​ 
July 31st, 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  as well as 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 in Calvin Hall
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett, Jo Lefleur, Judy Welcher, Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx, Lois Seger, Jon Ryner, Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Werner & Kelly Families, Kolleen’s , Ukraine, Arlene Pawlik, Angela and Tristan, Bonnie Pillers, Deb Weller, and Linda Wenzel.
PRELUDE
 
*PSALTER Psalm 107:1-9, NIV
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story--
    those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
    from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
    finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
 
*GATHERING PRAYER
Lord, as you have gathered us from many backgrounds and places to be your people, so we gather this day to honor and worship you. We come singing your praise, listening to your words, offering our prayers and our lives to your service. Be present with us. Fill us once again with good things that our spiritual hunger and thirst might also be filled this day. Amen.
 
 
*HYMN                     Sing Praise To God Who Reigns Above                                  #483
 
 
*INVITATION TO CONFESSION                                    Colossians 3:1-11, NIV
“Since you were brought back to life with Christ, focus on the things that are above—where Christ holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. 2 Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. 3 You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory.  5 Therefore, put to death whatever is worldly in you: your sexual sin, perversion, passion, lust, and greed (which is the same thing as worshiping wealth). 6 It is because of these sins that God’s anger comes on those who refuse to obey him. 7 You used to live that kind of sinful life. 8 Also get rid of your anger, hot tempers, hatred, cursing, obscene language, and all similar sins. 9 Don’t lie to each other. You’ve gotten rid of the person you used to be and the life you used to live, 10 and you’ve become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like its Creator. 11 Where this happens, there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, uncivilized person, slave, or free person. Instead, Christ is everything and in everything.”
 
Let us confess our shortcomings to the Lord:
 
Merciful God, you intended us to live as new creatures in Christ, and yet old habits are hard to break and the ways of the world around us are hard to avoid.  We slip into thought patterns and behaviors that don’t suit our new nature, because they do not honor you. We may easily say we don’t have any of the sins named in one particular scripture, but we might just as easily ignore some other attitude or habit that is equally disrespectful to you our Creator and Savior. Forgive us once again for all that is sinful within us. Cleanse us and heal us that we may better live as your children in this world. Amen.
 
 
*WORDS OF ASSURANCE                                  Colossians 3:3-4, NIV
Let us remember scripture’s promise. “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory.” It is through Christ we are forgiven.  Thanks be to God!
 
*SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
 
PASSING 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.
 
 
INTERLUDE
Word
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS        
Hosea 1:1-11, GNT
11 The Lord says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him  and called him out of Egypt as my son.  2 But the more I called to him, the more he turned away from me.
My people sacrificed to Baal;  they burned incense to idols. 3 Yet I was the one who taught Israel to walk.  I took my people up in my arms, but they did not acknowledge that I took care of them.  4 I drew them to me with affection and love. I picked them up and held them to my cheek; I bent down to them and fed them.  5 “They refuse to return to me, and so they must return to Egypt, and Assyria will rule them. 6 War will sweep through their cities and break down the city gates. It will destroy my people because they do what they themselves think best. 7 They insist on turning away from me. They will cry out because of the yoke that is on them, but no one will lift it from them.  8 “How can I give you up, Israel?  How can I abandon you?  Could I ever destroy you as I did Admah,  or treat you as I did Zeboiim?  My heart will not let me do it!  My love for you is too strong. 9 I will not punish you in my anger;  I will not destroy Israel again.  For I am God and not a mere human being.  I, the Holy One, am with you. I will not come to you in anger.  10 “My people will follow me when I roar like a lion at their enemies. They will hurry to me from the west. 11 They will come from Egypt, as swiftly as birds, and from Assyria, like doves. I will bring them to their homes again. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
 
Luke 12:13-21, CEB
13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”14 Jesus said to him, “Man, who appointed me as judge or referee between you and your brother?”  15 Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourself against all kinds of greed. After all, one’s life isn’t determined by one’s possessions, even when someone is very wealthy.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “A certain rich man’s land produced a bountiful crop. 17 He said to himself, What will I do? I have no place to store my harvest! 18 Then he thought, Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. That’s where I’ll store all my grain and goods. 19 I’ll say to myself, You have stored up plenty of goods, enough for several years. Take it easy! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself. 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool, tonight you will die. Now who will get the things you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 This is the way it will be for those who hoard things for themselves and aren’t rich toward God.”
 
SERMON                                  “The Danger of Greed”
 
“Mine!” It’s a word humans seem to adopt early in life, even as toddlers. Eventually it is followed by the word “More!” because we never seem to be satisfied.
 
We want more; we want better. Then in pursuit of the most and the best; we accumulate stuff. We stuff our lives with stuff!
 
The parable Jesus told about our accumulated stuff always reminds me of my dad’s friend, Leonard, once teasing me that my dad was looking at a property with three barns on it. Three barns will hold a lot of stuff. But dad already has a property with two houses. The little house mom and I used to live in is filled with stuff, and the basement of the house they built further back is full of stuff. I can’t blame dad for too much of this though. While the appliances he acquired when he was a Frigidaire repairman or some of the clothes he has never used are dad’s responsibility, not all of the stuff is his. Some of it is mine, my grandparents’, his mother’s, and his aunt’s. We all left our stuff in his care, and he is stuck with it. Mom and dad worked hard in their 80s to start sorting through all this stuff. There were rummage sales and donations and trash bins. Her last few months dad would bring mom a box of old papers: letters, magazines, and such, because she could still work through that from her chair. I give him credit for working away at it, but I don’t honestly see an end to it, even when it becomes my task or my daughters’.
 
But as I picture all of dad’s stuff in my mind, I have to look at my own. As my favorite pastor back home used to say, “When I point a finger at you; there are three more pointing back at me.” I also have too much stuff though I cut it in half leaving the parsonage, more moving into the apartment, and lots more leaving the apartment. But there is stuff from a storage locker I need to remove from your room upstairs. Some of it landed in my garage along with stacks of boxes from moving to the house. Then my basement filled up with stuff from Jessika’s apartment. I need to be working at sorting through my stuff just as much as dad does.
 
