​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 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 8
Time With Our Young Disciples
Gospel Reading         Mark 9:30-37
Morning Message
 
I love the rain. Love it in all seasons. I love the smell of rain in the air sometimes hours before the first drop. I love the way the leaves on the trees turn inside out in the windy prelude. I love the sound of thunder rolling and lightning cracking overhead. I love to hear it early in the morning on days I don’t have to get out of bed. I love it late at night, knowing that the world will look all fresh and clean, and maybe a little cooler, in the morning.
 
What I don’t love are the worms that emerge from the ground, making me tip-toe my way down the walk to retrieve the morning paper.
 
But, some people love those creatures.
 
Following a night of rain, Rev. Janet Hunt says, she found night-crawlers all over the walk in front of her house. She didn’t gag, like I might, because they brought back a welcome childhood memory.
 
She says when she was a child, those worms were summer’s gold. When she and her siblings were young, that was the way they earned their vacation money.
 
Their parents set them up in business. They went out and bought them an old refrigerator and plugged it into an outlet in the garage, where the worms became bait to sell. They were stored in paper cups and tin cans. Her parents even bought a professionally-made sign- white with red lettering- advertising night crawlers for 75 cents a dozen. It leaned against the maple tree in front of their house.
 
And so it was, when it would storm, the four kids would be out in force-with flashlights and buckets. Forty years later, she says she can remember it like it was last night. She can still remember the gentle, steady hand it took to pick up those fat worms who had come up for air and drop them into the bucket all in one piece. And she can still feel the crick in her neck from bending over for long minutes at a time. Funny- it didn’t bother her then-the wiggling worm or the dirt under her nails.
 
Vacationers and city-dwellers, on their way for a day’s worth of fishing, would pull into their long driveway and purchase a dozen or two. Seventy-five cents at a time the money would pour in, stored in a German beer stein on the top shelf in the kitchen. The week before their family vacation, they would take down the big mug, pour the money out on the kitchen table, and divide it into four equal shares.
Here is what strikes her now: especially after reading today’s text, Janet says she can’t remember any dispute about the amount each child received. None of them ever accused the others of having captured fewer worms and thus was not entitled to an equal share of the money. Even more, she says there were definitely times when one or the other child was not out there with his or her flashlight. They still shared and shared alike. It never occurred to them to do otherwise.
 
It could have been different though, couldn’t it?
 
Normally, in life, it is. We expect to get paid for what we do. We don’t expect another will be paid the same for doing more or doing less when we are doing the same work.
 
That’s what makes this story so unusual. The world doesn’t work like it did on South Main Street where Janet grew up back in the 1970’s, or in this parable. In fact, I expect that most of us can relate to those who had been out there early and who had labored hard thru the heat of the day. It comes as no wonder that they were unhappy with the “Johnny-come-late-lys,” who didn’t bother to show up til the day was nearly over and yet were paid the same.
 
It isn’t fair, is it? Life isn’t always fair. We see this played out all the time in family relationships. In a healthy family, no one should be loved more than the others- even if they work harder, or if they’ve suffered more, or achieved greater things, or obeyed more completely. No, in the world Jesus describes, the owner of the vineyard sees them all the same. In the world where Janet grew up, Mom and Dad loved all the children the same. Just like God loves us.
 
And, yes, the vineyard and the payroll belonged to the owner of that vineyard, after all. In the same way, Janet’s folks owned the land from which the night-crawlers emerged, as well as the fridge and the garage that housed it. They purchased that sign that advertised their live bait and they made sure the electric bill was paid every month. It really was all theirs. They just gave their kids a share on rainy nights.
 
Like God does for us.
 
And so it is in the kingdom of God…and in the world where people seek to be part of making that kingdom come. First, or last, it is all God’s anyway.
 
I wonder what change we could make in the world if we lived as though the first were last and the last were really first? I wonder if we are brave enough to experiment a little?
 
I try this out sometimes. Like when I go thru a drive thru that has two lines. At lunch-time. There’s a whole lot of colorful human behavior to be observed then and there. So, I place my order…large unsweetened ice tea…then keep my foot lightly resting on the brake while watching the car next to me. Will we go in order? You can tell who ordered first. You can usually hear, “Three Happy Meals with milk and apple slices.” And, most of the time, people are remarkably courteous, letting each other move in turn up to the window. But, every now and then, someone forgets there are others who are hungry and thirsty and have cars full of kids needing to go to the bathroom, or folks my age trying to get to work on time. And they rev up and challenge and cut me off.
 
I was in a continuing education class this past week. The instructor was Sky Kershner, director of the Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center in Charleston. One of his props was a battery-operated smiley face that lights up by remote control. He puts it in his car’s rear window and when someone does something obnoxious, he hits the remote and the smiley-face lights up.  He says it’s an unexpected alternative to the other signs people make. And, on the occasion when someone does something he appreciates, he hits the remote and voila- the smiley-face shines. It’s an equal-opportunity gizmo.
 
The kingdom of God has a very different economy, doesn’t it? Where the first is last and the last is first and new-comers and late-comers are treated the same. Maybe it’s so different, we can’t imagine how our lives or neighborhoods or country might change if we put it into practice.
 
Let’s think for a moment. Close your eyes if it helps. Who are the first-place people around you? Picture them. How do you feel about them? How do you think they feel about you?
 
Now, think about the last-place people. Picture them. How do you feel about them? And how may they feel about you?
 
The good news is this: God loves us all. No matter the level of benevolence or obedience or sacrifice, we are all desired and we are all welcome in God’s home. And God will keep pursuing us all until all the children are in.
 
*Hymn    727    Will You Let Me Be Your Servant  Verses 1-3
*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 727    Will You Let Me Be Your Servant    Verses 4-6
*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                                                                     Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
As a congregation, we are called to nurture children and youth, and support families and individuals in faith formation.
We do this through worship, study, fellowship, and service.
Surrounded and supported by the community of faith, we come to know, love, and serve God, receive the grace of Jesus Christ, and grow as the Spirit leads us.
It is with joy and thanksgiving that we pass the Christian faith from one generation to the next.
 
*Hymn  687       Our God, Our Help in Ages Past    Verses 1-4        
Prayer
Even while we celebrate the church’s ministry this day, we know it marks a day of grief and pain for our nation.
May all of us remember with love and compassion the events of that fateful day.
May we grieve with those who mourn and share memories with those who cannot forget.
May we draw strength from those who bravely responded and gave their lives to save others.
May we stand with strangers who became neighbors that day, and remember their hospitality and generosity.
Above all, loving God, may we remember your faithfulness and learn to trust in your unfailing grace.
Save us from hatred and suspicion and remove any intention in us that would stand in the way of healing and peace.
 
*Hymn   698       Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
Friends, hear the good news.
Even when we have been so wounded that we believe we will never heal,
when pain and hurt and anger overwhelm us,
we can be whole.
God’s mercies never end. They are new every morning and sure as the sunrise.
Reach out and receive the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Know you are forgiven and be at peace.  Amen.
 
First Reading     Psalm
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Second Reading      Romans 8
Morning Message
 
I’m no math wiz. I was so good at Algebra that I took it twice. But, even with my limitations, I can figure out that seventy times seven is a lot. Jesus math says that when a brother or sister sins against us, we are to forgive the offense. Not once. Not twice, but seventy-seven times. Whoa. Like I said, that’s a lot of times.
 
Jesus is asked how many times we should forgive and he launches into this parable about the ungrateful servant. Now, I confess to you that I had a hard time getting past the words “slave” and “servant.”  We have an enlightened understanding of how powerful those terms can be. Racial tension has risen in recent years. We find ourselves in a turbulent time, marked by school-involved violence, political issues heating up, inflation and other economic concerns. The extreme weather conditions we are witnessing has wrought tremendous suffering. So much of our food comes from geographic areas that have been hard hit by either flood or drought or wildfire. Record heat has hit northern California. Have you ever been to San Francisco? I think you can experience all four seasons in one day there, but they all end with sweaters or jackets, no matter the time of year. Until recently.
 
