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Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship To your name, O Lord, help us to bow the knee and all its worshiping, bow the will and all its choosing, bow the heart and all its loving. Amen. *Hymn 619 Praise My Soul the King of Heaven Prayer God of love, 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. Forgive us for our complacency, hesitation, or indifference and 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 Forgiveness 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 Psalm 78:1-8 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Matthew 20:1-16 Morning Message *Hymn *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *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 596 A Charge to Keep I have *Blessing And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be upon you today and always. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Psalm 100 Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come into God’s presence with a song! Prayer of the Day 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 307 God of Grace and God of Glory Prayer of Confession Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our failure to be what you created us to be. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. By your loving mercy, help us to live in your light and abide in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life is gone and a new life has begun. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we may be at peace. Amen. First Reading Psalm 124 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Mark 9:28-50 Morning Message This scripture text is so rich with meaning that it makes it difficult for me to decide in what direction I want to go. So, for today, let’s focus on Jesus’ instruction that his disciples be salt and light. I’ve spent two days this past week teaching a class for the presbytery’s Commissioned Pastor program. I do this regularly for the program.The course was Christian education-what do children need as they begin their faith journey; what do other age groups need? We talked about Howard Gardiner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. We are all intelligent, but we process the world differently. That is something to keep in mind as we engage children, youth, and adults in faith formation. We also spent considerable time exploring what is meant by “call” and “vocation.” I always love this conversation. The word “vocation” comes from the Latin, “vocare.” It means to be called out. We are all called to love and serve God in our particular setting with whatever gifts and skills we have to offer. Presbyterian and Reformed believers understand call and vocation in this way: We are all called and gifted by the Holy Spirit. How we live out our faith becomes our vocation, the work or role we embody that can point others to God. We see this quite readily in those whose lives are spent in the healing professions. Teachers are also easily identified as people called to an area of education and they live out their faith in the ways they teach and interact with students and others in the school setting, helping build a firm educational foundation. The students that I worked with this week are all in their first year of preparation to become Commissioned Pastors. They are many different ages and stages of life. Some are young adults and some are retired from careers. They may or may not feel called as yet to the ministry, but, they are all eager to learn about the life and faith and skills needed to fulfill the pastoral role. As I was preparing this message and reflecting on the gospel text, I began focusing on Jesus’ instruction to his disciples to take up the ministry mantle in a particular way: to be salt and light in the world. In ages past, salt was sometimes used as currency. Sometimes people were paid for labor with a portion of salt. When someone does a good job, we could say he or she is “worth their salt.” And vice versa. Salt has healing properties, it can purify, it can bleach, it can flavor food, it can preserve things from being spoiled. Jesus urged his friends to retain their saltiness in order to be effective believers and leaders. When Jesus says his friends are to be light, he is instructing them to be beacons of truth and goodness in the world and to point to the Light of the world, Jesus. It’s a pretty clear job description. And yet, often people do not feel worthy of the calling or they don’t feel prepared to serve. Sometimes when calling for a person to be a Sunday School teachers we hear, “I don’t have a deep background in the Bible. I’m not qualified.” Well, guess what, none of us is ever finished learning the lessons of scripture. In my reading, I ran across the story of someone that the world would say had an exceptional gift and he was called to use it, to bring beauty into the world. But, throughout his life, he felt like a failure. The works of Vincent Van Gogh are some of the most recognizable in the world. We can all get a mental image of “The Starry Night.” His work was extraordinary. But he had his challenges. He failed as an art dealer, failed as a teacher, failed as an evangelist. He struggled in his personal relationships. He thought of himself as an painter, but, he did not get public approval. In fact, his work was largely unappreciated during his lifetime. That’s not uncommon, but it can be devastating. In 1880, while living in Belgium, he wrote to his brother of his mental and emotional struggles: So you mustn’t think that I’m rejecting this or that. In my unbelief, I am a believer, in a way, and though having changed, I am the same, and my torment is none other than this, what could I be good for, couldn’t I serve and be useful in some way, how could I come to know more thoroughly, and go into this subject or that? Do you see, it continually torments me, and then you feel a prisoner in penury, excluded from participating in this work or that, and such necessary things are beyond your reach. Because of that, you are not without melancholy, and you feel emptiness where there could be friendship and high and serious affections, and you feel a terrible discouragement gnawing at your psychic energy itself, and fate seems able to put a barrier against the instincts for affection, or a tide of revulsion that overcomes you. And you say, “How long, O Lord!” Well then, what can I say, does what goes on inside show on the outside? Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney and then go on their way. So now what are we to do, keep this fire alive inside, have salt in ourselves, wait patiently, but with how much impatience, await the hour, I say, when whoever wants to, will come and sit down there, will stay there, for all I know? That, my friends, is the testimony of a believer desperate to find his calling, his reason for living. He wants to share the gospel, but, his experience is that no one takes notice of the fire of his faith. The result of all this spiritual wrestling was that while he was in Belgium he devoted his life to art. He had recently been dismissed from his position as a preacher and was searching for what he was being called to do. In September of 1880 he wrote again to his brother: Well, and notwithstanding, it was in this extreme poverty that I felt my energy return and that I said to myself, in any event I’ll recover from it. I’ll pick up my pencil that I put down in my great discouragement and I’ll get back to drawing, and from then on, it seems to me, everything has changed for me, and now I am on my way and my pencil has become somewhat obedient and seems to be more so day by day. It was poverty, too long and too severe, that had discouraged me to the point that I could no longer do anything. And then the artist was reborn. He could identify his calling afresh following a deep depression, from which he suffered periodically his whole life long. Vincent Van Gogh-, child of the manse and aspiring preacher-set his life in the context of scripture, quoting Psalm 22 and later Mark’s gospel, as we read here. His brother Theo provided financial and emotional support that made it possible for the artist to live out his call, his vocation. His sister-in-law, Johanna is credited with the preservation of his work. But our greatest thanksgiving is that this extraordinarily gifted man had enough salt in himself to pursue the work God called him to do. Our stories may not be quite that dramatic, but, we are all called and equipped to bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in all our actions and in all our relationships. God can call us into a work and God can call us out for some other purpose. Theologian Frederick Buechner is credited with saying, our call is where our greatest desire meets the world’s greatest needs. I pray that is so for all of us. *Hymn 772 Live Into Hope *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 *Hymn 837 What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine *Blessing Go now and take hold of the life that really is life. Shun eagerness for fortune, but be rich in good works. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. And may God be your refuge and fortress; may Christ Jesus free you from all that ensnares you; and may the Holy Spirit provide you with peace and contentment. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in the Lord and celebrate his goodness with each new sunrise. *Hymn 37 Let All Things Now Living *Prayer of the Day, Including Confession Almighty God, as we begin a new program year, we pray for your blessing on the church in this place. Here may the faithful find salvation, and the careless be awakened. Here may the doubting find faith, and the anxious be encouraged. Here may the tempted find help, and the sorrowful comfort. Here may the weary find rest, and the strong be renewed. Here may the aged find consolation and the young be inspired. In the quiet of this hour, may we recall the events of the past week, seek and offer forgiveness where needed, and place ourselves securely in the arms of your grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am *Assurance of Forgiveness The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. Know your sins are forgiven and be at peace. Special Presentation Old Testament Reading Time for Young Disciples New Testament Reading The 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. After the Mounties lost yesterday to Pitt, we changed our colors to orange and white for a Tennessee family member and finally black and gold for Wake Forest, where our daughter is, but the deacons have obviously neglected their prayer life because they bombed. 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 wrestling, swimming, and archery, tennis, and golf. Maybe one of you can enlighten me. As I was thinking about all these opportunities and 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: strength and competition, adrenalin. 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’re in love with it. 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 seeing star athletes wearing tennis whites at Wimbledon. Maybe we don’t have to be taught to compete. It just unfurls from somewhere in our nature. I’ve shared this before, but, it fits today: 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 parked and then 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. He’s almost seven now and a karate student where he learns to compete with himself. 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- and what time all these things- 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 worked at a drug store in high school and college. Aclassmate of mine 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, in the owner’s car. Being the delivery boy was a sought after position and when there was a vacancy it was a big deal. Competition exists everywhere. There were no females in the competition in 1974. 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 school system or children’s hospital to look after them nor CPS 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 and hospitality, and compassion. In the fall of 2021 there were four babies about to be born in my extended family. They will be celebrated, wrapped in the softest blankets and cutest sleepers. They will have nurseries stocked with all the necessities. Their care will be the subject of many a conversation. You know the drill:how will she be fed? Is he sleeping thru the night? 