If you look again at the parable from Luke’s gospel, he uses the word greed and describes it with the barns full of stuff in this story. Ouch! I don’t think of my family as greedy. But I would have to question that when I open a shopping website in search of something I want. “No Kolleen you don’t need another shirt, you have dozens!” And I close the tab, well except this week. So, confession: I bought shirts, shorts, and pjs this week, but I will wear them for a decade or more. The concept behind my annual search for things to donate out of my cupboards and closets is based on this principle. “If I’m not using it but someone else could, why is it in my closet?” A recent purge of accumulated jewelry felt great since I hardly wear jewelry in my retirement.
 
We don’t think of ourselves as greedy, and yet…Jesus tells us to “guard against all kinds of greed,” because “life does not consist of an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15) The Greek word for possession refers to property or wealth. I found a curious phrase in one definition, “indulged in.” It is true that I indulge in more than I need. The word used here for abundance means “overflowing” and “excessive.” It can mean “lavished” or summarized as “more than enough.” (All these definitions come from NIV Exhaustive Concordance.)
 
Do you begin to see some distinctions? There is nothing wrong with having the stuff we need. But when we become obsessive about possessions and accumulating more, then we have a problem. There is an attitude issue here. It might be worth asking “Why do I want more? Why do I think I need more?” In fact a common question to ask oneself when making a purchase would be, “Is this a want or a need?” I might go on to ask myself, “Is this just going to sit on a shelf? Or is it going to improve my quality of life?” What may seem like a waste of money and space to someone else, might improve my quality of life. The indulgence I see that way in my own life is music, but as I treat myself to the next Kpop album I want, I wonder what my daughters are going to do to get rid of them someday.
 
One concept I want to convey as a Christian exploring the sin of greed comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippians 4:12. The Contemporary English Version reads like this, “I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little.” The word translated here as plenty is the same Greek word as in the parable meaning wealthy. It is that overflowing abundance which is more than enough. The word translated here as poor also means humble. The word used at the end of this verse, “want” has a harsher meaning: to be lacking or deprived. It is having less than enough. Paul knew both extremes of this continuum. He learned how to live at either end or in the middle. But most of our society dreams of living on the upper end of that scale and pities those at the bottom. The culture around us has taught us to value abundance and wealth rather than humble means. I was surprised when I looked at the verse in Greek to discover that the word included in many translations, the word “content” doesn’t have a Greek word behind it. Many English translations have added that concept because the next phrase means whether I’m satisfied or hungry. Let me share a couple more translations that might be closer to the original intent. “I have learned the secret of how to live through any kind of situation.” (ERV) or the full clause, “I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” (ESV) What I get out of this discovery is that Paul wasn’t telling the Philippians to stick a happy face on a painful situation. His emphasis was more on learning the secret to survive it. His secret of course comes in the next verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Multiple versions translate Phil. 4:13 this way.
But I like this realistic version, “I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.” (CEB) That verse got me through the first half of this month and will hopefully get me through the PET scan on Friday.
 
We too may know times of want and times of plenty, or find we are lacking something in one area of life while we have abundance in another. Paul has shared with us his secret for surviving what we lack. So the next question is what do we do with our abundance. Luke tells us Jesus’ answer is NOT to build bigger barns. I think the obvious biblical answer is to share with those who have less.
 
Possessions are not the only things about which humans are greedy. If I think about what else is listed among the seven deadly sins, I think greed is behind many of them. If envy is wanting what someone else has not only in terms of possession but also characteristics, talents, status, etc., then that is also a kind of greed. Isn’t gluttony being greedy about food? Isn’t lust being greedy about the gift of our sexual nature? What about the lust for power? It is the greedy desire for excess that leads us to sin in various areas of our lives.
 
But this is not only true for individuals, it is true in society among groups and structures. Think about it historically. Greed drove the acquisition of power and empires. Greed divided people into classes or caste systems. Greed accumulated great wealth while driving others into poverty. Greed decided my way is best, so let’s invalidate yours. Sadly those attitudes still exist all around us.
 
There is nothing wrong with influence or property or intelligence or education or money or anything of the sort. It is how we think about it and how we use it that makes the difference between serving God or being greedy. Whether it is as a person or as a people, if we use the resources with which we have been blessed to bless others or to care for the earth, that is mission and service. But if we horde them for our own pleasure or to be better than someone else, worse yet in a way that would abuse someone else or the earth, that is greed!
 
In the parable of the barns, as I am going to call it, the morale of the story seems to be that all the accumulation and hording was pointless. The person in the parable did not live long enough to use what was saved. It calls to my mind the stewardship parable of the talents. What was invested on the master’s behalf increased and those servants were praised for using it wisely. But the one who buried the small portion he had received just wasted it. Burying it was of no use to anyone. In this story the amounts given to each steward are not the point. The point is whether each one wasted or invested whatever they were given. So too it would seem that what is stored in the barns of our gospel story is also wasted, for it is never put to use. Greed did not accomplish much.
 
What follows the parable of the barns in Luke 12, is Luke’s version of a favorite section of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s gospel. “And life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (Luke 12:23-24) This passage invites us to trust God rather than worry too much about our needs. It’s the lesson God tried to teach the Hebrews during the Exodus. Gather what you need for today, but don’t be greedy about it. It’s good stewardship to be fiscally responsible for the future, but not to be obsessive and miserly about it. God was the one who gave Egypt seven years of abundance to store up and survive seven years of famine. But God was also the one who made sure the widow of Zarephath had just enough oil and flour each day to share a meal with Elijah.
 
I think the antidote to greed is generosity. When you have more than enough then you can spare something to share with others who are in need. That should be true of power and influence and a voice in decisions as well as sharing from any abundance of food or clothing or shelter. The spiritual gift of generosity includes not only the e to share but also the ability to earn and manage resources. Again those resources can be anything from food to influence. There’s a Wesleyan principle related to all this; in short form is recommends, “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”
 
I invite you in coming days to consider the variety of resources at your disposal. How did you earn them? What do you save for future needs? What can you give to meet another’s need? Remember that not all of your resources are tangible items, some are your gifts and abilities. Take inventory of what you have as a household, as a church, as a community, as a wider society and people. Then invite the Holy Spirit to guide your use and investment of all you have. In the process may you notice how truly blessed you are by God!
 
