stidunets and their parents or whoever they could recruit to help them, dragging boxes, trunks, laundry baskets, guitars, and more into the dorms and apartments that line the streets. It’s a hard job. Some of you have experience in it. I’d love to move closer to our family in North Carolina, but, all I have to do is take one look in the garage…and I am over that notion. Rev. Janet Hunt is a Lutheran pastor in the Midwest. She writes that she was moving into a new home. Her mother had come to help pack, move, unpack and settle into her new place. They had been at it all day and were growing very tired. After several hours work, Janet’s mother headed to the bathroom. Janet sat down in a favorite comfortable chair and promptly fell asleep. She says she doesn’t know how long she was out, but when she awoke to the sound of knocking and her mother calling her name. She jumped up, and headed upstairs to the bathroom where her mother was trapped behind a locked door. She had been trying for several minutes, but the knob would not turn. Janet tried it from her side and still it wouldn’t budge. So, Janet found some tools and proceeded to take the doorknob off. But since it was still attached on the other side, that , too, failed. Janet briefly thought about calling for help, but, she didn’t know her neighbors yet. She thought about calling the fire department, but, that seemed a little extreme. So, she resorted to drastic measures: she traded her screwdriver for a hammer and proceeded to pound away at the lock. After a few minutes of this pursuit, her mother tried the handle again and it gave way and the door swung open. Free at last. You been there. You’ve been locked in or out or a key was misplaced. One of my family members was starting their car one day and the key broke off in the ignition. When Ed and I bought our first house, we went to the closing and when all the papaers had been signed, the realtor handed us the keys while suppressing a laugh…the house we bought had four doors. Front, back, side and garage. We were handed four keys…one regular-looking door key…and three skeleton keys. No kidding. Maybe we haven’t been trapped behind a locked door or had to resort to anything as drastic and destructive as what Janet did, but I think it’s safe to say we have all come up against something we couldn’t easily get through or around and we do whatever we can with the resources we have. In our text, Jesus speaks not only to Peter, but, we believe, to us in our time, not of doors necessarily, but of keys-keys which we understand hold a promise to open up, to reveal, that which is locked. These keys can make way for us to enter a place, or to understand mysteries that have up to now been unavailable to us. Keys to freedom and hope for these are the keys to the Kingdom of God. And Jesus tied these keys to something he has come to teach us…these keys are tied to forgiveness, grace. We receive God grace, thanks be to God. But, grace does not, or should not stop with us. In gratitude for grace given, we can do none other than extend it ourselves. Forgiveness or the lack of it carries eternal consequences. You know this. WE all bear scars. We are all acquainted with sin, in its many forms. Maybe we are mistreated, or someone we love has been hurt. Maybe justice, as we understand it, was not served following some wrong done. Maybe life has treated us unfairly and you want to blame someone. Sometimes the wound is so great, so confounding and complex, we have to blame someone and God is the most obvious culprit. One of the most compelling accounts of forgiveness I am aware of is that of the community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvannia. You remember the story: This is an Amish community. A local man, who bore a grudge against God, entered the one room schoolhouse one morning, where he assaulted and killed many of the students. Can we even imagine the depth of that pain? Innocent children lost their lives for no reason. The children of peaceful people of faith. How would they go on? Well, they went on by gathering together, expressing their grief, remembering their precious children. And then they did something truly remarkable: church elders visited in the home of the man who had committed this atrocious act, meeting with his widow, for he had taken his own life after taking the lives of the children. They expressed their concern for his family, his wife and little children. They made the decision to forgive, to extend the grace of God, to the one who had taken so much from them. Their faith demanded it. There was a movie made of this incident. At the end, viewers see the community gathered at the graves of the Amish children. And then we see the lonely image of the shooter’s widow, babe in arms, sobbing at her husband’s grave. And then the camera is trained on a remarkable sight: men, women, and children in that signature black and blue garb of the Amish, coming to bear witness to this young mother’s grief and pain. Grief and pain are emotions with which we are all familiar. A year or so ago, there was a terrible incident near our home. Law enforment officer were attempting to serve a warrant on a resident and the whole thing went wrong. The one who had presumably committed a crime was shot and killed. There was a great deal of reporting that all came off with a “he got what he deserved” flavor. I happened to run into someone who lives right across the street from where the incident occurred. She was horrible shaken. With a trembling voice, she said something like “Everyone is focused on the crimes he committed. We’ll never really know the truth of that because of the way it ended. But we do know this: last night, a mother lost her son.” That level of empathy can lead to real transformation. Bearing witness to one another’s grief and pain. Ans