Sometimes it seems the whole world is filled with dis-equilibrium and angst and uncertainty.
 
The point Jesus made was that God has witnessed our lives- the good, the bad, and the ugly.  But life is not consumed by suffering and hardship.  God has lavished mercy upon us, so that we might experience true liberty-freedom from sin. But, he warns us, if we seek forgiveness, then turn around and exact revenge on the next person who wrongs us, we have evidently not turned from sin, and renounced its power over us, or turned toward God at all.
 
Have you ever thought about what the word “lavish” means? It comes from the verb, to lave, to wash. When I think of God lavishing love and grace on us, I imagine standing beneath a great waterfall with fresh, cool, sparkling water coursing over my head, my shoulders, flowing over me all the way down to my toes, sinking into the lush, fertile earth.
 
Picture yourself standing under that waterfall. After a run or after mowing the lawn. You’re hot and sweaty. Thirsty. You stand under the cascading water. How does that make you feel? Clean? Light?  Joyful? Refreshed? Free of all baggage? Baggage we can call “sin.”
 
Good. That’s how we should feel. Thanks be to God.
 
And then disaster occurs. Or we are reminded of something catastrophic. The anniversary of 9/11 rolls around as it does today. And all those heavy emotions return, most notably grief and anger.
What do we do with that? Those feelings are real. They are legitimate.
 
Let us acknowledge, there are consequences to sin. And the consequences from that fateful day have changed all our lives. Remember the color-coded threat levels? The first time I heard that announced in an airport, while awaiting a flight, I was so filled with fear I was sick.
 
Soon after, we took a trip to California. Those announcements were made repeatedly, increasing my anxiety, and I’m sure other travelers’ anxiety. Passing thru security is always a hassle. And then when we did finally board, the passenger to my right was a dark-skinned man with a backpack. There we sat. Shoulder-to-shoulder from San Francisco to Columbus. I could feel my heart rate increase. I had some shortness of breath. My body was reacting to a perceived threat.
 
I’ve come to believe fear and anger are fraternal twins. Different… but they are born from the same womb. Sometimes, you can get them confused.
 
Do you think my seat assignment was an accident? I don’t. There have been many times since that I’ve looked back on that long night in the air, when my fears and anger confronted me.
I tried to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come. So, I prayed. I prayed that the man next to me wasn’t a terrorist planning to highjack the plane. I begged for God’s protection, for a sense of God’s presence and power and peace.
 
God did comfort me in those hours. We landed without incident and went our separate ways.
All was well. But, was it?
 
If we applied this parable to the situation, might Jesus have said to me, “You prayed for my protection, my presence, my love. And, you have those things always. What were your prayers for your brother sitting next to you? Is he not worthy of my love and mercy, too?”
 
When Jesus spoke to the crowd about forgiveness, he wasn’t necessarily talking about those little things that may get under our skin but won’t ruin our lives. Like, when the garbage collectors don’t show up on their scheduled day, or when your Happy Meal comes without the toy, or the newspaper is wet. We can let those things go.
 
But, what about those things we can’t let go? We are all subject to things about which we may have little or no agency. But, we can decide how we will respond.  How have we responded to the changes that Covid has brought our way? Remember back in 2020, we looked for the color-coded  maps that tracked the number of cases?  Remember the  daily announcements of Covid-related hospitalizations and deaths? Even now, are you hoping to receive the latest booster shot that addresses the Omicron variant soon? I am.
 
We’ve faced national crises before. We’ve pulled together. Remember when the members of congress stood on the Capitol steps on September 11, 2001 and sang “God Bless America?”
Friends, I don’t want to witness another catastrophic event but it sure would be reassuring to see a display of our national leaders rallying around the country lifting up our common bond, our shared hopes and dreams.
 
Each year, when that fateful day rolls around, we pause and remember. We light candles, sing patriotic songs, set up art installations like The Healing Fields at Spring Hill Cemetery. We remember lives lost and heroic acts.
 
Speaking for myself, while I still grieve, the sharp anger and paralyzing fear have diminished over the years. And that is important because the country has to move forward, addressing opportunities and challenges as they come. And they will.
 
Lots of us like to travel. I can’t wait to take our grandchildren to some of our favorite places. But, I don’t want to panic every time I board a plane or go to a large crowded event.
 
So, it’s important to face my fears and prejudices about who is seated on the plane next to me, or behind me, or even piloting the plane. Our nation and our neighborhoods are becoming more and more diverse. You may be tired of hearing it, but, so much of the violence we witness seems to be sparked by hatred. If we want peace, then it’s absolutely essential that we learn to respect and appreciate the differences in race, culture, religion, orientation and other human conditions.
 
One of my favorite quotes made by Queen Elizabeth is this: “Peace is the hardest form of leadership.”
 
The Washington National Cathedral is a beacon of peace for many. Since the pandemic began, the cathedral leadership has recorded and broadcast the brief services of Morning Prayer. I commend them. They have brought me peace in this time.
 
At the end of one service, there were photos of the beautiful stained glass windows that adorn that awesome place.
 
One of the windows featured that morning was the Space Window, which is really named the Science and Technology Window. I’ve stood beneath it a few times and it is breathtaking. Created by Rodney Winslow, the technique used to design and make that window is much different from the other gothic-styled windows in the cathedral. Winslow worked on it for twelve years, tearing up one design plan after another until he was satisfied.
 
NASA and a number of astronauts consulted on the project. The colors used in the window are especially intense. It is said that every astronaut reports that the colors they see from space are indescribable, otherworldly, like nothing they have ever seen. Crayola doesn’t make a shade or hue that captures the beauty seen from high above the earth.
 
At the center of the window, the focal point, is a white circle. It is very thin and translucent. It is a piece of the moon, over three billion years old, picked up by Neil Armstrong on the Apollo 11 flight in 1969, at the first moon landing.  It represents humankind’s greatest achievement to date.
 
Artists like their works to speak for themselves, allowing the viewer to interact with the piece and drawing his or her own meanings from it. When I see that window, I think of all the men and women whose lives have been dedicated to the space program, and to the disciplines of science, their sense of courage and adventure, how they inspired the next generation of exploration. It is set in this massive cathedral, the “house of prayer for all people,” and, to me, serves as a sign that God is eternally calling us into God’s creative plan as it unfolds from age to age.
 
And that is what I want to leave you with today. We are in difficult times. But we are not alone. God has not orphaned us. Schhols opened on time here in Cabell County. I can hear the Cabell Midland Marching Band from my backyard. Tailgating recipes are being shared. I see lots of green signaling loyalty to the Thundering Herd.
 
We have survived but we are cautious. I still carry masks and wear them. AS the Brits would say, we “keep calm and carry on.” We are the people who, with God’s help, applied our intelligence, imagination, ingenuity, and grit to land a man on the moon and NASA says we will do it again. A woman may land the next spacecraft.
 
And with God’s help, we will land 2022.
 
*Hymn   687            Verses 5 and 6
*Affirmation of Faith         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  606     Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
As we present our gifts of time, talent and treasure, may we also present our hearts, that they may softened by your love, our tears, that they may water scorched dreams, and our wills, that we may replace brokenness with highways of reconciliation and peace. Amen.
 