 
*HYMN                                    More Love to Thee, O Christ                             #359
 
 
*PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
        Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
        thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
        Give us this day our daily bread.
         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, now and forever. Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
Gracious God, you have provided all we truly need in this life and oft times blessings far beyond just those needs. We give you thanks and praise for loving us and caring for us as now we offer all that we are and all that we have back to you in lives of thanksgiving and praise. Amen.
 
*DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow                 #592
 
*AFFIRMATION 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 into hell.
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 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 life everlasting. Amen.
 
*HYMN Take My Life                                        #391
 
Sending Forth
 
*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.
Some of today’s liturgy came from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship
 

​July 24th, 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  as well as 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 in Calvin Hall
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett, Jo Lefleur, Judy Welcher, Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx, Lois Seger, Jon Ryner, Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Werner & Kelly Families, Kolleen , Ukraine, Arlene Pawlik, Angela and Tristan, Bonnie Pillers, Deb Weller, and Linda Wenzel.
PRELUDE
 
*CALL TO WORSHIP
L:  God is doing a new thing.  Can you see it?  Can you hear it?
P:  It settles in our midst.  It makes our hearts tingle!
L:  A new path springs forth, a way in the wilderness--
P: Life and hope and healing!
L:  Let us gather before our God of new possibilities.
P:  With confidence may we step onto this path of new hope,
L:  Where rivers in the desert give drink to God’s people.
All:  Glory to our God.  Amen and Amen.
*GATHERING PRAYER
O Lord, as we pray “Your Kingdom Come; Your will be done.” Let us experience a hint of that new realm as we gather this day.  Let us sing your praise and invite your healing into our lives and within our community.  May we be nourished and equipped in your power and glory forever more.  Amen.
 
*HYMN Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty                                  #482
 
Call to Confession
Like children stomping in mud puddles, we come before you, Lord, dripping with sin and despair.  How we want to be washed clean, but we can’t do it of our own accord.  Hear our confessions, Loving God, and help us to be scrubbed afresh.  May the blessing of your grace offer us the new life we seek this day. Amen
Prayer of Confession
 
           You stand at our shoulder, Lord.  How you want to give us the gifts of life      and hope and healing!  Yet we turn away to the clamor of our world.  We            pour our energies into things that do not satisfy; we support practices that diminish life for others; we carelessly abuse your good earth for our personal comfort.  Still you open your arms to invite us in. You listen for our cries and point us in directions of healing.  Forgive us for our stubborn refusal to lay our whole lives before you.  Help us to embody the prayer you taught us and to experience the joy of your kingdom come-- on earth as it is in heaven. Amen
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
 
The heart of God rejoices when his children open to the gift of forgiveness.  We are God’s by grace.  We are washed clean in our Lord’s amazing love.  Let us rejoice in the new life given through Jesus Christ, our Savior.  Thanks be to God.                     
 
PASSING 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.
 
Prayer of Illumination
 
Lord, quiet our hearts and still our thoughts as your holy word is read and proclaimed.  Help us to hear and recognize that we are raised with Christ in the power of new life and new possibilities. May we discover the possibilities you have for us and rejoice in your amazing love. Amen.
 
INTERLUDE
 
 
Word
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Isaiah 43: 16-21
 
16 This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, 17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again,   extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
 
                   Luke 11: 1-13
11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:” ‘father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.  9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
 
