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December 27, 2020 Worship Services God is With Us By Melody  Oltmann

12/27/2020

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 December 27, 2020

The mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Le Claire is to continue to be a warm and welcoming church that actively shows the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

GREETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
  
Moment of Silence to Prepare Our Hearts for Worship  
We lift our praise to you, O Lord. 
 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,  so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters.
 
Away in the Manger      CCLI 11259100

1 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
2 The cattle are lowing, the poor Baby wakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.

3 Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there.
Call to Worship
K: What great joy we have all been given
Pastor Melody: Our Lord has come!
K: We continue our journey of faith together,
M: With our doubts, our questions and God’s amazing grace.
K: May our minds believe in things seen and unseen, and our hearts love always.
M: Hallelujah! Emmanuel. Christ is here
K: Hallelujah! Emmanuel. God is with us.
 
What Child is This          CCLI 11259100

1 What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

 
2 Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.

This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

 

3 So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come one and all, to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

 
Prayer of Confession
Patient God, we all question. We all doubt. We all wonder. Yet, You do not. Your love for us never wavers as You wait for us to believe in the unseen as well as the seen. Forgive us when our stubbornness and our egos get in the way of our ability to serve our neighbor and the stranger; when we judge others; and when we forget to walk with You. Have mercy on us as we confess our personal sins silently (time for silent prayer). . . In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Friends, hear and believe this good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.  Amen. Amen.  Amen.  Amen.  Amen.  Amen.  Amen.
 
Prayer of Illumination
P:   Holy God, let us to hear and to know your love as we hear your word. Amen.
 
Galatians 4:4-7
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
 
Gospel Reading Matthew 2:1-12
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.
At about that time some astrologers from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,  “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in far-off eastern lands and have come to worship him.”
 King Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, and all Jerusalem was filled with rumors.  He called a meeting of the Jewish religious leaders.
“Did the prophets tell us where the Messiah would be born?” he asked.
 “Yes, in Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet Micah wrote:
 ‘O little town of Bethlehem, you are not just an unimportant Judean village, for a Governor shall rise from you to rule my people Israel.’”
 Then Herod sent a private message to the astrologers, asking them to come to see him; at this meeting he found out from them the exact time when they first saw the star. Then he told them,  “Go to Bethlehem and search for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too!”
 After this interview the astrologers started out again. And look! The star appeared to them again, standing over Bethlehem.  Their joy knew no bounds!
 Entering the house where the baby and Mary, his mother, were, they threw themselves down before him, worshiping. Then they opened their presents and gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  But when they returned to their own land, they didn’t go through Jerusalem to report to Herod, for God had warned them in a dream to go home another way.
 
Meditation      God is With Us
Good morning Happy Epiphany and welcome to 2021. Or rather I should say, happy belated Epiphany, or welcome to the season of Epiphany. Epiphany is both a day and a season. Epiphany is a day the church celebrates every year on January 6th. Put in historical perspective, Epiphany is the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. So, we start Epiphany with the Wise Men visiting Christ guided by the light of a star to give him gifts. The themes of gifts and light continue through the Epiphany season. The season of Epiphany lasts until the beginning of Lent at the end of February.


For most people Epiphany means one thing. Christmas is over. Take down the Christmas tree and the lights. Polish off the leftover rejected Christmas cookies. Pack up the gifts and hunker down until Easter.


Christmas was a great day. It was Jesus’ birthday and since we are the body of Christ, it was our birthday too. Christ was offered as a gift to us at Christmas. But instead of wrapping paper, he was wrapped in flesh so that he might be light of the world. On Christmas we celebrated four simple words. God is with us. But now that Christmas is over, the big question we ask is now what? We have this newborn baby Jesus. What are we going to do with him? This is a question of newborn parents and Christians alike. Now what? This is the question of that Epiphany. This is the question that drove the wise men to risk seeking and finding Christ.


Whenever I think of the Wise Men, I always think of the plastic nativity figures I played with as a child. Growing up, my family had a strange way of celebrating Epiphany. During Christmas my parents would put the Wise Men from our nativity scene in the cupboard. As it got closer and closer to Epiphany the Wise Men would journey from the cupboard to the Nativity. On the day of Epiphany my mom would put the Wise Men in their place at the nativity scene. Following the star from the cupboard, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar brought their tiny plastic gifts. I would then play with all the nativity figures. Now that the set was complete, I had Mary and Joseph go on vacation while my Huckleberry Hound action figure worked together with the Wise Men to babysit Jesus. Huckleberry Hound was the coolest baby sitter ever and did an incredible job protecting the manger.


Now as far as I know the Wise Men didn’t actually baby-sit Jesus, but I still like the image. There is actually a joke that says that if the Wise Men were wise women, they would have babysat Jesus. They would have asked for directions and arrived on time and they would have cooked him a casserole.


But the Wise Men did what they could. I mean what do you get the son of God for his birthday anyway? They didn’t give him tiny plastic gifts like in my nativity scene.


When I was a church youth group leader back in my college days, I asked a group of seventh graders what three gifts the Wise Men gave Jesus. One raised his hand and correctly shouted out gold. There was another few seconds before one of the girls murmured something about Frankenstein. Then there was a pause before a boy named Noah confidently said muuurder! So close. Noah was closer than he realized. The Wise Men’s gifts were symbols: gold for a king, frankincense was incense for a priest, and myrrh for a burial. Jesus like every child ever born would eventually die…. Bringing myrrh to the manger is like someone bringing a casket to a baby shower. Noah actually got it right. Murder. God is with us, but Jesus was born so that he might be murdered. This sounds pretty grim. But for us as followers and disciples of Christ, the cross is the place of ultimate victory. For us the empty tomb of Easter morning, show that the power of death and evil has been broken. Even here in the manger we have signs that Jesus will die on behalf of our sins.

So the Wise Men on coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. In this moment they realize that the real gift is Christ—God with us. In this moment they encounter something completely other than themselves and they are changed by it. When they meet this tiny little baby, it changes their lives and they become some of the first disciples. They are no longer interested in the motives of Herod, or their own motives. Their experience with Christ changes their dreams and the paths they decide to take. They simply give what they have and bow down. They find the God they have journeyed to find has been pursuing them all along.


As we begin a new year, I wonder what we are following. How many of you out there have made a new year’s resolution? And how many of those resolutions involve becoming a better person? Whether it is losing weight, exercising more, getting out of debt, and volunteering more. What course are you pursuing? What are your hearts set on? What is your motivation? Are we seeking something for ourselves, or are we seeking God? How will we experience Christ in the year ahead?


In the words of the hymn: What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part. Yet what I can I give him–give my heart.
The privilege of the wise men can be ours, and we don’t have to go on a long journey. We simply need to risk being changed and challenged by God. Christmas is over, but God is still with us. If the lesson of Christmas is that God is with us, then the lesson of Epiphany is that God continues to seek us out and watch after us.
These Wise Men show us that the response to the revelation of Jesus, is one of worship and one of faith. We return home from church each week, from our encounter with Jesus. We too have been touched by God. We too have a message for others, and it is this: God is not far off. In all our sorrows, in all our temptations, sufferings, difficulties, and joys, God is with us – even when we stray far from Him. It is God who is searching for us, leading us onward, drawing us to Himself. That is the message we have to proclaim. That is the gospel, the good news.
 
 
Joy to the World            CCLI 11259100

1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come:
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.
2 Joy to the world, the Savior reigns:
Let us our songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.


3 No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
 
4 He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Let us pray.
The Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer
 
O Come all Ye Faithful            CCLI 11259100

1 O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him,
Born the King of angels!


O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord!
2 Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing!

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord!

 
3 Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation!
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all
Glory in the highest!

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord!
 
Passing the Peace
L: Since God has forgiven us in Jesus Christ, let us forgive one another.  The peace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  Let us pass the peace of Christ to one another.
Benediction
 
PRAYER REQUESTS Pray for these:  our members and friends in nursing homes, all veterans, service men & women & their families; all who have been sentenced to life without parole; all fire, law enforcement, & EMS personnel; June L; Pat and Jim Collins; Kaye Hale; Phyllis Dearing; Jessie Borgman; Sandy Miller; Tom Bloomingdale; Donna Luchman; Sue and Steve Rodgers; Jan and Kirk Barkdoll; Sally Hackett; Gary Martin, L.C. Chamberlin, Paul Glispie; Pryce Boeye; Ken Stinson; Betty Penry’s daughter, Amy; Wes and Joyce’s daughter, Anna; Marilyn’s son, Brad; Marilyn’s daughter, Candy; Jan’s and Kirk’s daughter, Amber; Chris’ and Colleen’s aunt, Joan Tabor; Debbie Smith’s brother, Tom; Kari Long; Randy Goslin; Mary Ahlgren’s family on her death; Mission Starfish, Haiti. 
 ​
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December 24, 2020 Worship Services A Living Example By Melody  Oltmann

12/24/2020

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December 24, 2020
The mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Le Claire is to continue to be a warm and welcoming church that actively shows the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
  GREETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Glory to God! Christ is born!
A Moment of Silence to Prepare Our Hearts for Worship  
 
O Come, All Ye Faithful     vs 3   
3 Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation!
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all
Glory in the highest!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord!

