​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
 
*Call to Worship
Gracious God,
give us pure hearts that we may see you,
humble hearts that we may hear you,
hearts of love that we may serve you,
hearts of faith that we may live in you,
reverent hearts that we may worship you,
here and in the world beyond our doors,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.
 
*Hymn 32             I Sing the Mighty Power of God
Prayer of the Day
Direct and help us, O Lord, in all our deeds,
that by what is begun, continued, and ended in you,
we may glorify your holy name,
and finally. by your mercy, come to know the joy everlasting life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.
 
First Reading               Esther 7:1-6; 9-10; 9:20-22
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading           Mark 9:38-50
Morning Message
 
Nah nah nah nah nah!
That’s universal for:
 “Caught you!”
“Shame on you!”
“I’m telling Mom…or Dad…or the teacher.”
“I’m better than you are!”
 
The first few verses of today’s text remind me of some over-eager kids running up to the teacher on the playground to tattle on a classmate. I’ve been on both sides of that, I confess.
 
The disciples, eager to follow the rules of this new movement, have encountered someone performing a healing rite, in this case, casting out demons, doing so in Jesus’ name. It’s the use of Jesus’ name that catches their attention. The healer wasn’t one of the twelve, so the act wasn’t
legitimate, at least they way they saw it. So, they try to stop him.
 
Apparently they were unsuccessful and they run to Jesus. “Master, someone is practicing healing without a license!”
Surely, Jesus would drop what he was doing and follow them to the scene of the crime so he can rebuke the wrong-doer. He would set the healer straight. Only the qualified were eligible to do deeds of power in Jesus’ name. All others were cheap imitations.
 
But, that’s not what happened. Once again, Jesus does the unexpected. The shame and blame aspect of this report doesn’t grab his attention. What grabs him is that a believer has tapped into the source of power and changes the life of one who suffered. He doesn’t need to itinerate with Jesus and the twelve to be legit.
 
He goes on to lay a pretty heavy message on the disciples. He tells them they are in the wrong in confronting the believer. Jesus calls them “little ones,” indicating they are young in the faith. The greater sin would be for the disciples to break that new believer’s spirit.
 
Jesus says even the smallest kindness done in his name comes from a holy place.
To underscore his message, Jesus tells them that if they think it’s their duty to inspect the activity of new believers, they are way off the mark. It would be better if they drowned in the sea. That’s pretty serious.
 
He carries that further and tells them to be aware of their own sins and stop committing them, even if they have to amputate the body part involved in the sin.
Reading between the lines, we can almost hear Jesus saying that there are greater challenges ahead of them and getting hung up in the trivial would only sap their strength. There;s a lesson there for all of us.
 
In a few years, the fledgling church will be under persecution. They would have to identify aand reject false religions. And they did at great peril. They refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods. The penalty for that was high. You might be forced into slavery or used for sport in the Coliseum. Or, even worse, failing to pay homage to the Roman gods might earn you the mutilation of your body in order to serve as warning to the rest of the community.
 
Threats have always been a strong source for control. Who wants to sign up for slavery or mutilation? Not many. But, thanks be to God, some came to faith, or found their faith strengthened by those whose courageous allegiance was to Christ.
 
I have never been persecuted for my faith. Our community is full of Christian churches. There are Jewish and Muslim houses of worship as well. As the people of God, they all do Godly work. They provide places of welcome and inclusion, free from threats.
 
I do know someone who was persecuted for her faith, my friend, Mary. Originally from Malawi, she had come to the US for her education. She earned three degrees and became a sought-after college professor. But it was her faith that motivated her and she lived it out in joy.
 
Church membership in Malawi came with a price. Mary and her family were Presbyterians. Her brother and father were elders, which meant that they performed all the tasks a pastor would perform  here. They were responsible for the spiritual needs of a whole community.
 
Malawi is a poor country. Mary and her family belonged to a movement of citizens who were trying to improve the lives of the people through self-development, to get people off the streets and into respectable occupations.
 
Mary helped women start cottage industries and retail shops. Others in the family entered politics so that they might turn around a government that had oppressed the people for far too long. While she was in Huntington, her brother was elected Vice President of the country.
 
