SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
February 27, 2022
Transfiguration Sunday
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.
·   masks are required by those not vaccinated  as well as social distancing
   bulletins are placed in the pews to help with social distancing
· Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
· Please write your prayer request on the Yellow cards.  An usher will pick them up during the 1st hymn.
· Please join us after service for fellowship will be continuing with beverages only, in Calvin Hall
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett,  Jo Lefleur,  Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx ,Lois Seger, Jon Ryner,   Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Kay Werner, and Arlene Pawlik
 
PRELUDE 
*CALL TO WORSHIP from Psalm 99, CEV
Our Lord, you are King! You rule from your throne above the winged creatures,
    as people tremble and the earth shakes…
Only you are God! And your power alone, so great and fearsome, is worthy of praise.
You are our mighty King, a lover of fairness,
  who sees that justice is done everywhere in Israel.
Our Lord and our God, we praise you and kneel down to worship you,
  the God of holiness!...
We praise you, Lord God, and we worship you at your sacred mountain.
    Only you are God!
 
*GATHERING PRAYER
God of Glory, we gather to worship you as your people have since long ago. We come to sing your praise and offer our prayers. We come to hear your stories and ponder your greatness. We come to celebrate your work through Jesus your Son, and we come that our own lives might be changed to honor you ever more. Amen.
 
*HYMN                  Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise                                          #263 
 
*CONFESSION
Let us make our confession to our God.
God of compassion,
in Jesus Christ you reveal the light of your glory,
but we turn away, distracted by our own plans.
We confess that we speak when we should listen,
and act when we should wait.
Forgive our aimless enthusiasms.
Grant us wisdom to live in your light
and to follow in the way of your beloved Son,
    Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. (from Book of Common Worship)
 
*WORDS OF ASSURANCE 2 Corinthians 3:18, GW
18 As all of us reflect the Lord’s glory with faces that are not covered with veils, we are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Through Christ we are forgiven. Through the Spirit we are changed for glory.
Thanks be to God!
 
*SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579 
*Passing of the Peace( facing those across the aisle from you)
Left: May the peace of Christ be with you.
Right: And also with you. May the peace of Christ be with you.
Left: And also with you.
(You may be seated.)
 
Interlude
Word
 
Old Testament Exodus 34:29-35, NLT
29 When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. 30 So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.  31 But Moses called out to them and asked Aaron and all the leaders of the community to come over, and he talked with them. 32 Then all the people of Israel approached him, and Moses gave them all the instructions the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil. 34 But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him, 35 and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord.
 
Gospel     Luke 9:28-36, NLV
28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying, his face changed, and his clothes became shining white. 30 Suddenly Moses and Elijah were there speaking with him. 31 They appeared in heavenly glory and talked about all that Jesus' death in Jerusalem would mean. 32 Peter and the other two disciples had been sound asleep. All at once they woke up and saw how glorious Jesus was. They also saw the two men who were with him. 33 Moses and Elijah were about to leave, when Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But Peter did not know what he was talking about.34 While Peter was still speaking, a shadow from a cloud passed over them, and they were frightened as the cloud covered them. 35 From the cloud a voice spoke, “This is my chosen Son. Listen to what he says!”36 After the voice had spoken, Peter, John, and James saw only Jesus. For some time they kept quiet and did not say anything about what they had seen.
 
Sermon              Transfiguration: Let the Glory Shine!
 
I started to work on this message during the Olympics. It seems to me that is quite the scenario for glimpsing glory. I was thrilled with Lindsey Jacobellis’ win after being in so many Olympics. I loved Chloe Kim and Nathen Chen’s performances. I see others we will be watching in the future who had that taste of Olympic glory this time around, among them Yuma Kagiyama of Japan who earned the silver behind Nathan in men’s figure skating. There were former Olympians I recognized, whose taste of glory came long ago, now commenting on or coaching current athletes, like Brian Orser coaching skaters from three different nations. The next night in men’s snowboard halfpipe, Shaun White was the veteran ready to retire from his glorious three gold medal career coming fourth in these Olympics. Ayumu Hirano took the gold this year after silvers in the two previous Olympics. But my eyes were drawn to Valentino Guseli in fifth place. At age 15, his glory days are coming in the future.
 