SERMON                                  “Prayers for New Beginnings ”
I am so pleased to be your new interim pastor!  I am an interim.  I think that’s an important distinction.  Certain parts of being a pastor are universal—preaching on Sunday (even though I am only able to be here 2 or 3 Sundays per month)—loving you, helping you to feel God’s presence in the different moments of your life.  There are also some things that are unique to the role of interim.  Primarily it’s walking with you in the midst of the unknown, in a transition time.   You are moving from what has been towards what will be.  That’s always a little scary because we humans get really comfortable with our habits and traditions.  We claim our own spot in the sanctuary and our own way of doing things and it’s hard to think about changes to that.  We ask, “will it be OK?  Will we each find our place in the new design?  Will we be able to have what we need?  I think transitions in ministry is even more challenging because our entire society is in transition about the way we think of church.  Church has fallen out of vogue for much of our society.  That means we have to do things differently on many different levels.
A couple weeks ago when I was visiting with one of your more senior members she told me about the incredible number of children who attended your Sunday School brought in the palms and the long parade of bright shiny faces waving those branches.  She lit up when she told about that and mentioned that everyone had to arrive early to get a seat in the sanctuary.  Latecomers had to sit on chairs around the edges and couldn’t see as well. 
Today those youth programs have gone away, so we might well ask, NOW WHAT?  Now how do we do the important work of teaching the faith to our children and grandchildren?  Or do we?  Maybe we just throw up our hands and consider it an impossible task!
Seeking the new way of doing things in order to accomplish the goals of our faith is the work of the church today, and it’s absolutely the work of a church in transition between pastors.  That means I will need to learn about what has been, as well as what energy you have for being the church in the future.
The people to whom Isaiah is writing have a rich and vital history.  They are God’s people, the ones whom the Lord had selected for himself.  They are the sons and daughters of Abraham.  They are the fulfillment of God’s promise made to this pillar of the faith.  They are the offspring of the Hebrew slaves whom God led out of bondage—through the Red Sea, giving manna in the desert.  They are the recipients of the law which God spoke to the people and then wrote with his own hand of stone tablets.  They are the powerful nation that King David established.  But all of that is in their past.  Now they sit in Babylon, a defeated people.  God had allowed these heathens to conquer them as a punishment for their lack of compliance to God’s laws of justice and compassion.  The Babylonians had rounded up any who had any leadership capacity and marched them across the desert.  It was a brutal march, and new they sat in a foreign land watching foreign gods bless their captors.
OK.  The punishment was deserved, but what now?  Had God turned his back on them for all time?  Had God selected a new people?  Would they ever know the pride and the joy of worshipping in their temple?  Oh wait, the Babylonians had destroyed it!
Some of the priests and visionaries were saying that God would allow them to return to their beloved Jerusalem—even after all these many years.  But how would they be able to return?  It was a desert, a wilderness with no roads, harsh and difficult to pass without massive support.  How could they even think about returning?
That’s where the prophet who we now call Second Isaiah  comes in (This Isaiah is actually writing some 100+ years after the first, so probably not the same guy.)
Isaiah brings a new word from God.  Earlier he had spoken God’s comfort upon the people.  Now he brings a word about their future.  In chapter 43 he tells the people that God will gather them from all the corners of the earth.  He would claim his people, “whom I created  for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
He then reminds them of their own experience, how God was a critical part in their escape  from slavery.  “Thus says the Lord who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior”  He’s talking, of course about the Red Sea corridor which opened to allow the escaping slaves to walk across on dry land.  Then it closed over top of the pursuing army.  “They lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick.”  This was such a celebrated part of their history.  Can’t you just feel the people settling into this story that was so important to them?  This was a part of their identity, so what comes next must have been quite a jolt.
God said, “Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old.”  Wait a minute God had said they should always remember these things.  They had a whole feast day to remember this.”  God said, “I am about to do a new thing, now it springs forth.  Do you not perceive it?”
This new thing has been framed in the richness of their story, escape across the Red Sea.  God said, “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches.”
Do you notice anything?  This is a reverse Red Sea Crossing.  Before, God had carved out dry land in the midst of water.  Now God is making a highway in the desert, offering the presence of life-giving water and calm in a hostile land.  It’s a new thing, but it’s another version of the Red Sea!  God gives life and hope and meaning to his people.
Sometimes we think about such stories as all in the past.  That’s what God did then!  But I maintain that it’s just as present today.  How will God call us forward to live in new ways to experience his grace and goodness and to offer it to the world around us?  I doubt it will be a massive Sunday School, plays that celebrate Christmas or Easter, or a parade of palms.  But what will it be?  How will God call us forward to serve him right here in Clinton, Iowa?  Discovering that will be our task together in the coming months.  And then, of course we will need to work with imagination and courage to put one foot in front of the other to enact that new reality.
Remember the folks who sat in Babylon?  They would need to put on their shoes, grab their babies and elderly, and put one foot in front of the other to get back to Jerusalem where they would need to rebuild the temple and a new way of life.  They likely encountered road construction along the way. Detours caused by poor signage, weather delays, a few flat tires, even unscheduled bathroom breaks.  There were likely times when they needed to retrace their path to a juncture where they would take the other fork in the road.   At other times they would need to wait for God to clear the rock slide that had blocked their path.  They were active participants.  They weren’t sitting on a train or a plane allowing someone else to drive the vehicle.  They were out there moving forward with God.
And that will be our task—to listen, to discern, to participate, to recheck our bearings to make sure we haven’t wandered off course.  There will be times when we find ourselves at a dead end.  Things didn’t go as planned.  That’s not a reason to throw up our hands.  It’s a new learning that leads to the next step forward.  I happen to believe that we learn more from our mistakes than for our success!  But either way, God is leading us!
Prayer will be essential.  Prayer is the act of laying our lives before our God.  Prayer allows God to make adjustments in our software so that we are better able to follow where he leads.
In our Gospel lesson, Jesus’ disciples ask him to teach them to pray.  One might ask, doesn’t everyone know how to pray?  Don’t you just open your heart and mind and allow all that is there to pour into God’s lap?  You don’t filter.  You just put it out there.  But that’s personal prayer.  The disciples are asking about corporate prayer for the entire community.  Jesus offers what we have come to know as the Lord’s Prayer.  We pray it almost without thinking.  The words feel polished and comforting because we’ve said them so often.
But this is a radical prayer.  To fully delve into it is a whole other sermon, but suffice it to say that it’s a prayer that invites God’s design for our world to fully come into being.  Many of us might struggle with whether that were a good thing.  There would be a leveling of our society and our world.  There would be a completely new way of thinking about our culture, our economic system, governmental system and so much more.  Daily reliance upon God becomes the norm, and that leaves a lot of anxiety about what happens tomorrow.
As a congregation in transition, we invite God’s realm into our ministry.  So there will be ambiguity, questions, discomfort and likely difference of opinion.  We need to expect that and to recognize that it’s a part of the process.  We need to work hard to lift up one another—even when we disagree because those disagreements will often create a better product than when everyone is gung ho on a plan.
God is in our midst.  God is our wagon master as we move along this path in the desert.  God will provide streams of water and manna to nourish us—body and soul, but to make this journey we will need everyone to come along.   You are each an important part of the process.  Your thoughts and dreams, your hopes and struggles will inform us and help us to find God’s way for us.
In the coming weeks we will be asking you to answer some questions.  We hope to invite you in to think together in groups so we can build relationships, as well.  I hope you will find those opportunities instructive and fun.  I think fun is an important part of this process, so that’s my plan, too!!!
 
God is good.  God is doing a new thing here at First United Presbyterian Church and I’m so please that I get to be a part of it.  I think I speak for Kolleen, too, that we look forward to the journey.
 
Praise to our Lord of new beginnings and new life.  Amen
 
 
*HYMN   Today We All Are Called to Be Disciples                                            #434
 
Prayer of Dedication
How you bless us, Lord, with life and opportunities, with our daily bread and gifts beyond our imagination!  As we bring our offerings before you, our hearts sing with gratitude and praise. May these gifts  bring your kingdom to earth and    glorify your holy name.  Amen.
 
Litany of New Beginnings.
J :  First United Presbyterian Church, let us claim our identity.
P:  We are a people of God; blessed by our Creator; Called by our Lord, Jesus Christ; Equipped and accompanied by the Holy Spirit.
K:  We call ourselves the stone church with a warm heart! We are God's people Receiving Christ, Reaching Out, Sharing Love.
           P:  Our history is rich and filled with faith and joy.  We have been a part            of God’s love, breathing life into the community around us.
           J:  We are at a crossroads, but your call has not been revoked.  Your mission            has not been set aside.
P:  God holds our future and is preparing us to take the next steps into a new ministry, a new way of being, a new call to service in Christ’s name.
K:  As part of that preparation, this congregation has stepped into a relationship with a new interim pastor.   Pastor Joyce, will you accept this opportunity to serve this congregation and walk beside the good people of First United Presbyterian Church?
J:   I will.  I will love them, pray for them, encourage them, and do my best to help them to know God’s presence in their midst.  I will ask questions, listen carefully, pray diligently and strive to faithfully serve in ways that open the doors of God’s new beginnings and new hope for First United Presbyterian Church.
P:  We thank God for all that has brought us to this point and for God’s presence as we move forward with Pastor Joyce.
J:  Pastor Kolleen, you have been a much beloved part of this congregation, and now you step back into the pulpit on a part time basis.  Will you speak God’s word of grace and goodness to God’s people?
 K:  I will.  I will preach with imagination and love.  I will seek to be open to the Spirit’s guidance, and I will pray for this church to find those new roads in the wilderness.
J:  People of God, Kolleen and I are but 2 voices, 2 pray-ers, 2 energies for Christ.  Will you be a part of this movement?  Will you speak your love?  Will you pray for this congregation?  Will you offer your energies that together we might march the pathway God is preparing for us?
P:  We will actively participate, share our hopes and dreams, pray our faith and love, and offer our energies to serve Christ and to discover God’s new mission for us.  We will listen and care for Pastor Joyce and Pastor Kolleen.  We will invite others to join with us, and we will hold out our hands in friendship to our fellow members and new people alike.
K:  God is not finished with us.
J:  God is doing a new thing, and we will be a part of God’s design and God’s grace.
ALL:  Praise be to our God of New Beginnings.  Praise be to our Savior who calls us forward.  Praise be to the Spirit who walks with us along the way.  Amen and Amen.
PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
    Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
    thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread.
    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, now and forever.    
    Amen
​
*HYMN                      Arise, Your Light is Come                                                   #411
 
