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Prelude
*Call to Worship Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. The Holy One says, “Be still and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. *Hymn 275 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Prayer of Confession Almighty God, We confess that we have taken your commandments and turned them into rules. We have criticized those who have fallen short and selfishly proclaimed ourselves righteous. We have failed to understand the spirit of the commandments and the way you showed us to live- loving God and loving neighbors. Forgive us for turning your law into burdens and ignoring the glorious freedom from sin, gained by the saving death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Grace 1 John 4:16 God is love. Those who abide in love, abide in God, and God abides in them. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. First Reading Psalm 46 Time With Our Young Disciples Scripture Readings Romans 1:17; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Peter 2:5; 2 Timothy 3:18; Matthew 11:29-30 The Morning Message This is a special day in the life of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches. It is Reformation Day. Some churches may celebrate this day with a traditional “Kirkin’ of the Tartans,” or parade of tartans, or colors, in the church, by which each Scottish clan is identified. This is a nod to our Scottish history and a fun way to remember our forebears in the faith. I don’t own a tartan, although there is a good Scottish presence in my family. So, I might just enjoy some tea and shortbread. Until the Renaissance of the 15th century, the authority of the Roman Catholic Church remained largely unquestioned in Western Europe. The invention of the printing press in Germany around 1440 made it possible for common people to have access to printed materials including the Bible. At this time in history, the language of the church was Latin, an academic language, and unknown to the general public. The ability to read the Bible in one’s own language enabled many to discover religious thinkers who had begun to question the authority of the church. Martin Luther was one such person. He was a German priest and professor. Luther started the movement known as the Protestant Reformation. In 1517, Luther posted his list of 95 theses – grievances against the Roman Catholic Church- on a church door in Wittenburg, Germany. Some twenty years later, a French-Swiss lawyer and theologian, John Calvin, further refined the Reformers’ way of thinking about the nature of God and God’s relationship with humanity in what came to be known as Reformed theology. John Knox, a Scotsman who studied with Calvin in Geneva, took Calvin’s writings back to Scotland. Other Reformed communities developed in England, Holland, and France. And we shouldn’t leave out the Waldensians of Italy in this movement toward a Protestant way of life and faith. Important to the Reformers are what became known as the Five Solas, or Solae. These ideas shaped the doctrine of the early Protestant churches. The five solas are: Sola Scriptura. “Scripture alone.” Sola fide. “Faith alone.” Sola gratia. “Grace alone.” Solus Christus. “Through Christ alone.” Soli Deo Gloria. “Glory to God alone.” That little word, “alone,” set Reformed theology apart from Roman Catholicism. Reformers held that authority in the church came via sola Scriptura, or, Scripture alone. Rejected were the elements of tradition and experience, to which the Roman Church adhered. Reformers held that we are saved by faith alone that comes through the grace of God alone. Good works were not efficacious to our salvation. Reformers taught that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between human beings and God. Rejected were any other mediators- saints, the Virgin Mary, priests. And that our salvation is won for us, by God, through the saving death of God’s Son, Jesus, and not due to any merit on our part. The result, at least in Presbyterian circles, was to reject or eliminate what some Reformers believed were unnecessary or ostentatious accoutrements of the church. Protestant worship could seem austere. Gone were the icons, incense and bells, and the Mass from every service of worship. Only two Sacraments were acknowledged: Baptism and Communion, because these were the Sacraments Jesus instituted. Calvin taught that the congregation was the primary choir for worship and so the choir went to the back of the congregation. The original choir loft at Kuhn was located in the back, what we now call the balcony. It was Calvinistic in its placement. A lot has changed in the world and in the church in the last five hundred years. I’m writing this message on Wednesday afternoon in my kitchen. Just looking around the room I see a refrigerator that keeps our milk and eggs cold; I see a television that keeps me up-to-date with a twenty-four-seven news feed; a tea kettle, a crock pot, a toaster, and a stove which eliminate the need to keep a fire going in the backyard. I am working from a laptop computer on which I compose sermons and newsletter articles and committee reports. It also connects me to the session and my grandchildren in North Carolina. On it, I can chat with friends all over the world. I shop on-line. It is safe and convenient. Twenty years into the 21st century, it seems progress leads us to limitless possibilities. And that’s just the view from the kitchen in an average home. We have made huge social advancements: on Thursday I drove to Milton City