so can sharing in one another’s blessings. A good example of that was yesterday’s dinner at the Senior Center. I think I was there about two hours. I know some of you were there much longer than that. Coming home, I was reflecting on our time together and I was thinking about what was unlocked in order to make that happen once a month. I realized I had not heard or witnessed anything in that brief time but good will, fellowship, community. It was a spiritual experience. I was looking for something to compare it to. Communion in noodles and sauce? Well, maybe, I do believe there is something sacred in every meal. Even if we set a place for one, we are always in the presence of the unseen guest. I think it was more like a foot washing. Grace lavished upon one another. And grace is underrated. * Hymn Long Ago When Pharoah’s Daughter Carolyn Winfrey Gillette *Affirmation of Faith A Brief Statement of Faith, PCUSA, 1991 We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to love God and neighbor, binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church. The same Spirit, who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the Church. In a broken and fearful world, the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Almighty God, from whom all blessings flow, may you find us ever-thankful for the abundance of your gifts. Accept these offerings as signs of our thanks and praise. May they serve to strengthen our commitment to know, love, and serve you this and every day. Amen. *Hymn 462 I Love to Tell the Story *Blessing And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and always. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Look to the mountains! Look to the hills! Love comes to us with joy! The world is filled with beauty. Flowers appear on the earth, birdsong brightens the day. Crops yield their produce in abundance, The air is filled with sweetness. The summer of God’s love is with us. Let the oil of gladness anoint your souls. Arise and sing for joy! *Hymn 14 For the Beauty of the Earth Prayer of Confession God of justice and righteousness, your call beckons us: to live faithful lives, to turn from wickedness, to walk in your ways. Yet it is easy to turn aside: to speak a thoughtless word, to ignore those in need, to strike out in anger, to forget your ways. Forgive us. Implant your word in our hearts, and cleanse us from all evil. By the power of your love, save us, that we might fully love and serve you. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me as I Am Assurance of Forgiveness God’s word has the power to save us. God has anointed us with gladness, forgiven and freed us, to live holy and joyful lives. Alleluia! Amen. First Reading Psalm 133 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading Matthew 15:21-28 Morning Message Who has been inside a coal mine? Ed’s grandfather was a miner and his dad operated a coal train. When he was growing up, Ed used to take his dad’s dinner to him as he passed by the street where they lived. Sometimes he would ride up Kelly’s Creek with him. It is a fond memory. I have no experience with mining, which Ed saw as an incomplete education, so, one day he took me to the exhibition coal mine in Beckley. We rode in a car a short distance into the mine. It was dark, cold, and damp. The guide was very knowledgeable, pointing out the various aspects of the mine, the routine of a typical day, the dangers that lurked. He showed and demonstrated some of the equipment miners carried into the mine and showed us their lunch bucket and how it was packed. He stopped frequently to answer questions. When he was talking about lunch, a woman raised her hand and asked, in all seriousness, “Where did they wash their hands?” The question just hung there for a long moment before the guide said they didn’t wash their hands. And we moved on. In our text, Jesus is engaged in a conversation about ritual cleansing. We have to remember that the gospel of Matthew is the most intensely focused on the Jewish community, their customs and practices, what is required and what is forbidden. Jesus observes some but not all the protocol and that makes him suspect to the authorities and there is increasing conflict with them. This is a major theme of Matthew’s gospel. It is a theme that will build right up to the ride into Jerusalem and the end of his life on earth. As this story unfolds, Jesus has just had an encounter over ritual cleanliness. He insists that it is not what goes into the mouth that is of concern. It is what comes out of the mouth that is important. He soon gets an opportunity to put that to the test. They have moved to Tyre and Sidon, places that had become adversarial with Israel. A Canaanite woman comes seeking help for her daughter. This is a very curious thing indeed. This is the only use of the word “Canaanite” in the entire New Testament. So, why does it appear? Upon entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were told to exterminate the Canaanites to prevent them from being influenced by them and drifting into idolatry. In other words, the prohibition against associating with Canaanites is meant to preserve the faith, nationality, culture, and the race. We have to remember that what distinguishes Jews from other faiths is that they are monotheistic, one God is worshipped. Other faiths may worship gods, plural. But, in Matthew’s gospel, we find that those Canaanites who agree to follow the Lord can be integrated into his people, as were Jesus’ foremothers: Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. This is one of fourteen healing stories in the gospel of Matthew. This story closely resembles an earlier one where a Centurian is seeking healing for his servant. In both instances, the petitioner is not asking for themselves, but they are advocating for someone under