*Hymn  693   Though I May Speak
 
 
*Blessing                  St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument 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 in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements             
 
*Call to Worship             Psalm 19:1-6
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
Yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong person, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat,
 
*Hymn   634      To God Be the Glory
 
Prayer of Confession
God of justice and righteousness,
your call beckons us:
to live faithful lives,
to turn from wickedness,
to walk in your ways.
Yet it is easy to turn aside:
to speak a thoughtless word,
to ignore those in need,
to strike out in anger,
to forget your ways.
Forgive us.
Implant your word in our hearts,
and cleanse us from all evil.
By the power of your love,
save us, that we might fully love and serve you.  Amen.
 
Hymn 698   Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
God’s word has the power to save us.
God has anointed us with gladness,
forgiven and freed us,
to live holy and joyful lives.    Alleluia! Amen.
 
First Reading         Psalm 81:1, 10-16
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Second Reading        Luke 14:1, 7-14
Morning Message
 
I love to travel and it has been my great good fortune to go on some really nice trips. Most of them have been with my husband and his choirs.  I am richly and undeservedly blessed.
 
Once on a return trip from New York City our bus broke down. We pulled into something close to a park and ride and waited for another bus to arrive that would safely carry us back to Ona.
 
When that replacement bus pulled up, one of the fathers accompanying us stood and announced in an authoritative voice, “Gentlemen, we have a job to do. Meet me outside.”
 
And with that he exited the bus. And every male passenger and some of the women, followed him. Some had been asleep when we stopped, some had been playing cards, many had been doing homework. The response was immediate. They laid aside whatever they were doing in order to dis-embark and help transfer the contents of the bus’s storage compartment to that of the replacement bus.
 
We were soon on our way. The textbooks and the cards came out and the pillows were plumped as if we had never been inconvenienced, and the guys, mostly, had never climbed into the cold and dirty storage compartments of two tour buses to get the job done.
 
As I was preparing this message, I was reminded of a sermon by Rev. Dr. John Claypool, an Episcopal priest who is regarded as an excellent preacher, author, and authority on issues of practical ministry.
 
I’d like to share his words about this story in Luke’s gospel.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
The day the bus broke down, everyone on it was exhausted. And growing a little tired of each other. We’d had a great trip. We had seen a Broadway show, an off-Broadway show, an opera at the Met, toured several museums, gone to the top of the Empire State Building, visited the Statue of Liberty, and I can’t remember what else.
 
The only destination we cared about by Sunday afternoon was home.
 
And I think that’s what Jesus was pointing to in our text. We all come from different circumstances, but, we are all citizens of one kingdom, one fellowship. We have one destination and we are united around one purpose.
 
Our home is with Jesus and the work to which he has called us is to usher in the kingdom whenever and wherever the opportunity appears.
 
Could be at a wedding, or in a classroom, or waiting in line at the grocery store, or when the bus breaks down. It really doesn’t matter what the situation is. What is important is our response.
 
“All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to God’s purpose.”
 
 
*Affirmation of Faith             The Apostles’ Creed p. 35
*Hymn   581   Gloria Patri
 
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
Offertory
*Hymn  607   Doxology
Prayer of Dedication
God of light and beauty, every gift is from you.
Even our ability to give is a blessing of your love.
We offer what we have and what we are that you may use our gifts
to give birth to a world of peace and understanding,
where none are in need,
and all are drawn into your embrace.  Amen.
 
*Hymn   692       Spirit, Open My Heart
*Blessing
In everything, let us offer our thanks to God.
In our darkness and questioning,
in our relief and rejoicing,
in the assurance that God holds us in love,
that we may cheerfully serve others,
replacing fear with the hope born of Eternal Love.  Amen.
 
*Postlude

​​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
*Call to Worship                                                   Joshua 24:15
Choose this day whom you will serve.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
 
*Hymn  321    The Church’s One Foundation
 
Gathering Prayer
O, Lord, our God,
wellspring of all that is,
you are the sea on which we float,
the wind that fills our sails,
the storm that buffets,
the calm that brings us peace.
Open our ears to hear your word,
our eyes to see your beauty,
our hearts to be warmed by your love.
Free us from the bonds of sin and selfishness,
and make us over to be bearers of your joy and peace.  Amen.
 
Hymn           Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
First Reading       Psalm 71:1-6
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Second Reading    Luke 13:10-17
Morning Message     
 
We find Jesus doing one of the things he does best…he’s teaching. That’s appropriate for this time of year. We have all been students, some of us have been teachers, and we are all interested in our young people who are off to school in this season. We pray for their success and we want to support them as they travel thru this stage of life.
 
In Jesus’ day, the temple was the place of worship. The synagogue is the place of instruction. And Jesus is in the synagogue. Before we know it, a problem emerges: A woman has entered who is bent over by what the scripture calls a “spirit that had crippled her for over eighteen years.”
 
Let’s take a moment to visualize this woman and what she must have looked like. Bent over to such an extent that she could not stand up straight. Can we imagine what that must have felt like? I imagine it would be painful. And how would she even see where she was going? How could she talk to people, shop in the market, cook for her family?
 
Jesus immediately sized up the situation and asks her to come to him, and proclaims that she has been set free from her ailment. He lays hands on her and immediately she stands up straight, and began praising God.
 
Years ago, I was introduced to a woman that I imagine looked much like the woman here in the text. Elderly, quite bent over, in fact, I’m not sure she could see much more than the ground beneath her feet as she shuffled along. But, she did walk, with help. She walked into church every Sunday of the world, assisted by her son, who was devoted to her. I watched him walk her to a pew in the sanctuary and gently get her settled with some pillows supporting her back.
 
Some time later, a church member shared with me that her condition was a result of what we used to call a “communicable disease.” Her husband had served in one of the branches of the armed forces during World War 1, and upon his return, had passed the disease on to his wife.
I think we could rightly say, that is quite a cross to bear. Not only does this real-life woman have a physical deformity which has greatly diminished her quality of life, she bears the scars of small-town gossip and shame. How humiliating it must have been that everyone in the whole community knew her business. I’m sure I would stare at the ground, too. But, she was a woman of faith surrounded by a faithful congregation. In that, she found her strength.
 
In our text, Jesus reaches out and touches the bent-over woman. And she has two responses: she stands up straight and she praises God.
 
And for that, she is scolded. The synagogue leader just saw her as an interruption, and completely missed the miracle that has been performed right before their eyes, In his best authoritative voice, he proclaims that there are six days of the week to take care of tasks considered work.
 
And he admonishes the woman, and the gathered church, and Jesus, to come on those days if they wanted healing. Clearly, he saw this whole episode as interference and a definite offense to Jewish law. A real Robert’s Rules kind of guy.
 
But, consider this: it doesn’t say anywhere in the text that this woman asked for help. It is Jesus who sees her, really sees her, and reaches out to heal her. The text says she has been crippled by a spiritual ailment. We could speculate on what that could be.
 
If she were a resident of this community today, what problem could have bent her, broken her?
 
Age and infirmity, for sure. Many of us can relate to the troublesome physiological changes brought on with each passing birthday.
 
Maybe she suffers from isolation. That’s perfectly plausible, too, as we approach three years of this Covid era. Or maybe it’s poverty, or hunger. Maybe a member of her family has fallen into addiction, which we know affects the whole family. Maybe she suffers a mental or emotional condition that prevents her from raising her head high enough to look into the eyes of another living, breathing human being. Maybe she is too beaten down to even ask for help.
 
We don’t know. But we do know that she came to the right place. Jesus saw her, even though he was actively engaged in teaching, and her life and her need touched him, which prompted Jesus to reach out and free her from her oppression.
 
Now, if such a miraculous moment happened here, I expect we would all be on our feet, jumping and leaping and praising God. Well, we’re Presbyterians. It would be orderly praise, right?
 