 
Sending Forth
 
*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.
Some of today’s liturgy came from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship
 

​ 
July 17th, 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  as well as 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 in Calvin Hall
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett, Jo Lefleur, Judy Welcher, Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx, Lois Seger, Jon Ryner, Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Werner & Kelly Families, Kolleen’s family with the loss of her mom, Ukraine, Arlene Pawlik, Angela and Tristan, Karla Singer (Rich Lewis Niece), Bonnie Pillers, Deb Weller, Barbara Russell and Family, Manon Family, and Linda Wenzel.
PRELUDE
 
*CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 84:1-4, CEB
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord of heavenly forces!
 
My very being longs, even yearns, for the Lord’s courtyards.
My heart and my body will rejoice out loud to the living God!
 
Yes, the sparrow too has found a home there.
The swallow has found herself a nest
 where she can lay her young beside your altars.
 
 Lord of heavenly forces, my king, my God!
    Those who live in your house are truly happy; they praise you constantly.
 
*GATHERING PRAYER
Oh, Lord, our God, our Creator and Savior. You indeed are our dwelling place. You have provided the world in which we live and everything we need to sustain that life, but you also invite us to dwell with you in sacred space, in a relationship of trust and love. You covenant to be our God if we will choose to be your people. You encourage us to live as in your kingdom here on earth, and you welcome us to your eternal home when this life is complete. For our life in you we offer our thanks and praise. Amen.
 
HYMN          Oh Worship the King                                          #476
 
CONFESSION          from Colossians 1:21-22
“Once you were separated from God. The evil things you did showed your hostile attitude. 22 But now Christ has brought you back to God by dying in his physical body. He did this so that you could come into God’s presence without sin, fault, or blame.”
Since Christ has made a way for us, let us confess our sins and shortcomings to God.
 
Gracious and most merciful God. We confess that we have separated ourselves from you by the way we think, by our attitudes, by our actions, and by our inaction. Though we profess our love for you, we do not always live in agreement with your teachings. We do not always understand what you want from us or for us. We get lost in the ways of the world and fail to hear what the Holy Spirit would remind us. As a society we wander down many paths that are not your intention for us. Father, forgive us for the times we do not know what we are doing. Lord, have mercy upon us for the times we know too well but choose our own way instead of yours. Open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts to better live for you. Amen.
 
 
*WORDS OF ASSURANCE                       from Colossians 1:20
Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.
 
Through Christ we are forgiven.  Thanks be to God!
 
*SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
 
PASSING 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.
 
Prayer of Illumination
You ask us, Lord to bear one another’s burdens in gentleness.  But to do that we need first to understand the nature of your hope for our world.  As scripture is read and proclaimed whisper that hope into our ear and give us the wisdom and courage to reach out to our neighbor that we might share their struggle and offer your grace. Amen
 
INTERLUDE
 
Word
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS          Genesis 18:1-10a, Good News
 
18 The Lord appeared to Abraham at the sacred trees of Mamre. As Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day, 2 he looked up and saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran out to meet them. Bowing down with his face touching the ground, 3 he said, “Sirs, please do not pass by my home without stopping; I am here to serve you. 4 Let me bring some water for you to wash your feet; you can rest here beneath this tree. 5 I will also bring a bit of food; it will give you strength to continue your journey. You have honored me by coming to my home, so let me serve you.”
 
They replied, “Thank you; we accept.”
 
6 Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick, take a sack of your best flour, and bake some bread.” 7 Then he ran to the herd and picked out a calf that was tender and fat, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to get it ready. 8 He took some cream, some milk, and the meat, and set the food before the men. There under the tree he served them himself, and they ate.
 
9 Then they asked him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”
 
“She is there in the tent,” he answered.
 
10 One of them said, “Nine months from now I will come back, and your wife Sarah will have a son.”
 
Sarah was behind him, at the door of the tent, listening.
 
 Luke 10:38-42, CEB
 
38 While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. 40 By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.”
 
41 The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. 42 One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.”
 
SERMON                                  “A Ministry of Hospitality”
 
I’ve always thought Abraham’s care for his three visitors to be a prime example of hospitality. It fits the hospitality culture of a nomadic desert people. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible notes that Abraham offered protection in the form of shade, amenities in the form of foot-washing and nourishment by preparing a meal. The notes go on to explain, “Custom mandated such hospitality from a host when travelers passed through since public accommodation was scarce and the climate threatening.” (Notes for Genesis 18:5) Similar hospitality today whether in our home or our yard would likely include shade, air-conditioning, or a fan this time of year. We don’t offer foot washing, but the availability of a bathroom is essential. If not a meal then typically a beverage is offered and perhaps snacks. Our guests may not require all of these, but making them available if needed is pretty standard hospitality. It is worth noting, however, that Abraham’s hospitality goes beyond standard. It is the finest flour, wheat not barley which would have been more common, and enough to bake several loaves of bread. The meat would be freshly butchered from a tender calf. This represents a feast, not their daily diet.
 