their care. The woman addresses Jesus as “Lord.” This is the name the disciples call Jesus. The Jewish authorities call him “rabbi” and “teacher.” So, she is showing herself in league with Jesus’ closest friends. She understands that Jesus has been sent to the children of Israel. But, she, a Gentile, persists. The disciples just want Jesus to get rid of her. Maybe they are tired or maybe they are trying to prevent another dust-up with the authorities. Jesus’ first obligation is to the house of Israel, and that is where his attention is directed. But, we soon see, as Jesus sees, that to remain laser-focused on Israel, to the exclusion of the wider world, is too limiting. The woman and Jesus have a conversation about the unusual nature of her request. He was sent to the lost sheep of Israel. Je argues that it was not right to give to the dogs what is meant for the children of Israel. That seems really harsh to us. Jews did not have dogs for pets. They were considered mean and unclean and no Jew would have them in their house. But, the Greeks, and this woman is of Greek origins, are quite fond of dogs. So, she brings a new meaning to the word “dog.” In her culture, dogs would be allowed to enter a home and, indeed, sit under the table where they could feast on the scraps left by those who dined. She wins Jesus over. Her daughter is healed, thanks to Jesus and her mother’s faith. So, where can we find ourselves in this story? In a number of places, but this is what came to me as I was preparing this message: It seems we are more and more polarized these days. And I wonder if it will ever end. I noticed on Friday that there were two editorials in the paper by local citizens about candidates for elections. Each writer was advocating for the election of a particular candidate. Nothing wrong with that. But, the supporting testimonies were heavily based on the candidates’ religious affiliation. In the writers’ opinions, the candidate of the other party should be disqualified based on the defective nature of their faith. Friends, I know how this kind of thing can reel us in. And before we know it, our blood pressure goes up, we say too much, and we solve nothing. We are no more evolved than the Pharisees who called Jesus an infidel over ritual hand-washing. It took years for me to completely understand what was so insulting about that question about minors washing their hands before eating. It was probably unintentional, but, whether it was just curiosity or not, the effect it had was to point out the difference between “us” and “them.” It called to mind differences in class and occupation and location and culture. Some of us wouldn’t dream of letting a dog into our house. Some of us invite them in and some of us even welcome them to the table and we feed them. And the dogs are just hungry. They don’t care if we have washed our hands. *Hymn 693 Though I May Speak *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication God of light and beauty, every gift is from you. Even our ability to give is a blessing of your love. We offer what we have and what we are that you may use our gifts to give birth to a world of peace and understanding, where none are in need, and all are drawn into your embrace. Amen. *Hymn 692 Spirit, Open My Heart *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 Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Let us worship God. Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord. Let us exalt the name of the Lord together. Come, let us sing to the Lord, Let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. *Hymn 761 Called as Partners in Christ’s Service Call to Confession 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 fully lived up to our calling, being timid in our witness and forgetful of your powerful presence and the strength of your Holy Spirit among us. O God, forgive us. As you have chosen and claimed us in our baptism, strengthen us anew to choose Christ’s way in the world. Give us your Spirit, that each one in ministry may be provided with all the gifts of grace needed to fulfill our common calling, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, 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. First Reading Isaiah 61:1-3l Moments With Our Young Disciples Commissioning of Jon True to Service as Trustee Second Reading 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 27 Morning Message There are different gifts, but it is the same Spirit who gives them. There are different kinds of service, but it is the same Lord. There are different types of working, but, in all of them, and in everyone, it is the same God at work. Today is a special day when we celebrate God’s call to Nancy, Hala, and Robin to serve the Lord and his church as elders-ordained, set aside, for particular tasks. We know what some of those tasks will be. They will help the church to continue in worship, study, fellowship, and service. They will do some things the ways they have always been done, but, if we have learned anything in the past three years, we have learned that life is dynamic, unpredictable. I have come to believe that it is in those unplanned moments that we learn and grow and draw closer to the people God created us to be. I’ve experienced some unplanned moments recently. Ed and I went to Winston-Salem two weeks ago to see our daughter and her family. It is a “his, hers, and ours” type of family. After an evening at their pool, we headed home for a late dinner. The oldest of the kids is fourteen. He picked up his fork and says to us, “I don’t really know what to call you. What would you prefer?” Neither of us was anticipating the question, nor the hugs that followed, nor the warmth that flooded our faces, and the lump in the throat. Unplanned, but, a blessing indeed. We have gained another grandson, which