Strangely enough that kind of mix feels a little like the scene that played out in today’s gospel lesson.  The transfiguration scene is Jesus’ shining moment displaying the glory that belongs to him as God’s Son. It wasn’t as obvious in the day-to-day aspects of his ministry. Those who gathered to hear him knew he was a great teacher as they gained better understanding of scriptures or found hope in the images he shared of God’s kingdom. Those who received or witnessed his healing saw in him a powerful healer or miracle worker. Those who felt judgement in his concern for justice or found simple truths as he defended the powerless thought he was dangerous to their status quo. But no one had witnessed his heavenly glory unless we go back to his birth stories.
 
What reminds me of the mix with past and future is the presence of disciples along with the appearance of Old Testament heroes. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the prophets, but they are also associated with experiencing God’s glory in their lifetime. Moses was allowed to see God pass by when he went up on the mountain to receive the commandments. When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to converse with God, his face reflected God’s glory brightly enough to frighten others, so he had to wear a cloth over his face. Elijah knew a moment of God’s glory when he defeated the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, then found God again in a whisper in a cave when he was in despair. Elijah’s own glory was seen by Elisha when Elijah was taken to God in a whirlwind and a chariot of fire. These two stood proudly by Jesus conversing with him there on the mountain, as if acknowledging and affirming Jesus’ true light and heavenly glory as the Son of God.
 
The three disciples: Peter, James, and John each had a role in carrying forward Jesus’ glory by their teaching and leadership and even miracles when it was their turn. Just as I imagine Jesus found encouragement in his conversation with Moses and Elijah to continue toward his death for our salvation, so I imagine  Peter, James, and John were encouraged by witnessing this experience for the difficult work that lay ahead of them.
 
Of course in the midst of the experience they could not fully understand what was happening, nor did they recognize the impetus it intended for forward momentum. Many times when something marvelous is happening around us we want to stay in that moment and hang on to it as long as possible. Someone who fully enjoyed High School or college might not want to move on from those times and friends. Someone who loves their job might find retirement difficult. Someone who had the perfect fairy tale engagement and wedding might be shocked to discover marriage means working hard together to overcome obstacles. Peter didn’t want to leave the mountain top experience of Jesus’ glory, and he certainly didn’t want to hear that Jesus was headed toward Jerusalem and death.
 
The mountain top experiences we might be privileged to have in our relationship with God are meant to move us forward into our mission and ministry as God’s people. Our time with God in Sunday worship is a refueling station for the week that lies ahead. Our morning prayers or devotions are spiritual nourishment for the rest of the day.
 
Life is like running a marathon. You need those moments along the way when you are handed a bottle of water to keep going or the shouts of encouragement from the sidelines. Our spiritual practices are like that. You might experience a moment of euphoria like when a marathoner gets a rush of adrenaline or finds their breathing regains its rhythm sometime later in the race. But not everyone will experience that, nor will one runner experience it every time, at least not from the way I have heard it described.
 
You may never have a spiritual high either, or if you do it might only be once in your life. That was true even for Mother Theresa. She had one such cherished experience of hearing God speak directly to her. But that joy and direction had to keep her moving to serve God for a lifetime, because it never came again. This mountain top witness of Jesus’ glory only came once for only three of the disciples, but perhaps it also helped sustain them in the difficult marathon ahead of them.
 
I wanted to look into other occurrences of glory in the scriptures. In the Old Testament there are references to the Lord’s glory appearing to the people especially at the Tent of Meeting, which we also call the Tabernacle. Most of these are in the book of Numbers. For example, “Korah gathered the entire community with them to the entrance of the meeting tent. Then the Lord’s glory appeared to the entire community.” (Numbers 16:19) I think it’s important to notice that God’s glory can be apparent to the whole community, not just Moses or just the priests. After the Temple was built in Solomon’s time replacing the Tabernacle, 1 King 8 refers to a cloud of God’s glory filling the Temple to the point that the priests could not carry out their duties. The same story is recorded in 2 Chronicles 5. Chapter 7, taking place as Solomon dedicated the Temple, also notes God’s glory filling the Temple. So in one sense God’s glory seems to indicate God’s presence. Psalms puts it this way, “I love the beauty of your house, Lord; I love the place where your glory resides.” (Psalm 26:8) That presence is closely related to where they expected to find God, at the Tabernacle or later the Temple. It was also associated with the Ark of the Covenant, the top of which was referred to as God’s mercy seat. When the Philistines captured the Ark, a woman declared that God’s glory had left Israel, giving her child a name with that meaning. In a broader image, psalms repeatedly pray that God’s glory fill the earth. For example, “Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven! Let your glory be over all the earth!” (Psalm 57:5 & 11)
 