Their reward was to be repeatedly attacked. Their home was burned down. Her husband died a suspicious death. She came to the states, along with some of her children and her niece. They worked hard and they came to know the peace and safety we enjoy as American citizens. And yet, they always carried a duty to the people of their homeland, whose faith comes with a price.
 
We do not face that kind of oppression. No abusive regime stands between us and our faith. We do have challenges to our faith. COVID has changed our lives, our communities, and our churches.
 
The Church may change, but she will not die. The church is the body of Christ and he is very much alive. And he has a message for such a time as this.
 
He turns the conversation to the subject of salt. In the English language there are a number of expressions, idioms, referring to salt. “He is not worth his salt.” “Taken with a grain of salt.” “ Salt of the earth.”
 
Salt is an important element. The human body needs salt. The word “salary” derives from the Latin word “salarium,” and literally means “salt money.” Salarium was the money paid to Roman soldiers. Some historians have concluded that the soldiers may have actually been paid in salt. In days gone by, newborn babies were washed with salt. Salt has an element of healing. It has been used as a disinfectant. And, of course, salt adds flavor to food and can be used in preserving it.
 
Jesus tells his friends that everyone will be salted with fire. What did he mean? Fire is a method of purification. Precious metals come from the ground admixed with iron and other minerals.  Subjecting them to fire purifies the gold or silver, separating them from the other metals. So, too, a Christian’s life will be tested and challenged but in this way, we, too, are purified. We grow in grace. The churchy word for this process is sanctification. With age and experience we draw ever closer to God in Christ.
 
Jan Richardson is a pastor, artist, and author. She offers these words about our text today:
And, so, in this season,
may we give ourselves
to the fire that shows us
what is elemental.
and sacramental.
that reveals what remains
after all that does not have
substance or savor
falls away.
May we turn
our eyes
our ears
our hands
to the beauty
for which we are formed
and bear with grace
the patterns
that blossom upon us
who live salted
and singed.
 
May the fire of purification reveal the Holy One in your heart.  Amen.
 
 
*Hymn  418           Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling
*Affirmation of Faith                The Apostles’ Creed
* Hymn 581                               Gloria Patri
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
 
 
 
Prayer of Dedication
Lord God, as we offer our hearts and our treasure, may they be used to pass on the promises of your kingdom- of hope, of peace, and of life, to all in need of your presence in their, and our, lives.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 716            God Whose Giving Knows No Ending
*Blessing
Go now in the power of the Spirit,
that you may proclaim Christ’s redeeming love to the world,
and continue forever in the risen life.  Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
*Call to Worship
To your name, O Lord,
help us to bow the knee and all its worshiping,
bow the head in all its thinking,
bow the will and all its choosing,
bow the heart and all its loving.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 31   Let Us With a Gladsome Mind
 
Prayer
God and Father of all,
you have willed that the last be first and you have made a little child the measure of your kingdom.
We may be reluctant to embrace humility and service, for to do so may imply work and will require a spirit of cooperation and compromise.
Give us the wisdom which is from above,
so we may understand, that, in your sight, the one who serves is the greatest of all.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Whose service gives us life and hope.  Amen.
 
Hymn   698                  Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Grace
God’s Word is truth: That Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem and re-form our lives.
The old life is gone and a new life has begun.
Your sins are forgiven.
Be at peace with God, one another, and yourselves.  Amen.
 
First Reading
Time With Our Young Disciples
Gospel Reading   Mark 9:30-37
Morning Message
 
We Americans love our sports. And right now its football time. Friday night lights, Game Day Saturday, Football Sunday Night, (And afternoon), Monday Night Football, and my personal favorite…Monday Night Football on Thursday nights.
 
Travel a wee bit up the road to the high school, and it gets even better for sports fans: football, soccer, volleyball, Cross Country, and cheerleading are all in full motion. I don’t know what season heralds the arrival of swimming and archery. Maybe one of you can enlighten me.
 
As I was thinking about all these exhibitions of human strength and discipline and beauty, and, let’s face it, youth, I began to see them not as individual sports. Instead, I began to see more clearly what they all have in common: competition. It seems to me, it’s the thrill, the potentiality present in competition, in contest, that energizes these games, matches, and meets. Who wins and who loses and all the drama leading up to the final moments.
 