Call to Worship   
L: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.” We wonder at the Light who shines in the darkness;
P: we wonder at the new light that transforms us.
L: Christ has come, and God's Word is present to us in a new way. 
P: we wonder at the new light that transforms us. 
L: We wonder at God's Light, present since before the beginning, yet ever new.
P: We marvel at the new things that God has done.
L: Tonight we light the Christ candle; and we wonder at the miracle and mystery of God at work among us.
P: Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”
L: We wonder at Emmanuel, the Light who transforms us.
P: Alleluia! Praise God!
 
 O Come, All Ye Faithful     vs 1  
1 O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him,
Born the King of angels!
 
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord!
 
The First Lesson: 
Adam and Eve disrupt the goodness of creation
When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
“Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Then the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust, as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
And to the man, God said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow, you will have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

Prayer of Confession:
Mighty God, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, you created us to be reflections of your glory. When we fell short, you held our hands and walked with us out of the garden into all the corners of the earth. Always, you light our way. Again, and again, you called us out of darkness, to be people of light. And now, you have sent your Son, Christ Jesus, the light of the world. Through Him we have been forgiven. We praise you and rejoice with all Creation! Thanks be to God!
 
The Second Lesson: God’s covenant with Abraham
 Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! You will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations; and kings will be among them. I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants; from generation to generation.” 

 O Come, O Come Emmanuel
1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

The Third Lesson:   Isaiah 9       The promise of the Messiah
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
1 It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold;
"Peace on the earth, good will to all,
From heaven's all gracious King":
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.
 
The Fourth Lesson:          The Messiah will come from the root of Jesse
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot - yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will not judge by appearance; nor, make a decision based on hearsay.
He will give justice to the poor, and; make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.  In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.  The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.  The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.
Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with     people who know the LORD. 
 
O Little Town of Bethlehem
1 O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
 
The Fifth Lesson:  Luke 1       An angel appears to Mary
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.  
 
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing  
 1 Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King.
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
 
Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer

 
The Sixth Lesson:   Luke 2      travel to Bethlehem, where Mary gives birth 
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.  And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Away in a Manger
1 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
 
The Seventh Lesson:       Angels announce the birth of the Messiah
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”  When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. ”They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  
 
Angels We Have Heard on High
1 Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo;
Gloria, in excelsis Deo.
 
EIGHTH LESSON:  John 1:1-14    The Word of God becomes flesh and lives among us
In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.
God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
So, the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
 
Silent Night, Holy Night
1 Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon virgin mother and Child!
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
 
 
 
Message                      A Living Example
 
This evening we heard about times when God’s people turned from God. God told Adam and Eve how to live, what to do and what not to do. God walked in the garden with them; but they chose to say no to God. They sinned and they left the garden. Centuries later, God gave a covenant to Abraham, saying “You will be my people and I will be your God.” Moses received the Ten Commandments: A written word, specific directions - yet, the people sinned. They chose other gods.
We heard how God was faithful in caring for God’s people. There were covenants – God’s promises that God would not abandon His people. There were prophets who foretold what was to come and how the people could re-turn, turn back to God. With each covenant, with calls from prophets, a little light was added to the world. That’s why we lit a candle after every reading. To show that God was and is present; is light and hope in our lives. Yet, the people were in darkness; often they chose to stay in darkness, because mostly they were self-centered; they were lazy and thoughtless, drifting back to their old ways.
Always there were a faithful few. They were hopeful; they remembered God’s promises; especially the promise to King David, that a Messiah would come, to save the world. Isaiah’s words about a bright light and, a virgin giving birth, were words of hope and a better tomorrow. The faithful understood what the prophets said, “Do not be afraid. Trust in God. Times of prosperity, peace and justice will come to those who trust in and wait on the Lord.” But, because kings chose not to trust God, the majority of people continue to be afraid and full of despair. They longed for freedom from fear, doubt and oppression. Rather than hearing and believing this good news from Isaiah and other prophets, they turned to other gods; they lost their way and they were conquered.
Centuries later, this message from Isaiah also announces the birth of Jesus Christ. In Isaiah’s time, the birth of the child was a sign to trust in God. When Jesus was born, Jesus was not just a sign, saying trust in God. Jesus is God on earth; God here on earth, to tell us we can trust God, we can love and hope because God is with us.
When Jesus was born, the Jews were again living in a dark time, oppressed by Rome and Herod. They suffered high taxes, religious persecution, illness and early death. Today, we also seem to be living in a dark time – Covid-19, causing many illnesses and deaths; we have financial woes, racial injustice, hunger and homelessness. The Jews wanted a savior to ride in on a great horse - to save and restore their power. Often, we want someone to fix our problems - a new president and congress, a stable financial picture, miracle drugs to cure disease, racial equality without doing the work, and homes, food for those in need. 
God’s answer was shocking then; and, it is shocking now! God’s answer is a newborn baby, a living example of love, grace and new life. Kings past and present were not impressed - a newborn baby is weak and helpless. The kings missed God’s message. What about us? Do we miss God’s message? Only God, creator, sustainer and redeemer, can give new life. We see how God creates new life, new covenant new hopes throughout Biblical history. When we look closely, we even see how God has created new life in us! I certainly have seen new life, new ideas, growth and understanding of love and forgiveness in my life and in the lives around me. One theologian asks, “What is a more fitting sign of God’s love than creation of new life, even in the midst of a broken world? It is no wonder this new baby is named . . . . Jesus - which means . . . . Yahweh saves (God saves). . . . God’s sign of love for the world is now God’s own Son, born so the world will be saved” (Feasting on the Word, Year B, Vol. 1, Tanner, p. 101).
Jesus is the light for the dark world, for the dark times in which we live. Yet, I would be lying to say that there is no darkness since Jesus was born. The world is dark and troubled. We experience illness, loneliness and heartache. We know people who are struggling physically, financially or emotionally. We hear about those who are starving, mistreated and oppressed. Yes, the world is dark and in need of light and hope. Jesus is the Light and The Way to new life for all of us.
Yet, Jesus did not come to force, demand or coerce His Way. He did not come with power and might, on a great stallion, to CHANGE THE WORLD in an instant. Rather, Jesus came to show us God’s love. Jesus came to show us a new way to live; a way of gentleness, hope and love. When we say yes to Jesus, we are given new life; we are given a new way to live.
God promised a new covenant written on our hearts. God promised a light to shine in the darkness; His holy presence in our lives. Jesus shows us in word and action, how to love, how to live. As we live and love like Jesus, we are changed. We become the LIGHT for the dark world. Our new way of interacting with others shines God’s light on the world. With the presence of the Holy Spirit, we share God’s love with others.
When I was eleven, my parents bought a building in downtown Monticello for their flower shop. It had been empty for several years and needed a good cleaning. Dad sent us four kids downstairs to play, while he and Mom cleaned the main floor. There wasn’t much to do downstairs . . . until we found the old coal room, complete with coal, a coal shoot, and a swinging half door. Soon, we were having all sorts of fun in that black, sooty powder. It was everywhere, on our clothes, on our faces and in our hair! Then, before we knew it, Dad called us upstairs.
The minute we saw him, and he saw us, his dismay and anger were apparent. He said, “I was going to take you out to eat, but you are filthy! Why did you get so dirty?” When we tried to tell him about our fun, he wasn’t really interested - if you know what I mean! He lined us up by the tiny bathroom and washed us the best he could. Then we went home to peanut butter sandwiches. The next day, we returned to the shop, this time with books, toys and rules about staying out of the coal room!
At the end of the day, we were mostly clean; and we went to the A&W for root beer and cheeseburgers!
Dad showed us how to rightly play in the basement of that store. Dad showed us forgiveness and compassion; we were given another chance.
That is why God came to earth - to SHOW us how to live, how to love. There is still darkness in the world; but it is less dark now. God’s light is shining and it is glowing brighter and brighter, as we, with God’s help, become new creations. As we experience God’s love, mercy and compassion, we are able to share this with others. We change; we become more loving; we forgive more easily and we change the world.
Tonight, and from this point on, let us hear, let us fully receive again the Good News - for a child has been born for us - a son given to us. Authority rests on his shoulders and he is named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually and there shall be endless peace.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.
 
Holy Communion
Before Jesus was his mother. 
Before supper
in the upper room,
breakfast in the barn.
 
Before the Passover Feast,
a feeding trough.
And here, the altar of Earth, fair linens of hay and seed.
 
Before his cry,
her cry.
Before his sweat of blood,
Her bleeding; and tears.
Before his offering, hers.
 
Before the breaking of bread and death,
the breaking of her body, in birth.
 
Before the offering of the cup,
the offering of her breast.
Before his blood, her blood.
And by her body, and blood alone,
his body and blood and whole human being.
 
The wise ones knelt
to hear the woman’s word in wonder.
 
Holding up her sacred child,
God, in the form of a babe,
she said: “Receive and let
your hearts be healed; and your lives be filled with love,
for … This is my body,  This is my blood.”
 Alla Renee Bozarth in Life Prayers:365 Prayers, Blessings and Affirmations to Celebrate the Human Journey. Edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon © 1996 Harper
 
Joy to the World!
1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come:
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.
 