God’s glory as a visible impression of God’s presence is also recorded in the prophets. I like this verse from Ezekiel. “Just as a rainbow lights up a cloud on a rainy day, so its brightness shone all around. This was how the form of the Lord’s glory appeared. When I saw it, I fell on my face. I heard the sound of someone speaking.” (Ezekiel 1:28) I am reminded that a friend recently saw a rainbow on a difficult day and was reassured that God was with her. Ezekiel continued to experience God’s presence in a visible brightness. All of these associations of God’s glory with God’s presence made visible as some form of light contribute to making sense of what Peter, James, and John saw on the mountain top.
 
The Hebrew word for glory is Kabod (pronounced kavov or kavod) which means heavy or weighty. With reference to deity we mean to honor or respect God. God’s weight, if you will, is the majesty, the splendor, the magnificence of God that is beyond our imagination or comprehension and therefore demands our awe-filled respect. It was God’s splendor that filled the tabernacle, his magnificence that filled the Temple. What we find in the transfiguration story is that God’s majesty also filled Jesus. That right of God’s glory is proclaimed by God’s voice saying as it did at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son.” It was unexpected of Jesus in human form, but if we believe that Jesus was indeed God wrapped in human flesh for a time on earth, then it makes more sense to see God’s glory shine in and through him. Jesus put this in his own words to the disciples after the Last Supper. “Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I shared with you before the world was created.” (John 17:5)
 
Sometimes we get overly focused on the glory of the past, and sometimes we even remember it as brighter than it actually was. The past has its place in that it helped form who we have become and that we can always learn from it. But we can’t live there anymore.
 
While the future is still speculation, we do need to face forward into it. That is precisely what Jesus was doing on the mountain top as he conversed with Moses and Elijah. Jesus was preparing for his own future and facing the cross. Jesus was also preparing Peter, James, and John for what was to come and for the roles each of them would play beyond the cross. They each became key leaders for the church in their own way. God also uses moments along the way to prepare us for our futures and the tasks God has in mind that lie ahead for us. But we don’t live in the future yet.
 
Most of all we need to live in the present moment, whether it is one of rejoicing or one of hardship. In each moment it is helpful to recognize that God’s glory is present with us whether or not it is visible to our eyes. God doesn’t appear to shine in full radiance at every moment before us, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t right there beside us. The sun is still there shedding some light on a cloudy day, we just can’t see it in its full brilliance. Even in the dark of our night, the sun is still shining on another part of the world. My faith believes that God is still with me in every moment whether or not I see it. But I look for reminders of God’s presence in the world around me. In sunshine or rainbows, plants, and animals out my window, in the people I talk to, in signs of caring and sharing I hear in the news, in all of these I can find God still shedding light. God has many ways of making God’s presence known if we bother to notice.
 
You won’t have a mountain top experience every day. You couldn’t bear it if you did. You may only have one in a lifetime if even that. But God is just as present in your mundane day to day lives. I encourage you to look for where God’s glorious presence is trying to shine a bit of light in your life each and every day, but I also encourage you to reflect that light to others whenever and wherever God gives you the opportunity. You may be the only one who can help another person see God’s light in a particular time and place.
 
May God’s light shine on you and through you today! 
 
*HYMN                   Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies                                            # 462
 
PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
           as we forgive our debtors.
           And lead us not into temptation,
           but deliver us from evil:
           For thine is the kingdom,
           and the power, and the glory,
           forever."      -- Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
Lord, we are told that Peter, James, and John glimpsed your full glory when they joined you on the mountain long ago, but we are called to live here and now on the plains. We offer ourselves to you in this life, asking you to transform us from within, so that through our daily lives, others may have a glimpse of your eternal love and even glory. Amen.
 
*DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
  
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Apostle’s Creed (Ecumenical) p. 14
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.
 
*HYMN                                                                            Shine, Jesus, Shine                         STF #2173
 
*CHARGE & BLESSING
 
*POSTLUDE
 
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.

​ 
SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
February 20, 2022
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.
·   masks are required by those not vaccinated  Session, as well as social distancing
   bulletins are placed in the pews to help with social distancing
· Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
· Please write your prayer request on the Yellow cards.  An usher will pick them up during the 1st hymn.
· Please join us after service for fellowship will be continuing with beverages only, in Calvin Hall
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett,  Jo Lefleur,  Dr Dyke,  , Harlan Marx ,Tom Kelly, Lois Seger, Jon Ryner,   Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Kay Werner, and Arlene Pawlik
 
PRELUDE
 
WORDS OF WORSHIP (Unison) “praise the Lord, all you nations! Extoll Him, all you peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!´
 
GATHERING PRAYER (Unison) We come before You, O God as Your loving children. We pray You would hear us and give us the strength to be more loving, more forgiving and more willing to be the children You call us to be. Amen.
.
*HYMN                  Christ, whose glory fills the skies                                              #462
 
*CONFESSION AND PARDON (UNISON) Merciful Lord, we confess with us there is an abundance of sin, but in you there is the fullness of righteousness and abundance of mercy. We are spiritually poor, but you are rich and in Jesus Christ came to be merciful to the poor. Strengthen our faith and trust in you. We are empty vessels that need to be filled; fill us. We are weak in faith; strengthen us. We are cold in love; warm us, and make our hearts fervent for you that our love may go out to one another and to our neighbors. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Pastor) Because God’s love and mercy are greater than all our sin, God loves and forgives us. because of that, we can say (All) we are forgiven people. Amen
 
Passing of the Peace
OFFERING PRAYER
Interlude
 
Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION (Unison) Open to me the words You want me to hear and help me to follow them. amen
 
SCRIPTURE LESSON               Luke 6:27-38
27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. 37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
 
Sermon              “Give and it will be given to you”
 