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. I like to purchase books for the grandchildren to read when they visit. I bought one that they are not yet ready to hear. 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 Olympics occupied us for a couple of weeks this summer. Many of us love the gymnastics competitions. Four elite US gymnasts testified before the US Senate sometime back. These are athletes 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 athletes. Power can be used for evil when it seeks to dominate, humiliate, and demean. Power can be used for the benefit of those who have little of it. My cousin has worked for years as a nurse in the Neo-natal abstinence unit of one of our hospitals. Babies born to substance-abusing mothers. It’s an expensive, labor-intensive process. These are babies with so many challenges before them. Cognitive, physiological, and social. They need more support than other newborns and someone had to decide to meet those needs. And that decision gives these innocent newborns an improved start in life and with that comes hope for a hopeful future. So, we look for the right use of power. 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 724 O Jesus, I Have Promised *Affirmation of Faith 1 Corinthians 15:1-6; Matthew 16:16; Mark 16:9; John 20:28; Revelation 22:13 This is the good news which we have received, in which we stand, and by which we were saved, if we hold it fast: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, and that he appeared first to the women, then to Peter, then to the Twelve, and then to many witnesses. We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus Christ is the first and the last, the beginning and the end; He is our Lord and our God. Amen. Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Doxology *Hymn 443 There Is a Redeemer *Blessing 2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. *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 O God, Our Help in Ages Past Prayer of Confession God of strength, 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 Isaiah 35:1-10 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Mark 7:24-37 Morning Message This is one of those texts that we call “the hard sayings of Jesus.” The Jesus we meet in this scripture is contrary to the winsome teacher who sits children on his knee and heals the sick and feeds the hungry. It is a challenge, but I will try to open it up a little for us. One of the most remarkable things about holy writ-the Bible-is that it is not static. It is dynamic. The Spirit moves and breathes across the page and across our lives and across the vast history of the people of God. When our youngest daughter went to college she did as expected- she took classes, did homework, worked out at the rec center. She took a dance class along with her nursing classes, she was an officer in the student health organization. She did healthy living presentations for sororities and fraternities. She met her future husband. She got strep and tonsillitis. Repeatedly. She could not stay well. So, when classes ended that spring, she was scheduled for a tonsillectomy. The day came and my mother went with Caroline and me to the Three Gables Surgery Center. Ed was in Peru at the time and would not be home for a few days. I was grateful for the company. I knew we were in trouble when Caroline came down from her room with an old and tattered stuffed lion she named “Aslan” of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Caroline was more than a little apprehensive, but, she knew fully that urgery was necessary. She would not get well without it. A member of the team came out to speak with her, preparing her for the next steps. The anxiety ramped up. In fact, her hands were shaking and her leg was bouncing up and down. The anesthetist came out and I said a silent prayer of “Thank you, Jesus.” We knew her well and I was sure this would bring Caroline some comfort. I was wrong. And finally, the doctor himself came out and talked with her, reassuring her that she was every bit as important to him as his own children. His job as a father was to love his children and see to their well-being. He would do that with her. All would be well. Soon she would feel much much better. They took her back to get ready and an hour or so later we had word that she was finished and everything went as planned. She would be released soon. Whew! We made it. Only we didn’t. As soon as the pain medication wore off, the anxiety returned. At home, Caroline, who was supposed to remain quiet and rest, paced the floors. Up and down the stairways, in and out of the house. She was in pain. She was very anxious. She wanted her dad, and so did I. I had nursed kids through all kinds of illnesses and hospitalizations and adversity. This was way different. Finally, about twenty-four hours into her recovery, she stomped down the stairs from her room and stood before me and croaked out, “You’re a minister. Do something!” And, friends, I tell you, in that moment, I felt helpless. I had used all my tools. We had prayed, I had tried to comfort, reassure. I had administered medication and offered soothing food and drink. Nothing helped. My prayers for strength and healing turned into cries uttered from my own lips, “Come on. You are God. Do something!” In our text, Jesus is far from home in the region of Tyre and Sidon. This is Gentile country. Jesus may be on a short vacation or sabbatical. He did rest from time to time. As far as we know, he was alone and wants to be left alone. The text says he entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Why? In recent days, Jesus has been mocked and ridiculed and rejected by his own townspeople. He needs a break. And that happens to all of us, doesn’t it? We go and do and rush and wait and adjust and our days and weeks become packed with duty and obligation and soon we run out of gas. We need to step back and rest. Sometimes our bodies or our minds won’t let us go on. We just need to step back for awhile and find some