We all want to be on the winning side of the field. We all want to feel the excitement, if only in our dreams, of an Emma Raducanu raising that Silver trophy up for the cheering crowd at last week’s US Open finals.
 
Maybe we don’t have to be taught to compete. It just unfurls from somewhere in our nature. Awhile back, we met our daughter and son-in-law and grandson at a particular store at the mall. Ed and I parked and walked to the entrance to wait on the others. They were right behind us.
We heard a car door slam with a little more force than necessary and the next thing we knew, our three year old grandson stomps up to his grandfather and announces, “I’m so angry with you, PaPaw. You beat us.”
 
Well, of course, we did the wrong thing and laughed, which made him madder. Reconciliation came by way of a big toy shark tucked under Tad’s arm as he and his granddad walked through the store.
 
In our text, we find the disciples jockeying for position. Position is another word for power. A hierarchy of power helps us organize civilization and all its sub-sets. Think about the many ways we experience this daily. Where we work, where we shop, how we do our banking, our tv viewing. All of these things come to us through some system of production and delivery. Someone has to be the decider. There are a lot of deciders in our life.
 
I was sharing this with Robin’s dad last week. Robin told him I knew his nephew. And indeed, we were high school classmates and we both worked at the other drug store on Route 60. Mike was higher up the ladder. He got more hours and maybe a few cents per hour than I did. Why? Because he made the home deliveries. Being the delivery boy was a sought after position and when there was a vacancy it was a big deal. Competition exists everywhere.
 
In our text, the disciples are just having a conversation. It may not have been academic, so much as just “shooting the breeze.” But, Jesus hears them and it is what he does next that tells us the most about who Jesus is in this setting.
 
What Jesus doesn’t do is settle the argument. Nor does he placate all of them, saying, “Now, now, you’re ALL my favorite.”
 
No. Jesus bends down and picks up a little child, maybe a child of one of the disciples’ own. And he says, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
 
Children occupied an interesting place in the first century household for Jews and Romans alike. They represented the future, carrying on the family name, providing for their aging parents, and producing the next generation.
 
But, in the present, they were a liability. They were one more mouth to feed. The younger the child, the more likely they were to become sick and die.
 
They participated in household labor, but weren’t all that productive. Many historians believe that children were on about an equal status with a slave. They had no power. And there was no CPS or school system to report cases of abuse or neglect.
 
And Jesus said we must welcome people such as these powerless, vulnerable, defenseless children. Once again, Jesus turns our expectations upside down. It is a great reversal in the name of justice. The adult conversation is about power and position. Jesus transforms it into a lesson on welcome.
 
There are four babies about to be born in my extended family over the next few months. They will be celebrated, wrapped in the softest blankets and cutest sleepers. Their care will be the subject of many a conversation. You know the drill:how will this child be fed? Will Mom or Dad go back to work?  How soon?
 
Before long, they will be vaccinated and educated and enrolled in piano lessons and signed up for one of those great American icons of competition…T-ball.
And it is a good thing. A good and full life with parents who love and guide and discipline and protect.
 
Protection that far too many children will never experience, which is a tragedy.
 
This week I heard a book review that was absolutely shocking. The author is Rachel Denhollander, and the book is about the abuse she suffered as a young gymnast. What Is a Girl Worth? That’s the title and it’s relevant to our scripture text today. That’s what it comes down to, the question behind the question: how much is a child, boy or girl, worth?
 
The US Senate held a hearing this week at which at least four elite US gymnasts testified. These are athlete that we’ve seen and cheered for when they represented the country at the Olympics. They all testified to the hideous abuse they endured by their team doctor. They told their parents, they complained, some of them not even old or experienced enough to know what was happening to them. The complaints went nowhere. Investigations were cursory, if they were conducted at all. They girls were silenced, ridiculed, their abuse diminished.
 
The result was disastrous. The abuser had unfettered contact with dozens of young children before he was stopped. This was a sick power system that de-valued children, little girls in this case. Even as adults, the young women who testified described the lasting effects of the physical and psychological violence done to them. They are now seeking justice from a justice system that was woefully broken.
 