Charge and Blessing
Tonight, rejoice, for unto a child is born and He is the Savior of creation. Now may this amazing love of God be with you, be with your family and be with all who are our family. And all God’s people say….
People:  Alleluia, Amen.
 ​
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December 13, 2020 Worship Services The Birth of Our Savior – The Hope of Christ  presented in a new way, one way of the 2020 pandemic By Melody  Oltmann

12/13/2020

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December 06, 2020 Worship Services The Peace of Christ  By Melody  Oltmann

12/6/2020

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November 29, 2020 Worship Services God’s long range plan of love  By Melody  Oltmann

11/29/2020

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SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
November 29, 2020
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
 Due to Covid Numbers on the rise we are currently closed until further notice  
Moment of Silence to Prepare Our Hearts for Worship   
Worship - We lift our praise to you, O Lord.

Wait for the Lord   (sing twice)    
Wait for the Lord, his day is near.
Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart. 
 
Opening Prayer 
Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, your world awaits you. The persecuted wait, longing for your justice. The poor wait, longing for prosperity. The hungry wait, longing food. We all wait, longing for your love, your peace and your joy. O come, Lord, liberator of humanity. O come, O come, Immanuel. Amen.
 
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, verses 1&3    CCLI 11259100    

1 Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
 
3 Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

Lighting the Advent wreath
M: This year, we are looking at Advent as a journey; not exactly a trip to a different place.
K: Rather, we are on a spiritual journey; 
M: to be refreshed, restored and ready, for Christmas, for Emmanuel’s birth,
K: for Jesus, and for all that His birth, life, death and resurrection means. 
M: The Advent wreath is a circle with no beginning and no end. It is a symbol of God’s unending love and faithfulness.
K: Isaiah, the prophet calls us to prepare for the coming of Jesus, by making straight all that is crooked: 
M: Isaiah said, “The Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
K: We love because God first loved us. We see Jesus and we know the love of God. 
M: Help us to be ready to welcome you again, O God!
K: We rejoice because our hope is in Jesus, Prince of Peace, King of King, Lover of our souls.  
  
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, verse 1         CCLI 11259100    
1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Confession & Pardon
P: God of love and kindness, you have promised to renew our lives.  We admit often we are unwilling to see that you have always been here. Forgive our blindness and our impatience. Hear us now as we confess our personal sins silently (time for silent prayer). . .  Have mercy on us.  Open our eyes and our hearts that we may be witnesses to your love; that we see your love and share your love. Help us to see you, wherever you are present in the world and whenever you are present in others. In Jesus’ name,  amen.
 
Confession Response: O Little Town of Bethlehem vs 4         CCLI 11259100    
4 O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel
 
ASSURANCE OF PARDON:                   
L: In God’s love and mercy, we are given each new day to love and serve.
In the name of Christ, you are forgiven.           P: Thanks be to God!
 
Glory to the Father                                        
Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.  Amen. Amen.  Amen.  Amen.  Amen.  Amen.  Amen.
Let us pray: God of patience and peace, as John the Baptizer called the people to repentance, so you call us to new life in your Spirit. Help us wait for your promised coming, with faithful listening to your word. Amen.
 
Scripture: Luke 1, selected verses   The Message         
When Herod ruled Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. His wife was Elizabeth. Zechariah and Elizabeth were both good people who pleased God. They did everything the Lord commanded, always following his instructions completely.  But they had no children. Elizabeth could not have a baby, and both of them were very old.  The priests always chose one priest to offer the incense, and Zechariah was the one chosen this time. So he went into the Temple of the Lord to offer the incense. On the right side of the incense table, an angel of the Lord came and stood before Zechariah. When he saw the angel, Zechariah was upset and very afraid.  But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been heard by God. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy; and you will name him John. Even before he is born, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. John will help many people of Israel return to the Lord their God.  John himself will go ahead of the Lord and make people ready for his coming.

O Come, All Ye Faithful, verse 2                  CCLI 11259100    
2 Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord!
 
Scripture    The Gospel, according to Mark 1:1-8 
Here begins the wonderful story of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.
In the book written by the prophet Isaiah, God announced that he would send his Son to earth, and that a special messenger would arrive first to prepare the world for his coming.
 “This messenger will live out in the barren wilderness,” Isaiah said, “and will proclaim that everyone must straighten out his life to be ready for the Lord’s arrival.”*
 This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and taught that all should be baptized as a public announcement of their decision to turn their backs on sin, so that God could forgive them.  People from Jerusalem and from all over Judea traveled out into the Judean wastelands to see and hear John, and when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from camel’s hair and he wore a leather belt; locusts and wild honey were his food.  Here is a sample of his preaching:
“Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am, so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave.  I baptize you with water[e] but he will baptize you with God’s Holy Spirit!”*
 
Devotion          God’s  long range plan of love                              Kirk 
 
A preacher once played his clarinet right before his sermon was about to start. The piece was pretty involved and needed a lot of breath on the preacher’s side. When he was about to start the sermon, he said that he needed to catch his breath. The congregation smiled. Next, he started his sermon with the words: Advent is a time to catch your breath, isn’t it?

My family calls me the Elf, because there is no season more filled with hope and love than Christmas. But as I have gotten older, and I get more tired, every Christmas season is different for me. Some years I can’t wait to put up all the Christmas decorations. Some years I don’t really feel like Christmas till later.

Advent is a time of waiting and preparing for the big event that we will be celebrating in a few weeks. It is a darker time of the year when we light candles and decorate our houses with artificial lights to make the season bright. It could be a season of new beginnings when we follow the star that will lead us to Bethlehem.

Mark’s gospel starts with the words the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. It reminds us that just as in the beginning the world was created by God. God also had a plan to change our lives for the better His long-range plan of Love..

Like the people in second Peter we might be worried whether all that waiting will be finally brought to a good end.

Jesus assures us that it will. If you don’t believe it, remember the story of John the Baptist in the wilderness. People came to him out of desperation and returned to their homes refreshed and renewed.

Jesus promises a greater gift yet. The Holy Spirit will come to us in the life and death of the Christ child.

Thinking of all the hustle and bustle of the season I think it is good for us to find some quiet place near the river where John the Baptist again can remind us of the great gift we have been given in Jesus Christ. Thinking of John the Baptist I think of a long pointed stick that teachers used to use before the age of computers to point something out on a map or a blackboard. John the Baptist is like that, he points away from himself to Christ. How do we live this advent? Do our actions point others to Christ?

How do we proclaim the Good News. One translation reads Good News - this is the victory of Jesus the Christ. It is not our victory but his. With John the Baptist we are invited to point to Christ’s victory. Those words can point someone who has lost hope into a new direction. We can make a difference by living our lives in a way that points people to Christ. We have been washed clean by the Holy Spirit in our own baptism. Stay with that image. Feel the refreshment and energy of the spirit.

Advent is an invitation for us to become like the people who were frozen by the power of evil, who felt powerless. To be touched anew by the mighty breath of God and to be transformed into people who care is what we have been called to do.

Sometimes we have a hard time describing how God has made a difference in our lives. And share an experience of grace with those around us. How the message to all from John the Baptist that a savior was coming, the Son of God was coming and he would in modern terms rock the world.  His name would be Jesus and he would be born from a virgin’s womb and he would spread a new way of life across the world a life of peace, compassion, hope and love and he would offer the gift of eternal life for anyone that believes in him. Anyone that takes him as their savior. Think of Jesus’ birth, the Son of God as the launch of God’s long-range plan of love.

Close your eyes and think about the love that God has poured out over his children, you and me over the centuries and centuries.  Think about Jesus life as a youth, entering the temple and praying and preaching the new word to all of the priests and those that were there.  Think about all of the miracles that he performed. From turning water into wine, giving sight to the blind, healing the sick and crippled, feeding the masses with only a few fish and loaves of bread, releasing the children from the devil, walking on the waters, and healing the severed ear of the guard in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Oh, what wonders he performed during his travels and ministry.  But the greatest gift of sacrifice and the greatest miracle, is that he would be tried, convicted, beaten, flogged crucified dead and buried, and why, why would he have to endure such humiliation and pain, why would he have to pay such a price, why, to wash away all of our sins, all of our sins. But on the third day a miracle of love would again be given to us, he would rise again from the dead to walk with his people and disciples for 40 days before he ascended into heaven to rule at his father’s side.  His Father, our Father, set in place a plan of love the day he announced the coming of his Son, Jesus and to use John the Baptist as the messenger of hope for all of us. 

Oh, there is no doubt in my mind that our Father loves us and he shows us every day with every drop of rain, every blade of grass, every blooming flower, every river, stream, mountain, prairie, ocean and desert. He shows us his love with every breath of wind that caresses our cheek, every snow flake that touches our tongue. He shows us his love with every child that is born and every man, woman and child that is healed in body, mind and spirit. He shows us his love with every lost child that is found in the wilderness, every magical note of a sonata, every word of his Bible and every angel that he sends to us in our time of need.  And let us never forget that those angels may be a friend or stranger that sees our need and reaches out to hug us and comfort us at our weakest moment. Oh, there is no doubt that our Father loves and cherishes each and every one of us.

So, during this time of Advent, the time that invites us into the story of light to share the light with those around us. The time to share God’s long-range plan of love with everyone around us.

Prepare the way of the Lord, our gospel reads today. When I came up to the church this morning, I was thinking about the smattering of snow this past Tuesday morning and how this time of year can give us large accumulations and how snow plows will plow away the snow to prepare the way for the cars, and people will clear the sidewalks so that we can safely walk into our church. As you all know the roads can get very dangerous this time of the year. It is easy to lose focus and slip off the road. God has prepared a safe road for us. He has taken everything away that might lead us into dangerous places. And he calls us to come to him and to be refreshed by the promise of our own baptism that goes far beyond the baptism of John in the desert. It not only refreshes us but it leads us into life eternal which starts here and will be brought to perfection in God’s eternal kingdom and his long-range plan of love for each of us if we but reach out and take his outstretched hand.