Hall and voted in the US General Election. Maybe you have voted early, too, or by absentee ballot. Maybe you will exercise your right to vote on Election Day, November 5. It is important. We are participants in democracy. You have probably heard me say that we take our citizenship too lightly. I urge you to re-think that. We enjoy tremendous blessings in this country and I pray we continue if we want to sustain our democracy. What are some other steps forward since the Reformation? Probably the greatest change is that I am speaking to you as an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament. Ordination for women in the Presbyterian Church was not adopted until the latter half of the 20th century. It took me eight years to earn my Master of Divinity Degree. It was an additional five years before I was ordained because my seminary did not offer Hebrew. Hebrew proficiency is a requirement for ordination in the pcusa. God made a way for me to study Hebrew and I am grateful for that gift. And the icing on the cake, for me, was that early in my ordained service, I was elected Moderator of the Presbytery of West Virginia. All unheard of in any earlier era. The Canon of Scripture was closed in the 4th century. But the traditions and practices of the Church have changed due to culture and necessity. The Church is a dynamic living organism. It has grown and gained prominence. It has failed and suffered losses in adherents and reputation. While the Church has sometimes failed to act, it has typically rushed to the side of the suffering, even at the peril of losing its own life. The result is we have a more global orientation. Our children are in school with children of other faiths, cultures, and languages. We find meaning and value in meeting our neighbors of other faiths and even with those who claim to have no faith. Learning what is important to our neighbors and friends is important to us. Often we discover that we share common understandings of the Holy One who created the world and every man, woman, girl and boy who lives upon it. Our common understandings and our shared challenges, even our common tragedies, increase our capacity for compassion, lead us to better trust one another, and to work toward those things we all hold dear, like peace and freedom. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul writes these words about the church, the body of Christ: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit…If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” One of the great realities of the New Testament church was that it was diverse, Sometimes diversity led to conflicts, as was true in Corinth. But Paul viewed diversity as a tremendous gift. To Paul, the church was stronger when the God-given gifts are shared to build up the church and strengthen its ministry. In our Book of Order we read, “Christ calls the church into being, giving it all that is necessary…Christ alone rules, calls, teaches, and uses the church as he wills. Each member of the body of Christ is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Our mission in the world is the ministry of Christ. Just as Christ was called to bring good news to the poor…to proclaim release to the captives and …to let the oppressed go free, this is our call, as attested in Luke 4:8. A motto of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is “The Church reformed, and always reforming.” We would add these words, “ According to the Word of God and the call of the Spirit. (Book of Order.) So it is no surprise, that as opportunities, controversies, and problems occur in the life of the world, the Church and her people will engage it, struggle with it, and faithfully discern how God is leading the church to speak and act. We have not shied away from such topics as abortion, genetic engineering, divorce, sexuality, the role of women in the church, war, ecology, economy, health care, public policy, criminal justice, and more. They are all works in progress. The more we learn, the more we understand, the better we respond and adapt. I am confident that issues we’ve never dreamed of will emerge in the future to command the faith and practice of those who follow us. And confident of all these things, I offer these words attributed to Paul: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39. May it be so for all of us. *Hymn 630 Fairest Lord Jesus *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 Offertory *Hymn Doxology *Prayer of Dedication We give Thee but thine own, whatever the gift may be. All that we have is Thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from Thee. Amen. *Hymn 643 Now Thank We All Our God *Blessing For all that God can do within us, for all that God can do without us. Thanks be to God! For all in whom Christ lived before us, for all in whom Christ lives beside us. Thanks be to God! For all the Spirit wants to bring us, for where the Spirit wants to send us. Thanks be to God! The blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with you today and always. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship God’s greatness is beyond our understanding, yet we proclaim… Bless the Lord, O my soul! God stretched the heavens across the sky; let us marvel at the stars that fill it. God raised mountains above the depths; let us gather in wonder before them. *Hymn 667 When Morning Gilds the Skies Prayer of Confession O, Lord, you have taught is that whoever wishes to become great must be a servant, and whoever seeks to be first must be last and servant of all. Still, O Lord, we are like James and John, seeking seats of glory. We organize our lives around ladders to climb, not realizing that we are stepping on people whom you love. Forgive us, O Christ, and teach us to follow in your way, for the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. *Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Now stand firm in your faith, covered by the saving grace of God and ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God. First Reading Psalm 91 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Mark 10: 35-45 Morning Message *Hymn 644 Give Thanks, O Christian People *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 Offertory *Hymn Doxology *Prayer of Dedication To you, O God, we offer our lives- in times of abundance and in times of scarcity. All that we have and all that we are testify to our great thanksgiving for the treasure of your grace. Take and use us for good in the world that you so love. In Jesus’ name and for his glory. Amen. *Hymn 314 Christ, Be Our Light *Blessing Go now in peace to love and serve the Lord with heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Amen. Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good; For the Lord’s steadfast love endures forever. Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or declare all God’s praise? Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. *Hymn 305 Come, Sing, O Church, in Joy! Prayer of Confession O God, who alone can probe the depths of the heart, you hear the prayers of the faithful; you justify the repentant sinner. Grant us the gift of humility, that we may see our sins clearly and refrain from judging our neighbor. We make our prayer through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness God pours out mercy and grace, never giving up on us, but freeing us to live lives worthy of our calling. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel: Jesus Christ saves us from sin and sets us free to enjoy newness of life. Know you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen. First Reading Joel 2: 23-32 Moments With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 18:9-14 Morning Message You reach into your mailbox and pull out a stack of paper and envelopes. You find an ad for the local grocery store, a power bill, a magazine you will never read, and something different. In a stiff, thick envelope, with your name in an embellished script, is an invitation. How intriguing. What could it be? When that happens at our house, I open everything else before I open the mysterious envelope. I let the suspense build. Maybe it’s a wedding invitation…or a graduation announcement…or an invitation to a party for a famous person coming to town. I’m still hoping for that one. Imagine how you would feel to receive a personal invitation to join Jesus in his life and work, to be a disciple, walking alongside him daily. Sit with that a moment. How would you answer? In our text, the man we have always called “the rich, young ruler” kneels in sincerity before Jesus and asks the central question of the faith: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This man is apparently a Jew and Jesus reminds him that he knows the Law, the Ten Commandments, he has been raised in the tradition of the Torah. And the young man says, “I get that, Jesus. I have kept them faithfully my whole life long.” Yesterday I was scrolling though Facebook and came upon a livestreamed worship service from Temple Immanuel in New York City. It must be one of those old temples ornately decorated and packed with a throng of men and women who had gathered for the final worship service of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the most holy of the high holy days in the Jewish faith. It was glorious. There was a female rabbi, a cantor, an orchestra, and lots of little children. I just caught the last fifteen minutes or so and was sorry when the broadcast ended before the blowing of the shofar, the ram’s horn. The shofar represents God’s voice going forth in the world. This is a tradition that has been practiced for as long as God claimed the Israelites as his own. The shofar sounded at creation, at the revelation of the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. This tradition is rich and deep. Jesus credits this young man before him as someone who is a faithful practitioner of the Jewish faith, yet one whose education is incomplete. What the text says next is perhaps one of the most revealing moments in all the gospels: we get a glimpse into the heart of Jesus. Jesus, looking at him, loved him. The text doesn’t say he looks at him with pity. It doesn’t say Jesus looks at him with disapproval. No. Jesus looked at him the same way he looks at us: Jesus loved him. Jesus extends an invitation to come and follow him. But not before he points out that the young man lacks one thing. Jesus says, “Go sell your stuff, and come back ready to travel, ready to bring people into the fold so they, too, can have eternal life.” How would you respond? Run back to your house and put a for sale sign in the yard? Call Goodwill or Habitat and ask them to send a truck? What does this young man do? Does he ask Jesus to give him a few days to get his affairs in order? No. After hearing how much it costs to become a disciple, the man slumps his shoulders and sadly walks away. Many others have been called to follow Jesus by this time. And, according to scripture, they have left kith and kin, their jobs, their comforts, their possessions, and have become disciples. This may be the only example of someone