But, here’s what’s important: The kingdom of heaven is breaking in, in spite of nay-sayers. Miracles don’t happen every day. We still have diseases and conditions and social ills, but Jesus has come to remind us that it won’t always be that way. There is a kingdom coming, a realm in which there is no pain or sorrow or suffering, and here’s a little glimpse. He even invites us to join him in ushering in this kingdom in whatever we way we can.
 
The synagogue president missed that teachable moment. But Jesus zeroes in on it. “Hey, tell me, which one of you doesn’t water your animals on the Sabbath?” Untying a rope, journeying, drawing water, all these things were considered work under the law. Work is prohibited on the Sabbath. Why is it ok to do those things. but you want to condemn this act and this woman who has received an extraordinary blessing?
 
She has suffered for nearly twenty years, not twenty minutes or days, or months, from something that has interrupted her life. And you can’t tolerate a brief detour in the agenda?”
 
And he’s just winding up.  Jesus does something that really floors me. He calls them a name: hypocrites. Insulting, but it fits. His opponents wouldn’t reform, but, many recognized the moment for what it was, and were full of praise.
 
I caught a story on the local news recently about a graduation ceremony for those students in Cabell County who fell short of meeting graduation requirements in the spring, but who now had met the requirements. This was possible because they attended summer school and completed the work required to be granted a diploma.
It was a high moment. You could see the smiles and hugs. You could just feel the joy.
 
When was the last time you saw your high school diploma? It was probably only one of the diplomas, or certificates or awards or accolades you have received in life. But, sadly, not everyone succeeds in this ol’ world. Some kids have to slay dragons before they ever get to school in the morning. I’m sure that could be said of some of these graduates.
 
Jessica, our secretary, worked with a student all summer in order to get him to that finish line. He had a multitude of problems his senior year that interfered with his schoolwork. But, school personnel rallied around him, as they did others, and he finished his work successfully. He graduated. Jessica says he worked very hard all summer, and not only does he have a diploma, he will start nursing school this week. So, he has a diploma and a future.
 
The Herald- Dispatch carried this same story and quoted one young man who attended the ceremony with his child in his arms. He moved me to tears.
 
What we probably take for granted, he truly prized. He said, he could go on now, with his head held high. No longer bent over or broken, but having been changed.
 
He did the work, but, I want to believe that he was helped by kingdom people, whose desire is that all God’s children can stand up, heads held high, and praise God.
 
*Affirmation of Faith                    A Brief Statement of Faith, PCUSA, 1991
We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life.
The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,
sets us free to  love God and neighbor,
binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church.
The same Spirit, who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the Church.
In a broken and fearful world, the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
 
*Hymn 581        Gloria Patri    
 
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
Offertory
*Hymn                                Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Almighty God, from whom all blessings flow, may you find us ever-thankful for the abundance of your gifts. Accept these offerings as signs of our thanks and praise. May they serve to strengthen our commitment to know, love, and serve you this and every day. Amen.
 
*Hymn   462    I Love to Tell the Story
 
*Blessing
And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all,
now and always.  Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements  
*Call to Worship
What shall we return to the Lord for all the good things God has done for us?
We will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
 
*Hymn   267   Come, Christians, Join to Sing
 
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, you pardon all who truly repent and turn to you.
We humbly confess our sins and ask your mercy.
We have not loved you with our whole hearts,
nor have we loved our neighbor as ourselves.
We have not done justice, loved kindness, or walked humbly with you.
Have mercy on us, O God, in your loving-kindness.
In your great compassion,
cleanse us from sin.
Create in us a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within us.
Do not cast us away from your presence,
or take your Holy Spirit from us.
Restore to us the joy of your salvation
and sustain in us a bountiful Spirit.
 
*Hymn     698    Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the good news!
Who is in a position to condemn?
Only Christ,
and Christ died for us,
Christ rose for us,
Christ reigns in power for us,
Christ prays for us.
Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
The old life is gone and a new life has begun.
Know that you are forgiven and be at peace.  Amen.
 
First Reading    Psalm 80   Pew Bible p.
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading          Hebrews 11:29-12:2  Pew Bible p.
Morning Message
 
At the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, ten refugee athletes from four countries competed together as the Refugee Olympic Team. Among them were two swimmers, two judokas, a marathoner, and five medium-distance runners.
 
Ten young women and men who fled their home countries in search of competition. Ten talented athletes who never gave up. Their participation was a tribute to the courage and perseverance of all refugees.
 
As part of the commitment to aiding potential elite athletes affected by the world refugee crisis, the International Olympic Committee asked National Olympic Committees around the world to identify athletes with the potential to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games. Such candidates would then receive funding from  Olympic Solidarity to assist in their preparations and qualification efforts.
 
Forty-three promising candidates were identified and ten were eventually selected to make up the first-ever refugee team. Serving as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide and bringing global attention to the refugee crisis, they marched and competed under the Olympic flag.
 
Their athletic prowess and resilience was a tribute to the courage and determination of all refugees- at a time when the number of people displaced by violence and persecution was at the highest level since World War II.
 
What an inspiration.
 
They entered a process with hopes and dreams and I’m sure, not a little anxiety. Did they know exactly what they would encounter? Did they anticipate sacrifices or danger ahead? We don’t know. What we do know is that they stepped out on a global stage, trusting in the help of strangers, for a global cause.
It is with that sense of hope that I read this Hebrews text. It’s not a very pretty story, is it? It recalls the fates of the faithful, many who suffered and died for the cause of Christ. By word and deed, time and space, the faith was passed on through the villages and towns and across oceans and deserts, and up unforgiving mountains, and into dense dark jungles, until the gospel came to us.
 
In our text, the author lifts up some of our most courageous heroes and heroines of the faith. If we would go back and read their stories, we would find some unlikely characters for bearing the banner of Christ, and yet, God used them to lead others to freedom, to fight enemies of God and God’s people, to find a homeland, and more.
 
For example, take Gideon. He was an altogether reluctant warrior. He lacked confidence in his own ability and asked the Lord to prove it was really the Lord talking to him at all.  (Judges 6:8)
 
Barak refused to go to battle without Deborah at his side, which you know was not the norm in that day. But, for all his courage, for his willingness to put his life on the line, he learned that at the end of this battle the honor would go to someone else. (Judges 4). And yet he stepped up for God.
 
Samson may well have been strong in body, but we have to wonder if he weren’t a little lacking in his intellect.(Judges 16).
 
Jephthah, though described as a mighty warrior, essentially traded the life of his only child, his daughter, for a military victory. (Judges 11).
 
David was the ideal king for the nation of Israel, but he committed adultery and arranged the death of Bathsheba’s husband so he could take his place. (2 Samuel 11:1-12, 25).
 
In Joshua 2, we read the story of Rahab. She was a Cannanite woman living in Jericho. Before the conquest of Jericho, Joshua sends two men as spies to see the land. They cometo Rahab’s house for lodging. The king, hearing that they are at Rahab’s house, demands that she give them up, which would mean certain death. Rahab defies the king and and rescues the Israelites. She hides them under the flax drying on her roof, She lets the men out through her window, which is in the town wall. She asks that she and her family be spared once the Israelites attack Jericho. The spies give her a crimson thread to hang from her window, telling her to gather her family and wait inside the house. So long as they stayed inside the house marked with the red thread, they would be spared. And indeed they were.
 
And for all her courage and ingenuity, we almost always call this woman, “Rahab, the Prostitute.” As if her profession rendered her faith defective.
 
All these characters were less than perfect. That gives me hope and confidence.  
 
Today’s problems and challenges are deep and complicated and we wonder if have the skill or the will or the strength or the intellect to address many of them. Well, the truth is, we don’t have the resources to resolve all the world’s threats. But, God’s people are everywhere across the globe, lacing up their shoes for whatever race is set before them. We are a cloud of witnesses, going wherever God’s Spirit leads.
 