Take some time for peace and quiet. Share your experience of God’s love with someone you know or if you dare with someone you don’t know. Remember what it was, what it is that drew you to Jesus and find ways to share it with others. Share His Long-Range Plan of Love.
  
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing vs 2 & 3                 CCLI 11259100    

2 Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of the virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased in flesh with us to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
3 Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that we no more may die.
Born to raise us from the earth,
Born to give us second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
 
The Prayers of the People 
With joy we praise you, gracious God, for you have created heaven and earth, made us in your image, and kept covenant with us- even when we fell into sin.
We give you thanks for Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose coming opened to us the way of salvation and whose triumphant return we eagerly await Therefore we join our voices with all the saints and angels and the whose creation to proclaim the glory of your name. 
Guide and direct us to help those in need, with food for the hungry, homes for the homeless and hope for the downtrodden. Hear us now O God, as we pray for our friends and family Pray for these:  our members and friends in nursing homes, all veterans, service men & women & their families; all who have been sentenced to life without parole; all fire, law enforcement, & EMS personnel; June L; Pat and Jim Collins; Kaye Hale; Phyllis Dearing; Jessie Borgman; Sandy Miller; Tom Bloomingdale; Donna Luchman; Sue and Steve Rodgers; Jan and Kirk Barkdoll; Sally Hackett; Paul Glispie; Pryce Boeye; Ken Stinson; Betty Penry’s daughter, Amy; Wes and Joyce’s daughter, Anna; Marilyn’s son, Brad, her daughter, Candy; Jan’s and Kirk’s daughter, Amber; Chris and Colleen’s aunt, Joan Tabor; Debbie Smith’s brother, Tom; Kari Long; Randy Goslin; Pastor Melody’s friend, Myrna on the death of her husband, Chris; Duane’s uncle and aunt, Fay and Donna; Mission Starfish, Haiti. 
 
The Lord’s Prayer
 
Joy to the World  vs 1 & 4                          CCLI 11259100    

1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come:
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.
 
4 He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Passing the Peace
Since God has forgiven us in Jesus Christ, let us forgive one another.  The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Let’s pass the peace to one another of Christ with a bow or wave.
 
Benediction
May the light of the Advent wreath and the Good News of the Gospel go with you today and everyday, as you are out and about in the world. Now may the Love of God, the Peace of Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit be yours. Amen.   
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November 22, 2020 Worship Services The Shepherd King  By Melody  Oltmann

11/21/2020

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SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
November 22, 2020
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
 Due to Covid Numbers on the rise we are currently closed until further notice  
 
       As Presbyterians and people of the Reformed Tradition, we believe that our salvation is solely by Christ. That is, we cannot earn our place in heaven; there is not enough work to do to earn eternal life. We believe that we are saved only by the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. And then, we read today’s scripture, Matthew 25. And we wonder if we are misunderstanding what Jesus says or what we have been taught.
          Today I am going to encourage us to look at this scripture from a different vantage point. Not, what does this say about us; but, what does the scripture say about Jesus? We know it is significant, because so much of the scripture is repetition. And, as Kirk said, repetition in the Bible means the words are being emphasized; Jesus is telling us to listen and to pay attention to these important points. And, Jesus is telling us that he is a different kind of king. We know that Jesus gave up his name, position, power to come to earth; to show us how to love. This specific scripture tells us even more about Jesus and the kind of king that He is. Jesus is not found in a castle or on a throne. He is not found in places where men and women of power live and work. Rather, Jesus is found among the least of people. Jesus says, “Blessed are you if you care for those who are in great need; BECAUSE when you care for those, you are caring for me! Jesus is with the hungry and the thirsty. We know we are to give; to share with those who have less, because they are our sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus. But, this scripture is saying more. Jesus says, if you feed the least of these, you are feeding me. Pow! Mind explosion! Certainly, we might be startled by what this means!  Jesus can be found with those who have very little; not with those who have a lot. In other words, Jesus is less likely to be with us – because we have much. This realization should make us take a deep breath and consider how we first take care of ourselves; and then, how we treat others. Not just how we treat the hungry and thirsty, but how we also treat the sick, those in prison, those who are strangers and those who have nothing or little to wear.
           I encourage each of you to sit for awhile with this idea: that when we are in a relationship with others; especially when we are coming from our place of comfort, wealth and power, we need to treat others with respect and dignity. We are not to just give our castaway torn clothes, expired canned goods, and worn appliances. Rather, we are to give good and decent donations. We might think those in need are a nameless and hopeless crowd. But this scripture tells us that Jesus is there, in that space, with those in need. No longer can we think the needy are a nameless group; now, we can be sure that we know one person in that group; we know Jesus; and , we now know that Jesus is there, with them. Whether we are going through our closets, to remove unneeded clothes, or we are at the grocery store, purchasing food for the hungry, we need to think about what people want and need; what they can really use, rather than what is best for our lives. I don’t need to tell you that no one has need for well-worn shoes, or for boots with holes. Jeans with broken zippers and slacks with torn seams don’t work for us; why would they work for the needy? We are taught to give God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit our best. Now, we find that Jesus is with the homeless, the naked, the hungry, the sick, the thirsty, those we do not know, and those in prison. This scripture calls us to give away our best. We aren’t to “scrape the bottom of the bucket” and give whatever is left. Rather, we are to treat all people like they deserve the best. Giving less than our best, is saying that they are only worthy of our leftovers. Giving less than our best is saying we are judging you and we find that you are not believable; that it’s your fault you are in need; and, that your lives are hopeless, worthless, so here is a just a little something for you, until you pull yourself up out of that place of neediness.
          Jesus says treat everyone with love, dignity and respect, because each person is worthy; each person is God’s beloved child. Jesus is that Shepherd we heard about in the Old Testament reading today. The Good Shepherd cares for all the sheep who are in need. The Good Shepherd pays particular attention to the underfed, the weak, the lost and the little ones. That Shepherd sets aside the big, powerful, pushy and greedy sheep; the sheep that pushed with muscle and might, to get more and more; and, to keep others from getting what they need. Last week, I said we are the body of Christ, called to go out into the world. This Sunday, I add to that. As the church, we know the love of God; but, unfortunately, sometimes, we act like we alone have the power of God. This scripture lesson tells us otherwise. Jesus says that He is with those in need; in other words, the needy have God in and among themselves. We can see and fully experience the love of God when we give generously, without judgement to those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, in prison, homeless or naked. This, then, is when we know we are doing the right thing: that we see the presence of God, with us, as we are sent out. AND, we see the presence of God in those whom we serve. In James 2:14-26, we read that faith without works is dead. It isn’t that we are to have faith and then earn our way to eternal life. No! What Jesus and James are saying is that caring for others, good works, if you will, are the full expression of loving God. We can say we love God; we can claim to be Christ’s disciples, but, unless our actions match these words, we are dishonest. Following Christ’s example, we are to respond to others with love, mercy and sharing what we have. If we don’t care for others, then we are not loving, not faithful, not with God. Once again, actions speak louder and clearer than words. When we welcome strangers, when we feed and clothe those in need, when we visit the sick and those in prison, we are doing what Jesus did: We are demonstrating our love for God.
          The Good News about this is that there are times in our lives, when we are among those in need. Sure, we might never need a donation of food, drink, clothes or home. We might never be a stranger or in an actual prison. But, there will be times, when we are sick and alone; times when we feel like a prisoner in our own homes, times when we feel so alone, like an unwelcome stranger. At those times, God in Christ is with us, just as Jesus is with the needy, giving comfort, strength, love and resilience to make it through another day … and night. Jesus is giving us such Good News with this scripture. That Jesus is both with us as we go out and, there waiting for us, with those in need. And, Jesus is with us, when we are the ones in need.
            Most kings rule with fear, authority and power; telling others what to do, how to do it and when to do it. Most kings want honor, praise and glory. Most rulers have and continue to want the most and the best. Our king, King Jesus is not like most kings. He came to love, to serve and to empower us to be loving and merciful. As we look to Thanksgiving and Christmas, we might be discouraged because our holidays will not be the same, due to Covid-19. So, this holiday season, let’s make the holidays different for everyone. Let’s give our best: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing and homes, to those in need. Let’s reach out to the sick and those in prison, with letters and phone calls. And, then … let’s continue that in January and February, when the need at food pantries and elsewhere is especially big. Then we will receive the best gift – joy! In giving to others, we will see Jesus; and we will be joy-filled. Now and forevermore. Amen.

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November 01, 2020 Worship Services Children of the Resurrection Rev. Kristy Parker

11/1/2020

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October 25, 2020 Worship Services It's about what?  by Kristy Parker

10/25/2020

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​SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
October 25 , 2020
Gathering 
MUSICAL OFFERING
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Let me remind you quickly of our protocols for everyone’s safety.
Attendance was taken by ushers as you entered
Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
The bulletins were placed specifically for social distancing, one household per pew. Please sit exactly where you found your bulletin.
Please keep your masks on and remain seated through the whole service.
There will be no singing, and no physical contact.
You may read along silently,
Schedule reminders:
   The office is reopened
   Church Service 9:30 am
   Joint Meeting with the sessions of both First United Presbyterian Church and 1st Congregational church at 12:00 pm on October 25th at the 1st Congregational church.
     Session Meeting on November 8th at 12:30 pm in the Calvin Hall
PRELUDE
 
WORDS OF WORSHIP:
O come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving, singing joyful songs of praise.
 