Who is the greatest? Well, greatness, in Jesus’ economy, or his power structure, doesn’t come from competitions won on the field or in the classroom or boardroom. Greatness is wrapped up in humility. Like those swaddling clothes in which Mary wrapped Jesus.
 
Greatness recognizes who the vulnerable are. Greatness points the way to hope. Greatness rises up with courage and compassion to defend the weak. Greatness calls us to look out for the welfare of those who can least affect their own welfare. In this text, it is children, but, it could be anyone, even elite, privileged, and celebrated gymnasts.  Power can be used for evil when it seeks to dominate, humiliate, and demean.
 
So, we look for the right use of power. Like sharing who controls the remote control on Sundays.
 
How we wish all contests could be settled so simply.
 
So, I hope you enjoy the smaorgasbord of sport this week. Cheer for your teams. May the best ones win.
 
But, remember competition has no place in the kingdom of God.
 
In the early churches of Paul’s day, there were some mighty power struggles. He wrote to them. advising them with these wise words:
 
Love one another with brotherly, sisterly, affection.
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Jesus Christ, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Finally, aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you.
 
May it be so for all of you.  Amen.
 
 
*Hymn 727  Will You Let Me Be Your Servant  Verses 1-3
*Affirmation of Faith   The Apostles’ Creed  p. 35
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
Prayer of Dedication
We give with gratitude for all our God has given us. In the upside down world of the Gospel, we measure our wealth not by what we have but by what we can give away.
Lord, God, receive our offerings today to bless your church, your creation, and your children, wherever there is need.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 727    Will You Let Me Be Your Servant    Verses 4-6
*Blessing
*Postlude

Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship                  Psalm 46:1-3, 7
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.
Therefore, we shall not fear, though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be hurled into the sea,
though the waters rage and foam,
though the mountains tremble at the tumult.
Lord God of hosts, be with us still.
 
*Hymn   687           O God, Our Help in Ages Past
 
Prayer of the Day
Strong God of love,
your Son, Jesus, told us that in this world we will endure tribulation.
If we should suffer for righteousness sake,
save us from self-righteousness.
Give us grace to pray for our enemies,
and to forgive, even as you have forgiven us.
Through Jesus Christ, who was crucified, but is risen.  Amen.
 
Hymn 698               Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Forgiveness
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me;
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.”
In the name of our gracious Savior, our sins are forgiven.
Be at peace and pray for the peace of the world.
 
First Reading
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
Presentation of Bibles
                    “As Jesus grew taller, he continued to grow in wisdom.
            God was pleased with him and so were the people who knew him.”
                  Marren Foster, Hunter Miller, Kinley Napier, Barrett Seay
Gospel Reading
Morning Message
 
If you read the September edition of our church newsletter, much of this message will sound familiar. But, as we came closer to September 11, I felt compelled to return to it.
 
Last week had been a heavy week for Ed. He fell asleep soon after coming home Friday afternoon. Later, we set out on a “Fri-date” Destination? The exotic and acclaimed Midway Drive In, followed by ice cream at Austin’s. We had the high school game on the radio. I remembered the words of a dear friend, a great cheerleader for Huntington, would sometimes say. “Life is good. Why would anyone want to live anywhere else?”
 
Indeed. The little outing had revived us. We would be ready to cheer on our favorite teams Saturday. We might even get a little work done around the house. The weekend was looking hopeful.
 
Which brings us to today. Rally Day, and the return to some of our usual offerings. We have just recognized our younger members and presented them with a Bible, our rule of faith and life for centuries. We will gather again this evening to break bread or cake, to laugh and play and enjoy our fellowship.
 
Life is good. We thank God for it every day.
 
But, it’s quite the contrast, isn’t it?
 
Try to remember the kind of September
when life was slow and oh, so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
when grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
when you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
then follow, follow.
 
“Try to Remember,” by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, is the signature song from The Fantasticks, the musical comedy that premiered off-Broadway in 1960.  It directs the audience to recall the sweet times of the past, when love was fresh and uncomplicated. The popular show ran continuously until January of 2002, for a total of 42 years, making it the world’s longest-running musical.
 