A few months ago I met Callie, a twenty-seven-year-old immunologist working at Wake Forest Medical School. Callie works long hours and weeks, and is joined by a number of other young laboratory scientists who are investigating childhood diseases. They then build medical models to eradicate the diseases. Callie’s from Australia, a home she hasn’t seen for over two years, thanks to the pandemic. Still, her spirit is kind and cheerful and sociable, and sometimes, wistful. She misses her family. She misses her home and walks along the near-by beach.  
 
Callie’s race has far to go. Kind of like the Marine Corps Marathon. But her life has meaning and quality while she works toward her goal. Her purpose is clear and noble. She has others with whom to share it. She has been a wonderful friend to my daughter and I believe that gift is mutual.
 
What about your race? What is God setting before you? What is God setting before us? Sometimes we have to just think about the race we will run today and how we will approach it. Maybe that’s even too long.
Before I realized I had Covid, I had started out on a grocery trip. When I couldn’t push the buggy to the front of the store, I called my husband for help. I was short of breath and close to tears. He came immediately, took over, and sent me home. He finished my race that day.
 
Those ten Olympic athletes had no country, no funds, no voice, no entry into the premier event for which they had trained. Until people with vision and compassion and courage and strength stepped up to make it happen. The great crowd of witnesses, of which scripture speaks.
 
As we look toward the goal that is set before us in the near or distant future, we are called to keep our eyes focused on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who gave his very life that we might live.
 
I’m no athlete. But, I will lift high his flag, his cross, my whole life long. And I’m hoping you will, too.
 
 
 
*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          Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Blessed are you, God of all creation,
through your goodness we have these gifts to share.
Accept and use our offerings for your glory
and for the service of your kingdom.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  846  Fight the Good Fight
 
*Blessing
Go now, with your eyes on Jesus,
the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
Lay aside the ways of sin,
bring forth a harvest of justice and righteousness,
and run with perseverance the race that is set before us.
 
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements                               
Call to Worship                                                       Isaiah 40:31
Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
We come to worship the holy One who meets us where we are.
We come to open ourselves to God, who lifts us up.
 
*Hymn  32     I Sing the Mighty Power of God              
 
Prayer of Confession and Old Testament Reading               Psalm 130
 
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Men: Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
Women: If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who could stand?
But, there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.
All: My soul waits for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning.
       More than those who watch for the morning.
 
Hymn    698      Take, O Take Me As I Am                         
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Be at peace.
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading             Luke 12:13-21
Morning Message
 
It was on a Christmas Eve in the mid-1960’s that I learned the ugly truth about my dad and my three uncles on that side of the family. They were thieves. Their crime? They conspired to ruin Christmas Eve for the rest of us who had gathered that night.
 
My grandmother always hosted Christmas Eve dinner at her house. Everyone contributed, but, she took on the biggest part of the meal preparation. And, though all the dishes were good, one thing was all by itself…her graham cracker pie. Truly. I’ve sampled graham cracker pie every time I’ve encountered one since 1974 and none can compare. There were always graham cracker pies on Christmas Eve. The best.
 
But back to the theft.  To insure that they would get enough pie to satisfy their appetites, the men in the family had absconded with the graham cracker pies. After all, there were cake and cookies a-plenty on the dining room buffet. “Let them eat cake!” I’m sure one of them must have exclaimed.
 
Dinner was served and enjoyed. Then my grandmother suggested we hold off on dessert until we opened our Christmas presents. There was an immediate whine from the kids’ table. She relented and said it would be ok to help ourselves to one of the giant sugar cookies from the buffet.
 
Soon after, the living room was covered with paper and ribbon, the kids playing with new toys. My grandmother handed each of the women their gifts, then said to the men, “Boys, you’ll have to help me with your gifts.” And she led them to a closet where she removed four graham cracker pies…and handed one to each of them.
 
I can still hear the laughter bursting from my mom and my aunts as they realized what had happened. And I can still see the sheepish expressions on the men’s faces. They were busted. Grandmother had been onto them the whole time.
And the most remarkable thing of all was that she never scolded or shamed them for their transgression. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down with us and enjoyed a piece of purloined pie that had suddenly shown up.
 
In total, there were six pies on the table that night. More than anyone could eat. Where some had anticipated scarcity, there was abundance.
 
I always cringe when this text comes up in the lectionary. I may not grow wheat or build barns to hold it on our property, but, I have far more stuff than I need. In fact, I have more than I can ever use or even keep track of. Speaking only for myself, I think it could be classified as sinful.
 
We know the folly of the man in Jesus’ parable. How much you identify or don’t identify with him is a matter of examining your own conscience. I’m the last person in the room to judge. Which is why I’d like to set the parable aside for a moment to consider the deeper issue Jesus raises:
 
“This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” 
 
It is awkward to preach about wealth, money, possessions, legacies. And yet, one scholar says that one out of every ten verses in the gospels is about the human quest for treasure, power, or position. The Greek word for greed is “pleonexia.” It means the “insatiable desire for more.”
 
In our culture, earning, spending, saving, investing are all vital components to our economy. At times of economic peril, we may be encouraged to spend, get some more money circulating for everyone’s benefit. Recently I mentioned something about my iphone needing a new screen and my husband immediately said I was due for an upgrade and we should go shopping for a new phone. This is life as we know it today. All of which contributes to the tension demonstrated by Jesus’ warning.
 
Rev. Kate Wesch, a married mother of two, says that she spends considerable time listening to her own worried voice, the one fretting  about car payments, insurance, the price of feeding a family of four, medical bills, piano lessons, school trips. You know the litany. You’ve lived it, too.
 
But, sometimes, in a moment of quiet, she hears another voice, this one more urgent than the other: she says all the stuff in the world can’t drown out the voice of God reminding her to nurture her soul, to seek the purpose for her life and how she can be rich toward God.
 
Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor says about this parable:
“My guess is that every person here has a different purpose, a different way of being rich toward God. Some people really do need to quit their soul-deadening jobs and find work that is richer in purpose. But a whole lot of other people could wake up to the purpose that is available to them in their lives right now. One of the saddest things in the world is to talk with someone who believes that what he or she does is small change in God’s pocket, not even worth counting. As far as I can tell, there is no such thing.”
 
Our family has had  a few furry friends over the years. One was a collie. A collie with fleas. What a mess. We could not get ahead of the fleas. This was before the flea plus heartworm medication was available. We had to call in an exterminator. One day when the technician was treating our house, I said, “When I get to heaven I’m going to ask God why he created fleas. They can’t possibly serve any pupose.”
To which the technician just smiled and said, “Well ma’am, when I get to heaven, I’m going to thank God for my job.”
 
No vocation is small change in God’s pocket.
 
Taylor goes on to say, “The world is in need of mending and no stitch is too small. It is possible to pick up straw for God, to diaper a baby, or roof a house or sit in a wheelchair and be a friend for the love of God.
 
The important thing is to sense how your life and God’s life are flowing in the same direction…” and if they are not, then set your intentions to “help God mend the world and mend you while you are at it.
 
Until then, if you have to be greedy, be greedy for love. Be greedy for justice, and wisdom, and significance. That way, when it comes time to show God what is in your treasure chest, there won’t be any doubt in either of your minds that, (just like those pies,) you are rich, rich, rich.”*
 
Barbara Brown Taylor. “Treasure Hunt: Luke 12:13-21.” 
 
 
*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   606   Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Lord of abundance, help us who have received so freely from you,
to give as freely in our turn,
and so, have the pleasure of giving
as well as the joy of receiving. Amen.
 