refusing the call to discipleship in all of scripture. This man rejected Jesus. Because to follow Jesus meant he would pay too high a price. He would have to give up his wealth. And that is no small thing. And I can really identify with the problem. Perhaps this man had a family. What would happen to them? We know he had a prominent position in the community. He would have to give that up. He probably enjoyed more creature comforts than the common folk. No doubt he had tickets on the 50 yard line of the sports arena. And Jesus tells him to unburden himself of all these distractions if he wants to find true treasure: life that never ends. The gospel, the New Testament scripture, is our witness to just how risky it can be to be met by Jesus. I think, instead of criticizing this poor fellow, we might give him credit for being honest. I read a story recently, a first-hand account of a man who had converted to Catholicism from the Evangelical branch of the Christian faith. He spoke about how much it had changed him. He intended to live out his faith by applying those things he had been taught in his Confirmation classes. He said it was not easy. In fact, at times, he knew he was making different choices than he did before he converted. He lost some friends. He lost some business contacts. His faith did cost something. But, it was worth the cost for the peace he felt in his heart. Jesus gave his life for him. He would gratefully give up something for Jesus. Clarence Jordan, the renowned preacher of the social gospel, an African-American, is said to have once visited a large integrated church in the deep south in the 1960’s. Well, you can imagine how unusual that would have been. Jordan is said to have asked the old country preacher how he had accomplished this. “How did you get the church this way?” “What way?” the preacher asked. Jordan went on to explain his surprise at finding a church so thoroughly integrated, not only with blacks and whites, but rich folk and poor folk all in one warm, hospitable fellowship. The preacher said, “Well, when our preacher left our small church, I went to the deacons and said, “I’ll be the preacher. The first Sunday as preacher, I opened the book and read, “As many of you as has been baptized into Jesus has put on Jesus and there is no longer any Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, males or females, because all of you is one in Jesus.’ Then I closed the book and I said, “If you are one with Jesus you are one with all kind of folks. And if you ain’t, well, you ain’t.” Jordan asked what happened next. “Well,” the preacher said, “the deacons took me into the back room and told me they didn’t want to hear that kind of preaching no more.” Jordan asked what he did then, “I fired them deacons,” the preacher roared. “Then what happened?” asked Jordan. “Well,” said the old preacher, “I preached that church down to four. Not long after that, it started growing. And it grew. And I found out that revival sometimes don’t mean bringin’ people in, but getting’ people out that don’t dare to love Jesus.” Friends, I think that is the issue before us today, the question the text is asking of us: Do we dare to love Jesus with our whole heart, and soul, and mind, and strength? Or do we need to let go of something, lose something, in order to deepen our relationship with Jesus? Listen to the wisdom of Saint Francis of Assisi: Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I 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 pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. May it be so for all of us. Amen. *Hymn 475 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing *Affirmation of Faith A Declaration of Faith, PCUSA, 1985 We are certain that Jesus lives. He lives as God with us, touching all of human life with the presence of God. He lives as one of us with God. Because he shares our humanity, He has bound us to himself in love. We declare that Jesus is Lord. We have an advocate in the innermost life of God. His resurrection is a decisive victory over the powers that deform and destroy human life. His lordship is hidden. The world appears to be dominated by people and systems that do not acknowledge his rule. But his Lordship is real. It demands our loyalty and sets us free from all the lesser lords who threaten us. We maintain that ultimate sovereignty now belongs to Jesus Christ. In every sphere of life, Jesus is Lord. He has been from the beginning. He will be Lord at the end. Even now he is Lord. *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn 36 For the Fruit of all Creation *Blessing May the God of endurance and encouragement, grant you to live in such harmony with one another that with one voice we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Go now in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship To those who are hungry, Jesus says: “Come and eat! There’s more than enough for all!” To those who are thirsty, he says: “Come and drink! It’s free for the taking!” Stop wasting your money on food that doesn’t satisfy. Come to me and you will find everything you need!” *Hymn 2 Holy, Holy, Holy Prayer of Confession Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. In your mercy, forgive what we have been, help us amend what we are, and direct what we shall be, that we may walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen. *Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The mercies of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting. They are new every morning and sure as the sunrise. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. Be at peace with God and one another. Amen. Passing the Peace Please offer a sign of peace to those seated near you in the pews. First Reading Micah 6: 1-8 Time With Our Young Disciples New Testament Reading John 21:15-17 Morning Message The air conditioning in my car went out last summer. It was finally scheduled for repairs, meaning Ed and I made two trips in three days to the Honda dealership in South Charleston. On our way home after picking up the car, we stopped for dinner at a place we like in Teays Valley. Ed arrived first, but, he told the hostess I may have beat him because I had a head start. Could he just walk thru the restaurant to see if I might already be there? To which the hostess replied, “Well. Do you know what she looks like?” We got a lot of mileage out of that. When we entered the chapel today, we probably noticed something different. The paraments have been changed to white. The Table is set for Communion, the holy meal to which Jesus calls us. We know what it looks like. Bread and wine. Simple. And profoundly filling. Food and drink were important to Jesus. The first of the miracle stories happened at a wedding in Galilee. He turned water into wine. Then he multiplied a little boy’s lunch of bread and fish to feed thousands of hungry people. We remember the poignant story of Jesus being the dinner guest at the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. After the resurrection, Jesus shows up on the beach to cook breakfast. This event is important if we are to be resurrection people. We have a witness to the world: Jesus rose from the dead. And in his death is the promise of ours. Jesus never misses a teachable moment. In our scripture text, Jesus connects the act of feeding hungry people to love. If we love one another, we show it by feeding one another. Food is important to Jesus and to us and to every man, woman, and child who ever lived. I love infants. The family joke used to be, “Don’t let Cinda hold your baby-you may not get it back!” I love the way they smell, their soft skin, the wisps of downy hair, the way you cradle them in your arms to feed them. Early on, they begin to make eye contact with the mother or whoever is privileged to feed them. And in those fresh, clear, innocent eyes are the sweetest, purest expressions of love and devotion. “If you love me, feed my sheep.” Today Christians around the globe are celebrating World Communion Sunday, a day when we are urged to embrace the Biblical vision of unity and peace. Not as a far-off dream, but as Christ’s calling to us. World Communion Sunday is a gift of the Presbyterian Church to the larger ecumenical body of Christ. The first observance was at the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, in 1933. The Rev. Dr. Hugh Thompson Kerr was the pastor. It was from his vision that the day was set apart for the purpose of promoting peace and global witness. Years later, his son, the Rev. Dr. Donald Kerr, reflected on his father’s vision. “The concept spread very slowly at the start. People did not give it a whole lot of thought. It was during the Second World War that the spirit caught hold, because we were trying to hold the world together. World-wide Communion symbolized the effort to hold things together, in a spiritual sense. It emphasized that we are one in the Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” It seems to me, we are trying to hold the world together right now. Hurricane Helene wrought destruction and death upon thousands in the US last week. It will be months and maybe even years before some communities are restored to their former functionality. Military aggression has intensified in Israel-Palestine. We are painfully aware that war anywhere could unfortunately lead to war everywhere. There is a palpable tension in the country that we know will not be relieved on November 5. It would do us well to decide now how we will respond no matter which team prevails. Could we set aside our loyalty to the blue team or the red team and take on allegiance to a re-imagined red, white, and blue team, the one that will lead to peace, justice, security, progress for all of us? Noted theologian, Karl Barth, is remembered for saying this about preaching: “Hold the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” His point is that faith, apart from real life, is irrelevant. There is a taught tension between the Bible’s vision for the world and the world’s news, isn’t there? Let’s consider some current news:. NBC News reports: Israel and Iran are on the path toward a catastrophic war. The Bible says: “No more shall there be the sound of weeping, or the cry of distress.” The Logan Banner reports: Bluestone Dam keeps Hurricane Helene’s New River Waters at Bay. The 75-year-old Summers County flood control project may well have saved Charleston and other downriver communities from catastrophy. The Prophet Isaiah says: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. The Herald Dispatch headline yesterday: Annual Survey Shows Snapshot of Homeless Population The average person experiencing homelessness in Huntington is a 44-year-old white male taking occupancy at a shelter. Jesus says to his friends in Matthew’s Gospel: When you saw me hungry, you fed me; when you found me thirsty, you gave me drink; when I had no place to stay, you invited me in; and when I was poorly clothed, you covered me; when I was sick, you tenderly cared for me; and when I was in prison, you visited me. And in Joyce Spencer’s column, some news from this village: The