It was known for its small cast, sparse set, an orchestra consisting of piano and harp, and the intimacy of a small theatre. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen The Fantasticks. The plot was classic love story, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet or A Mid-summer’s Night’s Dream. The cast was always superb and the music just beautiful.  I never grew tired of it.
 
For those of us who witnessed the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001, “Try to Remember” prompts other memories, and an unwelcome return to the scenes of death and destruction that engulfed New York City, Washington, DC, and rural Pennsylvania on that bright fall morning. As the day unfolded, the entire nation shared in that suffering. For some, the suffering will never end this side of heaven.
 
So much has changed since that day. The grief and loss were profound. Our senses of safety and security were gravely diminished. Fear seemed to hang like a pall over us. Even now, a “new normal” can be elusive. The disruption of the pandemic testifies to that.
 
On this, the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 events, we may likely feel some of the same horror of that time- the sadness, the anger, the urge to retaliate. These are normal responses and we need to sit with them awhile.
 
But, I hope you will also remember that day’s many courageous and heroic acts, the strength and determination of injured people pulling others out of piles of concrete, steel, and refuse. I hope you remember the hundreds of first responders who ran into the face of danger. I hope you will recall the numerous accounts of kindness and compassion, the stories of strangers sitting with the dying, so that they did not take their final breaths alone.
 
We have been saturated in recent days by 9/11-inspired media presentations. Some are just too brutal to watch. But, some are filled with hope. One that touched me deeply was the show that focused on the children whose fathers were killed in the attacks. Many who were not yet born.
 
So many of the now-adult children described a sense of connection they felt with the father who never held them, or taught them to ride a bike, or dropped them off at school. Many had followed in their fathers’ footsteps, becoming firefighters, EMTs, or police officers themselves.
 
And they paid tribute to the strength and commitment of their mothers.
 
One of the most moving stories was that of a young woman from Bengladesh. She and her husband had come to the United States so that he might pursue an academic career as a physicist. After 9/11, her veiled head and dark complexion made her a target for hatred and ridicule. She had little to no support, even though she and her small children were victims, too.  And yet, she persevered.
There was a video of the day she took her driver’s test. When she was told she had passed, this beautiful, sad, young woman began to sob as if her heart would break. Driving was something her husband did. It was a cultural thing. This was just one more thing that confirmed how drastically her life had changed.
 
Today, her children are grown and successful. They made a good life in the face of overwhelming challenges. They are resilient.
 
I hope you will consider the power of human resilience, the result of our deep need to restore order and set even higher dreams for our community, our nation, and the world. I hope you will notice progress made in a multitude of human endeavors. I hope you understand that inspiration knows no limits.
 
I also hope you will remember that in the days following 9/11, we found strength and comfort in our Christian faith. We turned to scripture and prayer and gathering together for worship. We participated in outreach ministries. We re-committed ourselves, our homes, and our churches to the pursuit of peace, not only for ourselves, but for all people and nations, races, and religions.
 
In these things, we do find purpose and meaning. Grace is not over-rated. The acts of worship, at home and at church, still set us on a firm foundation. The fellowship of the faith community still provides a place of belonging, where we know we are welcome and loved. Acts of care and compassion still connect us to the Christ who gave of himself, even unto death, that we might live.
 
Try to remember when life was so tender
that no one wept except the willow.
Try to remember the kind of September
when love was an ember about to billow.
Try to remember and if you remember
then follow, follow, follow…
 
Deep in December, it’s nice to remember
although you know the snow will follow.
Deep in December, it’s nice to remember
the fire of September that made us mellow.
Deep in December, our hearts should remember
and follow, follow, follow…
 
 
*Affirmation of Faith                  The Apostles’ Creed  p, 35
*Hymn             Gloria Patri
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Presenting our Tithes and Offerings
Prayer of Dedication
Blessed are you, O God, maker and giver of all gifts.
Use us and what we bave gathered to bless the world with your love and grace,
through the One who gave his life for us.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  39          Great Is Thy Faithfulness
*Blessing           Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen.
 
*Postlude