makes three. Thank you, Lord. And we hope that all our unplanned, unexpected events will present themselves in such a good way. There are some things that do stay the same, are planned, for this new configuration of the session and all the sessions in the past and in the future. God called each elder into service. Service on the session is not just taking a turn on the board of directors. When we stand before the congregation, deacons, elders, and ministers all answer the same ordination questions. Ordination is for life, for the whole church. When an elder is not serving on the session, they are still eligible to perform many functions of ministry, such as serving as clerk, attending meetings of presbytery, serving a presbytery or higher office. We will make decisions in a particular way. We are Presbyterian, not episcopal or congregational. Episcopal types of churches authorize their bishops to make decisions for the congregation. Congregational churches make decisions by action of the entire membership. We do a little of that, as in calling a pastor or electing officers. Most decisions are made by the session, a group of people elected by the congregation for this work. A lot of trust is placed in the session. To that end, the session works together seeking the mind of Christ in all they do. Each member of the session will be eligible to attend meetings of presbytery as a commissioner. They can participate by voice and vote and can help shape the life of the presbytery. The Presbytery of West Virginia meets four times a year around the presbytery and by Zoom for those who can’t attend in person. Presbyters, or elders, are commissioners, not delegates. This is something of which we must remind ourselves from time to time, especially in times of disagreement. Whether we are serving on the session or a higher governing body, we seek to find the will of Christ, not the will of those who elected us. While their opinions may certainly influence us, they do not bind us. When we gather together we pray for God’s guidance, listen to discussion and debate, and then vote as we are led by the Spirit. Speaking of voting, that is an action that is addressed in a book called, “Parliamentary Procedures in the Presbyterian Church (USA).” The author, Marianne Wolfe expresses our purpose and practices in this way: The rights and the unity of the body shall be preserved; the will of the majority will prevail; the rights of the minority shall be protected. We bear in mind that Christ alone is head of the church and is to be honored by all of our actions. We are a constitutional church, informed by the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order. We believe that our life together is best when lived with a disciplined concern for order. The contents of each part of the Constitution are more than a collection of rules. They are evidence of how we understand God’s will for our faith and lives. While the session takes care of matters of business, they must do so with a spirit of compassion. In some churches, deacons are assigned the responsibility for ministries of compassion and care. In churches which have a unicameral, or single body of leaders, such as Kuhn, the session takes on those responsibilities, too. Try as they might, every session encounters moments of disagreement. We don’t all drive the same make of car, so it is reasonable that we should differ on matters that come to our attention. Way back in 1788, when the church in the United States was young, Presbyterians recognized that “there are truths and forms with respect to which men (people) of good character and principles may differ.” When that occurs, we need to exercise “mutual forebearance”. Disagreement is not a bad thing when it is expressed in ways that do not disturb the peace, unity, and purity of the church. We are a connectional church. Each congregation is part of a web of relationships in our Presbyterian family. In part, this means that each congregation and each session is accountable to the larger church through the presbytery. We submit reports annually that are a witness to our activities and health of our congregation. Likewise, the presbytery and synod report to the next higher governing bodies. We are all in this together. As has been the case for many churches and denominations, the pandemic changed the way we live and move and have our being. We have learned to adapt. Our call now is to move forward, embracing the opportunities and challenges set before us. This is the story of our faith, as testified in scripture: From Moses to maps, God’s people have loved and worshipped God, cared for God’s people, and demonstrated tremendous courage all in a spirit of justice, kindness, and humility. God has gifted each of our elders to meet the needs of the congregation and this community. God has gifted each and every one of you. As I began this message, I mentioned that I’ve witnessed a couple of unplanned events, moments that were gifts to those who experienced them. The first was the special conversation we had with the fourteen year old who is our newest and oldest grandchild. This happened to someone else. It was in a moment of crisis, which had the potential to be a real disaster. My cousin has been seriously ill for several months. She has been in ICU and is now recovering in another facility. A few days ago she lost her vision in one eye. The staff acted immediately to get her emergency attention. She had to be transported. One of the staff who was attending to her told her that she was going to be ok. Even if her vision never returned, she would be ok. He was a Christian and had the same condition years before and God helped him cope and adjust to his new reality. This man kept reassuring her and she was able to gain strength and courage from him. She had no fear, which is truly remarkable. And scripture tells us “perfect love casts out fear.” To which I always add, “We’re not perfect, but Jesus is.” I predict that we will have lots of opportunities to exercise that love in the year ahead. There are different gifts, but it is the same God who gives them. May it be so for all of us. *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed p.35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Ordination and Installation of Nancy Jackson to the Office of Ruling Elder Installation of Robin McComas and Hala Mosrie to the Office of Ruling Elder Renewal of Baptismal Vows Propounding the Constitutional Questions Prayer and the Laying On of Hands (All those previously ordained are invited to participate.) Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication God of goodness and grace, we thank you for the blessings of this day, for calling your servants into leadership and entrusting them to love and care for your people. Give them vision to see as you see this world, serving Christ in humility and compassion. It is in his name and for his kingdom that we offer our gifts. Amen. *Hymn 69 Here I Am, Lord *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 Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship We come to hear the stories of God’s people in ages past. We come to hear the stories that are also about God’s people here and now. O God, give us ears to hear and eyes to see, and hearts to receive God’s will for our lives. *Hymn 191 Tell Me the Stories of Jesus Prayer of Confession Psalm 51:1-12 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out our transgressions. Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin. For we know our transgressions, and our sin is ever before us. Against you, you alone, have we sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, we were born guilty, sinners when our mothers conceived us. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach us wisdom in our inmost hearts. Purge us with hyssop, and we shall be clean; wash us, and we will be whiter than snow. Let us hear with joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from our sins, and blot out all our iniquities. Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness God will create in us a clean heart and put a new and right spirit within us. God will never cast us away from God’s presence, and will not take the Holy Spirit from us. God will restore to us the joy of our salvation, and sustain in us a willing spirit. Alleluia! Amen. First Scripture Reading Mark 9: 36-37; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 9:47-48 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Scripture Reading Matthew 19:13-14; Matthew 21:15-16; John 1:12-13; 1 John 3:1 Morning Message not available *Hymn 289 Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine *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 *Doxology *Prayer of Dedication O God, we share these gifts in the spirit of those who shared their loaves and fishes on that day long ago. We ask that you take and use these gifts to feed all your creation-to produce seed and grain, wisdom and strength, compassion and peace. May our efforts help to restore wholeness in all the places where malnourishment exists- in body, mind, spirit, and circumstance. Amen. *Hymn 34 How Great Thou Art *Blessing Go out from here and live lives worthy of the one calling we all share. In humility, gentleness, and patience, speak what is true and loving and so grow into the unity that is ours in Christ. And may God the creator, reshape your hearts; may Christ Jesus, the bread of life, sustain you always; and may the Holy Spirit unite us all in the bond of peace. Laughingbird Liturgical Resources *Postlude 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 611 Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee 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 of Solomon (selected verses) Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Psalm of Solomon (selected verses) Morning Message Ed and I went to a worship service Wednesday evening. Together. That is a rare event and we don’t take it for granted. I count it as joy. A crowd was gathering, greeting one another. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation. We were there to hear a young seminarian, a hometown girl, and cheer her on as she begins a life of ministry. In the chapel there were lots of handshakes and hugs going on, lots of smiles and goodwill. I noticed that a long-time friend seemed especially happy. In fact she was beaming. People were hugging her especially tightly. She was a living example of her name: Joye. Soon she turned and hugged me like we had been separated at birth. “What’s going on, Joye? You seem exceedingly happy.” “I had an accident…and I survived!” Then I heard the rest of the story, at least the parts she remembered, for she did have a head injury. Indeed, she had reason to rejoice in her survival. The service was good, lighthearted in some ways and profound in others. There is a story that accompanies this event. Complicated. Controversial. But Wednesday night, it echoed with a note of joy. We’ll come back to that. In our text, Jesus is still telling stories in the form of parables. In the one we read today, there is a search for something most valuable. And there is genuine joy in its discovery, as the gospel reads, “Like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew wrote to a mixed Judeo-Greek Christian community. He identified a “new” way of Christ emerging from the inheritance of Israel. This new faith was based on both a book and a person, as Christ’s disciples were asked to trust equally in the Scriptures and in the living presence of Christ. Each of the characters in Jesus’ story has a history, family, a community, a trade or occupation. But