*Hymn    838        Standing On the Promises
 
*Blessing
Go out and imitate God, living in love.
Put your hope in God’s Word
and let your own words be truthful and constructive.
Though sin may stir your anger,
never let anger cause you to sin.
And may God always hear your voice.
May Christ Jesus raise you to new life;
and may the Holy Spirit nourish you for the life of love and grace.  Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
*Call to Worship
God of grace, you have given us minds to know you, and voices to sing your praise.
Fill us with your Spirit,
that we may celebrate your glory
and worship you in Sprit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
*Hymn  14   For the Beauty of the Earth              
 
Prayer of Confession
Holy and merciful God,
in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings,
and our offenses against you.
You alone know how often we have sinned
in wandering from your ways,
in wasting your gifts,
in forgetting your love.
Have mercy on us, O Lord,
for we are sorry for all we have done to displease you.
Forgive our sins,
and help us live in your light,
and walk in your ways,
for the love of Jesus Christ our Savior.
 
Hymn   698   Take, O Take Me As I Am             
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the good news!
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance,
that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,
that we might be dead to sin and alive to all that is good.
I declare to you in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Be at peace.
 
First Scripture Reading   Psalm 85
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading  Luke 11:1-13
Morning Message                     
 
Lord, teach us to pray.
 
Prayer groups, prayer chains, books about prayer, prayer retreats, prayers before meals, prayers before bed, prayers to open sessions of congress and legislature, prayers on the 50 yard line, prayers sung, prayers walking a labyrinth, praying the psalms, praying the church directory, prayers for the world, prayers at times of crisis, prayers for the community, the denomination, for leaders of all sorts and those who have no agency, prayers for safety, for travel, prayers at graduations, prayers at the bedside of a loved one, prayers at the graveside, prayers over newborns, when tears become words, prayers when starting a new job, when leaving home, prayers when establishing a new home, prayers for direction, prayers for pilgrimage to Lourdes or Craoah Patrick or         Prayers of confession, of anguish, when we have failed, when we have been wounded, when someone needs help, prayers for what seems hopeless, prayers of praise and thanksgiving, prayers of confession, for all in need, especially for the suffering, for victims of violence, victims of disaster, prayers for strength and direction and discernment, prayer beads, candles, icons, prayers from great liturgical works, spontaneous prayer.
 
How many of those types of prayers have you experienced? Most of them, I’d guess. They are all effective means of prayer.
 
For many years I met weekly with two members of the church I served. All were invited, but only two regularly showed up at nine o’clock on Monday mornings. Sisters. We prayed the newspaper, we prayed for individuals, we prayed for the church, for all local churches, we prayed for our Jewish neighbors, our Muslim neighbors, our neighbors who seemed to have no use for faith.
 
We started this practice in 2004, right before a presidential election. For the next four years we prayed for the Bushes, then for eight years, we prayed for the Obamas. We prayed to understand the point of view of those who differed from ourselves. We prayed for resolutions to great problems as they emerged. We prayed for peace. We prayed for one another.
 
And then the time came for one to “go up,” as she put it, and we sang her to heaven. And then, my other prayer partner suffered a heart attack and joined her sister. I prayed over her still body in the emergency room at Cabell Huntington Hospital late one Sunday night.  She knew all evening that she was in trouble, but, said nothing, as she was determined to see the latest episode of Downton Abbey with her family, so that would be their last memory.
 
Lord, teach us to pray.
 
Who taught you to pray? Your mother or father? Sunday School teacher?
 
My first memory of prayer came when I was just about a year old. Now, developmental psychologists will tell us that we really don’t retain memories until later in childhood, but, I remember this.
 
I was at my grandmother’s house. I was learning to walk. I saw the colorful flames of a gas space heater in her living room and crawled over to it. Then I tried to pull myself to a standing position grabbing the grate across that heater. My grandmother did not reach me in time.
 
I don’t remember the moment, so much as I remember the pain and then being rushed to my father’s car, my grandmother holding me in her arms, as we sped away to the hospital. A parade going on that day and I remember a policeman leaning into the driver’s window of the car, speaking with my dad, and the sound of a siren. Held close to my grandmother’s heart, I didn’t hear a formal prayer, or even an informal prayer, so much as I felt the urgency, the anguish, and the love of  those who were taking care of me. They didn’t have to speak a word, yet the car was full of petitions to a very present God.  
 
What is the purpose of prayer?
 
Listen to the witness of Mark Skinner, pastor and author.
It’s a very personal, intimate thing, one’s prayer life. Getting started at praying is less like learning how to drive, how to play the banjo, or even how to preach. It is more like learning how to kiss.
 
You learn some by watching others do it. You should be discerning about whom you will allow to teach you. You certainly make mistakes. And maybe you worry  that you might be doing it wrong.
 
When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them about prayer, I don’t think they were asking about technique or method. Nor do I believe the intention was to get Jesus to institute a prayer that Christians could gather round and speak in unison, even though we do adhere to the practice of praying the Lord’s Prayer each and every Sunday. I think it is such an important part of our Christian formation, that I include it in services of marriage and at funerals. Even though members of a variety of denominations will be present at such events, each with their own version of the Lord’s Prayer, it is foundational to all of us. It gives us something in common to left up in celebration or cling to at times of grief and loss.
 
According to Skinner, the request, “Lord, teach us to pray,” comes from the desire to see God’s reign come to full fruition. They believe in the good news of the gospel. They have witnessed lives transformed. The disciples want to know how to be in communion with God. They want to experience the love and close relationship to the One whom Jesus calls, “Father,” or “Abba,” meaning “Daddy.”
 
In this text, Jesus offers us much more than an invitation to imitate his prayer practices. He gives us tools to imagine who God is and how God is in relationship with us.
 
The prayer lifts up several theological claims:
God hears.
God provides.
God forgives.
God protects.
God calls on us to be generous with one another.
Matt Skinner says Jesus urges his followers to be persistent in prayer. This doesn’t mean we need to increase the volume and pray the same things over and over all day. It means that with a God like this the door is always open. An occasion for relationship always exists.
 
Writer Anne Lamott says in her book, Help, Thanks, Wow, “Prayer means that, in some unique way, we believe we’re invited into a relationship with someone who hears us when we speak in silence.”  That day when my dad and grandmother rushed me to the hospital, there was a lot of activity going on between them and God. I believe God heard their prayers, even though they were spoken, or cried out, in silence.
 
Psalm 141 makes this request before God:
May my prayer be set before you as incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”
 
Silent or spoken. In church or on the lakeshore. In a crowd or in solitude. In times of distress or moments of blessed peace.
 
I pray it is so for all of us.
 
*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   606     Doxology  
*Prayer of Dedication
Loving God, having received your grace in the redemption of Christ Jesus,
we live strengthened in the faith, with lives overflowing with gratitude.
From the depths of our hearts, we offer to you the very best we have-time, talent, and treasure.
May our offerings be a sign of our true devotion and thanksgiving. Amen.
 
*Hymn    175   Seek Ye First
               
*Blessing
May the God of peace
make you holy in every way,
and keep your whole being- body, mind and spirit,
free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
 
*Call to Worship                     Psalm 95
O come, let us sing to the Lord!
Shout to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving,
singing joyful songs of praise.
 
*Hymn   1   Holy, Holy, Holy!  Lord God, Almighty!         
 
Prayer of Confession
Mighty and merciful God, you have called us to be your people
and claimed us for the service of Jesus Christ.
We confess that we have not lived up to our calling.
We have been timid and frightened disciples, forgetful of your powerful presence, ignoring the strength of your Spirit among us.
O God, forgive us in our weakness, strengthen us anew, and gift us with everything we need to fulfill our common calling, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
 
*Hymn 698   Take, O Take Me As I Am         
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting.
I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
May the God of mercy, who forgives all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness,
and by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep you in eternal life. Amen.
 