restorative rest. Jesus needed a break. But a break is not what he got. A Syrophoenician woman barges into the house where he was staying, kneels at his feet, and begs Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter. We should pause for a moment to recognize that in Jesus’ day, little was known and understood about mental, emotional, or developmental illness. The most likely explanation at the time was to attribute abnormal behavior to demon possession. This mother had done everything she knew to do, but her daughter was tormented. Trust me, the behavior my daughter exhibited around her surgery was defying logic and modern medicine, too. I was close to assuming a demon was lurking in Ona, West Virginia. The answer Jesus gave was astounding. Disturbing. “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Maybe he was just dead-dog tired. Maybe he was drained from travel and teaching and healing. Maybe he was sick of ridicule. Maybe his ethnic slur is just a test to prove this woman’s devotion. Preacher Debie Thomas says all these are possibilities, but they don’t do justice to the power of the story. What does make sense is that the Jesus we encounter here is fully human-a product of his time and place, shaped as we all are by the conscious and unconscious biases, prejudices, and entitlements of his culture. And, he is God incarnate, a holy Son still working out the scope and meaning of the divine vocation that his Father has given him. Jesus knows he is sent to proclaim the Good News. What he is learning is that the Good News is needed in a multitude of ways as he meets his brothers and sisters across time and space. This story is profound. Mark is reminding us of the Jewishness of Jesus. Mark sets that beside the radical act of reaching out beyond culture, race, and religion to meet the Other. And, if we look at a map of the Holy Land-there’s a lot more “other” in the world than those whose lives are spent in Israel. God’s reach is immense. Remember what I said about the Spirit moving and breathing across the page? We see it demonstrated here. The Syrophoenician woman challenges Jesus. “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” They engage in this conversation that instantly reminds us of how often we find Jesus at the table. It is at the heart of his boundary-breaking ministry. He eats with tax collectors and sinners. The table is the place where he shows the world who God is. The table is where God’s people rehearse the great wedding banquet of the Lamb in the kingdom yet to come. The woman immediately catches on and asks, “Lord, where is my Good News? Where is my place at the table? Where is my daughter’s place in the kingdom of God? If your image of Jesus is that he is the picture of perfection, you may find that image blurring some here. In this text, Jesus is not so much perfect as real. Real Jesus accepts the pleas of this woman, this mother, and he allows her-the ethnic, religious, and gendered other-to school him in his own gospel. This has the effect of breaking down bias and prejudice and barrier and revealing to him the greater need for compassion. Jesus never loses a verbal argument with anyone else in scripture, but, he concedes this argument to the female foreigner. He says, “Because of your ‘logos’ or teaching, in Greek, the demon has left your daughter.” Barbara Brown Taylor describes the moment this way: You can almost hear the huge wheel of history turning as Jesus comes to a new understanding of who he is and what he has been called to do.” This woman’s faith and tenacity teach Jesus that God’s purpose will lead him into the unexpected and the unfamiliar and maybe even the taboo in order to advance the kingdom. We are all aware that healing comes in many ways. In this case, a child was relieved of what was thought of as demon possession. If we read further in Mark, Jesus restores the sense of hearing for a deaf man. He makes the lame to walk and the blind to see. Jesus restores afflicted people to their families and homes. It’s all a part of healing and wholeness. But he also send neighbors with casseroles or hammer and nail, or a nurse to sit and listen to our ailments, or a teacher who recognizes your stumbling block, or the church that opens its air-conditioned halls in the throes of a heat wave for those who need respite. That week of our tonsillectomy saga came to an end, thanks be to God. Ed made it home which improved things dramatically. She gradually felt better and it was discovered that the combination of prescribed medication and anesthesia and the stress of anticipation and absence of one member of her support system, and the fact that she had begun working in the hospital where things don’t always have the best outcome, had altogether created a perfect storm. We began to understand why the situation had deteriorated. Just figuring all that out was a gift in itself. We knew what to do the next time and it has helped me understand church folks who face the same or similar situations. I was reminded that I was not really without tools. I wasn’t helpless. In our weakness, God put people in our path to assist us. I do believe every one of the people who came to us and held our daughter’s hand was a good news bearer. I was the Syrophoenician woman in that moment pleading for help and Jesus sent what was needed. That woman shows up all the time everywhere. She is not confined to the pages of scripture. She is not one, but many. Listen? Do you hear them? The pleas for help. From the Apalachee High School in Georgia this week. From the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and the families of hostages everywhere, for the people of Ukraine, from the mothers and fathers of the drug and alcohol addicted in our town, from those at the margins we hear them: “You’re a Christian! Do something!” * Hymn 378 We Wait the Peaceful Kingdom *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 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 435 There’s a Wideness In God’s Mercy *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 |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
April 2025
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