“Hospitality was one of the most highly regarded virtues of the ancient world” (NIV Quest Study Bible Notes) and continued to be significant throughout biblical stories. Among those who offered hospitality to Jesus, we are familiar with the story of Mary and Martha whose brother was Lazarus. Jesus often came to their home at Bethany when he visited the area. These sisters each offer hospitality in their own way according to their “gifts and graces,” by which I mean the strengths and personalities God gave them. These sisters might seem to us to be polar opposites. One is in the kitchen and one in the living room. One is on her feet; the other is seated, on the floor no less. One is busily preparing a meal; the other is listening with respect and reverence. But would I ever say one is offering hospitality and the other is not? No! I would not say that! Martha’s hospitality is in a form we expect. She is preparing food for her guest, and we know going back to Abraham’s story that is a standard practice of hospitality. But Mary’s hospitality is also important. She is giving her guest her full attention, listening intently to what the teacher has to say. When Jesus chides Martha for expecting Mary to join her in the kitchen, I think Martha’s fault was in not recognizing that Mary’s hospitality was of equal worth. I believe Jesus appreciated the meal being offered, but appreciated the devotion of Mary’s open heart even more. Martha was intent on feeding Jesus’ body. Mary was focused on letting Jesus nourish her soul. Both are valid hospitality, but while one is standard perhaps the other is rare. We might also note that “Women in ancient Judaism were usually not permitted this privilege.” (NIV Study Bible Notes)  So, for Mary to have the courage to sit and listen as a disciple and for Jesus to acknowledge and praise her choice is significant for the times. Martha did what she believed she was expected to do. Mary took a rare opportunity to heart. Both did so with sincerity and genuine love for Jesus.
 
I want to look at three perspectives on hospitality. From these Bible stories let’s consider how we offer hospitality to God and to others, but let’s also take a moment to consider the hospitality God offers to us.
 
Our opening Psalm declared “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord.” (Psalm 84:1) The dwelling place where God resides and provides hospitality is not only in the heavens, but also here on earth. Whether we are talking about the paradise God intended our world to be, the Eden described in Genesis 1 or God’s heavenly realms described in Revelation 21-22, the dwelling to which God invites us a place of beauty and peace where everything we need is already provided. Psalm 104 speaks of God’s hospitality in creation, food for all creatures, wine, oil, and bread for human beings to enjoy, trees for bird nests, rocky shelters for other animals. God’s hospitality is rich in God’s plan for this planet Earth on which we live, but God also has an eternal plan for our life beyond this. A favorite funeral text from John 14:2-3 tells us that among the many rooms in God’s house, one is prepared especially for each of us, and Jesus will bring us there.
 
Sometimes when we focus on the things that don’t meet our expectations or desires we miss God’s hospitable providence. Even in the flood God had Noah build an ark. Even in the wilderness God provided water and food. Even when Jonah was tossed overboard in a storm God gave him shelter in the belly of a whale in spite of Jonah’s disobedience. Even during a famine or when Elijah was on the run God saw to it he had food and shelter, sometimes directly but also through the widow of Zarephath.
 
In your own quiet time today, I invite you to think of all the ways God has provided hospitality on this earth for you whether directly or through human hands. You might push yourself to consider your own “Even when…” list. How has God still offered you hospitality even in the midst of adversity?
 
Even though they were nomads in an arid place, God made sure Abraham and Sarah had tents and shade and grain and meat. Genesis 18 claims it was “The Lord [who] appeared to Abraham at the sacred trees of Mamre.” When Abraham offered hospitality out of that bounty to the three travelers before him, he was offering it back to the Lord.
 
I think again of Mary and Martha and see the balance they suggest as we offer God both our service and our reverence. Sometimes we work hard serving the Lord not only in the church but also in our homes and in the world around us. That is our Martha hospitality. Sometimes, however, we just sit in God’s presence and listen to God’s Word or to God’s Spirit or simply witness the beauty of God’s world. These worship filled moments are more like Mary’s hospitality.
 
In a relationship such as we have with God, the hospitality we receive we can also return. If we accept God’s covenant proposal to be our God, then we respond by being God’s people. We offer God a place in our lives. We make room for God in our busy schedules. We invite God’s wisdom into our decisions. We seek God’s assistance as we go about our work. We welcome God’s Spirit to nudge and guide us. We hold God’s Word in our minds to influence and to comfort us. We put physical reminders of God’s spiritual presence around us in our homes. We let God’s teachings inform our actions.
 
I think the art of hospitality is making a bit of room in our lives for someone else to occupy. It is essential that we make such room for God because it is God who makes it possible for us to offer such space to anyone else.
 
Sometimes what we offer to others will be physical space, just as Abraham offered under the shade tree to his visitors or Martha offered in her home to Jesus. It’s like the kitchen table next door when I was growing up, where everyone gathered for Georgia’s chocolate chip cookies and a whole lot more. It’s like Wednesday night youth group at our home in Albany when my daughters were in high school. An assortment of teenagers showed up after school and hung out for a while, then ate together, and even learned a bit more about life and Jesus. It’s like my high school friends welcoming me into their home the evening after mom died, even though it was late after their grandkids’ ballgames, and even though I hadn’t been in their home for a few years. It’s like your upstairs kitchen now being used to prepare summer meals and Calvin Hall hosting a PEO or an AAUW meeting. All of these are examples of hospitable physical space.
 
But sometimes we offer more than space. Sometimes we offer food or drink. Rebekah showed hospitality when she drew water for Abraham’s servant and even his camel. It was the sign that servant wanted to find the right woman for his master’s son, Isaac. Another woman, this one of Samaria, was willing to draw water from the community well for Jesus when he asked. Her hospitality was rewarded with an offer of living water. Think how many more stories in the Bible relate to sharing a meal together. Joseph fed his brothers when they came for help in Egypt. Esther prepared a banquet for King Xerxes before presenting her request. Jesus was notorious for eating with “tax collectors and sinners.” He also told many parables that involved feasts.
We remember Jesus for feeding thousands and for sharing a special meal with his disciples. Think how many times you have enjoyed a meal with your family or friends. Table hospitality is significant and something any of us can offer whether we cook or cater or take a friend out for a meal.
 