GATHERING PRAYER:
O God, light of the minds that know you, life of the souls that love you, strength of the thoughts that seek you: Help us so to know you that we may truly love you, so to love you that we may fully serve you, whose service is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
CONFESSION AND PARDON:
Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by 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, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.
 
OFFERING PEACE:
The peace of Christ be with you.
 
INTERLUDE
 
Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:
O Lord our God, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love, that we may be obedient to your will and live always for your glory; through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:               
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
34Moses climbed Mount Nebo the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, from Jericho. The the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, Negev the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, far as Zoar .the to him, “This is the land I promised on oath Abraham, Isaac and Jacob I said, ‘I will give its your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not crossin to it.”
5Moses the servant of the died in Moab, as the said. buried him [a]Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, to this day no one knows where his grave is.   was a hundred and twenty years old he died, yet his eyes were not weak his strength gone. Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab days ,the time of weeping and mourning over. 9Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit[ b]wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. the Israelites listened to him and did what the commanded Moses.10then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses ,the face to face, did all those signs and wonders sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his official stow his whole land.no one has shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
 
Matthew 22:34-46
34that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, Pharisees got together. Of them, an expert in the law, him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [a]is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [b]the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
 
41the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” replied.
43said to them, “ How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
44“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’[c] 45then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son? ”one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
 
SERMON:                            It’s About the What
 
In his biography on Martin Luther King Jr., titled Bearing the Cross, David Garrow relays the events of the night that preceded King’s assassination. 
•        It was storming that April night in 1968. 
•        Rain pelted the windows of the Mason Temple in Memphis,
 
Tennessee where a crowd had gathered to hear King speak. 
•        King was exhausted and had grown increasingly depressed by opposition to the Poor Peoples’ Campaign that he was striving to promote. 
•        Even his own staff was apathetic, which was particularly demoralizing to him. 
•        His plane had been delayed earlier that morning due to a bomb.
•        King often dealt with a crushing fear for his life and the lives of his family.
 
He had chosen to stay at the Lorraine Hotel and rest that night. 
•        Ralph Abernathy had gone to the Mason Temple by himself. 
•        But he sensed that the crowd was disappointed to see him appear without King, and he phoned King at the Lorraine to ask him to come over. 
•        When King arrived, he stepped to the podium and assured the audience that the Memphis movement would go forward despite opposition.
 
Then he delivered what we now call his “mountaintop” speech saying:
 
“Well I don’t know what will happen now.  We’ve got some difficult days ahead.  But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop.  And I don’t mind.  Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.  Longevity has its place.  But I’m not concerned about that now.  I just want to do God’s will.  And he’s allowed me to go up to the mountain, and I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land.  I might not get there with you.  But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people will get to the promised land.  And so, I’m happy tonight.  I’m not worried about anything.  I’m not fearing any man.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
 
•        Then, with sweat streaming from his brow and his eyes watering heavily, King moved to his seat. 
•        Those who were with him said that though he was deeply moved, there was a calmness and a peace about him. 
•        Hours later, he lay dead at the hands of an assassin.
 
I have often thought that the verses that close Deuteronomy are among the most poignant in the whole Bible. 
•        In my mind’s eye, I can see Moses as he climbs to the top of Mt. Pisgah and looks out over the plush green valleys and the hillsides that rise from the Jordan River, the land promised to him by God. 
•        His eyes must have watered at the sight of it and he must have ached with longing knowing that he would never step foot on it. 
•        Moses had always been faithful to God, even when he didn’t feel adequate for the task God called him to do. 
•        When God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush and commanded him to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt, Moses protested, “But I’m not a good speaker.” 
•        God basically said, “Go anyway Moses.  I’ll be with you.”
•        At God’s command, Moses persuaded his people to follow him out of Egypt. 
•        He was with them through the deliverance at the Red Sea. 
•        He led them from encampment to encampment as he listened to their complaints about his leadership. 
•        When they rebelled against God and worshiped idols, Moses interceded on their behalf, convincing God to withdraw his anger.
•        Even when they wanted to stone Moses and appoint a new leader, Moses still begged God’s pardon for the sake of Israel. 
•        But then, as they approached the banks of the Jordan to cross over to their final destination, God refused to let Moses enter.
 
It seemed unbelievable the first time I read it. 
•        Moses gave his whole life in obedience to God on behalf of these people, and he never got to taste the sweetness of the victory? 
•        He never got to take off his sandals and rest his weary, travel-worn feet on the other side of the river?  
•        I went flipping back through the pages of Numbers and Deuteronomy trying to find the supposed error that Moses made that robbed him of this moment.
 
Some verses suggest that God was angry with Moses on account of his peoples’ lack of faithfulness. 
•        Others point to Moses’ failure to interpret the giving of the waters at Meribah as a sign from the Lord, though the precise nature of his unbelief isn’t clear. 
•        In Chapter 34, he is simply denied entry into the promised land, with no reason given at all. 
•        It violates our basic sense of fairness. 
•        If anybody got to enter the promised land, it should have been Moses.
•        Finally, we have to accept that Moses’ time had come to die. 
 
Like we often do when someone dies, we ask “why?” 
•        We flip back through the pages of life and search for answers. 
•        We might find reasons that are meaningful to us, but in the end, they are still inadequate.
•        The answers aren’t finally clear. 
•        Even our best theology can’t fully explain the tragedies that come with being human.
 
It’s some consolation to know that Moses’ work was truly done. 
•        He had served faithfully and well. 
•        The people had the Word of the Lord that Moses taught them that would be their guide in the land God promised. 
•        Moses could move off the scene, and Israel would be led by the living Word of God, the promise and instruction of the Torah.
•        Joshua would take over as the human leader with the spirit of wisdom given in the laying on of hands by Moses.
 
The fact is, the “why” of Moses’ death really doesn’t matter in the end. 
•        At the end of the story, it is said, “Never since has there arisen such a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. 
•        He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform.” 
•        In the end, the “why” of his death meant nothing in comparison to the “what” of his life. 
•        What was Moses about?  What had his life stood for?  
•        When we flip back through the pages of his life, we see a fierce commitment to his Lord, a consuming love for his people and a passing on of the Word of God to the next generation.
•        Moses was a prophet so in tune with God’s will, so filled with God’s presence, that everything he said could be seen as coming from God.
 
“I just want to do God’s will,” Martin Luther King said,…mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” 
•        His last words, his final speech are a testimony that did little to comfort a nation in the “why” of his death. But the words ring in our ears to this day as a testimony to the “what” of his life. 
•        “I just want to do God’s will.”
 
As Christians, we often ask ourselves, “What is God’s will?” 
•        We face life’s choices and decisions and tragedies, and we wonder how to live according to that will. 
•        How do we determine the “what” of our lives? 
 
God spelled it out clearly for Moses in the ten commandments:
“You shall have no other Gods before me, you shall not make idols, you shall not take the name of the Lord in vain, observe the Sabbath and keep it holy, honor your father and mother, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, and you shall not covet what belongs to your neighbor.” 
 
•        This is what God said to Moses face to face. 
•        This is what you must do to follow my will. 
•        This is the “what” of your lives together as Israel.
 
Ten simple rules to follow, yet not so simple.             
•        So difficult, in fact that Moses apparently couldn’t keep them.
•        Despite his greatness, perfection eluded him. 
•        Certainly, Martin Luther King, as faithful a servant as he was, could not keep them. 
•        Garrow relates that King was painfully aware of his shortcomings as a human being and bore a heavy burden of guilt at his inability to fully do God’s will.
•        To be sure, we don’t keep the commandments perfectly, try as we might.
The New Testament combines the commandments into two. 
•        As we heard in our Gospel reading, as the Pharisees gathered, a lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 
•        Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
•        On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
 
At first blush, it seems like this should be easier to follow.
•        Just love God and other people.  What’s so hard about that?
•        It hardly seems like a commandment really does it? 
•        Can one command someone to love? 
•        Doesn’t love just rise naturally from our hearts? 
•        Doesn’t it just happen? 
 
Anyone who’s ever really tried to practice constant, ongoing love of neighbor knows that it’s extremely difficult, that it requires effort and sacrifice and a keen awareness of God’s presence. 
•        Anyone who’s ever tried it knows that it can never be done apart from God. 
•        Our modern-day understandings of love tend to distort it into something romantic and sentimental. 
•        It bears no resemblance to the cross-bearing, self-sacrificing love that Christ commanded when he talked about love.
 
The kind of love Jesus talked about was the kind of love that required a decision. 
•        It was a decision to bend to the will of God even if it meant he had to die. 
•        Jesus loved life.
•        He pled with God that the cup might pass from him and yet “not what I want, but what you want,” he said. 
•        It wasn’t fair, but it was the work to which Jesus was called 
•        For the sake of others, for the life of the world.
 
“What do you think of the Messiah? 
•        Whose son is he?” Jesus asked them.
•        “What kind of Messiah do you want? 
•        They had hoped for a hero who would conquer by the sword, not one who would go around talking about love, not one who would pour himself out as a servant, not one who would hang on a cross and die.
 