we aren’t privy to those details. All we know is that they devote themselves to a search for something most valuable, and when it is finally found, their lives are immersed in deep joy. I recently discovered the work of Margaret Feinberg. She is a spiritual director and contemporary author and I would call her a theologian. I’m reading her book, Fight Back With Joy. She writes about the start of a new year, when some of her closest friends took up the discipline of choosing a word on which to meditate, and in so doing, learn something of God. One friend chose “peace,” and another chose “hope.” “I dreamed about which word embodied the work I wanted God to do in my life. I had spent years listening for the sacred echoes. I’d set out to scout for the divine, searching to better understand God through lesser known biblical texts. I had worked to shake myself from spiritual slumber and encounter the wonder of God all around. During these God journeys, a word kept bubbling inside me and fluttering about everywhere I turned. Only three letters and one tiny syllable: ‘joy.’” C.S. Lewis described joy as serious business. Her wrote a book about it, Surprised by Joy. Margaret says she thought she could take joy lightly, capturing it like fireflies in a mason jar. But, she discovered, you need more than that. You need chutz-pah, backbone, intentionality-and sometimes you need a crisis. Margaret’s crisis came in the form of breast cancer. She says, “During the last year and a half, I felt my way through the darkness of despair and stared death in the face. Somewhere along the way God unveiled a spectrum of joy that I had never experienced-from the joy expressed as lighthearted laughter in an impossible situation, to the joy from hearing the deep voice of God during times of great pain. Through it all, I learned something startling: More than whimsy, joy is a weapon we use to fight life’s battles.” Margaret’s story reveals the discovery of her disease, something she found that did not bring her joy, but terror. She describes the first days of treatment. She takes us on an adventure she had planned before the diagnosis-a spiritual retreat in Maine, a hiking trip in Acadia National Park, and several days in an old Victorian house on the coast where twenty people had gathered to experience the wonders of God. On the third day of the retreat they were set to climb to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. I’ve been to Acadia. I’ve been to the top of Cadillac Mountain. In a truck, not on my feet. And it was scary enough. The hike started off well, with plenty of water, energy bars, and sunscreen. But soon the hike went awry. They misinterpreted the trail markers, the heat rose, the sun scorched, the fierce wind became unbearable. Six mountains stood between them and Cadillac. They were quickly running out of supplies. Margaret says she only had three sips of water left in her canteen. She asked another hiker, a stranger, for a drink of water. He offered her the whole bottle. It was soon apparent that it was too much, especially for Margaret, who had her first round of chemo. When they all returned to the old Victorian house, with their scrapes and bruises and sunburns, something inexplicable and magical happened, Although they had felt abandoned, “God had been working, his fierce love revealed for us in our conversations.” They spoke of being refreshed from overloaded work schedules. They spoke of the encouragement they gave and received from fellow hikers. One woman was fixated on accomplishing something important and hiking this mountain was part of that goal. But, along the way she sensed God whisper, “You have nothing to prove.” “Through the harrowing experience, a curtain was drawn back as we listened to each other share how God had used the trek to challenge us, teach us, speak to us, and free us. A hike gone awry became the place where God met us. Joy stoked a flickering flame that warmed the room. The biggest myth about joy is that it only flourishes in good times, or that it is only the byproduct of positive experiences. But the botched hike had led them to a bigger truth: Life’s thorniest paths can lead to great joy. Back to the Wednesday night worship service. I referred to it last week, but when I returned home I realized I hadn’t fully explained the reason why it was controversial and the session of the church where the young minister-to-be was raised was concerned that it would not go over well. It’s both simple and complicated. We have much yet to learn. You see, when this soon-to-be minister was growing up, he was a boy. Now, in her twenties, she is a woman. Yes. Difficult to take in, but not so difficult as it is for her and her family. Even so, more than 75 people turned out in support, and that evening personified love and trust, hope and courage, and above all, it exuded joy. I’ve spent the rest of the week noting the appearance of joy, the reports of good news, the opportunities to encourage and pray for others, the unexpected moments of delight. I speak of my grandchildren so often I know you’re sick of it. But you’re polite and let me go on about how I miss them seeing them in person. Yesterday I received a video of five year old Tad breaking his first board in karate. His joy made my day. I know some, but certainly, not all of your struggles, frustrations, needs, hopes. I do know that the sun comes up each day on all of us. And in its rising are the day’s new gifts of God’s mercy. And in them, I pray you are surprised by joy. *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 607 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 623 I’ve Got Peace Like a River *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 |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
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