Old Testament Reading       Psalm 103    Pew Bible p.
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
New Testament Reading     Luke 10: 25-37   Pew Bible p.
Morning Message
 
Someone I love is a lawyer. Early on,  the stress of the courtroom, the imposing figure of the judge on the bench, the attorneys on the other side of the courtroom, the fate of her client- all of it depending on how well each attorney presents his or her case, playing by the rules- evoked insurmountable anxiety. A few years into her career as a defense attorney, she changed direction and that seems to suit her better.
And, in a simplified sense, that is what is going on the opening scene of today’s scripture. A learned man-spit-polished and noble, with a spine seemingly made of steel and no compassion in his voice, confronts Jesus.
The man, an expert in Mosaic law, stands up to test Jesus. Like the Pharisees, who were his colleagues, he wants to know if Jesus will use the Torah properly to answer the following question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life? Cite the chapter and verse please.”
But this is Jesus. And this is the gospel of Luke. Anyone expecting or demanding a direct answer is bound to be disappointed.
Jesus employs a different method of engaging this man. The Socratic method: answering a question with another question.
“What is written in the law? What do you read there that might address your question?”
He might also have asked, “What do you think is the answer?”
How many times growing up did I ask my parents’ permission  to do one thing or another, something I knew would challenge their idea of safety or expense or what is an appropriate activity for a teenager.  I could count on getting one of those looks that said,  “You know the answer to that.”
The lawyer responds with the prescribed answer: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus congratulates him on the answer, but, draws him in a little closer and we know, because we’ve heard the story so many times, that Jesus wants more. He wants all of us, as the scriptures say.
“Do this and you will live.”
And the man takes the bait. After all, he has a reputation to maintain.
“Who is my neighbor?”
Then Jesus begins to tell stories, and his stories are always packed full of meaning and this one doesn’t disappoint.
Jesus puts his new lawyer friend in the story so he can’t miss the point. When our grandson was here a few weeks ago, we entertained him for hours showing him all the videos of him-from birth on-that were saved in my phone. A day or so later, he climbed up on our bed and said, “Fifif, let’s whatch videos of me.”
I’m not sure the man in our story would really want to watch videos of himself. But this is how Jesus tells the story:
Two experts in the law walk by a man lying by the side of the road, beaten within an inch of his life. They know the commandments: to love God and neighbor. They memorized those verses as kids. But, even though they know them by heart,  they don’t stop to help the man in need. No, they pass by on the other side.
But then a third traveler comes by, and seeing the injured man, shows hospitality and kindness and mercy- all in generous measure. 
You know this- Jews and Samaritans had been at enmity for generations. Jews believed Samaritans were infidels.  And yet, in Jesus’ story, who does the right thing? The Samaritan. The unlikely one. The one who is the theological enemy of the Jewish lawyer.
But listen to this twist of a response: “The one who showed him mercy.” It is the motive of the Samaritan’s ministrations that hit their mark with the lawyer. And we know, this is a matter of the heart.
How many of your hearts were broken Monday when you heard the news of the sniper attack in Highland Park, Illinois?
I couldn’t bear to watch the news coverage but I couldn’t walk away from it. Where are the helpers, as Mr. Rogers would ask. Who is taking care of the people who abandoned those lawn chairs and purses and hats and baby strollers?
Dear God, why? Why must innocent people die in such a savage, senseless way?
And then the stories started coming in about the victims. And then there were stories about the first responders…and the fellow by-standers, the neighbors, the merchants, the regular folk like you and me. A well-loved Highland Park tradition, one that was sheer frivolity with bands and fire engines and floats and candy tosses.
What could go wrong? Everything.
The next morning, I saw a couple being interviewed who had been at the parade. They were not injured. A young man came running up to them, thrusting his baby in their arms. Will you watch him? My wife was hit and I need to check on her. They exchanged phone numbers and the little boy stayed in the home and the arms of perfect strangers for hours. The mother survived.
And then there was the couple that shielded their two-year-old son with their own bodies, literally laying down their lives for their child.
There was no time for debate or consultation or background checking ar anything else but the will to survive and trust. An uncommon amount of immediate action that saved the lives of some while ending the lives of others.
There were other similar violent scenes all around the country last week. Late Thursday night we heard that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had been shot. In the morning we learned he had died.
Who will be neighbor to the Japanese?
Much closer home, we had a tragic event in our neighborhood. The beloved dog of one of our families attacked the beloved dog of another family while walking around the block. The dog died.
We know who the neighbors are. But how do we show mercy in this terrible circumstance? What is the most merciful thing we can do? And are we to judge who receives mercy?
 
 
*Affirmation of Faith        The Apostles’ Creed     p. 35
* Hymn   580    Gloria Patri
 
Service of Ordination and Installation
   Through the voice of the church, God has called the following members to ordained
    and active service:
    Harold Bias, Betty Dennison, Tim Moore, and Judy Napier
 
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
Offertory
*Hymn  606  Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Blessed are you, O God of all creation; through your goodness, we have these gifts to share.
Accept and use our offerings for your glory and for the service of your church.  Amen.
 
*Hymn    187   Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
 
*Blessing
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.    Alleluia! Amen.
 
*Postlude 

Click here to download printable PDF for July 3, 2022​​

Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
*Call to Worship     A Litany for Independence Day
 
As we remember the birth of our nation, and the gifts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, let us offer our thanks and prayers to God, giver of all good things.
For the women, men, and children who braved the long journey by sea to come to this new world.
For the tribes and nations who inhabited this land for generation upon generation.
For patriots who dreamed of, and labored for, a free nation.
For the men and women who laid the foundations of our democracy, and who pledged liberty and justice for all.
For those who built this country brick by brick, road by road, and town by town.
For the brave soldiers who have left hearth and home to serve our country, for all who paid for our freedom with their very lives.
For the innovators and artists, poets and teachers, farmers and factory workers, for all who labor and provide for the common good. For those who protect our community in emergencies and for all who work to restore order.
For the exquisite beauty of this land, with its peaks and valleys, coasts and deserts, fields and meadows.
For our own community, for those who came before us in this place, and for our neighbors near and far.
Lord, we pray for these United States, that we might always be a nation which defends and promotes liberty and freedom, truth and justice.
That we might always be a nation where all are free to worship and pray.
That we might be a beacon of freedom to all those who live under the shadow of terror and hopelessness.
That those who are elected to govern and lead would look to you for wisdom and guidance, and carefully guard the public trust. That we would be a people who repent from our sins, and who always return to you and to your ways.
Gracious God, Father of all the nations, bless and defend us and our land, prosper the work of our hands, and increase in us your courage, grace and compassion.
Hear our prayer, O Lord, our rock and our salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
*Hymn  338  O Beautiful for Spacious Skies  
 
Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo.
Forgive what our lips fear to tremble to name,
what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment.
Set us free from a past we cannot change,
open to us a future in which can be changed,
and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image,
through Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Lord. Amen.
 
*Hymn  698   Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Declaration of Forgiveness
Hear the good news!
Who is in a position to condemn?
Only Christ,
and Christ died for us,
Christ rose for us,
Christ reigns in power for us,
Christ prays for us.
Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
The old life is gone and a new life has begun.
Friends, believe the good news of the gospel:
in Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven. Alleluia! Amen.
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Scripture Reading   Isaiah 58:1-12
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  606    Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Almighty and merciful God, from whom comes all that is good,
we praise you for your mercies, for your goodness that has created us,
your grace that sustains us,
the discipline that corrects us,
your patience that has borne with us,
and your love that has redeemed us.
Receive our gifts, offered in humility and gratitude, that the world may know, love and serve you. We give in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
*Hymn  8    Eternal Father, Strong to Save
 
*Blessing
Go out into the world in peace;
have courage;
hold onto what is good;
return no one evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak and help the suffering;
honor all people;
love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 
*Postlude 

Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
 
*Call to Worship
We worship the God who inhabits our world and indwells our lives.
We need not look up to find God…
we need only to look around…
within ourselves…
beyond ourselves…
into the eyes of another.
We need not listen for a distant thunder to find God…
we need only to listen to the music of life…the words of children, the questions of the curious, the rhythm of the heartbeat.
Let us worship the God who inhabits our world and indwells our lives.
 