If you’re like me, you may be asking yourself at this point, “What can I do?” 
•        I’m not Moses, I’m not Martin Luther King, and I’m certainly not Jesus. 
•        When I ponder the greatness of such leaders, my life feels a little small in comparison.  
•        Some days it’s all I can do to get the simple tasks of my life done
•        How would I ever lead a nation of people through the desert or on a march for justice through the inner city. 
•        We ask ourselves, “What can we do to honor God, to be obedient to God’s will as we struggle in our daily lives just to keep the ball in the air.
 
I’ve always been comforted by the words of Mother Teresa, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” 
•        Small things with great love – the debt forgiven, the neighbor sheltered, the child encouraged, the tree planted, the stranger welcomed and fed, the prayer offered.
•        Our lives are full of opportunities each day to show God’s love. 
•        The small things we do can add up to make big changes.
•        They can lead us out of the valley and up to the mountaintop, where one day we’ll take an account of our lives and ask ourselves, “What has my life stood for?”
•        Have I lived in such a way as to foster kindness and compassion to myself and others?
•        Have I lifted up the lives of others in some way?
 
Our journeys to the mountaintop will take different paths.
•        Some of us will use our voices to speak up in our community and get involved in projects to bring fairness and equity to the lives of our people.
•        Some of us will bring God’s love into schools and hospitals and churches.
•        We all have the opportunity to teach our children to love God and love people, people of every color, gender, ability and kind.
•        We can speak up when someone makes a comment or a joke that demeans someone else.
•        And we all are called to vote, to speak up for the leaders we feel God is raising up to take us closer to the mountaintop.
 
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.       
•        When you stand on the mountaintop, what will your life have stood for? 
•        Moses gave his life for the liberation of Israel
•        Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life for the liberation of African American people and the reconciliation and peace of humankind
•        Jesus gave his life for all people, everywhere
•        Jesus liberated us to live forgiven, to live loved,
•        To love God, love ourselves, and love our neighbors
 
In the end, it won’t matter how long we live, what we’ve done in comparison to others, whether we’ve gotten to do everything we had hoped, or how we die
•        What will matter is what our lives have been about, that our lives have been lived to lift one another up in love.
•        When we stand on the mountaintop one day, what will matter is that we’ve tried to do God’s will, and to do what we can to lead the next generation a little closer to the Promised Land.
 October 25 2020 
AFFIRMATION   Apostle’s Creed, Ecumenical Version:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
He is seated on the right hand of the Father,
And he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
 
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION AND THANKSGIVING AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
 
Sending
 
CHARGE & BLESSING                 
 
POSTLUDE
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October 18, 2020 Worship Services When We’ve Run out of Gas. Bu Joyce Chamberlin

10/17/2020

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​ ​SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY 

October 18, 2020

Gathering

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Let me remind you quickly of our protocols for everyone’s safety.
Attendance was taken by ushers as you entered
Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
The bulletins were placed specifically for social distancing, one household per pew. Please sit exactly where you found your bulletin.
Please keep your masks on and remain seated through the whole service.
There will be no singing, and no physical contact.
You may read along silently,
Schedule reminders:
The office is reopened
Church Service 9:30 am
Joint Meeting with the Sessions of both ours and  1st Congregational church at 12:00 pm on October
     25th at the 1st Congregational church

 
PRELUDE
 
Call to Worship:
In a world dominated by people claiming their rights and demanding autonomy, we come as servants, held in the arms of our Lord, instructed and offered assurance and assistance.  We become the servants of our Living God, disciples of our Lord Jesus, Christ.  Come Holy Spirit.  Guide our worship and praise.  Allow us to don your glory and be a part of your goodness.  May we relinquish ourselves to you this day.
 
Prayer of Confession: 
Gracious Lord.  The world is a place where the loudest voice is very often the dominant one, where it’s easier to go along than to fight for your holy design.  Forgive us for the many times when we’ve thrown up our hands and gone along with the powers that be, even when we knew that people were being harmed and your good earth was being desecrated.  Forgive us for assuming that we had no ability to speak your love into hurtful situations.  Forgive us for our lack of courage and our unwillingness to risk ourselves or even to ask for your amazing power to lead us through the danger.  We can do better, Lord.  Help us and love us, we pray.
 
Assurance of Pardon: 
 The heart of God rejoices when a son or daughter opens to the gift of forgiveness.  We are God’s by grace.  We are washed clean in God’s love.  Let us rejoice in the new life given through Jesus Christ, our Savior.  Thanks be to God 
 
OFFERING PEACE:
Our Amazing God stand with us and calls us together to know the joy of Christian Community, 
 
INTERLUDE:  There is a Sweet Sweet Spirt
 
Prayer of Illumination: 
 We come before you Lord to hear your truth and love.  You call us by name and whisper into our hearts.  May we set aside the many distractions to listen well.  May we then be empowered to leave this place as your disciples, dancing with the joy of following you.  Amen.
 
Scripture: 
 Exodus 33: 12-23
12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” 14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
​
 Matthew 22: 15-22
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
 October 18 2020
Sermon Title:  When We’ve Run out of Gas.
                                        
“Who died and made you boss?”
 
“What gives you the right to challenge my decisions?”
 
“Why should we listen to you?”
 
Haven’t we all heard these questions?  They always seem to rise up when we’ve spoken in opposition to the dominant voice—to the way things are organized or what’s good for the most powerful. 

  • Maybe it’s the lowly manager who is questioning his or her Company’s Vice President about a process that seems unjust or unethical.
 
  • Maybe it’s an adult child who is chaffing at Mom’s unwillingness to let go of that parental authority to direct his life.
 
  • Maybe it’s one committee member who has finally worked up the courage to make sure her voice is heard by the domineering group leader.
 
  • We’ve just plain run out of gas.  We don’t have what it takes.
 
Sometimes we need to just go along.  At other times we have to stand up and speak our mind and push for what we know in our heart is right and good.  It’s never easy.  At least one part of the struggle is BELIEVING that we do have the right and the power to demand to be heard.  That might mean we need to do battle with our own insecurities, discouragement, and sense of powerlessness in order to keep moving forward on the path that we are being led.
 
You know what I’m talking about, right?  Haven’t we all felt discouraged and little broken by situations that seem so much bigger and more powerful that we can manage?  “What’s the use?  I’m just wasting my time and breath.  I just need to shut up and accept things the way they are because I have no power here.”
 
 
All of us have felt a bit of this in the midst of a pandemic…add on the Black Lives Matter unrest, the financial hardships where so many have lost their jobs or businesses, we’ve had to let go of our plans and our routines, many times even our ability to be with family.  More is needed from us at exactly the time when we have fewer resources to meet those needs.
 
Struggle.  Loss.  Fear.  Anger.  Disappointment.  Depression.  Loneliness.  Anxiety.  How do we be the faithful people of God in such a setting?
 
I actually think our scriptures for today give us some glimpses of the way forward.  Let’s begin with Moses.
 
It’s been quite a trip.  From the first time he stood on this mountain and God said, “I’m sending you to lead my people out of bondage.  I am who I am, and this will be a sign for you.  You will bring the people back to this mountain.”  So much had happened.  The plagues and still Pharaoh wouldn’t release them.  Then that really big plague in which the angel of death passed over the Hebrew cottages that had been painted with the blood of the lamb, and it landed smack dab in the bedrooms of the Egyptian people.  Then the people were running for their lives….. The Red Sea became an escape tunnel.  The people whining for food and water, and Moses was able to provide it by striking a rock and God sent down the manna.  God led them out, a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night.
 
And indeed, they did come back to this mountain.  God gathered the people at the base of the mountain and with smoke and fire and trumpet’s blast he spoke to them in his own voice, giving to them the 10 rules for living as God’s people.  Then God instructed Moses to come up the mountain to receive the finer details of his law.  God wrote the 10 commandments on stone so the people would have it.
 
But the people….
 
They were afraid and unaccustomed to freedom.  They had accepted Moses leadership—but he’d been up there for a very long time.  What if he’d been eaten my a mountain lion?  If he had fallen off a cliff?  If he’d been struck by lightning or just got tired and run away?  They NEEDED a conduit to God.  They NEEDED something they could manage and control.  The Egyptians used images formed from gold.  Why not?
And so, they made that golden calf.  Aaron would later tell Moses that they threw their gold bracelets and necklaces into the fire and the calf jumped out.  Yeah, right!
Can you imagine Moses?  God’s mad.  God is now ordering them to go forward from this place of relative safety.  He’s called them a Stiff-Necked people and telling Moses that he won’t go with them because if he did, his anger would consume them.
It’s like everything he had worked so hard to accomplish is gone—just gone.  Moses doesn’t know what to do, so he pleads with God to go with them and finally he asks a personal favor— “Show me your glory.”  It’s like Moses is saying, “God if you want me to lead this people forward, I need you to come along AND I need the strength and the direction that only you can give.”  
I understand Moses completely!
 
Now to Jesus.
 
Our passage for this morning is one that is often quoted by people who want to keep our faith out of our political lives.  They would quote” Give to the Emperor the things that are the Emperors and to God the things that belong to God.”  But before we go there, let’s step into the story a bit more.
 
Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem.  He knows what’s ahead and has tried to warn his disciples, but they don’t get it.  They only see the power and the miracles that he brings.  So, they whip up the crowds to greet Jesus at the city gate.  That doesn’t win any points with the Pharisees who have also heard all the rumors.  Then Jesus goes to the temple and chases out the money changers and merchants of animals.  How insulted the Pharisees are!  Who does he think he is?  Not only did he NOT bring his word from God to them so they could help direct it, now he’s trying to destroy the tradition of the Temple AND in the process getting people all riled up with his “Kingdom of God” talk.  If riots break out, Rome will blame them, and the Jews ability to worship at the temple could be taken away.  It’s their job to keep the people in line.  Jesus is threatening all of that.  This Jesus has to go.
So, they begin by asking him, “By what authority do you do these things?” Maybe they hoped Jesus would take the hint and get back in line.  Instead Jesus tells a series of parables that make them look like the bad guys!  Talk about rubbing salt in a wound!
So, they devise a sure-fire trap.  Paying taxes.  The people hate to pay taxes which are cruel and exorbitant.  If Jesus says people must pay them, the people will turn their back on him.  On the other hand, if he says they should not pay, then Rome will arrest him.  Either way, they win.  This Jesus problem will be taken care of.
 
I fully believe that Jesus, like Moses was fully aware that there was a tidal wave coming.  He knew, and that human part of him stood in dread of those waves crashing ashore and destroying him.  Remember all those times when he went out on his own to pray?  It’s clear to me that a good part of those prayers was, “God give me strength and wisdom.  Give me courage and faith and give me the right words to pull this off.”  You, see, Jesus was also dealing with a Stiff-necked people.  He would need all the help he could get.
So, for Moses, God showed his servant his glory.  Jesus wouldn’t need that so much—He WAS God’s glory.  But he was also human and that part of him would need the right words to deal with whatever the Pharisees and officials would throw at him.
 
And God gave Jesus the perfect response.  Jesus asked for a coin and the Pharisees presented a Roman coin.  Here’s the thing.  There were also Jewish coins.  Jewish coins were what the people used in the temple to make their offerings.  What was the difference in these coins?  The Roman coin had the image of Caesar and the Jewish coin had no image.  Do you remember that second commandment that God gave the people at Mt. Sinai?  “You shall not make for yourself an idol.”  Another translation says, “You shall not make for yourself any graven image.” 
 
Can’t you just see Jesus rubbing the face of the coin with his thumb and asking them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?”  When they answer “The emperor’s,” it’s like they have passed judgement on themselves, and all the people who watched knew it.  Jesus can then respond with that phrase we all know, “Give, therefore, to the Emperor the things that are the Emperors, and to God the things that are Gods.”
 
What belongs to the Emperor?  This coin which a faithful Jew should not really even have.  But what belongs to God—EVERYTHING!  Absolutely everything.  Our natural world, our families, our abilities, our possessions, our lives, our political privileges—EVERYTHING. 
 
Jesus received what he needed.  The way out of the trap that the Pharisees set, and in the process taught us something about our allegiances and priorities. 
 
You and I.  Don’t we also need God’s power and reassurance.  We also need the right words at times and the courage and faith to persevere.  We also need to know that God stands with us giving us what we need in the moment.  We’re no different than these 2 in this crucial aspect—One a prophet of God and the other the Son of God.
 
There’s something very powerful about laying ourselves at God’s feet and saying, “I can’t do this on my own.  I can’t fight any longer because I’m tired and defeated.  I am without the power to go forward.”  We don’t like to think of ourselves in those terms, but don’t we all get there?  Claim it—just as Moses did, just as I suspect Jesus did.  We might not get the answer we need immediately.  We might not get the answer in the way we might prefer, but our prayer won’t go unanswered.  God will give us his glory and his power and his wisdom to meet the demands of our lives.
 
So maybe it’s OK to be a bit broken.  Maybe it’s OK to find ourselves up against a stiff-necked people.  Shoot, we ARE the stiff-necked people at times.  But we are loved by our Lord, and we are equipped by his Spirit to offer God’s love and grace into the world around us.
 
May God cozy us into the cleft of that rock.  May he hold his hand over us and pass by, giving us the assurance of his glory and power and love.  
 
People of God, It’s OK to run out of gas.  Then we need to hold ourselves to God and walk with our hand in the Lord’s.  May we always rest in his love. Always.
 
Amen.
 
AFFIRMATION:               Apostle’s Creed, Ecumenical Version
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
 
Charge and Blessing:  
May we feel God holding us close and know the Glory of God that empowers us to be a people of love.  Go forth God’s Beloved and know the goodness of our God who guides us in this life of faith.  Amen.
 
Postlude 
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October 11, 2020 Worship Services Keep on keeping on by Pastor Jim Camp

10/11/2020

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​ ​SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY 

October 11, 2020

Gathering

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Let me remind you quickly of our protocols for everyone’s safety.
Attendance was taken by ushers as you entered
Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
The bulletins were placed specifically for social distancing, one household per pew. Please sit exactly where you found your bulletin.
Please keep your masks on and remain seated through the whole service.
There will be no singing, and no physical contact.
You may read along silently,
Schedule reminders:
The office is reopened
Church Service 9:30 am
Joint Meeting with 1st Congregational church at 12:00 pm on October
     25th at the 1st Congregational church

MUSICAL OFFERING
 
WORDS OF WORSHIP 
“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel the Lord Maker; 7for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” Psalm 96:6-7
 
GATHERING PRAYER 
We ask, o Lord, as we gather to worship You, we might put other things aside. We want to bring ourselves to You so we can be more what You want us to be. We want to put aside the things that distract us so easily and focus on You. Help us to do that. Amen.
 
CONFESSION AND PARDON.
Almighty Father; we enter your presence confessing the things we try to conceal from you and the things we try to conceal from others. We confess the heartbreak, worry, and sorrow we have caused, that make it difficult for others to forgive us, the times we have made it easy for others to do wrong, the harm we have done that makes it hard for us to forgive ourselves. Lord have mercy and forgive us through Christ. Amen.
 
ASSSURANCE OF PARDON 
Psalm 103:8-12 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
 
OFFERING PEACE 
In the name and power of Christ we have been forgiven and are children of God amen.
 
INTERLUDE
 
                                                                                           Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to You, o God, our Lord and King. amen
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS 
Philippians 4:4-9
4in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!5your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. the peace of God, transcends all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. You have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. the God of peace be with you.
 
SERMON “Keep on keeping on”
 
The house church at Philippi and Paul have a very special relationship. Philippi was one of the very first Christian fellowships developed by Paul. We all know we feel something different about our first child. We love all our children, but there is something extra in the relationship with the first child. Philippi was one of Paul’s earliest children and so there was a special place in his heart for them. In addition, Paul had received many gifts from that particular church while he was on his many journeys. While Paul may not have thought of Philippi as his “favorite” church, but there was no question they were special to him.
 
The section we read today was written while he was in prison and there was a very real possibility he might be put to death because he was proclaiming Jesus as lord and the Romans did not look with favor upon any lord other than Caesar. Besides that, there was some unrest caused when Paul had established these house churches and the resulting tensions among families had no doubt come to the attention of the Romans. Despite all these factors, the message we hear in this section is one of hope and encouragement.
 
The opening words of today’s lesson seem particularly strange for a person who is in jail with the real possibility of death facing them. “rejoice in the lord always, again I say rejoice.” It is indeed strange if we focus on the word rejoice but if we, like Paul, focus on what the rejoicing is about, the words do not sound so strange. Paul is not suggesting we should rejoice blindly, like the words of the popular movie, The Lion King, those words go like this: “Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase. Hakuna Matata! Ain’t no passing craze. it means no worries for the rest of your days” 
 
This is not what Paul was advising. He was not the cock-eyed optimist from the musical “Oklahoma” his rejoicing was very clearly focused on one thing and one thing only: rejoice in the lord. Rejoice in the act of Christ’s sacrifice for us, rejoice in the fact that we now have access to eternal life. Rejoice in the fact that we now can be admitted to the kingdom of heaven. Paul’s rejoicing was very focused, it was rejoicing because of what all Christians have gained because of what God has done for us in the act of Christ’s death and resurrection.
 
He goes on to say, “do not worry about anything, but in prayer and supplication let your requests be known to God”. Again, we ask ourselves, how can a person in prison, with the possibility of death possibly say do not worry? We say to ourselves; how can we NOT worry about things around us? we can lift up a multitude of reasons for Paul to worry and we can easily see as many things for us to worry about. How can we not worry?
 
Again, we need to keep ourselves focused on the whole message, not just one part. He reminds us to “let our requests be known to God”. He says this with the assurance of one who is speaking of a loving parent. He does not say every request will be granted any more than a truly loving parent will grant every request of their children. If that were the case, every child who “really, really, really wants a pony” would have one. The loving parent will respond with the things that are beneficial and helpful for the child so they are well and safe.
 
Paul is one who knows very well that things do not always go the way you would like them to. He has often been rejected, particularly by his own people, the Jews he truly hoped would accept the message Christ has brought. He has been jailed several times, he has been beaten as a result of the message he delivered to the people, more than once, he has been run out of town by people who truly did not want to have anything to do with what he was saying. Yet, in the face of all that he could tell people to rejoice always. Clearly, either he was demented or he knew something worth knowing. We need to listen carefully to the things Paul says to the Philippians so we can see how it is possible to have this attitude especially in difficult times.
 