But hospitality can also meet more than physical needs. There is a concept of hospitable space that is less tangible but equally important. It goes beyond giving our time or a listening ear, though it includes both of these. It is sometimes referred to as holding space, sacred safe space for another person. It can be a place to unburden oneself of grief or guilt or fear or doubt or frustration. It can be a place of learning or healing or maturing. It is what God offers us in the gift of prayer. It is what my coach offers me when I receive Spiritual Direction in our monthly phone call. It is what we can offer each other over a cup of coffee or sitting on the porch, leaning over the backyard fence, or in a desperate phone call. When we allow another person that safe space to be themselves whatever their needs or hurts might be in that moment, we have offered a significant gift of hospitality. This kind of hospitality is to be offered without judgement or scolding, but simply accepting, perhaps even sharing another person’s pain. Everyone needs that hospitality of safe, sacred, space. I think it is the truest meaning of the word sanctuary.
 
A favorite parable reminds us that the hospitality we offer to others is as if we have given it to the Lord. You probably know the one I mean, where those who offered the hospitality of food or drink or clothing or being present with someone who was sick or in prison were told that as they did for the least of the people around them, they did it for the Lord. God has offered the ultimate hospitality to us, making space for each of us in this vast universe, but also in the intimacy of a relationship with God. If we choose to belong to the Lord, we will make hospitable space for the Lord in our daily lives. In the midst of that, we also share hospitality with the people God puts in our lives, as another way of returning our love to our God. One more example of what hospitality can do is the story of Zacchaeus, that wee little man who climbed a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus walk by. When Jesus asked Zacchaeus to share the hospitality of his home and dinner, Jesus also extended to Zacchaeus that sacred hospitality that allowed Zacchaeus to become a new man, no longer a tax collector who cheated people for us own wealth, but a generous man who relearned how to love God and neighbor, because Jesus took the time to meet him.
 
Jesus taught us that the greatest commandments of our Old Testament law are to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. There are many ways to interpret this and live it out in our own lives. One such expression of this love is hospitality as we offer space for God to permeate our whole being and as we extend that hospitable space to the many neighbors of our world just as we also accept that hospitable love for ourselves.
 
 
 
*HYMN               Lift High the Cross                                                                                                #407
 
PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
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, now and forever. Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
Lord, as you have provided for all our needs, may we also learn to provide hospitality to those who come our way. By doing so may we be offering the best of ourselves to you. Amen.
 
*DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
 
AFFIRMATION 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 into hell.
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 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 life everlasting. Amen.
 
*HYMN                      Called as Partners in Christ’s Service                         #343
 
 
 
 
 
Sending Forth
 
*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.
Some of today’s liturgy came from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship
 
 
​
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

​ 
July 10th, 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  as well as 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 in Calvin Hall
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett, Jo Lefleur, Judy Welcher, Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx, Lois Seger, Jon Ryner, Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Werner & Kelly Families, , Ukraine, Arlene Pawlik, Angela and Tristan, Bonnie Pillers, Deb Weller,  Kolleen’s Family, and Linda Wenzel.
 
PRELUDE
 
*Call to Worship
L:  What must we do to inherit eternal life?
P:  Love the Lord with all our hearts, with all our soul, with all our strength and with all our mind. And our neighbor as our selves.
L:  Let us open our hearts and souls, our strength and our minds to God’s amazing love.
P:  Let us offer our worship and praise that we might gain the power to truly love our neighbor as our selves.  Amen.
*Prayer of Invocation
O Lord, we come before you, not as prophets or priests, but as ordinary, every day people who need your touch and who seek avenues of grace.  Bend low, Loving One, and infuse our worship with your Spirit of life that we might gain the power to offer your hope and healing into our world.  Amen.
 
 
*HYMN O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing                #466
 
 
Call to Confession
We don’t want to think of ourselves as sinful beings.  We live decent, responsible lives!  Yet the nature of humanity is to fall short of God’s desire for us.             Let us confess our sins before our Gracious Lord, knowing that God hears and     offers us the gift of healing and wholeness.  Let us come before our Creator.
 
Prayer of Confession
Gracious Lord.  The world is a place where the loudest voice is very often the dominant one.  It’s so much easier to go along than to fight for your holy design.  Forgive us for the many times we’ve thrown up our hands and kept silent, even when we knew that people were being harmed and your good earth was being desecrated.  Forgive us for assuming we had no ability to speak your love into hurtful situations.  Forgive us for our lack of courage and our unwillingness to risk.  Help us to do better, Lord.  Help us and love us, we pray.
 
Words of Assurance
God does love us.  God sent his Son to a cross that we might know ourselves forgiven and washed clean.  Let us claim this gift of redemption that we might begin again to do the will of our father and care for our neighbor. Amen.
 
PASSING 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.
 
Prayer of Illumination
Spirit of Hope and Healing.  We invite you into our hearts and minds as God’s holy word is read and proclaimed. Help us to hear that which we need to be the people you call us to be.  Amen.
 
INTERLUDE
 
Scripture:
Amos 7: 7-17
7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied.  Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.  9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.” 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos is saying: “‘Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 16 Now then, hear the word of the Lord. You say, “‘Do not prophesy against Israel,  and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.’ 17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: “‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city,  and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country.  And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’”
Luke 10: 38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
SERMON                   Who is my Neighbor? 
 