The reading for today is a hard one for us to hear. The challenges Jesus lays down in these 9 verses really make us swallow hard if we read them seriously. They were delivered in the midst of a series of teachings Jesus delivered not only to his disciples but to all the crowd who were following Him from near and far. These teachings make it clear Jesus is setting a new standard of behavior for anyone who is attempting to be a follower of His. In this section he says, “but I say to you” making it clear it is not enough to be a follower of the way things have been but now, they are being charged to listen to what Jesus is saying. He was a faithful Jew and atte4nded services on a regular basis as we read many times. He knows what the common teachings are. He wants to make it very clear he is setting a new, much higher, standard of behavior. When we read these, we are tempted to say they are impossible. That they cannot be done in our world with things being the way they are. While what he says is challenging to all of us, it also serves to remind us of the way God responds to us when we fall away from what we are asked to do. As we work our way through these verses we will see they are not impossible but things we can work toward.
when we read these words, our first thought is, “we live in a dog-eat-dog world. A world where you need to beat others to the punch if you want to survive. A world in which might makes right and the sorts of things Jesus is putting forth here just plain will not work. We tell ourselves if we did the things Jesus is laying out, everyone would just plain walk right over us and we would have no pride at all and would soon cease to have nothing at all. By saying these things we try to excuse ourselves from taking the things Jesus says seriously. It is easier to say these things than to try to live the way Jesus puts forth in these verses.
When we read the words challenging us to “love your enemies” or the words about “turning the other cheek” or “pray for those who abuse you” we are left with our mouths hanging open. We cannot imagine doing those things and so we listen, nod our heads in agreement and go about our lives without seriously considering what the results would be it those words could, even on a limited basis, become true. What would happen if, somehow, we were able to make these words a real part of our lives? What would be the result if, instead of calling people names when they said or did things that I disagree with, when they said misleading things, what would happen if I seriously prayed for them? How would I change if I were to do that? What would happen if, instead of hearing demeaning words, people heard me speak about praying for others? is this something that is seriously out of my reach as I like to pretend it is or is it something each of us can strive to accomplish?
A bit of historical research can give us an interesting insight into his thinking when we understand what is really the result of the things he advocated here. “if anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other” for one example comes from the way a servant could be punished by their master. The accepted way was for the servant to stand in front of the master offering their right cheek. The master than, was supposed to strike the cheek with the back of their right hand. If, then, the servant offered their left cheek, the master would not be able to strike with their right hand and would be left with no way to follow through. the master is left with no viable options. There is no way the master can follow through and they must simply walk away.
The other thing Jesus holds up presents the same predicament. “From anyone who takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt.” Again, we have to reflect on the world in which this was said. The coat, or cloak in some translations was the outer garment that served as a windbreaker, protection against the weather and, a pillow to sleep on at night for persons in lowly financial conditions. If a person gave their coat as a pledge for a debt the Jewish law demanded it be given back at the end of the day so the person would not suffer the cold. In their world, roman soldiers have the right to demand a person’s coat and they did not have to obey the Jewish law and the person could suffer with no recourse. What Jesus was proposing was for them to remove their shirt as well. It was not a shirt in the sense we think of the word but it was a robe like garment with nothing underneath it. For a person then, to offer their shirt would leave them totally exposed which would cast shame of the soldier for making a person stand there totally exposed. The one who had the legal right to demand the cloak would now be exposed as being responsible for another person being totally naked. They would be forced to relent from what they had done.
Lets take a serious look at some instances where these words were taken seriously and acted on and see how that holds up. Last month, we celebrated MLK day. A day to remember the teachings of King concerning non-violent reaction to the wrongs of society. during the days of the civil-rights movement we saw crowds of peaceful citizens merely calling for the right to be treated equally being exposed to dog attacks, being knocked off their feet by high-power water hoses, being attacked by police and other sights that made us cringe as we watched them unfold before us on the 6:00 news. The more the rest of America saw this and saw Dr. King continue to advocate non-violence and to continue to ask his followers to pray for those who were abusing them, the more the attitude of our society began to change in the way people of color were being denied things the rest of us took for granted. Eventually, laws and usual practices were changed. while it is true we still have a long way to go to achieve total equality on every front, people were willing to act in a non-violent way forced us to see what praying for those who abuse you could achieve if people were willing to stand for what they believed.
We have seen other examples of people who have taken the words of these verses seriously as well and when we saw them the examples seriously challenged the way we try to not hear what Jesus tells us. we have seen how forgiveness can be extended in the face of terrible things that happen. One of the first was in October of 2006 when Robert Bound entered an Amish schoolhouse in rural Pennsylvania and shot 10 girls, killing 5 of them before killing himself. Within hours members of the Amish community began extending their forgiveness to the killer and visited with members of his family and his parents to offer them comfort and pardon  They even attended the killers funeral. A grandfather of one of the murdered girls cautioned the community not to hate the killer. He said, “we must not think evil of this man” while another father said, “He had a mother, and a wife and a soul and now he is standing before a just God” in December of 2012 6 year old Emille Parker and 25 other people were killed in Sandy Hook Pa. a few days later her father, Robbie Parker said to the press, “we’d like to offer our deepest condolences to all the families who are directly impacted by this shooting. It’s a horrific tragedy and we want everyone to know that our hearts and prayers go out to them. This includes the family of the shooter and I can’t imagine how hard this experience must be for you as well. As we  move on from what happened here, what happened to so many people, let it not turn into something that defines us, but something that inspires us to be better, to be more compassionate, and more humble people” maybe you remember, as I do, how hushed the voices of the TV reporters were as they relayed these stories. These kinds of things were clearly something they were having difficulty processing within themselves. These stories were stark examples that someone did not have to return evil for evil but were capable of returning good for evil. Stories that make us examine again, the excuses we give for not looking more closely at the things Jesus tells us in these verses.