Barboursville High School class of 1969 is planning a 55-year reunion. What a milestone! The psalmist reminds us of God’s benefits: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all my inmost being, praise God’s holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies you with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. We find these competing truths all around us. What are we supposed to do? On the one hand, we can see signs of God promise of peace, but violence still exists, poverty exists, disease and death exist. One way we can respond is to just look the other way. Don’t concern ourselves with the world’s brokenness. Ignore the Bible. It’s irrelevant today. It certainly doesn’t compel many people to action. Judging by the inactivity in my own neighborhood on Sunday mornings, I’d say this is the prevalent attitude. But, Christians have to do better than that. We could take the eschatological approach and lean into the time to come when Christ returns to make all things new and establish the peaceable kingdom. God will take care of this in God’s good time. No worries. This approach reminds me of a high school friend of mine who decided not to apply for college admission because he believed the Rapture, or Christ’s return, was imminent. That was in 1974. We could concentrate on our personal salvation. It is important. Jesus saves. Our eternal security is sealed. But, Jesus saves us for what purpose? What is the work or mission to which Jesus has called us? We could set all those approaches aside and try another way- the prophetic way. “A way that lifts up God’s end game vision and at the same time, opens our hearts to let Christ make a difference now.” The churchy term for this is “inaugurated eschatology.” The reign of Christ the King was begun through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus over two thousand years ago. His kingdom is here, but it is not here in its fullness. We still have that to look forward to. That’s the prophetic way, the Gospel way-where God’s reign can be real, even now. Where peace is not a pipedream, where God assures that none of his beloved sheep go hungry. Is that too naïve, too idealistic? Or is there a way to embrace that vision for the world God created and loves? Seminary Professor Fred Craddock shares this story of how the reconciliation of faith and current events came together in his classroom. At the beginning of many seminary classes, a student leads the class in prayer or shares a brief devotion. Maybe the student brings along a guitar and invites everyone to sing a hymn or chorus. This was a part of seminary education that I loved. Every lecture, every assignment, was wrapped in the Word read and proclaimed, and sealed with prayer. On this particular day the student leading devotions stepped up to the front of the class with her yellow legal pad. It had a lot of writing on it. Fred thought this could take a long time. The student spoke softly, first in one foreign language, then another-one sentence repeated over fifty times in different languages. Fred said it was only when she spoke in German, Spanish and French, that he began to understand what she was saying. She ended in English with these words: “Mommy, I’m hungry.” And then she sat down. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Jesus asks all of us here, “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Preacher Christine Chakoian offers these thoughts to us who are even now praying about the world’s great problems and waiting in hope for the coming kingdom: “Cynicism is the fate of realists who clearly see the present, but see nothing of God’s vision for the way the world could really be. That vision is before us now: where wolves and lambs can feed together; where all of God’s hungry children are fed at the table of grace.” It takes some imagination and not a little courage to live into God’s vision. But, that is the call of Christ on our lives: to feed his sheep, so that every single one of the children of earth is fed- fed with security, fed with love… and bread. *Hymn We Gather at Your Table, Lord (insert) *Affirmation of Faith Apostles’ Creed *Hymn Gloria Patri Celebrating the Sacrament of Communion With Our Global Family Prayer After Communion Holy One, we have been strengthened at this table, by loaf and cup, and will live in gratitude for the dying and rising of Jesus Christ, our Savior and friend. And we will become bread for a hungering world. And we will become drink for those who thirst. And the blessed will become the blessing, and everywhere will be the feast. Amen. Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Merciful God, we make our offerings, small and large, with the hope and confidence that all we do, all we offer, all we say, all we think, and all we hope will take root in this world. May this be the source of new expressions of God’s love, of God’s justice, of God’s character, of God’s mission, and of God’s reign. May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven through us, alongside us, despite us, and for us. Amen. (Adapted from Mustard Seed.) *Hymn 487 Amazing Grace *Blessing This is a vision of the way it can be, the way it should be: Shouts of welcome, a joyful procession, a community celebrating Christ’s transforming power in unity. As we go out, may we hold fast to his vision of goodness, giving ourselves to God’s love, pouring it out into the world in God’s name. Amen. *Postlude |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
April 2025
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