If you have ever been around construction, you’ve probably seen one of these.  It’s a level; used to answer the questions --Is it straight? Is it square?  Is it true?  Is it right?  Amos uses a plumb line to address these questions, but I couldn’t find a plumb line.  A plumb line is a string or line with a weight at the end that drops by the force of gravity to assist the worker to build the wall straight.  The level I have here is a modern day version of that.   To some degree both of our scriptures for today deal with the question of building a strong, straight life built on God’s desires for us.
Amos is shown several prophetic visions that are metaphors for what God is seeing in his people, Israel.  The first 2 are pretty disturbing.  Swarms of locust or showers of fire are descending on the nation to destroy it.  But Amos pleads with God on behalf of the people and God relents.  The third is the plumb line.  This time God is showing Amos (and us) why he is so intent on tearing down his people.  They have built their lives and their society in a way that is crooked and bent and not at all as God intends.  God tells Amos he is measuring the nation.  Twice before God has relented, but not again.  Now he has objective proof of their corruption.  They have turned their backs on justice and compassion and caring for the vulnerable or living in a fair and equitable manner.
Think about it for a minute.  God is holding up a measure—a plumb line—to determine whether his people are doing that which is expected of them.  That would  be a frightening thing.  I don’t feel a lot of confidence that our society could pass such a test.  With gun violence at an all-time high, immigration issues leaving thousands in limbo and suffering, racism, prejudice of all forms, the rich getting richer off the backs of the poor.  What would God say?  What would God’s plumb line look like if measuring our society?  It’s scary.
The plumb line here is being used to judge that which was already happening.  But I note that a plumb line is also a tool that is used to build straight and true.  I think our gospel scripture provides an example of that for us.
Do you notice that it begins with a lawyer, one who is trained as an expert in the law?  He’s asking Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Now for many of us eternal life is that reward we hope to receive when we die and go to heaven. I want to suggest, however, that it’s much more than that.  Here is what Jesus says about eternal life when he is praying for his disciples before his death.  This can be found in John 17:3.  “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”  Do you notice that there’s no mention of heaven here?  That doesn’t rule heaven out, but the emphasis is on relationship and that begins right now.  The verb that we translate as “know” is the same verb used in the Genesis story when we hear that “Adam knew Eve.”  It’s a deep abiding and intimate knowing that clicks on all levels of our being.  It’s interdependence and participation and acceptance of the whole person.  It’s to be in relationship.  What Jesus is saying is that to have that type of relationship with God changes everything.  It gives meaning and direction and purpose.
I wonder if that lawyer wanted that, or if, like many in today’s world, he just wanted a ticket to the streets of gold—heaven when we die?
Jesus invites him to answer his own question.  What do the scriptures say?  His answer—“To love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”  Perfect.
But the lawyer wants to eliminate all ambivalence.  He doesn’t quibble with the loving God with all our being part.  Instead he turns to that horizontal piece of the equation.  Who is my neighbor?  It’s sort of like drawing boundaries.  Who’s in?  Who do I have to love?  Who’s out and who can I walk away from?  How much easier his life will be if he can simply drill down on that detail.  Then he can merrily turn his back on any who are outside of that circle.
But Jesus isn’t going to play that game.  The plumb line he holds up is a parable.  It’s one of our favorites.
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was an especially dangerous route with lots of places for the bad guys to hide and jump out to ambush travelers.  And that’s exactly what happens.  This man was robbed, stripped of his clothing and beaten.  They leave him half dead on the side of the road.
A priest came along.  Now a priest was a man trained in the ways of God.  He was held in high esteem.  But when he saw the man he passed by on the other side.  (Now before we shake our heads in disgust, we maybe need to give the poor guy a break.  Perhaps he was afraid that that robbers were still there waiting for someone to come to this man’s aid so they could attack them, as well.  Or perhaps he was being cognizant of the law in Leviticus that said a priest should not touch a dead body lest he have to undergo a process of cleansing.  If the priest thought the man dead and had a priestly duty to perform, he might have passed without going to the man.)
Next came a Levite.  A Levite in todays world might be thought of as an associate pastor, or the priest’s helper—maybe a church administrator.  He was also held in high esteem and thought of as a godly man.  But just like the priest, he passed by.  Maybe he had some of the same issues as previously listed.
Finally it was a Samaritan who came by.  And here’s the shocker; he immediately went to the man and cared for him.  There was so much animosity between the Jews and Samaritans.  Samaritans didn’t worship at the temple.  They only considered the first 5 books of the Old Testament as their scripture.  Both sides considered the other as outsiders and sinners.  But this man dresses the man’s wounds, puts him on his donkey—which meant he was that much more of a sitting duck for the robbers.  He took the man to an inn where he cared for him over night. The next morning he paid the innkeeper, not only for the night just passed, but for caring for the man going forward, and he promised to pay whatever else was needed when he came again.
This Samaritan didn’t just put a band-aid on the wound or give the poor guy a lift to the next town.  He went the next step to really make sure this man had the best he could offer.
And Jesus asks.  Which one was the neighbor to the man beaten and robbed?  Be the neighbor!  Be the one who doesn’t look and measure who should receive one’s compassion and care.   Be the neighbor!  Be the one who has compassion because of the humanity which we all share.
And that’s the plumb line that Jesus offers.  Are we the neighbor who loves regardless of where that needy individual lives?  Regardless of what language they speak or the color of their skin?  Regardless of whether they deserve our care?  Regardless of whether offering that care is convenient or within our budget?
Are we the neighbor who becomes God’s hands and feet in that moment?  Because loving God with our heart, soul, strength and mind (and I would add check book) means we participate with God in these moments when God calls us forward to act.  When we act we are offering not just our care—we’re offering God’s love and grace.  We’re telling that other person that they are valued and loved.  They’re worthy and special before our Creator.
I want you to notice one more thing in this, as well.  In this story the Lawyer recited this most important command that is found in both the Old and New Testament.  In it we are instructed to love our neighbor as ourself.  That means God wants us to love ourselves.  He wants us to have a positive self-esteem.  He wants us to let go of those nasty whispers that so many have repeating in their heads—the whispers that tell us we’re not good enough, pretty enough, lovable or capable.  Those self-repeating voices need to be banished because we are so beloved by God.  We need to love ourselves so we can also love our neighbor.  God loves us all.
A plumb line falls into our midst.  It shows us what is straight and true and good, and it also serves as the criteria which offers judgement on the faith we live.  We can’t address every problem in our world, but God calls us forward to address many around us.  God asks us to be a neighbor.
Let us each find our own ways to care for our neighbors, both as individuals and as a congregation.  Let us love our God with all our hearts, all our souls, all our strength and all our minds.  It’s a joyful way to know the love and the meaning of our God.
Praise be to God.  Amen.
 
 
*HYMN                   I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me                                               #369
 
PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
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, now and forever. Amen.
 
*AFFIRMATION 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 into hell.
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 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 life everlasting. Amen
 
*Prayer of Dedication
Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings you have poured into our laps.  Most specifically we thank you for the gift of grace in Jesus Christ that washes us clean and sets us free.  As we return to you a portion of this bounty, we pray that you will use us to announce your love and grace to all the world.  Thank you, Lord. Amen.
 
*HYMN        God of Grace and God of Glory (verses 1-4)                         #420
 
Sending Forth
 
* Benediction
 
*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.
Some of today’s liturgy came from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship
 
Please stay for a very short  congregational meeting to elect Sue Pinkston to the nominating committee Thank you!