*Hymn 39   Great Is Thy Faithfulness   
 
Prayer of Confession
God, you know us better than we know ourselves.
You know our thoughts,
our weaknesses,
our sins,
and you love us still.
Forgive us when we don’t believe such love is true or possible,
when we wonder how you could love us just as we are,
When we forget our intricate instruction,
that we are fearfully and wonderfully made…in your image!
Remove from our minds every thought that keeps us from you.
Break down the walls,
push aside the pride,
and help us trust anew.
You know our hearts and you love us still. Amen.
 
*Hymn  Take, O Take Me As I Am   698     
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
Nothing is impossible with God.
There is no place you can go,
no end of the earth to which you can run.
There is nothing on earth or beyond death
that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You are forgiven and freed to live in God’s infinite love, grace, and peace.
 
Scripture Reading   Lamentations 3:23-33     
 
Moments With Our Young Disciples
 
Scripture Reading      Mark 5:21-43    
Morning Message
 
Sometimes I hit a mental block when preparing for worship and preaching. Because I follow the three-year lectionary cycle, I usually avoid that problem. But, sometimes, things happen that make me doubt my plans. I have occasionally confessed this to my kids, and they are so helpful. “Hymn sing, Mom! Hymn sing!”  If only it were that easy.
 
That’s where I found myself this week.   Mark introduces us to two beautiful healing stories. They reflect life in Jesus’ day, which I can usually work around. But, sometimes, it just hits too close to home and I hesitate to go there.
 
In our Mark text, Jesus is summoned to the home of Jairus. Jairus is an important man. He has social status. He has status in the religious community. He is wealthy. On this day, his daughter was very sick, close to death. He calls for Jesus to come. But, before Jesus can make his way to her, a woman who had suffered an illness for twelve years, approaches him. This woman has suffered physical and emotional pain. She has been isolated from her loved ones. She could not go about the town or go to the market, or even serve her family, because, in that day, she was considered unclean. To interact with her would render others unclean, too. Twelve years she endured this.
 
It has never occurred to me to ask this question, but, influenced by current events, it just churns within me. Did women and girls have no right to personal privacy in Jesus’ day? How and why and what kind of mechanism was used to keep track of a woman’s personal calendar? Why was this a public matter? Would we tolerate it today?
 
Which was more important- living a full life, filled with family, love, and grace- or being controlled by a system of ritual purity that excluded woman and girls from human interaction for at least one half of every month during their child-bearing years?
 
There’s a gospel song that goes, “Give Me that Old Time Religion, it’s good enough for me.” I say, “ No, thanks!”  I, for one, would not want to return to those old-time religious practices. 
 
This woman has lost a lot, but the one thing that can’t be taken from her, is her belief and trust in the power of Jesus. If only she could touch a little bit of his robe, just a little bit of Jesus- she would be healed. She could resume her life. But, could Jesus? If she touched Jesus, even the hem of his robe, Jesus would be rendered unclean, too. He would have to submit to the purity rituals.
 
This woman acted at great risk. She didn’t announce herself. Jesus did not seek her out. We don’t even know if Jesus was at all aware of her before she touched him. But, Jesus felt the power “go out” from him. When she was identified, she poured out her whole story and Jesus gives her his blessing, saying her faith had made her well. Note: Jesus does not order her to the priests, he did not send her to the ritual baths, and he didn’t go there himself.
 
By the time Jesus has finished his encounter with this woman, report came that the daughter of Jairus had died. Or so they thought. But, Jairus persisted and so did Jesus. Upon entering the place where she lay, Jesus stretched out his hand and simply says, “Talitha cum.” “Little girl, or more precisely, “little lamb,” get up!” And to the others, he says, “Give her something to eat.” Dying bodies have no need for food. Only the living. She would live.
 
These are dramatic stories. Miraculous stories of the power of Jesus to heal, to restore. In each case, we are to believe that the faith and trust of those in need had affected their healing. OK. But, what about the other millions of faithful believers who have stood in need of a miracle themselves and a miracle did not come?  What about their faith? Is it defective?
 
Of course not. Sometimes Jesus restores the health of the sick. But, sometimes this does not happen. Or, at least, we can’t see any of the normal signs of healing. But, that doesn’t mean that we can’t be made whole, at peace with God, placing ourselves fully into God’s care.
 
Here’s where our Matthew text comes thru for us. He urges:
“Come to me, all you who are heavy-burdened, 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
 
A yoke is a device that is applied to two beasts of burden so that they move together- at the same pace and in the same direction. If one stops to drink, it’s safe to assume, the other also drinks. If one stops to rest, the other does the same.
 
This is how close Jesus is to us. We do not carry our burden alone. We are yoked to Jesus who helps us carry that heavy load.
 
Ed and I have been walking at the mall while this heat wave has visited us. On Friday, we ran into a friend who has suffered greatly over the years.  But, here she was, strolling two of her three youngest grandchildren, the first girls born into the family in three generations. She was not suffering. She was glowing. Healing and wholeness come in ways we cannot imagine or predict.
 
I know you probably hear way too much about my grandchildren, but, they do provide good sermon material. Tad, the younger one, was recently sick. It started out as restlessness and crying in the night. His parents would comfort him and return him to his bed. After a day or two, a fever developed and then an earache. A visit to the doctor was in order. Ear infection, sinus infection, and tonsillitis. Two kinds of antibiotics. And a lot of TLC.  Tad still hurts and the medicine upsets his stomach, and he can’t go the neighborhood pool, which he loves. But, just being in the presence or the lap of Mommy or Daddy is all the reassurance Tad needs. He feels better the closer he is to them.
 
I am aware of some of your burdens. I am aware of the burdens some of you carry for others. Mother Teresa used to say, there is always someone to pray for and there’s always a front step to sweep. It is always appropriate to seek God’s healing and wholeness- for ourselves and all those experiencing brokenness.
 
When we hear news of tragedy, someone always asks, “Where was God?” God was with his child, no matter the age or condition, and God was the first to shed a tear at the loss of life.
 
It would be great if we could wake up tomorrow, blissfully unaware of the problems we may run into as the day unfolds, and think, “This might just be the best day ever!”
 
But, in case it’s not, let me offer this prayer for all of us:
Lord, I want to be made well.
I reach for the hem of your garment,
and there I find those who clothe me with love,
and deep listening,
and encouragement,
and wisdom,
and gentle correction,
just as you would.
I ask for your hands on me
and I get hugs,
and emails,
and texts with GIFs,
and prayers said on my behalf,
as if they had come directly from you.
Though others take me by the hand
and feed me spiritual and physical food
that revives my soul and body.
out of the abundance of the health you offer.
May I share your peace widely.    Laura Stephens-Reed
 
 
 
*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 Gifts of Tithe and Offering
Offertory
*Hymn    606     Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
 
*Hymn  443   There Is a Redeemer
 
*Blessing
Go now, with your hope set on Jesus Christ.
Let the Spirit guide you.
Let your righteousness shine like the sun until darkness and light are one.
And wherever you go,
whether you scale the highest heavens or plunge to the depths,
may God’s presence be known to you,
may Christ Jesus welcome you into his embrace,
and may the Spirit assure you that you are loved.
 
*Postlude