As I listened to these stories and others like them, I wondered to myself if I had the strength of faith to offer that kind of forgiveness in the face of something that horrible. Then, and now, I pray to God I will never have to find out but the question continues to loom in my mind as I read these words from today’s lesson and think about the responses these individuals made in the face of something unbelievably horrible. We see these examples of people who had the strength of faith to take these words literally and act on them. When we reflect on them we say to ourselves, “these were common everyday people just like us. they were not great pillars of the church. They were the people who sat in pews just like I do, they were people who served on church committees, taught SS, sang in the choirs just like I do. What does it take for me to really hear the words Jesus spoke and truly listen to what they demand of me? what does it take for me to try to follow these words as they did?
First of all, these words did not come out of nowhere. These people did not just decide to forgive when their children were shot. Both the examples were people who were part of the Amish community. A community that had been willing to stand up for their beliefs in non-violence even during times of war which had brought them much derision and blame during times of war. Because this tradition is a long standing one, the people who spoke out have been raised from the time they were children that this is the way they should behave. It is something that had been part of their lives and their understanding as long as they can remember. We can look at that tradition and say, that is not something I can do. Yet, each of us know within ourselves that, if we sincerely want to change something within our lives we can, over time, make the change we want to make.
A few years ago, our daughter decided, for reasons we never understood, to run the Chicago marathon. Like everything else that generation does, she looked on line until she found a program that would prepare her. As she was following this program, she shared a bit of it with us. you do not start by running a marathon. You start with a short run, you do the short run for 2-3 days in a row and you take a day of rest where you do not run at all. Then, you extend the short run for a slightly longer run and do the same thing. The program continued that sort of cycle until you were prepared to run the 26.2 miles of the marathon without, as she said, “dying at the end” by not looking at the 26 miles but looking only at a short run, over time she was ready to run and finish the race.
Our daughter’s program took about 3 months to get her ready to endure the marathon and that seems to be the way to prepare to accept the challenge of Jesus here. We cannot expect these changes within ourselves overnight. We cannot expect them to be quick and easy. More than once, she confessed, the routine was difficult and that she wanted to give it up but, at the same time she had set a challenge before herself and she wanted to see it through till she achieved her goal. In the same way, these challenges to the way we think and the way we want to excuse ourselves will sometimes seem to overwhelm us. when we are tempted to think these words are beyond our strength or ability, we need to call into mind the people who have shown us it can indeed be done. part of the answer is not in depending on ourselves to accomplish these things but to call on the strength given to those who truly seek it.
Instead of looking at the whole list Jesus gives and saying, “it is too much, I cannot do that” I need to follow the example of the training program and focus on one small piece. The next time I hear someone give false information about the vaccine, instead of calling them a name, what if I seriously took time to pray for them? This person is, after all, a child of God just as I am and needs to be guided just as I do. Ask that they be guided, ask that they listen to the voices of science. Ask that they be open to change as I need to be open to change about some of the things within me. As we do that, over time we get stronger and stronger in our own character as the runner begins to make longer and longer runs as the program continues. We may be surprised what praying for others will do for us.
What Jesus holds before me is a reminder of God’s mercy toward me. How many times have I turned away from God by the way I treat others and been forgiven? How many times have I gone my own way rather than listen to the things God asks of me and been restored by His love? Each of the things Jesus lists here are things I have done against either God or my neighbor and God has restored me when I ask with a sincere heart. If I have experienced that in my own life, can I begin to practice it toward others? I do not believe Jesus asks us to do things that are impossible because I have seen people do those very things in the midst of terrible situations. I am asked to take one small step in that direction knowing He will be with me as I take it, encouraging and strengthening me as I take it.
The result of our daughter’s training program was the ability to finish the marathon. The result of following the words we hear are given in the last part of this lesson: “Forgive and you will be forgiven, give and it will be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over will be put in your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back”
 
 
 
HYMN                   “Come, Christians, join to sing”                                             # 150
 
*PASTORAL PRAYERS
 
*The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever."      -- Amen.
 
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Apostle’s Creed (Ecumenical) p. 14
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.
 
*Hymn                           Lead on o King Eternal                                                  # 447
 
 
Sending
 
*CHARGE & BLESSING
(Pastor) May the Lord bless and keep us. may the Lord strengthen us for His service. May the Lord make His face to shine upon us and give us peace, now and forever more. Amen
 
Postlude
 
 
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.