In the 8th verse he gives a litany of the things we should focus on. “finally, brothers, whatever is t rue, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things.” He has made a big shift, instead of the things we can find to worry about, he gives his listeners things which are uplifting, things which are positive and things which can give a person hope.  If, instead of worrying, a person can focus on these sorts of things, the world will, indeed, look brighter and you will feel better.
 
At the end of the reading he says, “keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” Paul is doing a very dangerous thing, he is holding himself up as a role model, someone to look at and imitate. He is saying, you have seen me and heard me. You know the things I have taught and the things I stand for. Keep those things in your mind and work toward being like that.
 
When it is said in that way, we tend to shy away because it sounds very egotistical. It can sound as if Paul is telling people that if they are just like him, then all will be well. Everything will work out to the good. There are not many of us who would advise people to be just like us. we know our weaknesses and our shortcomings and would be reluctant to advise people to copy us. what, then, is Paul really saying?
 
The reason Paul can give this advice is based on the way he saw himself. In Romans, he calls himself a servant, other times, he refers to himself as an apostle. Neither of these words are words indicating a leader, but someone in a secondary position. A servant is under the orders of their master. The needs and considerations of the servant are not as important as the needs and consideration of the master. A servant is charged to carry out the wishes of the master fully and without question. The master, in their society, literally had the power of life and death over as servant. The word apostle is sometimes also translated as follower, or disciple. One who is dedicated themselves to the teaching of another person. The teacher has set the pathway and the task of the apostle is to follow.
 
Therefore, if the people of Philippi are doing the things Paul is doing, they are acting not as followers of Paul, but as followers, and servants, of the same Christ Paul is following. Paul, then, is not really saying they are to be like him, but rather they are to put themselves forward as servants, as followers of Christ, rather than being egotistical, Paul is telling the people to look past him and see the Christ he is following.
 
The hope and the joy Paul holds forth in this letter are not based on the things Paul can do. They are based on the things people have seen God do. These things rise from the stories of the OT where God rescued his people again and again even though they were often rebellious and totally disregarded the things God asked of them. It is a hope based on the things Jesus lifted up before them. It is the hope of salvation and the promise of the kingdom of God. It is a hope that can, indeed, rejoice always.
As I read the scripture lessons for this Sunday, this particular one seemed to speak to me about the things surrounding us in our world today. there were many reasons Paul could have rightfully been worried, there were many reasons Paul rightly could have been downhearted and yet he was able to hold forth this note of hope. He was in prison; he was far away from all his friends and supporters. He had no idea what the outcome of this time in prison might be. Communication from his friends was slow and undependable and would take a long time to reach him. Despite all this, he held forth this note of hope.
 
As I reflected on this, I began to see all the reasons we can easily be worried about things going on around us. we are in the midst of one of the worst health care situations all over the world since the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. We are approaching ¼ million deaths in our country alone. Every time we begin to think things might be getting better, it seems they take another nosedive. We can easily give ourselves over to worry about the epidemic and its impact on our lives.
 
One of the side effects of the epidemic is its impact on our economy. Everywhere we look businesses are either shut down or operating on a very limited basis. The unemployment rate is at historic numbers. Many businesses we once looked upon as leaders are furloughing employees or flat shutting down parts of their operation. Along with these things we are in the midst of one of the most disruptive political seasons most of us can remember. Almost every political ad we see tells us how crooked the other person is. I have a really difficult time remembering the last time I have seen an ad telling me why I should vote for a particular candidate. It is far easier to recall the ads that tell me why I should NOT vote for a particular candidate. Conversations between friends can become very strained if one lifts up a particular candidate. To be in favor of the other candidate can easily be an invitation for some nasty remark rather than an invitation for healthy debate or discussion. It is really easy to find reasons to worry
.
Along comes Paul and tells me, “rejoice in the lord, always, again I say rejoice” and I want to scream “CAN’T YOU SEE WHAT’S GOING ON RIGHT AROUND US? HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO REJOICE?”  when I catch my breath, I remember all that he said rather than just the word rejoice. His call was “Rejoice in the lord”. Then I can calm down a bit. Perhaps I can get my head straight and remember Paul is NOT telling me to rejoice in the things that are happening around me, but to rejoice in the good news of the gospel. He is calling me to rejoice in the blessings I have received because of the grace and love offered through Christ’s sacrifice. Then, indeed, there is reason to rejoice.
 
When I can see these things, it is easier to recall the words of the old hymn, “on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand” I can rejoice. Not because of the pandemic, not because of the shaky economy, not because of the hostile political situation, but because of the promises offered to those who call on the name of the lord. As long as I can keep this clear in my head then I can, indeed, echo Paul, “rejoice in the Lord”
 
Paul then tells me to present my requests before God. Not as some magic Genii who will grant three wishes because I possess the magic lamp, but as a loving parent who will respond in a loving way. Paul did not want to go to jail. He certainly did not want to be rejected by his fellow Jews. He did not want to be run out of town. He did not want to be beaten. None of those things were on his wish list. As these things happened, I have no doubt he prayed to God they might be changed. Instead, God took those things and used them as ways for Paul to be able to present the gospel message in many different ways. God used those times as ways for the churches he had founded to express their care and concern for him with letters and other gifts. The requests Paul made were not honored, instead, God used these situations for both Paul and his fledgling churches to grow in understanding what it really meant to be a servant.
 
When we present our requests before God, we may not get the answer we expect. Instead, we may get something that seems like a bad answer at the time but as things develop, we discover the answer we got was a great deal richer than what we had asked for. Some writer once said God has 3 answers to prayer: there is yes, there is no, and there is, I have a better idea. This is what Paul is telling us as he says to let our requests be known, Paul wants us to know God will answer as a loving parent, not always giving us what we ask for, but giving us that which is good for us.
 
The list of things on which Paul wants us to focus is there to help us when we get caught in the trap of worrying. Instead of the worry, lift up the things around you that are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise. If we can get ourselves to lift these sorts of things, then we are not worrying.
The evening news we watch usually ends with a short uplifting story. Someone who has done something to help another person, someone who took a bad situation and turned it to something good. It is an attempt to end the broadcast on a positive note rather than all the bad things we have just heard during the news.
 
This is not what Paul is advising. He does not want us to take 5 minutes at the end of the day to lift up these things. He wants us to develop the habit of keeping ourselves focused on those attributes all during the day. The more we can get ourselves to focus on these uplifting things, the less time we will have to worry. It is really difficult to focus intently on more than one thing at a time. And so, Paul wants us to lift up the things which contribute to our peace, our sense of well being and those things which will benefit those around us as well.
 
At the end of our reading he tells the Philippians, and us, “keep on doing the things you have learned and received and heard and seen.” In other words, keep on keeping on. That doesn’t sound very exciting. We get very tired of the same old same old. We want to go on to something new and exciting. Paul’s advice to stay with that which has been beneficial in the past is sound advice.
 
Whether it is an exercise program, a diet or something else, we gain more from them when we continue to do them over a period of time. None of these sorts of things will be any real benefit to us if we only do them for a week or two. For the benefits to really begin to show up, we need to establish them as a regular part of our life.
 
In the same way, as we go through this time of pandemic, as we go through this time of political tension, as we go through this time of uncertain economy, we need to keep on doing the things we have been doing before. As individuals, we need to keep our time of prayer and bible study. We need to participate in worship, either in person or by means of the video sermons that are available. As a congregation, we need to continue finding ways we can minister to those around us. the congregation where I attend has reached out to the local school to ask how the teachers and students can be helped. Other churches have found ways to be involved in food pantries and other things which will help people during this time.
 
 Other churches have asked their deacons to make phone calls to those who live alone, just to check in on them, see if they need anything and express the love and concern of the congregation. While the events do bring us to do things in different ways, there are still many ways we can continue to show the love of Christ to our neighbors. We need to find ways to keep on doing the things we have always done.
 
There is no question that doing these things makes us feel good. We are happy when we have found ways to feed those who are hungry, to lift up those who are lonely, to do something for people we will probably never meet. At the same time, we know we are fulfilling the mandate we have about caring for those around us. we may not be able to do the acts of mission in person, but when we find ways to do the things we have always done, we are strengthened as a congregation.
 
When we have been part of the Christian fellowship for a while, we have seen people lift up their needs as well as celebrate answers to prayer. we have rejoiced with those who rejoice and mourned with those who mourn. In these days, when everything is different, we need to find ways to do the things we have learned. We can’t visit in person, but we can call. We are called to do the things we have done so the fellowship is maintained between us and so each of us can find ways to express our care for one another.
 
We are called to rejoice always, not because everything around us is light and clear skies, but because we know the love and power of God. We are called to bring our requests to God because we know God cares for His children and will respond in ways that are good for us. we are called to focus on the good around us because we are the people of the good news of the gospel, finally, we are called to keep on doing the things we have learned and seen and heard because we have seen over time the benefits of these things and we want others to understand their power. Indeed, we are called to keep on keeping on.
 
 
AFFIRMATION                Apostle’s Creed, Ecumenical Version
 
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
 
                                                                Sending
 
CHARGE & BLESSING
 we are charged to continue the acts of love we are now doing and to constantly search for ways to minister. Now, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the holy spirit be with you all, Amen                                           
 
POSTLUDE
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